Blue Halloo is back to the Grind
Comedy Cabaret returns post-pandemic with trio of local contest performances
When Nathalie Feehan first came up with the idea of a video sketch contest for her comedy cabaret she didn't quite know how things would turn out.
“It's a really busy time of year, and everything is kind of just starting to get going again,” explains Feehan, a local comedian and producer of the Blue Halloo Comedy Cabaret, returning to the Grindstone Theatre Saturday night. “Artists aren't as much `in it' as they used to be before things shut down, so I really had no clue.”
The contest, which ran from April into early May, has a twofold purpose. First, to signal to comedy fans that Blue Halloo is back after the uncertainty of the last few years. And second, to highlight new work by some of the city's finest comedy minds. Supporters were asked to vote on the submissions, which were posted online, with the winner taking home a $500 grand prize. Second and third place will pick up ticket packages from Grindstone Theatre, where Blue Hallo is announcing a victor this Saturday as part of a show featuring performances by The Dirrty Show, standup comedian Siobhan Theobald and improv artists That's My Wife!
With performers still resurfacing after the depredations of COVID on the arts world, Feehan received only three submissions: Lollilflop by Twin Flames Productions, Joel Hanson's Too Busy…, and The Debutante's Scheduling Conflicts. The small number of applications may have been less than she'd hoped, but in truth, it was the exact amount she needed.
“It's actually really nice to have a manageable amount this time around,” Feehan laughs.
“I also love that everyone who submitted is going to get something. Of course, my hope is that next year we grow even bigger.”
Feehan is also pleased that she personally found all three videos to be very funny.
“They're so good, and what I really like is that I think it's only going to grow and become even better because it'll be a yearly thing,” she says. “It's a quality start, and I think people are going to come out of the woodwork when word starts to spread and people see these videos.
“I do definitely want to encourage more female and nonbinary submissions, so that's something that will be addressed as we go along.”
This will be in keeping with Feehan's original mission for Blue Halloo. The Video Sketch Contest was and will continue to be open to everybody, but Feehan created Blue Halloo Comedy Cabaret in 2019 as a way to open space for female and nonbinary performers.
Billed as an “alternative comedy show,” the cabaret has brought in a varied roster of sketch, standup, improv, burlesque and musical artists in its short existence.
The mandate continues, but Feehan is quick to note that it's a very welcoming atmosphere for everyone who just wants to come out for a night of entertainment.
“I'd like people to come to the show because they want to see comedy, and not just because they're from the progressive bubble that I live in,” she says.
“I want them to see that the performers I'm booking in here are funny, and that they belong on a regular show.
“As the producer and the host I'm going to book it the way I want, but the same is true for shows where there's 80 to 90 per cent men performing. This isn't about sticking it to them, I just want to say that, well, maybe the opposite can be true as well.”