Nachum Segal and Dovi Neuburger Discuss Comedy, Israel and More on JM in the AM

And you'll never believe who's visiting us in studio here at JM in the AM. This is actually being conducted on Wednesday. You're listening to it Thursday morning. The one and only Dovy Newberger, who's been a guest of ours uh many times before, I'm proud to say, but he's back from a major whirlwind adventure in the Holy Land. We have a chance to grab him for a few minutes on airto here at JM. Doy Newberger, a pleasure to welcome you back, sir. >> Thanks for having me. >> How did it go? >> It was unbelievable. It was really larger than life. I I used to say when I would come on to the show in the morning that you're the only person I wake up early, >> but it turns out now I'm the only person you do late interviews for. >> Correct. Very rare that I agree to this, but hey, we're anxious to have you as a guest. People want to hear from you. Um, so off the air a moment ago, you said something about mitzvah money. You've been back for how long now? >> Well, first of all, I hold on to my mitzvah. >> Now, why is that? That was the whole point. Why is that? What do you mean hold on to it? Most people would would probably try to, you know, put it in stuckle within 24 hours of their arrival. >> Yeah. But just in case I become poor, then I can keep it all. >> So it's you're hedging. >> Well, I'm always collecting money. Thank god. My parents give me a lot of and I'm flying everywhere. I didn't even I just got back from from when I landed from Israel, I was only here for a few hours and I went to the West Coast for some shows and now now I'm finally back. I don't know what time zone it is. I don't know >> who's booking all this different sides of the world. I mean, we got to get you a little bit more organized. just give you a day off in between. I mean, come on. >> No, this is the life. This is how you want it. >> You're not upset about this arrangement. >> No, not at all. >> I Here's my first question. And I've told you this story on the air before. Uh, once went to this noticeably Jewish comedy night, you know, Jewish organization put it together, etc., etc. Comedian gets up, wasn't Jewish, starts telling jokes about Awake, and in the middle of his bit says out loud, "Oh my gosh, you guys have never been to it. You don't know what I'm talking about. You're not laughing, right?" You go to Israel. Was there anything in your act where you said, "Oh boy, I don't think they they're not American or they don't have my background or things are different here in Israel." They didn't cop what I just said. >> No, because there were very few Israelis there. >> All people who grew up in this country basically. >> Not all for No, cuz I mean there was South Africans and British and Australian. all Anglo I would say with a few exceptions like people who like Israelis who who married Americans >> right >> um there are there's a very growing a very big growing English comedy scene in Israel even for >> and that's because the Anglo community is growing >> I don't know uh >> you think it's beyond that >> well some of the big Israeli comedians are now switching to English like Yponder so a lot of his audience that still is obsessed with him but was just Hebrew speaking is like learning English comedy and my opener was one of the biggest comedians in Israel is now starting English comedy for the first time and he has a massive audience >> and that night with you he was in English. >> He did he did uh he did five shows with me in English. >> All in English. >> Incredible. His name is Ben Ben Baruk and >> so it's just an expansion issue. They just want a larger audience. It's not like they're you the Israelis are not laughing anymore and I'm moving on to other audiences. >> No. Uh >> I want to expand my base. I want to appeal to more people. or do Americans or Anglo get these jokes better than the Israelis do? >> Um, there there's a couple things to it. First of all, they wanted to be able to travel more, like do shows in America, things like that. Um, there's like definitely a unique flavored Israelis doing comedy in English, which is so funny. >> Um, that gets lost a little bit in Hebrew, >> but also it's a new challenge, I think, right? >> You know, it's like a way to expand yourself creatively for them. >> Yeah, I get that. So, was there anything where on stage you said this is a little, you know, I'm I'm not sure that this is this will this will land 100% here. Is there anything that was in the back of your mind that really had never entered your mind throughout the whole thing? >> Very little. You know, comedically that that should never happen. The idea >> you'd be prepared where it wouldn't happen. No, it's just the idea of uh all comedians are coming from a very unique perspective and the idea is like eventually for me one day to be able to walk into a Mormon club and do all the same jokes and be able to explain >> my experience uh to a broader or to find finding the universal and the specific is the way I would phrase it. I don't know if I've ever told you that but >> yeah I