Russell Peters doing stand-up at Colosseum

It used to be a sitcom that elevated stand-up comedians from anonymous club headliners to 4,200-seat theaters such as the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Now it's YouTube. And Russell Peters knows it. He told the Review-Journal's Doug Elfman about meeting a YouTube founder at the Asian Excellence Awards.

When Peters found out the guy was in front of him on the press line doing interviews, "I just went up and gave him a bear hug from behind and said, 'Thank you for making me rich.' "

Locals may be surprised to know this comedian of such sudden popularity is their neighbor in Henderson.

"People are always like - when you tell them you live in Vegas - 'Oh my God, how do you do that?'

" 'I'm in Henderson, dude. It's like living in freakin' Mayberry.' "

But he likes Mayberry being close to places that stay open all night. "I'm one of those people that needs options, you know? I don't necessarily have to take advantage of it, but it's good to know it's there."

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.