Tonight marks the start of the first annual F. HAROLD FESTIVAL at the Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5. Created and produced by RICK HORNER, the event features six days of local comedy, including improv, sketch and standup. The idea behind the event is to create a showcase exposition where audiences can delight in a cross section of talent, discovering new up-and-comers as well as reconnecting with old favorites.
TUESDAY, JUNE 7TH
6:00 John Kensil
6:30 The Hendersons
7:00 Rosen & Milkshake
7:30 Carolyn Busa
8:00 Grimmachio
8:30 Ryan Carey
9:00 Really Big Show
9:30 Aaron Hertzog
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8TH
6:00 Luke Giordano
6:30 Shannon’s (Not Really) Standing Up
7:00 Better Than Bacon
7:30 Atomic Love
8:00 Saving Lupin
8:30 Ebony & Ivory
9:00 Alex Grubard
9:30 Becca Trabin
THURSDAY, JUNE 9TH
6:00 Dum, Dum, Stupid & Dum
6:30 Rick Adams
7:00 Rintersplit
7:30 The Averagazzi Present: Zanni Which Way You Can
8:00 Camp Woods
8:30 Whipsuit
9:00 Dave Terruso
9:30 The Feeko Brothers
10:00 Hate Speech Committee
FRIDAY, JUNE 10TH
6:00 Miniboss
6:30 Pasionés de Pasionés
7:00 Iron Lung
7:30 Jessica Tandy
8:00 King Friday
8:30 Mayor Karen
9:00 CUBED
9:30 Asteroid!
10:00 Fletcher
SATURDAY, JUNE 11TH
6:00 The Dream Machine
6:30 Rookie Card
7:00 Horner & Davis
7:30 Adrift
8:00 The Amie & Kristen Show
8:30 MattAnd
9:00 Jess Carpenter
9:30 Brick
10:00 Medic!!
SUNDAY, JUNE 12TH
6:00 The N Crowd
6:30 Toy Soldiers
7:00 Vorlauf
7:30 Beirdo
8:00 Where’s Hillary?
8:30 Angry People Building Things
9:00 Hans Gruber
– Get tickets for STAGE FRIGHT on the cheap. Tickets will be available through the run of this Hitchcockian tribute, but instead of paying top dollar at the door, get them before March 24th and save 50%.
4 – Get tickets for the N CROWD Anniversary Show. Nearly every show in 2011 has been sold out. The six year celebration at the RUBA Hall on April 22nd shouldn’t be any different. Get them before they’re gone.
3 – Submit to DÜOFEST. March 22nd is the absolute last day to submit to this one-of-a-kind comedy festival. Get your stuff together and get it in. T-minus six days.
2 – Confirm your PHIT house team audition slot. The Philly Improv Theater is looking to expand their ranks with two new teams under the direction of MATT HOLMES and KRISTEN SCHIER. Slots for the open audition on March 27th are still available but limited.
1 – Get tickets for the Roast of MEG FAVREAU. Forget Trump or Hasselhoff… Philly comedians know how to roast their own, and if last year’s roast of Kent Haines was any indicator, then Meg will be taking some big hits and snapping back strong before she departs for LA. This will be packed. Period.
I hope you’ve all resolved to get your comedy on… and during the next two weeks, the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER has what it takes for you to be the Biggest Winner:
Thu, 1/27
8:00PM – Hey Everybody! ($10)
9:30PM – Cagematch: Grimacchio v. Hans Gruber ($10)
11:00PM – The Gross Show ($10)
Fri, 1/28
8:00PM – Women w/ Class + Kristen & Amie Show ($10)
9:30PM – Rosen & Milkshake + Angry People Building Things ($10)
11:00PM – Hopper Bros Happy Magic Fun-Time Show ($10)
Sat, 1/29
8:00PM – King Friday + Asteroid ($10)
9:30PM – Fletcher + Mayor Karen ($10)
11:00PM – PHIT Improv Jam (FREE)
Fri, 2/4
8:00PM – Suggestical! + Rare Bird Show ($10)
9:30PM – Medic + BWP ($10)
11:00PM – Sketch Open Mic: Sketch Up or Shut Up (FREE)
Sat, 2/5
8:00PM – King Friday + Asteroid ($10)
9:30PM – Fletcher + Mayor Karen ($10)
11:00PM – Never Have I(mprov) Ever ($10)
12:00AM – PHIT Improv Jam (FREE)
All shows are at the Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St.
