12:40 AM DIVINE COMEDIANS (Doll Faces / The Decks)
11:40 PM ELECTRIC FIREBABIES (Carjack / Hi Speed Dubbing)
10:40 PM BIG MESS (Thunderbirds Are Now)
09:40 PM BEVERLY FRE$H (Dial 81)

Dance party!

9817 JOS CAMPAU
Hamtramck, MI
Bakers Streetcar is located just 1 block south of the Belmont.

The Crofoot Ballroom and On the Rocks Detroit are proud to present the 10th Anniversary of The Boondock Saints: a VIP Fan Party on Wednesday, February 24, at The Crofoot Ballroom (Pontiac, Michigan). Join creator/writer/director Troy Duffy, actors David Della Rocco (Rocco aka The Funny Man), Bob Marley (Detective Greenly), Michigan native, Brian Mahoney (Detective Duffy), Bob Rubin (Gorgeous George) and more as they celebrate the 10th Anniversary of their cult classic film The Boondock Saints for one night only in Metro Detroit.

Doors are at 7 pm, Showtime is 8:30pm; tickets are only $12 in advance (available at ticketweb.com or at The Crofoot Ballroom) or $15 at the door. Ages 18 and over are welcome to attend.

“This event is like a full body immersion into the world of Boondock comedy and music – and even hanging out for a couple of drinks with the boys – that Boondock Saints’ fans and virtually anybody that’s looking for a big, fun night out won’t want to miss,” explains creator/writer/director Troy Duffy.

The 10th Anniversary VIP Fan Party features the comedic genius of Bob Rubin (The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day’s Gorgeous George) and Bob Marley (Detective Greenly) one of the hottest and most sought-after comedians in the country. Bob Marley has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, hosts his own SIRIUS Satellite Radio Comedy Show and stars in both Boondock Saints films.

Fans will also be treated to the high energy performances of several featured artists on the upcoming soundtrack release of The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day including Detroit’s own Ty Stone and The Truth, Irish American “aggressive folk rockers”, The Dirges, along with original Boondock Saints songwriters and band members, Taylor and Troy Duffy.

Released in 2000, The Boondocks Saints initially had only a limited run in theaters. But fans responded to the film in force, fueling sales of over seven million DVDs to date, and making it a bona fide cult hit.

Set in Boston, The Boondock Saints is a crime thriller starring Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as twin Catholic Irish American brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus. After killing members of the Russian mafia in self-defense, these hard-drinking, God-fearing brothers become vigilantes, determined to rid their city of crime and evil.

Pontiac, Michigan is only the second stop in a series of events on this national tour celebrating The Boondock Saints. “Twenty-ten is already shaping up to be an amazing milestone year for The Boondock Saints and for the millions of fans who have literally carried us to where we are today,” says Troy. “I know I speak for Sean and Norman as well when I say that it’s going to be a year-long celebration of our connecting with, thanking and entertaining as many fans as possible just for the pure thrill of it all.”

The Crofoot Ballroom is located at 1 S. Saginaw in downtown Pontiac. For more information on The Boondock Saints 10th Anniversary VIP Fan Party please visit thecrofoot.com or call the venue at 248-858-9333.

Mike Young

Comedian Mike Young returns to his Motor City roots this fall as he brings some of comedy’s hottest rising stars to Detroit as part of the Young American Comedy Tour.

His homecoming is appropriately timed for 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, the biggest bar night of the year, at the City Theatre. Mike Young will be joined onstage by comedian J. Chris Newberg, among others. DJ Bam will provide the beats and fans of WRIF’s Drew & Mike should be on the lookout for an appearance by Mr. Skin.

The tour, inspired by both the Blue Collar Comedy Tour and the Kings of Comedy, came together two years ago when Young gathered a group of up-and-coming comedians from LA’s Comedy Store and took to the improv circuit for a 10-day trial run. Audiences responded to its 2-hour-long variety show format and the next tour grew to 30 cities. The Young American Comedy Tour incorporates DJ’s, hip hop, even go-go dancers – with stand-up comedy at its core.

