Bert, a Big Woodchuck, sketch kings, and one cool Katt are among the amusing arrivals.
By Pete Humes
Need a reason to pack your calendar with live comedy this spring? Here’s one that’s better than a doctor’s note: Laughing is good for you.
Ridiculously good.
No joke. Laughter unleashes a cascade of positive physical and emotional changes. Giggles and guffaws boost immunity and increase antibodies. Titters and tee-hees release endorphins.
Laughter increases blood flow. Relieves tension and stress. It leaves your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after the comic says goodnight.
A well-landed punchline stimulates the production of serotonin and dopamine to reduce depression and anxiety. Most remarkably, laughter strengthens human connection by triggering the release of oxytocin, which boosts trust and empathy.
The list that follows is packed with overachievers—relentlessly funny folks who have found success beyond the standup stage in TV, movies, books, and podcasts.
These hilarious heavyweights are coming to town to share the healing power of humor. They are arriving to make you laugh so hard you cry. And at least one of them will do so without a shirt.
Bert Kreischer Wants Permission to Party
These days, some comedians operate more like media moguls and entrepreneurs, with limitless ambition and energy. One of those comedians is the bearded, bare-chested, barrel-bellied, non-stop party machine known as Bert Kreischer.
Back in 1997, Rolling Stone “discovered” Kreischer while he was a fun-loving college student at Florida State University. The article dubbed him the “top party animal at the number one party school in America.” That nod of notoriety lit the fuse for his future in comedy.
Kreischer’s giddy, good-time energy translated well to stand-up and storytelling. He grew his audience one gig at a time in clubs and on talk shows. And those comedy chops served him well as the host of Discovery Channel shows Bert the Conqueror and Hurt Bert, where the Tampa native faced bulls, sharks, and rollercoasters.
Besides his penchant for performing shirtless, Kreischer is probably best known for “The Machine,” an outrageous stand-up story about a train robbery and the Russian mob. The bit went viral, and his comedy career exploded.
Since then, he’s kept busy with a string of hit Netflix specials, the top-rated podcasts Bertcast and 2 Bears, 1 Cave (with Tom Segura), and 2023’s The Machine, a big-screen action-comedy based on his infamous story. He launched his own vodka brand, Por Osos (also with Segura). He founded “Fully Loaded,” a touring outdoor comedy festival that sets up in ballparks and arenas, and the “Fully Loaded at Sea” comedy cruise. And now he’s finally getting around to starring in his own sitcom.
Free Bert, his new scripted comedy series (loosely based on his real life and family) premiered on Netflix in January.
Lucky for us, he still finds time to get half-naked and tell jokes.
Show:
Bert Kreischer: Permission to Party World Tour, March 5, Chartway Arena, Norfolk
Tickets: chartwayarena.com/events
Tommy Davidson Wants You to Laugh
In 1990, there was only one sketch comedy cast funny enough to give SNL a run for its money: In Living Color.
Tommy Davidson was there from day one and stayed for the full five-year run. He held his own in sketches with superstars such as Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, and Jamie Foxx.
Davidson began his career as a standup in Washington, D.C., opening for artists such as Patti LaBelle and Kenny G. He ventured to Los Angeles in the late ’80s, where he met the right people at the right time. A few years later, he was on Fox doing impressions of Sammy Davis Jr. and Michael Jackson for 20 million viewers every week.
Davidson made the move to film with the comedies Strictly Business, Booty Call, and an unforgettable appearance in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.
Over the past 30 years, he’s stayed busy on TV in reality shows, game shows, and sitcoms. You can hear his voice on animated shows such as The Proud Family and Black Dynamite. And you can even listen to his original songs, including a collaboration with members of Earth, Wind & Fire.
But if you want Tommy Davidson to make you laugh in person?
You’ll need to get a ticket to one of his shows in Virginia Beach.
Shows:
Tommy Davidson, March 27-28, Funny Bone, Virginia Beach
Tickets:
vb.funnybone.com/shows
David Spade Has a Feel for It
David Spade joined Saturday Night Live in 1990 as a cast member and writer. Best known for characters such as the rude flight attendant (“Buh-bye”) and the condescending, headset-wearing receptionist (“And YOU are?”), Spade’s biggest hits were his smarmy swipes at pop culture.
Long before Comedy Centralroast jokes and Ricky Gervais award show monologues were considered the most lethal form of celebrity takedown, there was Spade’s Hollywood Minute.
When Spade rolled his chair up to the Weekend Update desk, stars watching at home braced for impact. His wit was quick, his sarcasm was thick, and the more the audience groaned, the higher he cocked his eyebrow.
