Mitch Fatel has a stage persona that suggests the speaker is rarely allowed to use big-kid scissors and an arsenal of material focused on boobs, blowjobs and other heady topics. There’s a weirdly innocent element to Fatel’s humor, which can make it feel like you’re listening to your preadolescent nephew tell a dirty joke he doesn’t understand.

It works — the 33-year-old’s consciously callow charm and veteran’s sense of timing earned him Best Comedian honors at the 2006 Aspen Comedy Festival. Fatel’s got plenty of popular appeal as well; in January, his Comedy Central special was voted sixth out of 100 in the network’s Stand-up Showdown. That’s good — there’s something a little too Uncle-Carl’s-wedding-speech about being the only one laughing at a guy with a microphone talking about how he “loves the oral sex.” 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 and 10:30 p.m. today and Saturday, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The Improv, 7620 Katy Freeway. For information, call 713-333-8800 or visit www.improv-houston.com. $15 to $17.

Thu., Sept. 4, 8 p.m.; Fri., Sept. 5, 8 & 10:30 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 6, 8 & 10:30 p.m.; Mon., Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m., 2008

This article appears in Sep 4-10, 2008.