Thursday, September 1, 2011

Round 8: THE FINALE

Folks, jam packed action at the finale of the Yuk Yuk's Pro-Am Summer Comedy Competition!  Actually, I am kidding, it was an excellent show, and all comics did great, but nothing really to report but the winners.  All the comedians pulled out their best, which of course I had seen before.  No one really veered off course, the amateurs were solid for amateurs, and the professionals were professionals, so that's the most boring report ever.  A comedy show happened, people laughed, the end.


But it's not the end.  Please go relive the last eight blog posts on this subject to see the journey these comedians took to get here.  What I can tell you though is what I learned last night, what I think, and future happenings of Yuk Yuk's Ottawa and JH5 Promotions and Consulting.  


First, without pomp OR circumstance, the winners of last night were:


Amateur:  Greg Stringer
Professional:  Graham Kay


This was not surprising results, these two dominated their fields each week.  It was close though given this was the finals, with Trevor Thompson giving Graham a run for his money, and Josh Williams proving why he is lovable, charming and very funny.  Alas as my second grade teacher used to say "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades".  So kudos to all the comedians, but special congratulations to the winners.


For those still saying "comedy competitions are bull", please see our first column on competitions HERE.  What JH5 aimed to achieve in this competition occurred:  


1.  A new demographic was introduced to local comedy in Ottawa.  This is always a great thing.


2.  Every comedian in the competition upped their game, gave their best performances, and no bad can occur from this.


With that, let's turn our attention to what was learned in this competition.  Here is my definitive top ten list on the competition:


10.  Matt Carter has a handsome face.  I was not sure about this fact until he told me in his act 7 times!


9.  Trevor Thompson dispenses the most energy on stage.  He's like a rock star with his energy!  Charisma?  I think so!


8.   Greg Stringer can only milk his age for another two years, then he's gotta write some grown up jokes!


7.  Some comics (unnamed) have poor sportsmanship, while others (also unnamed) have extreme amounts of class!


6.  Yuk Yuk's Ottawa is and will continue to be THE place to be for comedy on Wednesday nights!


5.  JH5 and Yuk Yuk's Ottawa work very well together!


4.  The owner of Yuk Yuk's Ottawa supports local comedy and is willing to take risks!


3.  Graham Kay will now become a big superstar, all because of this contest, not because of the years of sweat and toil he has put into comedy!


2.  We need more women in comedy:  Only one woman signed up for the competition!  (Yay Jessica Salomon)


1.  This should be an annual event, and all comedians should continue to give the high delivery and presence that they did for this competition!


There you have it, lessons learned.  Sensational work by Stringer and Kay, hence their gentle ribbing in the top ten list!


What's next?  Well, Yuk Yuk's Ottawa has revamped it's Wednesday night format and lineup, and what was good will now be great!  You can call 236-5233 to make reservations each week!


For us, JH5, we have two show coming up!  Check our website for more details at www.jh-5.com


This competition is officially closed, bringing an end to summer.  Get those snowsuits ready!


Until next time,
jhayward
JH5  

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