Comedy fans won't have to turn on their televisions this weekend to see Al Madrigal deliver his signature commentary on politics.
Madrigal, a regular correspondent on the Emmy Award-winning TV show The Daily Show with Jon Stewart since 2011, is set to perform standup this weekend at the Helium Comedy Club on 30 Mississippi St. in downtown Buffalo.
Viewers will have five chances to see Madrigal perform at Helium Thursday-Saturday. His performance Thursday will start at 10 p.m., followed by shows Friday at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. and one on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Madrigal has never been to Buffalo, though his wife has relatives from the area.
For 15 years, Madrigal has performed stand-up acts. His humor has earned him the opportunity to work alongside Stewart and a spot on the new NBC show About a Boy.
On the Daily Show, Madrigal plays a field correspondent that covers the aspects of Latino Studies in the Arizona region. His character calls into question the judgment of Puerto Ricans that want to be recognized as state in an economy that is dysfunctional.
Under the guidance of Stewart, his appearances on The Daily Show have helped him practice his standup and improvisation.
"I see [Stewart's] work ethic, his commitment to putting on a great show, I've never had a better mentor in terms of comedy," Madrigal said via telephone April 3. "He's really cool and I couldn't have had a better experience there."
Madrigal's recent work on the set of About a Boy takes viewers through the life of Andy, a stay-at-home dad on a tight leash held by his controlling wife.
The show is something that he says is a perfect opportunity.
"This is the most ideal situation for me in terms of as an actor," Madrigal said. "It allows me to riff and improvise a lot of my lines, and once I get the written dialogue, I get to have fun."
Fun is apparent when Madrigal performs.
Last April, Madrigal released an hour-long comedy skit that aired on Comedy Central titled Why is the Rabbit Crying? His small jokes and long tangents include stories of his daughter walking in on him in the bathroom during his "me time" and his collection of WiFi network names.
His ability to deliver jokes has earned him respect in the world of comedy. He has audience members rallying behind him by the end of the show.
Madrigal said he learned this skill from studying Bill Cosby. Madrigal tries to turn his little jokes into bigger, contextual tangents.
"In terms of being a storyteller, the voices and really acting out the bits, [there is] a lot in common," Madrigal said. "I swear, but I'm not filthy when it comes to content. I try to do stuff that my kids can eventually listen to."
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