Comics Sofia Rivera and Noah Ryan hosted another great Beanin’ Funny comedy show in January at Roasted Lakewood, a local coffee shop. That month’s show featured comedians from across Ohio to a sold-out room.

Beanin’ Funny is a newer addition to the comedy scene in the greater Cleveland area and celebrated its first anniversary in November 2025.

“Beanin’ Funny first happened when a Chicago comic, Hannah Belmont, gave me the room when she went to Chicago. Noah reached out and asked to do a show together, so we borrowed equipment from another local comic, David Shelton. I got [the] equipment, [and] we now run our shows, just the two of us,” said Rivera.

Since then, the show has continued on the third Wednesday of every month, with the hosts inviting new guest comedians. The show has gained traction, drawing a rotating audience with a strong number of repeat visitors, including friends of both Rivera and Ryan.

“One guy, his name is Ryan, [he has] been to like every show but two. He does impressions, and he’ll come up to me after the show and do his own stand-up routine. It’s kind of funny. My wife’s grandmother is a regular at our show. Shout out [to] Grandma Terry. She’s the biggest supporter of my comedy in my whole life,” said Ryan.

Before being one of the hosts of Beanin’ Funny, Noah Ryan kickstarted his comedy career in Hartford, Connecticut.

“During the pandemic, I did voice impressions; [so] I decided to do videos of me walking my dog as different characters because I was bored. My friends [told me] you should make these public so we can share them, and I started posting on TikTok. I had a couple [of] videos go viral, and I had a promoter from a club by my home, Frank Margalo, hit me up. [He] was like, ‘Hey, have you ever done stand-up?’ And I [said] no. He [said], ‘Well, if you get five people to come and see you, I have a show on Thursday night if you want to do stand up,’ and I was like, sure. So I got five of my friends, and I did stand up for the first time. I’ve been doing it for about six years now,” said Noah Ryan.

After spending time in Hartford, Ryan moved to Cleveland, where he met his wife and started Beanin’ Funny with Rivera.

Unlike most comedy shows, which are hosted in bars or clubs, Beanin’ Funny is in a small, separate room at Roasted Lakewood dedicated to the show. The setup was possible because Rivera works there, and the owner allowed her and Ryan to use the space.

“What makes our show unique is the intimate room, especially when paired with comedy and drag. That’s not something Cleveland has seen – at least not in recent times – so we’re glad to have such an amazing variety show,” said Rivera.

The intimate setting sets the show apart from other well-established comedy shows in the Cleveland area. This unique aspect of Beanin’ Funny has drawn audience members like Jordan, a resident of Amherst and a frequent visitor to Lakewood.

“[I’m an] avid comedy lover, [and] I’ve started recently going to comedy shows. I used to do a lot of watching online, but I’m starting to venture out [to] see firsthand. Most comedy stands are in bars and whatever, [but] this is a cafe, [so] it was a cool idea.”

In comedy, jokes that fall flat are a common occurrence. Jokes rely on timing, emphasis, and knowledge of what the core of the punchline is. Sometimes, a comedian and a crowd simply do not connect. A small room, such as the one used for Beanin’ Funny, serves an important role for comics such as Ryan and Rivera.

“I like both for different reasons. If you do a room like this, this is a great room for testing jokes. Because if a joke bombs in here, you can feel it. But if you’re in like, a room, like, you know, with 200 people, you’re pretty much only seeing the front row. So, you don’t know necessarily if a joke bombed with everyone, [as] you can only really gauge the front row and the audience’s feedback. There’s a lot of comics that prefer one or the other. I like both,” said Ryan.

While the show has become somewhat established, Beanin’ Funny remains a newer addition to the Cleveland comedy scene. A lot of planning goes into each Beanin’ Funny, from booking four to five comics for each show to advertising.

“Comics will reach out to Noah, or I will reach out to comics. As for drag acts, I take in booking them usually through recommendations of other drag artists who have been on the show,” said Rivera.

There is still plenty in store for this new and promising show.

“The future goal for Beanin’ Funny is for touring comics to know to reach out to hop on a show and to become a comedic Cleveland landmark. [I’d like to] have comics and audience members alike know our show’s name, [to] be more than just another show in Cleveland,” said Rivera. “We want to be one of the best comedy shows this city has seen.”

*Correction name: Brian to Ryan