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The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 144: Megan Koester & Doing One of Those 2022 Round-Ups, But Much More Fun

December 28, 2022

2022 wrap up, megan koester, state of comedy

We’re at the doorstep of 2023 and it’s only natural that we take a look back at what 2022 hath wrought in comedy. With such a task at hand, we are thrilled to have the one and only Megan Koester, both a treasured comic’s comic and a crucial voice in indie comedy, to do one of these annual wrap-up things that everyone does. Take a listen as TCB’s Jake Kroeger and Megan riff through 2022 with sarcastic abandon (and tinges of sincerity)

Follow Megan @bornferal on Twitter and IG

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

Bill Cosby Touring in 2023 Would Be Like O.J. Simpson Doing His Prank Show “Juiced”

December 28, 2022

News

bill cosby

(via Variety)

After exploiting a legal loophole to get his sexual assault charge overturned last year (there are other cases that have been recently filed against Cosby), Bill Cosby has announced that he is eyeing a return to the stage in 2023 to do stand-up. One should never forget that the overturning of the decision only came as damning testimony given by Cosby was recognized as inadmissible due to a prior agreement with a different prosecution team.

Cosby has been out of jail for over a year now and apparently continues to live in an alternate reality where he maintains some semblance of innocence and that there is a fan base where he will, he believes, “…be able to perform and be the Bill Cosby that my audience knows me to be.” In a potential scenario where a venue takes on a possibly short-sighted cash grab that would be booking Cosby for some dates, don’t be surprised if he doesn’t bring up the topics of rape or drugging women or talk about any of the damage he has done in betraying his image as America’s Dad (see We Need to Talk About Cosby).

2008 saw O.J. Simpson release a prank show that one asked for, Juiced. In said show, there are plenty of “bits” that “poke fun” at the murder he was accused of (that everyone pretty much agrees he is guilty of thanks to a civil trial). The show remains tasteless and a creation of yet another mind living in some sort of reality free of accountability and detractors and remains as a haunting reminder of the aftermath of how America handled the entirety of the O.J. Simpson Trial saga.

Some accountability ought to be put into action in place of past failures and not give Cosby an iota of the life he had and repeat this cycle of tragedy once more. Maybe that would look like no one going to see those shows and, perhaps, picketing any place that risks booking him.

Pick of the Day: Pregame! (in NYC) NYE

December 28, 2022

News

aparna nancherla, brooklyn, Joe Castle Baker, jordan carlos, josh sharp, littlefield, natalie rotter laitman, new year's, new year's eve, nyc comedy, nye, richard perez

If you’re in NYC for New Year’s Eve, you’ve got, perhaps, too many options that all sounds oh so enticing. After all, there is only so ground you can cover between countdowns leading up to the ball dropping (or, rather, slowly being lowered) in Times Square.

Littlefield in Brooklyn is affording you the opportunity to get in a great comedy show, Pregame!, at a more than nice price before you really get going to a several stops for your NYE’s (unless you’re doing the thing where you stand for hours on end in the middle of Times Square). Starting at the early hour of 7PM, you can enjoy the comedy stylings of Josh Sharp, Aparna Nancherla, Jordan Carlos, Joe Castle Baker, Natalie Rotter-Laitman and Richard Perez, then have plenty of time to galavant across whatever boroughs your heart desires (or go in for the $60 VIP package that gets you into Parklife’s afterparty).

Tickets for Pregame! are only $15.54 (versus some of the close to triple figure admission fees you might right into elsewhere in town) and you really ought to get in on this deal here.

Pick of the Day: BBMT Presents NYE’s Spectacular: Tomorrow! Hosted by Ron Lynch (in LA) 12/31

December 27, 2022

News

bob baker marionette theater, los angeles comedy, new year's eve, nye, ron lynch, tomorrow show

There are plenty of options for the Greater LA Area that will very likely run you more than a few pretty pennies and mostly be people get drunk while music is played very loud up until a countdown for New Year’s somewhere in the world.

For all the extensive digging and scouring we’ve done on what might be “the” thing to go to on New Year’s Eve (unless you mostly just wanted to get drunk off of champagne and do countdowns), we think we’ve got the thing for LA. Our money is on Ron Lynch having a special exclusive night of his long running, beloved midnight variety show, Tomorrow!, head to another beloved LA institution, The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, for a special music/comedy/dancing extravaganza of a New Year’s Eve starting at 10PM.

