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Boston’s Tom Dustin takes comedy gold - first US comic to win Laugh Off

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. No wait, the show’s over and the 2010 Yuk Yuk’s Laugh Off winner is Canadian comic…

What? Just a minute. Is that right? OK then, this year, for the first time in the competition’s history, the winner is an American, Boston funnyman Tom Dustin, who was almost speechless by his win.

 

Confetti flies as Mark Breslin announces Tom Dustin as winner of the 2010 Laugh Off

Confetti flies as Mark Breslin announces Tom Dustin as winner of the 2010 Laugh Off

David Baker and Martha Chaves look on as Mark Breslin brings a speechless Tom Dustin to the mic

David Baker and Martha Chaves look on as Mark Breslin brings a speechless Tom Dustin to the mic

2010 Laugh Off winner Tom Dustin is all smiles with his $25,000 grand prize cheque

2010 Laugh Off winner Tom Dustin is all smiles with his $25,000 grand prize cheque

Yuk Yuk’s Mark Breslin, the evening’s stellar host said, ‘I think this shows that Americans, when they apply themselves, can be just as funny as Canadians. We expect to see a lot more international contestants in the years to come.’ 

Another record was broken with a tie for second place. Ottawa’s Martha Chaves and England’s David Baker split the prize of a year’s worth of roach traps, the ultimate in comedy home decor. 

Special thanks to the judges: Ashley Olivia, booker for Conan O’Brien; Bruce Hills, COO of Just for Laughs; Late Show with David Letterman’s Eddie Brill and Michelle Daly from The Comedy Network. With tonight’s high calibre talent, they had their work cut out for them. And thanks to warm-up man, the always warm, Lawrence Morgenstern.

And with that, another Laugh Off comes to a close. Thanks for joining us!

On with the show…this is it!

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

What a week it’s been: 64 comedians jousting with jocularity. But only the eight most talented were able to joke their way to the top.

Tonight, they’ll be competing in the Yuk Yuk’s Laugh Off finals and a chance to win the grand prize of $25,000.

Please welcome:  Patrick Haye, L.A. King, Tim Gilbert, Darcy Michael, Martha Chaves, David Baker, Tom Dustin and Landry.

MC for tonight is Yuk Yuk’s founder and CEO, Mark Breslin.

Celebrity judges:

- Eddie Bill, Comedy Booker for The Late Show with David Letterman
- Michelle Daly, Director of Content forThe Comedy Network
- Ashley Olivia, Comedy Booker for Conan O’Brien
- Bruce Hills, Chief Operating Officer of Just for Laughs

The show begins at 8 PM at Yuk Yuk’s, 224 Richmond Street West - west of University Ave between Simcoe & Duncan.  For reservations call 416-967-6425 or visit the online reservations desk.

And don’t forget to watch for the Comedy Network special.

On The Other Side of the Mic - Celebrity Judge Mike Bullard

Monday, March 15th, 2010

The 2010 Laugh Off has secured yet another celebrity judge. The one and only Mike Bullard will be joining us for the semi-finals as one of our distinguished judges.

mike-bullard

Most Canadians will recognize Bullard from his late-night talk show career, hosting Open Mike with Mike Bullard on CTV and The Mike Bullard Show on Global.

He currently hosts ‘The Mike Bullard Show’ on Talk820 Radio in Hamilton, Ontario.

Photo credit: jam.canoe.ca

Making Shinan Govani laugh gives you a chance to win $25K

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Are you at the top of your comical game? If you think you can make celebrity judge Shinan Govani laugh, then step up and deliver your best line.

Shinan Govani, columnist for the National Post and author of Boldface Names, is Canada’s most celebrated gossip columnist. He’s currently scheduled to judge one of the semi-final shows on March 26th. If you want a chance to command the stage in front of celebrity judges like Shinan, you better register fast! Registration closes on February 21st – that’s in 3 days!

Register now and show your comical worth.

Battle of the Marks; and one emerges as the $25K winner

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009

It was a battle of the Marks at the 2009 Yuk Yuk’s Laugh Off and in the end… Mark won.

Mark Little, that is, a geeky comic who now has a good reason for dropping out of grad school. In a close race, he won $25,000 and a chance at comedy stardom with his outstanding and risky set.

Runner up and winner of a year’s supply of mac and cheese went to Mark Forward, who had the audience in stitches with his off kilter routine about hampsters and reincarnation.

