2011: 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition

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The Seattle International Comedy Competition is now accepting applications for this year's event, which will take place in November of 2011.

The 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition will play out in venues across the state of Washington (and possibly beyond!) as 32 comics will be whittled down to one champion over the course of that month. It is both grueling and exciting--and an excellent showcase for some of the best, up & coming comedy talent.

Former champions of this event include: Mitch Hedberg, David Crowe, Matt Weinhold, Lamont Ferguson, Damonde Tschritter, Tom Cotter, Darryl Lenox, Dwight Slade, Kermet Apio, Ross Shafer, Gabriel Rutledge, Drake Witham, Marcus, Tommy Savitt, Sean Kent, Auggie Smith and many others.

The list of people who have competed but NOT won is filled with names like: Myq Kaplan, Ty Barnett, Patton Oswalt, Aisha Tyler, Brian Posehn, Jeff Dye, Paul Myrehaug, Glenn Wool, Nick Sun, Randy Liedtke, Costaki Economopoulos, Jen Kober, Prescott Tolk, Tyler Boeh, Ron Funches, Rory Scovel, Josh Gondelman, Paul Hooper, Andy Haynes, Virginia Jones, Derek Sheen, Mike Drucker, Joe List, Dax Jordan...

The competition accepts entries from June 1st to September 1st and if anyone would like me to email them the application information, pm me with your email address and I'll get you the info as soon as possible.

Last year, over 500 comedians from around the world applied for consideration...and that helped us select one of the best fields in competition history--and I've been given the challenge of trying to put together an even better competition roster for THIS year.

The official application period ends on September 1st.

When the competition begins, this thread will be where I'll provide night-by-night updates on the competition, right through to the final night. (And hopefully I'll have the time to actually write up mini-reports

pg--I know, I know...comedy competitions aren't everyone's cup of tea. And there are bad comedy competitions out there that are little more than bringer shows...and that muddles things a bit. I can only tell you that we try to do the best we can to put on a good event, worthy of your time and attention...and respectful to the art of comedy. It is totally unfair to judge a subjective art form...but we try to make things as fair as possible. And, for those considering participating in this event, many previous participants can attest that it can be one of the best experiences of your comedy adventures.--seattle

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Full "how to apply" information can be found at: http://sicc32.blogspot.com

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So, what have we missed out on, AST?

Well, you missed out on SEVEN Regional Talent Showcases--four in Seattle, two in Portland and one in Bellingham--that were all excellent examples of the strength of the local talent scenes that can be found here in the Pacific Northwest. Seriously, those were great shows and it just gave us harder decisions to make when it came time to putting together this year's roster.

Oh yeah, this year's roster... I can share that with you fine folks...as long as you remember that this list is subject to change (and I will edit this post to reflect any such changes.)

PRELIMINARY WEEK ONE (November 2nd through November 7th)
HOST: Billy Wayne Davis (Seattle)
1) Rhiannon Archer (Toronto)
2) John Beuhler (Vancouver)
3) Adam Cozens (New York)
4) Sam Demaris (Houston)
5) Don Frost (Portland)
6) Douglas Gale (Seattle)
7) Ian Karmel (Portland)
8) Patrick Keane (Los Angeles)
9) Kristine Levine (Portland)
10) Manny Martin (Seattle)
11) Rylee Newton (Seattle)
12) Mark Normand (New York)
13) Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)
14) David Tveite (Seattle)
15) Jay Washington (Chicago)
16) Jono Zalay (Boston)

PRELIMINARY WEEK TWO (November 8th through November 13th)
HOST: Ralph Porter (Seattle)
1) Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)
2) Shanti Charan (Union City)
3) Mike Cummings (Seattle)
4) Brett Hamil (Seattle)
5) Mrs Hughes (Pismo Beach)
6) Eric Krug (Austin)
7) Rick Kunkler (Seattle/Los Angeles)
8) Xung Lam (Seattle)
9) Seth Lazear (Seattle)
10) Emmett Montgomery (Seattle)
11) Scott Moran (New York)
12) Adam Pateman (New York/Vancouver)
13) Heather Thomson (Los Angeles)
14) Carlos Valencia (Atlanta)
15) Will Weldon (Los Angeles)
16) Blake Wexler (Philadelphia)


I like that line-up a lot.