Slated to join Lynch for the evening include Tomorrow! favorites of all kinds (comedians, carnies, magicians, non-comedic musicians, musical comedians, and more) including Jack Dagger, Sethward, Drennon Davis, Ian Abramson, Psychic Buster, Nick Stargu, Kristen Lundberg, Wesley Doloris, Blake Rosier, “The Unkillable” Jenny Lynne, Chaki.

Best of all, a ticket to Bob Baker Marionette Theater Presents NYE’s Spectacular: Tomorrow! Hosted by Ron Lynch only costs $23, which is a steal of a deal. Go get your tix now.

Pick of the Day: 50 Worst Jokes (in LA) 12/28

December 26, 2022

News

50 worst jokes, airliner, los angeles comedy, worst jokes

In LA, between Christmas and New Year’s, it is, unfortunately, a week where people who didn’t go back home for the holidays tap their thumbs on their steering wheel while “enjoying” the absence of traffic (and things to do).

That said, there are very much things to do and, of course, comedy shows to go to including the return of the devilishly fun 50 Worst Jokes. As opposed to the long running 50 First Jokes wherein several comedians tell their first joke(s) of the new year, this show poses comics to share the worst joke they’ve told in the past year. It’s a bunch of subversive fun to see how everyone, especially so many of LA’s funniest, interpret that prompt.

This edition of 50 Worst Jokes is set for Wed. Dec. 28th at 8PM at The Airliner and will feature the worst bits of:

Jamie Loftus
Jenny Yang
Paul Danke
Brandie Posey
Tess Barker
Anna Valenzuela
Lindsay Adams
Zach Noe Towers
James Fritz
Rachele Friedland
Christine Medrano
Joanne Schinderle
David Venhuizen
Matt Champagne
Tamra Brown
Tashi Condelee
Ashley Ray
Jake Kroeger
and more TBA
& hosts Babs Gray, Brodie Reed, and Dave Child

Tickets are only $7 and you can (and very much should) get tickets here.

Just Watch Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? on Repeat Instead of a Yule Log Over and Over

December 24, 2022

News

comedy special, have you heard of christmas, holiday special, matt rogers, showtime

Let’s face it, both real and looped videos of yule logs are a thing of the past. Even with the nostalgia that’s deeply baked into the holiday season, the creation of meta “yule logs” is, perhaps, a sign we need a new thing to play over and over on Christmas (and going back to A Christmas Story or Elf might not work either).

With that in mind, there’s a new Christmas special, a comedy one at that, done up exquisitely by Matt Rogers, (after performing it annually on stages for years) gleefully titled Have You Heard of Christmas?. It’s equal parts subversive and reverent when it comes to being a holiday special and Rogers showing off his golden pipes is a lavish frosting on top of it all.

Rogers dissects the entire cottage industry that is big time actors and pop stars doing holiday specials with a scripted narrative arc shot separately from the live special (featuring great cameos from Jo Firestone and Pat Regan), then revels merrily in his disruptive riffs and takes on your time honored Christmas themes, stories, traditions for a raucous live crowd. Matt’s witty, self-aware panache does the whole special in such a marvelously satirical way that almost no one else can pull off.

So, for those reasons, make Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? your choice to watch throughout Christmas Day and beyond (so long as you have access to Showtime and, maybe, no tiny children?).

Pick of the Day: Marx Brothers Double Feature (in LA) Christmas Day

December 23, 2022

News

animal crackers, horse feathers, los angeles comedy, marx brothers, new beverly

If you’re in LA for Christmas and you’re finding that you want to get away from any sort of Christmas get-together and do something else entirely, you might notice that almost every comedy club, theater, spot in town is closed for the day.

You might feel a bit abandoned in your search for something outside the bounds of holiday cheer in the City of Angels, but fret not. Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly has a Marx Brothers double feature running on Christmas afternoon. Animal Crackers and Horse Feathers, two choice selections from the Marx Brothers filmography, will screen back-to-back at the New Bev starting at 2PM. It doesn’t get more escapist for Christmas 2022 in LA than watching Animal Crackers and Horse Feathers, two revered slapstick comedies from all the way back in the 1930s.

