• Events
    • Los Angeles Open Mics
    • Los Angeles Shows
    • New York Open Mics
    • New York Shows
  • Book A Tour
  • Venues
  • News
  • Podcast
  • About
    • About The Comedy Bureau
    • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Digital Wall of Trustees

nyc comedy

divider

TCB Debriefing 11/10/23: SAG-AFTRA Contract, Clueless Gamer, The Egyptian, Holiday Orphan Avails
November 11, 2023
News
clueless game, clueless gamer, conan o'brien, sag-aftra, the vista

1. SAG-AFTRA, with an 86% ratifying vote, has approved their new contract with the AMPTP and ended the historic double strike between the WGA, themselves, and the AMPTP. How many actors/writers who returned/tried out stand-up will never do stand-up again (until the next strike)?

2. One of Conan O’Brien‘s best remote segments was Clueless Gamer and we’re thankful during this Thanksgiving season that the series endures beyond Conan’s tenure in late night (and that Conan is still not all that great at video games). Please enjoy O’Brien’s attempt at finding lov—ahem, playing Starfield here.

3. The Vista isn’t the only old movie palace returning to LA’s movie house landscape. Netflix has finished their restoration of their new baby (and their direct solution to having their movies qualify for The Oscars), The Egyptian Theater in the heart of Hollywood. (LA Magazine). It’s exciting to know both landmark theaters are coming back, but almost every Angeleno is wondering, beyond those two, when the hell is ArcLight coming back?

4. When it comes to the holiday season, so many folks skip town for a week or two that one ponders who might even be in town to do a show in those twilight weeks after Christmas leading into the second week of the new year. That said, we do know that both comics and audiences are in town at those times and, perhaps, what would be best is if we found exactly who was in town that would be game for a show. Hence, we’re trying to make a list, essentially a list of avails, for those that are holiday comedy orphans that maybe want to perform at the end of 2023 and right at the beginning of 2024 that anyone putting on a show could use. We’ve got a spreadsheet here if you’re in town then and want to get up at a time when almost any regularly recurring show is off for the time being.

5. We’ll leave you with this: take a deep breath and pause to get ready for as much TV and movie promo as you can handle.

Pick of the Day: The Sky Is Falling (in NYC) 12/2
November 10, 2023
News
nyc comedy, stand up comedy, the sky is falling

It has been a minute or two (or actually, if we’re being literal about it, several months) since the last blockbuster, rooftop Sky Is Falling, brought to you by some of the same folks of the same hit LA house show, The Big One.

Finally, the wait for another, very special pop up NYC comedy show is set for a December date as a special holiday gift to the BK. Sky Is Falling is taking over one of NYC’s chillest places to golf, The Brooklyn Greens (the golf club where you DON’T need a membership), to bring you a very nice slice of comedy (line-up TBA very soon @skyisfallingcomedy) on the green.

Might as well make a whole day out of it by getting out your two iron and playing the back 9, then the show!

Tickets are only $17.85 and you can (and very much should) get them here.

 

TCB Debriefing 11/9/23: SAG-AFTRA Strike, Please Don’t Destroy, Coyote vs. Acme, Inside Out 2, Ms. Pat
November 9, 2023
News
coyote vs acme, inside out 2, ms. pat, please don't destory, sag-aftra, seth meyers, treasure of foggy mountain, union strong

1. TENTATIVELY (don’t mean to be a killjoy here), the SAG-AFTRA strike over, which would, TENTATIVELY, bring the historic double strike between the WGA and SAG-AFTRA to a close with both unions getting pretty much want they wanted. With that in mind, when all is said and done, let history remember that the AMPTP made both unions wait over a hundred days to agree to their demands.

2. Rather than waiting for Saturday night/Sunday morning for your next hit of Please Don’t Destroy, here’s the first 4 min. of PDD’s first feature length movie, The Treasure of Foggy Mountain.

3. One has to wonder if David Zaslav shelving a Wiley Coyote live action/animated hybrid movie (that has tested well in focus groups) as a tax write-off (Deadline) is him being a spoiled sport kicking rocks since the strike ending in the favor of the unions?

4. As much as Pixar movies have been boiled down to kind of a precise emotional science these days, one might ponder the choice for them to push forward with a sequel (considering people essentially know what they’re doing now). Yet, here we are with the trailer for Inside Out 2 with the introduction of Maya Hawke as Anxiety. Take a gander at the first teaser here, then look for it in theaters come June 2024.

