Traverse City, MI (February 18, 2013) — The 2013 Traverse City Winter Comedy Arts Festival wrapped up Sunday with more comedians, more admissions, more bonfires, more kids dancing on Front Street, more movies, more cherries, and more Water Winter Wonderland than ever before.

The four-day celebration of good humor surrounded by large drifts of snow logged 16,000 admissions indoors, and saw outdoor crowds that far exceeded the festival’s wildest expectations for this first-ever collaboration between the festival organizer — Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival — and their new partner, the National Cherry Festival.

More than 50 comedians and filmmakers took the stage during the festival to entertain the audiences, who endured sub-freezing temperatures and ice-packed roads to attend the performances. Colin Quinn and Kathleen Madigan opened the festival to sold out houses, and the great Dick Gregory delighted audiences with a 90-minute concert after receiving the TC Comedy Fest “Legends Award” from Michael Moore.

“What you need in Traverse City,” observed Gregory, “are more white people.” He added, “I absolutely love it here.”

This year’s festival also featured appearances by the “World Champion” of everything, Judah Friedlander (“30 Rock”); Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman (husband and wife on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), and a long list of America’s top stand-up comics, including Doug Benson, Todd Barry, Robert Wuhl, Neal Brennan, Ian Edwards, John Fugelsang, Eddie Pepitone, T.J. Miller and Pete Holmes.

Saturday night also saw the start of a new annual festival tradition with Paul Provenza and Troy Conrad’s “Set List: Stand Up Without a Net,” which featured seven comedians who braved the stage to improvise stand up sets based on topics shown to them on the spot for the first time.

Audiences were proclaimed to be “good laughers, but even better lovemakers” by festival co-founders Jeff Garlin and Michael Moore, who wrapped the live performance portion of the festival on Saturday night with the best-ever version of Garlin’s annual Late Night Combo Platter in front of a standing room only crowd of happy, free ticket holders in the basement of Horizon Books.

Outdoors, the hugely popular Monster Dog Pull featured canine entrants from the smallest of pooches to three beautiful Newfoundlands who were later found enjoying a pastrami and cheese at Frenchies. The Friday night bonfire and the Saturday night laser light shows were also big crowd pleasers. “The outdoor ‘Free and Frozen on Front’ venue was met with great enthusiasm. From the Ferris Wheel, to the ice skating rink to the sledding hill, there were thousands of happy festivalgoers participating all weekend long, non-stop,” said National Cherry Festival Executive Director Trevor Tkach.

Over $1,300 was raised at the Cherry Pancake Breakfast, held in the Park Place dome on Sunday morning. Proceeds will benefit the Fresh Food Partnership and local area food pantries.

The festival’s newest venue, the InsideOut Gallery, was home to fringe shows, improv and Michigan comedians — and saw near capacity audiences at almost every show.

More than 600 volunteers and 250 individual and business sponsors pitched in to make the event possible.

“It has been a powerfully good thing working with the great people at the National Cherry Festival. The volunteers and sponsors were unfailingly generous and brilliant. And I’m particularly proud of the job our weather manager did for us — the huge snowflakes and sunshine were magical,” said Traverse City Film Festival Executive Director Deb Lake. “We couldn’t have asked for better, in any category.”

“What can I say?”  said festival co-founder and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore. “This year’s festival — the third one we’ve put on — was our second best one yet. The comedians were funny, the audiences were funny and the guy who thought of building a 50-foot high Ferris Wheel and plopping it in the middle of Front Street, he’s pretty funny, too.”

Festival watchers said the “Frozen Ferris Wheel” idea was, in fact, Moore’s, as was the crazy idea to take a hose and flood Front Street, turning it into an instant “People’s Ice Rink” (as he called it).

Added festival co-founder and TV and film star Jeff Garlin: “Next year, we’re installing a Tilt-a-Whirl and a zip line from the Park Place Hotel to the Captain’s Quarters Men’s Haberdashery, with a quick stop at the fudge shop.” Garlin did not explain which of Traverse City’s 47 fudge shops he was referring to.

So will the festival now continue to be an annual event?

