Corporate comedians from The Ivy League of Comedy who have appeared on Late Night with David Letterman or The Late Show with David Letterman. Hilarious, clean and yet surprisingly affordable for your corporate or charity event. Live or virtual.
You’ve seen us on TV! Here are just some of the many great comedians available. A more comprehensive list of comedians is here. Also great for Theatres and Performing Arts Centers, Team-building Exercises & Off-sites, Government & Military Groups, Fraternal & Service Organizations, Alumni Groups, Law Firms, Awards Dinners and even Private Parties. And our expert advice is free.
Nick Griffin
Originally from Kansas City, Nick Griffin has appeared on Conan, The Late Late Show, in his own half-hour Comedy Central special and was featured on The Late Show with David Letterman eleven times.
A comic for more than 25 years, Griffin’s smart, sarcastic and hilarious style makes him one of the most well-respected in the business.
Click to book Nick Griffin or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Andy Pitz
Comedian Andy Pitz performs clean comedy but not that boring kind. It’s fresh, relatable and very funny. Andy talks about his thirty-plus years in standup, a long marriage to a neurotic woman, and small everyday things like how the world is perceived by our weird human mind. Andy can do this in a funny way even though he is not famous. Look at his picture. “I think I saw this guy at a comedy club one time…” Yes, you probably have. Andy’s been based in New York City since 1997 and has been performing professionally since 1991.
In 2003 Andy made his television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman, and a month later he was on CBS’s Star Search, where he was eliminated from the semi-finals in a total ripoff. Andy also did standup in 2007 on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson where he was asked to sign the guest book backstage. Sweet.
Having clean material allows Andy to work for a wide range of audiences. Standup comedy venues enjoy his energy and uniqueness. The corporate show crowd and even houses of worship appreciate cleaner subject matter and shows where anyone could be there and have fun.
Andy’s second live comedy recording, “More Mr. Nice Guy”, was released in November 2010 and is played in heavy rotation on Sirius Satellite Radio’s clean comedy station “Laugh USA”.
In and around New York City, Andy performs at the most well-known clubs and also the more obscure rooms, with the goal of working at least four nights a week. He could be at Comic Strip Live, Gotham Comedy Club, Dangerfield’s, or the Underground Lounge, Zinc Bar, or a youth hostel on any given weekday evening.
When road trips happen they are headlining engagements across the U.S. and Canada. Andy has toured China, performed in Woodstock, New York and it’s very likely he’s appeared in the Netherlands.
Click to book Andy Pitz or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Cory Kahaney
Cory is every woman. Mother, daughter, wife… ex-wife. She has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Show with David Letterman, made her fifth appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and a new TV special for Nick Mom. Cory appeared in the first season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing and made it to the finale, where host Jay Mohr called her performance “flawless.” Other television credits include Comedy Central Presents: Cory Kahaney, The View, and many episodes of Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.
Click to Book Cory Kahaney or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Jon Fisch
Jon has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Show with David Letterman, has been featured in Maxim Magazine, and was the host of the widely popular podcast, “In the Tank”. A prolific monologist with universal appeal, Jon focuses on the idiosyncrasies of city living. Shortly after moving to NYC from his native Boston, he was chosen as one of Comedy Central’s Fresh Faces of Comedy and named one of Back Stage Magazine’s 10 Standout Stand-ups.
His appearance on Last Comic Standing 4, where he was the New York City Capital One Audience Favorite, earned him wide recognition and a new legion of fans. His other TV appearances include Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, VH1, Celebrity Apprentice, and 3 Men and a Chick Flick on the WE Network where he served as a host. Interestingly, the credit people seem most impressed by was that he was handpicked to open for Jerry Seinfeld in 2009 at Gotham Comedy Club.
Jon has performed at multiple festivals including the 2007 HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen and the 2010 Great American Comedy Festival at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk, Nebraska. In addition, he was a critical favorite at the prestigious Montreal “Just for Laughs” Festival where he appeared in both the “New Faces” showcase and the Club Series show “Dating It.” Following his impressive performances, Jon was singled out by the Hollywood Reporter and the Montreal Gazette as a “stand out performer.”
Jon also tours the country performing in theaters and colleges, corporate events and clubs. A staple in the NYC scene, he is a favorite at Gotham Comedy Club, the Comedy Cellar, and the World Famous Comic Strip Live.
Book Jon Fisch or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Carmen Lynch
Comedian Carmen Lynch grew up in Virginia & Spain and performs in both English and Spanish.
