The Milwaukee Comedy Festival celebrates 13 years of laughs during the first five days of August with, appropriately enough, 13 different shows and events at several local venues. As it has throughout its history, the festival will feature the best professional comedy acts from across the country—including stand-up, sketch and improvisational comedy routines. Given the nasty, unprincipled demagogue currently occupying our nation’s highest office, people seem to be in a worse-than-normal overall mood these days. Perhaps a good dose of laughs—and the concomitant endorphin release—is just what the doctor ordered.
Attendees are certain to experience political humor, but Matt Kemple, the festival’s creator and co-producer, said they shouldn’t expect that to be the whole picture by any means. “The Milwaukee Comedy Festival is not a political event and does not take a political side when choosing performers or making decisions on the content the festival will present,” he wrote in an email to the Shepherd Express. “We try to create an environment that everyone can be a part of and feel welcome. Will there be Trump jokes? Of course, but there will also be intelligent humor—jokes about unicorns, puns and who knows what else.”
When asked how he thought the Milwaukee Comedy Festival should be described or viewed, Kemple wrote, “I would love to see the festival presented as one of the highest quality live comedy shows you can see outside of New York or Los Angeles, and that’s why it’s special—because we can bring a group of people together to laugh together—a really positive way to interact, as opposed to bringing people together with anger or fear.”
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The Milwaukee Comedy Festival (MCF) was founded in 2006 as the “Sketch and Improv Comedy Festival” to embrace and spotlight comedy in Milwaukee. From somewhat humble origins, it’s grown over the years into Wisconsin’s foremost annual comedy event. Rather than just featuring one local comic after another telling jokes, as the event’s website states, it has a larger mission and vision: “MCF aspires to cultivate an active comedy community where performers can hone their craft, create new and exciting comedy and foster an inviting environment for both audiences and fellow performers. Over the years, more than 18,000 people have laughed with the Milwaukee Comedy Festival. Audiences have traveled from all parts of Wisconsin to attend the state’s biggest comedy event of the year.”
From its very beginning, the festival has brought in performers from across the U.S. and Canada. MCF performers have gone on to appear in movies and TV shows, the latter including shows on Comedy Central, HBO, Saturday Night Live, MAD TV, Netflix, BET and more.
No single stage will see all the MCF performers; as usual, locations throughout the greater Milwaukee area are hosting live comedy as part of the festival. These venues include The Underground Collaborative, Lakefront Brewery and Turner Hall Ballroom. Club Garibaldi hosts the “unofficial” kick-off with a “Roast of Milwaukee” on Monday, July 30.
The Magical Vagical Mystery Tour Returns
The most attention-grabbing MCF special event this year includes “The Daily Show” co-creator Lizz Winstead with comedy/political-social activism show Lady Parts Justice League’s “Vagical Mystery Tour” on Thursday, Aug. 2. As MCF’s website describes it: “LPJL’s second-annual Vagical Mystery Tour will make you laugh, dance and learn how to fight for reproductive rights! This show will not only present some of the most hilarious and sought-after comedians in the business, but will also include an informal post-show talkback with abortion providers and activists who will break down what’s at stake for abortion rights in your state and offer tangible ways for you to roll up your sleeves and fight back.”
“LPJL is the reproductive rights organization that uses humor and outrage to fight back online and on the ground against enemies of reproductive freedom,” says the festival’s organizer, Matt Kemple. “Part USO, part Habitat for Humanity, LPJL is the only nonprofit that travels the country doing comedy and providing aid and comfort to independent clinics in hostile states.” Given Republican (i.e. anti-choice) control over the governor’s office and state legislature, a visit to the hostile state of Wisconsin seems most apropos. The show features comedians Aida Rodriguez, Gina Obedapo Yashere and South Milwaukee-born Jackie Kashian.
In summary, the 2018 Milwaukee Comedy Festival official line-up currently is as follows:
Wednesday, Aug. 1
Official Kick-Off at Lakefront Brewery, featuring Jake Snell, Omar Nava, Amanda Averell and Pranav Behari.
Thursday, Aug. 2
Lady Parts Justice League at The Underground Collaborative, featuring Lizz Winstead, Aida Rodriguez, Jackie Kashian and Gina Obedapo Yashere.
Friday, Aug. 3
Festival Headliner Event at Turner Hall Ballroom featuring Colin Quinn, and comedians Jeena Bloom, Sharup Karim, Mike Hover and Buzz Off Lucille at The Underground Collaborative.
Saturday, Aug. 4
Five different comedy shows featuring several stand-up, improv and sketch performers at The Underground Collaborative throughout the afternoon and evening. Performers include Ilana Gordon, Personal Space, Elijah Holbrook, Goodlanders, Dana Ehrmann, The Comic Thread, Brittany Tilander, U Name It Improv, Drew Flagge and more.
Sunday, Aug. 5
Three different comedy shows featuring several stand-up, improv and sketch performers at The Underground Collaborative. Performers include Jared Wing, Commitment Issues, Adam McShane, Kristin Lytie, Vik Pandya and more. The final show, “The Best of the Fest,” takes place at 7:30 p.m.
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For the complete 2018 Milwaukee Comedy Festival schedule and tickets, visit mkecomedyfest.com.