“Absolutely,” said Moore. “There is simply no way we can go through nine months of winter up here without a break for some insane, mad laughter. Before the comedy fest, most of us looked like Jack Nicholson in ‘The Shining’ by February. Now, with the Comedy Fest, we’re all more like a Canadian version of the Kardashians.”

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SOUP’R BOWL
Blue Ribbon and 1st Place: Aerie Restaurant & Lounge for their Chicken Chipotle
2nd Place: The Kitchen for their Buffalo Chicken Soup
3rd Place: Bubba’s Restaurant for their Harvest Chicken Chowder

BED RACE
Bed Race Grand Mattress Prize Winner: Team Noname, 12.2 seconds

HOT CHOCOLATE MADNESS
Best Hot Chocolate: TIE!
Good Harbor’s Cream Milk Hot Chocolate and
Grand Traverse Pie Company’s Banana Cream Pie Hot Chocolate

SNOWBLOWER RACES
Snowblower King: Matt Thomas

ROWBOAT RACES
1st Place: Team Anonymous
2nd Place: Team Super Awesome

MONSTER DOG PULL
Overall Winner – Best Time
Sully and Lori Tulppo, 2.91 seconds

20 pounds or less
1st Place: Traverse and Romulus Albu
2nd Place: Scooby and Norman Bowbeer
3rd Place: Torrey Pines and Carolyn Philips

21-40 pounds
1st Place: Chase and Chase Humes
2nd Place: Bode and Bode Burdo
3rd Place: Maiya and Samantha Soden

41-60 pounds
1st Place: Sully and Lori Tulppo
2nd Place: Lily and Michael Groleau
3rd Place: Hank and Marie Baker

61-80 pounds
1st Place: Ailchu and Michael O’Neil
2nd Place: Eddy and Theresa Covcoran
3rd Place: Blue and Chris Hoover

81-100 pounds
1st Place: Missy and Jeffrey Mezeske
2nd Place: Stout and Karly Wentzloff
3rd Place: Luna and Craig Rosenberg

101 pounds or more
1st Place: Ted and Mary Rosenburg
2nd Place: Sir Arthur and Chris Bork
3rd Place: Zeplin and Michael X

DOWNTOWN WINDOW DISPLAY COMPETITION
1st Place: Cherry Republic
2nd Place: Sweet Pea
3rd Place: Toy Harbor

I know that this is your first visit here Allan, but downtown Traverse City has really transformed for the festival. Anything catch your eye yet?

I think I need to go on the ferris wheel. But did you see the sledding hill? I haven’t gone sledding since I was 26. Go ahead and laugh, I grew up in Miami. But when I lived in New York, my girlfriend was from Rochester. She took me home one weekend and we were in the garage when I was like Is that a real sled? Really though, I was like a kid. She couldn’t get me off that sled all day.

A kid, eh? And what exactly were you like as a kid—funny?

Okay here’s a good story for you. So, my parents were two religions: My dad Catholic, my mom extremely Catholic. I went to Catholic school, with kindergarten in 1960. I was 6 years old. Two eighth-grade boys put up this giant tape recorder with mics the size of your head. The nuns told us that we were all going to speak our names into the recorder and whatever boy and girl spoke loudest and clearest would play the priest and the nun in the kindergarten ceremony. The kids were going up and just mumbling into the mic. I wasn’t one of those kids. I remember the tape being played back and hearing the mumble.. mumble… ALLAN HAVEY! The whole class turned around and looked at me. And you have to remember, it was a different day back then. Children were seen and not heard. For me to get all this attention from adults while I was on stage, I was hooked. They were looking at me, smiling, and laughing. I loved it. It was like God took a branding iron, and was like You’re going to be a performer. So after the priesthood I took up being the class clown.

Sounds like you found a natural niche. Did anybody help you develop that along the way?

There was one person who had a huge influence on my career—an acting professor from the community college back in Miami. I actually went down there a while ago just to make sure he knew how much I really cherished what he did. More than anyone, he exemplified confidence on stage and owning what you’re doing.

And has there ever been anything else you wanted to do besides comedy?

