San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
11 can’t-miss shows to catch at SF Sketchfest
SF Sketchfest is on track to celebrate its long-delayed 20th anniversary event this year, with an eclectic roster of comedy stars, events and surprises, set to fill San Francisco with gut-busting laughter over two weeks.
The event returns in-person Friday, Jan. 20, and runs through Feb. 5, after multiple COVID-related delays thwarted its official two-decade celebration in 2021 and its much-anticipated comeback originally set for 2022, which was postponed due to last winter’s COVID-19 surge.
While the festival did mark its two-decade run with a virtual Festpocalypse! — a more than three-hour-long live stream that showcased performances and appearances by festival veterans with a mix of archival footage — festival organizers are excited to bring back live comedy shows to nearly a dozen venues across the city from the Castro Theatre to PianoFight (though, for the first time, seven select events will also be offering a streaming option).
Among the marquee names on the lineup are Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, Fred Armisen, Dana Gould, David Alan Grier, Elliott Gould, Bruce Campbell, Bronson Pinchot, Christopher Guest, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Jane Lynch.
As usual, this year’s scheduled is loaded with hidden gems. Below are a few highlights from the action-packed festival:
S— Arcade
Mike Drucker is slated to host a live performance, where video game journalists and comedians play and discuss some of the worst video games of all time in front of an audience.
Guests include Stella Chung, Henry Gilbert, Bob Mackey, James Mwaura, Jalisa Robinson and Max Scoville.
10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20. PianoFight Mainstage, 144 Taylor St., S.F.
Porchlight: A Storytelling Series
Beth Lisick and Arline Klatte host San Francisco’s original storytelling series, bringing along the festival’s bold-name lineup for their cast of storytellers. Among this year’s guests are Atsuko Okatsuka, David Cross, Chris Garcia, Ify Nwadiwe and Irene Tu.
7 p.m. Jan. 21. Swedish American Hall, 2174 Market St., S.F.
Celebrity Autobiography
Comedians and celebrities read aloud from the ridiculous autobiographies of ridiculous celebrities. This show features new passages from memoirs of stars like Matthew McConaughey and Mariah Carey, as read by Beverly D’Angelo, John Michael Higgins, Laraine Newman, Oscar Nunez, Eugene Pack, Andy Richter, George Wendt and more.
7:30 p.m. Jan. 27. Cobb’s Comedy Club, 915 Columbus Ave., S.F.
Fred Armisen Residency
The “Portlandia” and “Documentary Now” star performs music and comedy, featuring a surprise guest musician, each of three nights of a residency billed as “comedy for bass players, but everyone is welcome.”
9 p.m. Jan. 27-28. 8 p.m. Jan. 29. Great American Music Hall 859 O’Farrell St., S.F.
‘A Mighty Wind’ 20th Anniversary
The stars of the 2003 folk music mockumentary “A Mighty Wind” — Christopher Guest, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Jane Lynch, John Michael Higgins and Michael Hitchcock — reunite for a conversation, moderated by Kevin Pollak.
The film hilariously chronicles a reunion concert by folk music acts the Folksmen, the New Main Street Singers and Mitch & Mickey.
1 p.m. Jan. 28. Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., S.F.
Will You Accept This Rose?
Actress, writer and comedian Arden Myrin shares her love for “The Bachelor,” which she calls the greatest comedy series of all time, with celebrity fans including Doug Benson, Paget Brewster, Mike Carrozza and Mary Lynn Rajskub, among others.
4 p.m. Jan. 28. Gateway Theatre, 215 Jackson St., S.F.
Sketchfest continues on G22