Meet Louie Pearlman, a creative INNOVATOR who has been Rocking the New York City comedy and arts scene since 2002.

Louie is a writer for The Sesame Street Podcast with Foley and Friends and Ready Set Ride with Elmo, co-produced by Sesame Workshop and Audible. He is also the co-writer and creator of the “Sugar Sweet Sixties Bubblegum Musical” Joey and Ron, which enjoyed a successful run at The Player’s Theater in NYC in 2019.

When he’s not writing for Sesame Workshop, Louie co-hosts and produces the pop culture podcast XOXO Riverdale and the music discussion podcast Kick The Jukebox with viral comedy sensation Kyle Gordon. He is also a comedy instructor at The Second City and teaches his own improv classes at Improv for Life.

Louie's officially-licensed Archie Comics/Riverdale stories "Nice Girls Finish Last" and “Riverdale’s Worst Nightmare” are available on the Yarn platform. He jump-started the careers of actor Matt McGorry, comedian and podcast host Griffin Newman and Grammy nominee Elle King as the Artistic Director of the comedy program at Buck's Rock Creative and Performing Arts Camp.

Moreover, Louie is a producer, director, performer, and teaching artist with the nationally recognized arts education company Story Pirates, where he has performed nationally in theaters, music festivals, and schools and on their award winning podcast.

With his incredible talent, diverse experience, and passion for comedy and arts, Louie continues to inspire and entertain audiences and students across the country.

Classes

Photos by Fwee Carter

Songs N Scenes:

I am thrilled to announce a fall session of Songs N Scenes: a five week improv workshop that will teach you the “Songs ‘N Scenes” form. Songs N Scenes focuses on deriving scenic content from the work of live musicians, bands and songwriters. It encourages you to play smartly, slowly and more imaginatively than you ever have before. The class will culminate in a demo featuring the work of a live musician!

Requirements: Improv Level 1 or higher from any Improv theater (UCB, Magnet, Second City, etc.), or a previous class with Louie.

Dates: Tuesdays 7-9 PM: 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 10/8

Location: Midtown Manhattan

Cost: $188 (if this is prohibitive for you, please reach out. I’m always happy to try to be accommodating!)

About your Instructor: Louie Pearlman has been performing and teaching improv in NYC since 2002, most notably at The Second City NYC, The Magnet Theater, UCB, and The PIT. He is the co-producer of "Beauty Love Truth," an improvised show featuring the work of live musicians, including Yo La Tengo and Mike Doughty, and improvisers, including Anna Clumsky, Natasha Rothwell, and Peter Gwinn. Louie is also a writer for multiple Sesame Street podcasts and projects for Gizmodo and Archie Comics.

Want to know about the next round of classes? Sign up for my mailing list:

Louie also teaches online and in-person classes independently and through Second City, Story Pirates, Second City and Enter Laughing. He is currently available to teach programs for your company, theater, school, or other organization. Please reach out to schedule a class or workshop!

News

Updated 1/8/2024:

Hey there, friends! It's been a wild ride these past few months, and I'm excited to share some of the highlights with you.

First up, my Improv For Life classes have been an absolute blast. My students are killing it with their communication, storytelling, and comedy skills. And I'm not just saying that because I'm their teacher - these folks are seriously hilarious.

Classes resume on January 23rd! Click here to register!

In other news, I've been busy working on some top-secret Sesame Street projects. I can't say too much, but let's just say that Grover and I have been spending a lot of quality time together. And no, I won't tell you if he's as adorable in person as he is on TV. Some things are better left a mystery.

What I can reveal is that I wrote a hilarious new episode of The Story Pirates Podcast! Please enjoy this sketch comedy adaptation of “A Very Monstrous Game Show,” a story written by an 11 year old from Utah named Charlie.

Over the summer, I had the pleasure of returning to the Elisabeth Morrow School Summer String Fest. And let me tell you, these young musicians are true rockstars. I taught them theater and comedy, and they taught me what an arpeggio actually is!

Currently, I'm teaching improv to twice-exceptional kids and teens with Enter Laughing. These kids are amazing - they're smart, talented, and hilarious. And they're keeping me on my toes, which is saying something, because I'm already pretty agile as an aged NYC comedy rat.

In November and December, I taught some specialty improv workshops and developed interactive improv shows for the Solomon Schechter school in Bergen County, NJ and Temple Emanuel of The Pascack Valley. It's always a joy to work with new students and see how they respond to improv. Some can be a little hesitant at first, but once they start to loosen up and get into the spirit of things, magic happens. And that's what I love about improv - it's all about taking risks, trying something new, and having fun along the way.

And finally, drumroll please...I've accepted a position as a comedy teacher at The Second City's new theater in Brooklyn! I'll be teaching Second City improv classes for adults and kids, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm pretty sure this qualifies me to be a certified funny person, so if you need any jokes for your next party, you know who to call.

That's all for now, folks! But if you're interested in working with me to boost your communication skills OR need a hilarious and educational script for your next kids media project, don't hesitate to reach out. I’m ready to rock and roll!

-Louie

Writer

Louie is an experienced content writer and blogger. Click here for his Contently portfolio.

Podcasts / Radio Shows

Louie hosts XOXO Riverdale, a Riverdale fan-podcast with fellow comedian Kate Vatter and Kick The Jukebox, a musicology and comedy radio show with comedian Kyle Gordon.

He has also guested on many podcasts including:

Story Pirates

Famous Dead People with Jarret Berenstein

So What Are We Talking About?

Geeks Out! Podcast 

Movin’ Right Along

Songwriter

Louie is an accomplished songwriter who co-wrote the book, lyrics and music for the original musical Joey and Ron. Check out some of his other songs below.

DJ

Louie is primarily a retro-music DJ and has spun at Union Hall, 116 Macdougal and various weddings and other parties. Contact him to book him for your next event. Sample mix below.

Photos/Video

Contact