A Southfield, Mich. native and Los Angeles resident, Young hosts each show and performs his own brand of comedy – taking the stage as the guy who’s not yet ready to grow up. His Richard Pryor-meets-Seinfeld material is inspired by real life experiences. The subject matter is deep but not dirty, Young said. He toured last year with Bob Saget and has performed with Dave Chappelle, Wanda Sykes and Dave Attel. “These guys are the top of their class,” said Young.

Comedians like Mad TV’s Bobby Lee, Steve Byrne and Sebastian Maniscalco have all been featured in the tour’s rotating cast. It provides ample exposure for comedy’s next breakout performers. Young now plans to anchor monthly performances in Detroit, and establish the tour as Motown’s answer to the Apollo Theatre – a comedy mainstay drawing discerning audiences. By re-focusing his efforts with regular Detroit dates, Young hopes to “save the city though laughter.”

He considers Detroit audiences to be some of the greatest in the country. In light of the city’s economic challenges, Young believes there is no better time for the Young American Comedy Tour. His brother, Robert Young, produces the shows. “He’s a great, creative head to have on your team,” said Mike Young. “He’s been behind everything I’ve accomplished.”

Though he prefers to remain behind-the-scenes, Robert Young envisions the tour as having the potential to become bigger than the sum of its parts. “We want to see how many faces we can put a smile on and bring laughter back to Detroit,” he said.

Tickets ($20) on sale and may be purchased at OlympiaEntertainment.com, the City Theatre, Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena box offices, Hockeytown Authentics in Troy (without service charge) at all Ticketmaster locations and Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call (800) 745-3000. For additional information, call (313) 471-6611.

www.youngamericancomedytour.com

Detroit Entertainment Commission Request for Proposal / Documentary Film Makers “1st ANNUAL ‘Laughin the Pain Away’ Comedy Show”

OVERVIEW

We live in difficult times. World wars, foreclosures, pin slips, stock market crashes, and high gas prices all dominate the news. To get America back on track with a sense of hope and purpose, President Obama instilled in the public the value of service. People across the nation are adhering to the President’s initiative with programs that help the needy and disenfranchised. The Detroit Entertainment Commission is hosting its 1st annual comedy show entitled, “Laughin the Pain Away” with a group of comedians who will contribute their time in support of this event. The event will be launched in Detroit for the benefit of victims of domestic violence, the unemployed and homeless in Detroit in late August 2009 or the beginning of September 2009. This event is free and admission is usually cans of food for local food banks.

Yet a multitude of Detroiters are still hurting. They need help and emotional assurance. Everyone knows that the best relief is “comic relief.”

PURPOSE
To produce a documentary on Detroit’s comedians participating in the 1st Annual “Laughin the Pain Away” Comedy Show.

GOAL
To secure the best documentary filming production crew to accomplish the above stated purpose for a finished product to be broadcasted on television.

PROGRAM
“Laughin the Pain Away” is a documentary showcasing stand-up comics in the city of Detroit who are answering the call to service. This fascinating documentary will feature a rotating crop of Detroit’s hottest comics who represent the true backbone of American humor. These comics will provide comic relief in rescue shelters and mingle with “regular people” and identify the issues of today. In turn, they draw from that experience and perform their “Pulse of America” on stage.

The documentary will include performances by eight to ten comics and a guest music artist. The documentary filmmaker will get up close and personal with these comics, who not only perform in various communities, but also see them involved in local food drives or help out at relief shelters. Detroit will showcase one of their well-known celebrity comics as the MC who welcomes guest comics – all in front of an enthusiastic audience in their community. The documentary will feature video clips of in-depth interviews from “regular people” in the community who share their personal experiences.

The documentary starts on a stage at a venue comparable with a brief comic monologue by a person, whose talk touches on the issue of the day. The documentary filmmaker then goes aboard a traveling tour bus and listens in on the comics as their conversation continues with the issue of the day. The first 30 minutes of the documentary is “cinema verite” reality style as we follow the comics as they inject themselves into the community and bond with the less fortunate. They visit local attractions like the Lake Huron swap meet where neighbors are known to help neighbors literally with the shirts off their backs. The last 30 minutes of the documentary will entail a multi-camera HD shoot of our diverse comics in a larger venue to the Music Hall or the Detroit Opera House that the unfortunate people cannot afford to attend. Here, they will represent the ailing community and become the Comic CNN news.

