Tonight at the Raven Lounge at 9PM, improv group Rookie Card will do a little something different with their monthly show. Rookie Card Presents: Not Rookie Card will feature groups that feature members of Rookie Card, got it. So, instead of seeing the gang all together you will get to see Sue Taney and Darryl Charles, along with the rest of Hate Speech Committee, Marc Reber will join the fellas of Rintersplit, Tom Whitaker will perform with I Do, and the night will be hosted by Jake Alvarez.
This Thursday, also at the Raven Lounge, Center City Comedy will celebrate their Third Anniversary with a show featuring favorite comics from around Philly. After the show, the guys will have a party upstairs at the Raven. More details to come later this week.
Philly Mag’s G Philly recently ran this article about the upcoming Q Festival. In it they talk to festival producer Alejandro Morales, as well as Greg Maughan of PHIT. Shows run at various venues throughout Philly from Monday, October 10 through Saturday, October 15th.
October will be a busy month for Philly comedy. In addition to the six week PHIT run and the Q Festival it is also the second annual Comedy Month. The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater will feature three weeks of comedy from the Seventh Annual Philadelphia Improv Festival, The Fourth Annual Philly Sketchfest, and the first ever City Spotlight. We posted about the Improv Festival last week, and added all the shows to our calendar – and we will add more info about the rest of Comedy Month soon!
Super DPS wrote this review of Alex Gross and Ian Vaflor’sPro Mania Fringe Festival show. The review mentions performances by James Hesky, Joe Dougherty, Brendan Kennedy and Dennis Trafny. Check it out.
The final preliminary round of the 2011 Philly’s Phunniest Person Contest was held last night at Helium Comedy Club.Steve Balbier, Munzy K, and Gary Vider advanced to the semi-finals, which will be held next Sunday, and Monday at the club. Tickets can be purchased ONLINE.
Bye Bye Liver: The Philadelphia Drinking Play is searching for talented actors (men and women ages 21-40) with experience in improv, theatre and sketch comedy to join its ensemble. Also searching for an assistant director, pianists and guitarists, stage managers, and technical directors. Visit ByeByeLiver.com for more information or contact auditions@thepubtheater.com to schedule an audition.
Tomorrow night The Barbary will play host to another Comedy Dreamz show featuring sketch, stand-up, and short films. Doors open at 9 and the show starts at 10. (Facebook Event)
Center City Comedy has released a new sketch – Painballing With Rambo. The sketch features performances by James Hesky, Billy Bob Thompson, Mary Radzinski, and Andy Nolan as the titular character – as well as a slew of other Philly comics in supporting roles. Check it out right here!
The first round of Helium’sPhilly’s Phunniest Person Contest continued Sunday, with John McKeever, Joe Dougherty and Tim Grill moving on to the semi-final round. Preliminary rounds continue each Sunday until August 21st. Tickets available for any of the remaining preliminary rounds HERE.
Speaking of contests, this Wendesday The Ministry of Secret Jokes will play host to the Philly’s Punniest Contest where comedians will do battle for the crown Doogie Horner says we all know is really The Legendary Wid’s. Also performing on the show are Luke Cunningham, David James, Billy Bob Thompson, Roger C. Snair and the Omniana Battle will pit Emily and Micah McGraw against street magician Jaykob Strange.
The fouth annual Philly Sketch Fest is now accepting submissions. This year, the festival will be held from October 10th through 16th at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater as part of the second annual Comedy Month. Interested performers can find the application HERE.
This Friday will mark the debut of the Sideshow Improv Showcase at The Arts Parlor (1170 South Broad St.) The show aims to feature “new groups, old groups doing new things, or new and/or old groups doing odd things.” The first show will feature improv groups Beirdo and The Hendersons as well as some acts yet to be announced.
Last week, Center City Comedy hosted the BONERoo stand-up comedy show at Mad River Manayunk. Super DPS was there to cover the show, and posted video online that you can check out HERE.
