Editor’s Note: The leaves on the trees may start changing soon, but was hasn’t changed as we cruise full speed through the final third of the year is the top-tier selection of comedy shows to check out around Boston. With homegrown talent, national headliners, and open mics galore highlighting the calendar, the the plethora of comedy talent in and around the city continues to pour out as richly as that $8 Pumpkin Spice Latte you yearn for every morning. Live entertainment continues to make its way back into our social lives — mask up! stay safe! — and so we always want to make sure you know about cool stuff going on in the world of comedy. Enter Mic’d Up, our ongoing weekly series that details the best live comedy shows to consider as you head out and about. Below find our rundown for this week, through Sunday (December 4).
Mark Normand at The Wilbur
One-liners? He’s got ‘em. Stories? He’s got ‘em. A clear understanding of the invisible line you’re not supposed to cross? He couldn’t be farther from it. One of the best in the biz, Normand has worked his way through the comedy gauntlet and cemented his place as an all-around elite entertainer. Comedy!
Thursday, December 1 and Saturday, December 3 at The Wilbur Theatre, 246 Tremont St. in Boston, MA :: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. :: Tickets are $30 to $41
Robert Kelly at Laugh Boston
Home for the holidays? So is Robert Kelly …sorta. Anytime Kelly comes back to his roots, it’s top-tier madness, and following the release of his latest special, Kill Box, we’re sure to catch a fresh, funky, not-screwing-around version of Kelly that’s always a pleasure to see.
Thursday, December 1 to Saturday, December 3 at Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. in Boston, MA :: Thursday at 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 7 and 10 p.m. :: Tickets are $25 to $29
Vermont Comedy Festival
We are once again asking you to consider making your way to Vermont for the state’s first full-fledged comedy festival. Four days of stand-up topped off by a closing headline set from Joe List, mixed with a deliberate and extensive inclusion of local businesses spread out across multiple towns in the Green Mountain State? How can that not be one hell of a party?
Thursday, December 1 to Sunday, December 4 at various locations :: Show schedule and ticket info
Sebastian Maniscalco at DCU Center
Wherever he goes, he means business. Taking on Worcester for the only Massachusetts date on his Nobody Does This tour, Maniscalco continues to cash in on the significant impact he’s had on comedy over the past decade with his latest hour of over-pronunciation, family stories, and an unbridled judgement of stupidity.
Saturday, December 3 at DCU Center, 50 Foster St. in Worcester, MA :: 7 p.m. :: Tickets are $39.75 to $150.75
Anthony DeVito at Ralph’s Diner
DeVito’s father has a dark past, and not one that involves a role in Matilda. Bringing his hit one-man show My Dad Isn’t Danny DeVito back to the area for another run, the New Yorker digs deep into an uncomfortable and somewhat dangerous story that is heartfelt, gut wrenching, and refreshingly funny all at the same time.
Saturday, December 3 at Ralph’s Diner, 148 Grove St. in Worcester, MA :: 8 p.m. :: Tickets are $7