While stand-up comedians who turn to acting remain a dime a dozen (and downright the norm in L.A.), comics who embark on narrative-driven one-man “plays” can't really be accused of stepping outside the comfort zone. Then there are those like Stephen Lynch, who in 2006 traded in his guitar-driven ditties for a Tony-nominated title role in the Broadway version of The Wedding Singer . Or Australian ivory-tickler Tim Minchin , whose résumé includes not only roles in the likes of Amadeus, Twelfth Night, Man of La Mancha and Jesus Christ Superstar, but award-winning appearances at comedy festivals across the globe. (Sample lyric from “Peace Anthem for Palestine”: “You don't eat pigs/We don't eat pigs/It seems it's been that way forever/So if you don't eat pigs/And we don't eat pigs/Why not not eat pigs together?”) Now that Minchin has completed score and lyrics for the Royal Shakespeare Company's Matilda: The Musical , he's free to break out the straight-iron and guyliner for two stateside performances at Largo, the second of which is already sold out.

Jan. 11-12, 2011

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