Recent News – Page 31 – The Comedy Bureau

Pick of the Day: Scary Little Krampus (in LA) 12/16

December 2, 2022

dani colucci, dynasty typewriter, holiday comedy, krampus, los angeles comedy

Whatever your flavor of holiday “cheer” is, there is a comedy show to go right along with it. Case in point, if you’re more into the, shall we say, Nightmare-Before-Christmas-side-of-things, you would be thrilled with Dani Colucci‘s spooky Christmas variety show where she hosts as the demon known to folklore as Krampus. Dani’s get up as Krampus is actually one of the best Krampus costumes we’ve ever seen as well as one of the best costumes we’ve seen at a live show (it’s at the same level as those famed Masked Singer costumes).

With or without the visage of Krampus, Dani always curates a splendid variety show (including her other shows Everybody’s Weird and Cult Potential) and this upcoming hysterical and eerie winter wonderland of a show should be no different.

Scary Little Krampus is set for Fri. Dec. 16th at 10PM. Tickets are $20. Go get them here.

Moontower JFL Austin Returns for Two Week Comedy Extravaganza in April 2023

December 1, 2022

News

austin comedy, jfl, just for laughs, moontower comedy festival

Last year was the first year that international comedy brand Just For Laughs officially partnered with the Moontower Comedy Festival, after a decade of it going solo, to beef up the festival to a two week cornucopia of comedy throughout all of Austin, TX. The experiment went off pretty well, well enough to have the two join forces one more for another Moontower JFL Austin Comedy Festival that will run from Apr. 12th-23rd and feature dozens and dozens and dozens of performers, shows, podcasts, etc. etc. and be the envy of the comedy world for that spring fortnight.

Today, MJFLA made their first line-up that should really entice you if you happen to live in ATX or anywhere near it (per usual).

Thus far, slated to perform will be

Adam Ray
Ben Schwartz & Friends
Blair Socci
Brad Williams
Carlos Ballarta
Chelcie Lynn
Chris Distefano
Clara Blackstone
Dana Gould
Daphnique Springs
Devon Walker
Emil Wakim
Felipe Esparza
Giggly Squad
Ian Bagg
Jeremiah Watkins
Jon Rudnitsky
Josh Adam Meyers
Kenny Sebastian
Laura Peek
Maddy Smith
Marcello Hernandez
Maria Bamford
Martin Urbano
Michael Longfellow
Mike Vecchione
Molly Kearney
Moses Storm
Nimesh Patel
Preacher Lawson
Punkie Johnson
Ralph Barbosa
Robert Kelly
Sahib Singh
Sarah Tollemache
Sawyer Stull
Seth Meyers
Shane Torres
The Sklar Brothers
Tom Rhodes
Tyler Groce
Vir Das
Zach Zucker

Festival badges are on sale now starting at $150 (not bad for two weeks of comedy?) and you really ought to get ’em here.

Pick of the Day: The George Lucas Talk Show Holiday Special (in NYC w/Livestream) 12/19

December 1, 2022

News

george lucas talk show, griffin newman, holiday special, nyc comedy, patrick cotnoir

You’ve either seen the new Indiana Jones trailer or it has popped up in a myriad of feeds that you’re on or subscribed to. In either case, you’ve got to pondering why, with George Lucas EP’ing, Harrison Ford is getting digitally de-aged for the movie (especially since the results of that with The Irishman and Robert DeNiro were properly ridiculed).

Well, you might get your answer as a holiday gift in the form of Connor Ratliff’s George Lucas Talk Show and their very first Holiday Special since lockdown. Griffin Newman as Watto and Patrick Cotnoir will, of course, be on board along with an untold treasure trove of special guests worthy of any “Life Day”.

This 2022 George Lucas Talk Show Holiday Special is set for Mon. Dec. 19th at 9:30PM ET/6:30PM PT (there’s a livestream available for $10) at Caveat in NYC. Tickets are only $20 and we highly suggest you snag them right now.

