DICK & DUANE

In October, 1981, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat was assassinated and heavy metal band Metallica formed in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, teenagers Richie Cohen and Duane Tragis met, fell in love, got married with rings from a gumball machine and began a lifelong partnership based on love, friendship and comedy.  They first used the name "Dick and Duane" (a play on the children's book "Dick and Jane") in 1986, when they made their stage debut doing a 1960s-style, faux-lounge act at Chippendale's in NYC. 

Dick and Duane then became part of NYC's downtown club scene, alongside such performers as Lypsinka and Joey Arias. Their most popular number was "Pepper's Got a Brand New Bag," a parody of James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," about "Police Woman" Sgt. Pepper Anderson's gun-toting purse. Eventually, they toured Japan and appeared in commercials and music videos for Japanese pop singers.

Returning to NYC, Richie turned to stand-up comedy as a solo, while Duane pursued an acting career. But, although they were both quite busy with club work, plays and indie films through the late 90s, they missed being together on stage.  So, Dick and Duane reformed professionally (personally, they'd never been apart) and established themselves in the performance art and alternative comedy world of NYC's Lower East Side.   It was there that Dick and Duane honed their brand of comedy: part traditional burlesque (parodying the classics), part old-school stand-up comedy team, part 1970s variety show.  They also developed what they call "verbal drag" (dressing as men but using the female voice) and were hired as performers/writers for the long-running USA network show "Up All Night." 

Now known as the world's only husband & husband comedy team, Dick and Duane are currently developing a "Greatest Skits" theatrical show, as well as their own reality TV series.

Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/dickandduane
Our official website: http://www.dicknduane.com
Blog: http://dicknduane.blogspot.com/
YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/dicknduane
Facebook "Get Dick and Duane on Ellen" page: http://www.facebook.com/dicknduaneonellen