Best of all, you can get tickets for both for $12.

The Ice House Is (Probably) Reopening in Early February

December 23, 2022

News

comedy club, ice house, los angeles, pasadena

(via Pasadena Now)

At this point, nearly every single comedy venue in LA and NYC that was going to reopen after lockdown from COVID-19 was lifted has returned to doing business in our “new normal”. In fact, The Ice House in Pasadena, LA’s oldest comedy club, is an intriguing case and exception as they closed to renovate in 2019, got caught by quarantine and COVID-19 lockdown, then had to go finish up their renovations (further prolonged by the fact that LA county does not make getting through building permits and construction easy or fast whatsoever).

That said, the wait looks to be over as claimed in a Pasadena Now interview with current Ice House owner Johnny Buss (yes, he’s the son of Dr. Jerry Buss). The legendary comedy club is still finishing up construction, but will likely be done in January and then take a few weeks to train up staff for a project Feb. 9th opening. When the doors swing back open, look for the bathrooms, the bar, and the patio to all be expanded, a fresh new look for both show rooms, and a much needed spot for open mics in Pasadena.

The reopening of The Ice House will be the final reopening of a comedy club in LA, which we’re thankful to hear that will put a cap on any sort of comedy venue in LA not surviving from 2019.

Pick of the Day: A Scream Queens Comedy & Drag Show (in NYC) 12/30

December 22, 2022

News

club cumming, drag show, jared goldstein, joyelle nicole johnson, nyc comedy, sarah rachel lazarus, scream queens, shitzprobe, vicky deville, x-emma

If your holiday of choice is, far and away, Halloween or really isn’t one that December offers, we feel your pain. The incessant holiday music and forced cheer can be tough, but thankfully there are outlets for an alternative experience for the holidays.

Case in point, A Scream Queens Comedy & Drag Show at Club Cumming. That really doesn’t seem to have anything to do with Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, Boxing Day, etc. etc.

Indeed, a devilishly themed comedy and drag show is coming to Club Cumming on Fri. Dec. 30th with the likes of Jared Goldstein, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Shitzprobe, X-Emma, Vicky Deville, and, of course, host Sarah Rachel Lazarus. It’s a hell of a line-up that will fill in that dead week between Christmas and NYE perfectly

Tickets are only $12 and you best go get them here.

New Other Two, Hacks, and How To with John Wilson, and More Coming in 2023/Are All Safe for Now at HBO Max

December 21, 2022

News

hbo, hbo max

Since the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, so many properties have gotten canceled (even if they had been previously renewed) including Minx, Love Life, Los Espookys, Made for Love, Gordita Chronicles, and even two Looney Tunes projects. That’s just counting the comedy productions at HBO Max that were nixed amongst several others that were taken off the platform.

A preview of HBO Max’s entire slate in the coming year was just posted today and, effectively, doubles as a notice as to what’s safe from Warner Discovery head David Zaslav’s ax. In this teaser, Barry, Righteous Gemstones, Somebody Somewhere, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, How To with John Wilson, Real Time with Bill Maher, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Rain Dogs, Velma, And Just Like That…, Julia, Doom Patrol, Our Flag Means Death, The Other Two, Rap Sh!t, Harley Quinn, and Hacks are going to premiere, come out with new seasons, etc.

That’s still a healthy offering on HBO Max’s side of things, but we won’t be surprised if things change up again quickly somewhere along the way in 2023 due to any number of circumstances (ratings, trying desperately to cut costs, etc.).

For now, just enjoy what will be on HBO Max in 2023 as shown here.

Pick of the Day: Set Sail with Ruben Östlund: An American Cinematheque Retrospective (in LA) 1/8

December 21, 2022

News

american cinematheque, force majeure, los angeles comedy, los feliz, ruben ostlund, the square, triangle of sadness

We’ve sung the praises of internationally renowned auteur Ruben Östlund plenty of times here at The Comedy Bureau. He is one a handful of directors that really extoll high artistry in the realm of comedy on film. The trio of works, Force Majeure, The Square, and Östlund’s latest, Triangle of Sadness simultaneously are some of the funniest movies we’ve seen on this side of the millennium and profoundly moving and prodding works of cultural dissection.