Massage therapy. That’s what I wanted to do. I was getting tired of waiting tables when I was in New York and all my girlfriends told me I had good hands. I got fired at the bar and so I started studying up on massage therapy. But right at that same time, stand-up starting taking off for me and I was getting busy with all the gigs.

Was there a specific gig when you knew you’d arrived?

The first time I really killed it on stage was in New York. I was doing open mic at a bar in Westchester. Got a 500 dollar tip that night… Turns out it was actually a mob bar. I’d say it was a good place to have a good show.

For more Northern Michigan events, restaurants, and vacation ideas visit MyNorth.com!

Like most of the comedians at the festival, this is your first visit to Traverse City. Have we made any particular impression so far?

Well I just flew in from New York Thursday night and then my girlfriend and I spent an afternoon wandering around town. To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out the Midwest—everyone’s so nice!

It’s true. We are. And clearly humble about it, too. So what’d you find while you wandered?

We checked out a few shops, like the cherry store and stuff like that. I didn’t realize it was the cherry capital. To be honest, I don’t eat a lot of cherries… But it was cool. And yeah we just walked around. When I’m not performing I really don’t do anything terribly exciting. I like normal stuff, getting coffee… eating…

Any idea what you would do then if you didn’t pursue stand-up?

If I wasn’t a comedian? No I really don’t know what I’d be. Maybe a lawyer? It seems like a fun job. Then again, maybe not… I don’t know! I got an english degree because I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

But that’s a degree that seems to benefit your sketch writing, right? How do you go about doing that?

Experience. That’s how I write. I’m living life and when a moment strikes, I think, Can I bring this to the stage? Often, it’s if I can remember to write it down. And it’s always good to write down the details… I tell myself Oh I’ll remember that and then I never do.

You’ve definitely remembered enough to get you where you are today. Can you describe that journey?

I started stand-up in 1987 in Florida for an open mic night. I’d been watching comedy a lot on tv and thought I’d try it, and it worked out for me. From there I moved to New York. It’s a tough scene to break there but I knew that’s what it would take. And, I’m originally from New York so I knew that I wanted to get back there eventually.

Did you have any performing experience before your first attempt at stand-up?

Nothing major. I was in band, played the drums, and did a few plays in college. But no, not a lot of stage experience.

Well now that you’ve accumulated all this experience, how do you handle unresponsive audiences?

It happens. It’s called bombing. You just try to get through it and turn it around the best you can. But sometimes, I’ll acknowledge the tension on stage. Sometimes I’ll even yell at the audience, tell them they’re bad people. And that’s standup. Some things come out spontaneously.

Does the prospect of that ever make you nervous? Any pre-performance quirks for luck?

Normally I’ll pace around before the show. You know, go to the bathroom 10 times. Okay, maybe not 10. But I’ll go over the show however many times and that’s all you can do.

And tonight’s your last show of the festival. Where are you headed next?

After this weekend I’ll be heading to New York. It’s always in and out of town. And that’s good, because if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t be making any money!

Last one— You mentioned your girlfriend is here in town with you. Are you celebrating Valentine’s Day in Traverse City?

We actually celebrated before we left. It’s a fine holiday. You get to buy chocolate. So, I’m alright with that.

For more on restaurants, events, and all things Northern Michigan, visit MyNorth.com!

Traverse City, MI––The 2013 Winter Comedy Arts Festival has officially begun roaring through Northern Michigan. The hilarity kicked off with last night’s lively performances by Colin Quinn and Kathleen Madigan. And, as more headliners trickle into town, we’re catching up with the comedians for some pre-show pleasantry. We snagged a phone date with funny guy Sheng Wang before his late night flight into Detroit. Sure, he’s clever, witty and all those things that comedians are. But he’s a softie too. As he made his way through the city traffic (we could literally hear the taxis honking through the line), he casually described the Valentine’s dinner he’d be whipping up for his sweetie back home. What’s he got cooking for us in Traverse City? Read on.

So this is your first visit to Traverse City. Maybe you’ve already heard, but we’re known as the Cherry Capital. That said, very serious question: You like cherries?

Cherries? Like the fruit?! I didn’t know that! But yeah of course I’m a fan. I normally eat my cherries, you know, regular and raw….  I guess preferably washed, first. But yeah I like cherries.