Pick of the Day: Secret Movie Club Theater Presents A “Holiday Special” Fundraiser for Vidiots (in LA) 12/8

November 30, 2022

News

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It has been a long time coming, but the reimagining of Vidiots as a full fledged rep movie theater in Eagle Rock will be coming soon. That said, they still need some help leading up to giving the Eagle Theater a facelift and opening and the good folks at The Secret Movie Club in DTLA are doing a very special screening of a certain infamous holiday special to raise some money for them.

For those that pine for the days of Cinefamily (before we all knew what was going on behind closed doors), Vidiots is poised to fill the roll of ultra exclusive screenings and events to Eastsiders in LA that feel like making the trek to the New Bev or Brain Dead Studios will take all of their energy for a whole day.

So, make a trek to the Arts District next Thurs. Dec. 8th at 7:30PM PT to enjoy a truly awful holiday special with a group of like minded folks. Oh, how about that? Their little flyer is using a similar font to Star Wars. What a festive coincidence…

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 140: Lynn Maleh & Making Space for All Shades of Brown

November 30, 2022

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

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Whether it be MENA, MENASA, or SWANA or any other acronym, the several Middle Eastern, African, and Asian countries that constitute a version of “brown”, so to speak, are coming more and more in prominence. This is evidenced with LA local favorite Lynn Maleh and her MENA based stand-up show Hilarious Habibis that she runs with Gena B. Jones at the Hollywood Improv. We talk with Lynn about working her way through producing beloved house shows in LA for years to making space and highlighting Middle Eastern and North African comedians and working towards being inclusive of even more shades of “brown”.

Follow Lynn @heylynnmolly on IG and get tickets for the upcoming Hilarious Habibis on Dec. 5th at The Hollywood Improv that will benefit The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran.

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 Kelly Dwyer @kellydwyerphotographer

Please Enjoy Trailer for Jesse Eisenberg’s Writer/Director Debut When You Finish Saving the World

November 29, 2022

News

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Jesse Eisenberg has already put himself back on the map with the genre-bending romantic dramedy mystery Fleishman Is In Trouble. The acclaim of that series is leading him into 2023 when his very first feature film, When You Finish Save The World, which, altogether, might make next year a banner year for Eisenberg.

When You Finish Save The World is enticing before you even press play on the trailer with a cast of Finn Wolfhard and Julianne Moore as a mother and son at odds with each other as he is trying to find himself and, of course, A24 putting their stamp of approval on it. From first glance, it has sharp and very nuanced writing that almost suggests a spiritual sequel to Bo Burnham’s very own celebrated coming-of-age dramedy, Eighth Grade. That’s enough to sell us on going to see it when it hits theaters in limited release as soon as we can.

Go see for yourself with the first trailer for When You Finish Saving The World here, then look for it in theaters near you starting Jan. 20th, 2023.

Pick of the Day: Comedy Gives Back-Laughing for Good (in LA) 12/8

November 29, 2022

News

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For a more comedy focused part of this Giving Tuesday, you might want to go get your ticket for Comedy Gives Back’s Laughing for Good, a very stacked night of stand-up comedy at the Hollywood Improv next Thurs. Dec. 8th at 8PM. Comedy Gives Back have been a safety net for comedians, for several years now, when it comes to needs for physical and mental health as well offering tons of grant money to comedians that were out of work as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This is a special night they’re putting on to raise money for their efforts that will be graced by the immeasurable comedy talents of Sarah Silverman, Gina Yashere, and Erin Jackson in conjunction with Comedy Central already pledging $10K as an official partner.

You won’t have to give $10K to go to the show. Tickets just start at $75 and go up to $250 if you’re feeling extra generous. More special guests will be announced that will very likely make it even more worth your while.

Go get them here or, if you can’t go to the show, you can donate directly to Comedy Gives Back here.

Andy Sandford Finally Gets to Release Terrific Latest Hour “Basket Case” After Having to Not Tape It in Spring 2020

November 28, 2022

News

800 pound gorilla, andy sandford, atlanta comedy, basket case, comedy special, stand up comedy

The ripple effect of COVID-19 shutting down live, in-person performances will reverberate for years to come. Along with the rows of big time live tours and tapings for both specials and albums for comedians had to be indefinitely put on hold, there are untold numbers of small time productions of albums, specials, big time one-offs, etc. that just didn’t get to happen in 2020.