Of course, it just stands to reason that Ruben ought to get his own retrospective at American Cinematheque. On Sun. Jan. 8th, The Los Feliz 3 will host such a thing with Ruben Östlund himself, in person, introducing each screening. A run of four films will include Luis Buñuel’s Viridiana at 1PM, then The Square at 3:15PM, an American Cinematheque members only screening of Triangle of Sadness (w/Q&A featuring Dolly de Leon and Bill Hader) at 6:30PM, and Force Majeure at 10PM.

Tickets for non-members are $15 per screening, but it all seems worth it in our opinion (fingers crossed that you’ve finished all your holiday shopping already).

Go get tickets for Set Sail with Ruben Östlund: An American Cinematheque Retrospective here

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 143: Maggie Mackay & The Rebirth of Vidiots

December 21, 2022

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

cultural spaces, local theater, maggie mackay, movie theater, nela, north east los angeles, vidiots

Vidiots is one of those local institutions in LA that help weave the fabric that makes the city into a beautiful tapestry of cultures and passions and dreams. Originally born as a video rental store in the 80s, Vidiots was a landmark not only to its old neighborhood of Santa Monica to movie and art lovers all across LA. Having to close its doors as a video store, Vidiots has now been reborn as a non-profit movie theater that will open in Eagle Rock early next year.

This week’s TCB Field Report has a chat with Vidiots Executive Director Maggie Mackay about the importance of cultural spaces such as Vidiots, comedy to come at Vidiots, the never ending journey of running brick-and-mortar, and probably why we should both take vacations.

Follow @vidiots across socials and visit vidiotsfoundation.org for more info and get/gift memberships here.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

Pick of the Day: Rachel Kaly: HOSPITAL HOUR (in NYC) 1/14

December 20, 2022

News

brooklyn, headlining, nyc comedy, rachel kaly, stand up comedy, union hall

We’ve said it here more than a couple times that Rachel Kaly is one of the most exciting and unique voices in comedy at this point in time. That’s especially impressive considering how much more diverse (both in an inclusion way and style of performance) comedy has gotten (and continues to be) over the last few years. Her low key absurdity is sure fire delight every time we go see it and we’re always wanting more of Kaly’s brand of hijinks every time she has to leave.

Lucky for NYC, Rachel Kaly will be doing a brand new hour of comedy about “all the times she’s been in the hospital due to mental illness” at Union Hall in Gowanus, Brooklyn on Sat. Jan. 14th at 7:30PM.

Tickets are $18.98 and we highly suggest you go get them here before they sell out.

Pack Theater Moving Two Blocks Down Santa Monica Blvd to Broadwater (and Are Taking Submissions for Show Ideas)

December 20, 2022

News

broadwater, los angeles comedy, pack theater

The ripple effects of the pandemic are still strongly reverberating and places and things are still closing despite making it through multiple years of having to stay closed or operating at fraction of their normal capacity (and income). The Complex on Santa Monica Blvd, which has provided a great point of access for small scale theatrical productions for several years now, is unfortunately closing its doors because of the unfortunate changing tides of real estate development in Los Angeles.

The Complex just happens to be the home of one of LA’s most fiercely independent theaters/troupes/schools/brands, The Pack Theater. Founded by legendary improviser Miles Stroth, The Pack has provided a stage for comedy folks seeking to do something between lines and disciplines within comedy and grown a community all unto itself over of the years because of that inclusive spirit.

Thankfully, The Pack Theater will not have to come to an end due to the closure of The Complex and will not even be relocating that far here in LA. In 2023, The Broadwater, which has its own collection of black box theaters, will be the new home of The Pack just two blocks away from The Pack’s original location. So, you’ll probably be aiming to get the same loading zone spots in trying to get to shows at The Pack next year.

This new era of The Pack is also taking submissions for live shows and have even made it quick and easy submission form here to fill out if you’re aiming to put something up there.

