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Event Program
THUR, OCT 12
FEATURING
John Fugelsang, Matt Goldich, Aminah Imani,
Ely Kreimendahl, Mark Normand, & Justin Williams
HOSTED BY MATT LOVE
John Fugelsang is a political commentator, comedian, TV and radio personality, performer, and writer. He was the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos and has appeared frequently on news commentary shows on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News, and NPR. Currently, he hosts Tell Me Everything on the SiriusXM Insight Channel. He appears in the features The Girl on the Train, Maggie Black, and The Whole Truth. In 2016, his film Dream On was named Best Documentary at the New York Independent Film Festival.
John Fugelsang is a political commentator, comedian, TV and radio personality, performer, and writer. He was the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos and has appeared frequently on news commentary shows on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News, and NPR. Currently, he hosts Tell Me Everything on the SiriusXM Insight Channel. He appears in the features The Girl on the Train, Maggie Black, and The Whole Truth. In 2016, his film Dream On was named Best Documentary at the New York Independent Film Festival.
Matt Goldich currently writes for Late Night with Seth Meyers, and he has also contributed to The Late Show with David Letterman, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and the Emmy Awards. As a stand-up comedian, he has been featured on Premium Blend, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and @midnight. Goldich performs live from coast to coast; his one-man show, What If This Is The Best I Can Do?, debuted earlier this year.
Matt Goldich currently writes for Late Night with Seth Meyers, and he has also contributed to The Late Show with David Letterman, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and the Emmy Awards. As a stand-up comedian, he has been featured on Premium Blend, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and @midnight. Goldich performs live from coast to coast; his one-man show, What If This Is The Best I Can Do?, debuted earlier this year.
Aminah Imani is a stand-up comedian, host, and actress. On screen, she's appeared in Inside Amy Schumer, Flatbush Misdemeanors, Up Early Tonight, and contributed to the online publications Scary Mommy, Buzzfeed, and Viceland. Imani has performed live at Lincoln Center, the Apollo Theater, the DC Comedy Festival, and the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, where she was named a New Face of Comedy in 2023.
Aminah Imani is a stand-up comedian, host, and actress. On screen, she's appeared in Inside Amy Schumer, Flatbush Misdemeanors, Up Early Tonight, and contributed to the online publications Scary Mommy, Buzzfeed, and Viceland. Imani has performed live at Lincoln Center, the Apollo Theater, the DC Comedy Festival, and the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, where she was named a New Face of Comedy in 2023.
Ely Kreimendahl is a Brooklyn-based writer, stand up comic, and host of the podcast Shame Spiral. She has been featured on Funny Or Die, is a contributor for Romper, Humor Darling, and Cracked, and is the co-host/producer of Gay Shame, a monthly queer stand-up comedy show at Littlefield. She was a 2022 Lambda Literary Screenwriting Fellow, and a 2021 Resident Comedy Artist at Ars Nova Theater. Kreimendahl is also part of the founding team of New Roots (@newrootsartists), an LGBTQIA+ artist residency for comics and writers in Upstate New York.
Ely Kreimendahl is a Brooklyn-based writer, stand up comic, and host of the podcast Shame Spiral. She has been featured on Funny Or Die, is a contributor for Romper, Humor Darling, and Cracked, and is the co-host/producer of Gay Shame, a monthly queer stand-up comedy show at Littlefield. She was a 2022 Lambda Literary Screenwriting Fellow, and a 2021 Resident Comedy Artist at Ars Nova Theater. Kreimendahl is also part of the founding team of New Roots (@newrootsartists), an LGBTQIA+ artist residency for comics and writers in Upstate New York.
Mark Normand is a comedian and actor. His screen credits include Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing, Horace and Pete, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, 2 Dope Queens, The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, @midnight, six appearances on Conan, his one-hour Comedy Central special Don't Be Yourself, and most recently his Netflix special Soup to Nuts. Normand was voted the Best Comedian of 2013 by The Village Voice, won the Great American Comedy Festival competition in 2016, and performs live nationwide. He currently co-hosts the podcasts Tuesdays with Stories and We Might Be Drunk.