5. Ms. Pat hosts a court show now, but don’t be surprised if she has a talk show in the not so distant future. Just watch her with the undeniable charm that an ex-drug dealer-turned-affable comedian that only she possesses on Seth Meyers.

 

6. We’ll leave you with this: Who is staying in town in LA for the holidays to do/see comedy/not leaving us hanging after the 3rd week of December?

Pick of the Day: Billy Wayne Davis (in LA) 11/28
November 9, 2023
News
billy wayne davis, los angeles, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy

While the Southern drawl might be thick, the comedy of Billy Wayne Davis is one of finesse, nuance, and some of the sharpest wit and writing out in comedy today. Only a voice like Davis can draw multiple applause breaks out of a phrase like “snake church” and, for that amidst many other golden facets of his comedy, he should be seen at every available opportunity.

Lucky for Angelenos that he’s doing an entire hour at the beautiful intimate space that is the Lyric Hyperion on Tues. Nov. 28th at 9:30PM. It’s the rare opportunity to see someone in LA do a full hour as well as see someone of the caliber of Billy Wayne Davis (one of a literal handful of comedians to ever record at Jack White’s prestigious Third Man Records) headline in town.

Tickets are only $15 and you can (and should) go get tickets here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 189 Derek Del Core & How To (Possibly) Get Repped
November 9, 2023
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
derek del core, getting repped

It’s one of the ever enduring questions in the entertainment biz: how does one get repped? When trying to get seen by an agent or manager, it would often seem as though you have to be on projects in places that you could only get to with an agent manager. Up and coming comedy manager and live show producer and (good peoples) Derek Del Core joins us on this week’s TCB Field Report to demystify these questions and more and hopefully give you a road map to actually getting reps (or if you’re even ready for it).

Follow Derek @derekdelcore on IG

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by Ian Zandi

TCB Debriefing 11/7 & 11/8/23: Leah Rudick, Mean Girls, Gary Gulman, Longest Yard, White Lotus, Vista Theatre
November 8, 2023
News
gary gulman, leah rudick, longest yard, mean girls, vista theatre, white lotus

1. The first time we saw Leah Rudick on stage, she was in character as someone going to a high school reunion after having married a boat. It was a sweet strangeness that was undeniably engrossing and absurdly joyful. That show was years and years ago in the back room of a Russian bar in WeHo, a far cry from the theaters that Leah plays nowadays as a stand-up, but Leah taps the same sort of beautiful weirdness for her new hour special, Spiraling. Going on flights of anxiety fueled imagination, Rudick starts from a relative point of relatable normalcy, but simmers her way to as ridiculous a conclusion to a bit as she can conjure (hence the name of the special). The journey in this hour, richly colored by her unconscious, is akin to tasting your new favorite sweet treats in that you might be unsure what’s happening at first, but get obsessed with the longer you savor it. Go taste it for yourself as Spiraling is streaming on select streaming platform near you.

2. Peep the very first trailer for Mean Girls: The Musical: The Movie: Based on The Movie (though it’s maybe-maybe not going to be so meta?) where Reneé Rapp will have an even more breakout moment than she has already been having as a bisexual icon/pop star.

3. Praise anything and everything that another Gary Gulman special is on the way. Born on 3rd Base will debut on Max (intriguingly there instead of HBO) this December (Deadline). So, how do we feel about a “Max Special” being the goal in stand-up comedy?

4. The Longest Yard is being remade yet (Deadline). This will be the third time for the sports comedy classic to see the big screen (presumably) after the Burt Reynolds original in 1974, then an Adam Sandler remake in 2005. Pretty sure no audiences were asking for this, but, then again, IP remains the emperor of entertainment.

5. Mike White says the 3rd season of his hit series White Lotus will be “…longer, bigger, crazier” (Deadline). Considering everything that happened in the first two seasons, Vegas should star taking bets at to what is hell White has in store for this round of hapless, overprivileged tourists on this go-around in Thailand.

6.  One of the last remaining old school movie palaces in LA, The Vista Theatre, is finally going to reopen soon, under the guiding hand of pioneering auteur Quentin Tarantino (Variety). While we’re pretty sure that Quentin will do justice to a LA landmark, there’s no word on whether the manager will be dressing up in costume on a movie’s debut (no matter what movie it was).

7. We’ll leave you with this: the strike took this long to end because studios, we guess, can’t own their inner shadow of wanting all the monies.

