clown – The Comedy Bureau

Pick of the Day: RED BASTARD (in NYC) 3/31

March 28, 2024

brooklyn, brooklyn comedy collective, clown, eric davis, nyc comedy, red bastard

While there is certain a burgeoning of clown in the LA comedy scene for the last few years at this point, denizens of NYC comedy aren’t necessarily treated to the same sort of ready access to this facet of the comedic arts. For that reason, New Yorkers daring to see the boundaries of comedy and where they’re at these days outside of stand-up, sketch, and improv, might want to mark down this Sunday at 7PM on their calendar.

That’s the time and day when Red Bastard, acclaimed, award winning Edinburgh Fringe act is taking over the Brooklyn Comedy Collective to do his very special odyssey of a solo show (especially so for a select number of brave audience members). At the risk of revealing of what is up Red Bastard’s bulbous sleeves, we won’t say much more other than tickets are $16.88 and, if you get one, you’ll very likely have some sort of transformative experience on top of laughing your ass off.

Pick of the Day: Ian Farley: Oil & Water (in LA) 2/18

February 14, 2024

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clown, Ian Farley, los angeles, solo show

While clowning is still a burgeoning scene here in LA, it very clearly has its stars (you’ve probably seen Natalie Palamides in something at this point).

As with any artistic scene, there are those next in line, those who have been upping and coming for quite some time and are, frankly, due for their time in the limelight.

Ian Farley is one such figure who is so devilishly good at clowning and, in particular, brilliant at wringing every single iota of a laugh out a bit. As such, you really ought to not miss when he puts on his solo show, a collection of painstakingly crafted characters, wonderfully called Oil & Water at The Lyric Hyperion this Sun. Feb. 18th at 9:30PM.

Tickets are only $12 and, honestly, it’s worth so much more than that. Go get ’em here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 201: Ian Farley & Coming Up with a Show on the Spot

January 31, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

clown, devising, Ian Farley, process, solo show

Not that this podcast is a stranger to taking big swings or chatting with characters that might as well be from another galaxy, but, for a podcast that ostensibly pulls back the curtain, we go above and beyond with this episode by devising a show with a comedian live on tape.

If you haven’t gathered in recent episodes, TCB’s Jake Kroeger is now also the Artistic Director at Lyric Hyperion and tapped the hysterical Ian Farley to do a show next month and captured the creative process of working out what the hell his show is going to be on a podcast. Ideally, coming up with this show is this crackling and fun (part of the reason we have Ian both on the pod and doing a whole show by himself).

Follow Ian at enefarley.com

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

Pick of the Day: iL FUNGO presents Saturnalia: A Holiday Bacchanal (in LA) 1/20

January 9, 2024

News

clown, clowning, il fungo, la comedy, yard theater

With LA being kind of an epicenter of clown in recent times, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that LA has a premier bouffant troupe with costumes that rival those on The Masked Singer. Lucky for us, we’ve had the pleasure of enjoying the rambunctious, often meta hijinks, of iL FUNGO (with Deidre Scott, Grant O’Connell, Grayson Morris, Joshua Kilcoyne, Mike Rose, Starlette Cravens, Tiffany Lawrence and Tyler Ramirez) time and time again and have a had such a damn good time (credit once again to the genius clown brain of Dean Evans).

In fact, we put them on our 100 Best List of 2023 and, with that in mind, you shouldn’t miss out on their reprise of their holiday show, Saturnalia, at the Yard Theater on Sat. Jan. 20th at 9PM. Tickets are only $12 and probably will sell out soon. Go get yours here.

Pick of the Day: Burning Clown: A One Hour Festival (in LA) 9/24

September 19, 2023

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burning clown, clown, los angeles comedy, pack theater

Burning Man is over, done and dusted, but that doesn’t mean the spirit of it has faded (even if you couldn’t even afford it or have enough outrageous attire for you to appropriately go). Certainly, the clowns of the LA comedy scene revel in the wild and ethereal energy that Burning Man provides and want to keep it going (though there’s no official affiliation between the playa and clowning).

Thus, they’re having Burning Clown, a one hour clown comedy festival, coming to the Pack Theater @ The Broadwater this Sunday. The humor, light, and vulnerability of Jet Eveleth, Il Fungo, Freak Nature Puppets, Jill and Geri, and Cole Saleh will be on display starting at 7:50PM on Sun. Sept. 24th and go for an hour (and hopefully realign your vision of the world).

