Starting with a community kick-off celebration held at Rosa Parks Circle on Thursday, Mar. 9, 5:30 p.m, LaughFest 2017 is inviting those looking to have their funny bone tickled with their West Michigan Live Mannequin Challenge.
From there, the fun doesn’t end until Sunday, March 19.
Highlights of this year’s festival include many showcase series that are quite popular with locals, as well as a long list of new faces and headliners offering truly something for everyone.
A few standouts that could get overlooked as headliners create big buzz are those special events that are connected to various organizations and issues of interest to members of our region.
For starters, Samuel J. Comroe will be at The B.O.B. (Thursday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.) as a part of partnership with DisArt -- a biennial festival devoted to the arts and their intersection with disability.
Comroe has been featured on Conan O’Brien and BET's “Real Husbands of Hollywood” with Kevin Hart (alum of LaughFest) and has received top honors during San Francisco Comedy Competition and the Ricky Gervais Just Saying Stand-up Competition.
Even LaughRX is back with Disability Advocates of Kent County's The Real & Funny Side of Living Life with a Disability with comics hailing from our local scene. It is sure to be a wild night of fresh talent on the stage at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
Another highlight is the chance to laugh through the pain of comic Jeanette Rizzi, daughter of a monk and nun raised in Florida, whose “Blindsided" show at Dog Story Theater (Saturday, March 18, 5 p.m.) explores the comic depths she experienced after the suicide of her best friend. Rizzo’s show is about finding hope during seemingly hopeless times.
Lastly, Rapid Growth’s Publisher Tommy Allen will join hosts Dan and Michele Terpstra, DJ Snax, Emcee Fred Stella, #WeRFunnyGirls, Pop Scholars, Stu McCallister, Nancy Gallardo, Teresa Thome, and seven other presenters on stage at Wealthy Theatre for the fast-paced and personal PechaKucha.
Japanese for “chit chat,” PechaKucha is sure to tickle the funny bone as presenters will have just 20 slides that are on screen for a total of 20 seconds each to visually illustrate their story with the audience. This quick format means that mayhem is sure to happen, and that is sure to bring laughter in unexpected places throughout the evening.
So, while LaughFest is turning seven this year, it appears to be just as fresh and committed to showcasing the best in emerging, diverse and established talent right here in West Michigan. Besides, being a part of this annual festival is the best way to chase the blues of this year away.