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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
News
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
News
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
News
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
News
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.

Please Enjoy the Socio-Comedic Research of Kenice Mobley’s “Follow Up Question”
December 9, 2022
News
blonde medicine, comedy album, kenice mobley, stand up comedy

For the majority of the time during a stand-up performance, the goal of crowd work isn’t in-depth research and having an actual back-and-forth with the audience. That said, some of the magic of a live performance come in the unplanned moments of which the audience and their reactions are a critical part. Beloved NYC comedy staple Kenice Mobley leans as far as she can, with joyous success, on her new and very aptly titled album, Follow Up Question.

For an hour, Kenice thoroughly questions the audience led by her genuine curiosity of all things prurient.  Mobley takes a dive into actually getting to literally know her audience and all of their own relationship and sexual proclivities, almost as if she’s conducting A/B testing, to tease out that proverbial lightning in a bottle, as opposed to a more well-worn route of asking audience members where they’re from and what they do for a living. The result of her findings are delicious reveals in of themselves, but the field-research-like approach to getting there is also its own funny and endearing journey, especially since Mobley hones in on pretty intimate questions from the get go.

Kenice cleverly reveals herself too and how nerdy and horny she is whilst comedically “gathering data” from the crowd. That trick marvelously belies the quasi-clinical ticking off of every question for her supposed research for something that’s much spicier, tingly, and hilarious.

Follow Up Question just came out today via Blonde Medicine. Please give it a listen and enjoy it here.

Pick of the Day: A CHRISTMAS CAROLE KING: A Hastily Written Musical Starring the Audience! (in NYC) 12/18
December 9, 2022
News
aaron jackson, brooklyn, jo firestone, josh sharp, littlefield, live comedy, musical comedy, nyc comedy

What would holiday music be without caroling or people just singing in unison in general? Arguably, it would be, perhaps, just annoying (shout out to everyone playing non-stop holiday music for all of December)?

With that in mind, Jo Firestone, Aaron Jackson, and Josh Sharp are upping the ante here with making a Christmas version of their “Hastily Written Musical Starring the Audience” entitled “A Christmas Carole King“. Indeed, you the audience will be the center of this yuletide tinged round of chaos that will probably be more fun than every holiday party you go to this year.

Get in on A CHRISTMAS CAROLE KING: A Hastily Written Musical Starring the Audience! set for Sun. Dec. 8th at 8PM at Littlefield in Brooklyn. Tickets are $12.47 a pop and you can (and very much should) get them here.

 

Might the Golden Globes Be on the Right Track with Having Jerrod Carmichael Host?
December 8, 2022
News
hfpa, jerrod carmichael, the golden globes

(via Deadline)

The Golden Globes has spent more than a decade very much in and out of controversy whether it be Ricky Gervais’ supposedly no holds barred roasting style of hosting the awards ceremony or their awkward blending of categories (see their insistence on “comedy and/or musicals”) or their most recent debacle involving lack of diversity and inclusion within the governing body of the awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association that led to what is very large reset for the long running annual event.

Today, the HFPA announced that they have secured Jerrod Carmichael as the host for their 80th edition of The Golden Globes, which might be their first good call in quite some time. Carmichael is continuing a hot streak both on and off camera with his own revelatory stand-up special Rothaniel, the return of Ramy, which he is an EP on, and his own indie dark dramedy, On the Count of Three. Rothaniel in particular seems to represent an entirely new era for Jerrod and his comedy as he both returned to stage after focusing mostly on The Carmichael Show and producing for many years, then having one of the most vulnerable comedy special that the art form has ever seen.

If Carmichael gets to have the sort of candor that he’s shared on either his special or his SNL monologue from this year, it’ll be a fascinating, potentially precedent setting hosting performance that the likes of awards season (or anyone) has ever really seen. That’s the sort of forward progress that The Golden Globes will need to get back to the point where people loved that they had Amy Poehler and Tina Fey host all the time.

We shall see what happens with both Jerrod and The Golden Globes not too long from now when the telecast for The 80th Annual Golden Globes airs on Tues. Jan. 10th at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

Pick of the Day: A Very Big Wig Christmas with Caleb Hearon & Brian Robert Jones (in LA) 12/19
December 8, 2022
News
2220 arts and archives, big wig, brian robert jones, Caleb Hearon, comedy variety, echo park, historic filipino town, los angeles comedy

From opening a night with an audience member getting a flash tattoo to having fashion themes/assignments for all in attendance to both hosts Caleb Hearon and Brian Robert Jones being some of the most talented folks in all of LA, Big Wig has become, without a doubt, one of the best variety shows in all of the LA scene.

