How Matt Rife Created Netflix’s First Comedy Special Focused on Crowd Work.
“I know I’m not the only one here who aims for something that might seem impossible.”
In a sold-out show at The Comedy Zone in Charlotte, comedian Matt Rife is on the verge of making Netflix history by filming the platform’s first comedy special entirely centered on crowd work. Unlike typical comedy specials that involve rehearsed material and extensive touring, Rife is taking the stage with pure improvisation.
His special, titled *Lucid*, premieres on Netflix on August 13 and carries a clear theme: it’s about dreams and achieving the impossible, something Rife seems particularly skilled at.
He’s not only one of the few performers to crash Ticketmaster’s servers by selling 600,000 tickets in just 48 hours, but he’s also the youngest artist to sell out the 17,016-seat Hollywood Bowl, surpassing icons like Adele, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles.
“I’m from a tiny town in Ohio. I shouldn’t be where I am today,” Rife shared with me. “It feels like all the odds were against me, yet somehow, I’ve been lucky enough to reach this point.”
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