Carmen Lynch is a NYC-based comedian who has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and twice on The Late Show with David Letterman, plus Conan and the Late Late Show. She’s been a semi-finalist on Last Comic Standing and has performed several times for the troops in Iraq and Kuwait.
Click to book Carmen Lynch or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Moody McCarthy
After appearances on Letterman, Last Comic Standing and Jimmy Kimmel Live, Moody McCarthy is no longer a well-kept secret. (After an appearance on the re-vamped Star Search, he still was.) With sharp, versatile material and an old-school ethic, Moody has performed all over North America and Asia and left them wanting more (as in “Bravo!”, not “We were ripped!”).
Moody began his career in Syracuse, NY, in the 1900s and quickly established himself as a keen monologist. Now based in New York City, he’s become a regular in the town’s best rooms and grown into an act that thrives in any setting, from upscale country clubs to divey pubs. Weaving sly topical jokes with crafty material and a dash of crowd-work, Moody’s likeability shines in any setting.
Moody McCarthy: few people hate him!
Click to book Moody McCarthy or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Jimmy Brogan
In 1975 Jimmy Brogan realized he had a fear of heights and gave up on his dream of becoming a Human Fly. He turned his attention to standup comedy. He did guest appearances on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman.
He starred in a sitcom called Out of the Blue (ABC). He hosted Laffathon (Showtime), Comic Strip Live (Fox) and You Asked For It, Again (Family Channel). The perfectionist that he is, he won’t be satisfied until he has been cancelled by all the networks.
Deciding that he could save a few dollars by not hiring a lawyer, he worked for nine years as an indentured servant on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Since leaving The Tonight Show, Jimmy has been busier than ever. Besides doing his standup, he has written two movies and seen three others.
He also was a creative consultant on Yakov Smirnoff’s one-man Broadway show, As Long As We Both Shall Laugh. He found out exactly how long we both shall laugh. It was 24 performances.
Click to book Jimmy Brogan or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Ted Alexandro
Ted has performed on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, The View and two half-hour specials on Comedy Central.
Ted has performed internationally in Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Jakarta, England, Holland, Israel and Qatar.
Ted has appeared on the television shows “Oz”, “Dr. Katz” and “Louie”.
Click to book Ted Alexandro or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Joe Matarese
Joe Matarese grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ and now lives with his wife and 2 kids just minutes outside of NYC in the burbs. His completely autobiographical act pokes fun at his subtly dysfunctional Italian family, his own neuroses, life with young kids, and his marriage to a psychologist (his perfect match). Joe’s talent for turning real life struggles into comedic gems has landed him appearances on the most sought after TV, radio shows, and podcasts including The Late Show with David Letterman, America’s Got Talent (where he received a standing ovation from all 4 celebrity judges and the 2000 person crowd), Chelsea Lately, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central Presents (his very own ½ hour special), The Howard Stern Show, and more. You may also recognize him from Bravo’s reality series Better Half where he taught his wife to perform standup and she brought home the $20,000 prize. Joe has hit the stage four times at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival, leading to two development deals with major television networks. Joe is a regular on Artie Lange’s and Nick DiPaolo’s hit podcasts, and has his own weekly hit podcast called Fixing Joe where he, his celebrity guests, and his fans help fix each other’s issues. This hit podcast was recently turned into a 13 episode web series called Fixing Joe funded by Official Comedy. Check him out live – within minutes you will feel like your life is perfect!
Click to book Joe Matarese or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Jeff Caldwell
Jeff Caldwell is known to audiences nationwide as a clean, clever comedian with one of the brightest stand-up acts around.
Whether writing or performing, Jeff delivers smart, funny jokes on topics from the daily news to the daily grind, subtly tailoring his material to fit any audience.
He was tapped by CBS to develop his own sitcom and has had multiple appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and the debut episode of Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham.
His sharp innovative humor has won him sought-after guest spots on MSNBC and CNBC talk shows and tour performances with Jon Stewart.
Click to book Jeff Caldwell or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Dan Naturman
Dan began performing stand-up comedy several years ago in, believe it or not, law school. After graduation he decided to devote himself to stand-up full time. Comedy, he discovered, was his true passion. Besides, his grades were bad and nobody would hire him.
Dan’s charming combination of self-deprecation and outright grouchiness has had audiences howling from coast to coast and has earned him spots on The Tonight Show, Late Show with David Letterman and The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson as well as his own Comedy Central Presents special. In 2014 Dan was the only comedian voted into the semi-finals of America’s Got Talent.
Click to book Dan Naturman or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Ross Bennett
“I dropped out of West Point to become a comedian… probably the greatest service I will ever do for my country.”