Atlanta’s Andy Sandford had slated a taping for a full hour special in 2020 right around when every single type of in-person gathering (that wasn’t grocery shopping) was prohibited. Added on top of having to pre-empt that taping, Sandford encounter non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 issues, all while the world felt as close to ending as many of us have ever encountered, leading to only getting around to having hour shot, edited, and released to just about a week ago, November 2022.

That’s all to say that the artisanal quality of Andy Sandford’s jokes were worth the wait (such was the case before the pandemic).

All of his material is remarkably balanced on almost every level, a rare quality in comedian these days. There’s complete truth, abject abursity, hard punchlines, frank vulnerability (sometimes in the form of talking head interview clips), callbacks, getting meta with old jokes, wordplay, vivid imagery, etc. etc. Andy goes to great lengths to seamlessly blend all of those elements (a lesser comedian might seem sporadic and uneven trying to check all those boxes simultaneously) into beautifully intricate scaffolding constructing the hour of Basket Case. Even when he makes his COVID jokes, they feel less like well-trodden territory (see most comedians’ COVID jokes about any number of things they ate or put in their mouth when growing up and consequently “not being scared of COVID”) and fresh, sharp jokes on what might be the most relatable topic in all of human history.

Sandford left NYC after a decade and now resides back in Atlanta, which means Basket Case, now streaming for free on YouTube courtesy of 800 Pound Gorilla, is probably your best chance to see Sandford ASAP (i.e. how you should generally go and see him).

Pick of the Day: Nick Naney: Nessun Dorma [Special Taping] (in NYC) 12/8

November 28, 2022

News

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Throughout the NYC comedy scene days, there are few performers as mastered at tomfoolery quite like one Nick Naney. Through stand-up, characters, and a myriad of next level shenanigans, Nick has become quite the staple, especially if there are certain bits that require commitment in the face of sheer, unfiltered silliness.

With that in mind, next week should be very exciting for any and all in the five boroughs as Naney will be taping his very comedy special. We have a sneaking suspicion that he’ll have plenty of hijinks up his sleeve to really bring back the “special” in ‘comedy special’.

Called Nessun Dorma, Nick has set the date for Thurs. Dec. 8th at Union Hall with both an early show (7:30PM) & late show (10PM). Tickets are $11.55 and you really ought to go get ’em here.

Gianmarco Soresi Has Some Damn Good Child of Divorce Jokes in His Network TV Debut

November 25, 2022

News

divorce jokes, gianmarco soresi, james corden, late late show, stand up comedy

If you’re on the side of the fence that didn’t look forward to a Thanksgiving get-together, perhaps it’s because of an atypical family situation. If that is indeed the case, Gianmarco Soresi‘s late night network TV debut might just be up your alley. Soresi spends a good half of his set on comedically dissecting being a child of divorce from the get go and it results in some of the best jokes on spending your childhood in between households that we’ve heard in awhile.

Even if you’ve had a swell Thanksgiving, reminiscent of the before times, you still probably enjoy the clever and playful joke alchemy sourced from Gianmarco’s upbringing. See for yourself with Soresi’s debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden here.

Pick of the Day: Chris Gethard: A Father and the Sun (in NYC) 12/16

November 25, 2022

News

brooklyn, chris gethard, littlefield, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Even as we near the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic started, there are still things coming back that took a large sabbatical from being live and in person. Chris Gethard doing stand-up comedy is thankfully one of those things that we can say is finally making a return to the world of the living.

Gethard, the beloved comedy multi-hypenate between TCGS/Beautiful Anonymous/Planet Scum/his own solo comedy, has a new hour he’s working on and has an exclusive date set at Brooklyn’s Littlefield just before the big, looming holiday break.