As both Caleb and Brian booked and blessed quite a lot, they haven’t gotten quite to keep up the pace of their show being monthly (or being necessarily in one place). So, you have to keep a watch for when and at what theater/warehouse they’ll be playing next.

Lucky for you, this holidays edition of Big Wig is happening Mon. Dec. 19th at 8PM at 2220 Arts & Archives (formerly The Bootleg Theater). They have yet to announce the line-up, but rest assured they will not let you down with LA comedy’s most hysterical performers from every corner of comedy and LA music’s most enthralling singer/songwriters/bands.

All that said, go get your tickets at $20 a pop right now right here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 141: Sammy Mowrey & The Non Binary Side of the Comedy
December 7, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
caroline's, non binary, queer comedy, sammy mowrey

While older, stodgier comedians (some of whom just came out with a Netflix special this week) will get hung up on pronouns, there is an ever burgeoning crowd of Non-binary comedians that eschew the gender binary and, consequently, have the best jokes about using they/them. Sammy Mowrey is a bright and shining example of this as they have carved out their place in LA comedy between a handful of their own shows and their acutely, hilarious observed world view when it comes to being Non-binary, Bipolar, and wanting to have their own sitcom (multi-cam or single-cam). We talk with Sammy about how exactly it is to be Non-binary in comedy in 2022 and what might lie in the future for them.

Also, “hot” takes on Caroline’s on Broadway closing and The Daily Show’s upcoming stable of fill-in hosts.

Follow Sammy @sammymowrey and Permanent Vacation @permanentvacaycomedy

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
Photo by John Michael Bond

Pick of the Day: Little Secret Holiday Party (in LA) 12/17
December 7, 2022
News
fundraiser, holiday party, little secret, los angeles comedy

As we’re tip toeing towards Christmas and New Year’s, you’re probably trying to plan your picks for which holiday parties are worth going to (especially since COVID-19 numbers are ticking up in LA).

Luckily, you can enjoy the night sky and hanging with many of the best comedians, musicians, organizers, and more at the best little hidden venue in LA, Little Secret and their upcoming Holiday Party. It’s not so much a traditional show with what would make for a four or five hour show, but you’ll get to be in the mix for one of the truly coolest parties in town (and also support Little Secret since this is doubling as a fundraiser).

Slate to hanging around for Little Secret’s Holiday Party are:

Girl God
Rivkah Reyes
Chad Hartigan
Stripper Strike NoHo
PENDANT
Katie Alice Greer
Derek & Dril
Jamie Loftus
Andrea More
Dan Donohue
Olive Kimoto
DSA-LA
Metaphysical.LA
Todd Glass
The Shrimp Boys
Will Duncan
Matt Christman
End Overdose
Felix Biederman
Will Sennett
James Adomian
Adam Sputh
Zack Fox
Ashley Ray
Amber Rollo
Kat Matutina
Piper Durabo
Brandon Wardell
Matthew Goldin
Brett Davis
Tim Heidecker
Fat Tony
Number One Popstar

Also, “there will be “karaoke w a live band, surprises, ice luge, flash tattoos, tooth gems, real santa, & more!”

Little Secret’s Holiday Party is set for Sat. Dec. 17th starting at 9PM and you can and should snag tickets for $19 right now here.

Miracle Workers Goes Mad Max for Season 4
December 6, 2022
News
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When Simon Rich’s Man Seeking Woman ended at FXx, we wondered if his particularly grounded brand of whimsy and imagination would ever get to run and play once more. TBS has thankfully given Rich several giant sandboxes to play with via multiple seasons of Miracle Workers and Simon has definitely explored all the edges of every one of them. Jumping from working for God to Medieval times to the Wild West, Miracle Workers has almost been as delightfully formula defiant as Atlanta.

Cue in their latest season wherein it seems to be a sitcom version of a Mad Max-esque post-apocalyptic hellscape where two people in love (Daniel Radcliffe and Geraldine Viswanathan) are just trying get by (and not die in any number of hellscape-ish ways).

Get your first look at what’s in store for season 4 of Miracle Workers, complete with a resonant title “Miracle Workers: End Times” here, then look for new episodes on Mon. Jan. 16th on TBS.

