Michael Panzeca

About Michael Panzeca

Michael Panzeca crashed and burned in 1981 at the age of 19 but returned from the edge with some humorous observations. At the age of 20 he started working as a drug and alcohol counselor.

After 20 years of working in the field as a counselor, writing, directing, and producing plays for teenagers about drugs and alcohol, HIV, aids, domestic violence, gangs, racism, and child abuse. He was a writer for Recovery Today magazine and a regular on that radio show. He was one of the founders of Integrated Arts and Healing the Wounded Warrior Weekend, a retreat for men. Michael has worked with thousands of addicts and alcoholics and their families and has spoken lectured and taught at numerous professional agencies, and organizations on the topics of treatment, therapy, and recovery for addicts, alcoholics doctors, nurses, and therapists all over the country. He still consults with some of them today after deciding to follow his dream to do standup.

In 1998 after doing standup and acting on the side for a few years he did his first one-man show "Stand up for Recovery" a comedy show in which he shares his own experiences in recovery as well as his thoughts on treatment, meetings, insurance, therapy, relationships, therapists, patients, group therapy, medication and recovery from both sides of the table. Michael is currently a full-time professional stand-up comedian, was a regular on the Ron and Fez radio show, played Mario in Mary's and Mario's Italian wedding, and performed in the improv troupe ComedySportz.

Michael believes in the original definition of the word "sanity" (the ability to work. love and play). Stand up for him is work that he loves and that feels like play.

Michael comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable with his straightforward forward intelligent in-your-face style of comedy while he makes you laugh. 

An addiction counselor for 21 years in Cincinnati Ohio and Florida, Michael Panzeca had regular moonlighting gigs in another trade that's his first passion - stand-up comedy.

Michael is a natural-born teacher who has spent his life learning by doing and teaching by being. He has taught many things over the years using his powerful, creativity and fierce courage to overcome the fear of using it anywhere, anytime with anyone. 

You can take one of his many classes and workshops on Stand-Up Comedy as well as public speaking and motivational speaking. 

​