Pick of the Day: Neil Hamburger (in NYC) 11/15
November 8, 2023
News
bell house, major entertainer, neil hamburger, nyc comedy

The one and only Neil Hamburger, the self-styled America’s Funnyman is back with as much hair gel and cocktails he can muster, but it’s not just in LA over this next month.

That’s right, Hamburger is hitting the road for a handful of dates that will very precisely amount to 3930 miles of road traveled. Hence, the name of the tour is The 3930 Mile Tour.

Hamburger will be zinging his dark one liners about musicians and the like along with his touring partner Major Entertainer, someone almost as mysterious and absurd as Neil himself from Ireland to the East Coast of the U.S. including a stop at Brooklyn’s Bell House on Wed. 11/15 at 7:30PM. In short, you’re not going to want to miss what will likely be somewhere around mile 3500 of the tour.

Tickets are up for grabs at $30.57 and you best go get ’em here.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ActualNeilHamburger (@actualneilhamburger)

Pick of the Day: Natalie Palamides: WEER (in LA) 11/13-11/15
November 7, 2023
News
los angeles comedy, natalie palamides, the elysian

After her undeniable groundbreaking shows of Laid and Nate, revered clown/comedian/performer/visionary Natalie Palamides is on to her next hour show. Called WEER, there are kind of no other details about it at the moment, but you can trust that Natalie has something mind-altering in store for all in attendance (as she has done for the last several years).

With that in mind, you can be one of the first three crowds to witness whatever brilliant comedy madness (with plenty of multi-layered social commentary thoroughly baked in) that Natalie has dreamt up starting next week at The Elysian, specifically Mon Nov. 11th-Wed. Nov. 15th, all at 9:30PM. Tickets are only $12 and still up for grabs. Do not miss out on being on the ground floor for Natalie’s brand new hour and get tix here:

  • Mon 11/13 at 9:30PM

  • Tues 11/14 at 9:30PM

  • Wed 11/15 at 9:30PM

 

TCB Debriefing 11/6/23: Rufat Agayev, Catherine Cohen, The Bear, Peaches, James Corden
November 6, 2023
News
catherine cohen, don't tell comedy, emma corrin, james corden sirius, lucie zhang, peaches, rufat agayev, stand up comedy, the bear

1. One would think that, as artists, comedians would have a vast and colorful imagination, but, alas, there are plenty of examples of comedians simply “painting by numbers”. Rufat Agayev is a very refreshing break from the rote examinations of everyday life with pondering our common human ancestry and better uses for the “one chip challenge” and delivering it with authority (comedically undercut with brazen goofiness). All of this is on display in his Don’t Tell set that just dropped today. Please enjoy it here.

 

2. Come for Catherine Cohen and her Come for Me U.S. tour coming all over the nation starting next year. Maybe get a whole posse to come all at the same time? Tickets at catherine-cohen.com/tour.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by catherine cohen (@catccohen)

3. The Bear is renewed for its 3rd season and we still haven’t figured out whether it’s a comedy or not (even though it’s rightfully one of television’s most acclaimed series).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Bear (@thebearfx)

4. Emma Corrin is taking a massive departure from her previous work by embarking on a dark comedy where she plays a scamming gold-digger who, along with French star Lucie Zhang, gets scammed herself. It’s a trio of international firsts as it will be Hong Kong writer/director Jenny Suen‘s first English language film, Emma Corrin‘s first comedy with top billing, and Hollywood icon Cate Blanchett’s first comedy as a producer (Deadline).

5. James Corden will be returning to interviewing celebrities, but not on TV. Instead, he’ll be doing a SiriusXM show called This Life of Mine with James Corden (USA Today). Guess Conan O’Brien has blazed the trail for post late night life in doing podcasts/radio?

6. We’ll leave you with this: Both John Oliver and Matt Rife are guests on The Tonight Show this Wednesday and, for what it’s worth, we actually would have loved to see this pairing on The Late Late Show with James Corden because both of them would have to share a couch and, presumably, roast each other?

Pick of the Day: 9th Annual High and Mighty: Thanksgiving Eve Power Hour! (in LA) 11/22
November 6, 2023
News
dynasty typewriter, high and mighty, improv, jon gabrus, thanksgiving

Halloween is done and dusted and we’re on to the thick of the holiday season with Thanksgiving approaching fast. That actually means a lot of things for comedy, but one of the main things is Jon Gabrus’ annual High and Mighty: Thanksgiving Eve Power Hour, a true blue hour of 6 friends doing 60 shots of beer each and then letting the most hysterical Turkey Day ridiculousness unravels on stage.

