The Definitive Guide to Comedy
Today is Juneteenth, and if you don’t know what that means in America, or for Black Americans, then comedians Dulcé Sloan and Amber Ruffin are here to help you, with these explainers they delivered last night on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Late Night with Seth Meyers, respectively. …
First the UCB closed up its doors in New York City. Now comes word that the Chicago theater that gave birth to the Upright Citizens Brigade also will not reopen. Charna Halpern, co-founder and still head improviser in charge of improvOlympic (aka iO), confirmed today that Chicago’s iO Theater will …
After years of Emmy-winning jokes about corporate influence in TV, followed by several more years off the air, the cast of NBC’s 30 Rock is reuniting this summer…all in the name of advertising NBCUniversal and Comcast’s Peacock streaming platform. “At NBCUniversal, we’re excited to produce an upfront that reflects a …
So far this month, the longtime CEO of The Second City has announced his resignation and asked the legendary Chicago theater to name a replacement from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) community, while the four co-founders of the Upright Citizens Brigade theaters in New York City and …
Greg Warren grew up in St. Louis the son of a wrestling coach, and enjoyed a successful high-school and college wrestling career himself before he discovered stand-up comedy while still a student at the University of Missouri. Neither stints at West Point or Proctor & Gamble could sway Warren as …
You may have heard that some comedy clubs have begun reopening after three months since the COVID-19 pandemic forced most of America into self-quarantine. I haven’t seen any of the shows yet (since I’m based in New York City), but this is the first official footage I’ve seen of stand-up …
This just in from the UCB4 (aka, co-founders of the Upright Citizens Brigade: Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh), a mass email announcing the UCB Theatre is seeking nonprofit status, and once achieved, the UCB4 will cede operational control “to a diverse board.” The UCB already closed …
The Peabody Awards, originally established in the 1930s to recognize excellence in broadcasting as a counterpart to print media’s Pulitzer Prizes, announced its winners today for the “Best Stories of 2019.” Among them, Fleabag on Amazon Prime Video, Ramy on Hulu, and a special recognition for The Simpsons on FOX. …
Marty Ross looked like a little old man on TV trying to live out a lifelong dream Tuesday night on America’s Got Talent. That much is true. But there’s more to the story of Ross, 80. As even his own website says, Ross isn’t exactly new to the stand-up stage. …
This just in from Funny or Die… Last year, Funny Or Die partnered with creators Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle to produce the Comedy Central TV show The New Negroes. The show’s mission was to highlight, promote, and amplify talented Black voices — both new and established — in comedy, hip-hop, and culture. Baron, …
