Mike Birbiglia
| Mike Birbiglia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Michael Birbiglia |
| Born | June 20, 1978 Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, United States |
| Medium | Stand up comedy |
| Nationality | Italian-American |
| Genres | Deadpan, Sarcasm |
| Subjects | Pop culture, every day life. |
| Website | birbigs.com |
Michael "Mike" Birbiglia (born June 20, 1978) is an Italian-American stand-up comic.
Early life
Birbiglia grew up in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. In his sophomore year at Georgetown University, Birbiglia won "The Funniest Man on Campus" contest, earning him the chance to perform at the D.C. Improv. He performed there for three years, while also holding down jobs at the ticket window, host podium and in the kitchen.
His involvement with Georgetown's Improv group led to many lasting friendships and encounters that provided fodder for his signature routines. His fellow troupe members included Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Ed Herro, Brian Donovan, Conrad Mulcahy, Jacqueline Novak and Alison Becker.
Upon graduation, he moved to New York City.
Career
A year after moving to New York, Birbiglia started performing in the city's club circuit, appeared on Comedy Central's Premium Blend. He was chosen to perform in the "New Faces" category of Montreal's prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, where he attracted the attention of the booker for Late Show with David Letterman. Lucien Hold, the late booker for the World Famous Comic Strip Live in New York City, championed Birbiglia's early career, and compared him to a young Jerry Seinfeld.
During the abovementioned tour, Birbiglia created six "Secret Public Journal" video vignettes which are available on Comedy Central's Motherload website. In fall 2006, he headlined the "Bob & Tom Comedy Tour" in theaters nationwide.
His off-Broadway show, Sleep Walk With Me, opened November 11, 2008 at the Bleecker Street Theater to rave reviews[1] from The New York Times, The New Yorker, The New York Post, Variety, and The Associated Press.
On August 2, 2008, during the Opie and Anthony Traveling Virus Comedy Tour, Birbiglia opened and was immediately booed by many audience members until he left the stage. On August 7, 2008, Gregg Hughes, the actor who plays Opie on the Opie and Anthony Show, told the audience that the August 2 show would be the tour's last, claiming that the audience boos comics for no reason and does not give them a chance to perform their act. [2]
Personal Life
Birbiglia has a sleep disorder known as rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD). Persons with this disorder can unexpectedly get up, walk, punch or kick, and even act out portions of dreams while asleep. To protect himself, he sleeps in a sleeping bag zipped all the way up, with special mittens so that he cannot escape when he sleeps. One of these episodes put him in life-threatening danger; he later related the story on the Bob & Tom Show, the Opie and Anthony Show and This American Life. One story he's related several times over the years is his staying at the La Quinta Inn in Walla Walla, Washington in the mid-1990s when he had a nightmare about a guided missile heading straight toward his hotel room. He leapt out of bed while still asleep and dove out the second floor window, sustaining minor injuries.
Birbiglia was married in June 2008 in a city hall ceremony in New York City, as announced on the Bob & Tom Show.
Discography
- Dog Years February 5, 2004
- my secret public album / volume 1a - December 13, 2005
- Two Drink Mike February 9, 2006
- My Secret Public Journal Live September 25, 2007
References
External links