Please Listen to and Enjoy Mike Bridenstine’s “Hustle”, an Hour of Observational Comedy, Updated for Nowadays

December 19, 2022

News

ast records, comedy album, mike bridenstine, stand up comedy

Even in 2022, the label “observational comedy” still conjures up a high pitched, slightly nasal utterance of “What’s the deal with [insert any topic of minutia]?” However, this current modern era of comedians that focus their jokes and bits on the observations of the world around them and their life, the sound, feel, writing, delivery, and verisimilitude have evolved to something (thankfully) that’s disparate from living comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld.

Mike Bridenstine‘s sophomore release, Hustle, exemplifies this evolution wonderfully.

Bridenstine’s comedy is indeed very delineated in an observational style, but Bridenstine’s candor and genuine enthusiasm hide the seams of his material much better than comedy of yesteryear. Whether zooming in on the micro with Star Wars minutia or zooming out to trying to solve racism or getting personal with his own life-altering time playing baseball, here on Hustle, Mike maintains a chummy, grounded delivery that really make his punchlines and the comedic twists in his stories hit sweetly. There’s a traditional rise in volume when he ramps up to those elements, but none of it feels forced in a way that would take you out of the listening experience to think about every comedian who has raised their voice to punctuate their jokes.

Even though so many presidential candidates have strived to be the candidate you can have a beer with, Bridenstine really has mastered how to make such a connection with a crowd on a given night.

Mike Bridenstine’s Hustle is out now from AST Records and avaialble wherever you get your comedy albums. Give it a listen here.

Pick of the Day: Dead Pilots Society Presents: Brooks Wheelan’s Dead Pilots (in LA) 1/12

December 19, 2022

News

brooks wheelan, dead pilots society, elysian, live reading, los angeles comedy

The network TV axe is so very bloody these days. Not only are shows getting cut after a season, but shows that were renewed are having their fate reversed and consequently canceled. So, you’d figure that means more produced pilots are even less likely to make it to series than they were even a year ago.

Thankfully, the podcast Dead Pilots Society has returned for the first live LA show to make sure that some of these things actually see the light of day and are enjoyed by an actual audience. This edition of Dead Pilots Society will live read the first three episodes of a Brooks Wheelan pilot that were commissioned by Fox, but, as you can guess, never went beyond that.

There’s an amazing cast they’ve lined up for this live reading that will include:

Brooks Wheelan (SNL)
Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric)
Bobby Moynihan (SNL)
Alyssa Limperis (Flatbush Misdemeanors)
Kerri Kenney Silver (Reno 911)
Jermaine Fowler (Tuca and Birdie)
Mike O’Brien (AP Bio)
Jessica Lowe (Minx), and more.

Go get tickets ($20) to enjoy this live and in person at The Elysian come Thurs. Jan. 12th at 7:30PM. Do so here.

Enjoy Trailer for “Showing Up” a More Delicate Comedy About the Art World

December 19, 2022

News

a24, hong chau, kelly reichardt, michelle williams

When it comes to the art world getting sent up in comedy, Ruben Östlund’s fearsome satire The Square that won the Palme D’or at Cannes in 2017 is what comes to mind.

Beloved American indie writer/director Kelly Reichardt and A24 are offering up a more nuanced, more delicate humorous look into the art world (and how unnecessarily competitive it can be) with her latest work, Showing Up. Michelle Williams and Hong Chau (having a banner year between The Menu and The Whale) having a simmering rivalry as up and coming artists as well as, it would seem, neighbors. As such, the jokes will seem to be playing a lot with negative space, which we do have a penchant for.

Take a look for yourself with the first official trailer for Showing Up here.

Pick of the Day: 16th Annual 50 First Jokes (in NYC) 1/6

December 15, 2022

News

50 first jokes, bell house, brooklyn, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Next year is just a couple of weeks away and the arrival of 2023 signals the coming of one of the best annual comedy traditions around, 50 First Jokes. Going on its 16th year in NYC, 50 (or more) of the best comedians in the city come together to deliver their very first jokes of the new year. It’s a raucous good time and, honestly, better than trying to keep your New Year’s resolution going.