Mark Normand is a comedian and actor. His screen credits include Inside Amy Schumer, Last Comic Standing, Horace and Pete, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, 2 Dope Queens, The Late Late Show with James Corden, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, @midnight, six appearances on Conan, his one-hour Comedy Central special Don't Be Yourself, and most recently his Netflix special Soup to Nuts. Normand was voted the Best Comedian of 2013 by The Village Voice, won the Great American Comedy Festival competition in 2016, and performs live nationwide. He currently co-hosts the podcasts Tuesdays with Stories and We Might Be Drunk.
Justin Williams is a stand-up comedian and filmmaker who performs live across the US and Canada. He has been featured on Comedy Central's Jokes.com, Mashable, Morning Buzz Live, The Kansas City Star, Trial by Laughter, The Comedy Show Show, and the comedic documentary Tasteless. He is the creator of the short film Justin Williams: Black and Comfortably Middle-Class, the documentary Newark: The Comedy, and the bestselling comedy album Mostly Woke. Williams currently co-hosts the Fraudsters podcast.
Justin Williams is a stand-up comedian and filmmaker who performs live across the US and Canada. He has been featured on Comedy Central's Jokes.com, Mashable, Morning Buzz Live, The Kansas City Star, Trial by Laughter, The Comedy Show Show, and the comedic documentary Tasteless. He is the creator of the short film Justin Williams: Black and Comfortably Middle-Class, the documentary Newark: The Comedy, and the bestselling comedy album Mostly Woke. Williams currently co-hosts the Fraudsters podcast.
Matthew Love is a performer and writer whose bylines have appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, LitHub, American Theatre, Village Voice, The Onion, AV Club, and Time Out New York, where he was formerly the Comedy and Books editor. He's currently a consulting producer for Selected Shorts and its spin-off podcast, Too Hot for Radio. He has interviewed or hosted shows featuring Chris Rock, David Byrne, Parker Posey, Jordan Peele, Stephen Colbert, Tig Notaro, and many, many more. Love is putting finishing touches on his “grandma noir” novel, Tough Old Birds.
Matthew Love is a performer and writer whose bylines have appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, LitHub, American Theatre, Village Voice, The Onion, AV Club, and Time Out New York, where he was formerly the Comedy and Books editor. He's currently a consulting producer for Selected Shorts and its spin-off podcast, Too Hot for Radio. He has interviewed or hosted shows featuring Chris Rock, David Byrne, Parker Posey, Jordan Peele, Stephen Colbert, Tig Notaro, and many, many more. Love is putting finishing touches on his “grandma noir” novel, Tough Old Birds.
Uptown Showdown is made possible thanks to the generous support of Susan Bay Nimoy, Estate of Douglas M. Matheson, Seedlings Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, MacMillan Family Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Charina Endowment Fund, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, PECO Foundation, Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina, Mustang Foundation, Michael Tuch Foundation, Jody and John Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation, The Grodzins Fund, and The Isambard Kingdom Brunel Society of North America.
This program is also made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
Symphony Space thanks our generous supporters, including our Board of Directors, Producers Circle, and members, who make our programs possible with their annual support.
Kathy Landau Executive Director
Peg Wreen Managing Director
Isaiah Sheffer*
Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director (1978-1988)
Artistic Director (1988-2010)
Founding Artistic Director (2010-2012)
Allan Miller
Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director (1978-1988)
Jennifer Brennan Director of Literary Programs
Drew Richardson Lead Producer of Literary Programs
Vivienne Woodward Producer of Literary Programs
Mary Shimkin Director of Broadcast & Literary Initiatives
Matthew Love Consultant for Literary Programs
Magdalene Wrobleski Literary Assistant
Sophia Raimondi Literary Intern
Lulu Chatterjee Literary Intern
*in memoriam