This 2023 edition will be the 9th year that Gabrus and company endeavor on downing a lot of brew in just an hour’s time and will be doing so in the lovely walls of Dynasty Typewriter on Wed. Nov. 22nd at 7:30PM. It’s such a rip roaring good time that a livestream will be available as well (7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET). In-person tickets for Jon Gabrus’ annual High and Mighty: Thanksgiving Eve Power Hour are $20 and live-stream are $15 and you can (and should) go start in on the holiday gift buying by snagging a pair here.

 

TCB Debriefing 11/4/23: Jessica Sele, Atsuko Okatsuka, James Austin Johnson, Curb Your Enthusiasm, F Marry Kill
November 4, 2023
News
atsuko okatsuka, blonde medicine, comedy album, curb your enthusiasm, james austin johnson, jessica sele, lucy hale, seth meyers, stand up comedy, weird vibes

1. Nailing a comedy album title is often a quietly difficult challenge. Many a comedian try sidestepping it by just going the “Live at…” route while others fall short of the mark with a goofy name coupled with a corny pose for the album cover. For our money, the deeply funny Jessica Sele not only comedically lives up to the pitch perfect album title of Weird Vibes, her brand new record from venerable comedy record label Blonde Medicine, but she embodies it. Sele never ceases to surprise and has us snickering throughout the whole hour in fully embracing her own strangeness in every aspect of her life and presenting so frankly, but doing so with a gleeful awkwardness. All told, Weird Vibes radiates pretty sweet vibes. Weird Vibes is now streaming and available now wherever you get your comedy albums.

2. Not only is Atsuko Okatsuka full grown, but she is a bonafide comedy star. Just look at this tour schedule and sold out dates (and those added dates that you should get tix for if you’re anywhere around those cities).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Atsuko Okatsuka (@atsukocomedy)

2. James Austin Johnson, yet again, proves that he’s the perfect weapon at SNL on his Late Night with Seth Meyers appearance this week.

3. Season 12 of Curb Your Enthusiasm is set for Feb. 2024. Perhaps, it’ll be an early Valentine’s gift on 2/12?

4. Turns out F*ck Marry Kill will be the latest game to be adapted into feature film (THR). This adaptation will, of course, not shy away from the nature of the game and, instead, lean into it with star Lucy Hale trying to figure out which of the three guys she’s dating is a local serial killer and which are F or marriage material. With all of that in mind, we are curious as to who owns the trademark to F Marry Kill if anyone.

5. We’ll leave you with this: Yes, this TCB Debriefing is a day late because we run this site all on our own and book a theater, so apologies for this and any future delays (and thank you kindly for reading).

Pick of the Day: Alex Edeman: Just for Us (in LA) 11/10-11/26
November 3, 2023
News
alex edelman, dtla, just for us, los angeles comedy, mark taper forum, solo show, storytelling

Alex Edelman’s Just For Us is probably one of the most acclaimed live solo shows of this year (and last year) considering its several extensions Off Broadway and then ascending to Broadway. Edelman’s hilarious and captivating tale of sneaking into White Nationalists meetings as a Jewish person is already shot and scheduled to be released as a special, but it’s going on the road first.

One of Edelman’s first stops will be here in LA at the Mark Taper Forum in DTLA that, as far as comedy in recent memory goes, only Mike Birbiglia has played. It’s a big run, but don’t rest on your laurels to buy tickets because they’ll likely get bought up very, very fast.

So, Just For Us is set to run from:

1/10-11/26

Tues-Sat @ 8PM PT

Sat. matinee @ 3PM PT

Sundays @ 2PM PT & 7PM PT

*Dark on Thanksgiving

*No matinee on 11/11

*Fri. Matinee 11/26 @ 3PM PT

Tickets are $40-$150 and stop reading this go get them now right here.

 

TCB Debriefing 11/2/23: Jon Glaser, Futurama, Joe Pera, Taylor Tomlinson, Dad Jokes?
November 2, 2023
News
after midnight, futurama, hulu, joe pera, jon glaser, soothing meditations for solitary dog, taylor tomlinson

1. Truly, Jon Glaser never ceases to amaze. Being able to make absurdist comedy bloom out of the minutia of “gear” or, inversely, finding the comedic minutia in being in witness protection, Glaser’s comedy stylings comes in the friction between finding emotional truths/vulnerability and sheer ridiculousness. His guided meditation album for “solitary dogs” is a perfect display of his work. Glaser inhabits and creates a very real world of making a “serious” 30 minute track to soothe a dog that, of course, comes apart at the seams (on top of it being a product “made for dogs” that will only be enjoyed by humans. It’s a more than welcome, hilarious departure from the actual, terrifying world that is soothing for, well, anyone or anything listening. Jon Glaser’s Soothing Meditations for the Solitary Dog is available now wherever you get your comedy albums, courtesy of Pretty Good Friends.