He had memorable partnerships with fellow cast members Chris Farley and Adam Sandler. Spade and Farley caught comedy lightning in a bottle for Tommy Boy (1995) and Black Sheep (1996). And over the past 20 years, Spade has been a staple of Sandler’s stable of supporting players in films such as Grown Ups and Hotel Transylvania.
On his own, Spade parlayed his snarky, wisecracking persona into successful runs on sitcoms such as Just Shoot Me!, 8 Simple Rules, and Rules of Engagement. His latest special, Dandelion, is available on Prime Video. And every week, he co-hosts the Fly on the Wall podcastwith fellow SNL alum Dana Carvey.
Has Mr. Spade mellowed with age and embraced the idea that if you don’t have anything nice to say, then you shouldn’t say anything at all?
Hopefully not. Fortunately, you have a chance to find out for yourself.
Show:
David Spade: I Got a Feel for It, March 28, Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Tickets:
sevenvenues.com/events/detail/david-spade
John Mulaney aka Mister Whatever
John Mulaney joined Saturday Night Live as a writer in 2008.
In four years, he wrote a lot. Monologues for Justin Timberlake and Mick Jagger. A recurring sketch about a family who does too much kissing on the mouth. An elaborate musical number about ordering lobster at a diner (that got rejected and then resurrected years later when he returned to host).
But for diehard SNL fans, his greatest achievement remains that he teamed with Bill Hader to create “Stefon,” a fidgety, giggly nightclub regular who has all the skinny on the hottest spots in NYC.
Once Mulaney stepped away from SNL, his standup took center stage. His first special dropped in 2012 and introduced him to the world as a suit-wearing, self-deprecating storyteller with wicked smart wit and impeccable timing.
Apart from an ill-fated sitcom in 2014 and a high-profile 2020 detour into rehab, Mulaney’s momentum has been relatively unhindered.
And even though he takes big swings at ambitious projects such as Broadway shows, musical variety specials, and experimental, live late-night talk shows, he always returns to the road to defend his reputation as one of the sharpest American standups working today.
Show:
John Mulaney: Mister Whatever, May 31, Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Tickets:
sevenvenues.com/events/detail/john-mulaney-2
The Golden Age of Katt Williams
In terms of breakout roles, it doesn’t get any splashier than playing a pimp in a Christmas movie.
Katt Williams got the world’s attention as Money Mike, the fast-talking hustler in Friday After Next. Williams stole just about every scene with his cartoonish swagger and technicolor wardrobe.
He held on to the attitude (and outfits) as his star rose with appearances on Nick Cannon’s MTV improv show Wild ’n Out. But it was his 2006 HBO special, The Pimp Chronicles Pt. 1, that certified him as a comedy heavyweight capable of selling out arenas.
The pimp persona gave Williams the power to command the stage with hyperactive charm while spouting street philosophy about serious social issues such as race, politics, and masculinity.
The specials kept coming, the tour bus kept rolling, and Williams even won a Primetime Emmy in 2018 for his dramatic role as “Uncle Willie” in FX’s Atlanta. But in 2024, his career turned a sharp corner after a three-hour interview on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast.
Williams used the sit-down to call out some of Hollywood’s most popular Black actors and comedians. He exposed behind-the-scenes secrets of show business and slayed more than a few celebrity sacred cows. The no-holds-barred conversation went viral and sparked his renaissance as a “Truth Teller.”
So, get ready for what should be—honestly—a great show.
Show:
Katt Williams: The Golden Age Tour, April 25, Scope Arena, Norfolk
Tickets:
sevenvenues.com/events/detail/katt-williams-4
Sherri Shepherd Makes It Make Sense
Sherri Shepherd once said, “Run towards that very thing that you fear, because there are amazing blessings on the other side.”
It’s not clear if she had a fear of comedy, but Shepherd headed full speed for that standup stage. By day, she worked as a legal secretary. By night, she was out killing it at the Los Angeles clubs.
And what do you know? There were blessings on the other side.
Shepherd gained momentum and notoriety on sitcoms such as The Jamie Foxx Show, Less Than Perfect,and Everybody Loves Raymond.
She brought her candid, high-energy personality to The View, co-hosting with Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters for seven seasons. And at the same time, she appeared as one of 30 Rock’s most iconic recurring characters, Angie Jordan, the reality star wife of Tracy Morgan.
Shepherd hosted game shows, danced on Dancing with the Stars, sang in a mask on The Masked Singer, launched an award-winning podcast called Two Funny Mamas (with Kym Whitley), and launched her own nationally syndicated daytime talk show, appropriately called Sherri.
