Pickles & Giggles comedy show brings power of Picklesburgh into Downtown

Rojo Perez is one of four headliners for the Pickles & Giggles Comedy Showcase, slated for 8 p.m. Thursday on the eve of Picklesburgh in the Byham Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Presented by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, in conjunction with the National Comedy Center of Jamestown, N.Y., it’s the first comedy show associated with the celebration of all things pickled, scheduled for July 15-17.

Based in New York City, Perez centers his set on things like growing up in Puerto Rico, family life, relationships and “where I feel we’re at in the moment” as a society.

“And we’re gonna talk about pickles. That’s the whole reason we’re going,” he said. “Somebody said something about pickle ice cream, and I don’t know how I feel about that.

“I’m ready to give it a whirl, but I’m bringing my Tums.”

The comedy night is part of PDP’s mission to expand festival offerings and “to bring the power of the pickle further into downtown,” said Russell Howard, the organization’s vice president of special events and development.

“It’s a quirky event. It’s quirky in its food, it’s quirky in its persona, it’s quirky in its uniqueness to Pittsburgh as part of the city’s fabric,” he said. “Quirky and funny are close cousins, so there’s a very organic fit there.”

Working together on the show benefits both PDP and the comedy center, Howard said.

“They have a level of expertise, experience and, frankly, gravitas, that they bring to the party,” he said. “This isn’t a market where they’ve been incredibly active, so this was an opportunity for exposure.”

Dedicated to chronicling all aspects of the history of American comedy, the center opened in 2018. In 2019, it was designated as the United States’ official cultural institution and museum dedicated to comedy by Congress.

“It makes sense to partner with Picklesburgh,” said Journey Gunderson, NCC executive director “At just 2½ hours away, its one of the closest drive markets to us.”

She expects a good turnout for Pickles & Giggles.

“Pittsburgh has a unique affinity for comedy. Pittsburgh knows good comedy, appreciates good comedy and likes to laugh,” she said. “It seems like Pittsburgh almost fights above its weight when it comes to the comedy scene.”

Talent for the show was curated from comedians making the rounds of late-night television talk shows and the best comedy clubs around the country, she said.

‘Pickles & Giggles’ bill

Perez first attempted stand-up while in college in Florida, joining a friend who was already a veteran of open mic nights.

“I did horribly and my friend won $50 for the best set of the night,” he said. “It was the quietest car ride back to campus that I’ve ever been on.”

Things obviously have improved since then.

In 2017, he made his late-night television debut on TBS’s “Conan.” He recently received a standing ovation on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” He was featured on Huffington Post’s inaugural LatinX stand-up special and Comedy Central’s “Funny ‘Cause It’s True.”

Joining Perez on the “Pickles & Giggles” bill are:

• Jackie Fabulous, a semifinalist on the 2019 season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and has since been featured on the network’s “Last Comic Standing,” along with “Gotham Comedy Live,” “The Arsenio Hall Show” and Kevin Hart’s LOL Network. Born Jacqueline J. Champagnie in The Bronx, New York, to a Jamaican immigrant family, she also is a law school graduate.

• Sammy Obeid, who turned down a job at Google to be a comedian. A Lebanese-Palestinian American, born in Oakland, Calif., Obeid hosts “100 Humans on Netflix.” He’s also appeared on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and “America’s Got Talent,” as well as TBS’s “Conan.” He holds a world record for performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row.

• Steven Rogers, who has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” He has a popular anxiety-themed podcast with fellow comedian Andrew Schiavone called “Panic Attacking.” His new album, “Before He Was Super,” was taped at the National Comedy Center and debuted at number one on iTunes.

The show will open with three local comedians, Samantha Bentley, Collin Chamberlin and Chrissy Costa, programmed by Arcade Comedy Theater in downtown Pittsburgh. Arcade Comedy also will host pickle-themed stand-up and improv shows on July 15 and 16, to coincide with Picklesburgh. Tickets are available at arcadecomedytheater.com.

Tickets for Pickles & Giggles start at $20 at picklesburgh.com. Tickets include half-off admission to the National Comedy Center, along with $10 “Dollar Dills” to spend on drinks or merchandise at Picklesburgh.

“The ticket for the show basically pays for itself,” Gunderson said. “It’s a great deal and a win-win for everybody.”