The Edmonton Comedy Fest has a bigger, bolder lineup with close to 90 per cent of tickets sold out.
PREVIEW
2017 Edmonton Comedy Festival
Oct. 12 to 14
ATB Financial Arts Barn, Four Points By Sheraton, Varscona Hotel, Yuk Yuks Komedy Kabaret
Tickets: $29 to $50. Visit http://www.atbcomedy.com
Yup. It's that time again. Time to drink a little, eat a little and try to act cool while standing face-to-face with your favourite comics.
The Edmonton Comedy Festival is back Oct. 12 to 14 with some great laugh-filled opportunities. There are already several sold-out shows. Even if you're not a comedy nerd snapping up tickets, there are still a bunch of great shows to catch.
One of this year's top-drawer comedians is
Kids in the Hall alum Scott Hall. He went on to write and star in the feature film
Brain Candy and appeared as a regular on
The Larry Sanders Show.
Flying in from south of the border is Wendy Liebman, a recipient of the The American Comedy Award for Best Female Comedian. She's a legend who has landed more slots on American late night television than most comics dream.
Then there's Canada's Debra DiGiovanni, a national favourite with a taste for stand-up specials. Also on the roster is progressive activist Jess Salomon, an edgier comedian who pushes the envelope.
"We only have headliners, comics that have a solid reputation, and we put them in order of their material," says Andrew Grose, the festival's driving force.
Known for his winning charm and witty bite, the Canadian comedy veteran is a dynamo. He co-hosts 630 CHED Afternoon News, and boasts nearly 25 years dishing humour at major Canadian comedy festivals.
In addition to booking long-distance celebrities, regional humourists such as Ben Proulx, Lars Callieou, Lori Gibbs, The Great Balanzo and drag superstar Lilith Fair are on the bill.
One show you'll be hearing a lot about is the 1st annual Pride Gala starring Scott Thompson, Elvira Kurt, Darcy Michael, Jess Salomon and hosted by the lovely Lilith.
"Since we started (2011) we've always had black comics, Jewish comics and gay-lesbians. You name it. But if you aren't specifically saying "Pride Gala," you're not taking a stand. We need to go on record that we are officially inclusive. All comics at the Pride Gala are gay-lesbian. Having said that, the audience should be everybody," Grose says.
If you're sniffing out emerging comedians, see the Young Guns Showcase. Throughout the year, festival organizers visited regional comedy clubs and picked six comics to strut their stuff.
Returning is the Media Challenge, an event that was launched the first year when the festival had a zilch budget.
"Media love to talk about themselves and this was a way to get tweets and Facebook posts. I never intended on doing it again. But the next year, a bunch of the media asked to sign up."
This year the Thursday night challenge is restricted to 15 personalities. Each must write a five-minute original stand-up routine.
"It's one of our most popular shows. Nobody does what you expect."
The Great Balanzo also hosts a free kids show on Saturday, juggling, performing magic and clowning.
One show Grose encourages fans to see is DiGiovanni's Friday night
Date Night.
"It's a powerhouse show."
If you get to a sold-out venue, Grose suggests asking about other shows.
"Luckily our venues are close together. We have great volunteers constantly in touch with each other and we are happy to recommend another show."