And I think this is going to be a good year for the competition.

If you'd like me to post nightly updates here, like I have the past couple of years, let me know by replying to this thread. No worries if you don't--you can follow the nightly exploits of the competition on the official competition website: www.seattlecomedycompetition.com

Anyway...nice to see you, AST! Am I too late for the Secret Santa Thing?

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Great lineup! Nice work Peter.

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And now, let's take a look at the show schedule for the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition...

PRELIMINARY WEEK ONE (16 comedians, 3-7 minute long sets)
NIGHT ONE: Wednesday, November 2nd--Annex Theatre, Seattle 8pm
NIGHT TWO: Thursday, November 3rd--Laughs Comedy Spot, Kirkland 8pm
NIGHT THREE: Friday, November 4th--Auburn Ave Theater, Auburn 7:30pm
NIGHT FOUR: Saturday, November 5th--Comedy Underground, Tacoma 8pm
NIGHT FIVE: Sunday, November 6th--The Underground Nightclub, Bellingham 8pm
NIGHT SIX: Monday, November 7th--Comedy Underground, Seattle 8pm

PRELIMINARY WEEK TWO (16 comedians, 3-7 minute long sets)
NIGHT ONE: Tuesday, November 8th--Comedy Underground, Seattle 8pm
NIGHT TWO: Wednesday, November 9th--The Upstage Bistro, Port Townsend 8pm
NIGHT THREE: Thursday, November 10th--Auburn Ave Theater, Auburn 7:30pm
NIGHT FOUR: Friday, November 11th--Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, Langley 7:30pm
NIGHT FIVE: Saturday November 12th--Comedy Underground, Tacoma 8pm
NIGHT SIX: Sunday, November 13th--The Underground Nightclub, Bellingham 8pm

SEMI-FINALS WEEK (10 comedians, 8-12 minute long sets)
NIGHT ONE: Tuesday, November 15th--Comedy Underground, Seattle 8pm
NIGHT TWO: Wednesday, November 16th--Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds 7:30pm
NIGHT THREE: Thursday, November 17th--Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Comedy In the Box, Olympia 7:30pm
NIGHT FOUR: Friday, November 18th--Skagit Valley Casino, Bow 8pm
NIGHT FIVE: Saturday, November 19th--Kelso Theater Pub, Kelso 8:30pm
NIGHT SIX: Sunday, November 20th--Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, Theatre on the Square, Tacoma 8pm

FINALS WEEK (5 comedians, 15-20 minute sets)
NIGHT ONE: Tuesday, November 22nd--Washington Athletic Club, Seattle 8p
NIGHT TWO: Wednesday, November 23rd--Vashon Theatre, Vashon 7:30pm
NIGHT THREE: Friday, November 25th--Mt. Baker Theatre, Bellingham 8pm
NIGHT FOUR: Saturday, November 26th--Admiral Theatre, Bremerton 8pm
NIGHT FIVE: Sunday, November 27th--Comedy Underground, Seattle 8pm

(Times and locations subject to change. This schedule is accurate as of 10/30/2011.)
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The 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition began under a heavy downpour in an unfamiliar place--as the competition moved it's opening night show from the original venue in Seattle's Pioneer Square (which was overrun by Seattle Sounders fans for their playoff match against Real Salt Lake) to the Annex Theatre, located on Seattle's Capitol Hill.

The Annex Theatre proved an excellent host for this year's first night--as the stage was set up for their ongoing theatrical presentation and the 99 seat theatre was a very comfortable place to perform on a night where Seattle was under a Winter Storm Warning--which may have dumped snow in the nearby mountain passes, but it was torrential rains that pounded the city.

