comedy

After decades covering war and disaster, bestselling author and acclaimed satirist P. J. O’Rourke takes on his scariest subjects yet: business, investment, finance, and the political chicanery behind them in his new book, "None of My Business."

P.J. began writing funny things in 1960s “underground” newspapers, became editor-in-chief of National Lampoon, then spent 20 years reporting for Rolling Stone and The Atlantic Monthly as the world’s only trouble-spot humorist, going to wars, riots, rebellions, and other “Holidays in Hell” in more than 40 countries. He’s written 16 books on subjects as diverse as politics and cars and etiquette and economics. And he is a regular panelist on NPR’s "Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me."

“The Nap” is a new play by Richard Bean, now running on Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Friedman Theater. In the play, which is directed by Daniel Sullivan, Dylan Spokes, a fast-rising young snooker star, arrives in his hometown for a championship tournament only to be confronted by the authorities warning him of the repercussions of match fixing. Before he knows it, Dylan’s forced into underhanded dealings with a cast of wildly colorful characters.

Heather Lind plays Eleanor in “The Nap” and she joins us now.

Lind was previously seen on Broadway in “The Merchant of Venice,” starring Al Pacino, this past summer she played Desdemona in The Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park production of “Othello” starring Chukwudi Iwuji and Corey Stoll. She was on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and AMC’s “Turn: Washington’s Spies” -- and she grew up in the Capital Region.

Shakespeare & Company is currently presenting Obie Award-winning playwright Taylor Mac's dark comedy “HIR,” directed by Alice Reagan through October 7.

The play begins with Isaac, who has returned from the war in Afghanistan, only to discover a household in revolt.

The insurgent: his mom.

Liberated from an oppressive marriage with a now ailing husband, and with Isaac’s newly out transgender sibling as her ally, she’s on a crusade to dismantle the patriarchy. But in Taylor Mac’s sly, subversive comedy, we learn that annihilating the past doesn’t always free you from it.

Mac has said “Hir” was inspired and influenced by Sam Shephard’s “Buried Child” and by his own miserable hometown experience in Stockton, California.

We are joined by actors Elizabeth Aspenlieder, John Hadden, and Jack Doyle.

Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Upcoming: Dom Flemons “Black Cowboy Tour” - Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, Thursday 8/30, 7 PM

"Mean Girls" - GE Theatre at Proctors, Schenectady, Friday 8/31, 7 PM

Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy “Visions from Cape Breton & Beyond” - The Egg, Albany, Friday 8/31, 7:30 PM

Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles - MASS MoCA, Courtyard C or Hunter Center, North Adams, Mass., Saturday 9/1, 8 PM

Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life - Tanglewood, Lenox, Mass., Sunday 9/2, 2:30 PM

Trio Solisti (Haydn, Dvorak, Chausson) - Maverick Concerts, Woodstock, Sunday 9/2, 4 PM

Michelle Wolf - Funny Bone Comedy Club, Guilderland, Sunday 9/2, 9:45 PM

Chapel - The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, Albany, Tuesday 9/4, 8 PM

New movies: "Juliet, Naked;" "The Bookshop;" "Kin;" "Searching"

Comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short have joined forces for their hit show "An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life" and they will bring it to Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts on September 2. They'll be joined by the Grammy Award winning bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers and Jeff Babko.

Audiences can expect an evening of nonstop laughs as the duo recall their iconic careers, creative influences and most memorable encounters, uniquely presented though a blend of stand-up, musical numbers and conversations about their lives in show business.

For millennia of human history, the future belonged to the strong. To the parent who could kill the most animals with sticks and to the child who could survive the winter or the epidemic. When the Industrial Revolution came, masters of business efficiency prospered instead, and after that we placed our hope in scientific visionaries. Today, in a clear sign of evolution totally sliding off the rails, our most coveted trait is not strength or productivity or even innovation, but being funny. Yes, funniness.

In the book, "Planet Funny," Ken Jennings explores this brave new comedic world.

