If you’re a comedy lover living in Brooklyn and want to support a great cause, then this is the one event you don’t want to miss.
Comedian Emil Wakim is co-hosting a stand-up comedy fundraiser in Brooklyn on Wednesday, March 18, with all proceeds going to the Lebanese Red Cross and the Lebanese Food Bank.
The event, co-hosted by comedian Nataly Aukar, features a lineup with special guests still to be announced. Wakim has kept the energy around the show characteristically loose, inviting fans to “bring your cousins, find a husband or wife,” setting expectations for a night that feels more like a community cookout than a formal benefit.
Adding a touch of generosity off stage, lifestyle brand Kotn, with whom Wakim has previously collaborated for their Fall/Winter 25 campaign, will be on hand with giveaways for attendees. The brand’s presence reflects Wakim’s knack for building meaningful partnerships that extend beyond entertainment.
Wakim’s Lebanese heritage has always played a major role in his craft. He made history in 2024 as the first cast member of Lebanese heritage on Saturday Night Live, joining the show’s 50th season. Before that, he was grinding for years in the stand-up circuit, opening up for comedians such as Hasan Minhaj and Neal Brennan. He also made his Tonight Show debut in 2022, the same year he earned a New Face of Comedy selection at the Just for Laughs Festival.
Co-hosting alongside Wakim is Nataly Aukar, known online as @natyourcolor. Born and raised in Lebanon, Aukar graduated from the American University of Beirut before moving to New York to pursue stand-up comedy full-time. She has since opened for Ramy Youssef, Mo Amer, and Gad El Maleh, and was featured in the Netflix Is a Joke Festival as part of the Introducing… showcase. She is currently touring her hour-long set, My Turn To Talk.
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With both comedians sharing Lebanese roots and New York as their base, the pairing feels less like a booking decision and more like a natural fit.
Tickets are on sale now through the event organiser Live Nation. For many, the night is a chance to show up for their people in a tangible way while doing something as simple as laughing together.
As Lebanon faces challenging times, Wakim is leveraging his voice — and his sharp sense of humor — to create a meaningful impact. It serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most profound way to help is simply to bring a smile to people’s faces.