You’re in New York City now, but is there anything that you already find humorous about Northern Michigan?

Hm. Well last time I came to Northern Michigan I was in the Houghton airport. At that time it must’ve been the smallest airport I’d ever seen. I remember thinking that it was this perfect little hallway size for parking the plane. But aside from that, I’m wondering about the name “Traverse City.” Isn’t “traverse” a verb? Where’d that come from? Maybe I can figure that one out when I’m there…

You absolutely should. But tell me more about how you got to this point in your career. Had you always planned on pursuing stand-up?

I didn’t. I’m from Texas and moved to California for college and earned a very general degree in business administration. But when I think about college, my top experiences weren’t so much in those core classes as they were in the humanities. I took a poetry class and ended up really liking it. And at that time a girl had just broken up with me, so, isn’t that why anyone ever writes poetry?

Darn those girls. So how’d you transition that into comedy?

Well I remember the post-graduation period being insanely stressful. Everyone freaks out, unless they already have amazing amounts of money or had a job planned out earlier in the year. That wasn’t me. For me and my buddies, it was like, you move out, try to find a cool place to live, and just figure out life. Looking back, it was a hard time, so emotionally taxing. And it was frustrating, because you feel like you need to know every thing right away. And that’s not how it works. After graduation I thought about a handful of careers—maybe a CPA or a financial analyst—well I ended up working at a photography store. I loved photography and always enjoyed things more on the creative side.  So I pursued that for a while. And then I thought I’d try again to be a poet. Only, this time, I thought I’d attempt to make it funny.

So were you always that funny kid?

Growing up, I don’t think I was ever funny. I was never the class clown or the comedian of the family… I was just me, Jerry. When I was in grade school my mom let me pick out a name just so it’d be easier for people to pronounce.  I chose Jerry— as in the mouse from Tom & Jerry. I really liked the show and I thought it worked well! And it did, until a few grades later, in walks this other guy named Jerry Wang. Seriously. And so that’s when I embraced Sheng…

Can you describe Sheng today? Just throw out a few words?

1) Racadocious*

2) Fancy… Ooh, but 3) casual.

4) Um, human?

5) And Hungry. Like, yes, gastro-intestinally, but also intellectually.

**Dear Sheng: Is that really a word?

I imagine developing new material can be a hefty intellectual process. With everyday experiences are you simultaneously thinking Oh this would be really funny, or is it an after-thought?

Definitely a combination there. Normally the stuff I do on a regular basis isn’t very obvious. They’re not typically things you immediately see humor in. And that’s kind of something that I find difficult about the job. You never know when you’re not working. I used to always carry around a pad of paper and a pen, just to jot things down and come back to when I’m trying to transform these regular experiences into comedy. Now I feel like I do just about everything on my phone, but I’m still always taking notes. And I try to schedule in writing time every day.

So then you take all these developed ideas to a room of strangers who either laugh or awkwardly stare you down on stage.  What do you do when it’s the latter?

Oh man that happens all the time. That’s just stand-up. Actually, last night I didn’t connect with my audience. I don’t know if it was that they didn’t know my language, or I didn’t know theirs… Sometimes there’s just that disconnect.

Then what makes an especially good show for you?

The best performances are when I’m trying out new material. When you get used to telling the same jokes, the most rewarding part of the job is making a new adjustment. They’re small creations that sometimes make all the difference and can just kill the audience. It’s creativity.

Well we’re excited to see what you’ve created for Northern Michigan this weekend! After Traverse City’s Winter Comedy Arts wraps up, what next?

I’ll be heading back to New York after this weekend. I’ve been traveling all around for years, and that’s great, but now I think I’d like to spend some time where I pay rent.

For more info on Traverse City restaurants, places to stay and fun in Northern Michigan, visit MyNorth.com!

Watch the trailer and read an interview with Director Larry Brand below!

Can you give us a brief sketch of the movie?

LARRY BRAND: I heard about the Coexist Comedy Tour where representatives of the major religions would each do a set of comedy, making fun of each other and of themselves. I thought it would be interesting to shoot the Sacramento show with 4 cameras, like a concert film and see what happened.

