Exclusive | Gary Gulman dishes on mixing things up with his new show Grandiloquent

Gary Gulman has a knack for writing jokes that stick deep within your brain.For some, his loopy, six-minute “How the States got their abbreviations” Conan set where he recounts the difficulties a fictional crack team encountered while trying to determine which two letters would represent each of the 50 U.S.states is the definitive, memorable Gulman gag.

The absurd, punchline-heavy story put the “Last Comic Standing” alum on the map.“I remember one of my favorite instances of being recognized was a man yelling ‘ne’er-do-well!’ [one of the many jokes embedded within the story] from across the street and I was floored,” Gulman told the New York Post in an exclusive interview.For others, his stickiest bit might be the observation that you “don’t need to point at the food you’re ordering at Chipotle.” Or “how everything is always 40% off at Banana Republic.” Perhaps you know him from his classic “Trader Joe’s is no doubt Communist” line.Or, per chance, you’re a fan of his timeless “oh s— handle” routine.

The options are endless–Gulman has a gift for turning ideas on their head while nonchalantly employing trademark Ivy League-level vocabulary to get his point across.Still, whatever the joke of his was that nestled itself deep within the recesses of your subconscious, seeing Gulman live can be equally unforgettable.And, if you’re in New York, now is your opportunity to catch him onstage.Starting Tuesday, Jan.7, the 54-year-old comic is settling in at the 299-seat Lucille Lortel Theatre for a month-long residency where he’ll debut his one-man show ‘Grandiloquent.’“The show, in some ways, is a prequel to [Gulman’s 2019 HBO special] ‘The Great Depresh’ and an adaptation of [Gulman’s 2023 memoir] ‘Misfit,'” Gulman noted.

“It’s a show about my childhood and what it did to me in terms of of my personality and certain neuroses but also a survey of important incidents, both positive and negative.It’s gi...