{"id":4508,"date":"2026-07-14T17:12:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T17:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4508"},"modified":"2026-07-14T17:12:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T17:12:47","slug":"brian-copeland-returning-to-stage-saturday-weeks-after-open-heart-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4508","title":{"rendered":"Brian Copeland returning to stage Saturday – weeks after open heart surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s been about four weeks since Brian Copeland says he almost \u201cdied twice\u201d and needed emergency open heart surgery, but \u201ccome hell or high water\u201d the Bay Area comedian, playwright and broadcaster plans to be back on stage this Saturday to emcee a comedy show that is very important to him.<\/p>\n

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This is the free Comedy in the Plaza fundraiser in Copeland\u2019s home town of San Leandro, which he and the local Davis Street family resource center host annually to help provide low-income children in Alameda County with new shoes and school backpacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome hell or high water, I\u2019ll be at Comedy in the Plaza,\u201d Copeland said on Facebook on July 7,\u00a0 about 2 1\/2 weeks after his surgery. Even four days post-surgery, while recovering in the hospital\u2019s cardiac care unit, Copeland, who is in his early 60s, vowed he would be on stage to \u201cemcee that show even if I have to do it from a wheelchair.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Monday, Copeland appeared to confirm his appearance at the show at the San Leandro Tech Campus, with a Facebook post and caption reading, \u201cThis Saturday!\u201d He also promised it would be, \u201cThe free event of the summer!\u201d<\/p>\n

The lineup for the family-friendly show, from 5 to 7 p.m., features Copeland, along with nationally renowned comedians, writers and actors Greg Proops, Laurie Kilmartin, Tom Rhodes, Chris Riggins and Monique Marvez. To attend, people should pack their blankets or low-back chairs and gather their friends and families at the plaza to \u201cenjoy an incredible lineup of comedians in a vibrant outdoor setting,\u201d says a blog post about the event on the Davis Street center\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome for the comedy, stay for the community, and leave knowing you helped a child start the school year with confidence,\u201d the post also says. Since its origins in the early 1970s, the nonprofit has helped low-income families in San Leandro and the Eden area, including immigrant families, meet their basic day-to-day needs.<\/p>\n

Last month, Copeland revealed to his many Bay Area fans that he had suffered sudden, multiple, \u201clife-threatening\u201d medical conditions that required emergency open-heart surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI literally almost died twice in the first 24 hours\u201d Copeland said in a June 21 Facebook post, four days after his surgery. He said doctors had to \u201csplit me open and cut my sternum in two\u201d to reach his heart. At the time, he was in \u201cexcruciating pain,\u201d as if napalm is \u201ccoursing through my veins,\u201d and he said getting out of bed is \u201cpure agony.\u201d<\/p>\n

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And yet, the crime novelist and former host for KTVU and KGO-810 radio said he was told that his recovery has been \u201cnothing short of remarkable,\u201d with doctors explaining he made it out of the intensive care unit and onto the cardio floor in about half the time as other patients in his situation.<\/p>\n

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On June 29, Copeland\u2019s family shared that he was back home from the hospital, feeling very weak and tired and still in pain, with \u201ca long road to recovery ahead.\u201d But they also said his spirits were \u201chigh,\u201d with Copeland reiterating that point on July 7, saying he was told he \u201cwas ahead of the average recovery for open heart surgery patients in week three. That\u2019s encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n

Copeland added that he was working with a physical therapist and had been able to get out of a chair more easily. However, he said, he was still in pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy thanks for all of the love, support and kind messages you\u2019ve sent me,\u201d Copeland said. \u201cThey keep me going during the toughest times.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A $50,000 GoFundMe campaign is still raising money to help Copeland and his family pay medical expenses not covered by insurance and deal with day-to-day living costs while he\u2019s not able to work during his recovery. As of Tuesday morning, the campaign had raised close to $36,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrian Copeland has always been someone who shows up for others,\u201d the GoFundMe campaign said. \u201cIf you know him, or even if you\u2019ve just come across his work or are aware of his community presence in the Bay Area, you know he cares deeply about people and has spent much of his life giving back and making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to Copeland\u2019s work as a comedian, author and broadcaster, he also rose to national prominence with his first one-person show, \u201cNot a Genuine Black Man,\u201d which premiered at the Marsh in San Francisco in 2004 and explored his childhood in San Leandro, when he was a member of one of the only Black families living in the nearly all-white suburb of San Leandro.<\/p>\n

Copeland has since written and performed other acclaimed solo shows and theatrical productions, notably \u201cThe Waiting Period,\u201d a powerful piece about his struggles with suicidal depression.<\/p>\n

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Copeland has said he will emcee the annual Comedy in the Plaza show in San Leandro ‘come hell or high water,’ with the free show raising money for local children in need. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"\nBrian Copeland returning to stage Saturday – weeks after open heart surgery - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4508\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Brian Copeland returning to stage Saturday – weeks after open heart surgery - 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