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character comedy

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The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 209: Sydney Duncan & Being Enough in All the Comedy Spaces
March 27, 2024
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
character comedy, nyc comedy, sketch comedy, sydney duncan

While it would seem that stand up and comedy clubs reign supreme in the NYC comedy scene, there are plenty of performers that defy that notion and not only go for alternative spaces and types of comedy, but find ways in between all of them. One such comedian is Sydney Duncan who constantly switches gears between performing in character, as herself, on stage solo, with other folks on teams, and so much more. It’s a delicate balance to strike to do try to fit in the pre-existing spaces in comedy and simultaneously make those perfectly suited to you, but Sydney has amazingly found her footing in doing so.

We talk to Sydney on this week’s TCB Field Report all about that, this, and the other things in her lanes of NYC comedy.

Follow Sydney @sydneyduncanonem

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by @enemypixels

Pick of the Day: The Anti-Influencer Hour with Rachel Resnik Anniversary 4/17
April 16, 2021
News
anti influencer hour, character comedy, clowning, rachel resnik, sketch comedy, virtual comedy

The Pack Theater has been a rare success story during a dark time for live performance/comedy venues doing a big fundraiser at the beginning of lockdown here in America, then full tilt transitioning into a virtual venue several weekly shows and a healthy offering of classes.

One of the recurring shows that has been party to this success is Rachel Resnik’s Anti-Influencer Hour, which originally was organized and live-streamed while Rachel was in Paris, France and, as such, sourced comedians, sketch folks, clowns, etc. from all over the globe to do wonderfully out there bits and characters (the sort that would make up for us all not being able to go to the Edinburgh Fringe in person for another year).

This Saturday Apr. 17th at 7PM PT/10PM ET, The Anti-Influencer Hour celebrates a year of live-streaming some delightfully off-beat comedy on The Pack’s Twitch Channel. Join them in their first anniversary as, best of all, it’s free to watch (they’ll be taking donations as well).

Andy Daly’s Latest Album “Four More Sweaters: Monsters Take Your Questions” Out Now
April 24, 2020
News
andy daly, character comedy, comedy album, dalton wilcox, dark comedy, don dimello, l ron hubbard, satire

The prospect of committing an entire comedy album to doing characters has always been a risky one, which is why only a few comedians attempt it and even fewer actually pull it off. One of those comedians is Andy Daly who released his groundbreaking album 9 Sweaters featuring Daly’s repertoire of characters that are so darkly funny about 12 years ago.

Now in 2020, a time when the monsters are more out in the open than they have been in recent memory, Andy Daly has just released his follow-up Four More Sweaters: Monsters Take Your Questions, which features four, a la the album title, monsters of different ilks displaying their horrific wares in the most ridiculous light possible. Thanks to Daly’s deft craftsmanship, showing the darker side of humanity via the Poet Laureate of the West, Dalton Wilcox, the seediest man on Broadway, Don DiMello, Honorary Hollywood Mayor Chad Gardner, and Scientology creator himself L. Ron Hubbard is so subversively hysterical. Daly takes great care in crafting their monologue, respective worlds, catchphrases as well as honing in on many of their worst, out-of-left-field details about them. Each of the four characters taking questions from the audience ratchets up the absurdity even further. Daly takes license to get even more mischievous when the questions are particularly innocent, but always makes sure to show how terrible such people really are and are worth ridicule via cackling by any and all listening to Four More Sweaters.

Andy Daly’s Four More Sweaters: Monsters Take Your Questions is out now, fresh from AST Records. Get it/listen to it on multiple platforms here.

Andy Daly Is Coming Out With a New Album “Four More Sweaters: Monsters Take Your Questions”
April 9, 2020
News
andy daly, character comedy, comedy album, four more sweaters

When it comes to doing characters in comedy, Andy Daly is one of the best around not only committing to his well-fleshed out, hilariously disturbed characters, but truly inhabiting them and their version of reality. Daly really paints a portrait with their observations, intentions, and personas that are so darkly funny. 2008 saw the release of his seminal album Nine Sweaters from AST Records featuring many of his best characters doing extended, hysterical monologues.

Announced yesterday, Daly will be coming out with his second album, a follow-up appropriately titled Four More Sweaters: Monsters Take Your Questions that, based on the wondrous album art, features the likes of such Daly classic characters (that you might have heard on Comedy Bang! Bang! over the years) as Dalton Wilcox and Don Dimello. Perhaps, they’ll be talking to the crowd on the album given its title.