This was Night One of Preliminary Week One in this year's competition--sixteen comedians, chosen from hundreds of applicants and regional showcasers to participate in this year's event, will perform for six shows in order to determine who the top five for the week will be...as those comedians will move on to the Semi-Finals (to join the top five comedians from the sixteen other comedians who will participate in Preliminary Week Two.)

With host, and last year's runner-up, Billy Wayne Davis getting the show off to a rousing start...the show kept the attention of the hipster crowd from beginning to end--and the scores from the judges showed the overall quality of the event--with even the lowest scoring performer on the night getting a great score.

The biggest story of the night was Ian Karmel...who had an excellent set, but went a little too long and incurred a time penalty. That was enough to keep him out of the nightly Top 5--as without the penalty, he would have tied for 2nd place.

Here, then, are the top five for Preliminary Week One Night One of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition...from the Annex Theatre, Seattle

1) Jono Zalay (Boston)
2) Mark Normand (New York)
3) John Beuhler (Vancouver BC)
4) Sam Demaris (Houston)
5) David Tveite (Seattle)


SICC-32 PW1 281 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Billy Wayne Davis (host), Jono Zalay (1st), Mark Normand (2nd), David Tveite (5th), John Beuhler (3rd) and Sam Demaris (4th)

The competition continues with Preliminary Week One-Night Two at Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland.

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[drewery]

thanks for good information!)

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Night Two of Preliminary Week One of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition took place at Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland. Laughs Comedy Spot is an excellent place to see excellent comedians--that's where you'll find Bamford, Barry, Burress, Dore, Jeselnick, Kashian, Kindler, etc. perform in the Seattle area. In two weeks, they've got Kyle Kinane.

...all this happens in a former Godfather's Pizza place in a strip mall in Kirkland--that's something special right there.

This being the competition's only show on the Eastside this year, perhaps some of our out-of-area performers didn't know that the Eastside has a reputation for being a little bit uptight--at least until they've had a few drinks and loosened up a bit. That proved to be very true tonight...as the first few performers struggled to win over the audience...and the last two performers were loved enough to be the top two performers on the night.

Bad luck to New York's Adam Cozens, who went up before the laughter really started, as he became the first person this year not to be awarded the "tremendously obvious encore point"--which is always a point of contention within the competition...as it is awarded as a judgment call by the MC. This week's host, Billy Wayne Davis, hasn't been too tough in awarding the points...but just couldn't give it to Adam. Luckily, Adam can take this night's set as his drop score and hope to nail down that point in the remaining shows.

Also bad luck to Boston's Jono Zalay. He took top honors on Night One--but he took the bullet, having to go up first, on this night. Taking the bullet is always hard but, as I said, this was an especially difficult crowd to warm up...and Jono finished well down in the pack tonight. He too can look forward to dropping this score.

Those who did well? David Tveite from Seattle was the first performer to crack the audience--opening up for all those who followed. He ended up with a solid score and an 8th place finish.

Sam Demaris from Houston and Patrick Keane from Los Angeles each had excellent sets and tied for 6th place...just missing the Top 5.

Who DID make the Top 5? Well, three performers from Seattle and one from Vancouver BC--always nice to see the Pacific Northwest represent! Also, three of tonight's Top 5 did not make the Top 5 from Night One--always good to see new faces getting a podium finish.

In the end, as I said, the last two performers on this long night of comedy, snagged the top two spots...and the crowd hung around to enjoy a special performance by this weekend's headliner at Laughs, Reese Waters, before the Top 5 for the night was announced.

I won't make you wait that long: Here are the top five for Preliminary Week One Night Two of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition...from Laughs Comedy Spot in Kirkland

1) John Beuhler (Vancouver BC)
2) Rylee Newton (Seattle)
3) Manny Martin (Seattle)
4) Mark Normand (New York)
5) Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)


SICC-32 PW1 294 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Mark Normand (4th), Manny Martin (3rd), Billy Wayne Davis (Host), Rylee Newton (2nd), John Beuhler (1st) NOT PICTURED: Rodney Sherwood (5th)

Night Three is tonight, Friday November 4th. It is TV Clean night for this Preliminary Week and will take place at the Auburn Ave Theater in Auburn!

