Alex Borstein, best known for her roles in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Gilmore Girls” and maybe “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” – and, oh yes, an animated series called “Family Guy” that’s been on Fox for 22 seasons – headlines a comedy show Friday at the Somerville Theatre with seven local comedians.
Called “Stand Up to Save Lives,” the show benefits Danvers-based Save One Life, a global charity for people living with blood disorders.
Borstein “has a connection to our community,” said Ariana Bellan, Save One Life’s administrative and communications coordinator. Borstein’s brother has hemophilia, a disorder that prevents blood from clotting properly, and she is a low-level carrier of the disorder.
The actor and comedian also works with the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation and was executive producer on “Bombardier Blood,” a documentary that followed the first hemophiliac to climb the Seven Summits – the tallest peaks on every continent. The Somerville Theatre hosted a screening of the film in 2022.
“She’s very generous to the bleeding disorder community,” said Karen Serevitch, the organization’s development and fundraising manager.
Like Borstein, the local comedians taking the stage before her are volunteering their time to support Save One Life. The comics, who will perform for about five minutes each, range from college students to seasoned performers.
Perhaps the most well-known is Cambridge’s Tooky Kavanagh, who co-starred in Amazon Prime Video’s “Salesmen” movie in 2022 and has opened for comics such as Hanna Einbinder and Maria Bamford. “I don’t get to do a lot of benefit shows, especially with things that align with my values,” Kavanagh said, “I feel honored to be working with that kind of company.”
“This lineup is full of really great up-and-coming comics who more people should get to know, see perform live and follow and support,” Kavanagh said. “You never know who you’re going to become a fan of at shows like this.”
Comedy fans may also recognize Joe Fenti, known as FentiFriedChicken on TikTok, from his comical reviews of Boston neighborhoods and satirical videos about corporate life and his work in consulting.
Fenti said he was excited for the “spectacular lineup” and “cannot believe [Borstein] is coming to our little theater.”
“Sharing the stage with a powerhouse like Alex Borstein is a huge honor. I grew up watching her on ‘MadTV,’ and who doesn’t love ‘Family Guy’?” said Kristina Feliciano, a comedian from Brooklyn, New York, and an Emerson College graduate.
Andrew Vickers works in biomedical research and pursues comedy on the side, so Stand Up to Save Lives brings his passions together. “It’s an event with quite a bit more focus and purpose than your typical night out – without sacrificing an ounce of the fun, and indeed probably giving the audience one of the most memorable headliners they’ll see anytime soon,” he said.
Also in the mix: Harvard Student Austin Kaufman and, as the latest addition, Cambridge Day writer Amma Marfo, co-founder of New Normal Boston, a comedy collective to uplift underrepresented comics, and producer of the online “Pantry Raid Comedy.”
Save One Life provides medical supplies, basic necessities and summer camp opportunities for children with bleeding disorders in developing countries. Donors can sponsor specific children to help them “reach their goals and dreams” by starting their own business or attending college, Bellan said.
“Stand Up to Save Lives” is at 8 p.m. Friday at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square. Tickets are $45 to $125, with most revenue from ticket purchases benefiting Save One Life and a small portion going to the venue – and college students can use the discount code “college” for half off their ticket, Serevitch said.
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