Myq Kaplan
Encyclopedia
Myq Kaplan is an American
stand-up comedian
. Born Michael Kaplan in Livingston
, New Jersey
, he is based in Boston
and New York City
.
in 2000 and a master's degree in linguistics
from Boston University
. While a student at Boston University in 2005, he won its "funniest student" contest.
s.
He was a semifinalist in the 2006 Boston Comedy Festival and in the 2006 Seattle Comedy Competition. He was a participant in Comedy Central's 2007 competition Open Mic Fight as one of the nine finalists. In 2008, a reader poll by Boston's The Phoenix
named him Local Comedian of the Year. Kaplan was part of Montreal
's Just for Laughs
comedy festival in 2009.
's show Live at Gotham
and in promotional work for the television station. He has been featured on ABC News Now
.
On December 16, 2009, he performed for the first time on The Tonight Show
. Kaplan also appeared as a contestant on the competition TV series Last Comic Standing during the summer 2010. He placed fifth in the competition.
Myq Kaplan's comedy album Vegan Mind Meld was released 27 April 27 2010.
He is also a frequent guest on long running comedy podcast
Keith and the Girl
.
On April 30, 2010, his Comedy Central Presents
special aired on Comedy Central.
and a Jewish atheist
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
. Born Michael Kaplan in Livingston
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, he is based in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Education
Kaplan received his bachelor's degree from Brandeis UniversityBrandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
in 2000 and a master's degree in linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
. While a student at Boston University in 2005, he won its "funniest student" contest.
Comedy career
Kaplan tours North America regularly, having performed over 1,000 shows at comedy clubComedy club
A comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...
s.
He was a semifinalist in the 2006 Boston Comedy Festival and in the 2006 Seattle Comedy Competition. He was a participant in Comedy Central's 2007 competition Open Mic Fight as one of the nine finalists. In 2008, a reader poll by Boston's The Phoenix
The Phoenix (newspaper)
The Phoenix is the name of several alternative weekly newspapers published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts including the Boston Phoenix, the Providence Phoenix, the Portland Phoenix and the now-defunct Worcester Phoenix...
named him Local Comedian of the Year. Kaplan was part of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
's Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
comedy festival in 2009.
Television, internet and recordings
Myq Kaplan has appeared on Comedy CentralComedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's show Live at Gotham
Live At Gotham
Live at Gotham is a standup comedy television show airing on Comedy Central in the United States. The show features up and coming stand up comedians performing live at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. It premiered on July 21, 2006....
and in promotional work for the television station. He has been featured on ABC News Now
ABC News Now
ABC News Now is an American 24-hour news channel offered via digital television, broadband and streaming video at ABCNews.com and on mobile phones. It delivers breaking news, headline news each half hour, and wide range of entertainment and lifestyle programs. The channel is currently available in...
.
On December 16, 2009, he performed for the first time on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
. Kaplan also appeared as a contestant on the competition TV series Last Comic Standing during the summer 2010. He placed fifth in the competition.
Myq Kaplan's comedy album Vegan Mind Meld was released 27 April 27 2010.
He is also a frequent guest on long running comedy podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
Keith and the Girl
Keith and The Girl
Keith and The Girl, abbreviated as KATG, is a popular comedy podcast that began on March 7, 2005. It is hosted by comedian Keith Malley and singer Chemda Khalili in Queens, New York. Chemda is of Persian descent whilst Keith's exact origins are unknown, but believed to be eastern European...
.
On April 30, 2010, his Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents is a half-hour long stand-up show that features various stand-up comedians in each episode.-DVDs:Starting in 2008, Comedy Central started releasing "Best of" compilation DVDs, with uncensored audio...
special aired on Comedy Central.
Personal life
Kaplan is also a musician, primarily as a guitarist and vocalist. He is a veganVeganism
Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...
and a Jewish atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
.
External links
- Official website
- Myq Kaplan's blog
- Myq Kaplan at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Myq Kaplan at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Myq Kaplan at TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Myq Kaplan podcast interview on The Gentlemen's Club with Caleb Bacon