After the show, we learned that the Christian comedian had decided not to sign. That put us in the awkward position of having a film about coexistence where the comedians couldn’t coexist.

Most of the movie is about the search to fill that role. Why was it so challenging and what was the ultimate impact on the film?

LB: One of the running themes through the film is “What do you think is the funniest religion?” Some of the comedians would argue it’s their own, but there are funny people from all religions.  I think it’s how you say it – it’s like Christian Rock. When you have someone who presents themselves as a Christian comedian, they tend to have a sanitized presentation.

We held auditions and found quite a few funny people in that search, and quite a number who where not. The story of how we got to our comedian is fun and intriguing, and I think it shows how you can turn disadvantages into advantages. Losing our Christian comedian ultimately made it a funnier film.

Ultimately we ended up with John Fugelsang. He’s such a pro and rounded out the set quite nicely.

The central premise of your film is to get comedians from all these religions together to see if they can coexist. What was the most important thing you learned through the film that might make this possible?

LB: I find that the only thing I learn from making films is how to make films. What I found in the film is the same thing you find in any endeavor: that it’s hard to get along. When you get any group together there’s a lot of tension that occurs.

Ultimately, this film is an hour a half of entertainment. We’re not creating world peace here.

Tell us about your Traverse City connection.

LB: I’ve been to the Traverse City Film Festival four or five times, and I enjoy myself any time. This is the third film I’ve made with (Leland-based producers) Rebecca Reynolds & Jim Carpenter, so this isn’t the first time that our NY/LA/Traverse City product has come to Traverse City. We are finishing another film called Girl on the Train.

Do you have a favorite winter hat?

I love the cold, I actually had to move from LA to New York in the winter because I don’t like warm winters. I have friends who complain about the cold in New York City, so every so often I will take off my jacket and shirt and walk a few blocks. I’ve done it as cold as 22 degrees, so if anyone in Traverse City there is complaining about the cold, they might get a performance.

I may wear a hat. I may not. In fact, I’ll challenge both Mike & Jeff to a shirtless walk down Front Street.

Stay tuned and get your tickets for the Coexist Comedy Tour at 1 PM on Saturday, February 16th at the State Theatre…

Judah plays Frank on the show, the wisecracking comedy writer with a closetfull of baseball caps. “30 Rock” has won countless Emmys and Friedlander himself won an Independent Spirit Award for his role in the film “American Splendor.”

Considered one of the best standups working today, The World Champion Judah Friedlander is bringing his Standup Tour for a stop here in Traverse City.

We’re putting the tickets on sale right now for the shows Friday and Saturday at 10:30 pm at the City Opera House. Click here to order your tickets.

See you this weekend!

When the history of American humor is written, these are the people they will talk about — along with Roseanne and Joan Rivers and other women who somehow made it through the glass door of comedy. Black Americans had been shut out, too, unless they were willing to perform demeaning racial stereotypes that made white people howl with laughter.

And then along came Dick Gregory. He broke through and played in once-segregated clubs. He was the first African American comedian to appear on a number of TV shows. And then he made the next leap — to *verbotten* political and topical humor. This made him one of the most famous comedians of his generation — and it made him dangerous. Because he carried a weapon called humor. Satire. Hilarious ridicule. Some white people didn’t take too kindly to being laughed at for wearing pointy hoods or thinking they would catch something if they drank from the same drinking fountain as a Negro.

Dick Gregory paved the way for so many other comedians who came after him. He marched with Dr. King and was considered a leader in the civil rights movement. America had never experienced anything like him. And what made it all work was that he was so damn funny!

And he still is. He continues to make audiences laugh at the crazy times in which we live.

And we are honored he accepted my request for him to appear at our 3rd Traverse City Winter Comedy Arts Festival!

If you want to see an American legend, if you love George Carlin and Chris Rock and Richard Pryor and Stephen Colbert, then don’t miss this one-show-only performance from the dean of American comedy, Mr. Dick Gregory.

(At the end of the show, we will present him with our TC Comedy Fest Legends Award, previously given to Roseanne and John Waters.)

Don’t wait till this sells out — get your tickets to see Dick Gregory today!

Best,

Michael Moore