Jessica Hecht was last seen on Broadway in Arthur Miller’s "The Price." Before that she starred as Golda in "Fiddler on the Roof" and was in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of "The Assembled Parties." She was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in "A View From the Bridge."

She was at Williamstown Theatre Festival last season to star in "The Clean House" with Jayne Atkinson and returns this season in "The Closet," where she plays Pat Pennebarry, Martin O'Reilley's (Matthew Broderick) only friend and eternally optimistic co-worker -- who can’t bake enough muffins to stave off her romantic longings for him.

We speak with Hecht about "The Closet," doing comedy, and The Campfire Project which uses the power of theater and Shakespeare to provide Syrian Refugees in Camp Ristona with an outlet to exercise imagination and express their humanity.

This coming Saturday, American Public Media's “Live From Here” (formerly “A Prairie Home Companion”) will be broadcast live from Tanglewood’s Koussevitzky Music Shed in Lenox, Massachusettes.

Host Chris Thile will be joined for his 2 hour radio variety show by Lake Street Dive, Aoife O'Donovan, comedian Gary Gulman, and Thile’s own band, Punch Brothers. Thile is a mandolinist and composer best known for his masterful participation in Nickel Creek, The Goat Rodeo Sessions, and the aforementioned Punch Brothers. He was the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” grant in 2012.

Here we speak with him about putting "Live from Here" together, writing a new song for each broadcast, and Punch Brothers' new album "All Ashore" (out on Nonesuch 7/20).

Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Seen: "First Reformed," "Hotel Artemis," and "Ocean's 8"

Upcoming:

• Valerie June - Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, Thursday 6/14, 7 PM
• Albert Lee & His Electric Band - Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, Mass., Thursday 6/14, 7 PM
• Young Dr. Jekyll: A New Musical - Proctors “The Addy,” Schenectady, Thursday 6/14 at 7 PM through Saturday 6/16
• Kidz Bop Live! - Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, Friday 6/15, 7 PM
• Imani Winds (part of the Mostly Modern Festival) - Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, Friday 6/15, 7:30 PM
• Night Riots - The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, Albany, Saturday 6/16, 8 PM
• Janis Claxton Dance - Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass., Sunday 6/17, 2 PM (Free)
• Ani DiFranco - Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, Mass., Sunday 6/17, 7 PM
• Spotlight on Agnes Varda: Cleo from 5 to 7 - Images Cinema, Williamstown, Mass., Tuesday 6/19, 7 PM

New movies: "Incredibles 2," "The Gospel According to Andre," "The Seagull," "SuperFly," "TAG"

H. Jon Benjamin is a comedian and actor - best known for voicing the title characters on Fox’s "Bob’s Burgers" and FXX’s "Archer."

His new attempted memoir, “Failure is an Option,” is a chronicle of  defeats and losses beating a steady drum throughout his life. It begins with the inscription “For all of you failures out there. You CAN do worse.” He is, by all accounts, a pretty successful guy -- the lead of two popular television shows. But he points out: voiceover only takes a few hours on any given workday and often he fills the rest of his time with failing -- and that’s ok.

We’re going to talk now about a Cinderella story out of nowhere that remains a cultural touchstone nearly four decades after filming began on an unsuspecting golf course in Florida. According to a new book by Chris Nashawaty, despite being made by an inexperienced director on a drug-fueled set, “Caddyshack” cemented the film legacy of its stars, furthered the “National Lampoon” brand, and gave the sports world an entire rolodex of new catchphrases. Nashawaty’s book is called “Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story.”

   Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Seen: "Tully"

Upcoming:

• America - The Stanley, Utica, Friday 5/11, 7:30 PM
• Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood: Scared Scriptless - Proctors, Schenectady, Friday 5/11, 8 PM
• The Huntress and Holder of Hands (MorganEve Swain) - Helsinki Hudson, Hudson, Friday 5/11, 9 PM
• "Acronym Baroque: The Faux and the Fabulous" - Close Encounters With Music, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, Mass., Saturday 5/12, 6 PM
• "Blackout" - Pine Hills Film Colony, Steamer No. 10 Theatre, Albany, Saturday 5/12, 7 PM
• Josh Ritter: Acoustic Show - Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, Saturday 5/12, 8 PM
• Weakened Friends - The Low Beat, Albany, Saturday 5/12, 8 PM
• Heather Maloney - Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, Saturday 5/12, 8 PM
• GX3: Maria Zementauski, Ray Andrews, Sten Isachsen - De Blasiis Chamber Music Series, Hyde Collection, Helen Froelich Auditorium, Glens Falls, Sunday 5/13, 3 PM
• The Sea and Cake - Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, Mass., Monday 5/14, 8:30 PM

New movies: "Life of the Party," "Itzhak," "Breaking In"

Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Seen: "Isle of Dogs"

Upcoming:

• Janiva Magness, Eva Cappelli - Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, Mass., Friday 4/20, 7 PM
• Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo - The Egg, Albany, Friday 4/20, 8 PM
• Anna & Elizabeth - Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, Friday 4/20, 8 PM
• "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" - Home Made Theater, Spa Little Theater, Saratoga Springs, opens Saturday 4/21 at 7:30 PM, through May 6
• Octavo Singers with the Capital District Youth Chorale - John Rutter’s Mass of the Children, Faure’s Requiem, Poulenc’s Gloria - Proctors, Mainstage, Schenectady, Saturday 4/21, 7:30 PM
• The Mountain Goats, Dead Rider - Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, Saturday 4/21, 8 PM
• Travis Tritt Acoustic Show - Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, Saturday 4/21, 8 PM
• Schenectady Symphony Orchestra with pianist Young Kim - Rimsky-Korsakov, Beethoven, Borodin Proctors, Mainstage, Schenectady, Sunday 4/22, 3 PM
• Three Stooges Film Festival - Palace Theatre, Albany, Monday 4/23, 7 PM
• Women and Power in America: Cokie Roberts, with Danielle Belton, Kathy Sheehan and Jill Stein - New York State Writers Institute at the Hearst Media Center, next to the Albany Times Union, Colonie, Tuesday 4/24, 7:30 PM

New movies: "I Feel Pretty," "You Were Never Really Here," "Super Troopers 2"

Before he shot to fame as the scene-stealing Jian-Yang on HBO’s “Silicon Valley” and in the film “Patriots Day,” Jimmy O. Yang was an immigrant from Hong Kong, learning about English and comedy by watching BET and trying to fit in in California. Yang’s traditional upbringing and his parents’ expectations collided with Yang’s experiences DJ-ing at a strip club and slowly building a standup comedy career. Yang recounts his journey in a new memoir called "How To American: An Immigrant’s Guide To Disappointing Your Parents."

Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Seen: "Game Night"

Upcoming:

Colin Quinn's current stand-up tour "One in Every Crowd" will be at The Egg in Albany, New York on Friday, March 23. 

Former "SNL" cast member and Weekend Update anchor, Quinn has been in the comedy business for around 30 years. He recently  had a recurring role on HBO's "Girls" and played Amy Schumer's father in the 2015 movie "Trainwreck."

For 29 years, comedian Kathleen Madigan has been touring 250 nights per year and squeezing in hour-long filmed specials and performances on every late night show ever made. From 25 appearances on the Tonight Show and multiple appearances on Letterman and Conan to recently riding around with Jerry Seinfeld in his internet series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," Madigan sells out theaters across the country. 

Her most recent standup special "Bothering Jesus," is currently streaming on Netflix and she’ll be performing at The Egg in Albany, New York on Thursday, March 22.

Louie Anderson is an iconic comedian, Emmy award winner, one of the country’s most adored comics and named by Comedy Central as “One of 100 Greatest Comedians.” He currently co-stars with Zach Galifianakis in the hit FX series, “Baskets,” Anderson’s extraordinary role as Christine Baskets, the matriarch of the Baskets clan won him his third Emmy Award.