Fri. Dec. 16th at 7PM, Chris will give you the rundown on his whole world through his stand-up and you really ought to not miss out on it. Tickets are $25.35 and you can (and should) go get them here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 139: Johnny Gold & Respect for the Artistry of Comedy

November 23, 2022

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

johnny gold, los angeles comedy

Johnny Gold, the oldest friend we have in comedy, is someone we hold dear not only because he gave us our very first laugh when attempting stand-up, but has been so purely his hysterical himself on stage and has such a reverence for the art form of comedy. For decades, Johnny has been honing his craft all over the Greater LA Area stretching from Long Beach to the Inland Empire to the Sunset Strip, dedicated to perfecting his socio-political and vulnerability-when-it-comes-to-relationships comedy. We share in our mutual reverence for comedy for this week’s TCB Field Report, no matter how many comedians self-deprecatingly exclude themselves as “artists”.

Follow Johnny on IG @johnnygold777

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 Jake Kroeger

Everything Everywhere All at Once Leads in Nominations at Upcoming Spirit Awards

November 23, 2022

News

everything everywhere all at once, spirit awards

Though there is mult-versal travel and plenty of sight gags involving dildos and butt plugs and hot dog fingers, Everything Everywhere All at Once, in our minds, still remains as one of the best of the films recent memory, comedy or otherwise. As something that started off as an indie release on top of being a trippy genre-bending comedy, there usually would be little hope for any sort of recognition for the oncoming awards season. The Daniels’ tour-de-force fortunately is poised to overcome such stigma that fall out of the typical historical drama fare that normally gets all the awards attention.

The nominations for Film Independent’s Spirit Awards, the indie cousin to the Oscars, were announced yesterday and Everything Everywhere All at Once garnered 8 nominations including Best Feature, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Lead Performance, and Best Supporting Performance. Normally, comedic fare gets more of a fair shake at the Spirit Awards, but it’s a rarity to see a full length comedy feature get seeded as the front runner.

We shall only see if those nods of recognition will actually play into the sort of awards win that the Daniels deserve on Mar. 4th, 2023 when the actual Spirit Awards take place. In the meantime, you can peruse the full list of Spirit Awards nominees here including nominations for other comedies Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul, Catherine Called Birdy, and Funny Pages.

Pick of the Day: How to Poison an Audience with Kate Hollowell (in LA) 11/26

November 23, 2022

News

kate hollowell, los angeles comedy, musical comedy, solo show, the elysian

Just off of title alone, comedy mult-hyphenate Kate Hollowell certainly knows how to hook one’s curiosity with her playfully, carefully “unhinged” stage show as pop star persona. When we first heard about it, the show was joyfully called “Number One Popstar Presents: A Sold Out Show *Plenty of Tickets …”, which we’re all in for. Now, it’s even more maniacally and splendidly called “How to Poison an Audience with Kate Hollowell”.

Hollowell does a magnificent and hysterical job sending up the idea of wanting to be a big time pop star and what a desire for fame can do to one’s psyche (on top of making genuine bops throughout the show). Also, Kate still goes the extra mile with having indelible backup dancers for many of her numbers and an actual child playing her very own inner child (that doesn’t take notes very well). Honestly, this does what Lonely Island’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping set out to do, but much better.

The next How to Poison the Audience with Kate Hollowell is set for this Sat. Nov. 26th at 7:30PM at The Elysian. Tickets are $12 and you very much can and should get them here.

Oh Boy, Michael Che Was on Ziwe and Pretended He Didn’t Forget About Fran Lebowitz

November 21, 2022

News

michael che, ziwe

Ziwe is officially back and it might be one of the things we’re most thankful for this month. The unrelenting satire of the eponymous star of the show is one of the few things that give us hope about late night/comedy talk shows these days and she certainly has picked up right where she left off and continues to blaze the iconic trail she started with Baited on YouTube.

The latest episode has SNL star Michael Che, who has had his fair share of controversy over the years, in the hot pink seat and, as you might imagine, the tension is hilariously thick, especially when Che pretends to know who NYC icon Fran Lebowitz is. Ziwe only ups the ante throughout the interview with sharper and more sly questioning, making the case for her already being worthy of awards contention.

Please enjoy Ziwe’s nice, little chat with Michael Che here, then check out full new episodes of Ziwe on Showtime on Fridays.

