A return to home turf can always be accompanied by a myriad of emotions. But for Ziwe, perhaps this time will be different as she has her mind her set on the bigger picture, stretching far beyond her native city.
As announced earlier this week, the award-winning comedian, author, and talk show host will be making her back home to the commonwealth for one night at The Wilbur on May 9, as part of her Ziwe’s America tour. While an arguable injustice was handed down in the form of her eponymous Showtime series not being renewed in 2023, the Lawrence native has remained active on stage and in the interviewer’s seat, most notably sitting down for an interview with disgraced former New York Congressman George Santos, a chat that received significant news coverage following its release.
In addition to critically acclaimed talk show multi-hyphenates, Massachusetts has harbored and nurtured its fair share of late-night greats like Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno, but we aren’t graced with their presence all too often. However, we’re always down for a visit from another late-night legend like Craig Ferguson, who apparently shares a mutual affinity for the area, as made evident by his newly announced show at The Wilbur on March 13 as part of his Pants on Fire tour. Although we haven’t seen much of anything from him in terms of specials or albums since 2019’s Hobo Fabulous, Ferguson has held a few on-screen roles including the animated Netflix series Death, Love and Robots, in addition to an extensive touring schedule that has brought him all over the world more than once.
If you aren’t a fan of audience members interrupting during a show, we’re willing to bet Troy Bond despises it even more. Lucky for us, we get to see it all unfold up close and personal when Bond makes his Wilbur debut on May 10. Although he’s been on the grind for a number of years, chances are you’ve seen the New York-based comic on TikTok or Insta reels, and the good news is that he remains as potent in person as he is on screen. When he isn’t crushing on stage throughout the Big Apple, or anywhere else around the country for that matter, Bond’s versatile comedy voice can be heard as the co-host of the Bonding podcast along side fellow comedian Torey Cole.
It’s not too far of a stretch, given our current and upcoming circumstances as a country, to say that by the time Randy Rainbow comes back to town for a night at The Wilbur on June 1 as part of his National Freakin’ Treasure tour, the multi-talented comic will have a lot to sound off about. Whether it’s through music, stand-up, or his beloved character work, there’s no limit to what will come of a Randy Rainbow show, and he only confirms that more with each new show he brings to town.
If you’re wondering if Brad Williams ever takes a moment to rest, the answer, at least judging by his tour schedule for the next year, would be a resounding “no.” It feels like we just saw Williams on a local stage, but we’re definitely not complaining that he’s already planning his return to The Wilbur in 2025, with one night set aside on November 7. As a stone cold consistent veteran of the comedy game, Williams has put the work in at such an intense level over the last few years, that it’s only a matter of time before he needs to start adding extra shows to quick stops along his tour route. Most recently, he released a new special, Starfish, on YouTube, while simultaneously continuing to crush in increasingly large rooms all over the country.
It’s been quite awhile since Aziz Ansari has been in town, but that will all change in the spring, as the all-star comedian returns to Boston with an all-new slate of stand-up dubbed The Hypothetical Tour, which sets up shop at Boch Center Wang Theatre on April 19.
While unpredictability might not sound exciting given the everyday onslaught of fun little curveballs, the Whose Live Anyway? crew is set to return to the area with one night at Medford’s Chevalier Theatre on May 10. Join elite improv legends Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, and Joel Murray as they keep things flowing for another night of fun sketches and left turns that will, as it turns out, keep the masses coming back for more every single time.
The Swifties will continue to conquer the territory well into next spring, as Zach Hourihane and Madeline Rubicam are slithering into Somerville to take over the Armory on May 29 as part of their Evolution of a Snake live tour, in which they deep dive into anything and everything floating around the Taylor Swift universe.
Tickets for these shows can be accessed now via the Regulars pre-sale, before venue pre-sales can be accessed starting on Thursday (December 12) at 10 a.m. ET by using the code VANYA. Public on-sale is slated to begin on Friday (December 13) at 10 a.m. ET.