Alex Edelman brings his new comedy show to Pittsburgh: Expect Pesach jokes and big laughs

In the last year, Alex Edelman won both a Tony and an Emmy for his show “Just For Us.” The show had an extended run on Broadway and aired as an HBO special.

Not bad for a young Jewish day school alum.

Inspired by a meeting of white nationalists that Edelman attended in New York several years ago, “Just For Us” examined serious questions of identity and assimilation.

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It was also really funny.

Winning both a Tony and an Emmy was, “surreal,” Edelman said, speaking by Zoom from his home in New York. “It was very crazy, very cool, just discombobulating in some ways. You know, you never expect to write something and for it to have that type of effect. It was so special.”

Raised Orthodox in Boston, the 35-year-old entertainer infused “Just For Us” with lots of Jewish humor, but the show appealed to a wide demographic. Edelman has a frenetic physical energy, which is pure joy to watch, even when he is riffing on heavy topics such as racism and antisemitism.

He is bringing his new show, “What Are You Going to Do,” to the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland on April 17. So far, the tour is scheduled to hit just 13 cities. Edelman specifically earmarked Pittsburgh as one of his stops. While he has cousins who live in Squirrel Hill, he said, he has never before performed here.

“Pittsburgh is known as a pretty good comedy city,” Edelman said. “I’m very excited to go.”

When asked if his new show will be as Jewish as “Just for Us,” the comedian responded, “No, this one is Scientologist. It’s about me going clear.”

It’s not really, though.

He said he didn’t think of his last show as “particularly Jewish,” but acknowledged that “shows are reflections of who you are. So, I guess the last show was Jewish, because there was a lot of stuff about Jewish identity and stuff like that. And there’s some stuff here about identity and Judaism as well. So sure, let’s call it Jewish.”

Like “Just for Us,” the new show will include jokes and stories about Edelman’s family and will be “very personal.”

“A crucial component of the show is other people,” he added. Unlike his previous show, though, “those other people probably won’t be neo-Nazis. But you never know.”

“Just For Us” saw Edelman darting around the stage with an energy reminiscent of the late Robin Williams. While he did not formally block “What Are You Going to Do,” he anticipates this show being pretty physical as well.

“I do this job because I enjoy it, and when you enjoy something, that expression comes up physically,” he said. “And I think it’s an underrated element of stand-up. You know, some of my favorite comedians, especially comics my age, are very physical. Mike Birbiglia is very physical. Cat Cohen, Chris Fleming. I love the physicality of good stand-up.”

He admires a host of contemporary comics, but also was influenced by some of the old-time greats, he said, including Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller, Alan King, Richard Pryor and Billy Crystal.

He hopes “What Are You Going to Do” will appeal to a wide audience.

“I think that good Jewish art appeals to everyone, right? Like, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is not just for Jews. Everyone loves ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ Jewish audiences were half of the audience for ‘Just For Us.’”

As the show will be in Pittsburgh during the week of Passover, “the audience will get some Pesach material,” Edelman said. “Some strong jokes about how Sefardis can eat lentils and beans and we can’t.”

“It’s a funny show,” he said. “It’s filled with jokes and stories. I’ve very carefully picked the first 13 cities to go to and I really hope people come, because it is Chol Hamoed Pesach and I know people will be busy with the chag, but it will be very nice if people came.”

Edelman’s connection to Pittsburgh goes beyond his cousins in Squirrel Hill. His mentor was the late baseball entrepreneur Larry Lucchino, an Allderdice grad. Edelman worked for Lucchino at the Boston Red Sox when he was a teenager and they never lost touch. Lucchino also introduced him to Mineo’s pizza, which he calls a “guilty pleasure.” PJC

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.