Jason Savio

Sometimes dreams do come true. Just ask Alingon Mitra, Worcester native and standup comedian who will be making his homecoming at the new WooHaHa comedy club this month.

Mitra, a dedicated fan and student of comedy, has hit the big time with appearances on national television shows like the Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Conan. Those late-night standup spots came on the heels of his feature on NBC’s Last Comic Standing competition. But it all started on the other side of the television screen for Mitra while growing up at his home near the Greendale Mall. “I used to watch a ton (of standup comedy) when I was younger,” he said. “I would basically gorge myself on Comedy Central and the standup specials that they would have. I always wanted to do it.”

Comedians Jim Gaffigan, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle made an impact on him, Mitra says, as did the Daily Show, which he would later join as a writer. His first taste of performing standup comedy came when he entered a competition while attending Worcester Academy. While his fellow students were reciting lines from literary works in front of the whole school, Mitra was performing routines from Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld. 

Mitra would continue his interest in comedy when he attended Harvard University, where he wrote for the Harvard Lampoon. With his writing skills sharpened, he made the next step: “After college I wanted to do [standup] for real and I went to an open mic in Worcester, my first open mic,” he said. “I kind of caught the bug and did it more frequently after that.” 

Soon, Mitra began performing wherever he could. “Anywhere there was a stage, I would get up,” he said. “You name a city and if they had a stage, I probably got up there.” Worcester provided the ideal spot for Mitra to work out of, allowing him to travel between New Hampshire, Boston and Providence with relative ease to practice his material in front of live audiences. “Worcester was the home base for a little while, for sure,” he said.

That tenacity would eventually pay off and land Mitra a spot on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. 

It wouldn’t come without drama, though. After not advancing past the semifinals to perform in the finale, Mitra was brought back by viewer votes as part of the program’s Comic Comeback Contest. He came in first place five weeks in a row, going up against a gauntlet of other comics

“I didn’t think it would be possible, but a lot of comics in Massachusetts and Worcester were very helpful in getting the word out to vote,” he said. “It was very big for me in that I felt very supported in the community and also by doing that, it’s what helped tip me to do it more nationally because I got all these TV credits. It was very fulfilling. For the people to keep voting and wanting me back was very rewarding.”

Since his time on Last Comic Standing, Mitra has made the late night T.V. rounds, living out his childhood fantasy.“It’s kind of surreal because I grew up watching standup comedy,” he said. “Anytime there was a comic on a late night show I made sure to either DVR it or watch it online. To be one of the guys doing what I watched growing up was kind of surreal. Kind of like when you’re growing up and you play in little league and you think about the major league and then all of a sudden you get to be playing in the major league. It was really thrilling.”

Others are excited for Mitra too, including WooHaHa’s owner, John Tobin. “Here’s a guy who started in the Worcester scene and in Boston and now he’s a national comedian with national credits and he’s coming back home, which is awesome,” said Tobin. 

Those attending Mitra’s performance can expect a blend of topics, from observational to political and everything in between. “There is always a commentary throughout the act so I feel that it generally works well, in that people who want to just sit and laugh can enjoy it on that level and people who want to sit and laugh and think a little bit about what I’m saying, they also have that, too,” he said. “It works on both levels.”

Mitra also likes to add plenty of sarcasm to go along with the wit in his standup routine, something he credits to his upbringing in Massachusetts.“I think in Worcester and Massachusetts there’s sort of a vein of sarcasm that runs through us which you don’t realize when you’re in Massachusetts because you’re surrounded by it,” said Mitra, who now resides in New York. “That is something that I feel came to me from growing up in Massachusetts.”

It has been at least two years since Mitra last performed in Worcester, and he says he is looking forward to returning and getting onstage at WooHaha for four shows in three nights, beginning Friday, May 9 through Saturday, May 10. 

“I’ve always felt that Massachusetts crowds are savvy audiences and I always have fun performing in front of crowds that get it,” he said. “It’s almost like you’re speaking the same language when you’re in Massachusetts because they grew up the way I grew up talking a little bit, so I’m looking forward to being able to commune with them in that way. It’ll be fun.”

For more information, visit alingonmitra.com.