Robin Williams drops in on, impresses young Chicago comedians

My friends at Chicago comedy chronicler, The Bastion, reported that Robin Williams made the scene at both the Lakeshore Theater and the smaller Town Hall Pub over the weekend, apparently prepping for an apperance on Ellen (he’s listed as the guest on Tuesday, but the show tapes a day in advance). The local stand-ups all had positive things to say about their encounters with Williams, and Hannibal Buress even wrote in to say that he got to perform on Saturday’s show specifically because of Williams: "He found out that my name is Hannibal and he couldn’t believe that there was a comic named Hannibal and he had to see it. That’s how I got to perform on the show." Audiences also seemed more than receptive to the big guy at the little shows, even if his set (much like the recent drop-in I saw of his in NYC) was especially raunchy.

UPDATED: If you’re wondering why Robin Williams was wondering about Hannibal Buress, this Chicago Tribune article about Buress that ran May 2 may help connect the dots.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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