Looking for a laugh? Lots of comedians coming to SoFlo, including Dave Chappelle, George Lopez & John Mulaney

Rod Stafford Hagwood, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
·6 min read
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You need to laugh.

National politics, climate change, international conflicts, unstoppable pandemics, roving gangs of drag queens — times are bad. Really bad. Biblical bad.

But relief is on the way. (No, we’re not talking about affordable home insurance.) It’s about comedy. There is a full-slate of funny coming to South Florida.

Here’s a breakdown of some standup comedy series as well as a list of headliners bringing the ha-ha here. Be sure to keep coming back as we will update this LOL listing.

‘TRUIST Comedy Series’ in Fort Lauderdale

This will be the second year for these standup shows, spotlighting powerhouse performers at Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., and The Parker, 707 NE Eighth St. For tickets, go to browardcenter.org (under “Tickets” and “Season Subscriptions & Series”) or call 954-462-0222.

The TRUIST Comedy Series at the Broward Center features:

  • Michelle Buteau at 8 p.m. Oct. 6

  • Gary Gulman at 8 p.m. Nov. 3

  • Ben Brainard at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18

  • Randy Rainbow at 7 p.m. Dec. 3

  • Colin Quinn at 8 p.m. Dec. 9

  • Nurse Blake 8 p.m. Dec. 19

  • David Nihill at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11

The TRUIST Comedy Series at The Parker features:

  • Heather McMahan at 8 p.m. Oct. 28

  • Matt Mathews at 8 p.m. Nov. 18

  • “Whose Live Anyway?” starring Joel Murray, Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops and Jeff B. Davis at 8 p.m. Nov. 30

  • Eddie Griffin at 8 p.m. Dec. 8

  • “Hyprov: Improv under Hypnosis” starring Colin Mochrie and Asad Mecci at 8 p.m. Jan. 20

  • Darcy and Jer at 7 p.m. Jan. 25

‘Comedy After Hours’ at Island City Stage

Wilton Manors’ Island City Stage is a self-described “LGBTQ+ Focused theatre,” but the standup comedy series it produces is all-encompassing, giving South Florida standup comedians time in the spotlight center stage. This will be the second season for “Comedy After Hours.”

“We are absolutely thrilled with the remarkable success of ‘Comedy After Hours,’ ” says managing director Martin Childers. “What initially began as a promotional contest has evolved into a beloved fixture in our season schedule. The overwhelming positive response from our audiences is truly amazing!”

Showtime will be at 8 p.m. Nov. 8, Jan. 6, March 30 and Aug. 10 at Island City Stage, 2304 Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors. Tickets are $25 (including complimentary cocktail). To order, go to islandcitystage.org or call 954-928-9800.

‘Comedy Open Mic’ and ‘The Art of Laughter Standup Comedy Series’ at Arts Garage

Arts Garage, the performance space and art gallery in Delray Beach, has two series: “Comedy Open Mic” (featuring emerging talent) and “The Art of Laughter Stand-Up Comedy Series” (featuring headliners).

“We started ‘Art of Laughter’ in 2022 (quarterly) as a response to our own need for laughter after that painfully stressful and slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” recalls Marjorie Waldo, president/CEO of Arts Garage. “The first year’s success let us know that everyone else wanted to laugh as much as we did, so in 2023, we transformed the event into a monthly First Friday event. Arts Garage is still building our comedy audience, but each event has been hysterical and fun with a diverse and youthful audience!”

“Comedy Open Mic” is the first Tuesday of every month, with talent tba. Tickets are $10.

“The Art of Laughter” is the first Friday of every month, with tickets in the $30 to $35 range. The schedule includes:

All shows start at 8 p.m. at Arts Garage, 94 NE Second Ave. Delray Beach. For more information or to order tickets, go to artsgarage.org or call 561-450-6357.

‘Pompano Beach Live’

There are a collection of comedic acts under the umbrella of the “Pompano Beach Live” performance series, which plays at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd.

The bill includes:

  • The Spaghetti & Matzo Ball Show Starring Lou Villano and Peter Fogel on Nov. 17 ($35)

  • Joe DeVito on Nov. 19 ($35)

  • “The Book of Moron” starring Robert Dubac on Dec. 1 ($50)

  • “Funny Women of a Certain Age” on Feb. 9-10, 2024 ($45)

Showtime is 8 p.m. For more information or tickets, go to pompanobeachculturalcenter.com or call 954-545-7800.

HEADLINER STANDUP COMEDY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, 1 Seminole Way

Oct. 6: “Matt Rife: ProbleMATTic World Tour” at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tickets are $71-$281. Go to seminolehardrockhollywood.com/events/matt-rife.

Oct. 12-13: “Bert Kreischer: Tops Off World Tour” at 8 p.m. Tickets are $55-$125. Go to seminolehardrockhollywood.com/events/bert-kreischer.

Nov. 4: “Dane Cook: The Perfectly Shattered Tour” at 8 p.m. Tickets are $75-$115. Go to seminolehardrockhollywood.com/events/dane-cook.

Nov. 9: “Bill Burr Live” at Hard Rock Live at 8 p.m. Tickets are $98-$208. Go to seminolehardrockhollywood.com/events/bill-burr.

Nov. 10: George Lopez’s “Alllriiiighhttt!” Tour at 8 p.m. Tickets are $56-$96. Go to seminolehardrockhollywood.com/events/george-lopez.

Nov. 15: “Jimmy Carr: Terribly Funny” at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45-$75. Go to seminolehardrockhollywood.com/events/jimmy-carr.

Nov. 18: “Anthony Jeselnik: Bones and All” at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50-$90. Go to seminolehardrockhollywood.com/events/anthony-jeselnik.

Dec. 15: “John Mulaney in Concert” at 8 p.m. Tickets are $108-$238. Go to seminolehardrockhollywood.com/events/john-mulaney.

Dec. 26-29: Dave Chappelle’s “It’s a Celebration B!%?#&$!” tour at 8 p.m. Tickets are $115-$395. Go to seminolehardrockhollywood.com/events/dave-chappelle.

Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami

Nov. 17: “Hasan Minhaj: Off with His Head” at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50-$125. Go to arshtcenter.org/tickets/2023-2024/arsht-center-presents/hasan-minhaj.

Palm Beach Kennel Club, 1111 N Congress Ave., West Palm Beach

Dec. 1-2: “Andrew Dice Clay Live in The Paddock for 2 Nights!” at 8 p.m. Food service starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $90-$140 (not including dinner). Go to pbkennelclub.com/live-events.

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach

Dec. 31: “Fortune Feimster: Live Laugh Love!” at 7 p.m. Tickets are $29.50-$65, with VIP packages available at $165. To order, go to kravis.org/events/fortune-feimster-live-laugh-love or 561-832-7469.