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

Friday fundraising for the Sixth Borough

In their recent win at Snubfest, the SIXTH BOROUGH secured a slot in the Milwaukee Comedy Festival. Now the local sketch group is looking for your help to get there. The sketch group is inviting fans to join them Friday night at Connie’s Ric Rac for MILWAUKATHON, a fundraiser that will include a show as well as a raffle/auction.

Some of the items up for bid include sketch classes, show tickets, original artwork, memorabilia from sketches, a collection of Quirk Books, concert tickets, gym memberships and more.

SIXTH BOROUGH PRESENTS: MILWAUKATHON
FRIDAY, JULY 24TH | PRE-PARTY: 7PM, SHOW: 8:30PM
CONNIE’S RIC RAC | 1132 S NINTH ST
BYO BOOZE/BANKROLL

Sixth Borough cleans up at Snubfest

Comic Vs Audience reports that local sketch group THE SIXTH BOROUGH received both audience and jury awards at Chicago’s SNUBFEST this past weekend. As a result, they’ve won performance slots at both the Milwaukee Comedy Festival and the Montreal Sketch Festival.

Congrats gang!

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

Comedy for the weekend warrior

A quick look at our top 5 comedy events to be had around the city this weekend:

• Tonight is your last chance to catch THE SIXTH BOROUGH and their new sketch show Depression Isn’t Just a River In Egypt
• Chicago-based improviser TAMARA NOLTE returns home to Philly and plays in with the COMEDYSPORTZ double-header
• Local and oft’ mentioned comic CHIP CHANTRY set to open for JUDAH FRIEDLANDER at the TLA
• Standup HAL SPARKS (Queer as Folk, Talk Soup) finishes his run at Helium Comedy Club
• If you’re not the passive viewing type, then tear it up yourself and have some fun tomorrow night at the IMPROV INCUBATOR

New Sixth Borough show debuts this week

Join local sketch group the Sixth Borough as they present their new show, Depression Isn’t Just a River In Egypt, premiering this week at Connie’s Ric Rac. The show will run for three nights and features all new material.

The Sixth Borough is Corey Cohen, Patrick Kelly, Emily McGraw, Jason Messina & Tabitha Vidaurri.

THE SIXTH BOROUGH: DEPRESSION ISN’T JUST A RIVER IN EGYPT
APRIL 1ST, 3RD & 4TH | 8PM | $10 – BYOB
CONNIE’S RIC RAC | 1132 S NINTH STREET

Comedy for the Weekend Warrior

If you’re looking to get your laugh on tonight, here’s a couple of fun options…

ComedySportz will rock their recurring double feature at 7:30 & 10pm tonight at the Playground at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St. ($15)

COMEDYSPORTZ

Tonight the Sixth Borough steals Steal This Show, tonight at 8pm at Connie’s Ric Rac, 1132 S Ninth St.

THE SIXTH BOROUGH

STEAL THIS SHOW Comes Back For More

This Friday night Connie’s Ric Rac will feature a new installment of Steal This Show, the ambitious comedy showcase that first hit Philly last month. It’s the brainchild of host Corey Cohen, who’s done a few things around town that you might have seen.

Having performed with Corey in a couple groups, I’m already a big fan the comedy he puts together. But if you think me a bit partial…Meg Favreau offers up her recommendation over at Not For Tourists. And if you’ve seen her perform, you know you can trust her on what’s funny.

NOT PICTURED: COREY COHEN

The show will feature live performances by the Sixth Borough, Dave Walk and Gregg Gethard, videos from the Feeko Brothers, Pat Kelly’s Fantabulous Quiz Show and the Non-Denominational Holiday Fun Brigade.

STEAL THIS SHOW

Friday, 12/12 @ 8pm

Connie’s Ric Rac | 1132 S. 9th Street

(Btwn. Washington and Ellsworth)

BYOB, $10

Steal This Show: Philly is Phunny Again – by John Steele

Originally published on NBC10.com’s About Town section

Time was, our sports teams never won, cultural references were nowhere to be found and parts of the city looked like rotting corpses.

Philadelphia has long been the butt of a joke that everyone was laughing at but us. But with a revitalized film industry, a new mayor, an emboldened youth population and the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphians are ready for some laughs of our own.

And finding one has never been easier. FX’s It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia is a national sensation. And with clubs like Helium and the Laff House drawing national acts and comedy troupes eschewing the normal career path of New York/L.A. wannabes for hometown hero status, Philly is phunny. And its comedians are ready to prove it.

No one knows the dues-paying, pavement-pounding struggle of hustling yuks to a city that often has a tough time laughing at itself better than Corey Cohen. As a member of The Sixth Borough, he and his mates explored Philly’s identity crisis, provincial nature and tough edge with raucous sketches and performances on stages across the city. Now Cohen is back, contributing the newest addition to the burgeoning Philly alt-comedy scene, Steal This Show.

Cohen’s bi-monthly comedy revue contains appearances by stand-up comedians, sketch comedians, musicians, and even a quiz show. And all for just $5. The everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach should suit potential attendees just fine, as they are likely to get more bang for their buck.

And what better place to poke fun at Philly’s gruff, housecoat-wearing homers than Connie’s Ric Rac, the first art house to hit the Italian Market. As everyone knows, the Italian Market is where Philly stereotypes reside; a neighborhood full of pride, soul and unintended irony. In short, the place is rife for parody.

Started as an electronics store and later used as a storage space, Connie’s Ric Rac has since become the doing of Connie’s son. More an artistic collective than a performance space, the Ric Rac hosts seminars for would-be comedians, musicians and artists. With Steal This Show, the Ric Rac brings nightlife to a neighborhood decidedly low on performance-based entertainment. And with a $5 price tag, BYOB rules and a shared refrigerator in place of a liquor license, it does so in true South Philly style.

If you are happy being the butt of the joke from Staten Island to San Francisco, then by all means, forget we had this talk. But if you are ready to see Philly draw some laughs of our very own, come out to the Ric Rac this Friday, Nov. 28. Help put Philly on the comedy map once more.

Click This: Hail to the Chiefs

Comic Vs. Audience has a great post contributed by Gregg Gethard profiling his top five US presidents throughout history. This is a fun foreshadowing of tonight at the Shubin, when Gethard hosts Bedtime Stories: From Sea To Shining Sea; A Tribute To American History.

A large part of Bedtime Stories’ charm is Gethard’s seemingly endless sea of random knowledge. His hosting is peppered with delightfully specific obscurities, and tonight should be no exception, as this topic is known to be of particular interest to Gregg. The evening will feature themed comedy by the Sixth Borough, Secret Pants, Meg & Rob, Chip Chantry, Aaron Hertzog and many others.

Bedtime Stories: From Sea To Shining Sea
Presented by the Philly Improv Theater
The Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St
Tonight, 8PM – Tickets $10