EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Candice Guardino has inked a deal for Comedy Dynamics to release her debut special, Italian Bred, on January 27, 2026.
Inspired by true events, the show follows Candice as she slips into multiple characters, including her brassy grandmother, taking audiences on a journey through her childhood as part of a loud and loving Italian family on Staten Island.
The special, from director Samuel Brownfiel, was shot at the Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. Guardino wrote and performed it, with Chris DiPetta (Billy Gardell: Halftime, Showtime’s Road Dogs) producing.
In a statement to Deadline, Comedy Dynamics CEO Brian Volk-Weiss said, “I am so excited for the world to see Italian Bred because I know everybody will be laughing as hard as I did the first time I saw it! Comedy Dynamics is very proud to be in business with Candice!”
Guardino told us, “I’m thrilled to be working with Brian and Comedy Dynamics. I’m beyond excited to finally share these true stories and have people laugh with me about my childhood trauma — because if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry!”
Guardino is a Brooklyn-born performer known for co-hosting the podcast Don’t Start! with WWE’s Sarah Schreiber. Currently, she’s writing her debut comedic essay collection, Confessions of an Italian Bred Girl (Because Therapy is Expensive and Laughing at Myself Is Free), which is being shopped to publishers. Additionally, she’s developing a TV project based on her grandmother’s secret family journals. Check out a partial list of Guardino’s 2026 tour dates below. The comic is repped by Paul Brown at Industry Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
2026 Tour Dates:
Feb 27 – DelRay Playhouse – Delray Beach, FL
Feb 28 – Pompano Center – Pompano, FL
Mar 6 – Orlando Theatre – Orlando, FL
Mar 21 – Nexton Theatre – Summersville, NC
Apr 18 – Wortham Arts – Asheville, NC
May 8 – Suffolk Theater – Riverhead, NY
Jun 13 – Soul Joels Ballroom – Pottstown, PA
Aug 8 – The Oaks Theater – Oakmont, PA
