1 Hot Ticket!

There’s something endearing about Joel McHale’s comedy: His commentary on pop culture and society is enrobed in charm, with a boyish smile to catch you off guard. O.C. fans will experience that when he comes to the Irvine Improv (tickets $30) July 21 and 22. “There will be some ridicule and praise,” McHale quips. “I like to write stuff for the place [where] I am.” So what comes to mind when he thinks of O.C.? Conservatism and “really nice beaches.” And his passion for performing is evident. “I love being onstage. ... It’s a great way of exercising every muscle I have, including my brain and heart.” It’s why he travels the country to deliver his act (he did a show in Long Island, N.Y., during which dead bees rained down around him) and takes on numerous roles. He recently wrapped filming A Futile and Stupid Gesture; he plays young Chevy Chase in the biopic—his former, somewhat cantankerous Community co-star. “[It was] surreal,” notes McHale of the experience. Oh, a final word on his show: “You’ll be the most entertained you’ve ever been in the history of your life.”