Next Up: Improv Comedy!

It’s been super gratifying to watch the standup comedy scene in Burlington/Vermont grow exponentially in the last 3 or 4 years. It’s got so much momentum now, there’s no stopping it. We can’t wait to see what the next 3 or 4 years bring.

In the meantime, the improv comedy form is something you don’t see a lot of around here, and we’d like to start changing that. Under our other business (Spark Arts), we’ve been hosting a weekly improv drop-in where people can come and play games no matter what their skill level.

That event has been extremely successful, so we’re doing two things:

1. Offering a 6-week improv class, where people who want to hone their skills and learn from a professional improv instructor can do so. That starts in February, and you should get on board with that if you’re interested.

2. Forming a “Spark Improv” team. We’ve already started rehearsals, and we’ll be booking shows within a month or two.

So stay tuned! Super exciting stuff coming down the pike…

Cheers,

Battle fatigued

Nathan and his balls.

Last weekend was the comedy battle, an annual contest with 15 of VT’s best comics competing in front of a sold-out crowd of 500 people…for a prize of $200.

I had fun. After a solid first round set, I moved to the finals, and sang a song about how much Higher Ground was likely making that night (a lot) vs the amount they were paying out in prizes (not a lot).

It was satire.

I don’t typically do this kind of thing, but as a producer who tries to look out for the rights of performers, I felt compelled – and based on the response from the audience and comics, I wasn’t the only one thinking it.

There are a few things I have needed to clarify with people in the last few days:

I love the staff at Higher Ground. They treat artists incredibly well and run a tight ship. Performing there is always a fantastic experience.
My point was not that HG should pay comics to perform; it’s a contest, not a “show.” My issue is the discrepancy between the amount the club takes in and the percentage of that money they dole out in prizes. (By my calculation, about 0.02%.)
Yes, I probably oversimplified, and don’t understand the full details of the venue’s balance sheet. But again, it’s not about the money, it’s about the ratio – and respecting the comics who work hard to put on a show/draw an audience.
No, I do not think that singing the song “cost me the Battle.” Kyle earned the hell out of it.
Yes, I know HG may not want me to produce shows there anymore. And that’s okay.

The way I see it, when someone publicly makes a point that many others are thinking about you in a humorous way, your job is first to laugh at yourself, and then ask how you can improve. Are people wrong? Then try to change the perception. Are they right? Then change the behavior.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words this week. Video of the song below. And check out Dan Bolles’ rundown of the night in Seven Days, too.

Clarification on the “Funniest Comic” Contest

Hey guys,

If you registered for the “Funniest Comic in New England” contest in the last few weeks, you may have been confused by a couple things, namely:

A. How to submit your YouTube link when there was no place in the form to do so,

B. What the time limit should be on the video clip, and

C. Why some random chick called saying you had to drive to Boston in a snowstorm to audition.

Thanks for letting me know about these issues. I’ve talked to the owner of Treehouse Comedy and gotten it all sorted out. (I revised the post about the contest here, too.) Here are your answers:

A. They have added a box on the registration form now that lists “emailing a YouTube link” as a submission method. If you haven’t entered yet, just click that. If you have already entered, you don’t need to do so again. All that’s required is that you send a YouTube link with your name to TreehouseComedy@charter.net. (Unless you already have – then you’re cool.)

B. They’re not as hardass on the length of the clip as you might think. They like to see about 7 minutes of your stuff in the newcomers division. If you have 8 or 9, it won’t disqualify you. Just make sure that the material you’re sending them is good. Shoot for 7 minutes, and definitely keep it under 9 or 10.

C. If you got a phone call about needing to audition in Boston, you can disregard it. The comedy club in Boston holding the auditions got a hold of a batch of entrants’ info and called everyone to remind them. As Vermonters, we’re not required to be at the live audition and we can submit via YouTube no problem.

Hope this clears everything up, and our apologies for the confusion. It’s a very exciting contest and totally worth doing, with all the cash prizes and performance opportunities at stake. I hope you’ll enter before Sunday! Let me know if you have any additional questions or issues.

Cheers,
Nathan

The FUNNIEST comic in New England contest!

Just wanted to let you know about a great contest going on right now called
“The Funniest Comic in New England.”

They give away over $9,500 in prizes (not to mention connections you make with comics & bookers at clubs around New England).

One of the judges this year is Eddie Brill from The Late Show with David Letterman.

The producer, a nice dude from Treehouse Comedy in Connecticut, contacted the VCC to lament that Vermont is the only state in New England that’s been unrepresented in the contest in past years. We told him we’d help remedy that.

Because they want comics representing EVERY state in New England, if you’re a solid VT comedian, you’ve got a good shot at going to the quarter-finals.

Here are the details:

How to Enter:

1. Click this link and register in the “Newcomers” division.

2. Pay the $25 entry fee via PayPal or credit card by clicking this link.

3. Email a YouTube link of 9 minutes or less (7 is ideal) to: TreehouseComedy@charter.net

Deadline: January 15, 2012.