The first round of Helium‘s Philly’s Phunniest Person Competition was this past Thursday. Moving on to the semi-finals from that round were Chip Chantry, Blake Wexler, and Noah Houlihan. Next round takes place this Sunday. And we’ll be sure to cover it this time. [Tickets]
Starting tomorrow night begins the very first ever F Harold Comedy Festival. Taking place over six nights at the Walnut Street Theatre, the festival will showcase improv, sketch, and stand-up performers from around the city. Tickets are $10 for a night’s worth of performances and $25 for the whole festival. [Show Schedule]
H. Foley and the fellas at Center City Comedy made a video for the Around Philly blog. You’ll just have to see it for yourself. [Around Philly]
The Bird Text Comedy Show is tomorrow night at Helium and the fellas have cooked up a little preview for all of us. That was nice of them! [YouTube]
If you did not enjoy that preview, then you should go to the comedy show at NoChe going on at the same time instead. [Facebook Event]
Speaking of comedy shows that occur in the next two days, The Ministry of Secret Jokes will be on Wednesday and boasts a robust line-up. Or something. [Facebook]
H. Foley of Center City Comedy held a big Philly comedy meeting last night at the X-Change Bar. We were there and it was a bit like the meeting of the Five Families from The Godfather, but at least it wasn’t like meeting Al Capone calls in The Untouchables. Everyone introduced themselves, talked about what they did, and then there was a pow wow on how the Philly comedy scene could be made stronger. If you want to reach out to Foley, check out Center City Comedy on Facebook. [Facebook Page]
Bird Text is the talk of the town with their new video, The Real Househusbands of Philadelphia. The video has over 20,000 views on YouTube. [YouTube]
Chip Chantry is promising that his show at Helium Comedy Club tonight, Face Time with Chip Chantry is gonna be a good one. He also promises a secret mystery guest from Los Angeles. Ooooh. [Facebook Event]
Alejandro Morales posted a commentary on gay jokes being made at the Helium open mic on Philly Gay Calendar, with a response in the comment section from the accused. [Philly Gay Calendar]
The improvised Alfred Hitchcock show, Stage Fright wraps up its run this weekend. Conceived by Matt Nelson and put on by the Philadelphia Joke Initiative, the show recreates the drama and suspense of a Hitchock film, completely made up on the spot. [Event Info and Ticketing]
Laughs on Fairmount has been featured in City Paper in their Critical Mass section. [Critical Mass]
The following is a report on last night’s March Madness Comedy Competition Finale, the Rumble in Manayunk. The undertaking of “March Madness” has been as great as it is large. Center City Comedy took on an arduous task, and this show went on witout a hitch. For the last month we have been asking the great question: what happens when you pit 72 comedians against each over the course of a month in a competition to see who can win the audience over?
The great answer: this…
7:02 – 9:18 — Emily and I arrive at Mad River. We are two hours early. We go to dinner, get coffee, buy some CDs, listen to them in my car, and then go to the show. 9:19 — In patriotic fashion, the crowd at Mad River is treated to a rendition of the National Anthem, beautifully delivered by Erin Hess. 9:22 — Host Tom Cassidy takes the stage. 9:24 — Tom introduces the commentators, Shifty-Man Foley and Waddles Washington. 9:31 — Tom removes his sweatshirt revealing zebra striped ref shirt and introduces the first contestant, Brendan Kennedy. 9:35 — A man standing near me makes an awkward squatting gesture. I catch it but don’t know what happened, like a nervous twitch. 9:36 — Brendan compliments Tom Arnold. 9:39 — The man squats awkwardly again, and I realize he is trying to adjust his underwear with out using hands. 9:40 — Jamil B is introduced. 9:41 — Third squat from this stranger. Guys, just go to the bath room and use your hands. Whatever that is, it’s weirder than just tugging at your crotch. Continue reading JUST THE MINUTES with Joe Moore (March Madness Comedy Competition Final Round)
Sign-ups for this year’s Helium Comedy Club‘s Philly’s Phunniest Person Competition are up on their website. The entry fee is $20, but you get a $15 gift certificate back on the night of your preliminary round. The competition will take place throughout this summer. [Contest Sign-up Page]
Philly native TuRae Gordon, who has appeared on Def Comedy Jam, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, and many other things is set to headline the final round of the March Madness Comedy Competition on Wednesday at Mad River in Manayunk. [Facebook Event]
Center City Comedy was featured in Friday’s LOL With It column in City Paper. [LOL With IT]
The organizers of several of the city’s stand-up open mics (The Famous International Variety Show, Comedy X-Change, Rittenhouse Comedy, and Center City Comedy) have put together a seventy comedian tournament-style stand-up comedy competition to coincide with college basketball’s March Madness this month. Across four nights each week, the first seventy will be narrowed down to 40 the first week, to 16 the second, then to eventually to the Elite 8 on the third week, who will compete in the finals — taking place at the end of the month at Mad River in Manayunk.
The first round began this week, with eighteen competitors being narrowed down to ten on each night at The Famous International Variety Show Sunday and Comedy X-Change on Monday. Here are the results from Sunday night:
Ian Fidance
Jamil B
Tommy Pancrazio
Shea McGiveny
Jason Falco
Steve Slaughter
Matt Reiss
Dan Knabb
Tim Ryan
Brandon Ketchup Wilson
