Giggling in the graveyard

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scott thompson kids in the hall 2006 close cut processed

When times get this tough, you just have to laugh.

At least, that's what CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival artistic director Al Rae is counting on as he unveils the lineup for this city's eighth annual springtime gigglefest.

"I think the state of the economy could actually help us," Rae said. "Comedy thrives in times of bad news."

The festival's schedule, which will be announced officially at a media event this morning, includes appearances by two members of the famed Kids in the Hall comedy troupe (Scott Thompson and Kevin McDonald), a taping of CBC Radio's WireTap with Jonathan Goldstein, the return of the popular topical/comical showdown The Debaters and a special recession-friendly hosting appearance by Dragon's Den denizen Kevin O'Leary.

The festival -- which, in keeping with its age, is being billed as the "8th Wonder of the World" -- runs April 14-19 at numerous venues, including McPhillips Street Station, the Gas Station Theatre, Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Park Theatre and Rumor's Comedy Club. As always, the fest's taped-for-TV gala shows will take place at the Pantages Playhouse Theatre.

Full schedule details are available at www.winnipegcomedyfestival.com. Tickets for all shows are available at all Ticketmaster locations.

Rae said the format for the festival's galas has been adjusted slightly this year to accommodate CBC's decision to return to a one-hour format for the TV specials taped here.

After an opening-night event (April 15) at McPhillips Street Station hosted by Deb DiGiovanni and featuring Ron Sparks, Elvira Kurt and Glen Foster, the Thursday Night Gala (April 16), Savings & Groans, will seek to wring comedic dividends from the current economic crisis. Dragons' Den grump O'Leary will host the show, with comedy from Glen Foster, Tim Steeves, Peter Wildman, Kathryn Greenwood and Mark Little and Andrew Bush of the Halifax sketch troupe Picnicface.

The Friday Night Super Gala (April 17) is a double-header of themed shows, starting with The Holiday Show (hosted by Air Farce alumnus Don Ferguson and featuring Sean Cullen, Allyson Smith, Peter Wildman, Deb McGrath, Rob Pue and Jonny Harris) and closing with Queer as Jokes (hosted by Scott Thompson and featuring Elvira Kurt, Trevor Boris, Jonathan Wilson, Dian Flack, Ed Sahely, Bob Smith and Tom Steffen).

The Saturday Night Evening Gala (April 18), The Seven Deadly Sins, is hosted by Andy Jones and stars Deb DiGiovanni, Jeff McEnery, Marc Maron, Ron Sparks, Tim Nutt and Teresa Pavlinek. Later the same night, Kevin McDonald hosts the Saturday Night Late Gala, titled Cradle to the Grave, which stars Big Daddy Tazz, John Wing, Little & Bush, Maryellen Hooper, The Williamson Playboys -- a.k.a. Second City alumni Paul Bates and Doug Morency -- and former late-night talk-show host Mike Bullard.

Rae said that the recent explosion of comics' self-promotional efforts on the Internet has changed the way comedy festivals book their talent.

"Absolutely, it has changed things," he said, pointing to the inclusion of Minnesotan Tom Steffen, whose comedy career basically began with an online following.

"Comics now send me links to YouTube, which makes it very easy to find out what they're about."

The festival's website will include links to performers' online clips, and the fest also now has its own Facebook page. In addition, Rae said that CBC shows taped at previous Winnipeg Comedy Festivals will soon be available on iTunes.

Rae noted that the festival is being marketed more aggressively this year. Tickets went on sale before Christmas and, despite the final lineups not being announced until this week, up to 25 per cent of the tickets for some shows have already been sold.

"I think we're getting to a Just For Laughs sort of a situation, where people respond to the brand and trust that we're going to deliver something worthwhile," he explained.

On April 19, the Pantages Playhouse will play host to the non-broadcast Best of the Fest Gala, hosted by local favourite Big Daddy Tazz and featuring festival mainstay John Wing along with Marc Maron, Bob Smith, Tim Nutt, Jonny Harris, Steve Patterson and Rob Pue.

The sure-to-be-popular taping of CBC Radio's WireTap takes place April 19 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, with The Weakerthans frontman John K. Samson making a special guest appearance.

Other noteworthy titles in this spring's comedy-fest lineup include The Winnipeg Show (April 17), hosted by Bruce Clark and featuring a roster of local acts, Kings of Komedy (April 17 and 18 at Rumor's Comedy Club), the French-language Drôlement Vôtres 7 (April 16), the adult-themed The Dark and Stormy Show (April 18) and Park at the Park (April 18), hosted by Air Farce's Alan Park and featuring Jeff Sinclair, Sabrina Jalees and local sketch troupe Hot Thespian Action.

brad.oswald@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 24, 2009 D1