Imagine yourself under a bright spotlight and having to tell jokes about your life, your culture and your relationships and make sure that you get a drunk, obnoxious crowd to laugh at your material - can't you just feel the drop of nervous sweat on your forehead?

Stand-up comedy isn't easy, but many Latino comedians make it look that way. So what's their secret? Some are born with the natural ability to make people laugh and some are literally born into their material - being their culture and family traditions.

I am a huge fan of stand-up comedy; you can often find me at shows in New York City, Boston or Philadelphia. Back in 2002, I witnessed comedian Johnny Leguizamo in action with his Off Broadway, one-man-show, "Sexaholix... A Love Story," which he wrote and performed. He delved into his love life and how he started his own Latin and Jewish family adding his signature, hilarious Leguizamo spin to the story.

He also explored "subjects ranging from the history of Latino people to more personal topics such as his relationships with women and his complicated family dynamics. Leguizamo tells his story from childhood to fatherhood through the eyes of a myriad cast of characters, including his father, his friends and his lovers."

While Leguizamo's latest show, Ghetto Klown, is currently running on Broadway, take a look back at the comedian during the show I attended, "Sexaholix... A Love Story," at the Beacon Theater in New York:

Leguizamo was born in Bogotá, Colombia. According to the comedian/actor, his paternal grandfather was of Puerto Rican and Italian descent and his maternal grandfather was Lebanese. Leguizamo has also described himself as being of "Amerindian and Mestizo heritage." His father was once an aspiring film director and studied at Cinecittà, but eventually dropped out due to lack of finances. When Leguizamo was four years old, his family emigrated to the United States and lived in various neighborhoods of Queens in New York City, including Jackson Heights.

"Good comedy comes from pain, and we Latinos know a lot about that. Latinos comedians bring their own brand of misery to the stage," according to Tu Vez's Jack Tomas.

Who are some of the best Latino comedians? Tomas shared his top five favorites on the Latino comedy circuit. Leguizamo made the list of course.

John Leguizamo:

"John Legz has issues. His act is mostly about growing up poor and Latino in New York with an abusive father. Luckily, he has been able to channel that into a successful career. He has done several successful On and Off Broadway one-man-shows including Mambo Mouth, Spic-a-Rama, Freak, and Sexaholix. His latest show, Ghetto Klown, is currently running on Broadway. In this clip he talks about the aftermath of his parent's divorce and being spanked with a chancleta, something a lot of us can relate to."

Paul Rodriguez:

"George Lopez owes his entire career to Paul Rodriguez. Paul was the first to discuss life in the barrios of LA, immigration, and Chicano culture. He is one of the most imitated stand-ups in recent history. Every Mexican-American comedian has to intentionally try not to be like Paul Rodriguez, which is a pretty big compliment."

Tomas also took a look back at past Latino comedians that have brought laughs

Cheech and Chong:

"Known today for their movies, Richard 'Cheech' Marin and Tommy Chong were popular stand-ups for several years before hitting it big in film. Their comedy albums were bestsellers, even earning them a couple of Grammy nominations. In their act they would do skits including the legendary sketches 'Sister Mary Elephant,' 'Dave's Not Here,' and 'The Lowrider' and The Hippie.' 'The Lowrider and The Hippie' bit would later become their on screen personas."

Greg Giraldo:

"This fool was seriously funny. Greg was most famous for his appearances on several shows on Comedy Central including the popular Comedy Central Roasts and Lewis Black's 'Root of All Evil.' He toured constantly and was one of the biggest stand-ups at the time of his death. He OD'd on prescription pills in 2010, leaving the world much to friggin' soon."

Freddy Prinze:

"A lot of you may not remember Freddy Prinze, because he too left us too soon. In the seventies, he was one of the biggest comedians around. He was the first Latino stand-up to be really well known following several appearances on' The Tonight Show: With Johnny Carson.' He parlayed that success into the TV show, 'Chico and the Man.' Unfortunately, he too had problems with drugs and depression and he killed himself in 1977. Why do all the good ones die young, while the sucky ones (Mencia) live forever?

Tomas notes that he specifically didn't include comedians George Lopez or Carlos Mencia for a reason...

"Note: You did not see George Lopez or Carlos Mencia on this list for a reason. Though they are very successful, we just couldn't bring ourselves to include them. George Lopez is just not funny. He also reinforces every stereotype about Mexican-Americans there is. As for Carlos, that guy is a comedy abomination. He is the most notorious joke stealer in the history of comedy, taking material from superior comics (and George Lopez) and mangling it. His entire act is a sham. Duh Duh Duh."

I have to admit, though sometimes corny, George Lopez has made me laugh in the past,and I was pulling for him to keep his late night talk show, "Lopez Tonight"on TBS because he was the only Latino representing late night television.