NYC based comic HANNIBAL BURESS makes his way down to the Italian Market next month for a live show at CONNIE’S RIC RAC.
Buress has reached national prominence with his stint of appearances on shows like the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Comics Unleased with Byron Allen, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham and Lopez Tonight. Now you can catch him live right here in your own backyard. All kinds of great comedians have terrific things to say about Buress, but I think this clip from his appearance on Lopez Tonight really says it well…
The show is one amongst a string of high profile acts being brought to the Ric Rac by COREY COHEN COMEDY PRODUCTIONS. In the near future, you’ll also be catching comedians the likes of Todd Barry, Dave Hill and Sean Green. With these sort of acts headlining, along with their graduation from BYO to full bar service, Connie’s Ric Rac is placing a serious hold not only in the Italian Market, but as real comedy hot spot in Philadelphia.
Keeping you up to date on what’s going on in comedy
The resignation of editor Brian Howard isn’t the only change over at CityPaper… RYAN CAREY of Critical Mass has started a new weekly look at Philadelphia’s comedy scene, LOL With It. And in his inaugural post, he chats with none other than CHIP CHANTRY.
Some exciting news from CHRIS COTTON and the gang at CENTER CITY COMEDY. LLC papers have been filed and they’ve made it official. Congratulations!
How appropriate it’s FF. Because if you haven’t discovered them yet, be sure to check out IT’S ALWAYS FUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. A new local comedy blog that’s already got some great content. Oh, and check ‘em out on Facebook too.
Last weekend, PJI debuted A VERY SPECIAL LADIES & GENTLEMEN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. And special it was. I was there for all three shows, and they were fantastic. Phillyist agrees, calling the show “fresh, funny & unexpected.” Just three more chances to catch it this weekend before it closes.
The schedule for NCCAF (North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival) has been posted. Seven Philadelphia improv groups have been slated to perform – Jessica Tandy, Rintersplit, Adrift, The Ones, N Crowd, Cubed & Rookie Card… as well as four sketch groups – Camp Woods, Bare Hug, Emily & Micah McGraw and Meg & Rob (with 2 shows!) and also stand up Aaron Hertzog. My apologies if I missed any locals while scanning the list.
And across the country on the same weekend, more Philly comedians will be tearing it up at SFIT (Seattle Festival of Improv Theater). Making their SFIT debuts will be the Amie & Kristen Show as well as MattAnd.
Be sure to keep up to date on Philly comedy happenings by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.
If you’re looking for a little variety in your comedy, head on over to Old City tonight to the Painted Bride around 10PM.
The show features improv from MEDIC!! (JP Boudwin, Sarah Cowdery, Luke Field, Nick Gillette and Milkshake), standup from DOOGIE HORNER, and music from EMILY & MICAH MCGRAW.
COMEDY VARIETY SHOW
THURSDAY, DEC 16TH @ 10PM
PAINTED BRIDE ARTS CENTER | 230 VINE ST
JUST $10
Following their personal record-length run last month, the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER is set to kick off its December shows this week with some of your old favorites, a little reformatting of familiar formats and some great new comedy.
Aaron Hertzog’s Hey Everybody! continues its newly minted weekly slot, surrounded by the fun usual suspects like Guilty Pleasures, The Bully Pulpit and Rant-O-Wheel… as well as new faces like TV Party! and Chip Chantry’s One Man Show, relocated from its former home at The Khyber.
Fans can scout up and coming talent from area colleges in Comedy University, formerly known as Improv Comedy PhD, and now moved to Sundays.
PHIT welcomes friends from afar, with Brick Penguin bringing a little DC our way and the Philly premier of Magnet’s newest house team Brick, featuring local improviser and PHIT director/instructor Amie Roe.
Cagematch winners Six-Fisted Dynamo look to hold on to their newly claimed title against the comic stylings of Grimacchio.
PHIT introduces Sketch Up or Shut Up’s improv step-sibling with its new instructor-hosted weekly improv jam.
Those Hopper Brothers are back again this holiday season, this time with their Happy Magic Fun Time Show.
And finally, house team Activity Book debuts “Metal Men” – a special run of shows featuring the alter-egos of superheroes from a failed comic book… exploring the comedy of not being so superly awesome.
The whole thing is topped off with shows from all of the house teams and sketch comedy from Camp Woods. It promises to be a jam-packed, fun-filled couple of weeks.
