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Home / Is This Thing On? / Five for fighting … and laughing: November’s best comedy shows in Wisconsin, leftovers edition

Five for fighting … and laughing: November’s best comedy shows in Wisconsin, leftovers edition

By Peter Lindblad

Dig in, everybody.

It’s time for Thanksgiving leftovers – in comedy form. The gluttony of the holiday continues, though, even though the food orgy is over.

Waking up in the aftermath, the house is a mess, of course. Turkey bones, smashed rolls and empty bottles of Tums are scattered all over the floor. Mashed potato spackling fills holes in the wall. Bits of stuffing are stuck to the shirts of family members lying around moaning about how full they are. And nobody’s talking politics anymore, thank God.

Most of the month is already over, so we’re just going to put some laugh sandwiches together out of what’s in the fridge. Here are our best bets for the rest of November and early December:

Comedy on State – Madison; Milwaukee Improv – Brookfield

Are You Garbage? (Nov. 29 – Comedy on State; Nov. 30 – Milwaukee Improv) – What kind of question is that? Well, the inquiring minds of Kevin Ryan and H. Foley want to know. They are the hosts of one of the most popular comedy podcasts out there, and they get to the real truth, talking about all kinds of nasty stuff with your favorite comics. Their “Stay Trashy” tour is coming to Wisconsin for two shows, and it’s part stand-up and part AYG game show. Find out more at the AYG website https://areyougarbage.com/. You can sample their podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@AreYouGarbage

Orpheum Theater – Madison

Bad Friends with Andrew Santinto and Bobby Lee (Dec. 1) – In one corner, there’s Andrew Santino, host of the Whiskey Ginger podcast, slinging stinging sarcasm, devastating insults and sharp observational humor that packs a wallop. Fans of the inventive TV comedy “Dave” know him well. Then there’s wildly unpredictable Bobby Lee, a veteran of “MADtv” and co-host of the “Tigerbelly” podcast. Lee has no filter, especially when it comes to sex and gender differences. They are “Bad Friends,” and this odd couple’s show comes with a “low ticket” warning for a reason. Separately, they’re hilarious. Together, they’re a scream. Can these two share a podcast without killing each other? Absolutely. Get your fill of them here: https://www.badfriendspod.com/

Hannah Berner (Dec. 2) – Originally from Brooklyn, Berner attended the University of Wisconsin, where she played tennis. So, this is a homecoming of sorts, Berner claims to have slept with Bucky Badger, but there’s more to her than mascot-human relations. Berner’s her name and writing, directing, editing and acting in social media posts and penning wickedly funny posts on X is her game. So is podcasting. She has two of them – “Giggly Squad” and “Berner Phone,” and they’re sidesplittingly funny. A year ago, Berner was named one of Just For Laughs’ “New Faces of Comedy” in Montreal. Variety recently listed Berner among its “Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2023.” Head to https://hannahberner.com/ to catch up with her.

Skyline Comedy Club – Appleton

Chris Porter (Nov. 30-Dec. 2) – Any time Chris Porter comes around, it’s a good time. He’s always got something to get off his chest, with a strong point of view born of day-to-day experiences that could set anybody off on a rant. He finished third on season four of “Last Comic Standing,” and he’s often been compared to George Carlin – read how he feels about it here https://outandaboutwisconsin.com/chris-porter-and-george-carlin-comedic-similarities/. His special “Ugly & Angry” was a top-rated special on Netflix for years. Here’s all you need to know about one of our favorites: https://www.chrisportercomedy.com/.

Nick Simmons (Nov. 28) – What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding? When it comes to the last part, rising star Nick Simmons has it covered. That’s his mission, to use relatable comedy as a means of getting people to accept each other, and Simmons is taking over social media, with an enormous following on TikTok and Instagram. More recently, he’s featured for Bryan Callen. Go see the New Yorker in person and see what all the fuss is about. He’s fit, too. Here’s his TikTok stuff: https://www.tiktok.com/@notnicksimmons?lang=en

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