Simon Cadel is a comedian who happens to be a kid. He’s not a kid comedian. Cadel, who is in ninth grade, has performed at iconic New York comedy clubs like Caroline’s, Comic Strip Live and The Stand.
Cadel lives in Tarrytown and attends The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, known for its strong creative curriculum and progressive teaching style. In other words, he was allowed to take dance to fulfill the team sport requirement.
Cadel began his comedic journey at the age of 12, working with comedy coaches at the Longlake Camp for the Arts in the Adirondacks. In 2014, he was the Breakout Artist of the Month at Caroline’s on Broadway and this past December he performed for more than 500 people at the Kung Pao Kosher Comedy Show in San Francisco as part of the Jewish Comedy Festival.
Cadel, who attended Hebrew school at Bet Am Shalom in White Plains, culls a lot of his material from his Jewish upbringing, such as his bit about the 10 plagues lacking in creativity as they evolve.
He’s also not afraid to poke fun at himself. His Facebook bio reads: “I’m short, unathletic and like video games. Spoiler alert: Single.” His professional website has the tagline, “When it comes to comedy, size doesn’t matter.”
Cadel's comedy career gained momentum when he was given an unusual bar mitzvah gift: a person. Knowing he was into comedy, a passion that was not kept secret during the 15-minute set he performed at his party, a family friend procured lessons with a comedy coach, who has taught little known hacks like Jon Stewart.
For his mitzvah project, Cadel organized a fundraiser called “Laugh ’Til It Helps,” raising $1,000 for the Family Service of Westchester. Last month, he was the opening act at “Stand Up for Peace” at Ohev Shalom Synagogue in Wallingford, Pa.
But despite his bar mitzvah, Cadel calls himself a “Jathiest”, identifying more culturally with Judaism than religiously.
“Instead of texting OMG, oh my God,” he said, “I have to text OMSPP, oh my scientifically proven principles.”
Eel enthusiast: Cadel had a pet eel named Jaws for many years who died from old age and “not from being stabbed in an alley.”
A joiner: Cadel is part of the theater club, gaming club, anime club and is an apprentice on the school newspaper.
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