Tonight: Face Time w/ Chip Chantry at Helium

Showing himself to once again be a man befitting many a venue, Philly comedian CHIP CHANTRY debuts his newest monthly show FACE TIME tonight at HELIUM COMEDY CLUB.

In what he’s billed as a “slightly skewed late-night format comedy variety show,” Chantry will feature local and national comedians presenting standup, sketch, video, music and anything else that might delight audiences.

In the premier show tonight, Chantry and his co-host / house band AMIR GOLLAN will welcome local standup fave AARON HERTZOG, TV’s MIKE VECCHIONE and what may well threaten to be the final swan song of beloved sketch duo MEG & ROB.

Do yourself a favor and check out this show now, so you can say you were a fan before it was cool (ETA: tomorrow morning).

FACE TIME w/ CHIP CHANTRY
TUESDAY, MARCH 15 @ 8PM
HELIUM COMEDY CLUB | 2031 SANSOM ST
TICKETS: JUST $5

News in Brief

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.

Tonight: Bedtime Stories Orphans of SugarHouse

GREGG GETHARD is back tonight with his monthly comedy showcase BEDTIME STORIES. The theme this month is Orphans of SugarHouse. According to Gethard, the show is about the “soulcrushing world of Philadelphia’s new casino, a land where children are left in cars and beer is thrown on the floor.”

We’ll see new sketches and videos from the likes of Meg & Rob, HateSpeechCommittee, and many others.

BEDTIME STORIES: ORPHANS OF SUGARHOUSE
WEDNESDAY, 12/15 @ 9PM
CONNIE’S RIC RAC | 1132 S NINTH ST

Tonight: Sketchfest Comedy Competition at Helium

ANIMOSITY PIERRE, the organizers of the PHILLY SKETCHFEST, host a sketch comedy competition tonight at Helium Comedy Club. Up and coming sketch groups each compete to earn a performance slot in PSF2010. On the bill for tonight:

Camp Woods
Young Folks Comedy
Bare Hug
Brendan and Aaron
Second Place Champions
Chris Jones (Schwarzkopf Entertainment)

Each group gets six minutes to wow the audience and the judges. The judges include Rob Baniewicz (of Meg & Rob), Alli Soowal (of Real Housewives & PHIF producer) and PSF producer Ben Maher.

Tickets are $12 (w/ two item minimum) and proceeds benefit PSF2010. Also, performers from last year’s Sketchfest get a half price discount.

PHILLY SKETCHFEST’S COMEDY COMPETITION
WED, SEPT 1 @ 8PM
HELIUM COMEDY CLUB | 2031 SANSOM ST
TICKETS: $12 | 21+

New video from Meg & Rob

I originally got to see this video when Meg & Rob debuted it during the Fringe Festival. It’s Duran Duran karaoke with a fun lyrical twist. Now it’s on vimeo and free for all to view and rock out to at your leisure. Oh man, I’m very happy to share this w/ you…

PHIT at the Shubin with April-May shows

Tonight the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER launches another two week run at the Shubin, and they’ve got some fun stuff in store for you…

Wed, 4/28
8:00PM – The Bully Pulpit w. Luke Giordano – $5

Thu, 4/29
8:00PM – Improv Comedy, PhD – $10
9:30PM – Troika: Round 3 – $10
11:00PM – The Ones Your Moms Warned You About – FREE

Fri, 4/30
8:00PM – Dependable Felons + Everything Must Go – $10
9:30PM – The Megaphone Comedy Tour + King Friday – $10

Sat, 5/1
8:00PM – Sketch comedy from Meg & Rob feat. Brendan Kennedy – $10
9:30PM – Activity Book + Leo Callahan – $10
11:00PM – Sketch Up or Shut Up -FREE

Sun, 5/2
8:00PM – Sketch comedy from Meg & Rob feat. Carolyn Busa – $10

Mon, 5/3
8:00PM – The Moops – $5

Wed, 5/5
8:00PM – Guilty Pleasures w/ Brendan Kennedy – $5

Thu, 5/6
8:00PM – Hey Everybody w/ Aaron Hertzog – $5
9:30PM – Troika: Championship – $10

Fri, 5/7
8:00PM – Rare Buck Show w/ Dave Buckman + Vorlof – $10
9:30PM – Fletcher + Angry People Building Things – $10

Sat, 5/8
8:00PM – Sketch comedy from Meg & Rob – $10
9:30PM – CUBED + Red Letters – $10
11:00PM – Improv Jam: Flying Leap – FREE

Additional information and advanced tickets available on the PHIT website.

