Mark StefanosAlex Lewis has spent the fall of 2026 doing eight shows a week at the Orpheum Theatre, where he plays Peter van Daan in “Slam Frank” — specifically, the non-binary dancer version invented by a fictional progressive theater company that decides the original Anne Frank story centers too many privileged white European Jews.
He is also a producer on the satirical hip-hop musical, created by Andrew Fox and Joel Sinensky after a 2022 Twitter thread asked whether Anne Frank had acknowledged her white privilege. The show reimagines the diary as an intersectional, multiethnic, genderqueer Afro-Latin empowerment project, and Lewis sings the coming-out number “Non-Binary”. Critics have called it the edgiest thing in New York. Most audiences love it, and predictably, some have walked out — which Alex says he doesn’t mind. (And yes, the self-described “unwitting theater geek” is indeed Jewish himself.)
Before the attic, Lewis was one-third of Lewberger, the Los Angeles comedy band he formed in 2014 with Keith Habersberger and late Hughie Stone Fish. The trio built a following with tightly arranged comedy songs, then turned those into club and college tours, a standing ovation on America’s Got Talent, a run as finalists on NBC’s Bring the Funny, and their own Off-Broadway show, Lewberger & The Wizard of Friendship. Lewis also picked up acting work in Valley Girl, All About Nina, Dexter, and The Lincoln Lawyer.
(Courtesy of Alex Lewis)
He grew up in LA with two Jewish parents and a bar mitzvah, though he spent years treating Judaism as something his mother made him do. Working on “Slam Frank” changed that. The show delivers on the hilarious premise and Lewis is as charming of a performer as he is funny, with a beautiful singing voice to boot. If you’re in New York, check out the show if you can.
While “Slam Frank” isn’t showing in LA now (hopefully soon?), Alex is an Angeleno through and through, and seems to be popping up here all the time with some new project. Read on to find out about what “Slam Frank” has meant to him, and what growing up was like in the jewel of Southern California: Calabasas.
What have your favorite audience reactions been to “Slam Frank”?
My favorite reaction is the genuine laughter and heart I can feel from the audience throughout, followed by the breaking of brains when we get to the end of the show. You wouldn’t believe the laughter we hear during the incredibly heavy final moments of the show. There’s a weird sadistic agreement between the audience and performers of “Slam Frank” that feels extremely cathartic. I’ve never felt anything like it on stage.
Mel Brooks made “Springtime for Hitler” a generation after the war. Is there a statute of limitations on this kind of satire, or is satire more necessary when antisemitism is part of the daily conversation?
In my opinion, there is no statute of limitations on this kind of satire if we’re winning the audience over. I’m sure people will disagree with me, but I don’t really look at any sort of humor through a lens of “this didn’t work because not enough time has passed.”
I feel like when it comes to both satire, and just comedy in general, the craft is about creating something so funny that you laugh at in spite of the circumstance. Does that make the content of a satirical joke riskier? Absolutely! But that just means the skill of the satirist is what’s really put under a microscope, and it’s up to the audience to judge whether we’re hitting the mark or not.
It seems like “Slam Frank” has generated all sorts of reactions within the Jewish community. Where do you land on those? (And can’t you agree on anything??)
Ha, yeah, honestly, in a lot of ways, “Slam Frank” is the most Jewish thing I’ve ever done INCLUDING creating arguments amongst our own people (even within the creative team).
Here is where I land. Before “Slam Frank,” I didn’t really identify very strongly with my Jewish identity. I’m an atheist who got bar mitzvah’d, then sort of slacked on Judaism after that, much to my mother’s chagrin. I connected more with my Judaism because of “Slam Frank” than anything I’ve ever done in my life, and it is due in large part to being part of what I consider the tradition exemplified by Mel Brooks. Taking tragedy and creating comedy out of it.
There’s something really punk rock, and frankly, Jewish about that to me. I know there are a lot of Jews who agree that’s exactly what “Slam Frank” is doing. There are also a lot who don’t, and that’s fair.
You seem to like comedy that overlaps with discomfort — what draws you to that?
I grew up super uncomfortable, I suppose. I’m an extremely anxious person and I find solace in the shared discomfort of others.
How did you learn to sing so nicely?
Maaark! You sure know how to make a girl feel special. I’ve been doing musical theater since I was 6 and I get coached off and on by the same lady who coached me since high school (shoutout to Alana). Gearing up for this run at the Orpheum, I went harder into training than I ever have, both vocally and in the gym. Singing on the treadmill, extra vocal warmups, all sorts of stuff. I steam my voice now like a real diva.
What do you get out of performing for a live audience versus making comedy online?
I create stuff online specifically with the intention to create a fan base that will come see me live. I love the content I make and I enjoy crafting it, but it is always in service of hoping to find people who enjoy live performance. There is nothing like being on a stage in front of people. There is no better feeling than connecting with a huge group of people about something you’re passionate about. Whether it’s Lewberger or “Slam” or anything else, I feel the strongest human connections telling a story on a stage. It’s exhilarating.
