Community Corner

8-Year-Old Comedian to Perform at Ireland Nugent Benefit Sunday

Nicole Lauren is in third grade and first performed stand-up comedy at the age of 5.

Nicole Lauren is one busy 8-year-old. She takes tae kwon do classes, she's on the YMCA swim team, she plays volleyball, loves school and loves to read, and she loves to perform her stand-up comedy routine.

The New Port Richey kid is one of many performers at this Sunday's benefit for 2-year-old Palm Harbor amputee Ireland Nugent.

Nicole says she discovered that she loved being in the limelight and making people laugh when she was just five years-old.

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"I was on a cruise ship and on the cruise ships they have a kid's club that always does a talent show and everybody always does the same thing; they either sing or dance or hula hoop or jump rope. I thought -because I like to make people laugh- I wanted to do something different. I wanted to stand out amongst the crowd. Mom wrote up a joke routine and that's how I started out," said the articulate third-grader, who is also a member of Mensa.

Nicole has performed in New York City at the Broadway Comedy Club and the Greenwich Village Comedy Club. She's made many other comedy club appearances in Florida and beat adults the 2012 Hudson Comedy Contest. Nicole also recently auditioned for the America's Got Talent 2013 season. She says she hasn't heard back from them yet.

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The 8-year-old says she loves being in the spotlight.

"I'm like a giant sponge. I soak up the laughter and I love all the attention, I beg mom and dad for it. I'm an only child," she said, smiling.

It appears as though Nicole will be just as busy as an adult as she is now. When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Nicole rattled off a list of occupations; comedian, actor, audio book narrator, voice-over actress for cartoons and a stay-at-home mom.

Nicole will take the stage Sunday afternoon at the Helping Hearts for Ireland: Family Fun Day at The Centre in Palm Harbor. Nicole says she'll perform an 8-to-10 minute comedy routine.

Related-

  • June 9 Family Fun Day to Benefit Ireland Nugent

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