
Stand-up comics on the verge of breaking out and becoming the next big name offer insights into the motivations behind baring one's soul for a living.

The unrestrained Kira Soltanovich talks about her family's wild journey from Communist Russia to modern-day California; classic joke-teller Mike Vecchione has a rapid-fire set.

As an Alaskan Jew, comic Becky Braunstein hilariously tells stories of her life in the Last Frontier; after a life change prompts her to move from Alaska to Portland, Ore., she takes the mainland by storm.

Nothing is off limits for Marlena Rodriguez; Ali Sultan reflects on his journey from the Middle East to Minnesota.