It has been well over a decade since Nine Sweaters and we sincerely can’t wait to see what Andy has up the sixteen sleeves of this particular part of his character cache. Look for Four More Sweaters: Monsters Take Your Questions to be released digitally on Fri. Apr. 24th from AST Records.

My new comedy album, Four More Sweaters: Monsters Take Your Questions, has a digital RELEASE DATE! 4/24/20. If you listen to it, you will know what's on it – guaranteed! pic.twitter.com/COFx7ImxFl

— Review Complete Series DVD Is Here! (@TVsAndyDaly) April 8, 2020

 

Please Enjoy (or Pass the Time Until the End with) Brodie Reed’s Goth Talk
November 28, 2019
Uncategorized
brodie reed, character comedy, goth talk, vlog
image

When it comes to characters out of left field, we can always count on Brodie Reed to deliver.

Such is the case with D’Void, Brodie’s host of Goth Talk, a micro-Goth-themed vlog that Brodie just started on his Instagram: @ayo.bro.bro.

Enjoy (or take a break from the ever-present despair of life with) eps. One and Two of Goth Talk and follow Brodie for (we’re sincerely hoping) for many more @ayo.bro.bro
November 27, 2019
Uncategorized
character comedy, chris charpentier, david gborie, dicker troy, johnny pemberton, laci mosley, panel, silverlake, talk show, the satellite, will miles

The driver/DJ/Hollywood insider/paranormal conduit Dicker Troy (Johnny Pemberton) is getting a shot to impart his blue collar mysticism via a live talk show. He’s got a great panel with Will Miles, David Gborie, Laci Mosley, and Chris Charpentier and, without a doubt, a bunch of surprises underneath those multiple rolled up sleeves. 

Pretty great first holiday gift for the first of December, no?

So, you best go get your tickets for Dicker’s Talk Show at the Satellite this Sun. here.

Please Enjoy “Sports Without Equipment with Coach Keith Alejo”
September 4, 2019
Uncategorized
character comedy, frankie quinones, sketch comedy, sports without equipment

Please Enjoy “Sports Without Equipment with Coach Keith Alejo”

OK, we’ll just say that this is the latest and greatest character from the immensely talented Frankie Quinones and, if you don’t already know, you best get into everything Frankie as he is in the process of breaking big (he’s playing the Wiltern at the end of this month FYI).

Now, we’ll let this sublime silliness speak for itself. Please watch and enjoy (over and over and over).
June 11, 2019
Uncategorized
character comedy, comedy show, ed larson, free comedy, henry zebrowski, hollywood, los angeles, murderfist, stand up comedy

Legendary cult sketch group Murderfist (please get acquainted with them if you’re not already) now have a classy, very classy monthly show at the Pack Theater! 

Every 2nd Wednesday of the month, Murderfist’s very own Henry Zebrowski and Ed Larson will be dressed to the nines doing their own very “classy” bits along with a secret line-up of their favorite stand-ups. It’s a damn good, damn classy time (and maybe dress up if you go).

Whether you’re a fan of Last Podcast on the Left, The Brighter Side, etc., you really need to clear out your your calendar for this. 

The next Murderfist Presents: Classy Night Out is this Wednesday, again, at The Pack Theater at 9:30PM. Admission, like all Pack Theater shows, is Pay What You Can. Pretty nice, right? 

Get more details here.
May 17, 2019
Uncategorized
character comedy, comedy show, los angeles, sam taggart, silverlake, stand up comedy

Hailing from Brooklyn, Sam Taggart will be gracing us once again with his clever/silly wit, verve, characters, songs (he did, after all, do a whole wonderful show about being a comic for a dance club, i.e. a “club comic”) for his new show All 4 U. Joining him will be the wondrous Joel Kim Booster and Charles Gould. 

All 4 U is coming to the Lyric Hyperion on May 20th at 10PM. Tickets are $8 and you can (and should) get them here.
March 15, 2019
Uncategorized
arts district, best friends show, character comedy, comedy festival, comedy show, dtla, experimental comedy, festival fest, ian abramson, los angeles, parody, sketch comedy

Sure, you’ve been to a festival before. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely been to a comedy festival. However, have you been to a comedy show that gathers a bunch of festivals that parody the idea of the biggest festivals around like SXSW, Coachella, etc. (and probably FYRE too) in one night? 

