The Canadian Comedy Awards & Festival is around the corner…

By Megan Mooney

I’m heading to Saint John on Friday to cover the Canadian Comedy Awards.  They’re going to be hosted by Sean Cullen.  It’s gonna be a blast.  Although, I’m sure it will also be a bit surreal too, since, I’m not sure Sean Cullen has ever been involved in anything that hasn’t become surreal in some way…

The festival part starts tomorrow.  So, if you’re lucky enough to be in Saint John, check out some of the offerings on display.

There are all sorts of details below. 

Stay tuned for results and coverage over the weekend.

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From Press Release

The Comedy Network Presents The Canadian Comedy Awards & Festival 2009
Saint John, NB  10th Anniversary Edition

Canada’s Favourite ‘Human Man’ SÉAN CULLEN to host The Comedy Network Presents
The Canadian Comedy Awards October 2

— Event Dates, Venues and Ticket Information —

Get ready to celebrate, Saint John! The Comedy Network Presents the Canadian Comedy Awards AND FESTIVAL announced today that the Awards ceremony on Friday, October 2, will be hosted by multi-Canadian Comedy Award Winner Séan Cullen.

I am really looking forward to taking part in the CCA’s,” said Cullen. “The awards have become a focal point on the Canadian Comedy Landscape and I can’t wait to host an event that highlights the enormous amount of talent Canada has to offer to the world.”

Also featured on the bill are great comedic talents Nikki Payne and Derek Edwards.  
The fun begins on Wednesday, September 30 and runs until Sunday, October 4 as Canada’s funniest comedians, writers, film makers descend upon this beautiful port city. Kicking off the festival is The Funniest Person contest at Cougars on Wednesday. On Thursday, Oct. 1, THE COMEDY NETWORK PRESENTS THE COMEDY AWARDS & FESTIVAL really heats up with the Stand-Up Showcase hosted by the Gemini-nominated Jon Dore. And also on the same night, Saint John’s very own John Mazerolle with Faster, Higher, Stronger… Foggier, John Mazerolle’s One Man Show. Then, put your best laughing face forward for The Last Laugh Gala on Saturday, October 3, hosted by Jessica Holmes, featuring Deb DiGiovanni, Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, Tim Steeves and award-winning Jeremy Hotz.   Please check out our website for breaking news at canadiancomedy.ca.

The Comedy Network Presents The Canadian Comedy Awards and Festival Line Up – What’s Happening Where!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

The Canadian Comedy Awards & Festival Kick-Off Celebration with The Funniest Person (in New Brunswick) Contest

7PM -  Cougars Lounge – Tickets $5
This is our glorious kickoff celebration.  An open mic competition to crown The Funniest Person in New Brunswick. Preliminaries are every Sunday starting September 13 at 7 p.m., September 20, September 27 with the finals being September 30.  To enter email Ron Lockhart ronniel@nbnet.nb.ca   You will have 3 – 5 minutes to do your funniest material.   All local talent is welcome.  You must be 19 years of age to enter. This competition has always been a regional highlight that provides an opportunity for locals to showcase their best material and to win a cash award.  
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1

Faster, Higher, Stronger… Foggier John Mazerolle’s One Man Show
8PM – A-Khord Club   Advance tickets $10
He’s from Saint John, NB and this local boy has a big reputation for his satirical and fictional musings of the week’s events for the Beaver Examiner. Mazerolle returns home with an updated production of his one-man show, a topical, historical, cutting, and yet warm, dissection of his hometown.  Oh Yeah!!
Stand-Up Showcase hosted by Jon Dore
9PM  – Three Mile Bar -  Advanced tickets $20
This year’s showcase is hosted by Comedy Award nominee Jon Dore.  The Stand Up Showcase is always a rousing hit that will feature five of our Award Show nominees in a nonstop night of fun.   This sells out fast.  One of the great events you will want to see.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2

The Comedy Network Presents The Canadian Comedy Awards hosted by Séan Cullen     
7:30PM – Imperial Theatre – Tickets $30
The 10th anniversary show celebrates excellence in Television, Film, and Live Performance. Canadian Comedy and Gemini Award winner Séan Cullen hosts, with performances by Comedy Award winner, the very funny Nikki Payne and who some people call the funniest man in Canada, Derek Edwards. There will be also be an array other celebrity presenters soon to be announced.
Currently Cullen is rehearsing the part of Psuedolus in the hilarious musical comedy ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ for The Stratford Festival and has just released the book The Prince of Neither Here Nor There.   Cullen spent 11 years as a member of Corky and The Juice Pigs inspiring people all over the world.  Many people cheered when he was a finalist on last seasons Last Comic Standing,  Cullen is also an award winning novelist and has been featured in many movies, theatre productions and television shows.
Three time Comedy Award winner Nikki Payne is one of Canada’s original comics.   Her no holds barred style of comedy and her lisp make Nikki Payne stand out as an innovator.  Derek Edwards’s award winning humour has made him one of the hottest properties in Canada.  He is the only Canadian winner of the prestigious Vail Colorado Invitational Comedy Competition.  The Winnipeg Free Press call him the funniest man on earth.
Tickets for The Comedy Network Presents The Canadian Comedy Awards are available for purchase at The Imperial Theatre box office at 24 King Square South, Saint John, NB by phone at (506) 674-4100, Toll-free from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Maine at 1-800-323- SHOW (7469) and online at www.imperialtheatre.nb.ca.    .www.seancullen.com     .www.nikkipayne.com    www.derekedwards.ca