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The Auburn Ave Theater in Auburn, Washington is a beautiful facility with excellent lights and sound...and it is run by very good, helpful people. It puts on many events, including comedy shows...and every comedy show I've ever seen there has been well-attended by enthusiastic crowds.

Then, why do some comedians participating in the Seattle International Comedy Competition seem to dread coming performing there? Well, because the venue is owned by the City of Auburn--it does demand that all shows there be "TV Clean."

And many comics chafe at any restrictions on how they perform their art...but, personally, I think that's a little silly. We all make adjustments all the time about how we express ourselves, depending on the situation. This is just one adjustment--but it is an adjustment that many comics fret about.

Well, I'm pleased to announce that 15 of the 16 comedians participating in Preliminary Week One of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition had no problem at all remaining TV Clean. From Sam Demaris, who inserted the word "snickerdoodle" everywhere he might normally have used profanity--to hilarious effect, to Kristine Levine--a comedian used to having no restrictions on what she talks about or how she says it...and was, perhaps, the most challenged comedian in this year's roster to abide by the restrictions...and yet, she not only kept TV Clean, but she had her best audience reaction of the week so far...getting a partial standing ovation for her set.

Of course, the one comedian that was not able to keep TV Clean, John Beuhler, also got a partial standing ovation for HIS set. John was not only penalized the one point for breaking TV Clean restrictions, but he earned himself the ignominy of earning the TWO point penalty for "Blatant Disregard of TV Clean restrictions". The sad part is, the judges scored him high enough to have won, had he not earned those penalties...he ended up in 10th place.

Those who did very well tonight included Seattle's David Tveite, Boston's Jono Zalay and Los Angeles' Patrick Keane...they each just missed making the Top 5...as did Portland's Kristine Levine, who took her unexpected good fortune on this TV Clean night to her highest score of the week and a solid 6th place finish.

The Top 5 contained four familiar faces, as those who have made a previous night's Top 5, and one brand new person on the podium. Earning himself top honors tonight is Portland's Don Frost--who dipped his toe right up to the TV Clean restriction line...but never went over it.

Here are the top five for Preliminary Week One-Night Three of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition, from Auburn Ave Theater in Auburn

1) Don Frost (Portland)
2) Sam Demaris (Houston)
3) Mark Normand (New York)
4) Manny Martin (Seattle)
5) Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)


SICC-32 PW1 019 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Don Frost (1st), Mark Normand (3rd), Rodney Sherwood (3rd), Billy Wayne Davis (Host), Sam Demaris (2nd), Manny Martin (4th)

The competition is now at the half-way point for this first group of sixteen comedians. There's definitely some sense of who the serious contenders are and who have to put together a string of excellent shows to remain in the running for the five spots that move on to the Semi-Finals Week.

Night Four is tonight, Saturday November 5th, at the Comedy Underground in Tacoma!

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Saturday night in Tacoma--you know that's going to be a wild night...and indeed it was, as the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition's Preliminary Week One brought their Night Four show to the Comedy Underground in Tacoma.

The Comedy Underground in Tacoma is a sister club to the Comedy Underground in Seattle...but it is a very different experience. To get to the Comedy Underground in Tacoma, you have to go through a pumpin' country line-dancing bar and head downstairs to a room with a low ceiling and a tight stage. It seats 100 people...and it was full on this Saturday night to see what these sixteen comedians have to offer.

The room has a reputation for being a bit rowdy, so a few of our contestants (freed from the TV Clean "shackles" of the night before) went darker, dirtier and louder to see if they could chase that vibe...while others stuck to what has been working well for them all week. The audience, though a bit stingy with their laughter and applause at the start of the show, definitely warmed up as the night went on.

