Monteith And Rand

Monteith and Rand were a comedy team consisting of John Monteith (November 1, 1948 – January 16, 2018) and Suzanne Rand (September 8, 1949 – April 2, 2025). They had their own Broadway show at the Booth Theater in 1979, produced by James Lipton, after a successful off-Broadway run. "They are highly talented comedians, quick on their feet and resourceful," according to ''The New York Times''. "They have an engaging, good‐natured charm which is useful for the thinner parts of their material. But they have more: An exuberance that leaps at bubbles and sometimes catches them; an instant, poetry of wit."

"Monteith and Rand are funny," said ''The Washington Post'' in 1982. "They are usually very funny, even as they take risks in the Arena that haven't been seen since the days of Roman gladiators. This is a daredevil business, with death always in the balance, and it's exhilarating when they escape without a scratch."

Monteith and Rand met in the early 1970s at The Proposition, a Boston improvisational theatre. Rand was working for Second City and Monteith had emerged from the Boston University scene. They developed their first act together in 1976, performing in Boston, Cape Cod and landing appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. They took their show to New York City, playing Off-Broadway and then Broadway in 1979. In 1982, they were slated to make a dramatic debut in Monte Merrick's ''A Hell of a Town'' but the production folded for lack of funds before opening. Two years later, Monteith starred in the show's premiere in Rochester, opposite Joanna Gleason. The production transferred to Broadway but closed after 32 performances

Rand was in the famed Second City company that included John Belushi and Brian Doyle Murray in Chicago, and Monteith performed with John Candy, Dan Aykroyd and Gilda Radner in Toronto. Rand was originally based in Boston but moved to New York, where Monteith lived, in 1982. They remained in New York City where they taught and performed. The two stopped performing with each other by the 1990s; Monteith taught improvisation at the HB Studio in Manhattan for many years while Rand did voice-over work for advertisers and worked with Summer Salt, a group of writers and improvisers.

John Monteith died in Jersey City, New Jersey, on January 16, 2018, at the age of 69. Suzanne Rand died in Manhattan on April 2, 2025, at the age of 75.

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1948 births
1949 births
2018 deaths
2025 deaths
American comedy duos

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