"In his previous solo shows 'Sleepwalk with Me,' and 'My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,' Mike Birbiglia showed two really uncommon traits: a willingness to let theatergoers in on some extraordinarily embarrassing moments in his life, and the ability to keep audiences smiling, if not laughing hysterically, for nearly 90 minutes. So, it’s nice to report he pulls off this rare hat trick with 'Thank God for Jokes.'"
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"Hilarious new show in which he discusses just how far we should go for a laugh, all while looking adorably rumpled in a flannel shirt and engaging in easygoing, wry commentary that captivates the crowd. He takes us through weird but fun jokes that arose out of his meeting the President, being arrested for having a suspended license, and appearing with the Muppets...Birbiglia is pretty hot himself. Catch him whenever you can—because he’ll never be in a David O. Russell film."
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"Birbiglia shows himself to be a master of the art of storytelling. He often takes a roundabout route to get where he’s going, but always has a masterful payoff...Filled with material guaranteed to make you alternatively groan and roar with laughter, the work never fails to stress the importance of being able to laugh at oneself, in the right circumstances of course. 'Thank God for Jokes' offers a rib-tickling and thought-provoking experience."
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"'While Thank God For Jokes' lacks the cohesive, narrative depth that sustained Birbiglia's previous one-man shows, it is uproariously funny, marvelously absurd, and intellectually satisfying. The central premise—of comedy's consequences in an interconnected world—is a sturdy hook on which Birbiglia hangs his whimsical array of hilarious stories, and by the end my face was sore from laughing."
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"It’s like attending a college course in comedy, taught by a lovable and disheveled professor. He moves between hilarious anecdotes, audience interactions, and thoughtful observations…He creates an instantaneously friendly rapport and by the end, you not only feel like you’ve seen a hilarious show but that you’ve become friends with this goofy, witty man...One of the most human and community-inspiring comedy shows this writer has seen."
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"His ingratiating, slightly self-deprecating persona, his skillful ability to seamlessly incorporate the audience into his monologue and the effortlessness with which he picks up motifs from earlier in the show and deftly weaves them into the performance make time spent with him a thoroughly rewarding experience...The 85 minutes flew by with very few moments that did not grab my attention...He is a master of the monologue and we are lucky to have him back onstage."
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"Consistently funny, slightly chaotic and thoroughly entertaining…The dramatic arc is slow to form, but becomes reinforced with each riotous sketch…'Thank God for Jokes' may not possess that characteristic underlying theme that seems to linger beyond the choruses of breathless laughter. But in the end, for this warm tribute to the power of jokes, breathless laughter is enough."
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"My sister and I saw this show last weekend and just loved it. We’re big comedy fans — especially my sister — and we like Mike Birbiglia’s work. His show is even better than I’d hoped; it’s a mix of engaging, humorous stories and legitimately good crowd work. He took us on a ride for 80-ish minutes that I enjoyed every second of. If you can see him in person, do it, because each show is unique (i.e. because of the crowd work) and he’s so comfortable telling stories on stage."
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