Yuk Yuk’s founder and CEO Mark Breslin kicked off the show with his darkly humourous intros, always original and edgy. He kept it moving as he introduced the top comics in the contest - all of whom had breakthrough sets.

“For the fourth year running, we have a Canadian winner,” Breslin said. “It goes to show how much comedy talent we have in this country and why I believe it’s the export that will get us out of the recession.  In terms of talent, my money was on one of the Marks to win.”

Mark Breslin and Yuk Yuk's Laugh Off winner Mark Little

Mark Breslin and Yuk Yuk's Laugh Off winner Mark Little (photo: Marko Shark)

We also want to give a special shout-out to our judges for this evening: Ashley Olivia, talent coordinator for The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien; Celia Joseph, researcher and comedy booker for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; Bruce Hills, chief operating officer for Just for Laughs; and Michelle Daly, director of content for The Comedy Network.

Another great Laugh Off is over. Til next year, good night everyone and keep those laughs rolling!

He ain’t heavy…

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

One of our esteemed judges, Kelly G, gave Ben Mulroney a real lift at last night’s show. (Please note Kelly is lifting Ben with one arm.)

Ben Mulroney & Kelly G.

Ben Mulroney & Kelly G.

As if the Laugh Off’s winning contestants weren’t high enough already, she still managed to boost their spirits.

Semi Finalist Allyson Smith & Kelly G.

Semi Finalist Allyson Smith & Kelly G.

Semi Finalist Mark Little & Kelly G.

Semi Finalist Mark Little & Kelly G.

In case you feel down, Kelly G. is always there to lift you up. She’ll be judging again at tonight’s show and you can discover more about her lifting escapades on her YouTube channel.

…and speaking of YouTube channels, we’ve started one for this year’s Laugh Off. We’ll be updating the site regularly as new video clips come in so be sure to keep checking back for fresh content.

Geeky comics move to semis

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Show 4 and the competition continues with performers from Jersey, London (Ontario), Detroit, Kitchener, Toronto and Philly, home of tonight’s MC, Tyrone Jamison.

The show was a mix of amateurs and pros. But two geeky, yet cheeky comics stole the show and took a second bow when Ben Mulroney announced they were moving to the semifinals:  Allyson Smith and Mark Little.

Special thanks to our judges, CTV’s Ben Mulroney, Toronto Sun’s Jim Slotek, Carlos Hicks, Carlos Hicks Talent Management and Jeff Marshall, Jeff Marshall Casting.

Allyson Smith

Allyson Smith

Mark Little

Mark Little

Finals judge profile: Michelle Daly

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

Michelle Daly began her career in humble positions such as ‘craft service girl’ and production assistant. As she climbed her way up the production ladder, Michelle took on associate producer and line producer roles for cult comedy shows such as Kids in the Hall.

Her experience, knowledge and skill - not to mention her moxie - have made her a perfect fit to work as director of content for The Comedy Network. Today she flexes her corporate muscles by overseeing the creative content on original productions such as HOTBOX, The Jon Dore Television Show, Keys to the VIP and various television specials.

michelle-dalypic

Finals judge profile: Bruce Hills

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Bruce Hills is CEO of Just For Laughs: The Montreal International Comedy Festival. Considered the world’s largest and most prestigious comedy event, stars such as Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook and Adam Sandler have graced its stage.

As CEO, Bruce has been the festival’s driving force for over 20 years. He’s responsible for all festival activities including original television programming seen in 125 countries and on networks such as HBO, Showtime, BBC, The Comedy Network and CBC.

He also oversees critically-acclaimed theatrical productions including the off-Broadway hit Evil Dead: The Musical and Family Guy Live in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

A veteran of the world of live comedy, Bruce was called the “most important man in international comedy” by the UK edition of GQ magazine in July 2008.

Bruce was also recognized by Variety magazine as one of the 50 individuals who impacted Comedy in 2006, alongside names such as Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron Cohen.

bruce-hills

Finals judge profile: Ashley Olivia

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Brand new to this year’s Laugh Off, Ashley Olivia is the talent coordinator for The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, which is set to debut in June 2009.

Graduating from Seton Hall University, she began her career as a production assistant for the promotional events company, Live Nation. In this role, she had the opportunity to work with bands such as The Rolling Stones and Green Day.

Ashley worked as a production assistant for Live! with Regis and Kelly as her initial job in the television business. In 2006, she made the switch from daytime to late night television joining the staff of the Emmy award winning Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

A New Jersey native, Ashley Olivia now resides in Los Angeles, California.

Ashley Olivia