2. Hulu did the correct thing and shut up and gave Futurama their money for two more seasons.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Futurama on Hulu (@futuramaonhulu)

3. Joe Pera talks with America from now to the end of whatever fruit is in season at the end of Spring 2024. Kindly go get tickets when you have a moment at joepera.com/shows.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @joepera

4. Behold the late night coronation of Taylor Tomlinson, the host of After Midnight, and the late night tag team partner of Stephen Colbert and The Late Show.

5. We’ll leave you with this: Not to jump the gun here, but can we make a New Year’s Resolution for 2024 to make better dad jokes? Enough with cringeworthy wordplay.

Pick of the Day: Don’t Break (at NYCF) 11/4
November 2, 2023
News
danny catlow, david brown, don't break, game show, ny comedy festival

We have no doubt in our mind that one of the most talked about events at the New York Comedy Festival, when all is said and done, will be the demented comedy game show hosted/refereed by Danny Catlow and David Brown, Don’t Break.

A select of very funny comedians, going head-to-head, are saddled with one simple task as stated in the very name of the show. While that premise is as simple as it gets, Catlow and Brown run their game not unlike something out of Squid Game by enforcing harsh judgments and introducing more and more rules/challenges as to prevent any player/comedian from just sitting in a corner and not talking to anyone the whole time.

It’s such devilish fun and with a line-up of Marie Faustin, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, Richard Perez, Jo Firestone, Sabrina Wu, Joe Castle Baker, Rachel Kaly, Kate O’Connor, and Wyatt Fair, the competition will be viciously hysterical.

Make sure you set aside plans for Sat. Nov. 4th at 9:30PM to be at Littlefield and get tickets right now at $15.54 a pop.

 

TCB Debriefing 11/1/23: After Midnight, John Wilson, Jenny Zigrino, Mike Birbiglia, HBO Fake Twitter Accounts,
November 1, 2023
News
after midnight, fake twitter accounts, hbo, jenny zigrino, jimmy kimmel live, jo firestone, john wilson, mike birbiglia, netflix, old man and the pool, taylor tomlinson

1. The newly minted version of @midnight, which will be called After Midnight, will be hosted by Taylor Tomlinson and have Jo Firestone as the head writer and Jack Martin from the actual @midnight as showrunner (THR). Aside from the Jimmys, Stephen, Seth, and John, After Midnight will be the representation for diversity in late night whenever SNL is not on the air (or if/when The Daily Show picks a replacement, presuming they don’t go with an old white guy).

2. Like his HBO series How To with John Wilson, John Wilson is pure human magic on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

3. Jenny Zigrino is a stand-up comedy force to be reckoned with. Go reckon with her on her winter tour all over the U.S. Get tix now at jennyzigrino.com/live.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jenny Zigrino (@jennyzigrino)

4. If you didn’t have the coin to catch Mike Birbiglia on Broadway (because you probably never had the coin to catch anything on Broadway), fret not. His latest Broadway show, The Old Man & The Pool, is coming out in Netflix special form on Nov. 21st and you can take your first look at it here.

5. Oh, HBO. How the mighty have fallen and resorted to spam Twitter accounts to troll reviewers (THR). The question now is whether Showtime, Hulu, Roku, or someone else will do a slapdash drama about this revelation.

6. We’ll leave you with this: Anyone looking to open up a bar, please do it right next door to any and all comedy venues, for the love of whatever you believe in.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 188: Adam Gold & Producing 33 Shows at a Festival
November 1, 2023
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
adam gold, comedy producing, ny comedy festival

Like the hard working performers that he puts on all of shows, comedy producer Adam Gold has done the behind-the-scenes version of working your way from open mics up the comedy ladder in a scene. Cutting his teeth by waiting tables at Caroline’s several years ago, Gold climbed his way up in independent comedy producing with indie shows in LA & NYC all the way to the point where he has been a producing staple at the New York Comedy Festival. This year alone, he has 33 shows going requiring a team of folks to make sure they go off without a hitch.

This week’s TCB Field Report follows Adam’s journey in comedy producing, some crucial producing tips, as well as what drives him to do so many damn shows in less than two weeks in November.

