All Entries in the "Comedy" Category
Big Bang Thursdays at Nova535
Nova535’s Supernova Sundays show may be gone, but the monthly rendition Big Bang Thursdays lives on.
Judging continues to be done by the same four judges who seem to have fallen into their respective judges roles with grace and humility.
There’s a good deal of comedians in this new format. The Got Jokes guys continue to host and emcee while local comedians take to the stage for crass and mostly-funny comedy.
A dance troop also hit the stage, doing a pop-n-lock rendition that was always fast paced, something synchronized and leading in a give and take that was both skillful and fun.
The crowd was young and hip, as you’d expect from this kind of show. There were a few people over 40, but most everyone I saw (and photographed) were in the 25-40 range and all seemed to be having a good time.
Big Bang is held the first Thursday of every month at NOVA535 in St. Petersburg.
Supernova Sundays gone, Big Bang coming!
While I enjoyed the Supernova Sundays that NOVA535 was putting on each Sunday, attendance fizzled and costs ran high, leaving it a dead project after only a few weeks. That said, they’ve re-organized the show into a monthly, held on the first Thursday of each month, repackaged as THE BIG BANG SHOW.
Come join me this Thursday, July 2nd. $10 in advance/$15 at the door, 7PM to Midnight.
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producerevent/68995?prod_id=9766
There will be comedians, musicians and other performers as well as a full dinner menu for anyone who wants to try some St. Pete favorites. Their caterers have always been great in the past.
Comedy For A Cure, benefit for Pediatric Cancer Foundation
Tampa’s own NBA rising star, Tarence Kinsey will be hosting his First Annual TK’s Celebrity All-Star Weekend, June 26 and 27. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
Hyatt Regency Downtown is where events kick off June 26 with Comedy’s the Cure, Tampa’s funniest show this summer. The comedian all-star cast includes: Joe and Guy Torry, Gary Owen of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne (TBS), and Doug Williams – Host of Martin Lawrence’s 1st Amendment Stand Up (Starz). The laughing commences at 8pm. General Admission tickets are $25; VIP tickets are $40.
Tarence and his friends will return to the Hyatt Regency Saturday, June 27 for part two with his Cloud 9 All-White Affair. This will be an event for the truly grown and sophisticated. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their finest all white attire and mingle with the stars as they party with the likes of NBA players; LeBron James, Mo Williams, Joe Smith, Rudy Gay and many more. Doors open at 10pm, but guests must be 21 to enter. Tickets are $15 in advance online and $20 at the door. VIP reservations are also available online.
To purchase tickets to either event, visit www.TKallstars.com.
Date/Event: Friday, June 26th – Comedy’s the Cure
Venue: Hyatt Regency Downtown Grand Ballroom
Time: 8:00pm – 10pm
General: $25 VIP: $40
Red Carpet Entry
Date/Event: Saturday, June 27th – Cloud 9 All White Affair
Venue: Hyatt Regency Downtown Courtyard
Time: 10pm – 3am
General: $15 (Advance) / $20 (Door) VIP: $100
Red Carpet Entry
For more information, visit www.TKallstars.com.
Supernova Sunday Photo Post
Last night, Dereck and I attended the SuperNova Sunday event at NOVA 535 (535 Dr. M. L. King Jr Street N, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701, (727) 821-6682). I’ve been spending a lot of time at NOVA lately, and when I heard they were putting on a weekly party that was part Gong Show and part social gathering, I decided it was time to go do a photo shoot.
The entertainment changes weekly, but the staples act is the Got Jokes crew. Daniel “Motown Pride” has a way of getting a crowd up to temperature, and his supporting cast was funny as always. The Got Jokes? crew emcee and play puppet master to the event, doing skit comedy acts and interactive bits with the audience between other contestants.
Last night, we were shown a music act (that I wasn’t fond of, but the judges loved), a local comedian, a couple of bands and a guy that got booted off the stage for his Carrot Top-like prop comedy.
The panel of judges is made of local celebrities. If you think Simon Cowell can be bad, you haven’t seen Sterling. Sterling is a very well known man about town, and he’s a perfect character for this presentation. Funny, crass, flamboyant and often funny, he really is the head Queen on the scene of Supernova Sundays. Also on the panel is the lovely Carol Gallagher, fashion critic and all around sassy pants. A minute flirting with Carol is a minute flirting with fun. She adds a wit and class to the judging station, and I’m glad she was aboard.
We stayed for about 2 hours of the 6 hour show. It had it’s high points and it’s low points, but overall I can see this being an event that takes off.
Here’s a few photos:
The full photo set can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/denisbaldwin/sets/72157619774104488/
At least one of the Toyota Yaris guys has a sense of humor
I saw this in the Tampa IKEA parking lot yesterday.
At least there’s one Yaris driver who doesn’t take himself (or this whole shooting gas prices problem) seriously.
Supernova Sundays at NOVA 535
NOVA 535 unique event space and modern art lounge will present Opening Night of SUPERNOVA SUNDAYS starting Sunday, June 7th at 6 PM. The recurring Sunday night party will feature local talent, national celebrity acts and fantastic music. The format will evolve and change each week in order to remain fresh. A full dinner menu created by one of St. Petersburg’s favorite downtown restaurants will be available until 10 PM each week.
