Sam Morril under the roof at Wind Creek Event Center
BY DEB BOYLAN
Special to The Press
Sam Morril is undeniably one of today’s top stand-ups.
With an ongoing array of projects and a consistently full tour schedule, this young comic has achieved some notable milestones.
“Sam Morril: The Class Act Tour,” 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15, Wind Creek Event Center, Bethlehem, is an opportunity to experience Morril’s signature brand of comedy.
In the past, a comedian could count an appearance on the original “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” as a major milestone. An invitation from Carson to the couch was tantamount to an endorsement.
Nowadays the equivalent is landing a Netflix special or being interviewed by David Letterman. Morril has achieved both.
Morril’s Netflix special, “Same Time Tomorrow,” was released on the streaming service last year.
Morril was on Netflix’s “That’s My Time with David Letterman,” where the late-night host invited some of the hottest up-and-coming standup stars to perform a set and sit down for a chat.
Morril was asked about his experience being interviewed by the legendary broadcaster during a recent phone interview.
“I thought about how manty late-night sets I’ve done. It’s really just a mix of telling some jokes and being off-the-cuff, which is kind of what I do with my stand-up,” says Morril.
“He really just wanted me to kill [do well]. You could tell. I mean, it’s better for him, too.
“I’ve done a million podcasts and sometimes the host doesn’t know what they’re doing.
“But this is David Letterman we’re talking about. He certainly knows what he’s doing, and he knows how to make you shine. That’s one of his gifts.”
Morril, a New York-based comedian, has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “The Late, Late Show with James Corden” and “Conan.” He’s had stints on “Last Comic Standing,” “America’s Got Talent,” “@midnight with Chris Hardwick” and “Inside Amy Schumer.”
Morril can be heard on the podcast, “We Might Be Drunk,” with co-host Mark Normand.
Morril and fellow comedian Normand recently released Bodega Cat Straight Rye Whiskey.
“It’s a really good rye whiskey, I think everyone’s making their own bourbon, [but] I’m a big rye guy. That’s what I order when I go to the bar. It was fun to make.
“It’s a timeless drink. You watch a cowboy movie and [they will order] ‘Two whiskeys!’
“Anyone can really enjoy it, people of all ages.”
During the pandemic, Morril did a series of intimate pop-up performances outdoors on New York City apartment building rooftops. It was a way for people to socialize in a safe manner and for Morril to keep perfecting his craft at a time when venues were shut down.
“I think I’m done with that,” Morril says when asked if he would do any further rooftop shows in the post-pandemic environment.
“There was something special about it, but I don’t want to re-live it, that was the weird thing, I was like, ‘Here’s a wonderful thing I never want to do again.’”
A 45-minute compilation video, “Up on the Roof,” was released on Morril’s YouTube channel where it has more than 2 million views to date.
“When the [YouTube] special came out all these people hit me up and were like, ‘Come play my roof,’ and I was like, ‘[expletive] No, never again,’” he laughs.
“This was an emergency. That’s why I did that.
“It was kind of, you know, a way to survive the restrictions and the pandemic at the time. Not knowing enough about it [the pandemic] at the time, I thought this was an ethical way of having groups of people together in a way that didn’t seem unsafe.
“I was so nervous gathering people together outdoors that when the special came out I thought I was going to get crushed by lunatics on Twitter, so I was at one point, ‘Can you guys all put masks on outdoors, so we can get some shots of that?’
“I just did an outdoor festival that was fun, but outdoors is not traditionally good for comedy.
“What I love about the Comedy Cellar [comedy club in New York] is that it’s got low ceilings, it’s tight and It’s packed in. That’s what makes a good show.
“When I was doing those roofs, we cut up the good sets [for the special],” says Morril.
Ticket information: https://www.windcreekeventcenter.com/