Our guide to stand-up, improv and variety shows happening this weekend and in the week ahead.
MICHAEL BLACKSON at Sony Hall (Dec. 20, 8 and 10:30 p.m.). Born in Ghana, Blackson gave birth to his comedy career in Philadelphia. This self-proclaimed African King of Comedy has a large fief on Instagram, with some 3.9 million followers, and an unspecified role in the upcoming movie “Coming 2 America” with Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. You also may have seen Blackson as a regular panelist on the VH1 game show “Hip Hop Squares” or airing out his comedy beefs on Power 105.1 FM’s “The Breakfast Club.” Find out who and what’s on his mind at the end of 2019.
212-997-5123, sonyhall.com
‘DESIREE’S COMING EARLY!’ at the Huron Club at SoHo Playhouse (Dec. 20, 11 p.m.; Dec. 21, 7 p.m.; Dec. 23, 9 p.m.). The comedian Desiree Burch recounts her misadventures at the Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in this one-woman show that contemplates her own personal history and that of other African-Americans. Burch took this show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. It runs in SoHo as part of the playhouse’s annual Fringe Encore Series.
212-691-1555, sohoplayhouse.com
‘THE FOURTH ANNUAL CHANUKAHSTRAVAGANZA: BRIGHTER THAN EVER’ at Union Hall (Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m.). This benefit, featuring Jewish comedians based in New York City, donates proceeds to the Center for Advancing Holocaust Survivor Care. Snacks will be provided. Songs will be sung. Jokes will be made. Including performances from Emmy Blotnick, Josh Gondelman and Anna Roisman.
718-638-4400, unionhallny.com
[Read about the events that our other critics have chosen for the week ahead.]
‘A MURRAY LITTLE CHRISTMAS’ at Joe’s Pub (through Dec. 21, various times). In need of some hot burlesque numbers, naughty songs and holiday high jinks? That’s what Murray Hill virtually guarantees in this seasonal variety show. On the menu: comedy in song from Bridget Everett, burlesque from Angie Pontani and music from the Jingle Balls Band.
212-967-7555, joespub.com
BETH STELLING at the Bell House (Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m.). This comedian is in high demand as a writer, having worked on the screenplay for this past summer’s “Good Boys” and previously in the writers’ rooms for TV series such as HBO’s “Crashing” and Comedy Central’s “Another Period.” But Stelling’s stand-up is stellar, too. Her episode of “The Standups” on Netflix packs an hour’s worth of laughs into a half-hour. Stelling is poised to become an even bigger comedy star in 2020, with or without her mom (with whom she has hosted the podcast “We Called Your Mom.”)
718-643-6510, thebellhouseny.com
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