Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Episode: Sebastian Maniscalco (Live)
Date: November 7, 2025
Venue: Gramercy Theater, NYC

Overview

This special live episode of Good Hang brings together host Amy Poehler and stand-up superstar Sebastian Maniscalco for a wide-ranging, high-spirited, and deeply funny conversation. Kicked off by a live musical performance from Amy Miles and a surprise appearance by Pete Correale (Sebastian’s longtime friend and podcast partner), Amy and Sebastian discuss comedy, family, Chicago roots, aging, pet peeves, Italian heritage, and the art of the “good hang.” The tone is warm, irreverent, honest, and full of quick-witted banter, making for a thoroughly entertaining and revealing hangout.

Key Segments and Insights

1. Opening & Amy Miles Performance

• Amy Poehler introduces the show's first-ever live taping and welcomes musician Amy Miles, who co-wrote the Good Hang theme song.
• Amy Miles performs a feel-good, crowd-energizing song (02:44–05:02).
• “All I ever wanted was a really good hang” – Amy Miles (03:29)

2. Pete Correale Roasts & Friendship with Sebastian

• Amy brings up Sebastian’s podcast partner, Pete Correale, for a rapid-fire intro and funny origin stories.
  • How They Met: Stand-up tour in Canada, 14 years ago. Pete roasts Sebastian for having a “performance shirt” on a hanger (10:38–11:45).
  • Podcast Philosophy: Consistency, no guests, focus on the everyday (12:43).
    • “We just talk about our lives… You could listen to any one of our cast and you wouldn’t know what year it’s from.” – Pete Correale (12:43)
  • Pete's Suggested Interview Angles:
    • Sebastian loves entertaining but wants guests to leave after (“I love to entertain and now go home” – 15:55).
    • Sebastian’s self-diagnosed misophonia (“His comedy lives in irritation” – 16:30).

3. Sebastian Takes the Stage: First Impressions and Fashion

• Quick banter about dressing up for the live show.
  • “I am typically overdressed for occasions. My mother always used to tell me, ‘we’re going to church, put your nice slacks on.’” – Sebastian (18:53)
• Amy and Sebastian connect over Chicago roots and Second City ties (19:45–20:13).

4. Chicago Memories & Waiting Tables

• Clubbing and Restaurant Culture:
  • Reminiscing about Chicago clubs (Acapulco Bar, Baja Beach Club) and restaurants (Carlucci’s, Olive Garden, The Living Room).
  • “Funny you say fine dining. I started my waiting career at Olive Garden.” – Sebastian (22:27)
• Restaurant Etiquette:
  • Sebastian vents about declining manners among diners and servers, especially “the server who ducks down to your level” and overshares (“We don’t need to know your medical history, just bring out the burger” – 25:19).
  • Both agree that being an ex-server leaves you with opinions on how to treat service staff (24:45).

5. Career Highs & Family Life

• Success as Comedian:
  • Amy congratulates Sebastian on his biggest year touring and working with Robert De Niro on a movie about his dad (26:09).
• Parenthood in Midlife:
  • Sebastian, 52, has two young kids (26:46).
  • “One could argue you’re a little old for that… But your wife seems amazing. She’s always doing flips!” – Amy (26:36–27:46)
  • “She walks down the stairs on her hands.” – Sebastian (27:50)
• Amy jokes about the exhaustion of playing with little kids after work (“The worst thing to hear in the world is, ‘daddy, can we play?’” – 30:10).

6. Performing in Large Venues, Physical Comedy, and Inspiration

• Stadium Comedy:
  • Sebastian describes tailoring his physical act for arenas and striving to be “deeply funny and deeply physical” (31:22).
  • “You got to light yourself on fire up there for people to like, pay attention.” – Sebastian (31:47)
• Stage Design:
  • Describes his unique triangular stage (“I could service the room better” – 32:15).
• Physical Comedy Heroes:
  • Huge influence from John Ritter and Three’s Company (“I watched Three’s Company like game tape growing up” – 42:00).
  • “I just took [John Ritter’s techniques] and made it a little bit more grand when I’m on stage.” – Sebastian (41:49)

7. Long Road to Fame

• Slow-Burn Success:
  • Seven years at Four Seasons while honing his act; no big TV or movie break (35:22).
  • “The Maniscalco family always has to take the long road to get there.” – Sebastian (36:17)

8. Father’s Immigrant Story & The De Niro Movie

• Sharing stories of his dad immigrating to the US and eventually inspiring a movie, including amusing tales of De Niro studying his father’s habits (37:01–39:34).
  • “My dad’s like, ‘how much am I getting for this?’” – Sebastian (38:31)

9. Self-Care, Skincare, and Sleep

• Detailed talk about sleep routines and bedtime, including Amy’s CPAP machine for sleep apnea (44:00–46:43).
• “I do have a skincare [routine]. Little toner, little face cream. I put a little cologne on before bed. I got a little nighttime cologne.” – Sebastian (47:23)
• Sebastian’s trick: Two different colognes (front/back) for varied scent “coming and going” (48:04).

