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Submissions Now Open for FRESH New Comedians Season 5!

June 11, 2022 By vongshow

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.

FRESH SEASON 5 ANNOUNCEMENT – TAKING PLACE WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 10PM AT RIVOLI!

Toronto’s newest comedians make their big-stage debut, now taking place at the iconic Rivoli for the first time ever! Show takes places on Wednesday, July 27, at 10:00 PM immediately following What Up! What Up! Toronto, which will take place earlier in the night.

FRESH show closes with a professional headliner, who will stay after the show for a Q&A session to answer questions about their experiences as a professional comedian. Prominent producers will also be invited to perform and answer questions during the Q&A about how shows are booked and produced.

Season 5 will be recorded using a 5-camera, 7-microphone setup and will be edited in post-production to look like TV series. Footage of the performances are later released as a web series on YouTube including Watch Parties for all episode premieres! Check out footage from previous seasons below. (Season 1 and 2 only used one camera. Season 3 and 4 also uses 5 cameras and you’ll be able to see what that footage looks like once the webisodes release.)

Stage time is limited to 3-to-4 minute sets. Although this may seem short, trust me I was just in Hollywood and all showcases were 3 minutes. In New York City, showcases are 2 minutes. As a new comedian it’s important to get your best material into a condensed period of time that’s as cohesive and sharp as possible before expanding to longer sets.

BEST OF FRESH

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!

COMEDY MENTORS!

This season’s featured guest headliner Casey Corbin! He’s actually one of my original comedy mentors from when I first started standup comedy and he’s one of the inspirations for starting the FRESH program in the first place!

Your featured guest producer Steven Mann, owner of Mann Casting, one of the biggest casting agencies in Toronto. Definitely someone whose brain you can pick about the television and film industry and who has a wealth of knowledge to share.

Per the submission guidelines below please look them up on their official websites and social media channels and let me know what questions you’d like them to answer during the Q&A as part of your submission. You can also choose to direct your questions about the comedy industry to me.

The quality of the questions will be taken into account when selecting comedians for the show, as we want to help comedians who are thirsting for knowledge about the industry! Questions should be specific to the guest professional comedians as we don’t want to waste their time with generic questions that anyone could answer. Please pay attention to this section of the submission as the Q&A questions are heavily weighted when considering who will make it on to the show.

CASEY CORBIN LINKS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4JpVVVqZVI&ab_channel=WETalentGroup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59l2SytmLEw&ab_channel=CassiusMorrisShow
https://www.instagram.com/caseycorbincomedian/
https://twitter.com/CaseyCorbin
http://funnybusiness.ca/comedians.php?standup=casey-corbin

STEVEN MANN LINKS
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/steven-mann-535b292a
https://www.instagram.com/manncasting/
https://twitter.com/manncasting

MARKETING AND SHOW INVITATIONS

FRESH is NOT a bringer show and there are no minimum tickets sold required. When I moved to Toronto for comedy I had no friends or family here so I would never add bringers as a requirement to get on this show. All I ask is that you try your best to get as many people to come support you as possible.

That said, for a new comedians show realistically the only people who are going to come to see you are your friends and family. For sure I can sell out a show with professional comedians but a general audience is just not going to purchase tickets to see unproven comedians. Additionally, I do not make any profit from this show, as all proceeds go to toward the video production of the multi-camera production (both live event capture and post-production). Generally we need to sell about 80 tickets to break even on the production as most of the equipment is my own and the video crew are volunteers and I understand I will take a loss if we don’t meet this sales target but am willing to invest in the future of comedy.

VOLUNTEERING COMPONENT

All FRESH comedians are required to volunteer at the professional show taking place at Rivoli at 745PM prior to the FRESH showcase. In this month’s case, the professional show is What Up! What Up! Toronto, which is an urban comedy showcase.