Here’s the full run down…
Wednesday, December 1st
8:00PM Guilty Pleasures hosted by Brendan Kennedy – $10
9:30PM TV Party! hosted by Rob Baniewicz & Paul Triggiani – $10
Thursday, December 2nd
8:00PM Hey Everybody! hosted by Aaron Hertzog – $10
9:30PM CAGEMATCH – Six-Fisted Dynamo vs. Grimacchio – $10
Friday, December 3rd
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Asteroid! – $10
9:30PM King Friday + The Amie & Kristen Show – $10
11:00PM Sketch Up or Shut Up – FREE!
Saturday, December 4th
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Asteroid! – $10
9:30PM Camp Woods + Brick Penguin (DC) – $10
11:00PM Improv Jam hosted by Mike Marbach & Kristen Schier – FREE!
Sunday, December 5th
8:00PM COMEDY UNIVERSITY: Women With Class + Special College Guests – $10
Monday, December 6th
8:00PM Chip Chantry’s One-Man Show (With Special Guests) – $10
Wednesday, December 8th
8:00PM The Bully Pulpit hosted by Luke Giordano – $10
9:30PM Rant-O-Wheel hosted by Jaime Fountaine – $10
Thursday, December 9th
8:00PM Hey Everybody! hosted by Aaron Hertzog – $10
9:30PM CAGEMATCH – 12/2 Winner vs. Good Cop, Bad Doctor – $10
Friday, December 10th
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Mayor Karen – $10
9:30PM Fletcher + Brick (NYC) – $10
11:00PM The Hopper Brothers’ Happy Magic Fun-Time Show – $10
Saturday, December 11th
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Mayor Karen – $10
9:30PM Camp Woods + Brick Penguin (DC) – $10
11:00PM Improv Jam hosted by Amie Roe & Greg Maughan – FREE!
Sunday, December 12th
8:00PM COMEDY UNIVERSITY: Cookiepuss (NYC) + The Rubber Chickens (University of Delaware) – $10
Tickets and additional information can be found on PHIT’s website.
Posts have been lacking the last few weeks, as I’ve been otherwise occupied deep in the hilarity of the Philadelphia Comedy Collective’s COMEDY MONTH. Both the PHILADELPHIA IMPROV FESTIVAL and the PHILLY SKETCHFEST enjoyed incredible acts playing to record audiences. Recaps of those weeks will be coming soon.
Last night kicked of the final week of Comedy Month, with selections from the PHILADELPHIA JOKE INITIATIVE entitled These Guys Are Good Vol 1. We saw the comedic illusions and body manipulations of flexible comedian JONATHAN BURNS. THOMAS CHOINACKY gave audiences a taste of his obsession with an excerpt from his show Thomas is Titanic. Finally, UN Ambassador and Nobel Laureate BUDDY FELCH dropped jaws with tales of his experiences with Ghandi, the Dalai Lama and other high profile figures. The evening was hosted by the incredibly funny CHRIS COTTON.
The fun continues next with These Guys Are Good Vol 2. In the hopper for tonight are videos and sketches from I’D RATHER BE HERE PRODUCTIONS, the musical comedy stylings of TODD CHAPPELLE, and variety show comedy from 2 DUDES & A DUDE (featuring former 6th Borough sketchers COREY COHEN & JASON MESSINA).
THURSDAY
8PM: THE N CROWD GOES LONG
10PM: COMEDY GONE BAD
FRIDAY
8PM: PREVIEW – A VERY LADIES & GENTLEMEN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
10PM: COMEDYSPORTZ PRESENTS GAME, SET, MATCH GAME!
SATURDAY
CIF’S NATIONAL COLLEGE IMPROV TOURNAMENT
12PM, 2PM, 4PM & 6PM: EASTERN REGIONAL PRELIMINARIES
9PM: EASTERN REGIONAL FINALS
All shows are held at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St in Center City Philadelphia.
Mixing sketch, stand-up, film, music, education, parody and a healthy dose of competition, this eclectic last week is the perfect topper to what has been an incredible Comedy Month. Come join us as PJI explores the bizarre and surreal corners of today’s comedy.
Tonight marks the start of the first annual F. HAROLD FESTIVAL at the Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5. Created and produced by RICK HORNER, the event features six days of local comedy, including improv, sketch and standup. The idea behind the event is to create a showcase exposition where audiences can delight in a cross section of talent, discovering new up-and-comers as well as reconnecting with old favorites.
Posted by Matt Nelson 