A few comedians had excellent sets but could not crack the top five for the night, including Toronto's Rhiannon Archer, Boston's Jono Zalay, Portland's Don Frost and Seattle's Douglas Gale, David Tveite and Manny Martin.

And two comedians who have been doing quality work all week but hadn't made it into a Top 5 yet found themselves sharing the spotlight...as we had a tie for first place for the night.

Here, then, are the top six for Preliminary Week One-Night Four of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition, from Tacoma Comedy Underground.

1)--TIE: Ian Karmel (Portland)
1)--TIE: Patrick Keane (Los Angeles)
2) John Beuhler (Vancouver)
3) Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)
4) Mark Normand (New York)
5) Sam Demaris (Houston)


SICC-32 PW1 228 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Patrick Keane (tied for 1st), Ian Karmel (tied for 1st), John Beuhler (2nd), Billy Wayne Davis (Host), Mark Normand (4th), Sam Demaris (5th) NOT PICTURED: Rodney Sherwood (3rd)

While Mark Normand has made every Top 5 (and John Beuhler, Sam Demaris and Rodney Sherwood have made all but one) so far this week...the weekly standings are bunched up with candidates within one or two more good scores of claiming one of the coveted top five weekly spots--and a ticket into the Semi-Finals.

We'll know much more after tonight's Sunday night show at The Underground Nightclub in Bellingham, Washington. With so much riding on this show, no one really knows what to expect--as The Underground is just newly opened as a dj/dance club...and hasn't done a comedy night yet. We'll be breaking new ground right when all of our comedians are at their most stressed out.

Should be delightful!

Night Four is tonight, Saturday November 5th, at the Comedy Underground in Tacoma!

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Someday soon, The Underground Nightclub will be an excellent venue for comedy. This former rock club turned dj/dance club in Bellingham, Washington, hosted Night Five of Preliminary Week One of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition is gorgeous, well-staffed and, sadly on this night, a little under attended. Hopefully the word will spread--because the competition is coming back a week from last night...for the last night of Preliminary Week Two.

Those that were there were very enthusiastic about the excellent show that they saw--as our sixteen competitors hitched up their belt and delivered solid work, regardless of the circumstances. In the end, it was a fun show in a great club...and the results have everything all jumbled up as we head into the last night of the week.

The big news on this night is the performer that was in first place for the week going into the night ended up second-to-last on this night...and that's enough to drop him from first to fifth in the weekly rankings--teetering precariously on the precipice of not making it through to the Semi-Finals. That performer is Vancouver's John Beuhler--who messed around a little and failed to secure the encore point or the high scores he's been accustomed to on previous nights. He goes into the final night knowing that he's going to have to bring it to move on.

The other big news on this night was the breakthrough of Portland's Kristine Levine. Kristine, a favorite of Doug Stanhope's and a performer known for pushing well-past most peoples boundaries to find the core essence of the most hidden funny, had surprised everyone on Night Three with an excellent TV Clean set. On Night Five, she was not TV Clean. Not at all. It was loose, it was outrageous and it was spectacular. For some reason, she seemed surprised to get the encore point from a room that exploded with laughter and applause for her audaciousness...and then she was even MORE surprised when her name was announced at the end of the night, as she'd made her first Nightly Top 5 of the week.

And Douglas Gale continued his own momentum, backing up an excellent performance in Tacoma with his best received and best scored set of the week--just barely missing out on tying with Kristine Levine by a half-point on one judge's score sheet.

The rest of the Top 5 were familiar faces. Patrick Keane continues his string of excellent shows and took a second straight first place finish. Sam Demaris and Rodney Sherwood just keep cranking out nights with great scores. And Jono Zalay makes a return appearance in a Nightly Top 5 for the first time since Night One, when he won the night.

Missing from the Top 5 were some other familiar faces: John Beuhler, obviously...but also Mark Normand (the first night he's missed the Top 5) and Manny Martin.