Pick of the Day: Steph Tolev-in the Round (in NYC) 11/30

November 21, 2022

News

le poussin rouge, nyc comedy, stand up comedy, steph tolev

Thanksgiving. Whether you love it or hate it (and there are so many reasons for that), it definitely disrupts the entire week that surrounds it. What might be helpful to get through the holiday that’s annoyingly always on a Thursday (and largely white washes the treatment of indigenous people of North America) is looking towards what’s going to happen after it.

If you’re in NYC, we’d urge you to look for Steph Tolev coming through NYC to not only headline, but do so in the round at the ultra cool multi-purpose venue Le Poussin Rouge in the East Village. We’ve seen Steph has been killing since we first saw her with her alluring brashness and her immediate command of any stage and she’s now finally getting her due to really cut loose for a headlining set.

Do not miss out on this chance to see Steph come Wed. Nov. 30th at 7PM at LPR. Tickets are $24.93 and you best go get them here.

First Ever JFL London Announces First Line-Up

November 21, 2022

News

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Technically, Just For Laughs has already gone international with having festivals throughout Canada, the United States, and Mexico. That said, they have yet to expand outside of North America as one of the biggest live comedy brands in the world, but that’s all about to change in a few months with the arrival of JFL London.

The very first Just For Laughs London will take over London’s signature venue, The O2 Arena for four days from Thurs. Mar. 2nd-Sun. Mar. 5th. To make a splash on that side of the pond, JFL has already amassed a bunch of big names, many of them big to us Yanks, for their inaugural London festival.

So far, they’ve got:

RYAN REYNOLDS “MAXIMUM EFFORT”
GRAHAM NORTON
KATHERINE RYAN AND FRIENDS
REGGIE WATTS
AISLING BEA AND FRIENDS
RICHARD CURTIS
ROB DELANEY
THE HORNE SECTION
ADAM BUXTON
BEST OF BUG
CRAIG ROBINSON AND THE NASTY DELICIOUS
THE RECEIPTS PODCAST LIVE
MAX AND IVAN’s THE WRESTLING
SPRINGLEAF: JAMES ACASTER AND NISH KUMAR
ELIS JAMES AND JOHN ROBINS LIVE
SHAPARAK KHORSANDI: IT WAS THE 90S!
ALL KILLA NO FILLA PODCAST
A GAY AND A NONGAY PODCAST
STAMPTOWN HOSTED BY ZACH ZUCKER
LUISA OMIELAN “TEN’
RANDY FELTFACE
DARREN HARRIOTT
JESSICA FOSTEKEW “WENCH”
FOC IT UP COMEDY CLUB HOSTED BY KEMAH BOB!
A VERY SPECIAL SERIES OF SHOWS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMIC RELIEF

We have no doubt that they’ll add more names in the coming weeks that will might want to make you rethink your holiday budget so you can buy airfare, hotel, and a festival pass.

Tickets will go on sale on Thanksgiving at 2AM PST, 5AM EST, and 10AM GMT. You’ll be putting the turkey in the oven by then, right?

Jason Bateman and Will Arnett Are Reuniting for a Different Kind of ‘Arrested Development’ This Holiday Season

November 18, 2022

News

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The pairing of Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, for so many of us, is seared into our collective memories as Michael and Gob Bluth from Arrested Development. That said, it was so hard to get all of their collective schedules together for the Netflix seasons of the beloved series that it’s hard to say if and when another batch of episodes will come out somewhere at some point.

Fret not though as Bateman is joining in on some equally ridiculous chaos on Netflix, but under the umbrella of Will Arnett’s semi-improvised murder mystery comedy series Murderville. Bateman and Maya Rudolph will be assisting Arnett’s overly-grizzled detective character Terry Seattle in trying to solve the sudden and shocking murder of Santa and, in the best way possible, hijinks ensue (especially since Seattle is seemingly in his own perpetual, actual arrested development while trying to solve a horrific crime).

Get a first look at Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Myster here, then look for it on Netflix beginning Thurs. Dec. 15th.

