Vong Show

‘Best of Fresh’ Showcases Top Comedians Ever From ‘FRESH: New Comedians’!

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WHAT IS FRESH: NEW COMEDIANS SHOWCASE?

FRESH is my way of paying it forward to the new generation of comedians. When I first started comedy 15 years ago in Alberta, I was fortunate enough to get loads of mentorship as I was learning the craft of standup comedy. Being a smaller town, I had the opportunity to host headliners who came through and performed at the local clubs, showing them around town and spending time with them at meals. I was able to pick their brains and gain knowledge from their valuable industry experience. (Special shoutout to now-deceased Canadian legend Mike McDonald AKA King of Canadian Comedy who really encouraged me early in my career and inspired me to start this show.)

Since moving to Toronto I’ve found that new comedians aren’t getting the same type of mentorship as the city is just too large and performer schedules too busy for the connections to be made between headliners and newbies. Things I was taught early on aren’t at all common knowledge with new comedians here unfortunately at no fault of their own.

So I started FRESH: New Comedians showcase as a way to give newcomers a chance to meet headliners from Toronto and across North America and have an opportunity to ask them questions about their careers and the industry.

Additionally I wanted to use FRESH to give new comedians a chance to perform at iconic venues for the first time such as Cameron House, Rivoli, and of course the AMAZING CBC Glenn Gould Studio (only best of the best FRESH comedians are selected for the once-a-year Best of Fresh gala show at a theatre). Press coverage for the shows also gave FRESH comedians an opportunity to learn about how to market themselves and conduct interviews with news media in Canada. Past FRESH comedians have been featured on CBC’s The National, NOW Magazine, CBC One Radio, CTV’s The Social, National Post, CBC Comedy and more!

I truly believe that the stronger the pipeline of new talent coming up, the better for everyone in the industry.

‘BEST OF FRESH’ ANNOUNCEMENT – TAKING PLACE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2022, 10PM AT PARADISE THEATRE!

At the end of each year, the best of the best performers from FRESH: New Comedians Showcase will be invited for a special gala performance and recording at a proper theatre venue! See footage below of the Fresh Rice special gala performance recorded live at CBC Glenn Gould Studio!

This year’s gala will take place at the gorgeously renovated Paradise Theatre and feature the funniest comedians from the first six seasons of FRESH: New Comedians Showcase! Tickets on sale at the start of October… which is also when the lineup will be announced! Submissions now open… but only to comedians who’ve previously performed on FRESH!

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING ‘BEST OF FRESH’ COMEDIANS

Multiple criteria are taken into account when deciding who makes it on to the ‘Best of Fresh’ stage. In rough order of priority here are some of the criteria I’m using to finalize the lineup. Hopefully this will guide you as through the submission process to understand what to focus on.

  1. Biggest criteria is the script you submit for the show… it should be a tight script with the following criteria for the material… must be cohesive (one topic!) and have a narrative shape, must learn about who you are, must share your perspective about the world (how your life experiences have shaped how you view the world). Script you submit should be a FINAL script. This won’t be like the monthly FRESH where you submit a rough draft and I help you finish the script. What you submit is expected to be what you perform at Paradise Theatre.
  2. Strength of performance at monthly FRESH show… this is the best way for me to gauge how good your stage presence and delivery is… also if I’ve also seen you perform at other places I’ll take that into account. Video tapes won’t be counted, mainly just live performances. If you’ve improved since the monthly FRESH show regarding your stage presence and delivery then try to perform at my Tuesday open mic at Jokers or my upcoming Wednesday open mic at Mandy’s Bistro
  3. Professionalism demonstrated at monthly FRESH Show and throughout the process… at Paradise there’s so much going on I can’t worry about comedians not following protocol. Did you meet deadlines during the FRESH process? Did you provide your script on time? Did you stick to your time on stage or did you go way over time (it’s super important this doesn’t happen at Paradise so this is taken into account what happened at Rivoli)?
  4. Intangible part is desire to be comedian based on… I wanna help people who have a real shot at this becoming a career so I’ll base this on generally how active you are in the community… Do I see you doing a lot of shows? Do I see you around the scene? Have you volunteered at shows where you weren’t performing? Generally this is about whether you are a presence in the scene and working hard at becoming a comedian. Would prefer to help showcase a comedian who doesn’t end up quitting in the next couple years (obviously can’t control this and life happens, this is just generally what I’d prefer.)
  5. Wildcard is how well your FRESH online video performs. This only affects people whose episodes debut before the end of September. If I don’t quite get your comedy but your video goes viral, of course it’ll make me take a second look to see if there’s something I’m missing that makes it connect with a broader audience.
  6. Strength of marketing… based on how many tickets you sold at the Rivoli show (and how close you were to you estimate). Not a huge consideration but a consideration nonetheless, as obviously at a big theatre we need to get tickets sold. If you didn’t sell a lot of tickets to Rivoli you aren’t necessarily disqualified as this is one of the last criteria, but it’ d be unfair if I didn’t give props to people who sold tons of tickets to Rivoli.

SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN (CLOSES SEPTEMBER 22)


‘Producer Spotlight’ Series Elevates Toronto’s Best Comedy Shows

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What is the ‘Producer Spotlight’ Series?

Over the past few years I’ve learned that Toronto has all the ingredients necessary to produce amazingly successful comedy shows! Our city has an abundance of high-level comedic talent, a surplus of gorgeous venues that often go unused, and most importantly an incredibly diverse audience of comedy fans who are enormously supportive of live shows and local talent! This combination of factors is incredibly rare and we should absolutely be taking advantage of everything this city has to offer.

I’m absolutely ready (and honestly itching!) to share all my knowledge of best practices, do’s and don’ts so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes that I did. By supporting local producers and helping to launch more large-scale theatre shows, the entire comedy community benefits. Larger venues leads to higher ticket prices and profits, allowing producers to fairly compensate Canadian talent and help to end the narrative that Canadians need to head to the United States to make a living.

The ‘Producer Spotlight’ series aims to elevate Toronto’s best comedy shows by arming our brightest producers with the knowledge, training and connections necessary to take their shows to the next level and sell out larger and more prestigious theatre venues. Mentorship will cover everything from producing and marketing a live show, garnering press coverage, how to sell out a larger venues, capturing video and audio footage for post-production (when applicable)… and everything in between.

Comedy Productions Consulting (AKA Free Advice!)

First step when I meet a producer is to go to one of their live shows and then sit down afterward to give feedback based on what their goals are with the show. Even outside of the ‘Producer Spotlight’ series, giving feedback to new producers is something I love to do, so don’t be afraid to reach out (or fill out the form below) and let me know when your next live show is that you’d like feedback on.

Co-Productions at Rivoli

Up to 12 producers per year (one show monthly) will be selected to be the featured ‘Producer Spotlight’ show at the iconic Rivoli. This historic venue is famously the home of ‘Kids in the Hall’ and features an elevated stage and amazing sound and lighting system. Let’s be honest here… the Rivoli is a great music venue and the requirements for lighting and sound in musical performances far exceed that of comedy performances, so there’s really nothing you could imagine you’d need to produce an excellent comedy show here that wouldn’t be technically feasible. Sight lines are great for both the audience and the performers and the room is perfectly set up to place up to five video cameras for multi-cam footage capture.

Co-productions at Rivoli would be a true 50/50 partnership including all costs (marketing, PR, production) and profits being split evenly. Ticket sales would be through the Universe online ticketing platform with full access for all producers to the backend data and live dashboard. Target capacity would be 80-100 seats at $20+ per ticket, although this would be adjusted based on the show.

While the initial show would have lower profit margins due to the 50/50 partnership, the idea is for the featured producer to gain the knowledge and connections to produce future shows successfully at the venue in the future. There would be a minimum target to meet to cover venue costs if we don’t meet the bar sales targets for the night (this is based on how the deal with the venue is set up and is pretty standard for music venues serving alcohol).

Please note that video and audio capture component would need to be negotiated above and beyond the standard partnership and only in cases where the show concept makes sense for post-production. Shows featured at the Rivoli are less likely to require this component compared to shows featured at Paradise Theatre.

Co-Productions at Paradise Theatre

vong show paradise theatre on bloor monthly

Up to four productions per year (one show per quarter) will be selected to be the featured ‘Producer Spotlight’ show at the newly renovated Paradise Theatre. Generally, the Paradise Theatre selection will be made from the best performing of the Rivoli productions that show the most potential for a larger audience.

Co-productions at Paradise Theatre would be a true 50/50 partnership including all costs (marketing, PR, production) and profits being split evenly. Ticket sales would be through the Eventbrite online ticketing platform including full seat selection and venue map. Full access for all producers to the backend data and live dashboard will be provided. Target capacity is 180-220 seats at ticket prices ranging from $25 to $50 based on location in the venue (front rows, balcony, accessible seating etc.).