Follow Adam @adamgooold on IG and get tickets to any and all NYCF shows at newyorkcomedyfestival.com.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by Sam Cashell

Pick of the Day: Anna Seregina: A Tour of Anna (in NYC) 11/11
November 1, 2023
News
anna seregina, new york comedy, new york comedy festival, nycf, union hall

One of the marvels of Anna Seregina and her comedy is that it is simultaneously ethereal and lofty, but undeniably farcical at the same very moment in spacetime. Seregina freely floats in between meta layers of bits and even of herself, but the silliness she embodies keeps the fun accessible to those who might initially seek out comedy at its fringes.

It’s this notion that should lead you to Seregina performing her “tour” of herself, A Tour of Anna directed by the splendid Mitra Jouhari more specfically, at the New York Comedy Festival next Sat. Nov. 11th at 5PM at Union Hall with beloved NYC comedy raconteur Dave Hill opening.

“Tour” tickets are only $15.64 and you really ought to go get them here right now.

 

TCB Debriefing 10/31/23: The Elysian, Saoirse Ronan, Paul Reiser/Steve-O, Celeste Barber/Wellmania
October 31, 2023
News
bad apples, celeste barber, elysian theater, paul reiser, saoirse ronan, steve-o

1. The Elysian Theater is now 2 years old and proof positive that the terrible two’s are only a thing for humans. Happy B Day!

2. Saoirse Ronan will play a teacher who goes too far in trying to being a good teacher (and it kind of works) in her latest project Bad Apples. In fact, it kind of ups the ante from Another Round where teachers get drunk to become “better” teachers (Deadline).

3. Paul Reiser & Steve-O are both set to come with live stand-up specials in the not so distant future. Steve-O’s is set to come out next month through his own website (Deadline) and Paul Reiser is set to tape his just a week before Steve-O’s release. Considering Paul’s role Reboot (an immersion in peak meta, inside baseball comedy these days) and Steve-O once hosting an advice show where he was driven around in van due to having his driving license suspended, we’re so very thoroughly curious what angle will be played here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brian Volk-weiss (@brianvolkweiss)

4. Celeste Barber gives an honest and tender announcement (as it should be) of the cancellation of her show Wellmania by Netflix. We wouldn’t be shocked in the slightest if the “numbers” she cites here as the reason her show got cancelled has anything to do with “taste clusters”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Celeste Barber (@celestebarber)

5. We’ll leave you with this: On this Halloween, remember, that the world is a scary place as is. Have some grace, whatever you can spare, for others and yourself.

Pick of the Day: Y’all Gay? with Ever Mainard & Ali Clayton (in NYC) 11/9
October 31, 2023
News
ali clayton, brooklyn art haus, comedy podcast, ever mainard, ny comedy fest, y'all gay

It’s pretty simple. Both Ever Mainard and Ali Clayton are incisively hilarious queer comedians from the South and they have a hysterical podcast Y’all Gay. Truly, you should just go see whatever they’re doing as their warmth and sharpened comedic instincts are so blisteringly funny.

With that in mind, they’re doing a very special live episode of the pod at the New York Comedy Festival with queer force of nature Kat Cunning at the über hip Brooklyn Art Haus. Of the dozens upon dozens of shows at NYCF (and, again, there are multitudes), this is definitely one to not miss (we see you glancing at who is playing the biggest venues rather than seeking out the gems in the frey).

This live edition of Y’all Gay is set for Thurs. Nov. 9th at 7PM. Tix are $18.06 and you best go get them right here right now.

 

TCB Debriefing 10/30/23: Matthew Perry, Natasha Vaynblat, Nate Bargatze, Ralph Barbosa, Plan B
October 30, 2023
News
ast records, jamie lee, jon heder, matthew perry, natasha vaynblat, nate bargatze, plan b, ralph barbosa, snl, we're all dads here

1. You probably already know, but R.I.P. Matthew Perry. May you revel in the moment in time that Chandler and Monica revealing their relationship sent reverberations across pop culture and delve into the wide swath of Perry’s filmography in the coming days and weeks.