think we've discussed it >> but that that's that's the goal. So like your specific I don't know who that comedian was with the wake but he but had he known he would have written it in a way where he's still talking about awake. >> Got it. He would have taken two sentences explain what normally goes on >> would have been funnier. It would have been all the all the from people would have been like, "Oh my gosh, it's just like a ship. It's just like a >> so uh so like the only example I can think of was when I was making a joke about a pace off program I went on and uh obviously they all know what a payoff program is, but it's funny to pretend that because they're they're, you know, first of all, American there's nothing they enjoy more than making fun of uh like >> the American scene wealthy American luxury and like >> and but also they're not absorbed in it the way we are. We are absorbed in the PES program experience. Even those of us at home for PESOC are on our phones looking at everything that's going on. I don't know if they're doing the same thing in Israel. >> They're absorbed in it in they're absorbed in a way that that they uh in a self-righteous way. They love they like the diaspora Jews. They >> we're jealous of those people and they're making fun of those people, >> right? So they So like when I did a pace program joke, I said, "Oh, I forgot where I am. Let me explain what a pace out program is." They obviously all know what a pizza is, but it's a it's an it's an opportunity for >> Yeah, that's where you used the joke about uh Oh god, >> I'm going to enslave a hotel. >> Very good. That was a takeoff on what? Or that was completely original because it sounded familiar to me that you know that there was it a takeoff or was it uh usually >> um I don't know. I I assume every single one of my jokes is a takeoff on something, >> right? I hear that. >> And I've listened to so much standup. There's only a few there's only a few different type of jokes, right? >> There it's like uh it's kind of like I'm trying to think. >> It's kind of like uh you know like Advil Title and all that. There's only a few active ingredients and then like your comedic responsibility is to like make it your own. >> All right. The the best crowd and I can't get you in trouble by actually making you tell us what your favorite was, but there must have been a unique experience with one of them. Like which town, which city, which venue was like this a little bit off the beaten path. you've told stories about the green room or the uh right >> the crowds are all amazing. Um >> was anything not like you expected in one of the cities or anything like that? >> Yeah, I mean like first of all like per the crowds were a lot of like it was it it was not diverse obviously but it was it was age extremely age diverse. There was a lot of grandparents and then like seminary girls and yeshiva guys. So like I would say the age range was like 16 to 90s. >> Makes your job harder or not necessarily? >> No. No, it was it was a lot of fun. Like I think I think such a heavy concentration of of young people is a little different because it playing to young people is very different. They don't have the attention span and things like that. So like a lot of Yeshiva guys and seminary students, I had to like interacting with them was a big part of the tour. >> Uh Doby Newberger is here. Um >> were you shocked at least to the observer like us 6,000 mi away? It looked like the tickets sold very quickly. Yeah. >> Did they? And were you surprised by it? >> There were a lot of phases to the ticket sale. So when we launched, I had no idea what this tour was going to be. I was so nervous cuz this is my first box office tour. So when we launched, um, we said, you know, let's I was going to I wanted to do like 100 seats in Tel Aviv, 100 seats in Jerusalem, and let's try. And they said, you know, like why don't we have data, we have targeted ads, why don't you try to do 500 seats in Jerusalem? I'm like, you're crazy. And then I was speaking to my agent and he said like this is good for you to do a big show. Like worst comes worse. Like if you don't sell half the room like there's Kaim that want tickets there's people you could get right like you can make it a nice >> you can always fill the room. >> But then when we launched in February that show 140 seats in Tel Aviv and the 500 seats in Jerusale it sold out in like a day or two maybe and they're like we got to add a bunch of new shows. That's when we opened uh another Jerusalem show and we opened a show in Herzelia and a second show in Tel Aiv and I was nervous again cuz it was like another 700 seats, >> right? >> But um and then that's when the war hit and I could I couldn't advertise, >> right? >> I was following the war like closely but only because of my show like right >> I was like is there anyone in the Ayatollah that cares about comedy that could just like I need >> you hear those Iranians are really funny people come on. >> Yeah. So like that was the I was very much singer focused on that and then >> once we made the decision that