Born in NYC, Michael Cintron started performing stand up comedy after graduating college. With a twisted combination of real life stories and his opinion on society’s ills, Mike brings raw honesty in the form of hysterical humor. He has won both The Boca Raton Comedy Festival Contest and National Lampoons Underground Comedy Contest, and appeared on several radio stations / podcasts. Mike has also featured for such names as Tom Segura, Christina Pazsitzky, Sugar Sammy, Flip Shultz, and Dave Siegel. Always keeping the audience on their toes, Mike Cintron is sure to leave them surprisingly snorting with laughter.
For the last few years, Michael Cintron has been booking comedy shows at the Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery, DADA in Delray Beach, he runs New Faces events at the Improv and other venues in the Palm Beach area. The Funky Buddha Lounge and Brewery located in Boca Raton, is rated as one of the top 100 craft beer brewery’s in the world! DaDa, located in Delray Beach, a very popular restaurant and lounge with a comfortable, home-like atmosphere, and one of the longest running open mics in South Florida (+5 Years)!
You can follow him on Twitter @MikeCintron and Instagram @latenightmikeshow
1) What motivated you to start doing stand-up comedy?
I got arrested at the Palm Beach International Airport. I would hang out with my friends at their garage, smoke pot and watch the 30 minute special. We are looking at each other and my friends were saying that “Mike you are way funnier than that guy”. I loved getting people to laugh. When I was getting bullied I would make them laugh instead of getting bullied. I went to Orlando for college and there was this girl that worked at Universal and she wasn’t funny. Once she was passing around open mic flyers; in my head I was thinking that she’s not funny as she’s already. If she can do it then I can do it. I didn’t start doing stand-up until I was arrested and while I was free I wanted to seize the moment and do stand-up. So did New Faces; Will Watkins was the host. I was the first one to go up. Ramon was running it and I asked Ramon what he thought. He’s like you did three minutes on stage; come back with five. It made me want to work harder, come back with different material and prove myself.
2) What’s your secret to running successful booked comedy shows?
You have to love what you do, have a passion for it and care about the people that you are working with. If you are going to do it; you can’t do it for the money. You have to do it for the love of the art. Make sure the people, comics and audience members are having a good time. It’s not all about dollars and cents. It’s about the experience.
3) What type of comedians do you enjoy watching (locally and nationally)?
Locally: Blake Woodrow; He’s fresh and he seems to want to take it serious. He hangs out and is a student of the game. At 20 years old I find that kind of amazing. Hennessy Williams is another person that is really bringing the fire every time, he has a strong work ethic and he has some funny stuff. Fasil Malik (how does anyone not him at this point); I like his one liners, how he brings something different to the game, he’s clean and has a really strong work ethic. Nationally I enjoy watching Hannibal Burress because of the courage that he had to call out Bill Cosby and was able to bring it out in a funny way, Bill Burr and Dave Chapelle; his timing, storytelling and facial expressions are amazing. I could watch the Dave Chapelle show once a week and it would be as good as it was the first time that I saw it ten years ago. Plus there’s only one Dave Chapelle.
4) What type of foods do you enjoy eating when you have time to cook?
Chicken wings, potato skins and fried food. I also want to eat more salad. I love junk food. Roosters has the best chicken fingers on the planet.
5) What are things that upset you?
People that are conniving, backstabbing and how more than one comic has attempted to go behind my back to book a comedy show at the Funky Buddha. What they don’t realize is that when you do that you don’t only disrespect me, you are also disrespecting the Buddha.
6) Who is the person that you would want to hang out with (Alive or dead) and where would you take him or her?
My dad and I would take him to watch me perform at the Improv.
7) Which actor or actress would you want to play you in a movie about yourself?
Adam Levine, because a lot of people tell me that I look like Adam Levine.
8) What is your advice to being an amazing host?
Have fun and remember that you are the audience’s friend. It’s not so much about the material. It’s about making the connection. My advice to new comics is to remember why you got into being a comedian; you wanted to make people laugh. Always hold onto that as long as you do stand up and don’t let negative things get you down.
9) What are things that you would tell people not to do if they want to get booked by you or the Improv?
When you are late, if you show up drunk, if you show up as if you don’t care are things that makes me not want to book you. Being booked is a job. Just like a job you act as if you care about it. You want to succeed. Matt Bellak is a great host. He shows up early; he goes above and beyond to help out. His attitude and passion are there. When he shows up he’s ready to help.
10) Why should people check you out the Funky Buddha Summer Festival on August 13th at Funky Buddha in Boca?
It’s great for comics to compete in, because it gives them exposure in front of a different crowd. You get to work on your 5 minutes for an upcoming contests. If you look back on past winners; it elevated them and got them noticed on the scene more. Even if you don’t I still watch these acts and I will contact them for an upcoming booked show. Audiences should check it out to support our local arts. You don’t get a Dave Chappelle or Rich Prior unless you support your local arts to see them develop. It’s a great time. You have 30 comics performing where I guarantee that one of them is going to make you laugh. The feature Willonius Hatcher is fun to watch as there is never a dull moment and he has a best-selling book.