Pick of the Day: Murray Hill-A Little Murray Christmas (in NYC) 12/13-12/17
December 6, 2022
News
holiday show, joe's pub, murray hill, nyc comedy, the public theater

If you’re looking for more and more holidays centric based comedy, there isn’t much better than the annual tradition that is Murray Hill’s A Murray Little Christmas. A comedy variety extravaganza spanning several nights, Murray Hill uses his clout as the universally chummy and charismatic”Mr. Showbiz” to put together several stacked line-ups of NYC’s best to make even the most Grinch-y folks have a good laugh.

Special guests have yet to be announced, but the bill will not disappoint if you go get tickets right now.

This 2022 edition of A Murray Little Christmas is set to run from Tues. Dec. 13th-Sun. Dec. 17th at Joe’s Pub in NYC. Tickets range from $25-$45 and you can (and should) go get them here.

Sean Patton’s First Hour Special “Number One” Proves This Shouldn’t Have Been His First Hour Special
December 5, 2022
News
comedy special, number one, peacock, sean patton, stand up

Between three full length albums, a Comedy Central half hour, a handful of late night sets, and a This Is Not Happening story, Sean Patton has served up, time and time again, truly grand stand-up comedy that has hints of more traditional joke structure scaffolding, but is also, at the same time, so colorful, imaginative, and beautifully tangential that it feels that it’s in a class all its own. Suffice it to say that Sean Patton, as far as The Comedy Bureau is concerned, should have gotten an hour special several years ago.

Thankfully, we don’t have to say that any more as his very first hour special, the aptly named Number One, just landed on Peacock.

Patton’s nearly unrivaled storytelling prowess and knack for some of the most wildly colorful imagery and panache-laden details are presented unadorned on a charmingly rustic stage in New Orleans, Patton’s hometown. Sean is one of a shrinking group of comedians that are so good at stand-up that they can do a straight-forward, classical stand-up special and leave an indelible mark as the credits roll. The sheer power of his voice/presence and delivery make the long winding rivers of his bits about his childhood and Hurricane Katrina are truly arresting and, of course, so damn funny at every bend.

If anything, Sean Patton’s Number One is worth going in on Peacock if you haven’t done so already (or gotten a friend’s pw).

SF Sketchfest 2023 Adds Fred Armisen Residency, James Adomian, Alison Leiby, and More
December 5, 2022
News
2023, alison leiby, dumb people town, fred armisen, james adomian, sf comedy, sf sketchfest

SF Sketchfest, the first mighty comedy festival of every year, is really happening once more. The nearly three week comedy extravaganza that takes over all of SF already has a gigantic line-up, but has just announced more than a few additions that might just make you make the trek to San Francisco if you weren’t already planning to (or just going in general if you already live in the Bay Area).

Just added for 2023 SF Sketchfest are:

  • Fred Armisen Residency: Comedy for Bass Players but Everyone is Welcome
    3 nights with a different guest bass player each night – special guests TBA
  • The Red Room Orchestra play the music of “Twin Peaks” & “Repo Man”
  • Dumb People Town with The Sklar Bros. and Daniel Van Kirk
  • James Adomian with Jes Tom
  • Ilana Glazer Presents: Alison Leiby: Oh God, A Show About Abortion
  • Mic Drop: A Night of Music, Rap and Comedy with Drennon Davis, EpicLLOYD, Eliza Skinner and more
  • Behind the Bastards with Robert Evans
  • The Setup with Abhay and Richard Sarvate

Again, this edition of the festival runs from 1/20-2/5 and, you’re thinking what we’re thinking, you’ll want to go snag tickets here.

Pick of the Day: Hit That Track with Dylan Adler (in LA) 12/10
December 5, 2022
News
Dylan Adler, los angeles comedy, musical comedy, stand up comedy, the elysian

One Dylan Adler, the newly minted Vulture Comedian You Should and Will Know and the newly added writer to Corden, has gotten plenty of ink from us and deservingly so. Once again, ever since we saw him do hard hitting jokes and songs about intersectional race issues and mental health and a backflip on the top of a parking garage, we’ve been smitten.

Adler has just moved to LA (b/c of Corden) and as such will be getting to debut his hour show for us Angelenos with (hopefully) better weather. Hit That Track with Dylan Adler is set for Sat. Dec. 10th at 7:30PM at The Elysian. Tickets are only $16 and you best go snag ’em right now here.

 

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