This year’s edition will be back at The Bell House in Brooklyn on Fri. Jan. 6th (any takers on how many comics will have a Jan. 6th joke?) at 8PM and have John F. O’Donnell hosting and feature the brand new joke(s) of:

Alison Leiby
Andy Haynes
Anthony Devito
Asha Ward
Brittney Carney
Carmen Lagala
Casey James Salengo
Chanel Ali
Charlie Bardey
Chloe Radcliffe
Courtney Maginiss
Dan Perlman
Dave Ross
Eman El-Husseini
Emmy Blotnick
JP McDade
Jeff Scheen
Jess Salomon
Kate Willett
Kendall Ferrell
Kenice Mobley
Maria Wojciechowski
Michael Cruz Kayne
Natasha Vaynblat
Rachel McCartney
Rebecca O’Neal
Sabrina Wu
Sam Evans
Shalewa Sharpe
Shane Torres
Zach Zimmerman

…just to name a few.

Tickets are $25.42 right now and you can (and should) go get them here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 142: Sean Casey & a New NEW Lyric Hyperion

December 14, 2022

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

los angeles comedy, lyric hyperion, sean casey

Sean Casey has successfully made LA comedy’s coziest room with The Glendale Room and is now about to launch a brand new, NEW era of Silverlake staple, The Lyric Hyperion. Casey’s long time experience in the LA comedy scene will absolute get Lyric Hyperion it back to being a jewel of Hyperion Ave. He already has so very many great things in store for the coming weeks and months (and changing up the feel/experience/vibe/etc.) and we thankfully talk all about it on this week’s TCB Field Report.

Follow all things Glendale Room at theglendaleroom.com & Lyric Hyperion at lyrichyperion.com

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

Pick of the Day: Fictional Roast: Santa (in LA) 12/22

December 14, 2022

News

comedy roast, comedy store, eddie furth, fictional roast, historical roast, los angeles comedy, ryan pigg, santa

If you’re more into the Violent Night or Christmas Bloody Christmas this holiday season, you’re probably not in the market for a typical yuletide-tinged comedy show that’s perhaps just stories about dealing with your family during December.

What you might be more into is a full tilt roast of the figure head of Christmas himself, Santa Claus. Thankfully, that exact thing is happening at The Comedy Store thanks to Eddie Furth and Ryan Pigg, the minds behind Historical Roasts on Netflix, with a Fictional Roast: Santa Claus. Comedians donning the characters of Mrs. Claus, The Grinch, Scrooge, Rudolph, Frosty, and a Christmas Tree will all assemble as the dais for sending up the jolly saint.

This Fictional Roast of Santa Claus is set for Thurs. Dec. 22nd at 8PM, up in The Belly Room of The Comedy Store. Tickets are $15 and we suggest you go snag them now here as space there is limited.

Scheming and Rom Coms Are Big on This Year’s Black List

December 13, 2022

News

The Black List, the annual collection of the best unproduced feature screenplays floating around Tinseltown, was just released yesterday and gives you a potential barometer of what’s in or what might be in the works that will come to theaters and/or a big streamer in the next couple of years. This year’s Black List has a lot of heists, sports, and more rom coms than we can remember. Extrapolate that as a reflection of high inflation and need for escapism and hope, but it’s always a fascinating read of several log lines.

Below, we’ve got the ones that are either comedies (such as the Hindenburg dark comedy or the one co-written by comedian Mary Beth Barone) or probably comedies because that’s how they log line reads. For our money, the log line for OH THE HUMANITY is best logline we’ve ever read for any movie ever and a lot of has to do with its use of profanity and alt descriptions. Take a gander and imagine the trailers for all of these Black List scripts below.

OH THE HUMANITY

Gillian Weeks

A dark comedy about the Hindenburg Disaster; or, the mostly true story about one of the biggest fuckups in history, the assholes who tried to cover it up, and the female gossip reporter who made some Nazis very angry.

BABY BOOM

Jack Waz

When her sister’s gender reveal party triggers the apocalypse, a woman and her husband have to prove to themselves, and the world, that they’re responsible enough to save it

THERE YOU ARE

Brooke Baker

When a non-confrontational playwright loses her engagement ring, she must travel through Italy to get it back with a man who was supposed to be just a one-night stand, discussing love and lying along the way

JINGLE BELL HEIST

Abby McDonald

At the height of the holiday season, two strangers team up to rob one of New York’s most famous department stores while accidentally falling in love.

