The Definitive Guide to Comedy
August means all comedy eyes on Edinburgh, at least for those who love one-person shows, madcap eccentrics and a trip to Scotland. Sam Wills, aka “The Boy With Tape on His Face,” aka Tape Face for viewers this summer on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, delivered the official welcoming address to performers …
The last time I saw Will Franken, he and I enjoyed a lovely chat years ago in the balcony of the Cabaret Juste Pour Rire during one of Andy Kindler’s “Alternative Comedy” showcases for Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival. Well, the Cabaret long since closed up shop, and so has …
Another August, another onslaught of comedians converged upon Edinburgh, all vying for the attention of Scots and the comedy fans who come there each summer for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. And here is this year’s crop of North American acts making hey, hay and ha-has across the pond: Abigoliah Schamuan: …
The Purple Onion hosted the stand-up comedy debut of the late Phyllis Diller, and has played host to live CD and DVD recordings for, among others, The Smothers Brothers, Zach Galifianakis and Moshe Kasher. Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor all have performed there, too. But this San Francisco …
Eddie Izzard began his comedy career there as a rogue street performer. Demetri Martin made a name for himself there before becoming big in America. And even today, popular up-and-coming stand-up Hannibal Buress is going back there for a second consecutive summer to develop his next hour of material. There …
Ever wonder what’s really going on inside a comedian’s head? Will Franken often lets those inner voices out to play, and in "Side Two of Abbey Road", he tells his life story and his comedy story by wrapping it in and around the Beatles tunes from the final side of …
When I first saw Will Franken perform last fall, the best I could come up with on my Daily News blog was this description: "manic brilliance." Speaking to Franken at length this week over coffee amid the Williamsburg types, I realized the words really do fit this untraditional comedian. First, …
Through methods not entirely spelled out — although, really, anything associated with the late Andy Kaufman should go without any easy explanations — eight comedians from across America got invites to Las Vegas to perform in front of Kaufman’s dad, Stanley, and his manager, George Shapiro, for the coveted award …
