‘Leave it to Bieber’
Ongoing
Improv Asylum Theater
216 Hanover St., Boston
$20, 617-263-6887
www.improvasylum.com
Improv Asylum has always had great titles for their shows, and this latest one is no exception. But the comedy within the confines of this North End mainstay is bursting to get out. If you haven’t seen it already, YouTube the Asylum’s latest video called, “The Oscar Winning Boston Movie.”
ImprovBoston Mainstage
Ongoing
ImprovBoston Theatre
40 Prospect St., Cambridge
$12-$16, 617-576-1253
www.improvboston.com
In addition to Mainstage, IB has about a million things going on. At one end of the spectrum they have the Family Show, and at the other end, the Naked Comedy Showcase. Both are exactly what you’d think. Somewhere in between those extremes lies the madcap improv of the Harold Teams and the Comedy Lab. Visit the IB website for details.
Blue Man Group
Ongoing
Charles Playhouse
75 Warrenton St., Boston
$58-80, 800-BLUEMAN
www.blueman.com
These guys do some artsy stuff that could really fit into any of the categories in this Arts Guide, but we choose to think of them as the dream job of David Cross’ “Arrested Development,” character, which means we list them here.
Awkward Compliment
Ongoing, Thursday nights
Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Square, Somerville
www.somervilletheatreonline.com
A new generation of improv comedians is rising, and you can find them here, anchored by the fail-safe troupe Awkward Compliment, who headline each week.
Women in Comedy
Festival
March 9-13
Various locations
www.womenincomedyfestival.com
These five nights of funny females includes stand-up, sketch comedy, panels and workshops that celebrate the kick-ass comedy of women who work in Boston and around the country. The headlining event is Saturday and includes Jen Kirkman, Morgan Murphy and a personal fave of ours, Kristen Schaal from “Flight of the Conchords.”
Wayne Brady
March 26
Wilbur Theatre
246 Tremont St., Boston
$46-65, 800-745-3000
www.thewilburtheatre.com
Always the most energetic member of the limitedly rotating cast of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Wayne Brady, who’s equally gifted at singing, comedy and acting, has a versatility rarely seen today.
The Dan Band
April 30
Wilbur Theatre
246 Tremont St., Boston
$25, 800-745-3000
www.thewilburtheatre.com
This show’s synopsis describes this comedy vocal group as follows: “The band is well-known for its covers of originally female-performed pop songs, with added obscenities.” It comes off as curiously angry, but weirdly cathartic. Who knows what personal demons this “Dan” releases with his obsession, not to mention his “Band.”
The Capitol Steps
June 18
Wilbur Theatre
246 Tremont St., Boston
$42-62, 800-745-3000
www.thewilburtheatre.com
Before there was “The Daily Show,” there were the Capitol Steps, a Washington-based political parody glee club famous for their topical revisions of the Great American Songbook. Though song-based humor, especially these “Weird Al” Yankovic-style parodies, may seem a little groan-worthy, the Steps keep it entertaining with the sheer cleverness of their writing