Sketch comedy dominates Philly with Sketchfest this weekend

The fellas of ANIMOSITY PIERRE are back this week with a bigger and more ambitious PHILLY SKETCHFEST. Originally launched in June of 2008 by BEN MAHER, MATT LALLY and DAVE TERRUSO, the festival is back this week with two additional producers, JESSICA CIARAMELLA and CATHLEEN COLLINS and an outstanding lineup of local sketch comedians.

The three day event runs this Thursday through Saturday at Plays & Players, with shows at 8PM & 10PM. Each night is hosted by a local comic and promises to not disappoint. Here’s a quick rundown:

THURSDAY 12/3 – hosted by CHIP CHANTRY
8PM: BAD CREATIONS, DEPENDABLE FELONS, BOY MEETS TRACTOR & GENTLEMEN’S ROTARY AUXILIARY
10PM: THE FEEKO BROTHERS, BING SUPERNOVA, THE SIXTH BOROUGH

FRIDAY 12/4 - hosted by STEVE GERBEN
8PM: THIS THING OF OURS, ANIMOSITY PIERRE
10PM: CHRIS & PAUL SHOW, SECRET PANTS

SATURDAY 12/5 – hosted by AARON HERTZOG
8PM: BETTER THAN THE MACHINE, THE WAITSTAFF
10PM: BETTER THAN THE MACHINE, BING SUPERNOVA, MEG & ROB

Additional details and tickets are available on their website

2009 PHILLY SKETCHFEST
PLAYS & PLAYERS THEATER | 1714 DELANCEY
DEC 3-5, 8PM & 10PM

Tonight: Welcome to the Terrordome 3

It’s upon us once again. The night when sketch groups converge onstage in an annual event knowing as the Terrordome.

WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME 3, THE WRATH OF KHAN will feature sketch groups SECRET PANTS, the SIXTH BOROUGH, the ACTION SECTION as well as MEG & ROB. This year the show moves down the street from it’s usual haunt over at the M Room to it’s new home at Johnny Brendas, where it will be hosted by the master of powerpoint, JON GOFF.

WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME 3
THE WRATH OF KHAN
FRIDAY, MAY 15TH @ 9PM | $10
JOHNNY BRENDAS, 1201 FRANKFORD AVE

Tonight: Friday comedy with PHIT

Tonight PHIT starts their Shubin weekend with a special night of births and birthdays.

Starting at 8PM, head down to check out DAN STABB & MARK BRINGHURST as they celebrate CUBED turning 1. Then MEG & ROB will premier their new sketch show, WE STOLE THIS BABY.

At 10PM, stick around to catch a show by THE MOOPS, PHIT’s powerhouse team of some of the areas top talent.

PHILLY IMPROV THEATER @ THE SHUBIN
407 BAINBRIDGE ST | FRIDAY, MAY 8TH
8PM – CUBED ANNIVERSARY SHOW + MEG & ROB: WE STOLE THIS BABY
10PM – THE MOOPS
TICKETS: $10 | BYOB

Meg and Rob to premier new sketch show

Sketch duo MEG & ROB will be debuting their new show We Stole This Baby! next week as part of PHIT’s May shows.

For their newest endeavor, the duo presents a whole new host of characters and ridiculous situations. There’s Paul, the bear-eating weatherman with a dark secret; Sarah and Mickey, the old-timey couple caught in a surprising trap; Charles, the not-quite-Bill-Cosby ghost dad; and many more. Throughout the show, Meg & Rob’s characters are hilarious with a deep emotional core, whether they’ve just gotten divorced or are (quite literally) dead on their feet.

Meg & Rob are Meg Favreau and Rob Baniewicz, Their work has been featured in the Chicago Sketchfest, Seattle Sketchfest, Snubfest, and Boston Comedy Festival. Meg & Rob are directed by local comedy veteran and former host of Die Actor Die, DON MONTREY.

Sweepstakes from Meg & Rob on Vimeo.

MEG & ROB: WE STOLE THIS BABY!

ALSO FEATURING CUBED!
FRI, MAY 8TH & SAT, MAY 9TH @ 8PM
PHILLY IMPROV THEATER @ THE SHUBIN
407 BAINBRIDGE STREET, PHILADELPHIA