MacArthur attended West Point and became a national hero. Eisenhower attended West Point and became the President of the United States. Ross Bennett attended West Point, dropped out and became a comedian.
The mid-70’s were a different era, and West Point was admitting a different kind of cadet when Ross Bennett was sworn in on July 8, 1975. But by 1977 Ross had decided that he wanted to take aim and fire jokes at nightclub audiences. So he undertook a giant career change, he dropped out of West Point, and landed right square in the middle of the comedy explosion that was taking America by storm.
For 30 years Ross has led a comedy attack. Armed with an expressive delivery and real life topics. Growing up with a father who was a Marine Colonel (a nice mellow guy!), grade school snow days, disastrous golf games, catastrophic water skiing outings and middle age medical procedures. Ross Bennett is a high-powered performer who takes his act to the audience and comes back with a victory every time! Seen on dozens of television shows, including The Late Show with David Letterman, 5 appearances on Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and 4 appearances on An Evening at the Improv.
Click to book Ross Bennett or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Originally from Nashville, TN, Keith now lives in New York City. He’s been seen on The Late Show with David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has done several tours for US troops in the Middle East.
Inspired by family, marriage, and idiosyncrasies in life that often go unnoticed, Keith mixes playful sarcasm with a southern charm and has become a favorite at comedy clubs across the country.
Click to book Keith Alberstadt or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Al Lubel
Al Lubel became a lawyer to please his mother and a comedian to please himself (which did not please his mother). After graduating from law school in Florida, Al moved to Los Angeles, passed the California Bar Exam on his first try and wouldn’t you know it, immediately began the practice of stand-up comedy.
Lawyer by day and comedian by night, Al was doing justice to neither. At comedy clubs, the crowds would stare, in court, the juries would laugh. Al gradually began getting work on the road, soon becoming a full-time comic. “I realized I had to give up the practice of law when clients began calling me for legal advice at places like the St. Louis Funny Bone.”
So, Al quit the law. This was a good decision, because within a year he won the $100,000 Grand Prize for comedy on Star Search. Doing “The Tonight Show” was a childhood fantasy, so when Al heard that Johnny Carson was retiring, he auditioned and became one of the last comics to appear with Johnny. Al has made five appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Even though comedy is his first love, Al admits to missing the practice of law. “I’d like to have one more trial, something serious like a murder trial because as my client’s fate hangs in the balance I’d like to see his reaction when I whisper in his ear…I’m a comedian!”
“Al Lubel is a terrifically funny comedian.” – David Letterman
Click to Book Al Lubel or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Tom Ryan
Tom Ryan has been a full time standup comedian for over twenty years. He has made two appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman.
Tom Ryan works steadily at comedy clubs, concert venues, corporate functions and colleges across the U.S. In addition to his Letterman appearances, he has also been featured on Showtime, A&E, Comedy Central and NBC. He has performed as the opening act in concert for B.B. King, Natalie Cole, Jeff Beck, Earth, Wind and Fire, Aretha Franklin, Tim Allen, Steven Wright, Jerry Seinfeld, and Dennis Miller just to name a few.
His original style makes it easy for him to write for special events. He has contributed monologue jokes to the award winning “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher” and regularly headlines corporate events. Tom believes that the best comedy comes from the most unlikely sources. Here is an example from his act: “I was driving around the other day and my oil light came on. But that little symbol looks nothing like an oil can. When it first came on I thought well, apparently my car is low on gravy.”
Click to book Tom Ryan or call or text (914) It’s Funny (914 487-3866).
Some FAQs
How much do your shows or comedians cost?
+
The cost of a comedy show depends on location. Almost all of us from The Ivy League of Comedy are in the New York City or Los Angeles area. If we can drive there and not stay overnight, it's less expensive. If we have to fly and stay overnight, we have to build that into the cost.
The cost of a comedy show for a theatre depends on how many seats.
The cost of hiring a comedian for a corporate event depends on when, where, how many attendees, and which comedian. We're not all the same price. We are quite good at meeting a variety of budgets.
The Ivy League of Comedy's fees for comedy shows for non-profits are much, much lower than for for-profit organizations and industry groups.
And most importantly, I'm not greedy. There are agencies that take most of the money for themselves and pay the comics very little. So the $5,000 (as an example) that you're paying? They're offering the comic $750. I'm a comic and I've seen that happen frequently. I don't ever want to be one of those selfish greedy awful guys. I'm not secretive. I'll tell the comic what the gig pays. There's nothing in my agreement that prohibits a comedian from discussing pay with the client.