PHASES
The filming of the documentary will include the following phases:

Phase I – Preparation
Phase II – Production / Interviews
Phase III – Editing / Post Production

REQUEST
Submission of your proposal in filming this production should include a budget and the type of equipment being used. This documentary is being produced on a speculative partnership basis for placement as a joint venture. Submit your proposal to the Detroit Entertainment Commission c/o Gregory J. Reed, 1201 Bagley, Detroit, MI 48226 or gjrassoc@aol.com. A resume and experience should accompany the proposal. The deadline is August 14, 2009. All proposals will be reviewed and the best one will be selected.

Be Awesome!
Billy Whitehouse

Detroit Entertainment Commission – Film Committee

Executive Producer – Youngblood Solutions
Executive Director – FilmEmerge.org
Producer – MichiganMakesMovies.com/CBSRadio
Associate Producer – Raised Alone – www.SamKProduction.com
Advisor to the Michigan Film Industry
Actor – Film/Television/Theatre

Sunday, August 9, 2009, 12:00pm – 2:30pm

The multi-talented Jaime Moyer will be instructing this class as part of the Planet Ant Improv Academy!

If you have little to no improv experience at all, I would highly recommend you get trained by the best!
noon to 2:30 PM on Sundays; 8 classes in all!

Please check out the following link and consider signing up! Also, if you know of anyone who may be interested, please pass this information along! I would love to have a full class of folks looking to discover the world of improv! It’s a amazingly great time!

Only $25.00 per session ($200.00 total) OR $150.00 payable the first day of class (You save $50.00)!

http://www.planetant.com/classes.htm

You can direct all questions to dave@planetant.com. Please let me know if you plan to attend so Jaime can plan accordingly.

Planet Ant
2357 Caniff Ave
Hamtramck, MI
dave@planetant.com

Andiamo Novi Theatre – Kwame a River 2: The Wrath of Conyers

Saturday – August 8 from noon – 3 p.m.
Interested actors must make an audition appointment

Location:
Andiamo Novi Theatre
42705 Grand River Avenue
Novi, MI 48375

Appointments:
To schedule an audition time please contact Lisa Chapman at lchapman@secondcity.com
No phone calls please.

Seeking/Roles Available:
Understudies – African American male and female comedic actors with strong singing background.
Preparation:
You must bring a headshot and resume. Sides will be provided at audition. Please prepare a brief a capella song

Other (Rehearsal/Production):
Rehearsals begin mid-August. Rehearsals will be held on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Additional Saturday afternoon rehearsals may be held as needed.

Join us for a night of laughter on Saturday, April 25 at 7 p.m. at the Music Hall in Detroit featuring nationally recognized comic Kevin Meaney. The evening, presented by Panera Bread, features silent and live auctions, a cash bar, and comedy show. Sponsors and patron ticket-holders will also be treated to a meet and greet afterglow reception.

Proceeds benefit Forgotten Harvest, metro Detroit’s only mobile food rescue organization dedicated to reducing both hunger and waste. Forgotten Harvest rescues over 10 million pounds of surplus perishable food annually and delivers it, free of charge, to 150 emergency food providers in the tri-county area. Patron tickets are $150 and Supporter tickets are $50 and are available at www.forgottenharvest.org or by calling 248-967-1500. General seating tickets are $25 and can be purchased through the Music Hall box office or Ticketmaster.

Where: Music Hall, Detroit

When: 7:00PM

Tix: $25.00-$150.00

www.forgottenharvest.org

The Improv Academy is broken into three levels: Intro, Intermediate and Advanced. We also offer Workshops and Featured classes. Classes are $200 and run for eight weeks. We are now registering for the spring semester, which begins March 21, 2009. If you want to sign up for a class or need more information, please contact Pj Jacokes at 248.327.0575 or pj@gocomedy.net.