MEGA ACTION HIT

Sean Tidwell

After Hollywood’s leading action star hits his head on set and wakes up thinking he’s a real-life action hero, he embarks on an international mission to track down a real stolen nuke before it’s too late

TOTAL LANDSCAPING

Woody Bess

A day in the life of the employees of Four Seasons Total Landscaping and its neighboring businesses on November 7th, 2020: the day an average, working-class strip mall in East Philadelphia became the focal point of the most divisive presidential election in American History.

CHEAT DAY

Emma Dudey

When a young woman in a decade-long heterosexual relationship realizes she needs to explore her bisexuality, she and her boyfriend institute a “Cheat Day:” 24 hours in which they can do whatever–and whomever–before deciding whether to get engaged or break up.

POPULAR

Marley Schneier

GOP strategist Lee Atwater won the presidency for George H.W. Bush in 1988, and his campaign changed politics forever–and gave him the worst reputation in America. Now, Lee is on his deathbed, and he needs to tell God his side of the story…before it’s too late.

WHO MADE THE POTATO SALAD?

Kyle Drew

A family’s Christmas dinner goes awry when a xenomorphic demon starts to duplicate and imitate each member of the family. What does it want? To show them their greatest fears

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME

Kristen Tepper

Two best friends run a successful underground service taking womens’ toxic exes on humiliating dates, but their friendship is put to the ultimate test when an old mark plots his revenge.

I LOVE YOU NOW AND FOREVER

Robert Machoian

After exhausting all financial options to save their dying daughter, Frank and Abby are forced into a final act of desperation: rob a local bank.

42.6 YEARS

Seth Reiss

After waking up from a failed experimental lifesaving procedure in which he was cryogenically frozen for 42.6 years, a young man realizes he wants his ex-girlfriend back. He’ll have to overcome the fact that while he hasn’t aged a day, she’s lived an entire life without him.

LIFE OF THE PARTY

Julie Mandel Folly & Hannah Murphy

In this contemporary reimagining of Frankenstein, two teenage feminists struggle to create the perfect boyfriend, only to watch their experiment deteriorate as he succumbs to the ultimate perpetrator of casual high school misogyny: the football team.

ETERNITY

Pat Cunnane

After death, everybody gets one week to choose where to spend eternity. For Joan, Larry, and Luke, it’s really a question of who to spend it with.

MARRIAGE BRACKET

Liv Auerbach & Daisygreen Stenhouse

Ten years after a group of girlfriends bet on which of them would be the last to get married, their adult lives and relationships are completely upended when they discover the $80 they drunkenly invested in Bitcoin is now worth $5.2 million.

YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND

Mary Beth Barone & Erin Woods

Lily is mature, thoughtful, artistic, and… awkward. Rosie is sweet, caring, and popular with dreams of being a star. When Lily breaks down in tears on her 15th birthday because she has no friends, her Aunt Beth (a hot shot at a big movie studio) devises a plan. Aunt Beth agrees to jump start Rosie’s acting career as long as she can convincingly play the role of a lifetime: Lily’s best friend. Aunt Beth has the scheme and Rosie has the talent. All they have to do is get away with it.

For the entire Black List for 2022, check out the PDF here.

Pick of the Day: December: Berkshires Country: A Real Housewives Reading (in NYC) 12/18

December 13, 2022

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brooklyn, colorado healing fund, live reading, nyc comedy, real housewives

Part of the fun of Real Housewives is re-contextualizing how ridiculous all the iconic moments in the “soft-scripted” TV franchise are to other Real Housewives fans. Arguably, that could be more fun than the show itself?

So, why not just do a whole live reading of the Real Housewives as a live show? Well, luckily that’s very much a thing that’s happening at Brooklyn’s C’mon Everybody this coming Sun. Dec. 18th. It’ll be very special holiday live read that will also benefit the Colorado Healing Fund that is currently supporting victims of the Club Q shooting.

December: Berkshires Country: A Real Housewives Reading is set for 8PM this Sun. Dec. 18th and tickets are only $12.36. Go get them here.

