Arts
This Week In Comedy: Dave Chappelle, Quinn C. Martin, The 2012 Canadian Comedy Awards Festival, and Ryan Belleville
Dave Chappelle's in town for three shows. A Grammy-award winning artist is opening up for Quinn C. Martin. The Canadian Comedy Awards is showcasing their nominees and a new show is striking up. No wonder the rest of Canada hates us! They're jealous.
MON AUG 20 - WED AUG 22 / DAVE CHAPPELLE / WINTER GARDEN THEATRE / 189 YONGE / 9PM / $58
Pop Quiz Time! If you can finish these sentences, you're a true Chappelle fan:
1) I'm Rick James...
2) What the !%$# is juice? I want some...
3) Sugar, water...
4) Yeah Oscar! You're a grouch...
Answers: 1) hctib 2) knird 3) elprup 4) nachsart a ni evil I, hctiB
To be honest, I never got into Dave until Chappelle's Show blew up. When I was growing up, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence stole the show when it came to black comedy. But after watching his Sesame Street bit, I recognized that he was something special, too.
SUN AUG 19 / MY COUSIN QUINNY / HARD ROCK CAFE / 279 YONGE / 8PM / $20
He's at it again. Fifth show at the Hard Rock Cafe, fifth new hour of material. Now, one would think that at this point, he must be scraping the bottom of the barrel. Nope. And the show is getting better every single time. Opening the evening will be Scratch, Grammy-award winning beatboxer from The Roots. For an amateur like myself, it's inspiring to see someone having the time of their life on stage. Case in point, his bit about getting his first wine at the high school dance (4:00) is gold. Disclaimer: Quinn's a close friend of mine.
THURS AUG 23 - SUN AUG 26 / CANADIAN COMEDY AWARDS FESTIVAL / COMEDY BAR / $13/SHOW OR $30 FOR ALL-ACCESS
The Canadian Comedy Awards is showcasing their nominees this year. Categories include: best stand-up, one-person show, podcast, male/female improvisor, improv troupe, sketch troupe, and comedic play, revue, or series. For $30, you'll get access to all shows, excluding the awards ceremony itself and Best of the Fest event. My personal favourites include Tom Henry (best stand-up) and Rap Battlez (featured, and up for best comedic play, revue, or series).
SAT AUG 25 / RYAN BELLEVILLE / THE LOT / 100 OSSINGTON / $12 (TWO FOR $20) / 9:30PM
Garrett Jamieson and Mark DeBonis have decided to start doing shows at the LOT (Lower Ossington Theatre) in order to showcase, "the best of the best on the veteran side of things and the best up-and-comers in Toronto." The grand opening will feature Ryan Belleville, who's been in everything from Just For Laughs to Comedy Central's Live at Gotham. Jeff Leeson, one of the top five stand-up comedians in Canada, will be hosting.
About the Author: This is Michael Jagdeo, and I refuse to write about myself in the third-person. My blog, Diary of a Stand-up Comedian, teaches you how to be - and how not to be - a comedian in Toronto.
Discussion
8 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
2. What the FCUK is JUICE? I want some Grape Drank
3. Sugar, Water, PURPLE!!! Those are the ingredients..lol
4. Shut up Bith I live in a Trash Can!
"For what it's worth" is hilarious... The purple drank skit was my favorite along with 'chocolate? what chocolate.... Its doo doo baby'!!!
You got it! I remember skipping class with friends and reciting entire Dave Chappelle bits...you can't mention his name without talking about purple drink and sesame street...
Jagdeo
"National Security was hilarious bro."
To your point, I've never watched any of Martin Lawrence's movies. I have, however, seen him on Def Comedy Jam and on an NBC show called, 'Martin.' The following is taken from Wikipedia...
'During this period, entertainment mogul Russell Simmons selected him to host the groundbreaking series Def Comedy Jam on HBO. Def Comedy Jam gave many comedians (including Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle, Bernie Mac and Cedric the Entertainer) mainstream exposure.
During his stint with Def Comedy Jam, Lawrence appeared in his own hit series, Martin, which aired on Fox TV. The show ran from 1992 to 1997 and was an enormous success. Martin was the flagship of Fox's Thursday-night line-up, which drew millions of viewers away from NBC's "Must See TV" line-up.'
My comment was: When I was growing up, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence stole the show when it came to black comedy.
I hope that clears things up. I was trying to put Dave Chappelle in the same realm as Chris Rock and Martin, not put him down.
One love :)
Yes, the tickets were sold out just as the pixels dried on this post. Why? Scalpers.
It makes my heart sad that even with three shows, real fans might be left out in the cold. There's nothing like the energy I feel and the genuine awe I have when seeing a great comedian on stage.
TUES AUG 21 / DON'T GET BORED OF US AND LEAVE / THE OSSINGTON / 61 OSSINGTON / 930PM / FREE
I might suggest going to, 'Don't Get Bored Of Us And Leave.' It's featuring David Dineen-Porter, who's one of my favourite comedians in the world...that's right, the world. I honestly believe there is nobody that can do what he does on stage. It's something you have to see in person.
Don't stop...believing,
Jagdeo