Many OU students dream of moving to Hollywood to make it in show business after graduation, but few actually end up taking the plunge. Recently, alumnus Michael Burnett did.

Burnett graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in advertising, and now is living in Hollywood trying to make it big as a stand-up comedian.

“I perform three to four times a week at places ranging from The Comedy Store to disgusting dive bars,” Burnett told The Daily via e-mail. “I try to perform as often as I can, because that’s the only way to get better.”

Burnett said he often spends his free time in The Comedy Store, which is a popular club and gathering spot for both well-established comedians and unknown newcomers. There, he said, he is able to meet other comedians and make valuable connections.

Burnett has a job secured at an advertising agency, but he would like to use the connections he is making in comedy to turn stand up into a career.

“Three nights ago, after a friend of mine finished a three-minute set at open-mic night, a former [“Saturday Night Live”] cast member came up to us as we were sitting around and asked if my buddy would like to tour New York City with him in January,” Burnett said. “So I’m basically waiting for that to happen.”

Burnett, who started doing stand up comedy in March 2007, honed his comedy skills while he was a student at OU. H is not the only Sooner who regularly performs stand up comedy.

“The OU/Norman stand-up comedy scene is basically Oklahoma’s best-kept secret, although it’s starting to become known,” he said.

Burnett participated in the first Comedy Fight Night while at OU, where another former OU student, Leah Kayajanian, defeated him.

Kayajanian graduated from OU in 2004 with a degree in professional writing, and received a master’s degree in professional writing from OU in 2007. She is currently working toward another master’s degree in English.

She said she performs on a regular basis at local clubs like the Looney Bin in Oklahoma City and the Red Room in Norman.

“Ideally, I would be a stand up comedian, and that’s all I would have to do,” Kayajanian said of her career goals.

Brad Porter, a performer and friend of Kayajanian, said she is one of the four best comics in Oklahoma.

“I think [her show] is brilliant,” he said.

Professional writing graduate student James Nghiem also performs stand-up comedy regularly.

He was friends with Kayajanian and used to watch her perform. Then he decided to give it a shot himself.

“It kind of just grew on me to the point where I wanted to try it out,” Nghiem said.

Nghiem performed his first set at the Looney Bin in January 2007. After that went fairly well, he decided to keep performing. Now he performs once or twice a week at events like open-mic nights at local businesses.

The summer after Nghiem started performing, there was a strong group of about 20 local comedians that performed on a regular basis at places across Norman, he said.

“It was tiring, but it was a spectacle at the same time,” Nghiem said.

Many of those comics — such as Burnett — have moved on, he said.

Nghiem said the comedy scene in Norman and at OU fluctuates, but there is currently a great deal of potential. Kayajanian agreed.

“I think we have a really strong scene,” she said. “I think we just need to promote it more.”