Comic opens set for ages: 'Hello. I have cancer.'

This 2012 photo released by The Daily shows comedian Tig Notaro. After starting her comedy routine with “Good evening! Hello. I have cancer. How are you?”, Notaro launched into a 30-minute performance that immediately became legendary in comedy circles and that's now available as an unlikely live album via a $5 digital release by comedian Louis C.K. In just a week, it's sold more than 60,000 copies. (AP Photo/Kate Lacey for The Daily)

By JAKE COYLE

AP Entertainment Writer / October 12, 2012

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Her stand-up, while personal, hasn’t typically been confessional or dark. Among her most famous routines is a never-ending bit about repeatedly running into ‘80s pop star Taylor Dayne. Performing on ‘‘Conan,’’ she also stretched absurdity, spending the majority of her set pushing a stool around the stage.

But now, Notaro realizes a shift has occurred in her comedy and that she can’t return to her old material. ‘‘Live’’ ends with her telling one of her jokes — one about a bee on a highway in Los Angeles — but she’s telling it ironically. After talking about cancer and death, the joke is funny for being so foolish by comparison.

‘‘I cannot imagine — and maybe it’s just a matter of time — doing that kind of material right now,’’ says Notaro, who hasn’t yet performed since. ‘‘I feel a little more reflective and searching. My comedy is beyond me right now.

‘‘I have no idea what’s coming,’’ she says. ‘‘It makes me feel like I'm just starting in stand-up. I feel like I've just been born, but I feel like I've been born with every tool I need in life. If you had a baby and it was born with all the experience it needed. That’s how I feel.’’

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Contact AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle at http://twitter.com/jake_coyle