Don't Tell Comedy is a live stand-up comedy company that creates pop-up comedy shows in unique, non-traditional locations in over 200 cities worldwide.[2][3] Founded in 2017, the company is based in Los Angeles, California.[4]
 | |
| Industry | Comedy |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founder | Kyle Kazanjian-Amory |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
Area served | Over 100 cities throughout the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom[1] |
Key people | Kyle Kazanjian-Amory (CEO) |
| Website | https://www.donttellcomedy.com |
History
editFounder Kyle Kazanjian-Amory wanted to create local stand-up shows that felt more casual than a comedy club and more professional than other local independent shows. The company first started producing shows in locations around Los Angeles before expanding to other cities, such as San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle.[3]
In March 2020, Don't Tell Comedy had to cancel shows and stop running live events due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company began creating digital content and live-streamed events, including a trivia format and private corporate events.
As of 2024, the company has produced shows in more than 200 cities throughout the world,[2] including Atlanta,[5] Chicago,[6] Denver, Grand Rapids,[7] Las Vegas, Milwaukee,[8] Nashville, Palo Alto,[9] San Diego, San Francisco,[10] Paris, Berlin, Melbourne, and others.[2]
Shows
edit
The typical Don't Tell Comedy show is held in a non-traditional venue with an average of five comedians, running for roughly 90 minutes. When selling tickets to events, only the date, time, and neighborhood are advertised. The specific location is later revealed on the day of the show. The final lineup is only known at the actual show.
Some shows have been filmed and posted to the Don't Tell Comedy YouTube channel.[11]
Digital Video
editIn 2021, Don't Tell Comedy released its first comedy special with comedian Danny Jolles, 6 Parts.[2] The video was released in collaboration with 800 Pound Gorilla Records and was distributed via YouTube and Amazon Prime Video.[12] The New York Times listed the special as part of their "Best Comedy of 2021" wrap-up, labeling the special as 2021's "Best Grand Unified Theory."[13] Forbes notes, "The project accomplished what Jolles set out to do: make a comedy special that’s actually, you know, special."[14]
In early 2022, Don't Tell Comedy began releasing digital content on social platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, highlighting lineups of emerging comedians across the United States including Ralph Barbosa whose set earned 4.6M views on YouTube. [15][16][17] The company has 5.2 million followers across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Other comedians who have released sets with Don't Tell Comedy include Fumi Abe, Katherine Blanford, Matt Braunger, Andrea Jin, Jay Jurden, Kyle Kinane, Leslie Liao, Michael Longfellow, Opeyemi Olagbaju, Lea’h Sampson, and Gianmarco Soresi.[18][19][20][2][21]
Comedian Susan Rice remarked on her experience releasing a stand up comedy set on Don't Tell Comedy's YouTube channel: “Doing late night back in the ’80s when Johnny Carson was working, Carson made a lot of careers [...] But this, Don’t Tell, is comparable.”
Fellow Don't Tell Comedy alumni, Malik Elassal and Alec Flynn, echoed Rice's sentiment. “It’s changed my life,” said Elassal. Flynn noted, “As a comic, you want to be bitter and hate everything, but realistically, they changed my life.”[2] Comedian Grace Johnson also remarked, “Don’t Tell right now stands out as one of the premier places to go to for comedy, in the way that Comedy Central has been.”[21]
Don't Tell Comedy produced their first Netflix special for Hannah Berner titled, We Ride At Dawn. The special that was filmed at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, PA, premiered on July 9, 2024.[22] The special Decider noted as a "solid debut"[23] landed in Netflix's Top 10 most popular shows category.[24]
Notable performers
edit| Performer | Notability |
|---|---|
| Michael Che | Cast member of Saturday Night Live |
| Sam Jay | Writer for Saturday Night Live, co-star of PAUSE with Sam Jay |
| Iliza Shlesinger | 2008 winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing, host of Excused and TBS game show Separation Anxiety |
| Ali Wong | Best known for Netflix stand-up specials Baby Cobra, Hard Knock Wife, and Don Wong |
| Nikki Glaser | Host of Not Safe with Nikki Glaser |
| Bill Burr | Comedy Specials include: You People Are All the Same, I'm Sorry You Feel That Way, Walk Your Way Out and Paper Tiger. |
References
edit- ^ Don't Tell Comedy website
- ^ a b c d e f Pandya, Hershal (2024-07-16). "Comedy's Benevolent Gatekeeper". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ a b Brodsky, Rachel (2022-06-15). "How these secret L.A. comedy shows became the hottest ticket outside the club circuit". LA Times. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
- ^ Post, Lisa Ryan Special to the (2023-08-01). "Surprise venues and lots of laughs: Don't Tell Comedy is here in Newark". Newark Post. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ Feaster, Felicia, "The best live show in town might be in your own living room", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, retrieved 28 June 2022
- ^ Freeman, Zach (22 January 2019), "You don't know what comedians or where they'll play, you just show up: Shhh, Don't Tell Comedy", Chicago Tribune, retrieved 28 June 2022
- ^ Poirier, Abby (2 June 2022), "Mystery comedy show to play in Grand Rapids", Grand Rapids Magazine, retrieved 28 June 2022
- ^ Kirby, Hannah, "These secret comedy shows are put on in Milwaukee — and across the country. Here's what to know and how to go.", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, retrieved 28 June 2022
- ^ Greenberg, Jack (March 2019), "'Don't Tell Comedy' provides an inventive twist on the comedy club formula", The Stanford Daily, retrieved 28 June 2022
- ^ Jones, Kevin (31 May 2019), "Don't Tell Comedy brings mystery and a new audience to live comedy", SF Chronicle Datebook, retrieved 28 June 2022
- ^ "Don't Tell Comedy YouTube channel", Youtube, retrieved 20 June 2022
- ^ "Danny Jolles - 6 Parts (Full Comedy Special)", Youtube, 23 March 2021, retrieved 28 June 2022
- ^ Zinoman, Jason (17 December 2021), "Best Comedy of 2021", The New York Times, retrieved 28 June 2022
- ^ Bloom, David. "Danny Jolles Sees Both Sides Now In Interactive Comedy Special On YouTube". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ Pandya, Hershal (28 June 2022), "This Weed Joke Is As Potent As Today's Weed", Vulture, retrieved 28 June 2022
- ^ "Maybe some people don't know who Ralph Barbosa is, but the comedy world is about to learn". Los Angeles Times. 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (2023-09-20). "Comedian Ralph Barbosa Sets Fall Launch For First Netflix Special 'Cowabunga'". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
- ^ Alter, Rebecca; Clark, Anne Victoria; Fox, Jesse David; Frank, Jason P.; Kroeger, Jake; Pandya, Hershal; VanArendonk, Kathryn (2023-10-02). "The Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2023". Vulture. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (2023-10-23). "'Verified Stand-Up' Series Sets Netflix Premiere Date; Asif Ali, Dulcé Sloan, Rosebud Baker & Sabrina Wu Among Performers". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
- ^ Humphrey, Julia (2023-10-23). "Netflix Announces New Comedy Special 'Verified Stand-Up'". Collider. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ a b Asmelash, Leah (2024-09-08). "Don't Tell Comedy is changing stand-up. Comics say that's a good thing". CNN. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
- ^ Tinoco, Armando (2024-06-18). "Hannah Berner's 'We Ride At Dawn' Comedy Special Gets Premiere Date On Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ "'Hannah Berner: We Ride At Dawn' Netflix Special Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (2024-07-15). "How Hannah Berner Went from Bravo to TikTok to Hit Netflix Stand-Up Special". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
