Unless you recognize a comedian’s name as That Girl From that Movie or the Dude from That One HBO Special, it can be hard to tell whether a stand-up is worth seeing. Lucky you: Scene did the legwork, and the skinny on this week’s big comedy shows, video included, is just a click away. Read on for a full rundown, including cross-dressing actor-comedian Eddie Izzard’s two-night gig. -- D.X. Ferris
Comedian: Eddie Izzard (see video above)
Specialty: Live, the multitalented, sometimes-cross-dressing actor-comedian offers a slightly askew take on subjects from American toilets to evolution.
Playing: Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Playhouse Square, 216-241-6000, www.tickets.com .
Dates: Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 23.
Showtimes: 8 p.m. both nights
Tickets: $35-$75.
Comedian: Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler: Tig Ol Fake Bitties
Specialty: Tyler made a splash as the first black host of E’s The Soup (back when it was still Talk Soup), and she’s been a star since, appearing on Friends, Nip/Tuck, Politically Incorrect, and movies like .45. When she’s not doing the Hollywood thing, she’s appeared in a string of popular web clips, including “The Fropranos,” a blaxploitation parody of The Sopranos. And she keeps sharp by taking a stand-up act on the road. In clubs, she lets her bubbly personality gush, slides into dead-on voices like a valley girl accent, and riffs on everything from relationships to fake boobs -- or, and she calls them, “tig old fake bitties.”
Playing: Pick & Frolic’s Hilarities E. 4th St. Theater, 2035 E. 4th St., Downtown, 216-736-4242, www.pickwickandfrolic.com.
Dates: Thursday, May 22 through Sunday, May 25.
Showtimes:8 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: $20-$25.
Comedian: Dan O'Sullivan
Specialty: As seen on Evening at the Improv, O’Sullivan focuses mostly on weed and airports.
Playing: The Improv, 2000 Sycamore St., East Bank of the Flats, 216-696-4677,
www.clevelandimprov.com.
Dates: Thursday, May 22 through Sunday, May 25
Showtimes: Thursday: 8 p.m. Fri: 8 and 10:15 p.m. Sat: 7, 9:30, and 11:30 p.m. Sunday: 7 p.m.
Tickets: $11-17.
Comedian: Dale Jones and Mike Conley
Specialty: Wild-eyed Southern comic riffs about drugs and pain at the pump.
Playing: The Funny Stop, 1757 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls, 330-923-4700,
www.funnystop.com.
Dates: Tuesday, May 20 through Saturday, May 20
Showtimes: Tue-Thu: 8:30 p.m. Fri, Sat: Two shows: 8 and 10:30 p.m.
Tickets: $5-$16, two-drink minimum.
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