New York Underground Comedy Festival 2007

BACKGROUND

New York invades South Africa with an army of the funniest people alive! Acappella has been selected as the official promoter for the New York Underground Comedy Festival 2007 by E! Entertainment TV and David Letterman Show committee members under Sarris Productions, New York, USA. Originally started in Brooklyn in 2003, the NYUCF started as a three show affair at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. The laughs were too much for USA to carry alone, so in 2007, the festival will feature comedy shows in and across USA, Europe, Australia, China and South Africa, tallying up 100 events with the involvement of over 600 comedians around the world between September 28 and October 7. It is without question the biggest comedy festival on planet earth. The invasion takes place in South Africa as per the details below.

COMEDIANS

CHRIS KANIK - [USA]
Chris Kanik is one of Hollywood�s brightest stars. He holds degrees in Economics and Cell Molecular Biology, but who cares? He became a comic instead of saving lives or making a difference. Chris was a finalist for MTV�s hugely popular and longest ever running TV reality show, The Real World. He's performed with comedy greats like Daman Wayans, Charlie Murphy and Sara Silverman, and has extensively toured the World Famous Improv Comedy Clubs. Testament to his success, Chris has 40,000 friends on MySpace. Off the net, he boasts 1� friends: his mom, and a midget.
Click for Preview Clip!


MARTIN EVANS - [UK]
Martin's critically-acclaimed style is passionate, intense, eccentric. In his debut year on the UK comedy circuit, Martin won the Laughing Horse Big Big New Act award at the London Comedy Festival, beating 100+ competitors. Soon after, Martin became a semi-finalist at the prestigious So You Think You're Funny competition at the Guilded Balloon in Edinburgh, hosted by Britain's Channel 4. Further etching his name in UK's comedy halls of fame, Martin won the London heats of the FHM Holsten Pils Stand Up Comedy Tour, and came runner-up in the grand finale in Belham.
Click for Preview Clip!


MALCOLM FERREIRA - [SA]
From rugby to gay rights, Malcolm's tongue-in-cheek dissection of South African culture is the reason his showcase at the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Dublin sold out, and was branded by The Scotsman Newspaper as "the highlight of the show". Malcolm has graced the stages of the Oppikoppi Music Festival, Up The Creek, the Olympic Countess Cruise and King Size Comedy. With such convincing material, he was recruited as 94.7 Highveld Stereo's first "Fugitive". Malcolm also wrote and performed TV material for The Pure Monate Show and Comedy Showcase.
Preview Clip Coming Soon!


AL PRODGERS - [SA]
Al Prodgers is a performing legend. Despite his roles in popular soapies, Generations and Isidingo, it is in fact his brand of positive and energising comedy that earned him the right to represent South Africa at the 2007 Yuk-Yuks International Comedy Competition in Canada. And made it to the final. Al hosted Stand Up South Africa in London in 2002 and keeps getting invited back to the Smirnoff International Comedy Festival. Al even took his wiseguy humour on holiday to Dubai with SA greats John Vlismas and Riaad Moosa.
Click for Preview Clip!

DATES

3 Oct 2007 [Wednesday]
4 Oct 2007 [Thursday]
5 Oct 2007 [Friday]

VENUE

Barnyard Theatre
Cresta Shopping Mall
Beyers Naude Drive
Cresta
Click here to see map.

TIME

19h30 - 22h00

BOOKINGS

R100 (pre-sale tickets with allocated seating)
To book, call Barnyard Bookings on (011) 464 0870 from 8am-6pm Mon-Sat, or visit any Barnyard Theatre in Jo'burg.

Tickets available on the night, but subject to availability.

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Comedy Cure Charity Event

BACKGROUND

Laughter is the best and most natural form of remedy known to man. It is designed as a human instinct to protect and mend oneself on a spiritual and physical level. Acappella is using the New York Underground Comedy Festival to springboard the Comedy Cures campaign which revolves around taking comedy to those who have or are experiencing harsh life circumstances, or those who are not fortunate enough to be mobile enough to attend comedy events. Using comedy and magic, the Comedy Cures initiative will touch the hearts of abandoned children, AIDS orphans, hospital patients, cancer patients and the disabled, providing them not only with a streak of joy in their lives, but a lesson in how to combat hardship.

Click here and here to read two facinating articles on the science of laughter.

ORGANISATION

COMEDIANS

VITTORIO LEONARDI
Vittorio has a super-power. It's called "the big guy's sleepy charm". With handsome Italian looks and the intelligence to match, Vittorio's geeky and politically-prodding humour is the reason he's held the residency for 6 months on the Comedy Twist series. His warm way with audiences compliments his improvisational flair and is set to leave a crowd both in stitches and deep thought. Many will know Vittorio from the famed Laugh Out Loud and Comedy Showcase TV shows. Entering the 2004 Comedy All-Stars Comedy Competition in Cape Town, Vittorio emerged as runner-up overall.
Click for Preview Clip!


MELT SIEBERHAGEN
Melt Sieberhagen is no newcomer to showbiz and has been working in the Afrikaans television industry as actor, editor, writer and director since 2001. Lately, he has also been establishing himself as a new breed of Afrikaans stand-up comedians. Melt he can be seen on the big screen in Footskating 101, as well as Poena is Koning (talk about the sublime �nd the ridiculous!). From October he'll also be featuring in the SABC sketch comedy series Kompleks II. When he's not performing, he's living the interesting life that serves as basis for his absurd observational comedy.

DATE

2 Oct 2007 [Tuesday]

VENUE

NG Church Hall
Randburg