The Nightly Top 5 for Preliminary Week One-Night Five of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition, from The Underground Nightclub, Bellingham, looks like this:

1) Patrick Keane (Los Angeles)
2) Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)
3) Sam Demaris (Houston)
4) Jono Zalay (Boston)
5) Kristine Levine (Portland)


SICC-32 PW1 341 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Patrick Keane (1st), Kristine Levine (5th), "Pantless" Jono Zalay (4th), Billy Wayne Davis (Host), Rodney Sherwood (2nd), Sam Demaris (3rd)

Tonight's show, at the Comedy Underground in Seattle--the home club for the competition--is now of more importance than ever...because the scores are now all sorts of bunched up.

Twelve of the sixteen comics are within reach of the five spots in the Semi-Finals...and it's all going to come down to which performers can impress the industry-based judges of this Sixth and Final Show of Preliminary Week One.

This is an excellent show--all sixteen competitors are great and our host, Billy Wayne Davis, is something incredibly special to watch. Tickets, somehow, are still available--if you're in the area, there is no better show you could possibly go see tonight. Showtime is 8pm.

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The last night of Preliminary Week One of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition was a somewhat bittersweet night. Yes, five comedians would be thrilled to learn that they'd moved on to the Semi-Finals of this event...but all of these comedians have been so funny, night after night, that it's sad that this will be the last time that these sixteen contestants and their excellent host would get the chance to put on a show.

Going into this show, twelve of the sixteen comedians had a mathematical chance of grabbing one of the five Semi-Final spots. Some, obviously, had better chances than others...while some would need to have a magical night and hope that everyone else faltered.

Don't think that sort of thing can't happen--it did a couple of years ago to Andy Haynes--who went into the last night of his week in 12th Place. He needed to win the night (with all industry judges, as if there wasn't enough pressure on him just to win)--something that he hadn't done so far that week--AND he needed everyone ahead of him to score lower than they've scored all week. And that's exactly what happened!

Tonight was also Industry Night for this year's Preliminary Week One--meaning that even those who were not mathematically eligible to move on had every incentive to do their best...to impress judges representing CBS, G4TV, OneReel Productions and various talent agencies.

And I think they all did...some more than others.

Here's the Top 5 from Preliminary Week One-Night Six (Industry Night) at the Comedy Underground, Seattle:

1) Sam Demaris (Houston)
2) Patrick Keane (Los Angeles)
3) Mark Normand (New York)
4) Jono Zalay (Boston)
5) Rylee Newton (Seattle)


SICC-32 PW1 205 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Sam Demaris (1st), Rylee Newton (5th), Jono Zalay (4th), Billy Wayne Davis (Host), Mark Normand (3rd), Patrick Keane (2nd)

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With Sam Demaris, Patrick Keane and Mark Normand making the Nightly Top 5 on Preliminary Week One-Night Six at the Comedy Underground, Seattle, it would be unlikely that any of them would fall out of the Top 5 for the week.

The remaining two spots, though, were still up for grabs. Would Jono Zalay (who placed 4th for the night) be able to push his way past either John Beuhler (who went into the night in 5th place, went up last on this Night Six show and didn't quite knock it out of the park to guarantee himself his place in the Semi-Finals) or Rodney Sherwood (who went into the night in 4th place, went up first on this Night Six show and had his least effective set of the night)? Or perhaps it would be Ian Karmel (who was in 6th place and could sneak past either Buehler or Sherwood...but had a minor time penalty which would make it much more difficult.)? Or, perhaps David Tveite--the young man from Seattle who brought the cynical thunder every single night, despite being the least experienced comedian in this excellent week of comics?

In the end, those who held the spots going in managed to hang on to them and move on...

