Stream anytime:
Paul Farahvar released a new episode of Singles Only with Chicago comedian Netra!
Vicki Quade, the President of Nuns4Fun, discusses her acclaimed new book Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind on WGN Radio here.
See Chicago-area comedians in Tom of Your Life, including Bill Gorgo, Steven J. Springer and Nick Garza. The movie is available on Amazon Prime and was recently named one of the best of 2020.
The Rip Nelson Holiday Quarantine Special by Hell in a Handbag Productions can be streamed here.
Calling all fans of The Carol Burnett Show! In her latest episode of Entertaining Insights, stand-up psychologist Dr. Nancy Berk interviews Vicki Lawrence. I’ve been a Vicki Lawrence fan forever, but I learned behind-the-scenes secrets I’d never known. The conversation was very funny, but turned serious when Vicki shared the reason that she became an advocate for a rare and debilitating health condition. You can find Dr. Berk’s podcasts here.
The Groundlings Holiday Show can be streamed online through January 1 here.
Help this Chicago comedian …
… to make 2021 better than 2020. Zako Ryan recently had a rough break and fellow Chicago comedian Anthony Bonazzo is organizing a GoFundMe to help him out. Comedians give so much to our community, this is a good opportunity to give back. Please stop in here.
It’s time to welcome 2021. Laughter is the shortest route to hope, so here are online comedy events for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Please confirm all details. My New Year’s resolution: get on top of those time zone differences. I think I got them right, so like someone once said, “Trust but verify.” If you’d like me to add anything, please email temewring@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting Comedians Defying Gravity in 2020. I appreciate every time you’ve dropped in. Thank you to the fabulous unparalleled Chicago comedy community without whom this blog could not exist. Best of best wishes to all for all good things in 2021!
LIVESTREAMING NEW YEAR’S EVE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020:
Comedy Sportz 24 Hours NYE Twitch-A-Thon Dec. 30 A 24-hour marathon comedy event, streaming live from 12 a.m. on December 31 (as December 30 ends) to 12 a.m. on January 1 as the New Year comes in. Many different CSz shows included. Follow link for details.
Benji Lovitt “Bye-Bye 2020” 1:30 p.m. Attend this comedy show in Israel from anywhere in the world! With Keren Beck Fogel.
Mike Birbiglia 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. “Working it Out Worldwide: Part 5.”
Lane Moore’s NYE Zoom Hangout 4:00 p.m. “Be alone together with people around the world.”
Teresa Lee 5:00 p.m. “Every joke I wrote in 2020.”
Comedy Studio New Year’s Show 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Live from Boston: Carolyn Riley, Stephen Bjork, Bethany Van Delft, Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, Dave Rattigan, Jim Ruberti and Jaylene Tran.
Flappers Comedy Club 6:30 p.m. This L.A. comedy club will livestream East Coast and West Coast comedy shows throughout the evening. Follow link for details.
Dear 2020, Kiss Our Ass 7:00 p.m. Maryellen Raimondi hosts Anthony Bonazzo, Erik Bransteen, Steph Charaska, Dario Durham, Jacob Duffy Halbleib, Arlietta Hall, Nina Kern, Ali Lewis, Prateek Srivastava, Trish Sullivan, Erica Switzer, and headliner Amy Nico Schwartz. Music By: Amelia Finefrock.
Second City 7:00 p.m. Live Happy Hour. Interactive games, guests and scenes with Second City cast members and alums around the country.
The Annoyance Theare 7:00 p.m. Special NYE Show: The Little Piggy Girls Do Christmas.
New Year’s Eve Family Comedy Night Fundraiser 7:00 p.m. Family-friendly comedy with headliners JSmiles and Alex Scott, a dance party and more TBA. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit The Jack and Jill Foundation and their HBCU College Gap Fund.
Steve Hostetter 7:00 p.m. Includes a post-show Q&A (one of the things Steve Hostetter is known for!) and guest sets from comedians TBA.
Zanies 8:00 p.m. Award-winning comedian Calvin Evans hosts Jeanie Doogan, Michael Issac and Chris Higgins. VIP tickets available.
The Annoyance Theatre 8:00 p.m. Special NYE showing: Super Spread the Cheer.
Laugh Out Loud Comedy Theater 8:00 p.m. From the improv theater in Chicago and Schaumburg.
Cameron Esposito’s New Year’s Steve 8:00 p.m. Join Steve (Cameron Esposito) for a special evening of sets, chats & special guests! PLUS an early bedtime ball drop!!! Featuring: DeAnne Smith, Dewayne Perkins, Amena Brown, + More! Free w/ RSVP, but donations via Venmo (@CameronEsposito) benefit Dynasty & the performers.”
