Better than HDTV

After eight years of inadvertent tragicomedy at the hands of the malapropism-spewing president of the United States, comedy fans are understandably concerned. What will our joke-tellers amuse us with when our prez is cooler than a polar bear’s toenails? A general survey of the acts performing at the South Beach Comedy Festival, that began this past Wednesday and ends this Saturday with a cavalcade of stars, reveals hope and successful strategies for laughter’s future. Taking a tip from Cheech and Chong, who opened the first day, picking an illicit vice to celebrate eternally might not be a bad idea.

Thursday night’s heroine, Lisa Lampanelli, is known for self-deprecating raunch, and Dave Barry is bound to find enough local landmines to exploit during his performance. On Friday night, Craig Robinson might not be as focused on The Office – word is he’s bringing a seven-piece funk band, The Nasty Delicious. And what of Saturday night’s stars? Lewis Black has made a career of voluble outrage, thanks to his Back in Black segments on The Daily Show. What could he possibly yell about mere days after the inauguration? Thankfully, there’s always something for the foulmouthed funnyman to be pissed off about. The economy? Middle Eastern conflicts? How wacky the Magic City is? It’s all fair game Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Fillmore (1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach). Joel McHale, celebrity satirist par excellence and host of E!'s The Soup, will be at the Lincoln Theatre (Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach) at 8 and 10:30 p.m. McHale has been sharpening his comedic claws on the stand-up circuit for years, so we trust his performance won’t rely on the appearance of Spaghetti Cat. Visit southbeachcomedyfestival.com for tickets and a complete schedule of performances.
Sat., Jan. 24, 2009