What do fans who have followed you through all your different comedy projects appreciate most about your work?
It’s hard to say. My comedy projects are all pretty different from each other in a lot of ways. If I had to guess, it’s probably musical theater types who see the unwitting theater geek in me. I think people can sense that I’m simultaneously obsessed with theater and humiliated by how much I love it. I was the type of kid who desperately wanted to submit for that digital Glee open call to try to get on Glee but then didn’t do it because the thought of setting up a camera and singing “I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore” and asking my friends to vote for my video online felt so cheesy I’d sooner throw myself into a pit of snakes.
There’s probably an authenticity in that that people like. Like “this guy knows he’s a theater kid, and he doesn’t apologize for it, but he also knows it’s lame.” Or maybe everyone hates me like I’ve always assumed in my head and they just think, “look at this singing freak.”
(Courtesy of Alex Lewis)
What was your childhood like?
I was a sheltered only child with very loving parents.
Where’d you grow up?
Calabasas hahaha
What’s that place like?
It’s like what you see on the Housewives and Kardashian shows. I had my first kiss outside the Barnes & Noble at Rick Caruso’s outdoor mall The Commons.
What kind of person were you in high school?
Emo theater kid.
Were you the class clown?
No, I was more the class drama queen honestly. I was always crying. It was bad. I’m medicated now.
Who’s the funniest person in your family?
My dad, my uncle Steve, and my cousin Joey are all very funny. My dad probably is the funniest in my opinion, he’s got perfect deadpan delivery.
What do your parents think of you?
They are indeed supportive and loving. I got very lucky with my parents.
What was your first comedy song?
The first comedy song I ever wrote was “Hermione Wait For Me,” which was a song about being horny for Hermione Granger. I wrote it at a time when I was younger than her and the song has been since retired.
When/where/why did you start doing or studying comedy?
2010 at UCB Los Angeles. I was not funny and I wanted to be funny and I’d heard you could learn that there.
Who are your comedy mentors?
Eliza Skinner hands down. I wouldn’t be doing what I do now if it wasn’t for her. She is the best musical improv teacher and an absolute genius.
Who are your comedy role models? Heroes?
Stephen Lynch, Weird Al, Flight of the Conchords, Tenacious D are all the obvious ones. Dick Van Dyke and Larry David are up there for role models for sure, they’ve probably influenced my comedic voice more than anything.
My favorite comedian working right now is Big Jay Oakerson. His storytelling is insanely funny. Perfect delivery.
What’s your favorite city to do comedy?
Detroit is up there. I’ve never had a bad show in Detroit. Really fun people. A security guard offered to “tongue punch Lewberger in the fart box.” It’s also the only city I’ve thrown up in besides my second favorite, Los Angeles.
What’s your favorite venue to do comedy?
Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles. It scratches both my musical theater and comedy nerd itches. It’s a really awesome space and kind of historic!
What’s the funniest/craziest thing that’s happened to you?
When I moved to NYC for “Slam Frank” my sublet guy Barbarianed me the day I moved in so I had to find another place.
What’s your most unpopular opinion?
Here’s two hotly debated ones I have within the cast of “Slam Frank.”
Coconuts are closer both visually and linguistically to testicles than they are to boobs and should be a euphemism for testicles.
Also, one of my cast mates ate an uncut loaf of bread dipped in melted butter for breakfast and I thought that was fucking insane. Everyone else told me to stop yelling. Both times.
Who’s your doppelganger?
I have a lot. The top two are Kalabar from the Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown and Rafael Portugal, who’s this super famous comedian in Brazil. I did a whole Instagram series pretending to be his brother over the pandemic and curated a fan base of Brazilians. Los Angeles who aren’t Brazilian probably won’t know who he is but he’s like Jimmy Fallon over there I think.
People also compare me to Adam Sandler, Seinfeld, and Ben Stiller physically sometimes but I think it’s because of how Jewish we all look.
(Courtesy of Alex Lewis)
FAVORITES
Comedy movie: I’m not sure these all count as comedy (some obviously do) Dumb and Dumber, Back to the Future, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Groundhog Day, and Singing In The Rain
Drama movie: Rocky
TV Comedy: South Park, The Simpsons, Arrested Development, Flight of the Conchords, Curb, Seinfeld, Cheers, and The Dick Van Dyke Show
TV Drama: Breaking Bad
Genre of music: Probably rock. Just general rock, I love it all.
Musicians: Queen, The Beatles, System of a Down, MCR, and Foo Fighters.
Sport to play: Surfing! You don’t really play it but it’s the best.
Sport league: UFC. I know, I know.
Video game: Majora’s Mask or GTA
Food: Pizza
Restaurant: Ozzy’s Apizza
Cereal: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Vice: Energy drinks. Ghost Green Apple Warhead. Fight me.
Swear word: Motherfucker