Recently I had a comic tell me that for all the work I was doing on a particular gig I should take 15% instead of 10%. I appreciated the offer, but I refused. I got into this business by accident, basically to provide clean comedy shows and to get myself and my friends more work. Not to get rich. I make most of my money when I'm on stage.
So to not really answer your question, the best and easiest way to find out the cost of a comedy show is to call or write The Ivy League of Comedy and ask. I'll ask you where, when, for whom and how many and give you a quote.
Are travel and lodging expenses included in a comedian's fees, or are they billed separately?
+
Most comedians charge an additional fee for travel, but we at The Ivy League of Comedy generally like to quote a flat fee because that makes it easier for you, even though it adds risk for us as airfares and hotel costs change. But it also avoids any sort of figuring out what the costs actually are, if a comedian is coming from, or going to, somewhere other than home. And sometimes comics want to stay with a friend even though we tell them we'll pay for a hotel.
Oh, here's another example of my lack of greed. I booked a comic for a charity gig. I paid for the airline tickets. Then she booked a comedy club gig for the next night and said she'd split the airfare with me. I said no, you got another gig, that's great, let me just change the return date. I did have her cover the slightly higher cost for changing the ticket, but it was way less than half. She did the work to get more work and both of us were happy with that. Though I did appreciate her offer to split the airfare.
Should we hire a local comedian, or one who travels to us?
+
The wiseass answer is: That depends. Are you in New York or California? Unfortunately, most comics do gravitate towards the two cities that provide the most opportunities. Not only to get noticed by industry, but also to have lots of performing opportunities. There are a lot of comedy clubs in New York and Los Angeles, and they typically have a lot of shows every week and many comedians in each show. Your local comedy club has maybe four or five shows a week, it's the only one in town, and the show is two inexperienced local comics and someone who came in for the weekend.
When I'd been performing for only a few years I went on a trip to Europe. I performed and the audiences really liked me. More than I deserved, frankly, for my level of skill at the time. I found out that there were only two open-mic nights a week in that decently-sized city. No wonder they liked me. In just a few years I'd gotten more stage time than one could get in a lifetime in that city. In NYC if you hustle you can get to several open-mics a night, every night of the week.
(FYI: "stage time, stage time, stage time" is to comics what "location, location, location" is to real estate.)
My record for the most booked shows in a night (booked professional shows, not open-mics) is six. That's less than half the actual record for NYC.
So to get back to your question. I, or you, might find a comedian in your area who is a decent professional. And if you're looking for someone decent for a fundraiser, that'll probably be fine (but not as good as getting a really good comic who performs full-time and gets on stage a lot, in front of tough audiences). I suggest that you vet the comic as best you can.
But if you're looking for a comedian for a corporate event, one at which the audience didn't choose to be there, has already been sitting all day listening to strangers lecture them, and they'd really rather be at the bar bad-mouthing their boss, or flirting, or back home with their family, then that's a tough audience and you want someone with a lot of experience. Not a teacher or accountant who moonlights as a comedian.
There are a lot of talented musicians, many of whom work part-time as musicians and don't perform that often. That really doesn't work for comedians.
Sorry for the long answer, but I had a lot to say.
Oh, and if you have a local comic in mind I'm happy to offer my thoughts, even if you don't have the budget to even consider working with me.
Can you lower the cost by booking other shows on the same trip?
+
Oh, absolutely, if we're already traveling to your area, every show we get lowers everyone's cost. Often when I book one show I'll start looking for more in the area before I buy an airline ticket. And you can help with that. Do you belong to a country club? A house of worship? Do you have a favorite charity that could put together a comedy show fundraiser? We're happy to provide guidance.
Do you perform in small towns, or only in cities?
+
Comedians from The Ivy League of Comedy perform all over the world. Small towns, big cities, it doesn't matter. You'd be surprised how affordable a great comedian can be.
And no, we're not coming from NYC to tell jokes about subways and how much our rent is. We know that a joke about a $4,000-a-month apartment with no room for a couch isn't going to get a laugh when the audience pays $2,000 a month for a whole house. We know you'll think we're idiots. We don't want that.
Do corporate comedians charge differently based on whether the event is in-person or virtual?
+
Oh, absolutely! Virtual comedy shows are significantly less expensive than in-person shows. The Ivy League of Comedy's virtual comedy is way less expensive than even performing in person just across town.
How can I make sure a comedian's material will be clean enough for a corporate, church, synagogue, health care or senior audience?
