Ira Glass and "This American Life" will be filming Mike Birbligia at "Sleepwalk With Me" this Saturday, April 4th at both the 4pm and 8pm shows for the Showtime television series. Mike will be filmed on stage telling a bonus story that isn't usually in "Sleepwalk With Me" so this will be an added bonus for audiences.
After both shows, Mike will be welcoming Ira Glass to join him on stage for an "Awkward 10 Minutes With Mike."
Mike's episode on "This American Life" is scheduled to run in the coming months as part of the series last two episodes. As the show is going off the air, audiences attending either performance this Saturday will be part of history.
In "Awkward 10 Minutes With Mike," Mike Birbiglia interviews a new guest each week about a personal story that they're uncomfortable about discussing in public. "It's a fun add-on to the show because thematically, Sleepwalk With Me is about telling people the things we're not supposed to talk about," said Birbiglia. "It opens the whole thing up so it's not just about my stories but about everyone's stories. The only danger, of course, is that people will leave and say, 'my favorite part was when he talked to other people at the end!"
Upcoming guests include Nanette Burstein (Academy Award nominated Director; "The Kid Stays In The Picture," "American Teen," "Going the Distance") on April 3rd and Rue McClanahan ("The Golden Girls," Wicked, "Maude) on April 10th.
Past "Awkward 10 Minutes" guests have included Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Jonathan Ames. iIa is the first repeat guest, back by popular demand after he shared some behind the scenes stories of their "Scenes from a Mall" episode, where Ira was escorted out of the mall by security.
"This American Life" is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by Chicago Public Radio and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays, memoirs, field recordings, short fiction, and found footage. The first episode aired on November 17, 1995,[1] under the show's original title, Your Radio Playhouse.
A television program of the same name and basic structure of the radio program airs on the Showtime cable network, and features Ira Glass as the host and executive producer.
In his theatrical debut, comedian Mike Birbiglia takes the audience on a hysterically funny and intensely personal journey through his struggles with sleepwalking and his reluctance to confront his fears of love, honesty and growing up.
Sleepwalk With Me is the rare collision of comedy and theatre that touches your funny bone and tickles your heart.
Produced by Eli Gonda, Ryan Scott Warren, Mark Turtletaub, Peter Saraf & Nathan Lane and directed by Seth Barrish (The Tricky Part, Old Wicked Songs), the creative team includes set design by Beowulf Boritt (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, My Two and Only), lighting design by Jason Lyons (HurlyBurly, The Threepenny Opera) and sound design by Jim Corona (Movin' Out) and Jody Elff ("My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs," "Oddville").
"This is a project that I've been working on secretly for 4 years and my dream was always that it would cross over into theater," said Mike Birbiglia. "The fact that Seth Barrish is directing and these incredible producers believe in the show- it really feels like great timing in a way that I could never have imagined. Doing this show in NYC is a huge honor. It's also very convenient - roughly about 30 blocks from my apartment."
"Every once in a while, someone comes along who renews your faith in the art of stand-up comedy. It happened when I first saw Mitch Hedberg, and it happened again when I saw Mike Birbiglia" said Nathan Lane. "The energy in the room changes, and you realize you're in the presence of a fresh and original voice. And that is very rare. You know you're getting the real turtle soup, not merely the mock. Like any great comedian, it's hard to categorize Mike - he is his own unique creation. You should definitely just go see him, and get lost in his world. It's a fun and hilarious place to be."