Intro 101: Welcome to Improv
Every improv education starts somewhere – yours starts here. Learn the fundamentals of improvisation, basic games, scene work and skills. Get used to being on stage and working with others in safe, supportive environment.
Mondays, 7-10pm (Starts March 23) Teacher: Pj Jacokes

Intro 201: Improv Tools
Intro 201 picks up where 101 leaves off, taking the concepts covered and looking deeper into them. This class looks at the tricks, tips and tools of improv and incorporates them into a variety of games.
Saturdays, 3pm-6pm (Starts March 21) Teacher: Chris DiAngelo

Intro 301: Scene Work
Intro 301 continues to build on the skills learned in 101 and 201. With a focus on scene work, Improv 301 begins to move into elements of long-form improvisation.

When: Saturdays, 12-3pm (Starts March 21)
Teacher: Chris DiAngelo

Intermediate 101: Intermediate Scene Work
Shake the cobwebs off your improv or reinvent your approach. Learn the GoU Improv Philosophy and be free of the “rules” of improv. This class will focus on how you create a scene, work with a partner and keep an audience interested.
Sundays, 3pm-6pm (Starts March 22) Teacher: Pj Jacokes

Intermediate 205: Genres
Expand your reference level and get comfortable with an array of genres from film, music, television, theater, literature and more. So the next time you get Peckinpah you’ll know it’s not a pet store.
Sundays 12-3pm (Starts March 22) Teacher: Dave Davies

GoComedy Club is located at 261 E. 9 Mile, Ferndale, MI. For information call 248-327-0575 or Email:     pj@gocomedy.net.

“An Evening with David Sedaris”
April 21, 2009 at 8 p.m.
Detroit Opera House
DOH Box Office: (248) 645-6666
www.Ticketmaster.com

WDET-FM, The Theater Council and Book Beat present “An Evening with David Sedaris” at the Detroit Opera House, April 21, 2009, at 8 p.m. Tickets are available now at the Detroit Opera House Box Office, or call (248) 645-6666 or www.Ticketmaster.com. Book Beat will be able to take advance orders for autographed books if unable to attend. Please call (248) 968-1190.

David Sedaris is a Grammy Award-nominated American humorist, writer, comedian, detective, bestselling author, and radio contributor. His books have sold over 7 million copies and include the collections “Barrel Fever,” “Me Talk Pretty,” “Naked,” “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim,” and his latest collection “When You Are Engulfed in Flames.”

David Sedaris may well be the closest thing the literary world has these days to a rock star. His speaking engagements are now consistently standing-room-only, a far cry from his early days as a housecleaner in New York City. Sedaris made his comic debut recounting his strange-but-true experiences of his job as a Macys elf, clad in green tights, reading his SantaLand Diaries on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. His sardonic wit and incisive social critique have since made him one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which Sedaris slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that he is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.

“Show Up, And Go Up” Thursdays- Open Mike Stand Up Comedy for aspiring or working comedians on the third Thursday of every month.

Jazz Café at Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts proudly announces the return of live comedy to downtown Detroit, on THURSDAY, March 19th 9PM (Doors 8PM), with an open-mike extravaganza pitting area comedians against each other in an unpredictable evening of  laughs and groans. Join Rex Mundy, who will emcee what hopefully will become a monthly event and a great way to spend a Thursday evening in the heart of Detroit’s Entertainment District.

This is an open call for everybody.
We encourage pros, semi pros or just plain class clowns, to come down and show us your stuff, in the coolest Jazz club in the Midwest, Jazz Café at Music Hall. 
Jazz clubs were THE venues for aspiring comedians in the 1950’s and1960’s, and it’s in that spirit, that Show Up and Go Up, might  be  a first step in bringing quality comedy back to Downtown Detroit nightlife once again.

There is no cover, so bring the gang
So bring your friends to spur you on to comedy greatness.
All aspiring comedians can get more info by contacting Rick Manore via email at rickm@musichall.org at Jazz Café- or “show up and go up” on the night of the 22nd.
Comedians are urged to get there early to ensure a 10-minute (minimum) spot.

Where: Jazz Café inside Music Hall, Detroit

When: Doors 8:00PM, starts at 9:00PM

Tix: Free admission

www.jazzcafedetroit.com