Comic Brittany Brave's documentary is a 'love letter to Miami' (a funny one)
Published in Entertainment News
MIAMI — The last time we caught up with Brittany Brave was almost exactly a year ago, when she was headlining a show at the Arsht Center, the first local comedian with that honor.
The Kendall native, who is now an NYC-based rising star doing the rounds in clubs in the Big Apple, also has a side quest: to raise funds to complete a documentary she’s producing about the journey to pursue her dream of being a comedian called “Muchacha.”
The plan is for her big-screen baby to get a “major distributor” — Netflix would be nice — or, at the very least, reach the festival circuit. But she needs her community’s help.
On Sunday evening, Brave and some of her most amusing pals (e.g., Cisco Duran, Julie Baez, “El Caballo” and more) will host two crowd-funding shows at the Miami Improv, which includes a sneak peek of the film. All proceeds will go to help get the project to the finish line.
The one-word title is, naturally, a joke. Born in New Jersey and raised in West Kendall — with a badge-of-honor tattoo on her right rib — the self-proclaimed gringa isn’t exactly bilingual.
“I know when people are talking crap about me because they call me ‘muchacha,’” Brave tells the Miami Herald. “That’s clearly Spanish for ‘tiny brat.’”
Included in this “love letter to Miami” are behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage, clips from stand-up tapings and interviews with folks who have impacted her ever evolving journey and career.
“Everyone who hosted a show, attended a show, shared, reposted, clapped, hugged, copped some merch, watched us bomb and laughed the nights away doesn’t go unnoticed and makes all of us feel larger than Magic City lines,” writes Brave in promotional materials. “It’s that kind of unconditional support that birthed this crazy idea and it’s that kind of support that will make this movie live beyond its time.”
Expect “This Is Your Life”-style appearances, from her parents to big-time colleagues like Billy Corben. The child actor turned filmmaker who produced heavy hitting docs like “Cocaine Cowboys,” “The U” and “Dawg Fight,” not only makes a cameo but has given Brave some hard-earned advice over the years.
“Billy was kind with his time, friendship and expertise,” says the 34-year-old “Big Yikes” podcaster. “We do lunch hangs. He let me pick his brain and take notes on how to make this thing a success and get it as far as it can go.”
Small and mighty
Among the executive producers is Ali Edwards, who has worked on projects for Paramount+, HBO and Netflix. The industry vet says she is blown away by Brave’s passion for her craft and unstoppable drive.
“She’s the definition of small and mighty,” Edwards tells the Herald. “The hungriest 4-foot-11 girl I’ve ever met.”
She thinks Brave’s Miami upbringing served her well: “Brittany has a grittiness to her, with that playful, dry sense of humor mixed with a New York work ethic and the hustle to make it happen.”
Is there a kinda-sorta Nikki Glaser vibe going on, too? The acerbic comedian blew up after the Tom Brady roast last year and now is in high demand, hosting “Saturday Night Live” last weekend.
“I feel like they’re similar in that they have that grind,” says Edwards. “When Nikki went viral, people were like, ‘She deserved it.’ This film could be Brittany’s moment. I hope it is.”
Through the course of “Muchacha” — shot throughout the 305 and beyond when Brave was home for a spell — she takes a trip down memory lane to her old stomping grounds.
One highlight is hearing from Brave’s teacher Ms. Acosta, who is still a language arts teacher at Brave’s alma mater, Felix Varela Senior High School.
“She compared me to being like Tinkerbell or a butterfly, always fluttering around. I could never sit still,” recalls Brave. “I was the president all four years, but also the class clown, a weirdo always up to something.”
Not much has changed in two decades, give or take. In “Muchacha’s” sizzle reel, you see the diminutive comic doing her thing, which involves a lot of hilarious audience interaction. There she is at 14 North bar in Dania Beach making up nicknames for audience members (e.g., ”Vape Pen Guy”) and asking a clean-cut man in glasses if he realizes he looks like Apple founder Steve Jobs.
“I wish,” he responds.
“You and me both, buddy,” the funnywoman volleys back, adding a NSFW reason.
In another scene, Brave’s swilling a glass of wine at Hialeah’s Unbranded Brewery (now closed) pointing out a guest who’s on the phone, and cracking that he’s “executing a drug deal.”
“This is the most Miami s— EVERRRR!” Brave screams into the mic to shrieks of laughter.
Back in her stomping grounds
If you’ve ever caught Brave’s show, you know her focus isn’t just on making fun of folks in her line of sight, but her hot takes on life in general.
Her shtick? Ongoing dating fails, questionable birth control methods, and turning the ripe old age of 35 in a world full of babymakers. Sprinkled in are observations on her hometown, making light of BBLs, quinceañeras, Brightline disasters and the way residents pronounce words like “supposeBBLy.”
Sunday’s shows may or may not get into inflammatory territory, like politics. Stands to reason since her current hometown just elected a controversial mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist.
“There’s a lot of energy and excitement around him, but there’s also a lot of haters,” Brave says. “To those who complain and want to leave the city, I say, ‘Go! Please!’ There’s too many people here. We’re at capacity. We’re good.”
So, does she miss the old neighborhood? Many a day was spent in her youth at haunts like Arbetter’s, Town & Country mall and Bird Bowl.
“Of course! I miss my parents, I miss the weather, I miss the beach,” Brave says. “And it broke my heart that Barnes & Noble closed. I had my first job there as a teenager.”
Though she’d probably never call the ’burbs home again, Kendall is what fortified that fierce backbone and grit to pursue a dream in the city that never sleeps.
“I think the underdog mentality you get growing up there makes you want a bigger, crazier place to experience,” Brave says. “Both places have a lot of pride.”
If you go
What: Brittany Brave’s ‘Muchacha’: Best of Miami Comedy and Documentary Preview
When: 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: Miami Improv, 3450 NW 83rd Ave., Ste. 224, Doral
Cost: Tickets from $31.90 at www.miamiimprov.com/events
Info: 305-441-8200
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