NEW WEBSITE FOR MICHAELOCOMEDY!

Hey, guess what?  This page is no longer the home of Michael O'Connell comedy!  See photos, videos, show dates, my podcast, and more!  Go check out the new site at www.michaelocomedy.com!

Happy Mike Day! The Mikes hit Laughs Unlimited on Thursday, July 18th!

The Mikes are back.

After an appearance on Good Day Sacramento and successful shows at the Sacramento Comedy Spot, the Punch Line and Laughs Unlimited, the Mikes are returning to Laughs for a special birthday show on 7/18. For a Mike.

Join Mike Betancourt, Michael O'Connell, Mike Sinclair and Michael Calvin Jr. for a comedic celebration of Calvin's 33rd birthday at one of Sacramento's premier comedy clubs.  There will be drinks and laughs and fun for all.  Don't miss out on Happy Mike Day.

Tickets are available for pre-sale HERE.

Laughs Unlimited

1207 Front St.

Sacramento, CA 95814

(916) 446-5905

8:00 PM

Tickets $10.00

Be sure to check out the latest Mikes photo gallery at the Mikes Facebook page.

The Mikes are coming to Sacramento Comedy Spot this Friday night, 11/30!

The comedy troupe known as The Mikes, made up of five Sacramento stand-up stars that are all named Mike, will make their official debut at the Sacramento Comedy Spot on Friday, November 30^th, at 9:00 PM.

The roster includes comics Mike Betancourt, Michael Calvin Jr., Michael O’Connell, Mike Osborn and Mike Sinclair, all seasoned comedians whose faces are well-known in the Sacramento comedy world and beyond.

The group was assembled by Michael O’Connell, who realized one day that there were quite a few Mikes doing comedy in Sacramento - and all of them were very, very funny.  More than that, they were each funny in their own unique way.  Putting all of them together in one comedy show, he realized, would provide a wonderful diversity of comedic styles and a hysterical experience for audiences.

 

“I’d worked with all these guys and loved their stuff,” O’Connell says.  “They’re some of my favorite guys in comedy.  I can’t believe it took me so long to think of all of us joining forces.  Kind of like the Avengers.  Or Damn Yankees.  But, you know, with jokes.”

Their inaugural show at the Comedy Spot is planned to be the first of many upcoming appearances in California and elsewhere for this new and exciting comedy tour.

Mike Betancourt, a hard-traveled comedy headliner, is known to his many fans for his intense, energetic and animated style, and these fans sometimes end up with him standing on their table during his shows.   Unpredictable and cloaked in mayhem, he’s rocked clubs and colleges up and down the west coast with his twisted tales and explosive antics, and has worked with such big comedy names as Jim Bruer, Ralphie May and Dat Phan.

Michael Calvin Jr. has been tearing up comedy stages all over northern California since 2006.  His magnetic personality and wild, fun stage presence make new fans for him wherever he goes, from Sacramento to San Francisco to Fairfield to Modesto to Reno.  His love of comedy is infectious, and his dedication to it so strong that he was even married on Good Day Sacramento’s Valentine’s Day Show at Laughs Unlimited.

“Wheelchair comedian” Michael O’Connell has turned a lifetime of disability into a career in comedy, delighting audiences from Seattle to L.A. with his laid-back, dry style and tales of his life experiences as a man on wheels.  He co-founded the all-disabled comedy troupe called The Comedians with Disabilities Act and tours with both them and the Mikes.  He’s appeared on such famed stages as the Laugh Factory in Hollywood and the L.A. Improv, and counts several celebrities among his fans.

A cast member on Mark at the Movies and a recurring performer on Good Day Sacramento, Mike Obsorn is a sought-after emcee, speaker and, of course, comedian.  He’s hosted hundreds of events ranging from comedy shows to charity fundraisers to West Sacramento’s Trucktoberfest.  His sharp, observational, tongue-in-cheek writing coupled with his natural charm and easy style make him irresistible to audiences.

