2 months ago
EXCLUSIVE: Brillstein Entertainment Partners has promoted Dari Bani to Manager, Comedy, elevating Geordan Somerville and Julia Weinstock to Coordinator successful nan Comedy department.
Each of nan promotes will proceed to activity retired of Brillstein’s Los Angeles office. Comedy section co-heads Alex Murray and Tim Sarkes made nan announcement, pinch nan erstwhile telling us, “Dari, Geordan and Julia person been cardinal to nan continued sustainability and improvement of our drama section passim their clip pinch Brillstein. Their expertise to place and link pinch emerging talent crossed a assortment of mediums further expands our footprint successful nan drama landscape, and we are excited to watch them proceed to grow.”
Sarkes added, “This group’s acquisition astatine aggregate levels wrong our squad and institution has enabled them to seamlessly postgraduate into these positions. They activity difficult and they unrecorded successful nan clubs – that has fixed them a heavy knowing of nan ever-changing drama business crossed each of its platforms.”
Bani, who has been pinch Brillstein since 2017, sewage his commencement astatine WME, wherever he spent 4 years successful euphony and drama touring earlier transitioning to management. He worked arsenic Murray’s adjunct — supporting talent specified arsenic Nate Bargatze, Jim Gaffigan, Nikki Glaser and Jim Jefferies — until his promotion to coordinator successful 2025. His clients see Henry Cho, who is presently trading retired theaters nationwide connected his Empty Nest Tour; Derrick Stroup (repped pinch Murray and Sarkes), whose debut Netflix special, Nostalgic, connected which we first reported, was released globally connected March 10; Dustin Nickerson, who precocious sold retired 9 shows successful Tacoma, WA and is releasing a drama typical later this year; Mike Goodwin, whose Open Mike Tour is trading retired clubs crossed nan country; Nasser Al-Rayess, whose sold-out Habiiibi International Europe Tour originates successful April; and Maggie Hughes DePalo, nan first female stand-up to characteristic connected Bargatze’s arena tour, among others.
Somerville graduated from nan University of Maryland successful 2018 and completed an externship astatine UTA anterior to joining Brillstein successful 2021. He worked connected aggregate desks earlier becoming an adjunct to Murray, moving pinch talent including Bargatze, Glaser and Gaffigan. Among Somerville’s clients are three-time Emmy nominee Ellory Smith (Robot Chicken) arsenic good arsenic janitor-turned-comedian and TikTok phenom Jimmy Cash. Somerville is an executive shaper connected Fifth Season’s drama bid The Flat Tyres alongside Brillstein’s Matt Sadeghian, pinch whom he co-reps bid creators Thabo Rametsi and Robbie Leacock. He additionally co-manages clients specified arsenic comedian and societal media prima Demetrius Fields, James Mwaura (a 2025 JFL New Face) and Jot Singh (Mo, co-repped pinch Bani).
A postgraduate of Indiana University, Weinstock interned astatine The Second City and Paskal Rudnicke Casting earlier joining Brillstein successful 2022 arsenic an adjunct to longtime drama lead Marc Gurvitz. She has since grown to co-rep Gurvitz clients specified arsenic Martin Short and nan precocious Catherine O’Hara, while co-signing talent including New York Times bestselling writer Kyle Prue, nan top-selling New York-based unrecorded drama show Ask a F*ckboy, and 2025 Just For Laughs New Faces Dvontre Coleman and Dan Tiernan.
Somerville and Weinstock additionally stock clients including Zavior Phillips (Bad Monkey, 2025 JFL New Face), Dan Mahboubian Rosen (Kinda Pregnant), and Kel Cripe (2025 JFL New Face; 2024 Netflix Introducing… showcase).
With roots successful drama extending backmost much than 45 years — to nan clip erstwhile nan institution was known arsenic Brillstein/Grey — Brillstein’s bicoastal drama section useful pinch talent including Jeff Arcuri, Brittany Broski, Dana Carvey, Whitney Cummings, Zach Galifianakis, Tony Hinchcliffe, Bill Maher, David Spade, Cecily Strong, Trevor Wallace and more, successful summation to aforementioned stars for illustration Bargatze.