It all begins June 7th with the BIG BANG SHOW: Think Johnny Carson, Drew Carey and the “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” guys hijacking American Idol and squeezing it into the Gong Show…only you’re in the audience with dinner and a drink. The BIG BANG SHOW is hosted by Tampa’s own GOT JOKES? IMPROV TROUPE and judged by local celebrity Sterling Powell, hilarious comedienne Christine O’Leary and Torrie & Amanda the adorable dynamic duo behind CBS Radio’s “GIRLS GONE SPORTS”.
CHRISTINE O’LEARY will also take the stage and treat NOVA 535’s guests to an hour of comedy with her world-famous off-the-cuff interactions and storytelling. As the show ends JASK’s music begins to transform the night. Join the stunning SUPERNOVA DANCERS and wildly unpredictable host STERLING POWELL for our Sunday evening COSMIC TEA PARTY. NOVA 535’s full bar will also offer luscious Peach and Sweet Tea-Tinis. Tickets are $10 in advance at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/68995 or $15 at the door. Dinner will be served until ten. Guests and performers must be 21 or older. Admission all night.
Got Jokes at the Tampa Improv this Thursday
Some of you may remember my article about the Got Jokes? Improv Team. They’re back, and headlining a show at the Tampa Improv (1600 E 8th Ave # C112, Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 864-6473) this Thursday at 8PM. I won’t be able to make it myself, but this promises to be a hilarious show.
More details, from their website:
Got Jokes? That is the question we pose to the Tampa Bay community as we introduce a fresh, hip and innovative approach to improv comedy. Performing sketches/games where the audience plays an interactive role in the outcome, Got Jokes? promises to deliver a unique experience to the Tampa Bay area that people across the country will talk about for years to come.
Do you miss the classic days of SNL?
In Living Color?
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Well, Daniel “Motown Pride” has worked diligently to assemble a diverse cast of actors, actresses and comedians that are committed to making you laugh hysterically until you lose control of your bodily fluids. Got Jokes? is a weekly event that performs at different venues in the Tampa Bay area building up to a big show at the end of the month where celebrity guests join the mayhem. The laughs don’t stop there though. As Got Jokes? grows in popularity, our audience favorites will tour the United States bringing our brand of funny nationwide.
Got Jokes? boasts some of the strongest comedic talent in the country. All accomplished performers in their own right, they’re collective talent needs to be witnessed to completely be appreciated. The cast has the ability to go from TV Ready to No Holds Barred in a millisecond. We guarantee a satisfying experience regardless of the demographic. Ideal for birthday parties, company team-building exercises and special engagements, Got Jokes? is the perfect way to bring your event to the next level. Feel free to contact us for booking rates and availability. Get your funny bone ready, cause’ we’re ready to tickle!
Got Jokes? Comedy Improv Team
If you’re anything like me, you probably grew up during a great time in television history. I remember watching Saturday Night Live and In Living Color and Who’s Line is It Anyway in my youth and into my teens. Watching improv comedy shaped a lot of how I see the world today, and I’m glad for that education.
When I get a chance to see a comedy show, I jump on it. When it’s improv, I really jump on it. What’s funnier than a bunch of people acting our scenarios from an eager audience? Not much, and Got Jokes Improv Troop definitely embodies the spirit of what improv comedy should be.
I saw them at their weekly saturday gig at the Hip Hop Soda Shop this past Saturday, and was very impressed. Upon coming in, I was greeted by their M.C. “Daniel “Motown Pride”. Being a fellow Detroiter, I knew where his head and his heart were at, and I knew I was in for a treat.
The power of improv lies not just in how well a person can act or how funny they are, but how they can think on their feet with constant outside input. The Got Jokes? Team is constantly cycling the audience for stimulation. Every skit is built on a word or scenario from the audience, called at random as Daniel spins the web of the act together.
The team is made of a series of regulars, all of which are local comics in their own right but keep their skills sharp in the improv group. Motown keeps everyone in line, calling Scene and participating where needed. Gwiggy, a larger-than-life white guy, can play the stern approach (such as his part as a Frisbee Championship anchor) or the slapstick part (such as his attempt to show rhythm in a group dance later in the show). Tarik is all attitude, an over the top act that’s full of energy. Heidi seems the free spirited all american girl and the princess of the troop, a compliment to Sharon who is the queen bee of the Got Jokes Team. Motown, Detyme, Rocky and Rahn Man round out the regular line-up. Every one of these comedians is funny on their own, but as a group they are stellar.
The act takes rollercoaster turns between skits. The first one, the alphabet game we probably all played as children, is done with striking accuracy.. until they hit X. “X. I’m gonna solve for X” seems to be the best answer they can come up with. I think the next show I go to, I’m going to scream out, “Last Stand of the 300″ so they atleast have Xerxes to play with 
They follow with a variety of character-driven skits, based on audience suggestions. Someone screamed out, “Frisbee tournament!” and they reacted with an energy-drink infused competitor, a down-south redneck and the Puff-Daddy of coaches. I laughed until I snorted Diet Coke out of my nose. It was that funny!
The act as a whole goes on for a couple of hours, and there were very few lulls. The key to making it so funny is the polling of the audience. You are given a piece of paper early in the night with some questions on it, which they work into “Weekend-Update” style news stories. I don’t think the crowd stopped laughing the entire time.
Here are some photos:
Along with the troop, they also feature special guests. I’ll be doing a review of their special guest from Saturday, Aleshea “Daughter of Noise” Harris in another post.
Got Jokes? performs weekly at the Hip Hop Soda Shop, and also at Side Splitters. For more information, see their website:
http://www.gotjokesimprov.com/