2. Though the year 2023 is coming to a close, the procession of marvelous debut albums isn’t over quite yet. In fact, both AST Records and Good Delivery, a stalwart NYC stand-up show, aren’t done yet either since they just released Good Delivery co-host’s James Hamilton’s fantastic debut album I Don’t Deserve These Deals and then, came out with We’re All Dads Here, the debut album of Natasha Vaynblat, yet another Good Delivery co-host just a few days ago. Vaynblat makes good on the Good Delivery name is there is the rhythm and cadence are smoothly poised. Yet, she beautifully contrasts that with letting her whimsy and imagination run amok (i.e. espousing the virtues of everyone wanting to be dads, butts being mouths, etc.). The cheeky absurdity that Vaynblat wheels and deals in is only heightened by her never breaking for even a second (being kinda Russian helps, we bet). Kinda Russian or not, Vaynblat’s debut album signals many more great bits and misdirects (and album covers) to come from Natasha in the not so distant future. Please enjoy We’re All Dads Here wherever you get your comedy albums.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Natasha Vaynblat (@natashavaynblat)

3. Nate Bargatze is the master of being a man constantly in the comedically wrong part of spacetime. Bargatze continues with this theme in a water tight, but, per Nate’s signature low key style, set for his SNL opening monologue this past Saturday.

4. Dallas’s very own Ralph Barbosa is about to debut in 100 and however many territories Netflix covers these days as his very first special Cowabunga is releasing at midnight PST tonight.

5. After years behind the camera that led to winning an Emmy via Ted Lasso, Jamie Lee thankfully returns to a starring role alongside Jon Heder in Plan B, a rom com that mixes and matches baby daddys and one-night stands (Deadline).

6. We’ll leave you with this: What about an alternative history dramedy where Lorne Michaels retired from SNL 15 years ago and the show got to be reborn in a blaze of glory?

Pick of the Day: Roz Hernandez (in NYC) 11/8
October 30, 2023
News
new york comedy, ny comedy fest, roz hernandez, stand up comedy

If you somehow weren’t aware, Roz Hernandez is having a moment (and then some). There’s her hit podcast Ghosted!, then the upcoming Hulu comedy adjacent, supernatural reality series Living for the Dead, and then there’s her headlining show at the New York Comedy Festival.

That’s right, Roz will be front and center at the historic Stonewall Inn on Nov. 8th at 7PM as one of, as far as we’re concerned, one of the highlights/gems/must-sees of the entire festival (and there’s a whole lot of everything comedy to choose from). In general, Roz’s penchant for delightful, exuberant mischief is something you should never miss if it’s going to happen anywhere near you, but you definitely need to go snag tix at $25.55 to see Roz put on a gala worthy show at NYCF.

TCB Debriefing 10/27/23: Albert Brooks, Joe Kwaczala, Welcome to England, Dead Guy
October 27, 2023
News
albert brooks, comedy album, dead guy, hbo, joe kwaczala, welcome to england

1. Even those comedy purists that are self-appointed guardians of the label “comedy legend” cannot deny the legendary status of one Albert Brooks. Thus, a documentary on the groundbreaking comedy visionary is more than called for and thank goodness it’s coming in the form of Albert Brooks: Defending My Life from director/friend Robert Reiner. Take your first gander with the trailer here, then look for it on HBO/Max on Sat. Nov. 11th.

2. Have no idea when the next season of I Think You Should Leave is going to come out? Fear not as Joe Kwaczala’s Funny Songs & Sketches can (and very much should) be your fix for carefully honed and precisely engineered tomfoolery. Kwaczala really lets his imagination run wild on a sonic canvas and that includes the “perfect” country song, hyper specific, very personal commercials, and even a behind-the-scenes sound byte of the “best” actor of all time. With that said, please enjoy Funny Songs & Sketches on repeat wherever you get your comedy albums.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joe Kwaczala (@joekwa)

3. Ava Pickett, writer on The Great, is moving from historical dark comedy in Russia to England in the 10th century. Sky Studios is indeed developing her medieval comedy series, Welcome to England (Deadline). To get in the mood, maybe binge through the first season of Blackadder.

4. Thanks to an interim strike waiver, a dark comedy starring the likes of Michael Shannon, Judy Greer, Eva Longoria, and Luis Guzman just wrapped under the helm and pen of Courtney J. Camerota (Deadline). Called Dead Guy, the movie will, of course, follow a dead guy, specifically one that just died, being passed around by neighbors who don’t want to be associated whatsoever with his death. An inverse on the premise of Weekend at Bernie’s? We’re game for that.

5. We’ll leave you with this: As anti-comedy actually still is comedy, does any other art form accept attempts at its antithesis?

Pick of the Day: Danny Jolles Is Making Something Special (in NYC) 11/10
October 27, 2023
News
chelsea music hall, danny jolles, new york comedy, ny comedy fest

Considering that Danny Jolles’ first special was done in six parts in unique venues a la Don’t Tell Comedy, then had a second special that was done Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style, when Danny says he’s going to do something “special”, you better believe that it’s not just going to be Danny delivering his meticulously crafted bits one right after the other on a bare stage.