If you are selected to move on to the next round(s) in CT, these will be the dates:

Prelim/Quarter Finals*: Fri, Feb 17th & Sat, Feb 18th
Semifinals/Finals*: Fri, Feb 24th & Sat, Feb 25th
* Happens in the 350-seat theater at Mohegan Sun in CT!

Prizes: Cash prizes in 2011 were over $9,500.

This is a great opportunity to get to perform and compete on a bigger stage (literally and metaphorically).

So go on, awesome VT comedians – enter the contest, get yourself to the next round, and go do Vermont comedy proud!

Let me know if you have any questions.

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Funniest Comic Pre-Show

Funniest Comic Promo

Higher Ground Comedy Battle Finalists, 2011

Hey gang,

So the Higher Ground Comedy Battle finalists
were announced yesterday.

Here is the list for anybody who is interested:

Abhi Kulkarni
Alex Nief
Carmen Lagala
Colin Ryan
Jordan Paquette
Josh Star
Kit Rivers
Kyle Gagnon
Natalie Miller
Nathan Hartswick
Pat Lynch
Ryan Kriger
Sam Pelletier
Tony Bates

The battle will take place on 1/21/12 – click here for the details…

Congrats to all – not just those who got in, but those with the guts to get up there and audition. Should be a good show!

Cheers,

VCC

New Comedy Club in Vermont!

Pretty soon, there’s gonna be a lot more comedy in Burlington.

As of Oct 1, there is a physical, real-live comedy club in Vermont. Known as Levity, they will be occupying the Vietnamese coffee shop formerly known as Patra Cafe.

This doesn’t mean VCC is going anywhere, of course. But it does mean that there are going to be more opportunities for stand-up comedians in VT. It also means that there will be bi-monthly open mics in Burlington, and a weekly Friday showcase.

First up: Levity’s flood relief show Friday, October 14th.

Exciting stuff – check it out!

- posted by Charles “Chicky” Winkleman

Comedy south of the border

Apparently standup’s undergoing a boom in Brazil.

Nice Times article that’s relevant to any growing comedy scene – including the one here in Vermont.

Check it out:

What’s So Funny in Brazil?

Welcome to the Vermont Comedy Club

Hey kids.

Nathan Hartswick here, one of the founders of the Vermont Comedy Club, an online attempt to pull together the fragmented pieces of the Vermont comedy scene into a single locale.

If you’re a Vermonter looking for some comedy to hit up, there are two things you can do:

1. Bookmark the calendar of events, or

2. Subscribe to this blog. You can do this via email or RSS. (You can get all posts or just event listings.)

Either option will keep you up-to-date on what’s going on in the world of standup in the green mountain state.

If you’re a comic, venue, producer or anyone else interested in what we’re doing here, we’re working on a comprehensive list, so shoot us your info!

And hey, stick around. We’ll be throwing all sorts of entertaining shit on here; asking Vermont comics to post some guest blogs; posting photos and video of gigs, and stuff like that. You’ll enjoy it.

by Nathan Hartswick

Joe Klocek vs. Heckler

Thinking about maybe starting a regular feature of the best examples of good comics destroying moronic hecklers…

Here’s a doosy.

Joe Klocek kills this guy for 7 minutes straight.

Moral: keep your trap shut. Just because you’re in the audience doesn’t mean they’re on your side.

Comedy/music/theater camps for teens

I’m now a few weeks into teaching a standup comedy class for adults at Diversity Studios, and it’s going great – we have a really funny group of people, and I’m looking forward to the final performance, which will take place August 7 at the Monkey House.

Meantime, I just wanted to mention that there are a few camps Natalie and I are offering for teenagers this summer that still have slots open. Take a look, and let us know if you’re interested!

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Next Month:

Standup Comedy for Teens
Ages: 12 – 15
Days: Monday, August 8 – Friday, August 12
Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Cost: $150

Musical Theater for Teens
Ages: 13 – 18
Days: Monday, August 8 – Friday, August 12
Time: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Cost: $170

If you’re interested, fill out the registration form on Diversity’s site.
If finances are a concern, let them know – usually they’re pretty good
about working with people.

Hope you’re all having a great summer!

Cheers,
Nathan

If Wes Anderson directed Spiderman

by Nathan Hartswick

I’m guessing that 3 or 4 movies into directing the Spidey franchise, Wes will start adding meticulous, unnecessarily complex production design; hollow, morose characters and an unrelenting sense of pretentiousness.

And we will love him for it.

Good job, kids. You captured it:

"Comics to study"

by Nathan Hartswick

John and I were working on a little web series for awhile that may or may not see the light of day. It’s a pretty funny idea, but y’know, you get busy and lack the time to properly wrap the thing up, so it exists in limbo as one of those unfinished masterworks.

At any rate, I found this prop the other day from one of our shoots, and it cracked me up. No, it’s not really who I’m “studying” as a comic. If I did, I’d probably want to slit my wrists.