The Six Best Local Comedians in Miami

Send in the motherfucking clowns.

We’ll take comedians any day over writers, poets, thespians, musicians, models, photographers, visual artists, or filmmakers. Comedians, in their own unique way, are artists, too — self-deprecating, ironic, intelligent, sensitive, neurotic yet brave, humble yet egotistical, damaged goods but mostly just awesome.

Luckily, we have a lot of comedic talent in Miami.

Sure, we often lose that local talent to New York and L.A. But South Florida is a top ten media market, and we’re growing, especially in the entertainment industry. Plus, there’s a heightened level of “talent circulation,” and people are coming and going constantly. That means an array of fresh faces, plus some die-hard local standbys with a style all their own.

If you’re unfamiliar with the local scene, here’s a list of the top six comedians, in order, currently performing in Miami. We also asked the comedians to give us their own list of favorite acts, allowing them the option to include themselves on the list.

6. Dan DeCotiis

The first time we saw Dan perform, about two years ago, we really thought the Boca-based dude was on heroin. But in a good way; he had a Mitch Hedberg thing going on. Recently, we caught Dan perform again, and noticed his maturity, in both demeanor and comedic timing. He’s one of the fastest rising comedians in South Florida.

Dan’s top five Miami comedians:

5. Patrick Schroeder

5. Ricky Cruz

Ricky’s been killing it in South Florida for a long time; this is his 15th year in the business. He’s been around, son. Literally, he has like three kids. Ricky balances the family and entertainment world like a bawse, which is one reason why we never lost him to L.A., or New York. Still, this Miami native is a pro. Ricky’s a stand-up guy in a stand-up world–he’s got a special look–plus his comedy evolves and his timing’s impeccable.

Ricky’s top five Miami comedians:

5. John Wynn

4. Lisa Corrao

Lisa is as nice as she is funny. She’s small in stature, but her punch lines pack a wallop. She’s also extremely intelligent, weaving social issues like abortion and religion into her bits with ease and expertise. Lisa’s also a little self-deprecating, which allows the audience to connect and it makes her relatable. You’d have to be a serious asshole if you didn’t like Lisa Corrao.

Lisa’s top five Miami comedians:

5. Pam Bruno

3. Lando Leyba

Orlando Leyba is maybe the funniest comedian in South Florida. If this list were based solely on stage-presence, story-telling ability, body language and original jokes, he’s number one. We first caught Lando in the web series Labor Days, where he plays a character named Silencio who never speaks. If you’ve seen his act a few times, you’ll understood why he never spoke — his onstage demeanor is awesome. Then you’ll heard him tell his long narrative jokes, and it’s all up from there. Leyba balances street smarts with intelligence, relationships with social issues. He’s really good.

But Lando went all Silencio and decided not to submit a top five list.

2. John Wynn

John’s a professional comedian, and we are very, very lucky to have him in South Florida. He knows how to walk that line between awkwardness and the profane. John bounces from issues of race relations to being a new dad to whatever’s in the news. An ex-film teacher, John is also the creator, writer, director and star of the web series Labor Days, which brings together almost all of the comedic talent we have in South Florida, giving them legitimate credits in a legitimate web series, something they can all use to build a career. Because of what John did for local comedy with Labor Days, he’s high on our list.

John’s top five comedians in Miami:

1. Ricky Cruz

John said he would also throw in Freddy Stebbins and David Stebbins (no relation).

1. Daniel Reskin

Daniel Reskin is doing more for South Florida comedy than anyone else, and that’s why he’s getting our top spot. Daniel’s comedy is witty, talented, insightful, and classy. He may not be the funniest or most seasoned on this list, but the effort he’s putting into the scene needs to be applauded.

Reskin hosts at least five mid-week comedy rooms (Casa de Ha-Ha at Sweat Records, Gringo Bingo at Wood Tavern, plus nights at Elwoods, Moonchine, and The Hoxton). These rooms balance the scene, giving seasoned comedians a chance to practice mid-week, and allowing up-and-comers to get up and network. Comedy’s all about getting up on that stage. If you want to go to the Improv and catch these guys on the weekend, that’s your prerogative, but, when it comes to comedy, the mid-week shows rock (free, no-drink minimum, intimate) and if weren’t for Reskin, our scene would be in minor shambles.

Daniel’s top five Miami comedians:

1. Lisa Corrao

2. Ricky Cruz

3. Tim Hanlon

5. Kirk Meadows

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