You may think this is funny, but when it comes to comedy, Calgary is no laughing matter…
…okay, that was was lame. But you can't blame a guy for trying!
Actually, Calgary has a lot to be proud of when it comes to the world of comedy. Many famous comedians and improvisationalists have cut their teeth here in Calgary and were able to propel themselves into successful careers!
Some examples:
- Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch from Kids in the Hall fame both started their comedy careers with Calgary's famous Loose Moose Theatre Company.
- Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring were both born in Alberta (Pat from Calgary and Peter from Drayton Valley) and went on to work at YTV in Toronto as television hosts, as well as with The Second City comedy troupe in Toronto. They currently host This is That on CBC Radio.
- Rebecca Northan was raised in Calgary, is a graduate of the University of Calgary and an alumna of Loose Moose Theatre and has gone on to guest on CBC's Being Erica and guest host This Hour Has 22 Minutes, among starring and touring in many other improve and off-Broadway shows.
Calgary has a lot to be proud of when it comes to contributions to the comedy industry, but the unfortunate thing is that most people here outside of that industry might not even know it.
The brand-new YYComedy Festival, running September 24-30 in various venues around the city, aims to change that and it's part of the reason why the YYComedy Festival was chosen to be a Top4 Finalist here at AF-Calgary in August 2012.
Conceived by Cory Mack, Harry Doupe and James Sutherland, the inaugural YYComedy Festival, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of Loose Moose Theatre and the 25th anniversary of Yuk Yuk's, hopes to showcase Calgary's best locally grown talent and those with a Calgary connection in the comedic field, paying tribute to the past, present and future of Calgary comedy.
And that's definitely Something Awesome.
Tickets as well as more information for the festival including a list of performers and show schedules are available at yycomedy.ca. For more information on the festival itself, check out these excellent articles by FFWD Weekly and the Calgary Herald.
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