Comedy with Karen Morgan and Brent Blakeney – March 18 at 8PM
Karen was born and raised in Athens, Georgia but now calls Maine home. A former trial attorney, she began her professional comedy career as a Finalist on Nickelodeon Televison’s “Search for the Funniest Mom in America.”
Since then, she has performed in comedy clubs from Caroline’s in New York to the Improv in Las Vegas to the Comedy & Magic Club in California. Her comedy can be heard on Sirius XM Radio and nationally syndicated radio shows. Her TV appearances also include ads for Wal-Mart and Zyrtec.
Brent’s stand-up career started in May of 2011 when he took the stage at the Comedy Zone in
Lynchburg, VA. After finding the spark, it has been a constant experiment in the
ability of joke writing, and coming to terms with the fact that his Masters degree in Philosophy probably isn’t going to get him anywhere in life. Hard work has paid off with Brent having the opportunity to work with some of the best in the business. Brent has worked with stars and legendary comedians Don “DC” Curry, Bill Burr, Josh Blue, and Brian Regan.
Comedy with Grant Lyon and Mark Chalifoux – April 16 at 8PM
Starting his career in the vibrant San Francisco comedy scene, San Francisco Weekly described Grant Lyon as “a hilariously sharp observer, not one of those tired white-guy bellyachers.” A former collegiate soccer player, Grant decided to pursue a career on stage instead of on the field. In 2014, he won the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival beating out comedians from all over the country, and was chosen as a New Face in comedy at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. As well as performing in a number of other prestigious comedy festivals including The Great American Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival, and the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Grant performed on the TV show Comics Unleashed. He has appeared on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show and is heard regularly on Sirius/XM satellite radio. As well as being a contributing writer for the Huffington Post, the short film he wrote and starred in, Interview Date, was eligible for a short film Academy Award in 2013. Funny or Die, MSN, Huffington Post, and others are among the sites that have featured Grant’s sketch videos on their home pages. You might also recognize Grant from a number of national commercials including AT&T, Johnsonville Sausage, CiCi’s Pizza, and more. grantlyon.com
Mark Chalifoux is a stand-up comedian based in the Midwest by way of New York City. Mark has been featured on IFC, in the Boston Comedy Festival, the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival and on Comcast’s Trial by Laughter. He’s also written for CBS Digital’s ManCave and ESPN.com and was a regular at the world-famous Comic Strip Live in New York City.
Mark suffers from a rare problem for a comedian—he’s had a happy life. Luckily, Catholic guilt, a sharp wit and a worldview that allows him to see the ridiculous in everyday situations help bring the funny out. Mark’s good side and cynical side are constantly in battle; fortunately it’s an amusing, smart fight that will keep you coming back for round after round. MarkChalifoux.com
Comedy with Tom Simmons and Will Jacobs – May 20 at 8PM
Tom Simmons was born the only boy and middle child to a close-knit family that moved a lot. At a young age Tom immersed himself in reading, from the imaginative world of comic books to the authentic world of non-fiction novels; anything was fair game. Tom questioned everything and everyone, respectfully…but with absolutely no respect at all.
Now a 21 year veteran of stand-up comedy, Tom has remained a power player in an industry where comics fail, and often. For over two decades he has travelled on national tours, headlined comedy-clubs, won comedy festival awards and made numerous TV appearances on major networks including: Comedy Central, Showtime, BET, Bounce TV, Comedy.TV, Laughs on FOX, and COMICS Unleashed.
A self-described contrarian, his style of comedy will remind you of that funny friend who has you laughing so hard your stomach hurts. Pulling from everyday situations as a father and husband, Tom finds comedy wherever he takes a good look. He likes to make stupid people and smart people laugh because he sees himself as both.
Whether it be a corporate retreat, a cruise ship deck or a morning show, this (predominately) liberal comedian has a knack for making people of all walks laugh pretty hard in literally any situation. Tom aims to be that comedian that speaks the truth and says what people can’t, in a funny way of course.
Tom Simmons is blazing his own path (he never moved to NY or LA, contrary to nearly everyone’s advice) and creating a career to die for. If you can’t see him in person (which you will regret), Tom’s comedy albums are available on Amazon and iTunes, he has a Pandora channel, and appears on the popular segment >b>Mad as Hell,” on the FOX syndicated show, Laughs. Tom also writes and shoots the reoccurring web series called So Then There’s This, where he delivers his unique take on current events, pop culture, and more. tomsimmonscomedy.com
William Jacobs moved to Charlotte, NC from the Philadelphia area and has been entertaining crowds with his brand of clever and insightful comedy ever since. A former attorney, Will brings his engaging brand of comedy from the court room to the comedy club. Audiences will undoubtedly find him funny as charged.
In addition to Will hosting the March Mania Comedy Tournament, he also is the host of Charlotte’s Improv Fight Night Competition, the house emcee for LOL Thursdays at The Comedy Zone Fort Mill, and a featured member of the Charlotte Comedy Theater improv troupe. Will also frequently emcees the professionals shows at all three Charlotte area The Comedy Zones.
Comedy with Scott Novotny and Jamie Utley – June 25 at 8PM
Scott Novotny was born and grew up in Mayo Clinic, MN (aka Rochester). He attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN where he double-majored in Theatre/Speech and English. He taught Junior High English and was Theatre Director at Dassel-Cokato High School for two years, and has been performing stand-up comedy for 25 years. Scott has been in the comedy “business” for over 30 years. He is quickly becoming the most sought-after entertainer for corporate parties, awards banquets and conventions throughout the Midwest. He has the ability to play to a wide range of audience members while keeping the performance professional and appropriate.
A versatile performer, Scott headlines comedy clubs throughout the United States, has acted in numerous stage productions, worked at the Brave New Workshop as an improvisational actor/writer, owned and operated The Comedy Cabaret—MN’s first fulltime comedy theatre, and has written for Saturday Night Live and the comic strip, Strange Brew. One of his favorite gigs has been performing twice so far at Medora, ND at the huge outdoor musical as one of the featured entertainers. What a fun locale, a huge amphitheatre set right in the middle of the Badlands of N.D! Scottnovotny.com
Jamie Utley was born a beautiful, normal, healthy baby…and then things went wrong. Jamie takes the audience on a rollercoaster thrill ride, showing them what the world looks like through his eyes as he guides them along the twists and turns of his experiences with his dysfunctional family, relationships, being a single parent, staying sober in recovery, and male-bonding. Jamie Utley toured on the Monsters of Comedy with Ralphie May and Jim Breuer, starred on Laughs on FOX, and has appeared on The Bob and Tom Show and Fridays with Jim Breuer on Sirus XM Satellite Radio. jamieutley.com
