Stand-up comedy looks like all fun and games from the outside. Have a few drinks, take the stage, and riff about what’s on your mind for a few minutes to a chorus of laughter. Good times right? That’s the myth Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here is taking on in its newest trailer. The Jim Carrey, Michael Aguilar, Christian Wayne, and creator Dave Flebotte project seeks to encapsulate the highs and lows of club life.
Check out the second trailer below.
Highs and lows indeed. At one moment a young comedian finds himself on The Tonight Show performing for legendary host Johnny Carson. The next, one comedian bombs while two others assess their living situation (in a closet) and debate whether it’s time to put down the pen. I’m Dying Up Here will do its best to find the dynamic between those ups and downs.
Set in 1970s L.A., the series stars Melissa Leo as club owner Goldie. Though she treats her comics well, her business is not something to be trifled with. Performers are expected to do as she says, when she says it. By her own summation, Goldie “own(s) the mother (expletive)-ing strip.”
Those young comedians are made up of an impressive cast. Jake Lacy (Girls), Erik Griffin (Workaholics), Brianne Howey (The Exorcist), Sebastian Stan (Captain American: Civil War), and Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull) are just a small sample of the talent on deck. According to Entertainment Weekly, actors who didn’t have a stand-up background were asked to perform at open mics in order to get a feel for the craft. Flebotte told EW that “… Ari Graynor did it. Michael [Angarano] did it. RJ Cyler, he did open mic quite a bit. He’s the guy that came in pretty raw and just had natural instincts and got better and better.”
Flebotte’s other credits include co-executive producing Masters of Sex and Desperate Housewives, as well as a consulting role on Raising Hope.
I’m Dying Up Here premieres June 4 at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime. Until then, stay tuned with mxdwn Television for further information regarding I’m Dying Up Here and other Showtime projects.