DELRAY BEACH – When launching Applause Break, we considered relying heavily on Miami-based comedy shows for content.
Ultimately, we chose to concentrate on Broward, Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast because Miami is a completely different scene.
Sure, Miami has produced notable comedians – Daniel Tosh, Brian Regan and Victoria Jackson come to mind – and currently comedians like Ricky Cruz, Luis Diaz and Lisa Corrao are certainly worth seeing, but a as comedy scene Miami has never really taken off. The humor, audiences, and, frankly, the traffic in Miami is completely different from its northern county counterparts.
A decade ago the Miami New Times lamented a decaying Miami comedy scene. Some 10 years later the New Times revisits the scene, examining the reasons behind its failure to develop. Are they onto something?
The Stand-Up Spotlight heads into the weekend with articles on Jim Gaffigan, Trevor Noah and Ed Byrne.
Make the most of the upcoming funny weekend.
STAND-UP SPOTLIGHT – July 23, 2023
Cisco Duran on Miami’s Untapped Comedic Greatness
Why doesn’t Miami have a comedy scene?
That’s the scathing question posed by a Reddit post on the r/Miami community page, which has more than 200,000 followers. The post has garnered its fair share of impassioned comments, including some rather harsh indictments of Miami culture from its denizens.
Click here to view original web page at Cisco Duran on Miami’s Untapped Comedic Greatness
Jim Gaffigan on Unusual Path to Stand-Up, Seeking Serious Roles and Staying True to Himself
A few minutes into his new Amazon Original comedy special “Dark Pale,” hitting the streamer July 25, Jim Gaffigan delves into some topical issues — then speculates on how people might respond. Most people associate the veteran comic with his self-deprecating bits about his laziness, living with five children and his many ruminations on Hot Pockets. So, following jokes about COVID and plane crashes, Gaffigan stops for a second and notes, “This is usually the point when people ask, ‘When’s he gonna do the food jokes?’” As he goes further, discussing funeral decorum, he stops and asks the crowd, “Was that too dark? It’s gonna get worse.”
Ed Byrne on his new stand-up show about late brother
Comedian Ed Byrne has spoken about his new stand-up show, Tragedy Plus Time, which is heavily based on the death of his younger brother Paul in 2022.
Paul Byrne was a director of stand-up comedy, who was very well known in the industry. He died in February 2022 aged 44 after a short illness and a long struggle with alcoholism.
Click here to view original web page at Ed Byrne on his new stand-up show about late brother
Trevor Noah is one of the best philosopher-comedians because of how he thinks about the world
Trevor Noah is one of the best modern examples of what I call the philosopher-comedian. I didn’t make that up — lots of people have noted the similarities between philosophers and standup comics here and here. One academic paper called “Philosophy and Stand-Up Comedy” says the two groups are aligned because both “reflect upon our foibles and in doing so generate insights into the human condition.” Most comics don’t fit into this category; most just want to make us laugh, but there are some who can make us laugh and also help us see the world around us a little more clearly The ones who can talk about the absurdity of the human condition can help us see the world in new ways.