The volunteering is meant to be a learning opportunity to understand what goes into the production of a professional show and should also serve as an aspirational showcase of where you should aim to go with your careers in the future. If you do not see the value in this portion of the mentorship then please do not submit. Believe me I can easily find volunteers for my shows given the ticket price there’s enough volunteers just from the pool of people who wanna come to the show at no cost by volunteering.

So the volunteering itself really is a critical component of the learning process of how to become a professional comedian. During FRESH you will transition from volunteer to performers and there will be a new set of volunteers who will come in to take care of your show. Having volunteered earlier in the night will also allow you to understand what roles the new volunteers play in the overall production.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING FRESH COMEDIANS

Multiple criteria are taken into account when deciding who makes it on to the 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.

  • Volunteering for Previous Vong Show Production (highest priority for inclusion in this show)
  • Quality of the Q&A Question Submitted (very important criteria, specificity of question is important)
  • Previously Submitted Unsuccessfully (multiple submissions prioritized over first-time submissions)
  • Quality of the Submission (improperly filled out fields or lazily filled out applications de-prioritized)
  • Amount of Time Since First Performance (newer comedians are prioritized)

SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN THURSDAY, JUNE 30TH


How Long Have You Been Performing Standup Comedy? *Please be truthful. Do NOT subtract two years for the pandemic.
No file chosen
Not required. I understand you may not have a video yet as a new comedian. But if you have one then provide a link.
Previous Submissions *Multiple Failed Submissions Prioritized Over First-Time Submissions
Volunteering *

I own rights to all content I'll be performing or I'll provide written statements from my record label (or other third parties with ownership/distribution rights) authorizing full release to perform this material and distribution of its recorded versions across all applicable platforms including but not limited to YouTube

I understand the content recorded at FRESH will be released as a web series on YouTube and that I am giving my permission to release the performance on that platform

I understand I am expected to be at the Rivoli venue for 6PM volunteers meeting and understand the show and Q&A sometimes don't end until 1AM and I pledge by submitting that I am available for the entirety of the show

I understand that although this show is not a bringer and has no minimum invitees that I will try my best to get people to come to the show because I know that a general audience will not pay to see unproven comedians and realistically only friends and family will make up the majority of the audience

Filed Under: FRESH

FRESH: New Comedians Showcase Season 4 (Tickets Now Available)

June 1, 2022 By vongshow

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR FRESH SEASON 4

NEW COMEDIANS LINEUP ANNOUNCED! Sidney Cummings, Bryan Johnston, Sarah Boston, Justin Subryan, Ruth Miller, Mickey Dykeman, Gerald Yeung, Louis Brady, Tavis Aikman, Shaharah Gaznabbi, Michael Carnevale, Kenzie Nelligan!

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.

FRESH SEASON 4 ANNOUNCEMENT – TAKING PLACE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 10PM AT RIVOLI!

Toronto’s newest comedians make their big-stage debut, now taking place at the iconic Rivoli for the first time ever! Show takes places on Wednesday, June 22, at 10:00 PM immediately following FRUIT: Queer Comedy Showcase which will take place earlier in the night.

FRESH show closes with a professional headliner, who will stay after the show for a Q&A session to answer questions about their experiences as a professional comedian. Prominent producers will also be invited to perform and answer questions during the Q&A about how shows are booked and produced.

Season 4 will be recorded using a 5-camera, 7-microphone setup and will be edited in post-production to look like TV series. Footage of the performances are later released as a web series on YouTube including Watch Parties for all episode premieres! Check out footage from previous seasons below. (Season 1 and 2 only used one camera. Season 3 also uses 5 cameras and you’ll be able to see what that footage looks like once the webisodes release.)

Stage time is limited to 3-to-4 minute sets. Although this may seem short, trust me I was just in Hollywood and all showcases were 3 minutes. In New York City, showcases are 2 minutes. As a new comedian it’s important to get your best material into a condensed period of time that’s as cohesive and sharp as possible before expanding to longer sets.

