Stand Up for Progress

Political nonprofit Progress Michigan’s annual Stand Up for Progress comedy show aims to provide top-tier entertainment while raising funds for the organization’s longstanding efforts to create “a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable Michigan” through education and advocacy. 

Bengali American comedian and actor Usama Siddiquee, known for “his high-energy, sharp and personal comedy” that tackles topics such as family, sex, religion and cultural identity, will headline the show. Based in New York, Siddiquee is a regular at the world-famous Comedy Cellar. He was the winner of the 2016 Laughing Devil Cup comedy festival, the 2015 Yonkers Comedy Festival and the 2015 Make Me Laugh Albany festival. His television stand-up debut was on BET’s “50 Central,” with appearances since on Showtime’s “Desus & Mero,” MTV News, “Cash Cab” and “America’s Got Talent.” As an actor, he’s appeared on Netflix’s “Inventing Anna,” HBO’s “And Just Like That,” Comedy Central’s “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens” and FX’s “Better Things.”  

Comedian, actor and writer Pranav Behari, co-host of the popular “Mango Bae” podcast with Siddiquee, will also take the stage. A former Mad magazine writer, Behari has performed at comedy clubs and festivals across the country — most recently, the 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival in Minnesota and the Rogue Island Comedy Festival in Rhode Island. He’s appeared in episodes of Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” HBO’s “The Other Two,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “Daredevil: Born Again” and was a co-creator of the BRIC TV series “Problematic.” 

General admission tickets are $39. VIP tickets, offering priority seating and a complimentary beverage, are $108. A link to tickets is available on Progress Michigan’s Facebook page