The folks behind The Best Friends Show and Atlantic City along with wonderful musical comedy group The Cooties and so many other great LA comedy performers are gathering to do just that and you’ll get to see something that you have (probably) not seen before and will very likely get a huge kick out of. 

Best of all, it’s just a single comedy show as opposed to an entire festival where you have to rearrange your entire life and finances to go to.

It’s called Festival Fest and it’s happening next Saturday. Go get your tickets here now.

Please Enjoy DeMorge Brown Giving a “Spirited Defense” of Poetry as Ephraim Elizabeth King
February 19, 2019
Uncategorized
character comedy, demorge brown, poetry

DeMorge Brown is a treasure in case you didn’t know (just see this Fruit Bats music video that made our top 100 list last year). The way he inhabits any character he plays is pretty revelatory and always funny in the best, most unexpected ways possible.

Such is the case, yet again, with this latest piece where he takes the stage as a celebrated, yet enraged poet Ephraim Elizabeth King. 

So, without further adieu, please watch and delight in this performance here.
February 18, 2019
Uncategorized
buddy cole, character comedy, comedy show, kids in the hall, los angeles, scott thompson, silverlake

Since Kids in the Hall’s Scott Thompson relocated to LA, you have might gotten a chance here or there to see him do his renowned Buddy Cole character live here or there.

More likely than not, the opportunity probably slipped through your fingers to watch Thompson’s unapologetic, yet perfectly coifed firebrand Buddy Cole let loose. 

Thankfully, Thompson is doing an entire month long residency at the Lyric Hyperion of Après le Déluge: The Buddy Cole Monologues for the nice price of $10 (if you get tickets in advance). You can (and really should) snag ‘em over here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
October 19, 2018
Uncategorized
character comedy, comedy show, weho, west hollywood

The monthly solo character comedy reunion-themed show Reunion is always a fantastic dive into some parallel universe and a great showcase of many of LA’s best characters. 

As Halloween is right around the corner, they’ll be doing a special “Hell” edition where people reunite to “remember their death day”. With no irony at all, this sounds like a hell of a good time (pun intended). 

On the line-up is:
David Bly
Leslie Collins
Laura McDonald
John Milhiser
Mike O’Gorman
Hosts Leah Rudick & Steve Soroka

Admission is free, but the good folks at Reunion ask for a $5 suggested donation with all proceeds going to Human Rights Campaign.

Get more fun/spooky details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
August 9, 2018
Uncategorized
character comedy, comedy show, kristen studard, lyric hyperion, prolonged eye contact, silverlake

For years now, we’ve marveled at the many stunning facets of Kristen Studard’s comedy that includes characters, improv, short film, and stand-up. There is always something wonderfully off-beat about everything she does, which is why we’re excited for her upcoming solo show Prolonged Eye Contact (apparently, there will be actual, intentional prolonged eye contact during the show too) at the Lyric Hyperion.

The show’s description, which we enjoyed, reads:

Prolonged Eye Contact is a an interactive solo show by comedian Kristen Studard about the search for love, connection, and approval by one performer with one audience. Kristen would like to be loved by you, monogamously. (She’s a one-audience type of gal.) What happens when someone won’t break eye contact? Uh oh, shit just got real. Through a series of characters, a game show, and an erotic encounter with a bee, Kristen woos you by opening her heart and her eyes and looking right into your soul. Are you ready to be seen? 

She has three performances that you can catch from Thurs. Aug. 23rd-Sat. Aug. 25th at 10PM. Tickets are $10 and you can (and really, really should) get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
July 11, 2018
Uncategorized
character comedy, comedy show, los angeles, musical comedy, parody, silverlake

What’s not to love about Paul Simon’s nephew, Taul Simon (the very funny Drew Spears, 1/3 of the brilliant rascals of LA’s Cool Shit/Weird Shit ), putting on a “music show” to spite his uncle for not letting him play at his farewell shows? Certainly, we don’t actually know if Taul has the “goods”, but a show born out of having a chip on your should is always a fun thing to watch. Just see this promo for 500 Ways to Leave Your Lover – A Nephew’s Lament above.