BEST OF FRESH

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!

COMEDY MENTORS!

This season’s featured guest headliner is the one and only Martha Chaves, who is someone I greatly look up to and a great mentor for young comedians!

Your featured guest producer is Canadian Comedy Award winner Robert Watson, creator of the hugely successful Gay AF series of comedy shows at various venues around Toronto including Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Comedy Bar, and the historic Campbell House Museum!

Per the submission guidelines below please look them up on their official websites and social media channels and let me know what questions you’d like them to answer during the Q&A as part of your submission. You can also choose to direct your questions about the comedy industry to me.

The quality of the questions will be taken into account when selecting comedians for the show, as we want to help comedians who are thirsting for knowledge about the industry! Questions should be specific to the guest professional comedians as we don’t want to waste their time with generic questions that anyone could answer. Please pay attention to this section of the submission as the Q&A questions are heavily weighted when considering who will make it on to the show.

MARTHA CHAVES VIDEO LINKS
https://vimeo.com/446235765/47122bb3e4?fbclid=IwAR1c46Ge3pemNq7QZYrEGDTsWsgVBfuq3TINxKeiT0cvmi_lI5BgHdOk_ug
https://vimeo.com/307379407/553e0413fb?fbclid=IwAR0rH3dwJrDlwKDpl8QLNd8k0d55gNZQQ08_DChgmMzINc34Mbnsw7uxEsU
https://vimeo.com/446235766/72c868ecc0?fbclid=IwAR1wdzQzh0zAwYVrsKFZyJTODj5gL6WwVUwuDsGvuiaKSSOlP8JhIAHkMFM

ROBERT WATSON VIDEO LINK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KJ9T2ENSYo&t=7s&ab_channel=FRUIT%3AQueerComedyShowcase

MARKETING AND SHOW INVITATIONS

FRESH is NOT a bringer show and there are no minimum tickets sold required. When I moved to Toronto for comedy I had no friends or family here so I would never add bringers as a requirement to get on this show. All I ask is that you try your best to get as many people to come support you as possible.

That said, for a new comedians show realistically the only people who are going to come to see you are your friends and family. For sure I can sell out a show with professional comedians but a general audience is just not going to purchase tickets to see unproven comedians. Additionally, I do not make any profit from this show, as all proceeds go to toward the video production of the multi-camera production (both live event capture and post-production). Generally we need to sell about 80 tickets to break even on the production as most of the equipment is my own and the video crew are volunteers and I understand I will take a loss if we don’t meet this sales target but am willing to invest in the future of comedy.

VOLUNTEERING COMPONENT

All FRESH comedians are required to volunteer at the professional show taking place at Rivoli at 745PM prior to the FRESH showcase. In this month’s case, the professional show is FRUIT: Queer Comedy Showcase.

The volunteering is meant to be a learning opportunity to understand what goes into the production of a professional show and should also serve as an aspirational showcase of where you should aim to go with your careers in the future. If you do not see the value in this portion of the mentorship then please do not submit. Believe me I can easily find volunteers for my shows given the ticket price there’s enough volunteers just from the pool of people who wanna come to the show at no cost by volunteering.

So the volunteering itself really is a critical component of the learning process of how to become a professional comedian. During FRESH you will transition from volunteer to performers and there will be a new set of volunteers who will come in to take care of your show. Having volunteered earlier in the night will also allow you to understand what roles the new volunteers play in the overall production.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING FRESH COMEDIANS

Multiple criteria are taken into account when deciding who makes it on to the 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.

  • Volunteering for Previous Vong Show Production (highest priority for inclusion in this show)
  • Quality of the Q&A Question Submitted (very important criteria, specificity of question is important)
  • Previously Submitted Unsuccessfully (multiple submissions prioritized over first-time submissions)
  • Quality of the Submission (improperly filled out fields or lazily filled out applications de-prioritized)
  • Amount of Time Since First Performance (newer comedians are prioritized)

SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN UNTIL SUNDAY, JUNE 5 (NOW CLOSED)

Submissions for FRESH: New Comedians Showcase Season 4 are now closed. Stay tuned for more information regarding submissions for next month’s show.