Judah Friedlander New Year’s Eve 8:00 p.m. New material from the past few months plus interactive as you want it to be.
ApocaLips Comedy Show 8:00 p.m. Comedy, sing-a-longs, virtual fireworks.
Wendy Liebman 9:00 p.m. Featuring stand-up from San Francisco’s Punchline: Amy Miller, Wendy Liebman, Gareth Reynolds, Ronn Vigh.
“Us” A New Years Eve Show with Christopher Titus and Rachel Bradley 9:00 p.m. “Part confessional, part couple’s therapy, part variety show, and 100% laugh out loud funny.”
Laugh Factory 9:00 p.m. Streaming live from The Laugh Factory in L.A. Starring Maz Jobrani, Max Amini, Lou Lou Gonzalez, Tehran, Daphnique Springs and more TBA. VIP tickets available.
Talk to Strangers (A NYE Virtual Comedy Party) 9:00 p.m. An interactive comedy party with Taylor Williamson.
Comedy Oakland NYE Special Show 9:00 p.m. Featuring: Matt Kirshen, Leighann Lord, Shawn Felipe, Subhah Agarwal, Ben Feldman, Anna Valenzuela, Ira Summer, Samson Koletkar.
KO Comedy 9:30 p.m. “Bye-Bye 2020” A free event from Sammy Obeid with an excellent lineup including Myq Kaplan and Laurie Kilmartin.
Greg & Gleib 9:30 p.m. Greg Proops of The Smartest Man in the World podcast and Who’s Line is it Anyway joins improvisational forces with Ben Gleib of Last Week on Earth podcast and ‘Idiotest’ for a night of comedy from the top of their heads. Improv games from your living room.”
UnCabaret 9:30 p.m. Beth Lapides hosts Alec Mapa, Julia Sweeney, Sandra Bernhard, Kira Soltanovich and Jamie Bridgers for an evening of “stories, wisdom, rants, songs, commune and a deep dive into this now.” Music by Mitch Kaplan and the band.
New Year’s Thrillin’ Eve 9:30 p.m. Scheduled to appear: “Paul F. Tompkins, John Hodgman, Busy Philipps, Jonathan Coulton, Joshua Malina, Annie Savage, Hal Lublin, Craig Cackowski, Janet Varney, Mark Gagliardi, Paul & Storm, Marc Evan Jackson, and some surprise guests! The cast will answer your questions, tell stories, and give away prizes, and some lucky Adventurekateers will be contacted to join the party to play some games!”
Annoyance Theatre Bar Zoom 10:00 p.m. Until 2 a.m.
NYE Comedy Mega Show 10:30 p.m. “With a midnight countdown for Central Standard Time (congrats Chicago!). Plus a quick East Coast midnight countdown (you’re welcome Miami!). Featuring comedy by Reggie Watts (The Late Late Show), Fred Armisen (Portlandia), Natasha Leggero (Another Period), Moshe Kasher (Endless Honeymoon Special and Podcast), Andrew Michaan (Podcast But Outside), Brent Weinbach (Gangster Party Line).
NYE Desi Comedy Night 12:30 a.m. “Celebrating comedians of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Afghani, and South Asian descent.” With Nimesh Patel (SNL‘s First Indian Writer, Comedy Central, NBC), Neel Nanda (Comedy Central, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Jimmy Kimmel Live), Dhaya Lakshminarayanan (LA Comedy Festival, Comedy Central, NPR), Dauood Naimyar (SF Sketchfest, Cobb’s, Punchline), Sureni Weerasekara (Desi Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, Killing My Lobster), Chai Sharma (San Jose Improv, Cobbs, Rooster T Feathers), Plus Raj Rain.
New Year’s Eve Black Laughs Matter Virtual Comedy Countdown 12:30 a.m. Live from San Francisco, “a fantastic lineup of comics from HBO, MTV, TBS, Upright Citizens Brigade, BET and more with a midnight countdown and online toast with 500 strangers.”
LIVESTREAMING FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021
2021 Hangover Comedy 8:00 p.m. A Prateek Srivastava Production-which guarantees an excellent lineup and great energy! A perfect way to begin the New Year. Free show. Donations accepted.
Poseiden Adventure 6 p.m. From Hell in a Handbag Productions. Also includes online raffles, silent auction and stories from cast members.
KO Presents Black Laughs Matter 10:00 p.m. With host Chris Riggins. Produced by Sammy Obeid.
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