He will perform at The Bardavon in Poughkeepsie, NY on Sunday, March 18.

The High Mud Comedy Festival takes over the campus of MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts this Friday and Saturday.

Friday night, Sasheer Zamata hosts “Sasheer Zamata Party Time!” in the Hunter Center. On Saturday, there will be a satire writing workshop by the Reductress, comedian-led gallery tours, and a performance by Nellie McKay.

To close the festival, Mike Birbiglia will present his new one-hour of stand-up, aptly entitled “The New One.” Birbiglia’s previous popular shows include “Thank God for Jokes,” “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” and “Sleepwalk with Me.” The latter was adapted into a film co-directed by Birbiglia and his stage-director Seth Barrish. In 2016 Birbiglia wrote and directed “Don’t Think Twice” starring Gillian Jacobs and Keegan-Michael Key.

Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Seen: The Oscars, "Death Wish"

Upcoming:

• Ellen Arkbro - EMPAC, Studio 1—Goodman, Troy, Thursday 3/8, 7:30 PM
• An Acoustic Evening with Lyle Lovett & Shawn Colvin - Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, Thursday 3/8, 7:30 PM
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, Mass., Friday 3/9, 8 PM
• Cedric The Entertainer - Funny Bone Comedy Club, Guilderland, Friday-Saturday 3/9-10, various times
• Albany Symphony Orchestra: Kennedy Center Debut Preview Performance - Music of Joan Tower, Michael Daugherty, Dorothy Chang, Michael Torke - Palace Theatre, Albany, Saturday 3/10, 7:30 PM
• Eli Young Band - Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, Saturday 3/10, 8 PM
• Chip Taylor - Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, Saturday 3/10, 8 PM
• Dumpstaphunk - Helsinki Hudson, Hudson, Saturday 3/10, 9 PM
• Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Tashi Dorji - MASS MoCA, North Adams, Mass., Saturday 3/10, 8 PM
• The Chieftans - Proctors, Schenectady, Tuesday 3/13, 7:30 PM

New movies: "A Wrinkle in Time," "Gringo," "Thoroughbreds," "A Fantastic Woman"

Few television shows revolutionized comedy as profoundly or have had such an enormous and continued impact on our culture as "In Living Color." Inspired by Richard Pryor, Carol Burnett, and Eddie Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans created a television series unlike any that had come before it.

Along the way, he introduced the world to Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, Rosie Perez, and Jennifer Lopez, not to mention his own brothers Damon, Marlon, and Shawn Wayans. In Living Color shaped American culture in ways both seen and unseen, and was part of a sea change that moved black comedy and hip-hop culture from the shadows into the spotlight.

David Peisner is a freelance writer based in Decatur, Georgia. He has been writing about music, film, television, books, politics, technology, sports, and world affairs for a wide array of publications for nearly twenty years.

David Peisner is a freelance writer based in Decatur, Georgia. He has been writing about music, film, television, books, politics, technology, sports, and world affairs for a wide array of publications for nearly twenty years. His new book is "Homey Don't Play That!: The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution."

Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Seen: "Black Panther"

Upcoming:

• Troy Night Out: The Amazing Race Trivia Night - Downtown Troy, Friday 2/23, 5-9 PM
• Mile Twelve - Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, Friday 2/23, 8 PM
• Shemekia Copeland - Helsinki Hudson, Hudson, Friday 2/23, 9 PM
• Shelby Lynne, Teddy Thompson - The Egg, Albany, Saturday 2/24, 8 PM
• Sinkane - MASS MoCA, Club B10, North Adams, Mass., Saturday 2/24, 8 PM
• Pretty Much the Best Comedy Show: Adrienne Iapalucci - Proctors, Schenectady, Saturday 2/24, 8 PM
• Soovin Kim, violin; Paul Watkins, cello; Gloria Chen, piano - (Beethoven, Brahms, Pierre Jalbert) - Union College Memorial Chapel, Schenectady, Sunday 2/25, 3 PM
• Dropkick Murphys, Agnostic Front, Bim Skala Bim - Albany Capital Center, Albany, Sunday 2/25, 7:30 PM
• "Casablanca" - Palace Theatre, Albany, Monday 2/26, 7 PM
• Staatskapelle Weimar with pianist Sunwook Kim - (Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, Richard Strauss) - Troy Chromatics Concerts, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, Wednesday 2/28, 7:30 PM

