Modi, an Israeli-American comic, had just finished six shows in Israel in early October. “We sold out huge theaters,” he said. “It was the highlight of my career.”
Then came Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel. “We woke up that morning with bombs,” he said. His flight to Paris did depart that day. He had four shows scheduled the following week.
“We chose to do it,” he said. “People needed it. We went right in.”
Modi, who does not use his last name Rosenfeld professionally, is making his solo headline debut in Atlanta at the Variety Playhouse on Thursday, Dec. 14. While he doesn’t get political in his shows, he does end each night by singing the Israeli national anthem. (The show is nearly sold out, but still has some seats available at axs.com for $61.50 apiece.)
“I am trying to do my comedy with taste and with respect to what’s happening in the world,” he said.
Despite his decision not to get into politics in his comedy, he was recently invited to the annual conference of the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas. Modi, who is gay, said being introduced after newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has espoused anti-gay sentiments, was a little awkward.
“I talked about my husband and being a proud Jew,” he said.
He focuses on observational humor through a Jewish lens. “I’ll talk about ‘Succession’ or ‘The Crown’ and ‘Swamp People’ from that viewpoint,” he said. “For people who aren’t Jewish, it’s a portal into our world.”
Modi, who moved to the United States from Israel at age 7, became a Merrill Lynch banker in Manhattan in the 1990s. He’d imitate the secretaries and a friend convinced him in 1994 to try out an open mic. He was hooked. He began rubbing shoulders with Comedy Cellar regulars like Chris Rock, Louis C.K. and Jerry Seinfeld.
As a clean comic, he began getting gigs at synagogues and Jewish charity fundraisers. “I build this niche,” he said. For the next 15 years, he managed to make a career out of it but hadn’t broken big.
Then in 2015, he met his future husband, Leo Veiga, from Atlanta, in the New York City subway. Modi took him to the Comedy Cellar on their first date and didn’t tell Veiga he was going to perform. It worked. “After three dates, we moved in together,” he said.
Veiga, a University of Georgia grad, specializes in marketing and public relations and has been able to use his skills to build Modi’s career. (They married in 2020.)
“He became my manager,” Modi said. “He found me the right agent, the right publicist, the right team to do social media. He’s an angel that came from heaven.” As a result, Modi’s Instagram followers jumped from 7,000 to 271,000 in three years.
“It’s been an amazing ride,” Modi said. “When you start as a comic, it’s from a place of ego. Then you realize how important what you’re doing is. It’s a calling. We’re helping people and relieving them from stress.”
IF YOU GO
Modi. 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 14. $61.50. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta. axs.com
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