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Amateur comics stifle their jitters, vie for trophy

Real lives become grist for mill

By: Kevin Rollason

Posted: 10/11/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Ten wacky Winnipeggers walk into a bar but just one of them would walk home with the coveted title of Winnipeg's funniest amateur comic. (From left, top row) Timothy Gray, Chris Mackling, Kevin Dobbie, David Sutherland (aka Big Dog Bullhauler), Heather Witherden, (from left, bottom row) Mike Johston, Benjamin Walker, Scott Porteous, Cara Lytwyn, Darcy Toews ham it up with judge Big Daddy Taz (bottom right) at My Bar at the Canad Inn in Transcona Saturday night. (DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Did you hear the one about 10 amateur comedians who performed on the stage all hoping to win the coveted -- and inaugural -- trophy for Winnipeg's funniest amateur comic?

Well, if you didn't you weren't at My Bar at the Canad Inn in Transcona on Saturday night to watch Cara Lytwyn triumph over nine other finalists in the Free Press/Hot 103 FM's Winnipeg's Gone Wacky: The Search for Winnipeg's Funniest Amateur Comic.

In a pseudo-American Idol format, one by one the comedians came out on stage, did a seven-minute standup comedy bit, and then stood as celebrity judges -- TV critic Brad Oswald of the Winnipeg Free Press, Ace Burpee of Hot 103, and comedian Big Daddy Taz --gave their takes on their performances. Free Press funnyman Doug Speirs served as the MC.

For the winner, it wasn't just a chance to get on stage, but an opportunity to win a $1,000 cheque, a trophy, a two-night stay at the Canad Inns Grand Forks, and a guest spot on Hot 103's Ace Burpee Show with Chrissy Troy.

The night was a fundraiser for the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba.

Sixty people submitted videos in the competition before it was whittled down to the 10 who performed at the event.

As each of the would-be professional standup comics took the stage, it quickly became clear that like many professional comics, their real lives served as comedic material for their stage show.

Or as Benjamin Walker said, after making the audience laugh about jokes involving his girlfriend, "looks like I'll be looking for a ride tonight."

Walker had the crowd in stitches as he said "I'm pretty nervous.

"This reminds me of the time I lost my virginity. Only this will be six and a half minutes longer."

Walker went on to say he'd been "seeing a girl for a while. She doesn't know I was watching her."

Each of the judges praised Walker's performance.

Oswald said "I thought a lot of it was really clever" while Burpee said "I thought you were very, very good."

Taz rounded it off by saying "I can't believe this is just the fourth time you've been on stage. You just blew me away. Even if it was your 100th time, it was great."

Afterwards, Walker, who moved to Winnipeg from Regina four years ago, said performed at Rumours Comedy Club once and had a good time, but when he went on a second time he bombed and gave up his comedy dream.

But about two weeks ago Walker, a government worker, said he went on stage at an open-mic competition at a local bar and thought it was great.

"The next day I opened the Free Press and there was the ad for Winnipeg's Gone Wacky," he said.

"I submitted a video on YouTube and now I'm here."

First up on stage was Heather Witherden, who quickly let the audience know she is a 40-year-old stay-at-home mother with a husband and three sons.

"Some people roll their eyes when I say that," Witherden said.

"But I work very hard. I have a husband and three sons. I no longer tell people I'm a stay-at-home mom, I tell them I work with the needy."

Taz praised Witherden for not being shaken to go first in the competition.

"A lot of people were worried about being first and you weren't," he said.

"You took your real-life experiences and made yourself real to the crowd."

Before the competition began, Oswald said he would be looking for "first and foremost the material - you have to be funny. "I have great admiration for everyone doing this because there's a big leap between wishing to do stand up and actually doing stand up."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 11, 2009 A4

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