<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal">Press Release<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Contact: Joe Hannum 440-463-5091 <a href="mailto:joehannum@gmail.com">joehannum@gmail.com</a><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> or
Rodney Bengston 440-334-0141 <a href="mailto:rodbengston@sbcglobal.net">rodbengston@sbcglobal.net</a><span class="gmail-MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:windowtext"><span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="gmail-MsoHyperlink"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:107%"> Cleveland Comedy Festival back for 9<sup>th</sup>
year of laughs<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:107%">
<span></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:107%">Comedy contest, ‘Cleveland All Stars,’
‘Cleveland Tonight!’ among highlights <span></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">The
Cleveland Comedy Festival is back for its ninth year featuring a bit of
everything for all tastes and the chance to see up and coming comedians set to
make their marks.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">“The
festival always gives us the chance to show off Cleveland’s great comedic
tradition to the local people here as well as the comedians who come to
participate in it,” said Cleveland ComedyFestival co-director Joe Hannum.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">One of
the festival highlights is the <b>annual contest final set for 9:30 p.m. Saturday,
Nov. 19, at the Hanna Theatre</b> in Playhouse Square. The contest has 48
contestants from throughout the United States vying for the top $2,000 prize. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the
door.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Many
of our comedy contest winners have seen their profiles raised after winning our
festival,” Hannum said. “After winning our contest, 2013 contest winner
Brad Wenzel got invited to the Great American Comedy Festival and won that, which is held in
Nebraska to honor Johnny Carson.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Other show
highlights include:</b> <span style="line-height:150%"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:150%"><b>Cleveland’s
own Jason Lawhead</b>, who worked at Hilarities and spearheaded the growth of the
local comedy scene years ago, returns home to share the stage with own of his
comedy mentors <b>Jimmy Shubert </b>in a show on Thursday Nov. 17th at Sachsenheim
Hall. <b>Both Lawhead and Shubert have
appeared on NBC’s Last Comic Standing</b> (Shubert was a finalist in 2014) and
headline comedy clubs and theaters all over the country. They will appear together for one night only
on 11/17, tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent:0.5in"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent:0.5in"><b>Mike Polk Jr. is coming back at
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19</b> to the <b>Hanna Theatre</b> with another</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:0.5in"><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">version of “Cleveland Tonight!” with the special theme of
“We Can Be Heroes” featuring the music of <span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">David Bowie tribute band Diamond Dogs with all net proceeds
aiding The Greater Cleveland Food Bank. <span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent:0.5in">A<b> Cleveland All-Stars show is set for 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 at the Hanna Theatre</b> featuring local</span><span style="text-indent:0.5in"> </span>favorites <b>Jeff Blanchard, Juanda Mayfield, Dave Arena and
Bill Squire</b>. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent:0.5in"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent:0.5in">A bit of theater gets thrown in
with <b>“The Madness of Tyler Whidden” set for shows at 7:30 and </b></span><b>9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19 in Playhouse Square’s Kennedy
Theatre</b>. It will showcase a collection of short plays from Cleveland-born playwright and comedian
<b>Tyler Whidden</b> written during his three years as a writer and performer for MidnightMadness. With topics
touching on religion, politics, family and rock & roll, this show starring Cleveland actors
promises to be a hilarious romp through the twisted mind of one of Cleveland’s own<span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);background-image:initial;background-color:rgb(253,253,253);background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial">. (In
association with Cleveland's Ensemble Theatre.) Tickets are $10 in </span><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);background-color:rgb(253,253,253)">advance and $12 at the door.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);text-indent:0.5in;background-color:rgb(253,253,253)"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);text-indent:0.5in;background-color:rgb(253,253,253)">For a
chance to see the newest comedians on the scene, the <b>Class Clown Graduation
show is set </b></span><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);background-color:rgb(253,253,253)"><b>for 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20 in
Kennedy’s Theatre featuring children 10-17 performing their first 5-minute </b></span><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);background-color:rgb(253,253,253)"><b>stand-up routine.</b> “We’re always
surprised by how well the kids do after a four-week workshop,” </span><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);background-color:rgb(253,253,253)">Hannum said. Tickets are $10 in
advance and $12 at the door.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);text-indent:0.5in;background-color:rgb(253,253,253)"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);text-indent:0.5in;background-color:rgb(253,253,253)">For
information on all Cleveland Comedy Festival shows at Playhouse Square visit </span><a href="http://www.clevelandcomedyfestival.com/"><span style="background-image:initial;background-color:rgb(253,253,253);background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial">www.clevelandcomedyfestival.com</span></a><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);background-image:initial;background-color:rgb(253,253,253);background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial">, </span><a href="http://www.playhousesquare.org/"><span style="background-image:initial;background-color:rgb(253,253,253);background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial">www.playhousesquare.org</span></a><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);background-image:initial;background-color:rgb(253,253,253);background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"> or call (216) 241-6000.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(41,41,41);background-image:initial;background-color:rgb(253,253,253);background-size:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:0.5in"><i><span style="color:black">The Cleveland Comedy Festival is a 501c3 non-profit arts
organization committed to promoting <span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:black">Cleveland’s rich comedic history and securing its vibrant
future. Festival sponsors include <span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:black">Ambiance, Playhouse Square, Hilarities, oWOW Cleveland, the
Funny Stop, the Bop Stop, Sachsenheim <span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:black">Hall and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.<span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:0.5in"><span></span></p><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. ~ Goethe</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://thank%20you%20so%20much%20for%20the%20warm%20welcome%20to%20bridge%20builders%20-%20%20i%27m%20really%20thrilled%20about%20being%20part%20of%20this%20year%27s%20class%21%20%20i%27d%20love%20to%20chat%20with%20you%20about%20your%20experience%20in%20the%20program.%20do%20you%20have%20time%20for%20coffee%20in%20the%20end%20of%20august/beginning%20of%20September?%20%20Many%20thanks,%20%20%20Liz%20Huff" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-size:small" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></div><div><a href="http://lizhuff.bandcamp.com/" style="font-size:small;color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">lizhuff.bandcamp.com</a></div><div dir="ltr"><div><a href="https://twitter.com/Twinkletoz" target="_blank">Twitter/Twinkletoz</a></div><div><a href="http://lizhuff.net/" target="_blank">lizhuff.net/</a><br></div><div><a href="http://www.bossycatproductions.com/" target="_blank">bossycatproductions.com</a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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