Thank God For Jokes NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (73)
See it if you enjoy intelligent standup comedy
Don't see it if you don't have a sense of humor. There is a modest amount of cursing so don't see if if that offends you.
See it if You want to see a very funny stand-up show. Hilarious and insightful!
Don't see it if You want to see theatre. I knew he was a comedian, but expected it to more like a one-man-show. It's really just a stand-up routine.
See it if you want to see a master class in stand-up comedy. simple, but incisive and genuinely funny. socially relevant themes.
Don't see it if you're not aware that you're seeing a stand up, not a traditional play or musical!
See it if you enjoy an intelligent stand-up performance. There isn't much important underlying content, but there are laughs.
Don't see it if you want rapid-fire jokes. This is storytelling...and some of it drags a bit. MB is sufficiently engaging, though, to pull it off.
See it if you enjoy good stand-up
Don't see it if you expect a play
See it if You enjoy intelligent, down-to-earth comedy without gratuitous cursing.
Don't see it if You only like foul language or vicious jokes
See it if You are familiar with, and enjoy, Mike Birbiglia
Don't see it if jokes offend you
See it if you like stand-up comedy, you like Mike Birbiglia, you want something light and fun that goes down easy.
Don't see it if you want a tightly-crafted show, you expect more of a performance monologue with a narrative arc or thesis statement.
Critic Reviews (21)
"The thoughtfulness, vulnerability, and continuity of 'My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend' was Mike Birbiglia at his very best. While the content of 'Thank God for Jokes' doesn’t currently rise to those heights, the best of Birbiglia remains- it is incredibly funny and brilliantly crafted. Birbigs gets his audience invested in his experiences and, subsequently, their experience in a way that only the best of writers can do."
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"Birbiglia is above all a superb stand-up comedian. He may be telling tales, but they are super dense with funny lines. He’s a top-tier humorist—no wonder he was a Thurber Prize finalist—who possesses excellent delivery. Great waves of laughter rocked the Paramount. Not titters or chuckles or even reactionary guffaws, but deep satisfying belly laughs. At times people were gasping for breath and laugh-until-you-cry tears were streaming. My face hurt."
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"It’s hard to remember things verbatim when you’re enjoying yourself so much...He’s comfortable, charming, and genuine. How often do you find that in a comic’s stage persona? And is it even fair calling it a persona? One has to believe that when it comes to Birbiglia, what you see is what you get — pure comedy Myrrh."
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"It may sound like heavy stuff, but 'Jokes' remains surprisingly nimble...It's a seamless show and an impressive career move...Ten years after his first, it feels like he's on the cusp of making a second major performance breakthrough and unleashing some of that long-hidden anger onstage. When he does, chances are it will be Birbiglia's best material yet."
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"Birbiglia’s unassuming nature and ability to develop a rapport with the crowd were his greatest assets...Birbiglia’s voice is distinctive — stifled like a yawn and ending each sentence on a soft fadeout — and he uses that delivery to subtly tweak the pace and tone of his shows. That proved mostly effective on Friday, though the energy did wane a bit as the night neared its end...A hilarious, successful performance."
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