While the initial show would have lower profit margins due to the 50/50 partnership, the idea is for the featured producer to gain the knowledge and connections to produce future shows successfully at the venue in the future. There would be a minimum goal of 50% tickets sold set out that the featured producer would be responsible for should we fail to meet our seat sales goals (this is to ensure there is enough funds to cover the venue costs).

Please note that video and audio capture component would need to be negotiated above and beyond the standard partnership and only in cases where the show concept makes sense for post-production. In general, shows selected for Paradise Theatre would be concepts that are more likely to be desirable for post-production. With the inclusion of a balcony, Paradise Theatre is perfectly set up for multi-cam video and audio capture using roughly 9 cameras.

Selection Criteria

There are a lot of factors for selecting which shows will be a part of the ‘Producer Spotlight’ series outlined below (please read through carefully). There are also some intangible factors as well such as which, and sometimes it comes down to which producers can best convey genuine excitement for their show and inspire people to want to work with them.

  • Most important factor is having the best show ideas that would be most suitable for the venues and their capacity (Rivoli target capacity 80-100, Paradise Theatre target capacity 180-220)
  • Track record as a producer including discussion about previous shows produced, ticket sales track record, and venues used for past shows
  • How well the show idea relates to the producer (does it make sense that this would be the producer to bring this particular idea to life) and how the idea was conceived and the story behind the idea
  • Ability of showrunner to articulate their ideas and convey their genuine passion for the show (extremely important to garner press coverage and general buzz leading up to the show)
  • Potential of the show idea for post-production video and audio

Shining a Spotlight on Canadian Comedy Shows

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my background as a media executive prior to becoming a comedian, it’s how to properly amplify Canadian comedy shows to get the spotlight it deserves. Full media and communications strategies will be deployed leading up to the live show.

Past shows have included full television coverage on programs including CBC The National, CTV The Social, OMNI Television and most noteworthy was being the full 8-minute lead story segment on CBC Our Toronto and being profiled in-studio back at Glenn Gould Studio for a story CBC News Toronto. Radio coverage has included CBC Metro Morning and CBC Fresh Air.

Print and web coverage has included full multi-page spreads in National Post and a profiles in NOW! Toronto, CBC Comedy and even critics reviews from outlets that generally only cover live theatre such as Mooney on Theatre.

Past partnerships have also amplified comedians appearance on my shows to full billboards at Yonge-Dundas Square and takeovers of BlogTO. So basically I’m saying if you’re on the show get ready to be heavily promoted (although it is important to say that press coverage is never guaranteed in any project).

National Post Laughter for Literacy Raise-a-Reader Learning Enrichment Foundation Vong Show Headshot Gay Pride LGBT LGBTQ Queer Comedy Jokes Standup Asian Chinese Thai Laos Urban Canada Toronto Ontario Winnipeg Allyson June Smith Nile Seguin
NOW Magazine Toronto Glenn Sumi RICE Asian Comedy Showcase Vong Show Ron Josol Yumi Nagashima Ernie Vicente Leonard Chan

Filming and Production (Multi-Cam Video and Audio)

For select projects where the live show featured on ‘Producer Spotlight’ has the potential to be developed into a video (network television, streaming services, film festivals) or audio (albums) product, there is the option of capturing the the footage in partnership with Studio Vong production company. This will only be for projects that make sense as not all live shows are proper for development into a video or audio product. Please note this component is absolutely not a requirement of the ‘Producer Spotlight’ series.

Submissions Now Open!


‘The Vong Show’ Takes Over Paradise Theatre Monthly Starting Sept 22

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What is ‘The Vong Show’?

The Vong Show is a celebration of all the unique voices that make Toronto the most diverse city in the world. It’s fitting that the show will take place at Paradise Theatre because to me Toronto is a paradise for comedy. I’ve recently performed in New York City and Los Angeles and honestly I think that Toronto is at least ten years ahead in terms of the standup comedy being performed on our stages. Toronto is a world-class city for comedy and it’s time we get the recognition we deserve as a standup comedy powerhouse!