Sketch and Improv Showcase
10PM – Phoenix Dinner Theatre -  Tickets $20
This crazy must see event includes some of the best comics in Canada.  Sketch troupes provide continuous fun, showcasing their best ensemble work and memorable routines. Improv actors are “on the spot” responding to audience participation with hilarious results! Together, Sketch and Improv comics provide a fascinating evening showcasing the art of comedy. Our guest host will be announced shortly.  
The Late Night Show with Jon Dore                                  
11PM – Phoenix Dinner Theatre downstairs. $10 at the door
Its “late night” for a reason.   If you enjoy edgy, adventurous comedy, this show features hip, uncensored material and is often the most talked about show of the week. Jon Dore hosts. Jon had made a name for himself on one of the hottest TV shows on Canadian TV, CTV’s Canadian Idol.  This led to his own acclaimed show on The Comedy Network called The Jon Dore Television Show.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3

Comedy Writers’ Panel

12:00noon -  Delta Hotel, Trinity Royal room, 2nd floor. Tickets $5 at the door
Award-winning comedy writers talk about their work and lead a discussion on their craft.
PANIC! Everybody’s doing it, The Second City Touring Company
2PM – Saint John High School Theatre – Tickets $20 / $10 students

The environment is destroyed! Your country is at war! Your house is worth nothing! Your boyfriend isn’t returning your calls! With bad news stories all around, it’s hard not to push the panic button. The Second City puts it all in perspective. This Second City revue is fast-paced and topical, featuring multiple Canadian Comedy Award-winners with the best scenes from Second City’s history, plus original satire ripped from today’s headlines.

Les Smouthe 3, The French Show
5PM -  La Faubourg -  Tickets $10 at the Door
Famous comedy brothers Luc LeBlanc and Robert Gauvin, present over 20 characters with their thoughtful analysis of the world. Expect new characters and special guests Rock Kirk, Gaétan Tanguay and the sick fellow from Les Smouthe 1 and 2.

THE LAST LAUGH GALA featuring Jeremy Hotz, Deb DiGiovanni, Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, Tim Steeves and hosted by Jessica Holmes.
8PM – Imperial Theatre. Tickets $48
As the big ticket show of the Festival, The Last Laugh Gala features the top talent of the year in the best evening of comedy north of the 49th parallel. Jeremy Hotz headlines and is joined by performers Deb DiGiovanni, Roger Abbott & Don Ferguson of Royal Canadian Air Farce fame, local boy wonder Tim Steeves and special guests. Jessica Holmes hosts. Tickets for The Last Laugh Gala are $48.00 and are available for purchase at The Imperial Theatre box-office at 24 King Square South, Saint John, NB by phone at (506) 674-4100, Toll-free from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Maine at 1-800-323- SHOW (7469) and online at www.imperialtheatre.nb.ca.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
Laughter is the Best Medicine!
2PM  -  Saint John High School Theatre. Tickets $20 / $10 students
This matinee variety show is suitable for all ages and features the hilarious ‘That Canadian Guy’ Glen Foster with many exciting special guests who are coming together to benefit Mind Care New Brunswick.
In 1999 The Canadian Comedy Awards were founded as a non-profit organization to recognize Canadian achievements in comedy at home and abroad. THE COMEDY NETWORK PRESENTS THE CANADIAN COMEDY AWARDS AND FESTIVAL acknowledges a definitive group of Canadian artists and is strongly supported by the entertainment industry, the media and the comedy community. It is a unique vehicle to salute Canadian artistic excellence. Throughout its successful 10-year tenure, THE COMEDY NETWORK PRESENTS THE CANADIAN COMEDY AWARDS AND FESTIVAL has become a pivotal celebration of Canadian talent and is the only national awards festival to honour Canada’s comedic talent.

THE COMEDY NETWORK PRESENTS THE CANADIAN COMEDY AWARDS & FESTIVAL
attracts more than 130 Canadian artists who come together for performances, workshops, seminars, awards, special presentations such film and documentary shows, and of course networking. The series of events over five days includes the Funniest Person of the region contest, stand-up, sketch and improv comedy shows plus a great deal of celebrating.
Canada’s first-and-only specialty comedy service, The Comedy Network airs comedy of all kinds, 24-hours-a-day, across multiple platforms, including a revolutionary broadband service at thecomedynetwork.ca. Launched in October 1997, The Comedy Network broadcasts, uncut and uncensored, an eclectic mix of scripted, stand-up, sketch, improv, and animated comedy – as well as topical comedy talk shows, game shows and classic situation comedies. Offering an unrivalled slate of original Canadian programming, The Comedy Network reinvests nearly 50 per cent of its revenues into home-grown productions. The Comedy Network, a division of CTV Television Inc., is available to nearly six million households across the country. Visit The Comedy Network’s website at thecomedynetwork.ca.

The Imperial Theatre box-office at 24 King Square South, Saint John, NB by phone at (506) 674-4100, Toll-free from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Maine at 1-800-323- SHOW (7469) and online at www.imperialtheatre.nb.ca.