like >> like there was a a small ceasefire in place and things were opening up but like we didn't it was very tenuous. >> Once we made the decision that like we're just going to go for it and if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen. We reopened tickets and then >> sold out right away again. We added uh we added a six show in Jerusalem. I had to push my ticket up. >> Wow. And added a show in Jerusalem uh another like 400 seats. Um, and that sold out right away, too. So, like by the by the time even before my trip, I was already there was already a big >> So, you must have been freaking out every time you heard a rumor that the president of United States wanted to restart things. You probably were like, >> "No, no, no. Don't." >> My producer was more like, >> "Yeah." No, I mean, it was like very much out of my control. >> Yeah. But most of those things are. >> I was definitely very anxious about it. um getting into the country, getting out of the country. >> But yeah, there was a there was a big secondary market for the tickets also. That was like annoying. Like people >> online >> people like messaging me, I got like like I'm your biggest fan, but I got locked out of tickets. I'm like, first of all, these tickets have been on sale since February. I don't know if you're my biggest fan. >> You woke up in June. >> Yeah. But um they handled that. There was like a lot of like that felt good, you know, like walking around Tyel and television, people coming up to me like like do you have extra tickets to the show and like >> and it was also that. >> Yeah. >> Doby Newberger. All right, last couple of minutes. Obviously when people are hearing this tonight, I'm sure you have some type of comedic angle when it comes to the legendary night. You know, the night where everybody takes 12, 13 hours and learns continuously and never takes a break until Shakur starts. I'm sure you have a take on that. Am I right or wrong? >> I don't I don't know. I haven't thought about it. You're putting on this. I mean, it's not like I I my schedule. Everyone's staying up is just on my schedule. Like they go to sleep at like 5 in the morning. I'm like, this is what I do every >> Oh, it's your schedule. I hear you. >> You're a night person. That's the way it always is. Um, and about the whole menu, everyone going crazy this week, making sure they have the right ingredients. >> All the all the shles are competing over the the best menu to have all the people there, >> right? >> You know, in the old days, they would bring out a few pastries in the middle of the night and that was about it. >> Now you have to have a sushi bar or, you know, some type of buffet, >> but unless people stayed up in the >> That could be that. >> They didn't have all these high school programs and things like that. >> Right. That's true. >> Wow. Look at you putting a positive spin on that. >> What? that today we have a you know a robust population >> positive. >> Yeah. >> A robust population of people who are up all night which I hear is a good thing. >> What do they do on the Lower East Side now? >> I mean there are people who stay up and there are others who go to the 9:00 a.m. Minion like every neighborhood. >> But is there a robust menu? >> Oh uh there'll be a menu. I don't know how robust but there'll be a menu. >> Right. And they have Sharon through the night. >> Yeah. >> Do people go to MTJ? >> I don't know if MTJ's open on Shabbus night. I just don't know. Could be. I'll find I'll find out. The Bial Stuck is open all night. >> Is the Beer Stuck ever closed? >> No, it's almost never, right? >> To their credit. >> And chakras is at 4:50. >> So if I fall asleep and I want to dive in early, I've got to leave my house about 4:30 in the morning. >> Oh, they they only have chakras at 4:50. >> No, there's a 9:00 also. But I mean, come on. If you're someone like me who's used to getting up early, if you could, you know, if you could pack away chakras and musup by 7 a.m., you want to do that. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. >> Um I don't I don't have any plans for Shu yet. >> That's it. Memorial Day weekend. >> Um I'll be in Bokeh doing shows >> on Monday. Sunday. Monday. >> Monday night I'll be in Bokeh. A few tickets left. And then >> And >> how many seats in that one? >> It's small. It's like I'm doing four shows like 70 seats each. >> Wow. >> Yeah. I'll be doing a big show there with Ami Kak on uh >> He's getting a lot of attention these days >> on Kaneka. Yeah. >> Seems like a really nice guy. >> He's doing an Israel tour now also. >> Also, boy, oh boy. And when's your next big tour or you just don't know what? >> Kaneka. Yeah. I'll be in Bokeh, Aventura, Atlanta, St. Louis. >> And is it time to go to an arena that's more than 500 people or uh >> No, not yet. >> I don't know. I my my cadence and my style doesn't lend to much more than that. I have to come out of my comfort zone a little bit. If you were in Radio City, you're saying the the size and the acoustics would work to your disadvantage. >> Yeah. I don't know if I would ever be in Radio