With one foot in L.A. and the other in Sacramento, Mike Sinclair is the epitome of comedy hustle, appearing in clubs, hosting rooms and lighting up competitions on both sides of the state.  The long-time host of the Grown & Sexy Comedy Show at Sacramento’s A Touch A’ Class nightclub, his smooth style and hilariously frank humor have made him a favorite of both audiences and fellow comics.  From the Comedy Store in L.A. to Tommy T’s in Sacramento, Sinclair gets it done, and gets it done right.

Tickets for The Mikes show are $12.00, and are available for pre-sale the Sacramento Comedy Spot’s web site (www.saccomedyspot.com/mikes).  This performance is for audiences 18 and older only.

Watch the Comedians with Disabilities Act on Laugh Factory Live on your PS3!

The Comedians with Disabilities Act just had a fantastic time performing at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood Tuesday night.  If you weren't in the LA area and couldn't make it...and if you own a PS3...you still have the chance to watch the whole 90 minute show.

There's a new app for the PS3 called Laugh Factory Live.  It's free right now, and through the end of this month, and thereafter will cost a subscription of $2.99 per month (so now's the time to try it out while it costs you $0.00).  It allows you to not only watch streaming Laugh Factory stand-up shows as they happen (as happened with our show), but they also have an archive of on demand comedy video, where you can watch hundreds of hours of material, including our November 13th performance.

Here's what you do to check this out if you have a PS3.

1)  Turn on your PS3.  It makes the steps that follow much more enjoyable.

2)  Scroll over to the TV/Video Services item on your main menu and click on the "My Channels" icon.

3)  From there, scroll down through the services available until you see the Laugh Factory logo.  Click on that!  Alternatively to all this, you can find the app in the Playstation Store under the "Media & Apps" category.

4)  Follow the steps to download and install the app.

5)  Sign in to it, and on the first menu, choose "Comedy On Demand".

6)  Find and click on "Laugh Factory UNCUT".

7)  From there, find and click on "Comedians with Disabilities".

Hope you enjoy.  This show was particularly special because of our guest headliner, Geri Jewell, who completely rocked the place.  Feel free to pass this information on to your other PS3 pals.  Not only can they watch US (which is the most important thing, right?), but can dive into massive pile of amazing Laugh Factory comedy from some of the biggest names in the business.  If they can stop playing Call of Duty long enough.

Learn more about Laugh Factory Live HERE and HERE. 

The Comedians with Disabilities Act returns to Hollywood - with comedy legend Geri Jewell!

The Comedians with Disabilities Act is returning to the Laugh Factory in Hollywood, and they're bringing some star power with them: special guest and disabled comedy pioneer Geri Jewell.

The heralded disabled comedian troupe will be performing on Tuesday, November 13th, at 8:00 PM, in a benefit show for L.A. City College's Office of Special Services.  Regulars Steve Danner, Nina G, Eric Mee and Michael O'Connell will be joined by Jewell for a night of differently-abled laughter to raise monies for programs that benefit LACC disabled students.

Comedian/actress/author/speaker/trainer Geri Jewell is best remembered as Cousin Geri on the 80s sitcom The Facts of Life, where she became the first disabled person to have a regular role on a television series.  She went on to appear in such shows as 21 Jump Street, The Young and the Restless, and as a regular on the hit HBO series Deadwood.  But she began her career in comedy, which is her first love, and has been seen on many cable comedy shows like A&E's Evening at the Improv and VH1's Stand Up Spotlight over the years.  These days, when not acting or performing, Geri is in high demand as a motivational speaker and diversity consultant for Fortune 500 companies and the US government.  She has also written her autobiography, "I'm Walking as Straight as I Can", detailing her life living with cerebral palsy and overcoming disability barriers in Hollywood and beyond.

The Comedians with Disabilities Act formed when four northern California comics, all with different disabilities, decided to team up to create a unique, hilarious and unforgettable comedy tour.  Eric Mee is the visually impaired comic.  Steve Danner is a little person.  Michael O'Connell has Muscular Dystrophy and is in a wheelchair.  And Nina G is a comedienne who stutters.  They've performed at comedy clubs and college campuses all over California, and are now returning to the Laugh Factory to follow up their first blockbuster performance there in 2011.

Monies raised will be going to L.A. City College's Office of Special Services, and audience members are promised a night of "accessible" comedy like they've never experienced.  The Sunset Strip is about to get "special".

