Spring arts 2013: Mirth masters are set to slay us

Comedy critics' picks

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      You know comedy is booming when acts like Penn & Teller, Don Rickles, Bill Cosby, and Bill Maher don’t even make it into the season highlights. And there are lots more comics coming to a local room, club, or theatre near you any night of the week. Seek and ye shall find.

      Hari Kondabolu

      (February 28 to March 2 at the Comedy MIX)

      He started his comedy career down the I-5 in Seattle, but this New York native has reached national prominence with appearances on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and Conan, among others.

      The Draw: Kondabolu, who has a master’s degree from the London School of Economics, won’t talk down to you. Unless, of course, you’re expecting Manoj Krishnamurthy, the character he created for his short mockumentary, Manoj. Confuse the two at your own risk.

      Target Audience: Smart progressives who can take time out from saving the world to have a few laughs.

      Darren Frost & Kenny Robinson: Rank and Vile 

      (March 14 to 16 at Yuk Yuk’s)

      This show comes with a warning, but the title says it all. Which one is which isn’t clear, but Robinson’s tenure in show business surely gives him rank, leaving Frost as the vile one. That fits.

      The Draw: Shock comics often forget the “comedy” aspect. Not so with these two pros. 

      Target Audience: Anyone unclear on the meaning of inappropriate.

      Jeremy Hotz: Magical Misery Tour

      (March 21 at the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey; March 22 at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts)

      Is Hotz truly miserable or does he just play it up on-stage? Either way, it works. Who doesn’t enjoy a healthy dose of schadenfreude?

      The Draw: Hotz is a frequent visitor here, but his topnotch crowd work and riffing keep things fresh. The prepared material’s pretty funny too.

      Target Audience: If you’re pissed off at the world or depressed, remember: misery loves company.

      Nikki Payne 

      (April 11 to 13 at Yuk Yuk’s)
      The award-winning standup is a crowd favourite wherever she goes. The lisping Nova Scotian (she was born with a cleft palate) humps and spits her way into your heart. And that’s before you learn she donated a kidney to her father in 2006. She’s good people.

      The Draw: Buckle up, kids. Payne doesn’t take her foot off the gas during her on-stage manic attack.

      Target Audience: Fellow batshit-crazy dog ladies will love her, but you needn’t own a canine or be female. It doesn’t hurt, though, if you’re a tad batshit crazy yourself.

      Tom Segura 

      (April 11 to 13 at the Comedy MIX)

      First headlining the MIX in 2009, the L.A.–based comic has made it an annual event. Crowds love his dry rants on stupid people, cyclists, tattoos, and white girls with cornrows. That last topic also happens to be the name of his latest album.

      The Draw: The cohost of the Your Mom’s House podcast is capable of more than poo-poo humour. And on the same ticket is Toronto comedian Amanda Brooke Perrin.

      Target Audience: Segura isn’t a big enough name on his own yet, but anyone who appreciates great club comedy should check him out.

      Tommy Tiernan

      (April 19 at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts)

      What makes Irish people so damn funny? Is it their storytelling tradition? Their history of oppression? Their accents? No idea. But Tiernan is one of the top comics in Ireland. Ipso facto, ’nuff said.

      The Draw: The onetime Guinness World Record holder for longest standup performance (36 hours, 15 minutes) won’t go nearly as long at the Centre, but you can expect a solid night of entertainment nonetheless.

      Target Audience: Tiernan makes full use of dynamics and vocabulary, so you’ve got to put on your listening ears to appreciate him completely.

      Drew Carey

      (April 19 at the River Rock Show Theatre)

      Did you know the host of The Price Is Right used to be a standup comedian? No, not Bob Barker, Grandpa. Carey’s had the gig since 2007. Before that, he hosted the U.S. version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and starred in the sitcom The Drew Carey Show. Last year, he decided to go back to his roots.

      The Draw: This is one of the last comics to get his big break from Johnny Carson on the old Tonight Show.

      Target Audience: Sure, curiosity seekers will be on hand, but if you’re expecting Plinko, don’t come on down.

      “Weird Al” Yankovic 

      (April 27 at the Red Robinson Show Theatre)

      “Weird Al” hasn’t been unpopular since his first album back in 1983, but he’s never been more popular than he is now, thanks to nerd culture and the boost he’s received from the alt-comedy scene.

      The Draw: Sure, his songs are silly parodies, but the man puts on an amazing live show with a full band and costumes, including a fat suit.

      Target Audience: Comic-Con’s not until July. Get your inner dork on early.

      Shaun Majumder

      (May 5 at the Vogue Theatre)

      The Poofie has transitioned from standup to sketch (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) to drama (Detroit 1-8-7). His latest project is a documentary series on the W network called Majumder Manor, about his plan to attract tourists to his hometown of Burlington, Newfoundland, through an eco-friendly inn he built there. So he’s a businessman, too.

      The Draw: There’s no more likable comedian in the business. Majumder’s manner is definitely infectious.

      Target Audience: With his diversification, the man’s tentacles reach far and wide.

      Nick Cannon 

      (May 17 at the River Rock Show Theatre)

      One of the Real Husbands of Hollywood (a reality-TV parody on BET), Cannon also recently showed up doing his shtick interviewing players at the NBA all-star weekend. For some reason, the California native and host of NBC’s America’s Got Talent has chosen Richmond as the location of an upcoming standup TV special. Go figure.

      The Draw: The guy has been gainfully employed in Hollywood since he was 15 years old, so he’s got something going on, even before Mr. Showbiz became Mr. Mariah Carey.

      Target Audience: Young, hip urbanites. You know, people from Richmond.

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