Shepherd doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but if you give her an hour or so, she’ll try to make it make sense.
Show:
Sherri Shepherd: Make It Make Sense Comedy Tour, April 24, Harrison Opera House, Norfolk
Tickets:
sevenvenues.com/events/detail/sherri-shepherd
Nick Offerman is a Big Woodchuck
It’s hard to find the line that separates the real Nick Offerman from his characters. They all share a face, a furrowed brow, and a steely, silent gaze that has the power to drain all male challengers of testosterone and confidence.
The actor came up in the Chicago theater scene, co-founding the Defiant Theatre and working as a master carpenter and fight choreographer at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. But as much as Offerman loved stage life, he could not resist the siren song of sitcoms.
In addition to guest spots on shows such as Gilmore Girls and George Lopez, he landed a role on Will & Grace, where he met his wife, Megan Mullally.
In 2009, Offerman joined Parks and Recreation, where he transformed himself into Ron Swanson, the government-hating, meat-loving bureaucrat. The character became a pop-culture phenomenon, cemented the actor’s deadpan, masculine persona, spawned hundreds of memes, and gave Tom Selleck serious competition in the race for “Greatest TV Mustache of All Time.”
After gifting us with seven seasons of Swanson, Offerman returned to his dramatic roots with roles on Fargo, Devs, and an Emmy-winning guest performance on HBO’s The Last of Us. Most recently, he portrayed U.S. President Chester A. Arthur in the Netflix limited series, Death By Lightning.
Offscreen, the actor is a serious craftsman who runs a woodshop in Los Angeles, building boats and custom furniture. He’s celebrated self-reliance and the art of working with your hands in several New York Times bestsellers, including Paddle Your Own Canoe, Gumption, and 2025’s Little Woodchucks, a guide to woodworking for young people.
Offerman’s current tour promises “an evening of comedy with woodworking and bookish mirth.”
And if I had a dollar for every time I was promised that…I’d have exactly one dollar.
Shows: Nick Offerman:
Big Woodchuck, two shows, April 10, Sandler Center, Virginia Beach
Tickets: sandlercenter.org/events/detail/nickofferman
Offerman Hams It Up for Virginia
Coastal Virginia Magazine: Virginia is home to Smithfield, aka the “Ham Capital of the World.” But Virginia country ham is aggressively salty. Is there such a thing as “too much salt” on cured meat, or is that just a sign of weakness?
Nick Offerman: “Friends, I have enjoyed (way too) many a peanut out of Virginia, those of the ‘blister’ variety; in fact, I have indulged in them to such a pleasurable extent whilst consuming beer and sports that I have been accused of swooning, an accusation I fulsomely deny. As a proper patriot, I can attest to exhibiting zero softness in my demeanor whatsoever, peanut-fueled or otherwise, as I am given to understand that the modern fashion for American masculinity requires absolutely no giggling at any time, and so to any of these so-called allegations of me behaving like a ‘schoolgirl tickled pink,’ I say fie, bless your heart, and I spit in your eye with my most manly spit, lousy with lethality! Like a man!
“As for this ‘ham’ you mention, I’m afraid I am not familiar. ‘Ham?’ Is this a foodstuff? A comestible? ‘Virginia country ham,’ you say? And it is an apparently salty cured meat? I fear I am once again standing before you, ignorant as the day is long. But, that phrase, ‘salty cured meat,’ has many things I would vote for. So, as a student of life, and a damn manly one at that, Coastal Virginia sir or madam, I would love to be able to answer your question with both vim and gusto, but in order to do so, I will need to wrap these macho teeth around some various slabs of this delicacy so that I might proffer a confident opinion worthy of your fine state, and the porcine luminaries of Smithfield. So please contact my virility coach and arrange a toothsome drop-off at the loading dock of the venue so that I might deliver you the respect you so deserve. Sincerely, a man.”
CVM: You played Chester A. Arthur in Death By Lightning. Virginia is known as the Mother of Presidents. Which former President would you most want to build a canoe with and why?
Offerman: “The quick and obvious answer would be Theodore Roosevelt, who was an avid and vivacious outdoorsman. We would build a canoe, likely out of cedar frames, birch bark, and spruce roots, sealed with pitch, then launch it in a lively river, but not too challenging, because I would want him to read aloud to me from Anna Karenina as I squired him downstream. How I would love to make camp and cook him up a few pounds of Virginia country ham and several dozen fresh duck eggs that I had been surreptitiously harvesting as I J-stroked us through the rushes along the ripple, and that is not a euphemism.”
—Pete Humes
