Class has begun: Former Everett teacher and current comedian Cory Michaelis headlines the Spokane Comedy Club

Cory Michaelis honed his skills in front of one of the most difficult audiences an aspiring stand-up comedian can face: teenagers.

Michaelis, a former Cascade (of Everett) High School history teacher who developed an interest in stand-up comedy after taking classes in 2007 and 2009 and retired from full-time teaching in 2016 to pursue his dream, is headlining at the Spokane Comedy Club on Friday and Saturday and opening for Jason Ellis on Sunday.

Although he’s been out of school for most of 2020 – devoting his time to working in comedy clubs, occasionally performing at corporate events, on cruise ships or in college, and using some experience from his old career to teach a comedy class – Michaelis still looks back fondly on his time in education.

And some of his skills transferred from teaching world history to a group of 20-something teenagers to entertaining a crowd of enthusiastic comedy fans. For example, Michaelis sometimes uses a technique from his days as a teacher known as “proximity control,” which involves reducing the physical distance between himself and the disruptive person to remind them of behavioral expectations.

“I can handle hecklers,” he said. “I taught high school.”

Despite his educational background, Michaelis is not a comedian with a gimmick. His material, some of which can be heard on his 2018 album The Collage Dropout, draws from his more sheltered childhood and early adult life, his marriage and divorce to his high school sweetheart and the pitfalls of dating. Next year, he also has another hour of comedy that will be almost entirely devoid of educational material.

According to his own statements, Michaelis had a “sheltered” life during his childhood.

“I’m a nerd,” he said of his teenage self. “I guess I’ll go to a conservative Christian college.”

It was a spontaneous getaway to New York City when he was nine months pregnant with his then-wife in his early twenties that opened his eyes to comedy as an art form.

“It changed my whole life,” Michaelis said of his ex-wife’s support.

While Michaelis worked at a driving range, the couple spent their free time spending many evenings at the Comedy Cellar or watching productions such as “Wicked,” “Avenue Q” and “The Producers.”

“It was like my whole life had completely changed,” he said. “OK. Everyone tries to be funny.”

Michaelis caught the comedy bug after taking lessons in 2007 and again in 2009. For the next seven years, he spent his time on stage performing in classrooms.

That meant driving 20 hours from Colorado to Everett after a gig to fall asleep at midnight before the next school day began. Or flying to Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, to entertain college students under the guise of “professional development.”

Michaelis largely gave up his job as a substitute teacher in 2020, which may have been bad timing for someone looking to break into the entertainment industry.

During lockdown, Michaelis was able to spend his time teaching comedy classes or performing for companies that were keen to entertain their employees with virtual team-building events.

“I could do it in my underwear from my living room,” he said.

Michaelis returned to the stage in July 2021, selling 500 tickets for a show at the Historic Everett Theatre.

“That kind of gave me the idea that I could do a comedy role at the Historic Everett Theatre,” he said.

Sarcasm aside, since February 2022, Michaelis has been hosting a monthly show at the Historic Everett Theatre, selling an average of about 450 tickets per date.

Now, Michaelis will expand his act east of the Cascade Range for two performances at the Spokane Comedy Club. From performances in Dubai to the Lilac City, Michaelis is pleased with his progress in the comedy world, but won’t soon forget his time in training.

“It was definitely a big change in my life,” he said. “I was married to my high school sweetheart, teaching at my alma mater or rarely leaving Washington, and now I’m single, no longer teaching and traveling the world as a comedy artist.”

Reporter and editor Connor Vanderweyst, also a graduate of Cascade High School, can be reached at [email protected].