Enjoy the Trailer for The Drop, a Comedy About Dropping a Baby

December 12, 2022

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anna konkle, hulu, jermaine fowler, jillian bell, joshua leonard, sarah adina smith, the drop

In 2015, NBC tried to do a very, capital V, serious drama about parents dealing with a parent slapping a kid that isn’t their own who was being out of pocket. The explicitly straight-forward title of The Slap didn’t really help with how overly wrought the show was.

That said, maybe it needed to lean a little more in how maudlin it could be and end up being a comedy? Well, in 2022, The Drop from writer/director Sarah Adina Smith and co-writer Joshua Leonard might just be that very thing as a stellar cast that includes Anna Konkle, Jermaine Fowler, Robin Thede, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Jillian Bell deal with the fallout of Konkle’s character dropping a baby that’s not hers. The ensuing ridiculousness, from which the dropping of the baby is only the inciting incident (even when the baby is fine), reveals that there’s more at play here than just dropping an infant.

Also, we’re pretty sure Aparna Nancherla punches someone and that might be worth the price of Hulu that month.

Get a taste of what’s to come after The Drop with the trailer here, then look for its premiere on Hulu on Jan. 13th.

Atsuko Okatsuka’s The Intruder Is So Good That It Should Change Up Some Already Released Year End Lists

December 12, 2022

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atsuko okatsuka, comedy special, hbo, stand up comedy, the intruder

It’s kind of a grand error by several publications that year end lists often get published in late November/early December (i.e. not the actual end of the year). As such, there is always something that’s worthy of mention that gets unjustly left off and, for 2022, that glaring omission might be Atsuko Okatsuka‘s first HBO special, The Intruder.

Atsuko has meticulously and carefully honed her entire comedy act and brand as well as her audience in a way that’s pretty undeniable. Her unstoppable charm and warmth combined with a thoroughly fresh and fascinating story (unknowingly getting moved to the U.S. from Japan as an undocumented immigrant and living as such for 7 years) and perspective (and a marvelous splash of style) have led her from being a beloved LA comedy staple to headlining across the country (and then there’s her Tik Tok fame). All of these qualities are dazzlingly on display in this HBO special, The Intruder, Atsuko’s most high profile work to date.

Atsuko exudes such great magnetism in this hour that it’s clear that she has been ready for this stage of her career for quite some time now. Her presence and command of the stage holds several narrative threads involving being undocumented and getting lost in pandemic hobbies, all stemming from the main one about a home intruder and how and her husband attempt to deal with him. In fact, there’s a hopefulness, a word rarely juxtaposed to stand-up comedy, to Atsuko’s observations and stories that might be a beacon of what stand-up comedy can (and maybe should) be (rather than re-hashings of what it has been since the 80s with updated references).

Undoubtedly, it’s one of 2022’s best specials and one can only hope that the new HBO keeps Atsuko around for more to come despite being on a cancelling spree.

Pick of the Day: The 10 Year Anniversary of the 2012 Apocalypse (in LA) 12/21

December 12, 2022

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chad damiani, emily browning, girl god, jamie loftus, los angeles, los angeles comedy, nicole neighbors, reshma meister, variety show

Pulling the curtain back here a bit, we’re not huge fans of the holiday seasons. The non-stop mandatory cheer and the slowing down of all things doesn’t sit with us well and makes December more of a month to get through.

Thus, something called “The 10 Year Anniversary of the 2012 Apocalypse” is much more our vibe and thankfully that’s both an actual thing that’s happening and it’s just a very jam packed variety show/party full of great LA indie comedy, music, puppets, last-kiss-of-your-life kissing booth, etc.

Joining in for all our send off will be:

Aubrielle Hvollboll
David Yo-yos
Matthew Goldin and Jay Weingarten
Reshma Meister
Jamie Loftus
Girl God
The Odd Advantage
X-Acto
Eli Farmer
Reshma Meister
Chad Damiani
Emily Browning
Nicole Neighbors

And what a fun early bird price for tickets, $6.66.

The 10 Year Anniversary of the 2012 Apocalypse is set to get going on Wed. Dec. 21st at 8PM at El Cid in Silverlake. Go get your tickets here and get ready for an end to all of this chaos (mostly just the holiday season and not really the world/planet/all life), finally.

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