+
The appropriateness of a comedian's material is often a main concern when booking a comedian for a corporate or charity event. And it's why I got into this business. People were saying "You're clean but the other comics at the club weren't. Where are the all-clean shows?" There weren't any, so I started putting them together and founded The Ivy League of Comedy.
We do shows in churches and synagogues, including for some very devout audiences. We've been doing this a long time. We're all very experienced clean comedians.
Can a comedian customize jokes for our event or roast our CEO or other executives?
+
If you're looking for comedians who can customize their jokes for your event or organization, comedians from The Ivy League of Comedy can. I (Shaun Eli, the owner) really don't like making fun of anybody in the audience unless the person being made fun of specifically asks for it in a private conversation. Most people really don't like being picked on, and one never knows until afterwards. And you can't always tell. So the best solution is to avoid picking on audience members.
Are clean comedians still funny without relying on profanity or edgy topics?
+
Yeah, that's kind of the point! There's nothing inherently funnier about dirty or edgy comedy. Sometimes a curse word helps a joke, but if the joke can't survive without it, it's probably not a very good joke.
Sometimes the laughter comes from the shock value of a dirty word or phrase rather than from something funny or clever. That's not what we at The Ivy League of Comedy do.
Can a comedian also act as the event emcee, auctioneer, or award ceremony host?
+
Most of us in The Ivy League of Comedy are also excellent emcees/hosts, and at least one of us is a trained auctioneer. Please mention this up front. I once showed up at a charity gig and most of the way through the show they asked me to auction off a couple of items. I'd never done it before and frankly I was a bit nervous. But I came up with some jokes that worked well for the items being auctioned.
They had me auctioning off the items that nobody bid on in the silent auction, and they were quite happy with how it worked out. I think we sold all but one, and remember that these were items that nobody had bid on.
How far in advance should we book a comedian or comedy show?
+
Typically we at The Ivy League of Comedy recommend three months in advance, but it depends on your event. If you have a last-minute need, call (don't email or text) and we'll see what we can do. Often the bigger issue is allowing you enough time to market your event to your audience/subscribers/congregation/donors. And three months is good for that.
When we book a show with several comedians, do you handle all the booking for every comedian?
+
Yes, The Ivy League of Comedy gives you a complete, turn-key event. We handle it all and make it as easy for you as possible.
Do we need an opener, a feature act and a headliner?
+
Depending on your event, it might be beneficial to have more than one comedian. A corporate event is typically one comedian for maybe a half-hour. A golf club show or a charity fundraiser is often 3 comedians for a 90 minute show.
But it doesn't have to be the typical comedy club structure of an opener for 15 minutes, a middle act for 30 and a headliner for 45. That's just how comedy club shows in America have evolved, partially just because of the economics of running a comedy club. And audiences have grown to accept it (not like they have a lot of choice). The Ivy League of Comedy shows are all headliners. All very experienced comedians, any of whom could easily perform great material for over an hour. It doesn't cost that much more money to have a way stronger show. In fact it may not cost any more money, because the guy in charge isn't greedy. He isn't lusting after a bigger boat. He doesn't even have a boat.
Can we ask comedians to avoid certain topics at our event?
+
Sure, but tell us in advance! No comedian wants to be about to go on stage and be handed a list of topics to avoid, and have to remember this when they're performing. The comedians from The Ivy League of Comedy have decades of experience and a lot of material on a lot of different topics.
What ages are stand-up comedy shows for?
+
Stand-up comedy shows are not for little kids, because they won't understand the show and they'll get bored. For a clean show, our best estimate is 14 and up, with the proviso that a 14-year-old probably won't appreciate the show as much as the adults will. But in general we at The Ivy League of Comedy try to avoid cultural references that only certain groups or ages will understand.
What if the comic gets sick the day of our event, or has to cancel?
+
So far in more than two decades running The Ivy League of Comedy, a comic getting sick has happened only a few times (we're healthy people; we get a lot of sleep). We have a roster of good, responsive comedians so when it has happened we got someone else very quickly. If a comedian cancels, I never want to be accused of bait-and-switch so I will try to get someone at least a little more famous, even if I lose money on it.
And here is something we do that no one else does, and it's in my contract. My contract says that if we show up with fewer comedians than the contract calls for, we will endeavor to give you the same length and quality of show, but will pro-rate the fee based on the number of comedians. What that means is, if it's a 90-minute, 3-comic show, and someone gets sick at the last minute, we will give you the same 90-minute show but you'll pay only 2/3 of the price. That's one great benefit of my working with true headliners: we can all perform top-quality material for much longer than we're expected to.