COMEDY FEST JUST KEEPS GROWING
YYComedy event’s co-founder Cory Mack hails rich list of Canadian talent on display
Calgary comic Cory Mack believes life should definitely be a laughing matter.
That’s why six years ago Mack helped spearhead a comedy festival that she and her co-founders call The YYComedy Festival.
“Calgary was designated Canada’s Cultural Capital for 2012 so, back in 2011, we started working on the concept of a yearly comedy festival. There were some good financial incentives that we were able to tap into.”
Mack says Calgary was ripe for such a festival.
“In 2012, we were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Grand Theatre, which hosted so many of the great vaudeville comics. Loose Moose was 35 years old, Yuk Yuks had been in Calgary for 25 years and The Comedy Cave for 10 years.
“It was time to celebrate all these things and not just once. The Cultural Capital event kick-started the YYComedy Festival, but it has just kept going and growing,” said Mack, who has been a comic for 28 years.
She said most people are unaware that more than 140 comedians make a living in Calgary doing film, standup and sketch comedy but comedy is being embraced as an industry.
Mack believes “comics were the original entertainers,” and adds that YYComedy Festival is on a mission to bring more laughs to people’s lives. “I can promise you that if you attend even just one of our events you’re in for way more laughs than if you don’t.”
This year’s festival runs Oct. 16-21 at various venues. There will be shows at the Plaza Theatre Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and at the regular comedy venues in the city.
There is also a French show at the Plaza Theatre on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. featuring Mike Paterson, Jess Salomon and Alex Orlando.
Festival co-sponsor SiriusXM will present its Top Comic Showcase with host Ben Miner and comedians Brittany Lyseng, Amy Bugg, Darcy Michael, Dave Merhe-
I can promise you that if you attend even just one of our events you’re in for way more laughs than if you don’t.
je, Kelly Taylor and Graham Clark on Oct. 18 at the Plaza Theatre.
The Funny 1060AM Gala on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. at the Jubilee, hosted by Andrew Phung, features such comic heavyweights as Shaun Majumder, Laurie Elliott, Nathan MacIntosh, Christina Walkinshaw, Levi MacDougall, Pete Zedlacher and Amanda Brooke Perrin.
Mack points out these comics are Canadian. “Because we are celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday we wanted to give a big nod to our (own) talent.”
She gave each of the more than 50 performers one piece of advice.
“Do your funniest set. The festival does not have to be edited for TV, but we would like you to keep it as PG-13 as possible.”