Also, the likes of Mike Hanford (The Birthday Boys, Comedy Bang! Bang!), Teresa Lee (Take My Wife, Cracked), Marlena Rodriguez (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Brad Evans and Nick Ciarelli (Atlantic City, Tween Fest) will be joining Taul/Drew for what’s sure to be an evening that you won’t forget even if Paul Simon himself ends up not caring.

500 Ways to Leave Your Love will be taking place next week at 10PM on Wednesday, July 18th at the Lyric Hyperion Theatre & Cafe. Tickets are $5 and you can (and should) get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
April 19, 2018
Uncategorized
ayn rand, character comedy, free comedy, heather anne campbell, hollywood, james adomian, pack theater, parody, satire

The unequivocally hysterical Heather Anne Campbell will be doing an entire show as the controversial author Ayn Rand this weekend.

That alone should be enough to make sure that you go, but she’ll be joined Pack Theater stalwarts Elizabeth Hayhurst, Jesse Arlen Klein, and Haley Mancini as well as the amazing James Adomian.

As with all Pack Theater shows, admission is Pay What You can.

Get more details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
February 23, 2018
Uncategorized
anna seregina, asif ali, character comedy, cocktail party, comedy shows, experimental comedy, frankie quinones, hollywood, jay larson, jon daly, los angeles, outfit home, rory scovel

Toasty, the beautiful, ethereal blend between a character based comedy show and an actual, classy cocktail party, is returning once more!

It truly is one of our favorite things to go be witness to and, per usual, they have a stellar line-up.

Tickets are $17 , which includes free booze & snacks. The show is for ages 21+. 

Please get tickets here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
December 2, 2017
Uncategorized
character comedy, comedy show, free comedy, los angeles, lyric hyperion, natalie palamides, silverlake, solo show

The last time Natalie Palamides was developing an hour long solo show, it resulted in a widely critically acclaimed show that would go on to win an award at the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

So, it would behoove you to not miss Natalie’s latest endeavor, whatever it may be, in these coming weeks at the Lyric Hyperion (especially because they’re free).

Get more details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
August 31, 2017
Uncategorized
character comedy, experimental comedy, free comedy, hollywood, john paliferro, los angeles, nick gligor, pack theater, speedface

For 2 years, The Pack Theater has been home to our favorite inter-dimensional character/bit show, SPEEDFACE.

To mark this anniversary this Sunday, they’re starting earlier than normal at 9PM so they can put on an extra special, big Speedface chock full of the best bits of comedy that only last 100 seconds. 

As with all shows at The Pack Theater, admission is ‘pay what you can’. Get more details here.
March 12, 2017
Uncategorized
character comedy, drew tarver, franklin village, gil ozeri, hollywood, mike o'brien, natalie palamides, seth morris, sketch comedy, tim kalpakis, ucb, veronica osorio

Much of UCB’s best and brightest (really, they’re some of our favorites to rise from the UCB stage) are doing bits, characters, and sketches in this new monthly showcase produced by Nick Ciarelli and Bradford Evans, Atlantic City, starting this week.

The line-up is stacked and we really think you should get your tickets sooner rather than later. They’re $7 and you can (and should) get them here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com
February 9, 2017
Uncategorized
10 year anniversary, blamblamblam, character comedy, free comedy, k town, live comedy, los angeles, stand up

One of the longest running indie comedy shows in LA, Blam!Blam!Blam! is celebrating a whole decade run. Most comedy shows, no matter if they’re in a club, theater, house, or the back room of some business don’t make it to anywhere near double digits. Blam pushes on where few comedy shows ever get to go. 

The Blam!Blam!Blam! 10 Year Anniversary will be held on Valentine’s Day at its home at R-Bar in K-Town making for a great alternative to doing anything that a corporate mandated holiday would have you do. Also, admission is free. Get more details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
September 20, 2016
Uncategorized
andres du bouchet, anna seregina, brooks wheelan, brothers brothers band, character comedy, comedy show, dan van kirk, fairfax, hollywood improv, improv lab, los angeles, natalie palamides, persona, rick overton, tony sam, weho

A cavalcade of hysterical folks in character all follow the lead of host Tony Sam and Daniel Van Kirk in the great all-character comedy showcase, Persona.

More details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows/events as well as open mics and maps are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com.

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