Luz Michelle brings community and comedy to Westchester

by Katherine Martin

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - This has been a wild year for comedian Luz Michelle.

Her Westchester-based production company, Hard Headed Comedy, has brought the comedy world to our community, with several upcoming shows at local venues like Bedford Playhouse, Yellow Studios and Lewisboro Library. She is also coming off of a recent win as the 2024 Ladies of Laughter “Professional” Finalist.

We sat down with Luz to reflect on her journey of comedy and production, as well as how she approaches using comedy to build a community.

For Luz Michelle, the journey towards comedy started 15 years ago when her improv instructor told her to try it out. She went to an open mic.

“When I stepped onto stage it was the first time, I felt confident,” says Michelle.

She lived a pretty traditional New York comedian life, living and working in Brookyln right up until her due date on both of her pregnancies. But, soon enough, Luz Michelle went through the struggle that a lot of families in Westchester go through; the choice to leave the city for more space for their children. She wanted to be able to continue her work, while also being able to raise kids. With that need for a space for laughter in Westchester, Hard Headed Comedy was born.

Since 2018, Hard Headed Comedy has grown into a flourishing company with several sister shows, like Still Standing Monologues and Hard Headed Kids. They are all centered around one theme: using comedy to build and sustain a community.

Still Standing Monologues began during the pandemic, when comedians, like everyone, had to find a way to bring their business online. This was challenging, as comedy often centers around standing in front of a live audience. That is why Luz Michelle created Still Standing Monologues, which requires comedians to stand in front of their camera, and record monologues to be sent to people in their homes. This show centers around female and LGBTQIA comedians with the goal of providing a voice to all. Since the pandemic, this show has been able to continue with live audiences. The next Still Standing Monologue show is at 7 p.m. on May 29 at Yellow Studio in Cross River, a venue that Luz Michelle and Hard Headed Comedy have a long-standing relationship with. Even with a live audience, the goal of the show has not changed.

When producing a show, Luz Michelle often comes back to the same local venues again and again. Her goal is to keep local community strong by leaning on each other. As Michelle puts it, “I always say to a vendor or sponsors that we work with - ‘it has to be a win-win.’”

Venues rely on her to bring in Hard Headed comedians, and she relies on venues to bring in their audiences. Michelle’s focus on community is reflected even in her advertising and show lineup methods. She loves to go around and hang up physical flyers for her shows, in order to “get to know a lot of our local owners.” The structure of her shows is also unique.

“Our shows don’t follow the traditional format of opener, feature, and headliner. Instead, every comic on our lineup is a headliner—seasoned, late-night-ready, and stage-tested. We’re intentional about creating balanced, dynamic lineups that reflect the full range of talent in comedy today,” Michelle explains.

And this style of show seems to be working. Hard Headed Comedy has established many fans in the local community, which monthly open mics every third Wednesday in Bedford Hills. They also host sold-out shows at Lewisboro Library sponsored by community groups such as Lewisboro Pride.

The next show at Lewisboro Library is on June 13, with tickets on sale now at lewisborolibrary.org.

When asked about the success of these local shows, Michelle said, “I want to highlight the community of Lewisboro and Katonah. It's supportive and there are so many others like me out there; so many artists in this community. Let's just keep doing it!”

Luz Michelle and Hard Headed Comedy don’t plan on going anywhere and hope to continue to grow their relationships to build up local venues, artists and audiences across Westchester and beyond.

To learn more about Luz Michelle, visit luzmichelleinc.com

Posted Thursday, May 29, 2025 9:00 am on Katonah-Lewisboro Times.