Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out

Comedian Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out. That's the name of his podcast, and his life philosophy. He's done standup, Broadway, books, movies, TV shows, and radio. He added podcast host to his lengthy resume in 2020.

The funnyman started the Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out podcast when he couldn't tour during the pandemic. His comedian cohorts couldn't tour, either. So he invited them to talk about comedy on his podcast. The show is a little like Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee but without the cars or the coffee. It does have plenty of jokes and great stories, though.

The title of Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out podcast is about testing out new material. Sometimes it's Birbiglia's. Sometimes it's the guest's. Birbiglia worked out some of the concepts for his Broadway show The Old Man and the Pool on the podcast. He starts the show in a "meta" way by having Ira Glass of This American Life as his first guest. Birbiglia has appeared on that public radio show multiple times. So he figures Glass is an excellent person to give him podcasting advice. Glass agrees but gives him a hard time about his phone and software. It is an uncomfortable but funny start to the podcast.

Birbiglia has comedians who one might expect to be on a show like this. Jimmy Fallon, John Mulaney, Keegan-Michael Key, Sarah Silverman, and Abbi Jacobson all appear. But the comedian knows a lot of celebrities outside the standup circuit. Like Broadway star Nathan Lane, a witness at Birbiglia's wedding and a guest on this show. And writer Malcolm Gladwell. Birbiglia jokes that his appearance on the podcast may be "the tipping point" for it.

The Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out podcast airs new episodes each week. It has both laughs and real insight into the creative process.