If you’re thinking that you just need a good laugh to shake off the doldrums, you’re in luck.
Our comedy cup runneth over with back-to-back ha-ha gigs at The Rialto Theatre and its sister venue 191 Toole this weekend, plus a weirdly bizarre yet entirely tempting comedy event Tuesday, Nov. 26, at Club Congress.
Get ‘Upper Classy’ with Cristella Alonzo
Standup comedian Cristela Alonzo opens the weekend on Friday, Nov. 22, when she brings her “Upper Classy” tour to The Rialto, 318 E. Congress St.
Latina comedian Cristella Alonzo brings her “Upper Classy” tour to The Rialto Theatre on Friday.
It’s the finale of her trilogy of Netflix comedy specials that started in 2017 with “Lower Classy,” with Alonzo skewering Latino stereotypes, pricey luxuries and her mother’s tough-love parenting. She followed up with “Middle Classy” in 2022, which found her with a little more pocket change after becoming the first Latina to write, produce and star in her own sitcom. “Cristela” ran on ABC for 22 episodes in the 2014-15 TV season.
“Upper Classy: When You Can Put Your Bills On Autopay” hits Netflix next year, which means the tour is a dress rehearsal. We get to hear the Texas native’s jokes before the special hits the mega streamer.
Alonzo goes on stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29.50-$44 through rialtotheatre.com.
Going down the road with that guy
When you see comedian Todd Barry take the 191 Toole stage on Saturday, Nov. 23, you might find yourself wondering, “Why does he look so familiar?”
Then it will hit you: He’s that guy, the one with the mostly bit parts in a dozen-plus movies, including Sarah Silverman’s 1997 debut “Who’s the Caboose?” and TV shows including “Sex and the City,” “Spin City” and the FX dramcom “Louie.”
Standup Todd Barry has that “don’t I know you” face. He brings “Domestic Shorthair” to 191 Toole on Saturday.
Barry, known for his deadpan delivery, self-deprecation and observational comedy, is touring on his latest comedy special, “Domestic Longhair.” In it, Barry brags about his celebrity status to the point, says longtime comedy observer and writer Seth Simons, that he strikes “a deliciously smug tone that may only be possible when that status is, well, a joke.”
Barry is set to perform at 7 p.m. at 191 Toole, 191 E. Toole Ave. Tickets are $25-$30 through rialtotheatre.com and it’s a 21-and-older show.
‘Switch’ returns to Congress
Call it “comedy on the fly,” where audience members text suggestions to comedians on stage, and those comedians come up with a joke on the spot.
That’s the premise of “The Switch Comedy Show” at Club Congress on Tuesday, Nov. 26, with hosts/comedians Matt Ziemak and Autumn Horvat.
We can think of a few things that would make for good comedy fodder, from summer overstaying its welcome to the recent elections and the POTUS-elect’s star-studded cabinet picks.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and “Switch” starts at 8 at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Admission is free; details and tickets are available at hotelcongress.com.