Tickets are only $7.50 and you can (and very much should) go get them here.

Pick of the Day: Karen Hall-Delusions and Grandeur (in LA) 1/27

January 24, 2023

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classical music, clown, karen hall, los angeles comedy

As more and more of comedy (and, for that matter, the world) discovers clowning in this day and age (beyond those unfortunate ones at a kids’ b-day party), the landscape of clowning itself keeps changing, much to the delight of its own community and those who chase watching every bit of it they can.

Karen Hall is one such an individual who has made a niche for herself amongst the burgeoning clowning scene in LA as she has mixed her background as a professionally touring cellist into her clown work. We’ve gotten to see a bit of her work and the brilliance of it at The Clubhouse‘s clown night known as Catsby, often accompanying Chad Damiani and a guest doing silent improv.

Karen is setting to do her very own show this Friday that will more vigorously blend the worlds of classical music and clown that will give a special clown-ish look at her very own unique trail that she’s blazed. Called Delusions and Grandeur, Karen will be taking the stage at North Hollywood’s Theatre 68 on Jan. 27th at 8PM with tickets only being $12. Go get them here and get ready for something like you’ve probably never seen before in all of comedy (even if you’re a big P.D.Q. Bach fan).

Pick of the Day: Stand up and Clown (in LA) 2/7

January 28, 2022

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ahamed weinberg, anna seregina, babs gray, christina catherine martinez, clown, elysian theater, ify nwadiwe, jessy morner ritt, kyle mizono, los angeles comedy, morgan jay, stand up comedy

It is our firm belief that when the different disciplines of comedy get cross-pollinated that some of the best, most boundary pushing comedy gets made. We also believe that Chad Damiani “live directing” (or ruthlessly roasting) people attempting clown is some of the funniest things we’ve ever seen.

Stand Up and Clown will combine all of that comedy goodness into a crucible of glorious failure and celebratory stupidity. Basically, Damiani, a veteran of the clowning and improv world will do his “live directing” of great stand-up comedians trying their hand at clown.

This first edition has a bunch of wondrous LA comedians that we can’t wait to see under Chad’s gun including:

Babs Gray
Morgan Jay
Christina Catherine Martinez
Kyle Mizono
Jessy Morner-Ritt
Ify Nwadiwe
Anna Seregina
Ahamed Weinberg

This inaugural Stand Up and Clown will happen at The Elysian on Mon. Feb. 7th at 9:30PM PT. Tickets are $12 right now and you really ought to get your tickets ASAP here.

Pick of the Day: Clown Zoo (Wednesdays in LA)

May 25, 2021

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bill o'neill, chad damiani, charlie barnett, christina catherine martinez, clown, clown zoo, Corey Podell, ian bratschie, juzo yoshida, max baumgarten, natalie palamides

As we’re carefully getting back into listing in-person shows, we’d like to one of personal favorites that’s a true gem and as distanced and outdoors as it possibly can get.

Clown Zoo, featuring many of LA’s finest clown/idiot performers, happens in one of the former exhibits of the Old LA Zoo nestled in Griffith Park. The likes of Chad Damiani, Natalie Palamides, Christina Catherine Martinez, Max Baumgarten, Courtney Pauroso, Juzo Yoshida, Corey Podell, Bill O’Neill, Ian Bratschie, and Charlie Barnett put on a “mask show” where they don masks and act out/improvise what is very likely, one of the most delightfully ridiculous things you’ll have seen in a long time. Oh, and it’s usually brilliantly live scored as well.

Join in on the rambunctious fun every Wednesday at 12:30PM PT at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park (4801 Griffith Park Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90027).

May 24, 2019

Uncategorized

clown, comedy play, comedy show, experimental comedy, fringe festival, hollywood fringe festival, los angeles, the living room

The Living Room is a wild, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and touching comedic journey through, of all things, grief and loss. Amrita Dhaliwal and Gemma Soldati who created and star in the show do a beautiful job of realizing and expressing the process of mourning through absurd vignettes and involving the audience in “the living room”. It has been transformative and hilarious every time we’ve seen it.

The Living Room is about to have a run at the upcoming Hollywood Fringe Festival at the Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood. Tickets are $15 and dates are below.

Sun. Jun. 9th 5PM
Thu. Jun. 13th 8PM
Wed. Jun. 19th 10PM
Fri. Jun. 21st 9PM
Sun. Jun. 23rd 3PM
Thu. Jun. 27th 9PM

Go snag your tickets here.