Submissions for the first annual District Improv Festival, taking place in Washington D.C. from September 26-29 are now open. Cost to submit is $15 until April 15, and $20 until the deadline of May 1.
Next week’s Free Improv at Connie’s Ric Rac will still be free, but will be a fundraiser for improv group Safe Weird (Rob Gentile, Andrew Stanton, Kait Thompson) for a trip to London to perform and teach improv workshops across the pond.
Here’s a reminder that submissions for the F. Harold Comedy Festival are now open. This year’s festival will take place from June 11 through June 16 at Studio 5 at the Walnut St. Theatre and will feature improv, sketch, stand-up, and storytelling.
This Tuesday Comedy Bonfire is going down (that’s the only way to properly describe it) at The Fire (412 E. Girard Ave.). The night will begin at 8:00pm with a stand-up comedy showcase hosted by Alex Grubard and featuring Mary Radzinski, Ryan Shaner, and Dave Topor. Next, the Trailer Trash Live Podcast at 9:30pm hosted by Michael Baurer and Garrett Smith featuring guests Joey Dougherty and Tommy Touhill. Finally, at 11pm the night will be capped with an open mic hosted by Lou Misiano.
Improv group Beirdo will be holding a fundraiser show at The Arts Parlor this Friday to raise money for their trip to the Chicago Improv Festival. The show will feature performances from: Alex Pearlman, The Stonewall Players, Bad James, Cake Bear, Brendan Keegan, and the Beirdos themselves.
You can also catch Comedy Night at the Ballroom (Robinson’s Ballroom – 5749 N. Broad St.) this Friday for a night of comedy from: Denny Live, Jay West, Chitta Chatta, Ryan Phillips, Big Chuck, and Moses Sadler.
It’s almost time for the 2013 WitOut Awards for Philadelphia Comedy! As we get closer to the show, we’ll be rolling out a series of posts to help you get more acquainted with this year’s nominees. Read all about ‘em, and then be sure to get your tickets for the big event on January 13th at World Cafe Live!
Well it’s shaping up to be another Philadelphia Summer sports fans! And we all know what that means… RUN FOR COVER! The Phillies have a lot of baseball left in the season to make up for lost time and lost base runners, the Eagles are looking more and more like the grid-iron roustabouts of yester-year, and rumor has it, the Philadelphia Major League Soccer Team is doing miserably! But don’t take my word for it. Don’t be so glum chum, let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water! We’ve got plenty to be proud of – the 76ers had a Dream of a Season… but that alarm clock always gets ya!
Let’s head to the tapes and check out the highlights from Jim Grammond’s Reasonable Discourse with Jerks (and I use that term loosely).
Here is each mention of professional sports from the entire show, along with who said it:
Jim Grammond – Terrell Owens*, Arena Football, Baseball, Hunter Pence
Mike Rainey – Ref, Ball, Houston Ramblers, Starting Line-Up Figurines
Steve Miller-Miller – Interception, Terrell Owens*, Tim Cheatwood, Offensive Lineman, Matt Bahr**, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, Webster Slaughter, Donovan McNabb*
Tim Butterly – Soccer, Mets*, Cowboys*, Mets*, AFL
Pat Barker – Kobayashi***, Jim Thome, Baseball Jerseys, Mets, Hockey Stick, World Wrestling Federation, Ultimate Warrior, “Wild Thing” Rick Vaughn****, “Fastball Pitcher” Bob Guiterrez*****
What a performance! If you ask me, this line up is batting 1.000! See you at the bookie’s!
*BUM!
** Philadelphia’s Own!
*** Considered a sport, not by me, but I don’t make the rules. Counts!
**** Almost didn’t make it, but still counts!
*****Definitely counts!!
Gerry Bock is a freelance sports writer and former Publisher/Reporter-in-Chief for the Port Richmond Gazetteer, which he published independently for 37 years before gladly fell prey to the siren call of retirement last May.
Tonight, Polygon Comedy continues their series of independent comedy shows at a new venue: Milkboy Philadelphia (1100 Chestnut St.). Tonight’s show will feature improv from ApocaLips, Rosen & Milkshake, Adrift, and Rintersplint. Doors open at 7:00pm and showtime is 7:30. You can purchase tickets for tonight’s show online.
Tickets are available now for a stand-up comedy benefit show for the Childrens’ Hospital of Philadelphia. Pat Barker has put together a lineup featuring Chip Chantry, Darryl Charles, Tim Grill, James Hesky, and Doogie Horner to perform on Saturday, June 2 at the Stone Grill (1300 Blackwood Clementon Rd, Clementon NJ). Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by emailing Pat at pat@patbarkercomedy.com
This Saturday, May 19, Rookie Card‘s monthly show at The Raven Lounge (1718 Sansom St.) makes it’s weekend debut. The free show begins at 7:00pm and will feature stand-up comedian Tommy Highland, a secret improv team, and will end with an jam open to anyone in attendance.
This weekend, High Dramma Sketch Comedy will host another round of shows at the Walking Fish Theater (2509 Frankford Ave.) The show will run May 17-19 at 8:00pm and May 20 at 5:00pm. Tickets are $15 at the door and are also available online with a special “pay what you can” showing on May 17.
STANDUP COMEDY: Juliet Hope Wayne, Josh Rabinowitz, Mike Rainey, and Animosity Pierre (although Animosity will be sketch, not stand-up. Or maybe they’re doing an inspirational speech? Unsure.)
THE RUBY HATS OF DEATH: Chip Chantry, Pat Barker, and Daryll Charles dip their hands into the blood red hats and see what jokes they must tell. Can they survive the ordeal?!
ALSO: A man wearing a red carnation will tell you a secret joke if you tell him the correct password.
OMNIANA BATTLE: Reigning champion Brendan Kennedy battles Gregg Gethard, in a very special appearance as himself instead of a weird character, for once.
The show begins at 8:00PM at is held upstair’s at Fergie’s Pub, 1214 Sansom St. Philadelphia.
A packed crowd at Helium witnessed the cream-of-the-cream of Philadelphia comedy last night during the finals of the Philly’s Phunniest Competition. Beginning almost 2 and a half months ago with 165 comedians, the field had been whittled down to 10 Finalists, who took the stage in order to see who would walk away with the title. The was a true spectacle – each comedian was worthy of raucous laughter, wild applause, and probably a $1,000 prize, but there can only be one winner. Surely those who missed out on this will be kicking themselves for a long time… for those unfortunate souls, here’s a taste of what you missed:
Below are the first and last words spoken on stage by each of 2011′s Philly’s Funniest Finalists:
(Comedian – First Word // Last Word)
Host Dave Smith – Thanks // Night
Pat Barker – Thank // Thanks
John McKeever – Hey // You
Chip Chantry – So // Everybody
Gary Vider – Thanks // Evening
Andy Nolan – Alright // Much
Mike Rainey – Alright // Rainey
Tommy Pope – Hey // Thanks
Gordon Baker-Bone – Yeah // Night
Pat House – Thank // Night
Darryl Charles – Yay // Everybody
Headliner Big Jay Oakerson – Thank // Around
Congratulations to all ten finalists, but a little extra congratulations to Tommy Pope who deservedly was named winner of 2011′s Philly’s Funniest. And to everyone who missed the show – you’re welcome!