...and moving on from Preliminary Week One of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition into the Semi-Finals are:

1) Sam Demaris (Houston)
2) Patrick Keane (Los Angeles)
3) Mark Normand (New York)
4) Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)
5) John Beuhler (Vancouver)


SICC-32 PW1 208 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: John Beuhler (5th), Rodney Sherwood (4th), Mark Normand (3rd), Sam Demaris (1st), Billy Wayne Davis (Preliminary Week One Host), Patrick Keane (2nd)

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A brand new group of sixteen comedians began THEIR 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition adventure with their own Industry Night at the Comedy Underground, Seattle. No pressure--just performing for their first competition show in front of representatives from ABC, CBS, G4TV and various talent agencies, against comedians that you haven't had the opportunity to see, yourself, how you stack up. No pressure at all.

And, for Toronto's Darrin Rose, no chance at all...as on his way to compete in this year's competition, during a layover in Vancouver, he received a phone call informing him that a major gig of his had changed dates--and would be the next day...making it impossible for him to compete in the competition. He still had to fly to Seattle, though, as his bags were already on the way...so, with an hour and a half before the competition started, he showed up in person to tell us that he was dropping out. (Never had that happen before.)

So, with an hour and a half before the competition started, we had an opportunity for a last minute replacement...someone who could drop everything and be ready to compete that night...and for the next six nights. And that person ended up being Seattle's Mike Cummings--who took it in stride and delivered a excellent, well-received and surprisingly calm set.

Blessed with a smart audience, most of the performers delivered excellent sets--representing what they do very well. And the scores from the judges were INSANELY close...only 7 HUNDREDTHS OF A POINT separated first place from fourth place--making it, basically, a four-way tie for first place. (Not a bad way to start a week, frankly.)

Not making the Top 5, but having good sets tonight, were Will Weldon, Xung Lam, Rick Kunkler and Blake Wexler...

Preliminary Week Two-Night One (Industry Night) at the Comedy Underground, Seattle
Nightly Top 5:

1) Scott Moran (New York)
2) Eric Krug (Austin)
3) Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)
4) Adam Pateman (Vancouver)
5) Heather Thomson (Los Angeles)


SICC-32 PW2N1 263 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Heather Thomson (5th), Adam Pateman (4th), Mike Baldwin (3rd), Eric Krug (2nd), Scott Moran (1st), Ralph Porter (Host)

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Wednesday night, in front of an intimate crowd at The Upstage Bistro in Port Townsend, we had seven people in the Top 5 for Night Two of Preliminary Week Two of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition...but only 3 were there when the photo was taken.

Confused?

The competition doesn't advance numbers when there are ties--so, with ties for 3rd place and 4th place tonight...the Top 5 actually became the Top 7. However, because you need to take a ferry to get back to the Seattle area...and ferries only run so late in the night, four of those that should have been in the picture had already left by the time the photo was taken...

Here is who should have been in the picture:

Preliminary Week Two-Night Two at The Upstage Bistro, Port Townsend
Nightly Top 5:

1) Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)
2) Will Weldon (Los Angeles)
3)--TIE: Mrs Hughes (Pismo Beach)
3)--TIE: Emmett Montgomery (Seattle)
4)--TIE: Rick Kunkler (Seattle/Los Angeles)
4)--TIE: Xung Lam (Seattle)
5) Eric Krug (Austin)


SICC-32 PW2N2 056 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Ralph Porter (Host), Mike Baldwin (1st), Emmett Montgomery (Tied for 3rd), Xung Lam (Tied for 4th) NOT PICTURED: Will Weldon (2nd), Mrs Hughes (Tied for 3rd), Rick Kunkler (Tied for 4th), Eric Krug (5th)

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The sixteen comedians of Preliminary Week Two of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition had their "TV Clean Night" at the Auburn Ave Theater in Auburn on Thursday night. Though not as full of a crowd as the Friday Night show held here for Preliminary Week One, this was still a crowd that was ready to enjoy a great night of comedy--and these comedians were there to give it to them.

Three of these comedians were clearly the audience's favorites: Eric Krug, Rick Kunkler and Mrs Hughes. Would the judges agree?