City. >> Well, if 6,000 tickets sold, you would be, >> right? But I I >> You probably never believed you'd be in a 500 seat arena someday. >> That's true. Yeah. >> But even if like And I would love to be that popular one day. Even if I was, I I I feel like I would do 10 shows of a thousand. >> Sorry, six shows of a thousand. Yeah. >> Interesting. I just don't have the I don't have the wherewithal to to uh because it's not just about like your there's your material and then people need to feel like they're talking to you and you're they're like live comedy is is live comedy. >> What a different perspective. In my line of work, you pray for a 10,000 seater and you hope to never appear before a crowd of 100 seats. >> It's it's much more nerve-wracking, >> right? >> So, it's funny >> there. Yeah. I mean, I'm building a brand that's based on my >> right >> persona and and >> retail comedy >> and the retail is having access to me. You don't feel like you have access to me in a 6,000 seat, >> right? Venue. >> Agreed. But you know that if you hit the uh if you hit the big big big time, >> access will be limited. Those around you will insist on it. So everybody out there, enjoy the fact that now you can walk up to him on the street, even early even early morning and have a schmoo with Dovy Newberger. >> I don't know. >> I mean, there'll be a time where someone's going to be telling me, "Hey, Nam Seagull, this guy's got no time for you. Sorry." >> Not for you, but people already think that. Yeah. >> Oh, is that funny? Yeah, that's the way life is. Come on. Anyway, uh, great to see you. Welcome back to the United States. Put in your money in a worthy cause, please. I will right here. >> There you go. And enjoy the holiday of Shv and the break and then uh and then good luck on the big trip to Bokeh. Thank you so much. I hear there's a big Jewish community down there >> in Bokeh. >> Yeah, that's what I hear. There are a few Jews. That's what I'm told that you're not only you're not playing to the to the 70 Jews of Bokeh. >> I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to get kosher food. >> You have a feeling some will be obtainable? >> Yeah. >> They're going to That's another thing. They're going to shower you with stuff on Monday. You're going to go to this bokeh show. You're going to get backstage. All of a sudden, you'll have buckets of fried chicken, you'll have sushi platters, you'll have got go got know what kind of smoothies you'll have these asai drinks that are all over the table. I mean, everybody wants to, you know, >> right? I'm hoping to keep it simple. That's the hard thing like uh the traveling. You You can't get into a rhythm with food and exercise and things like that. I'm I'm really trying to zone in on that now. But it's >> Who wins game two in the Knicks series? >> Shivus Knight. >> Yeah. Well, I I think it's going to have a it will depend a lot on how many Jews leave Shuv learning to go watch it. >> God forbid, >> but there will be a smaller crowd in in MSG for game two >> because none of the from Jews will be there. >> That's a thing I always find funny. It was like anytime like the Knicks schedule happened to work out very well for Yontiff and and uh Shabas is not perfect, >> right? >> And I always hear people like, "Yeah, because there's so many Jews in New York." I'm like they no that's not why there's no one in the MSG room being like looking at the calendar they're like Sheney like let's put let's like call the NBA and like change the schedule a little bit like >> right well things like that have happened you know the Giants and Jets schedules sometimes take >> there was one time keeper and I rush they did that >> there's a Jet game keeper this year >> there's a Jet game this year yeah >> but that was at a time where the where the Jets and Giants where going to a game was inappropriate for on Aravium Kipper. Now it makes you so sad that it that it's >> very good. >> You'll leave the stadium pondering the seriousness of life when you go to a Jedi giant game. That's a very good point. I like that. >> I wish they had them on Tishab. That would be the most appropriate >> with box seats. I hope. But I'm bum. >> Oh, that's funny. >> You like that, huh? Not my line. Not my line. >> Whose line? when the bait sheamesh blue socks uh were playing a game in the Israel baseball league the one year they had it was were playing a game on tishabove and everyone was going crazy how dare they how dare they no one like you say no one look at the calendar to see which t whatever so Robert Katz my friend said to me I hope they sold box seats there you go anyway >> I feel free to use that there there do I'll have my lawyer call your lawyer when I hear >> I'll have to I'll have to ask Rob Catz >> that's it I have a feeling he'll give you permission anyway Khagame, thank you so much for having me. >> A pleasure and continued good luck to you. We take great pride in your amazing career >> and I take great pride in that. This is where I started it. >> Oh, I appreciate that. There he is. Dovy Newberger on an air of Yiff here at JM and the AM.