10. Comedy, TV, and What Actually Makes Sebastian Laugh

• Rarely watches stand-up for fun; prefers drama, documentaries or talking to his real-life friend George for laughs (49:29).
• “If I want to laugh, I got a friend back in Chicago. His name is George.” – Sebastian (49:42)
• Watches “Love is Blind” with his wife (“You gotta eventually come out and look at the person. If they got no teeth, you know, it’s a problem.” – 50:44)

11. New Special, Sciatica, and Material Process

• New special took three years to write (“Every three years, I come up with an hour” – 52:24).
• His last special hampered by sciatica pain and performing in a tux (“I wanted to bring Vegas back… but I felt very hampered in a tuxedo” – 53:05).

12. Podcasting Philosophy

• Loves the long-form storytelling the podcast provides:
  • “It’s like a recorded phone call… Podcasting has done for us is just give us an opportunity [to let stories breathe].” (55:52)

13. Speed Round – Sebastian’s Takes on Life’s Quirks

(Timestamps approximate: 57:19–65:40)

• Shoeless Households:
  • “Once a man loses his shoes, you can’t really debate any other man. You’re in your socks, guy.” (57:27)
• Misophonia:
  • “If you’re opening a bag of chips, my window of tolerance is very small… My comedy lives in irritation.” (59:01, 59:42)
• Wedding Registries:
  • “Growing up in an Italian family… you put cash in an envelope, not a blender.” (60:43)
• Taking Food Home at Weddings:
  • “Italians have a sweet table. They’ll take a styrofoam to-go. I just think it’s a tacky move.” (61:56)
• Pets:
  • Grew up pet-less, recently got two dogs for the kids; not keen on cats (62:29, 63:47)
• Yelling at Kids:
  • “A good dose of a yell, not a lot… you have to act sometimes like you’re psychotic.” (64:51–65:28)
• Santa Claus:
  • Hired a Santa to appear at his home after his daughter stopped believing, "peeled off three Huns for this drunk Santa…" (65:50–68:08)

14. Cooking & Food Talk: Reverse Sear Steak Method (68:32–72:16)

• Sebastian’s Steak: New York strip, reverse-seared, heavily salted/peppered, oven then cast-iron, rested and presented with rosemary.
• Sides: Prefers fingerling potatoes, some greens (“trying to get the kids to eat healthy”).
• Amy’s Parenting Tip: Put out vegetable platter as a pre-dinner snack.

15. Fruit vs. Vegetable Showdown

• Both share favorites (“plum” for Amy, “banana/strawberry” for Sebastian), polling the audience for their preferences (74:48–75:40).

Memorable Quotes

On Comedy and Fame:

• “You got to light yourself on fire up there for people to like, pay attention.” – Sebastian Maniscalco (31:47)
• “Nothing comes easy in my life… The Maniscalco family always has to take the long road to get there.” – Sebastian (36:14, 36:17)

On Performing and Physicality:

• “I watched Three’s Company like game tape growing up.” – Sebastian (42:00)
• “The physicality for me, it’s fun to do. I got to keep myself entertained up there as well.” – Sebastian (42:59)

On Parenting and Aging:

• “One could argue you’re a little old for that… But your wife seems amazing. She’s always doing flips!” – Amy Poehler (26:36–27:46)
• “A good yell, I think, every now and then sets the family straight.” – Sebastian (65:28)

On Life’s Pet Peeves:

• “Once a man loses his shoes, you can’t really debate any other man. You’re in your socks, guy.” – Sebastian (57:27)
• “If you lose the misophonia, you lose your radar.” – Sebastian (60:34)

On Sleep:

• “I am starting to go to bed, sadly, after I tuck my kids in. I love this. I’m in bed about…I’d say about nine o’clock.” – Sebastian (44:31–44:37)
• “I have a CPAP machine…It’s totally changed my life. Anybody who wants to try it for fun, do it.” – Amy Poehler (46:06–46:43)

On Cooking:

• “[Reverse sear]…I let it get used to the atmosphere.” – Sebastian (68:40–69:00)
• “And not one free filet. I’m the guy that gets nothing. Like, Amy probably has a bunch of stuff coming to the house, right?” – Sebastian (70:42–70:54)

Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

• Pete Correale’s intro and stories: 09:16–17:15
• Sebastian & Amy enter stage: 18:16–19:45
• Chicago & Restaurant tales: 19:45–24:23
• Physical comedy influences: 41:27–42:59
• Speed round (Sebastian’s takes): 57:19–65:40
• Steak cooking method: 68:32–70:42
• Fruit vs. Veggie poll: 74:12–75:40

Tone and Style

• The conversation is sharp yet relaxed, brimming with the observational wit, self-deprecating humor, and relatable gripes both hosts are known for.
• Both Amy and Sebastian riff seamlessly between big topics (family, career) and small everyday irritations, making the episode feel like a quintessential “good hang.”
• Audience engagement and live energy give the show an added spark, with laughter, applause, and spontaneous moments.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a hilarious, personal, and revealing deep-dive into Sebastian Maniscalco’s comedic process, Italian-American roots, family dynamics, and everyday pet peeves—with Amy Poehler guiding the conversation with empathy and irreverence. Key highlights include hearing how Sebastian’s father inspired a film role for De Niro, why Sebastian is both a germ-aware host and a physical performer, candid insights on parenthood at 52, his meticulous steak technique, and a full-speed spin through life’s quirks (from shoeless homes to yelling at your kids).

If you want laughs, warmth, and a crash course in the art of the hang, this live Good Hang delivers.