Finally, Sean Patton Has a Comedy Special Coming Out, “Number One”, on Peacock

November 18, 2022

News

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We have a list here at TCB that’s, well, not specifically written down anywhere, but has an ever-growing collection of names of comedians that are well past due for an hour special for how consistently and unbelievably hysterical they are. One of our all time favorite comedians, someone who we’d urge you to go out of your way to watch, Sean Patton is thankfully not on that list anymore.

Patton is simultaneously one of the best tale weavers, then also has one of the most colorful imaginations in all of comedy these days and the combination of those two qualities has been one of our favorite things to see on any stand-up stage anywhere. Listen to any of his albums or watch his This Is Not Happening ep. and you’ll hear why we’re thrilled that Peacock has given him an hour special due out Fri. Dec. 2nd.

Speaking of which, here’s the first gander you can take of Sean Patton: Number One here. Then make a reminder for Dec. 2nd to stream this on Peacock.

Pick of the Day: Hilarious Habibis: A Standup Comedy Show Benefiting Human Rights in Iran (in LA) 12/5

November 18, 2022

News

aristotle athari, benefit show, Dan ahdoot, gena b jones, human rights, iran, lynn maleh, sarah fatemi, The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights, Zahra Norrbakhsh

The protests in Iran might be turning to a revolution very soon. It was just announced today that three more protesters are being sentenced to death by The Islamic Republic due to anti-regime activities. Given that one death was the spark of this round of protests, this likely won’t quell the anger in the streets of Iran.

With that being the case, those protesters/activists/revolutionaries will need any and all support they can get in fighting for basic human rights and freedoms. Hilarious Habibis, the monthly MENA (Middle East/North Africa) comedy showcase at the Hollywood Improv, will be taking over the Main Room at the Improv on Mon. Dec. 5th at 7PM to raise money for this very cause via The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights.

On the line-up thus far will be Iranian American comedians that you really ought to know if you don’t know them already including Aristotle Athari, Dan Ahdoot, Zahra Norrbakhsh, and Sarah Fatemi along with Hilarious Habibis hosts Lynn Maleh and Gena B. Jones.

It’s already a pretty great, well curated show and, with this edition, there’s an extra special reason to go get your tickets right here right now.

Billy Wayne Davis Gives Us All a Trip That We Needed in Comedy Specials with “Testify”

November 17, 2022

News

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The pacing of comedy specials churned out by Netflix and HBO and others make it seem like the majority of what an hour long stand-up comedy special will be is a well-rehearsed, considered hour of jokes done on a mostly empty stage with a mic and mic stand. Thanks to the likes of Bo Burnham, Hannah Gadsby, Hasan Minhaj, Moses Storm, Maria Bamford, Christina Catherine Martinez, Adam Sandler, Danny Jolles, Nick Vatterott, Whitmer Thomas, Gary Gulman, and more, there is a wave of reimagining what the comedy special is and can be.

Billy Wayne Davis’ brand new special Testify marvelously furthers this notion on top of Davis’ wry use of his Southern drawl and the sharp panache of his storytelling and observations.

Taped at Denver landmark, The International Church of Cannabis, Davis recounts parallel narratives of a drug trip and a trip to a parole hearing, which could be enough to account for a solid, traditional-looking special. Billy doesn’t waste the space his chosen with utilizing projected flourishes of colors that go with all the “religious” use of cannabis at that one-of-a-kind church. Soothing hip music and a dream sequence are all in the mix to distinguish Testify as a stand out special, but not to the degree where it would outshine the core of the hour (and what should be the core of any comedy special, no matter how experimental it is), Billy’s precisely whittled comedy. Davis deftly and, almost stealthily, works in differing reactions and explaining references in a way that feels less expositional and just simply part of a really funny bit.

None of how splendid Testify is should be surprising considering that one of Billy’s first recorded works was at Jack White’s hallowed Third Man Records (and only a handful of other comedians even got to record at such a rarefied stage).

Billy Wayne Davis’ Testify premiered live already, but is available to stream for replay at Moment. Go buy and watch it over and over (it’s definitely that type of special that demands that) here.

