NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Building Your Best Inc. is pleased to announce that New York City stand-up comedian Kalliope Barlis has been named one of Top Ten Finalists in the 2026 Ladies of Laughter National Competition. She will perform before a panel of industry judges on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street, as the Top Ten compete for theater bookings, publicity, and the Ladies of Laughter title.
The 2026 showcase is hosted by Poppy Champlin, winner of the 2024 Ladies of Laughter National Professional Competition. Past Ladies of Laughter contestants and winners include Amy Schumer, Zarna Garg, and Michelle Buteau.
“Still letting this sink in,” Barlis said. “Being selected as a 2026 Ladies of Laughter Top Ten Finalist is an honor and a privilege, and I’m so grateful to Ladies of Laughter for everything they do to lift up women in comedy.”
Barlis arrives at the competition with an unusual résumé. Before comedy, she played golf professionally from 1997 to 2000 and is still winning, having taken the club championship at Bally’s Links in New York City (2020) and third place at the 2022 Aramco Team Series Pro-Am.
She is also a Licensed Master Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming by co-creator Dr. Richard Bandler (mentored Tony Robbins as well). She is a three-time best-selling author whose titles include Phobia Relief: From Fear to Freedom and the Play Golf Better Faster book series.
Her TEDx talk of the same name has surpassed 2 million views, and the docu-series she produced and directed, Kalliope’s From Fear to Freedom, has won more than three dozen film festival awards and streams on Prime Video, Tubi, and Apple TV.
On stage, Barlis works clean and from real life: the chaos of a loud Greek household, the quiet humiliations of competitive sport, and the fears people carry around and never mention.
She headlines a monthly show at West Side Comedy Club and has played The Gotham Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club, Copacabana, Governors, Zanies Nashville, Don’t Tell, and Next In Line Comedy Club in Philadelphia. Earlier in 2026 she was a finalist in MicdUpNYC in Times Square, and she appears this year at the New York Comedy Festival, the New South Comedy Festival, and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
Days after the Ladies of Laughter competition, Barlis hits the road with Felicia Madison on The KFC (Kalliope and Felicia Comedy) Tour, opening with dates at The Stress Factory in Bridgeport, CT; New Brunswick, NJ; and Valley Forge, PA; and at Hyena’s Comedy Nightclub in Dallas, TX. Madison is a comedian in her own right, as well as the Creative Director of New York City’s West Side Comedy Club, where she has become a force behind the scenes, helping develop and shape the careers of women in comedy, including Zarna Garg.
Barlis has taken the stage more than 300 times in just 15 months, building the kind of momentum most comics chase for years. She is applying the same mental strategies she used to become a professional golfer in just two years. “My plan is to spread good feelings here at home in America and across the world,” she says. “I’m only human, but comedy is how I’m going to do it.”
Event Details
What: Ladies of Laughter 2026 Top Ten National Competition
When: Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 7:00 p.m. (doors from 6:00 p.m.)
Where: Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
NYC comedian Kalliope Barlis has been named a 2026 Ladies of Laughter Top Ten Finalist. The former pro golfer turned stand-up comedian will compete for the national title on October 21, 2026, at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.
Tickets: $40 general admission plus fees; seating is limited. Purchase tickets or go to https://events.leapevents.com/event/lbt25-ladies-of-laughter
About Kalliope Barlis
Kalliope Barlis (pronounced kuh-LIE-uh-pee) is a New York City stand-up comedian, former professional golfer, and three-time best-selling author. Her clean, story-driven act turns hard moments into the kind of laugh that actually fixes something.
Electronic Press Kit: Press photos, video clips, and full credits are available at kalliopebarlis.com/epk.
Follow her @kalliope.nyc on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook
The KFC (Kalliope and Felicia) Tour Opening Dates:
Oct. 21 – Hyena’s Comedy Nightclub, Dallas, TX – Doors 5:30 p.m., Show 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: https://www.tixr.com/groups/hyenasdallas/events/felicia-kalliope-comedy-208633
Oct. 25 – Stress Factory Comedy Club, New Brunswick, NJ – Doors 5:30 p.m., Show 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: https://newbrunswick.stressfactory.com/shows/388263
Oct. 29 – Stress Factory, Bridgeport, CT – Doors 5:30 p.m., Show 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: https://bridgeport.stressfactory.com/shows/388264
Oct. 30 – Stress Factory, Valley Forge, PA – Doors 6:00 p.m., Show 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: https://valleyforge.stressfactory.com/shows/388265
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nyc-comedian-kalliope-barlis-named-a-2026-ladies-of-laughter-top-ten-finalist-302891055.html
SOURCE Building Your Best Inc.
