New York, NY - May 14, 2025 - Midtown Show, an online platform dedicated to discovering and promoting rising stand-up comedians, today announced its incorporation as a New York Benefit Corporation. This legal structure formally embeds the company's commitment to its public benefit purpose: "To support the development, visibility, and success of emerging stand-up comedians — especially those from underrepresented backgrounds — by curating, promoting, and connecting their performances to wider audiences in a community-first, impact-driven way."
While New York City offers an abundance of open mics for aspiring stand-up comedians, gaining quality stage time beyond typical short sets remains a significant challenge. Breaking into established clubs often takes years in a competitive environment. Financial pressures and the high cost of living necessitate external jobs for many performers. Open mics themselves can add expenses, while gaining visibility and booking paid spots in the crowded market, sometimes via controversial "bringer shows," presents further hurdles.
Midtown Show was created to directly address these systemic challenges faced by emerging stand-up comedians, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds who may find it even harder to gain traction and visibility within traditional structures. The platform offers a dedicated online space showcasing curated open-mic performances embedded from comedians' Instagram accounts. Providing a centralized hub enhances discoverability for promising acts struggling to gain visibility. This approach respects creators' ownership while offering crucial exposure without the financial or logistical barriers of traditional stage time.
"Forming as a Benefit Corporation hard-codes our mission into the DNA of Midtown Show," said Michi Yamamoto, Founder and CEO. "We're accountable not only to shareholders but to every comedian and comedy fan who believes great jokes deserve a bigger stage and that the current scene's hurdles shouldn't be insurmountable barriers. Our legal structure reinforces our commitment to providing a supportive, visible pathway for rising talent." With its new corporate form, Midtown Show is committed to transparency and stakeholder input in its mission-driven operations.
About Midtown Show
Midtown Show is a mission-driven New York Benefit Corporation dedicated to elevating emerging stand-up comedians, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, by addressing the challenges of visibility and development within the competitive NYC comedy scene. The online platform curates and promotes comedian performances via embedded clips, providing discoverability, feedback, and potential monetization pathways. Its charter commits the company to a public benefit purpose focused on community-first, impact-driven growth for comedic voices. Learn more at midtownshow.com
Media Contact
Company Name: Midtown Show, Inc.
Contact Person: Michi Yamamoto
Email: Send Email
Phone: +1 646-721-7872
Country: United States
Website: https://midtownshow.com/