Pick of the Day: Blake Rosier’s Bad Show (in LA) 12/13

November 17, 2022

News

bad show, blake rosier, cherdleys, drew horton, elysian theater, experimental comedy, isabel klein, los angeles comedy, molly renze, sethward

From marathon live shows where he essentially lives in a theater space for a week to putting a show on with complete strangers after less than a day of meeting and brainstorming with them, Blake Rosier is going to open himself up in a different way with his Bad Show, coming to the Elysian next month. In addition to taking some of the biggest swings in comedy that we’ve seen as of late, Rosier has a sizable bag of absurd characters that revel to the nth degree in their absurdity and is also an expert at exposing them at their most vulnerable, especially when they sort refuse to acknowledge everything go awry. Blake Rosier’s Bad Show will put a holidays-sized portion of them on this upcoming variety showcase.

Joining Blake in the delightful chaos will be other such like-minded comedy folks including Molly Renze, Isabel Klein, Sethward, Cherdleys, and Drew Horton.

Blake Rosier’s Bad Show is set for Tues. Dec. 13th at 9;30PM and tickets are only $12 right now. Go get ’em here.

Get Your First Look at Season 2 of Wonderfully Intersectional Dramedy “Sort Of”

November 16, 2022

News

bilal baig, hbo max, sort of

We can only hope that this isn’t the first time you’re hearing of Sort Of, the Pakistani-Canadian Non-Binary dramedy just as its second season is set to stream on HBO Max next month.

Co-created and starring Bilal Baig, Sort Of was one of the more engaging binge watches we had in 2021 as there are so many fascinating, genuine, fully nuanced looks into so many identities and subcultures and the comedy and pathos derived from all their intersections.

From the looks of trailer, those intersections are going to have even more intense crossings and we can’t wait to get into it all when season 2 drops on HBO Max on Thurs. Dec. 1st.

Get a taste of all of this and more with season 2 of Sort Of here.

Pick of the Day: The Raggle Taggle Dance Hour with Kat Burns (in LA) 11/17

November 16, 2022

News

alana johnston, bonnie mckee, jackie johnson, kat burns, katie malia, los angeles comedy, tony rodriguez, ucb

Though many comedians are stricken with two left feet, there are a good many comedy folks that can bust a move. Few such people are as accomplished as the critically acclaimed/award winning comedy/dance choreographer Kat Burns (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Key & Peele, and Wet Hot American Summer to just name a few).

Burns started to put on a dance comedy showcase at UCB just before lockdown called The Raggle Taggle Dance Hour and it was one of the more astounding things we’ve seen as it ranged from top tier dancing of all kinds, but done with a comedic flair that you pretty much never get a live comedy show (especially since we’re thousands of miles away from Broadway).

The first Raggle Taggle Dance Hour with Kat Burns since UCB went dark because of COVID-19 is this Thurs. Nov. 17th at 8:30PM and you really ought to not miss it (tickets are still available at $15 a pop). Joining Burns as the Raggle Taggalongs will be Alana Johnston, Smac, Katie Malia, Tony Rodriguez, Kent Boyd, Jackie Johnson, Vladislav Kvartin, Bonnie McKee, Gabrielle Ruiz, Scott Michael Foster, Annie Lester, Liv Mai, Joshua Parker Joseph Corella, Kent Boyd, Shea Saulino, and Brandon O’Neil as well as Coincidance, a musical improv team comprised of Philip Labes, Greg Smith, Elli Sherrer, Taryn Leggett, and Daryl Jim Diaz.

So, clear your scheduled for tomorrow and go get your tickets now.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 138: Ep. 138: Ariel Elias & Having a Kimmel Debut Because of How You Handled a Heckler with Grace

November 16, 2022

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

ariel elias, dave chappelle, grammys, jimmy kimmel

Ariel Elias has been steadily worked her way up through the comedy scene in NYC for several years and was well on her way on the strength of her jokes. Then, a funny thing happened when playing a club in South Jersey that happen to go viral and then resulted in her having network TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live. We talk to Ariel about that whole amazing blaze of a journey and where she is now for this week’s TCB Field Report.

Also, actually hot takes on Grammy comedy noms, Chappelle on SNL, and more.

Follow Ariel across platforms @ariel_comedy

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 Jordan Ashleigh @jordanashleighf

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