The Laugh Factory
8001 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 656-1336

The Sacramento Comedy Festival - 9/7/12 - 9/15/12!

9 days!  25 shows!  120+ performers!  The second annual Sacramento Comedy Festival is about to descend on the capital city with a vengeance!  Well...with a fun and whimsical vengeance...

Last year, Brian Crall--owner of the Sacramento Comedy Spot--brought the dream of Sacramento having its own comedy festival to life.  This year, it's back and bigger than ever, with an amazing assemblage of comedy shows, ranging from improv to sketch comedy to variety shows to game shows to stand-up, bringing together performers from L.A., Denver, the Bay Area, and right here in Sactown.  Shows will take place at both the Sacramento Comedy Spot and Luna's Cafe, and will be happening every night of the festival.

Improv comedy shows will include such teams as Anti-Cooperation League, The Neighbor's Kids, Awkward Face, Lady Business, Lipstick Librarian, Bro Squad 5 and Comedy Sportz Sacramento, as well as the popular In Your Facebook show that uses the Facebook pages of audience members as improv fuel for the performers.  Sketch comedy will come from The Syndicate, Comedy Space (presented by creator Ray Molina), and Critical Hit (the geek-centered comedy show, created and hosted by Nick Pettigrew).  The Retrocrush.com Comedy Show will be a variety show that will be taped for a web series, and will include special guest Charlotte Stewart (Little House on the Prairie). The Sacramento Comedy Spot's own weekly podcast/game show, The Top 10 List Podcast, will be taping two live shows during the festival, and I Challenge You will have audience contestants competing in trivia and funny physical challenges.  The late night Dirty Comedy Show will not be for the faint of heart.  Special guests to the festival will include Jeff Sloniker (Reno 911, Parks and Recreation) and Betsy Sodaro (Animal Practice).  Musical guests will include Dog Party and Picard Maneuver.

A dazzling array of local and visiting stand-up comics will be performing in multiple comedy shows, including Johnny Taylor, Michael O’Connell, Priya Prasad, Andrew Holmgren, Des Henderson, Keith Lowell Jensen, Matt Gubser, Kristen Frisk, Cheryl the Soccer Mom, Shane Murphy, Chazz Hawkins, John Ross, Dejan Tyler, Matt Raymond, Jessica Wellington, Jaime Fernandez, Giuliana-Vita Gabrielli, Stephen Furey, Derik Bishop, Ngaio Bealum, Joe Klocek, Kurt Weitzmann, Sandra Risser, Queenie TT, Brent Gill, Carlos Rodriguez, Daniel Humbarger, Rich Slaton, Kiry Shabazz, and more!

Tickets are available now for purchase online, either for individual shows (ranging from $5.00 to $12.00) or the all-encompassing Unlimited Festival Pass ($55.00) that will let you see any and every show of the Festival.  Beer is served at both the Sacramento Comedy Spot and Luna's Cafe.  No minimum is required.

Click the logo below to go to SacComedyFest.com for a full schedule of events, performer list, event info and to purchase tickets.

 
Read the article on the Festival in Submerge Magazine here.

There are shows and comedians for all tastes, so come on out, join the fun and help put Sacramento comedy on the map!

Michael O'Connell will be performing in Stand-Up Extravaganza #1 at the Sacramento Comedy Spot on Friday, 9/7, at 10:30 PM.

Ready to try comedy? Here's how.

You ever dreamed about getting up on stage and giving stand-up comedy a try?  Did not knowing how to start hold you back?  Problem solved!

Over on my Tumblr page, I wrote a really big six-part series called "So You're Ready To Try Comedy".  It's written for the person who's never tried stand-up before, and it walks you through all the steps, from how to write a joke to how to find an open mic room to how to get up there and finally strut your stuff.  It's written from my perspective, based on my experience getting started and what I've learned along the way in the world of comedy.  All you'll need to know (or at least most of it), all for free.  What a deal!

So if you're done with the "Do I have what it takes?" question and ready to get your start, I hope what I have to say on the matter is helpful for you.  It all starts right HERE with part one.  Jump on in, and good luck!