Sweet, Sweet Revenge

Think of comedian Lisa Corrao as sort of the den mother to all of South Florida’s nerds. For over a year now, she’s hosted Revenge of the Nerd Comics, her own series of shows dedicated to local comedy with a geeky slant. The gigs have been a hit from the start, but they’ve also made Corrao — one of the few females willing to take a stage to dish on lightsabers and comic books — a target for innocent affection. “I’m like a magnet for dorks,” Corrao says with a nymph-like giggle. “At Supercon I had this one guy come up to me who could not make eye contact with me at all. Eventually he just said, ‘I must say, you are very attractive.’ It was the cutest thing ever.”

But Corrao’s not doing it for the attention; she’s all about the laughs. For her fourth show in the series, hitting the stage tonight at 8 at Improv Paradise Live (5700 Seminole Way, Hollywood), Corrao’s collected the best lineup of local talent yet. Tonight, you’ll catch cats like Mario Mateo, who can explain the angst-filled life of the dreaded Mailer-Daemon, and Adrian Mesa, whose “off the dome” sets are unique every time, right alongside series-regular Ivan Hernandez, whose nerd-coming-of-age humor is always good for a laugh. Also on board: West Palm fav Nhan Du, newcomer Kirk Meadows, the Iron Chef of comedy Joe Pustizzi, and Miami-based Brett Bigenho will each bring the funny in their own unique way. Fans of pop culture can expect to leave sated, but even those without a penchant for the geeky will be pleasantly surprised. Because while the show’s central theme is what brings them all together, the night’s really about supporting local comedy in a cool way. OK, fine; it’s also about discovering just how deep the rabbit hole goes: “It always surprises me every time I find a new level of nerdiness,” Corrao says. “I think I’m a dork and awkward and stuff. But then I meet the guys that are Ghost Hunters, and they start shooting me with their electro magnetic detectors.” How much weirder does it get? Find out for just $12 — $10 even, if you pick up discounted tix at comic shop War & Pieces. Visit www.myspace.com/nerdcomics.
Wed., July 2, 8 p.m., 2008