PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts and the Vermont Comedy All Stars have partnered for a night of live stand-up comedy, to take place on Friday, Nov. 12, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Featured performers will include several contest-winning and touring comedians most often seen in the Burlington area.
While Next Stage has hosted many national and international music acts, this will be the arts venue's first foray into live comedy at its refurbished theater.
“For too long, Burlington has been a lone focal point of great comedy in the Green Mountain State, and we plan to change that with this show,” Gordon Clark, the producer and host of the show and coordinator of Vermont Comedy All Stars, said in a news release.
The cast includes Tracy Dolan, who has been featured in Boston's Women in Comedy Festival and New York's She-Devil Comedy Festival. She has opened for national acts, including Gary Gulman, Hari Kondbolu, and Saturday Night Live alums Tim Meadows and Jim Breuer.
Also on the bill are Jared Hall, a two-time finalist in Vermont's Funniest Comedian contest held annually at the Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington, who has opened for Michael Ian Black, Jen Kirkman, and Todd Barry; and Marlon “Big Fish” Fisher, a Moth StorySLAM Host and another finalist in the Vermont's Funniest Comedian contest.
Local Brattleboro comedians Marisa Imôn and Paul Manza will round out the line up, along with Troy, N.Y., comic import Gwen Lockwood.
Toni Nagy, a local comedian, performance artist, and owner of SoBo Studio in Brattleboro, is co-producing the show. She noted that it is more important than ever to maintain our sense of humor as we head into the cold winter months, particularly during difficult times.
“It is often said that laughter is the best medicine, and this night of comedy is designed to heal the hole in your soul,” she said.