Starting September 22 and continuing monthly ‘The Vong Show’ will shine the spotlight on Toronto’s top headliners and feature acts by providing the stage and the audiences we deserve. All performances will be filmed live with a 9-camera, 12-microphone setup. One 45-minute headliner set will be produced and released as a full comedy special to be shopped around for distribution (final platform depends on the recognition level of the headliner and their following which both factor into negotiations for distribution). Two 15-minute feature sets will be produced and released on ‘The Vong Show’ YouTube channel including watch parties for all episode premieres. The headliner’s audio recording will be output as a comedy album to be released across audio streaming services while the features’ sets may be released as a compilation album.

Ultimately, ‘The Vong Show’ is my love letter to Toronto. I want Toronto’s comedy scene to see itself the way that I see it, so join me in helping Toronto take our rightful place as one of the comedy capitals of the world!

Tickets Now On Sale!

Filming and Production Multi-Cam Demo

Here’s some raw footage from my last multi-cam taping to give an example of what the final output from ‘The Vong Show’ will look like! Of course it’s a different venue but equally as amazing. This demo video will be replaced in the future with actual footage from Paradise Theatre.

Join Me On the Paradise Theatre Stage (Submissions Open Now)


Audience Makes All the Difference

A huge part of the Toronto comedy scene is the amazing diversity of our local audiences and their amazing support of live comedy. It actually angers me when people say you have to leave Canada and make it in the United States before Canadians will support you… or that you can only sell out a huge theatre in Toronto by booking an American comedian. I would say the 700-seats sold (double sell-out) at CBC Glenn Gould Studio prove that Torontonians will support quality entertainment from local Canadian comedians. I actually think we have one of the best audiences in the entire world, and I think TIFF has shown that people from other countries actually value the Toronto audience as a gauge of worldwide popularity for a project. It’s time we start valuing our own audiences as well.

I’m gonna tell a story that I don’t share too often. My very first comedy special taping was in the United States just over a decade ago, and I had no creative control which is standard for a young comedian. But what I learned was just how incredibly important the audience is to a live taping. Because I was in a foreign country and city, no one in the audience knew who I was until I walked out on stage. Additionally a lot of video production companies producing comedy specials have very little experience also producing a live comedy event. As such, a large proportion of the audience are made up of tourists or comp tickets or people who’ve never heard of the comedian being taped. As a professional of course I did my best and the audience was happy, but honestly it’s not the same as doing a taping in front of a real comedy audience… an audience of people who came specifically to see you and who has followed your career…. an audience that is there to support local talent and propel their careers forward.

Taping my first self-produced comedy special at the CBC Glenn Gould studio in front of an audience who came specifically to see me honestly filled that gap that I didn’t understand was missing at my other tapings. It’s a night-and-day difference. I will 100% work with you to ensure that the audience you are performing in front of for your taping is the right audience for your material.

Shining a Spotlight on Canadian Comedians

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my background as a media executive prior to becoming a comedian, it’s how to properly amplify talented comedians get give them the spotlight they deserve. Full media and communications strategies will be deployed for both the live taping and for the eventual album release and comedy special launches.

A lot of albums and comedy specials are released without the proper attention they deserve and that will absolutely not be the case for any project I am associated with.

Past shows have included full television coverage on programs including CBC The National, CTV The Social, OMNI Television and most noteworthy was being the full 8-minute lead story segment on CBC Our Toronto and being profiled in-studio back at Glenn Gould Studio for a story CBC News Toronto. Radio coverage has included CBC Metro Morning and CBC Fresh Air.

Print and web coverage has included full multi-page spreads in National Post and a profiles in NOW! Toronto, CBC Comedy and even critics reviews from outlets that generally only cover live theatre such as Mooney on Theatre.

Past partnerships have also amplified comedians appearance on my shows to full billboards at Yonge-Dundas Square and takeovers of BlogTO. So basically I’m saying if you’re on the show get ready to be heavily promoted.

National Post Laughter for Literacy Raise-a-Reader Learning Enrichment Foundation Vong Show Headshot Gay Pride LGBT LGBTQ Queer Comedy Jokes Standup Asian Chinese Thai Laos Urban Canada Toronto Ontario Winnipeg Allyson June Smith Nile Seguin
NOW Magazine Toronto Glenn Sumi RICE Asian Comedy Showcase Vong Show Ron Josol Yumi Nagashima Ernie Vicente Leonard Chan

FRUIT: Queer Comedy Showcase June 22nd Celebrating Toronto Pride!

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Celebrating unique LGBTQ+ voices from the most diverse city in the world! FRUIT: Queer Comedy Showcase returns to the iconic Rivoli on Wednesday, June 22, 745PM in honour of Toronto Pride!