New movies: "Annihilation," "Game Night," "Happy End," "Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool"

Known as the king of the rant, Lewis Black uses his trademark style of comedic yelling and animated finger-pointing to skewer anything and anyone that gets under his skin. His comedic brilliance lies in his ability to make people laugh at the absurdities of life, with topics that include current events, social media, politics and anything else that exposes the hypocrisy and madness he sees in the world.

His new tour "The Joke's On Us" comes to UPAC in Kingston, New York, on Saturday, February 24.

Piff The Magic Dragon will be performing at the Funny Bone in Albany tonight – Saturday, January 20th as part of his all-new 2018 tour The Dog Who Knows.

If the name doesn’t immediately conjure up an image of a grumpy-yet-hilariously-entertaining-English-comedian dressed in what looks like a handmade dragon costume (who performs magic tricks with his doggie in tow) then you simply don’t have your finger on the pulse of the comedy scene.

Piff rose to fame as the stand out star of season 10 of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” earning high praise from judges Howie Mandel and Howard Stern before reaching the top 10 in the finals.

Since then, Piff has made Las Vegas his home, where he has a residency at The Flamingo casino on a regular basis.

When E. B. White said “analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog; few people are interested and the frog dies,” he hadn’t seen Al Gini’s hilarious, incisive, and informative take on jokes, joke-telling, and the jokers who tell jokes. For Gini, humor is more than just foolish fun: it serves as a safety valve for dealing with reality that gives us the courage to endure that which we cannot understand or avoid. Not everyone tells jokes. Not everyone gets a joke, even a good one. But, Gini argues, joke-telling can act as both a sword and a shield to defend us from reality. As the late, great stand-up comic Joan Rivers put it: ‘If you can laugh at it, you can live with it!’ 

Al Gini is a Professor of Business Ethics at the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago. For over twenty-seven years he was the Resident Philosopher on National Public Radio’s Chicago affiliate, WBEZ-FM, and can currently be heard on WGN/Tribune Radio. His newest book is The Importance of Being Funny: Why We Need More Jokes In Our Lives.

Sam Wasson is the author of five books including the best-selling "Fosse" and "Fifth Avenue, 5 AM: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman."

His new book, "Improv Nation," shares the history of a uniquely American art form that has never been more popular.

At the height of the McCarthy era, an experimental theater troupe set up shop in a bar near the University of Chicago. Via word-of-mouth, astonished crowds packed the ad-hoc venue to see its unscripted, interactive, consciousness-raising style. From this unlikely seed grew the Second City, the massively influential comedy theater troupe, and its offshoots—the Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, "SNL," and a slew of others.

  Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Seen: "I, Tonya" and "The Shape of Water"

Upcoming:

