Open mic stand-up comedy night for Utica comics, whether seasoned performers working on new material or first-timers trying stand-up for the first time. Audience members are welcome to attend and support local comedy.

The Laugh Cult: Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic

Players

Set in a 1930s European perfumery, we meet shop clerks, Amalia and Georg, who, more often than not, don't see eye to eye. After both respond to a "lonely hearts advertisement" in the newspaper, they now live for the love letters that they exchange, but the identity of their admirers remains unknown. Join Amalia and Georg to discover the identity of their true loves... and all the twists and turns along the way! From Shop Around the Corner to You've Got Mail... this musical is a charming piece of storytelling that most of you have seen but seldom heard like this.

She Loves Me

The pop culture phenomenon about the legendary New York High School of the Performing Arts. Fame Jr. features a high-energy, contemporary pop score (which includes the hit title song) and a touching coming-of-age story.

Fame Jr.

Free event previewing select scenes from Players of Utica's 2026-2027 season shows: Fame Jr., She Loves Me, Over the Tavern, Doubt: A Parable, Prelude To A Kiss, and Chasing Manet. Comedy, music, and drama. No advance tickets or reservations needed.

2026-2027 Season Preview

Open auditions for the musical She Loves Me, a classic romantic musical comedy set in 1930s Budapest, with book by Joe Masteroff and music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. Directed by Richard K. Stoodley, music direction by John Krause, choreography by Trevor Jones.

She Loves Me - Open Auditions

Special summer presentation. Dazzling cabaret and burlesque, produced and hosted by Cleo Qupid. 18+ event.

Summer Camp Cabaret

The hit Broadway musical about a Victorian-era barber who swears revenge on the corrupt judge who ruined his life. When revenge eludes him, Sweeney turns to murder, while Mrs. Lovett bakes the bodies into meat pies and sells them to the unsuspecting public. Dark comedy and terror in one amazing musical.

Sweeney Todd

Open auditions for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by Hugh Wheeler. Directed by Shannon Migliore, Assistant Directed by Christian Shaefer, Music Directed by Sarah Cohea. Audition dates March 6 and 7, 2026, 6-9 pm at Players Theater.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Open auditions for Bus Stop by William Inge, directed by Marilee Ensign. Cold readings from the script. Also seeking a lighting designer and sound designer.

Bus Stop

A night of live stand-up comedy hosted by Brandon Ciotti, featuring Eric Camp, Kay Goutos, Padrick Smith, and Bob Beach.

Stand-Up Comedy Showcase

In this wonderful comedy, the Pazinski family has a lot going on in their cramped Buffalo apartment. When Rudy goes up against the ruler-wielding Sister Clarissa and announces that instead of being confirmed he'd rather shop around for a more "fun" religion, all hell breaks loose.

Over the Tavern

The powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Set in the fictional St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx during the fall of 1964, the play revolves around Sister Aloysius, the strict principal, who suspects Father Flynn, a progressive priest, of inappropriate behavior with a student.

Doubt: A Parable

At Peter and Rita's wedding, a mysterious old man insists on kissing the bride. While honeymooning, Peter gradually realizes that the woman by his side is not his wife. The wedding kiss caused Rita's soul and the old man's to change places. Peter must track down the old man and free his young love's spirit trapped in an aging body before it's too late. Winner of the 1990 Obie Award for Best New American Play.

Prelude To A Kiss

In this loony comedy, a rebellious painter from a distinguished family in Boston and an ebullient Jewish woman with a huge adoring family form an unlikely bond. Inside the confining walls of Mount Airy Nursing Home, the two plot an escape to Paris aboard the QE2. But can they possibly pull it off amidst the chaos of their surroundings? The tension and comedy grow as they struggle to take wing for the last time.

Players of Utica

Nov 14, 2026

Stand-Up Comedy Showcase

11 - 13 Dec, 2026

Over the Tavern

Dec 12, 2026

Over the Tavern

Dec 13, 2026

Over the Tavern

Feb 6, 2027

Doubt: A Parable

Nov 1, 2026

The Laugh Cult: Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic

Oct 25, 2026

She Loves Me

Players of Utica