MAC Presents Award-winning Actor/Comedian Paul Reiser in an Evening of Stand Up Oct. 17

The McAninch Arts Center (MAC) welcomes Paul Reiser for an evening of stand-up 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. Voted by Comedy Central as one of the Top 100 Comedians of All Time, Reiser regularly performs sold-out standups at venues nationwide and over the course of his career, has received multiple Emmys, Golden Globes, American Comedy Awards, and Screen Actors Guild nominations. “Reiser has always had his finger on the pulse of what’s really bugging us,” says Boston’s The Arts Fuse and Twisted Magazine says, “…it’s his stand-up, that genuine art of relatable reflection and laughter, which nestles into our hearts with an unmistakable charm. A veritable maestro of the microphone, Reiser’s comedic genius is a blend of observation, sincerity, and a pinch of that self-mockery we foully adore.”

Reiser is well known for his roles in two hit shows for Netflix: “Stranger Things” since 2017 (final season begins this November) and Chuck Lorre’s “The Kominsky Method” (2012-2019), for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor. Yet many know him best for his role as Paul in “Mad About You,” the long-running Emmy, Peabody, and Golden Globe-winning comedy Reiser created and starred in with Helen Hunt (1992-1999). In 2019, the series was revived as a 12-episode limited series, with Reiser and Hunt reprising their roles.

Throughout his career, Reiser has worked with both independent and mainstream filmmakers. Having earned acclaim for his supporting role in the Academy Award-winning film “Whiplash” (2014) Reiser was also seen in frequent collaborator Jeff Baena’s “The Little Hours and Horse Girl,” which premiered at Sundance 2020, the fourth film the pair has worked on together. The veteran actor has garnered praise for notable performances in films such as “Diner” (1982), “Bye Bye Love” (1992), “One Night at McCool’s” (2001), and “The Thing About My Folks” (2005), which Reiser wrote for his co-star Peter Falk.

Reiser is a fixture behind the camera as well. He co-created and produced the seven-episode series “There’s Johnny” (2017), a fictional story set behind-the-scenes of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show circa 1972, co-produced with director David Gordon Green. Coming up, Reiser will be working on a new multi-camera series for Fox and has secured Adam F. Goldberg (“The Goldbergs”) to help write the script with him and Reiser’s son, Leon.

As an author, Reiser’s first book, “Couplehood” (1994), sold over 2 million copies and reached the number one spot on The New York Times bestsellers list. His subsequent books, “Babyhood” (2012” and “Familyhood” (2025), were bestsellers as well.

A SUNY Binghamton graduate of its prestigious music program, Reiser co-wrote the theme song for “Mad About You,” “The Final Frontier,” with Grammy-winning producer Don Was, and released an album of original songs with British singer-songwriter Julia Fordham called “Unusual Suspects.”

The McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd., presents Paul Reiser at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. Tickets are $70-$80. To order tickets, go to AtTheMAC.org, call 630.942.4000 or visit the MAC Box Office. Box Office hours are noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and two hours prior to performance.

Please note: This performance may contain adult themes and material.