Filed Under: FRESH

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

May 31, 2022 By vongshow

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!

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)


No file chosen

What performances would you like to be considered for? *

Actors Union Status

Distribution Platforms You'd Be Interested in Pursuing *

Priority given to Headliners open to releasing comedy specials and audio albums. Open to discussing with your record label regarding ownership rights (contractual obligations must be clearly defined prior to taping). YouTube distribution required for all Feature and Rising Stars comedians.

I own rights to all content I'll be performing or I'll provide written statements from my record label (or other third parties with ownership/distribution rights) authorizing full release to perform this material and distribution of its recorded versions across all applicable platforms

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

Tickets Information Coming Soon

Filed Under: Announcements, The Vong Show

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

April 20, 2022 By vongshow

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.

Filed Under: FRUIT

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

April 17, 2022 By vongshow

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

Filed Under: RICE

FRESH: New Comedians Showcase Returns for Season 3 – Now At Rivoli!

April 16, 2022 By vongshow

ANNOUNCING NEW COMEDIANS LINEUP!

FRESH: New Comedians Showcase returns for Season 3 with a whole new crop of comedians: Abhi Pamnani, Amy Smith, Amy Yu, Emilie Wilkinson, Katie Chin, Matthew Ardill, Moira LePage, Sahil Israni, Sebastian Fazio, Simon Capobianco.

For the first time ever, FRESH takes place at the iconic Rivoli! All performances will be filmed with a multi-cam and microphone setup! Best performances will be selected to take part in Best of Fresh filming later in 2022 at Paradise Theatre!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

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.

FRESH SEASON 3 ANNOUNCEMENT – TAKING PLACE WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 10PM AT RIVOLI!

Toronto’s newest comedians make their big-stage debut, now taking place at the iconic Rivoli for the first time ever! Show takes places on Wednesday, May 25, at 10:00 PM immediately following RICE: Asian Comedy Showcase which will take place earlier in the night.

FRESH show closes with a professional headliner, who will stay after the show for a Q&A session to answer questions about their experiences as a professional comedian. Prominent producers will also be invited to perform and answer questions during the Q&A about how shows are booked and produced.

Footage of the performances are later released as a web series on YouTube including Watch Parties for all episode premieres! Check out footage from previous seasons below. New to Season 3 we will now be using a multi-camera setup and the top comedians’ footage will be edited to look more like a TV special.

BEST OF FRESH

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!

FEATURED COMEDIANS

This season’s featured professional comedian is Angela Kimmel who is flying all the way from Atlanta PLUS special guest Ricky Sim from New York City! Per the submission guidelines below please look them up on their official websites and social media channels listed below and let me know what questions you’d like them to answer during the Q&A as part of your submission. You can also choose to direct your questions to me. The quality of the questions will be taken into account when selecting comedians for the show, as we want to help comedians who are thirsting for knowledge about the industry!

ANGELA’S LINKS
https://www.instagram.com/angelathecomic/
https://www.facebook.com/AngelaTheComic/
https://twitter.com/angelathecomic

RICKY SIM’S LINKS
https://www.rickysim.com/
https://twitter.com/rickysim7
https://www.instagram.com/rickysimnyc/

Filed Under: FRESH

Upcoming Shows

August 16, 2020 By vongshow

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.

Filed Under: Comedy Projects

Concert Film & Album

August 16, 2020 By vongshow

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.

Filed Under: Comedy Projects

Audio Podcasts

August 16, 2020 By vongshow

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.

Filed Under: Comedy Projects

Studio Vong

August 16, 2020 By vongshow

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

Filed Under: Comedy Projects

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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.

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