On Thursday, March 19, at 8pm and 10pm, the UP Comedy Club will once again be hosting auditions for the Just For Laughs Montreal New Faces Showcase. The Just for Laughs Festival, in case you don't know, is held each July in Montreal and is the largest international comedy festival in the world—it's a pretty big deal. It's considered one of the bigger opportunities available for up-and-coming comedians. To land a slot in the "New Faces" showcase is a huge achievement. As usual, Chicago is well-represented. The lineup is literally a who's who of the top comedians in the Chicago scene. And guess what? You can help support Chicago's best comics on the road to Montreal by coming out and showing some love. For just $5, you can see the auditions for yourself. Here's a list of Thursday night's performers and what you can expect from each.
Editors note: If you can't make Thursday's show, there are two other Just For Laughs audition shows going on this week at Jokes and Notes (Wednesday 8pm) and The Lincoln Lodge (Friday 8:30pm).
8pm auditions
Marlena Rodriguez: "Absurdist and clever."
Kellye Howard: "Fierce, brash and loud as hell."
Josh Johnson: "New kid on the block—awkwardly hilarious"
Chris Condren: "Wacky, musical, power-dork and comedy stud."
Danny Kallas: "A Chicago comedy monster."
Katie McVay: "Loud, weird and funny."
Goodrich Gevaart: "Super witty fire-breather."
Sammy Arechar: "Hands down hilarious material."
Chris Bader: "Always smiling, with jokes to match the grin."
Charlie Bury: "One of the best 'act out' comics in town."
Calvin Evans: "Super-star likability; has the right stuff."
CJ Sullivan: "A goddamn Chicago comedy god."
10pm auditions
Chris Redd: "Very versatile and very funny."
David Drake: "Likable, witty and confusingly handsome."
Erica Clark: "She will knock your ass out—with jokes."
Ray Holleb: "Dry as a bone and funny as hell."
Natalie Jose: "Hilarious with just the right amount of bad girl."
Connor King: "A funny man originally from Philadelphia."
Adam Burke: "Some of the best absurdist and verbose material in town."
Matty Ryan: "Nobody knows why he's not famous yet."
Brian Babylon: "An NPR favorite, Bablylon is the original black hipster."
Jeff Scheen: "Wicked humor to match the goofball mug."
Jeff Steinbrunner: "Dresses like a hit man because he's a comedy assassin."
Stephanie Hasz: "A real sweetheart that will slap you in the face with comedy."