• Neko Case - The Academy of Music, Northampton, Mass., Thursday 1/11, 8 PM; The Egg, Albany, Monday 1/15, 7 PM
• "Fit to Kill" - Curtain Call Theatre, Latham, preview Thursday 1/11 at 7:30 PM; opens Friday 1/12 at 8 PM; through February 10
• The Elvis Birthday Bash with Mark Gamsjager & The Lustre Kings - Helsinki Hudson, Hudson, Friday 1/12, 9 PM
• Chris Smither - Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, Friday-Saturday 1/12-13 at 8 PM
• All Stars: High School Artists in Saratoga, Fulton, Montgomery Counties - Saratoga Arts, Main Gallery, Saratoga Springs, opens Saturday 1/13 reception 3-5 PM, through February 10
• WAR - The Egg, Albany, Saturday 1/13, 8 PM
• Schenectady Symphony Orchestra: Winter Dances - Featuring music of David Keen w/an original silent film; Georges Bizet; Edward Green - Proctors, Mainstage, Schenectady, Sunday 1/14, 3 PM
• Kapwani Kiwanga’s Afrogalactica - EMPAC Theater, RPI, Troy, Tuesday 1/16, 7 PM
• Walk the Moon - Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, Wednesday 1/17, 8 PM
• David Brooks - Proctors, Mainstage, Schenectady, Wednesday 1/18, 7:30 PM

New movies: "Proud Mary," "The Commuter," "The Post," "Call Me By Your Name," "Paddington 2"

  Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Seen: "Darkest Hour," "All the Money in the World"

Upcoming:

• Anders Parker and Cloud Badge - The Low Beat, Albany, Thursday 1/4, 8 PM
• Slambovian Circus of Dreams - Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, Friday 1/5, 8 PM
• Josh Gondelman - The Comedy Works, Saratoga Springs, Friday 1/5 & Saturday 1/6 at 7:30, 9:30 PM
• "Chicago: The Musical" - Proctors, Mainstage, Schenectady, Friday 1/5 through Sunday 1/7, various times
• "Cinderella Tales" - Steamer No. 10 Theatre, Albany, Friday 1/5 at 7 PM; Saturday-Sunday 1/6-7 at 3 PM; thru Jan. 15
• Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band - The Egg, Albany, Saturday 1/6, 8 PM
• Albany Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Fifth with Richard O’Neill, viola - Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, Saturday 1/6 at 7:30 PM, Sunday 1/7 at 3 PM
• Black Label Society - Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, Sunday 1/7, 8 PM

New movies: "I, Tonya," "Molly’s Game," "Insidious: The Last Key"

Shawn Stone joins us to talk about what he's seen lately and what cultural events are coming up this week in our region.

Seen: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

Upcoming:

• NRBQ - The Hangar on the Hudson, Troy, Friday 12/29, 8 PM
• Twiddle - Palace Theatre, Albany, Saturday 12/30 at 7:30 PM; Sunday 12/31 at 8 PM
• Berkshire Bach Ensemble: Bach at New Year’s - Academy of Music, Northampton, Mass., Saturday 12/30, 7:30 PM; Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, Mass., Sunday 12/31, 6 PM; Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, Monday 1/1, 3 PM
• MOPCO’s New Year’s Eve Family Show & Ball Drop - MOPCO, Schenectady, Sunday 12/31, 7 PM
• Byron Nilsson & Malcolm Kogut’s Songs to Amuse: It’s Lonely at the Top - Steamer NO. 10 Theatre, Albany, Sunday 12/31, 7 PM
• New Year’s Eve with Mirk, The Late Shift - The Hollow, Albany, Sunday 12/31, 8 PM
• Glenn David Andrews - Helsinki Hudson, Hudson, Sunday 12/31, 9 PM
• First Night of Funny (Clean) - The Egg, Albany, Sunday 12/31, 9 PM
• First Night of Funny (“Blue”, aka Uncensored) - Cohoes Music Hall, Sunday 12/31, 8 PM The Egg, Albany, Sunday 12/31, 8:30 PM
• First Night of Funny (Unknown) - Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, Mass., Sunday 12/31, 8 PM Proctors, Mainstage, Schenectady, Sunday 12/31, 8 PM
  

He has dazzled audiences of theater, television and film for decades and has earned two Tony Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and numerous other accolades and nominations. The incomparable Nathan Lane will be live on stage for an evening of conversation and Q&A at Proctors on November 10th. 

The evening will begin with a showing of one of his most defining and hilarious films, "The Birdcage," followed by a live moderated discussion.