Jolles obviously has something up his hoodie/bomber jacket sleeves and given that he’s setting to do something “special” at the New York Comedy Festival next month, it’s something that really will very likely exude the word in a way that few comedy specials actually do these days. Also, it’ll be really damn funny because Danny is really damn funny.

Danny Jolles Is Making Something Special is set for Chelsea Music Hall at NYCF on Fri. Nov. 10th at 6:30PM. Tickets are $34.28 a pop and we highly suggest snagging them right now right here.

TCB Debriefing 10/26/23: Lisa Frankenstein, Hasan Minhaj, Shane Torres, Manos Day, Grace Kuhlenschmidt
October 26, 2023
News
daily show, don't tell, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, hasan minhaj, lisa frankenstein, manos day, manos the hands of fate, new yorker, shane torres

1. A week before Halloween is just about the perfect time for a trailer for a new Diablo Cody movie, Lisa Frankenstein. Predictions: This will be a break out role for Kathryn Newton (please don’t come at us with Detective Pokemon and Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) and will be an inevitable fascinating contrast to the other Frankenstein-riff movie coming out soon, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things. Have your curiosity more than peaked with Lisa Frankenstein’s first trailer here, then plan your Valentine’s Day around its release.

2. Hasan Minhaj goes Patriot Act-ish in response to the now infamous New Yorker interview where his act was reported to be embellished rather than 100% true. One has to wonder if, from now on, if there will be a literal switching of hats by comedians who do take on other roles in addition to their figurative one.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj)

3. Shane Torres had the final word on being a Guy Fieri apologist and he very well might have the final word on the proliferation of eating ass. Please enjoy it during his Don’t Tell set.

4. There are so many unnecessary holidays (we tag our daily posts on IG with them), so why not have a day dedicated to celebrating what is long regarded as one of the worst movies (making one of MST3K’s most celebrated and enduring episodes) of all time Manos: The Hands of Fate? Thanks to Dumb Industries, that will be canonized on the 57th anniversary of the legendarily bad piece of cinema on Nov. 15th (which they will be doing something very special for). Sign-up at Dumb Industries to get more details.

5. Welcome, Grace Kuhlenschmidt to The Daily Show (ahem, Comedy Central still hasn’t picked a new host though).

6. We’ll leave you with this: Even if you think of comedians as philosopher kings, the last line of free speech and expression, remember that they are, first and foremost comedians before those all those other titles (i.e. they’re always/should be going for the joke first).

Pick of the Day: Spaghetti Festival (in LA) 11/1-11/11
October 26, 2023
News
comedy festival, elysian theater, experimental comedy, los angeles comedy, spaghetti fest

We gave you a heads up as The Elysian’s experimental comedy festival, Spaghetti Festival (FKA Forget About Spaghetti Fest) as soon as it was announced, though we didn’t really know what they were going to have up their sleeve for 10 nights of 1000% original, never-before-seen or publicly performed live comedy productions.

They had anything from a meta play about Lyndon B. Johnson to better living via bones seminar, so it truly is anyone’s guess what they could have cooking for Spaghetti Festival in 2023.

Well, Spaghetti Fest kicks off next weekend starting Wed. Nov. 1st running for ten nights featuring the likes of an absurdist solo show about working the concessions stand, a coming of age story for Nosferatu done with puppets, Kyle Mizono doing her version of Being John Malkovich about herself, the LA clowns’ take on an astrology chart, and even a gritty noir tale involving the Kia Soul Hamsters. That’s only the half of it.

Take a gander at the rest of the spaghetti hidden up the billowy sleeves of The Elysian here and grab tickets at $18 a pop.

« Recent News
Older News »

Recent News

divider

  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 277: Ethan Stanislawski & Being Timely in Comedy (Whether You Like It or Not) - When divisiveness is the order of the day, some of the best bridges are the… Read More
  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 276: Andy Sandford & Keeping Jokes as Tight Possible - Andy Sandford's philosophy of trimming all the fat from all his comedy has served him… Read More
  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 274: Spaghetti Festival & Sticking on the Wall (Together) - The Spaghetti Festival @ The Elysian represents a wholly rejuvenating spark of imagination and creativity… Read More

Sign up For The Newsletter

Copyright © 2020 The Comedy Bureau
All rights reserved