Starring Canadian Comedy Award winner-Robert Watson (OutTV, Amazon Prime) who will be recording his very first comedy album during the show! Hosted by Vong Show, official spokesperson for gay, super cute Asians. Special guest performances from an all-star lineup of Canada’s top queer comedians including Martha Chaves and Ted Morris!

SCHEDULE

7:00 PM Doors Open with Musical Guest During Seating
7:45 PM Show Starts (Promptly!)
8:30 PM Intermission
9:15 PM Show Ends

TICKETS

$20 + Taxes/Fees Online. Limited tickets available at the door for $30. Tickets are fully refundable (minus Universe processing fees) up to 24 hours before show starts, no questions asked.

Fan Favourite Jen Sakato Selected by RICE Audience To Headline May 25th!

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SPREADING ENLIGHTENMENT THROUGH LAUGHTER!

RICE: Asian Comedy Showcase returns to the iconic Rivoli to celebrate Asian Heritage Month! Starring fan favourite Jen Sakato, chosen by RICE’s audience as the must-have headliner for our first show back since the pandemic lockdown.

Hosted by Vong Show, official spokesperson for gay, super cute Asians. Featuring American comedians Angela Kimmel (Atlanta) and Ricky Sim (New York City) making their Canadian stage debuts! Also special appearances from rising stars Sebastian D. Chow and Ronald Hae.

Since its launch during Asian Heritage Month (May 2019) as Canada’s first all-Asian monthly stand-up comedy revue, RICE has consistently played to sold out audiences and garnered glowing reviews from prestigious Canadian media outlets including CBC Comedy, NOW Magazine and Mooney on Theatre.

GLENN SUMI (NOW Magazine Theatre Critic): “…RICE was a phenomenal show. Diverse, inclusive, tightly run and – most important – very, very funny… a revelation!”

MOONEY ON THEATRE REVIEW (Sarah Siddiqui): “…there was something to love about every performer. I felt really impressed by the diversity of performance styles and found Vong Sho to be a grounding presence between each act… Asian or not, it is well worth adding to your list of date nights and things to see in the city…”

ACCESSIBILITY AND COMPLIANCE

Rivoli is a fully accessible space for audience members. Street-level access with accessible washroom between bar and backroom. 

This event will be fully compliant with Ontario COVID-19 rules. Masks are recommended but not required.

SCHEDULE

7:30 PM Doors Open with Musical Guest During Seating
8:00 PM Show Starts (Promptly!)
8:45 PM Intermission
9:30 PM Show Ends

TICKETS

TICKETS $20 Online + Taxes/Fees. Special early bird pricing ends May 15. Tabled Seating for Groups of 4+ Available for Additional Fee. Limited tickets available at the door for $30 cash. Tickets fully refundable (minus Universe processing fees) up to 24 hours before show starts, no questions asked.

PHOTOS

RICE Vong Show Rivoli Asian Heritage Month
RICE Vong Show Rivoli Asian Heritage Month
RICE Vong Show Rivoli Asian Heritage Month

Upcoming Shows

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Purchase tickets for upcoming live standup comedy shows performed at some of Toronto’s most iconic stages including CBC Glenn Gould Studio and the Rivoli.

Concert Film & Album

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Filmed live at CBC Glenn Gould Studio in front of two sold-out audiences! Concert film currently in post-production to be released in 2022 along with a vinyl album.

Audio Podcasts

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Vong’s podcasts have been featured on Spotify’s “Unlike Any Other” campaign, Apple’s “New & Noteworthy” section and been nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award.

Studio Vong

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Productions include filming of standup comedy for release theatrically at film festivals, on television and for web series. Exciting announcements coming soon!

Media Appearances

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Vong’s has been a featured guest on CBC Television’s The National, Metro Morning, Our Toronto, Toronto News and Fresh Air, along with CTV’s The Social.

CONNECT WITH VONG

Follow Vong’s journey across his Social Networks including photos, videos, stories and more!

JOIN THE VONGTOURAGE!

Sign up for exclusive early access to tickets and merchandise plus get notified when Vong performs in your city!

ABOUT VONG SHOW

Official spokesperson for gay, super cute Asians. Sharing the Gaysian perspective on culture, sports and trending topics. Creator of RICE Asian Comedy Showcase and founder of Comedy Cares, partnering comedians and charities to raise money for worthy causes.