Let's take a look at who the judges picked for the night's Top 5 finishers:


Preliminary Week Two-Night Three at Auburn Ave Theater, Auburn (TV Clean Night)
Nightly Top 5:

1) Eric Krug (Austin)
2) Rick Kunkler (Seattle/Los Angeles)
3) Mrs Hughes (Pismo Beach)
4) Emmett Montgomery (Seattle)
5) Will Weldon (Los Angeles)


SICC-32 PW2N3 179 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Will Weldon (5th), Emmett Montgomery (4th), Mrs Hughes (3rd), Ralph Porter (Host), Rick Kunkler (2nd), Eric Krug (1st)

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The intrepid comedians of Preliminary Week Two of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition braved a ferry ride on rough seas, a drive through the woods through high winds and a storm warning that threatened to knock out power to the entire Whidbey Island in order to bring Night Four of their week to the good people of Langley, Washington.

Luckily, the lovely Whidbey Island Center for the Arts was prepared--with a back-up generator, in case the power did go out...luckily it wasn't needed--and the audience was appreciative of everyone who performed.

A couple new faces in the Top 5 on this night--as both Brett Hamil and Shanti Charan found themselves in an end-of-the-night-photograph for the first time.

Preliminary Week Two-Night Four at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, Langley
Nightly Top 5:

1) Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)
2) Brett Hamil (Seattle)
3) Rick Kunkler (Seattle/Los Angeles)
4) Will Weldon (Los Angeles)
5) Shanti Charan (Union City)


SICC-32 PW2N4 272 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Will Weldon (4th), Rick Kunkler (3rd), Shanti Charan (5th), Brett Hamil (2nd), Mike Baldwin (1st), Ralph Porter (Host)

[pg13]

It was a packed house on a Saturday night at the Comedy Underground in Tacoma--and that probably was a welcome sign for some of the comics in Preliminary Week Two of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition...to be in a club, rather than in a theater...to be with people who like to get really drunk on a Saturday night, rather than an older and more sedate audience...

However, it didn't really change the Nightly Top 5 very much. The biggest news was that Seattle's Mike Cummings made his first Nightly Top 5 for the week--this coming off a night where he couldn't perform at all due to medical concerns. Also, Heather Thomson from Los Angeles had an explosive set, going up last on the night, found herself back in the Nightly Top 5.

Preliminary Week Two-Night Five at Comedy Underground, Tacoma
Nightly Top 5:

1) Eric Krug (Austin)
2) Rick Kunkler (Seattle/Los Angeles)
3) Heather Thomson (Los Angeles)
4) Mike Cummings (Seattle)
5) Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)


SICC-32 PW2N5 169 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Eric Krug (1st), Heather Thomson (3rd), Mike Cummings (4th), Mike Baldwin (5th), Ralph Porter (Host). Not Pictured: Rick Kunkler (2nd)

[pg13]

It was a fun, loose and a little bit rowdy night at The Underground Nightclub in Bellingham--a fitting way to end Preliminary Week Two of the 32nd Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition. It was an outrageous night (and yes, there was some partial nudity) as there were some who felt no pressure, as they knew they were already moving on through to the Semi-Finals...there were some who felt no pressure, as they knew they were mathematically eliminated from contention of moving on to the Semi-Finals...and there were some who needed to do their best in order to secure their place in the Semi-Finals.

It all ended up fueling a fun night in front of an appreciative audience.


Preliminary Week Two-Night Six at The Underground Nightclub, Bellingham
Nightly Top 5:

1) Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)
2) Will Weldon (Los Angeles)
3) Adam Pateman (New York/Vancouver)
4) Mrs Hughes (Pismo Beach)
5) Brett Hamil (Seattle)


SICC-32 PW2N6 266 by pgreyy, on Flickr
L-R: Mrs Hughes (4th), Will Weldon (2nd), Brett Hamil (5th), Adam Pateman (3rd), Mike Baldwin (1st), Ralph Porter (Host)