The 30th Annual ComedySportz World Championship comes to Downtown San Jose

ComedySportz is a really fun concept where improv comics compete against one another. There is a large amount of audience participation and the competitions vary greatly, so each show is completely different. The San Jose ComedySportz troop runs their shows out of the Camera 3 theater, but there are actually 25 different ComedySportz locations throughout the world. 

Next week the ComedySportz World Championship is taking place in San Jose at the Hammer Theatre (now run by SJSU). This is the second time we will be hosting the World Championship, and San Jose won the first time we hosted it in 2006. You can find everything you need to know about the epic four-day event in the press release below. 

THE WORLD OF COMEDY COMES TO SAN JOSE

WHO: 30th Annual ComedySportz World Championship

WHAT: 22 ComedySportz teams from the United States and England will come together to battle for laughs. (See list of participating cities below)

WHEN: 

Wednesday, June 28  7:30pm Opening Ceremonies and First Match.  

Thursday, June 29  Championship Matches at 7:30pm

Friday, June 30  Championship Matches at 7:00pm and 9:30pm

Saturday, July 1  Semi-Final Matches at 4:00pm and 7:00pm.   FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH at 9:30pm followed by Awards Ceremony with presentation of the "Meaningless Cup” and Closing Party.

WHERE:  Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113 

WHY: This 30th annual event is fun, fast-paced, family-friendly improvisational comedy played as a sport. Two teams take turns making up scenes, playing games and singing songs – and the audience votes on which team they like best. This is serious funny business.   This is only the second time in the 30 years of the event that the Bay Area will host the games.  Sponsored by San Jose State University.

PRICES: Single Tickets $10 to $20.  All-Access Pass available for $75. (All four days; all events)

TICKETS: 408.924.8501 or https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/971732

Hammer Theatre Center Box Office is open weekdays 12-5pm and 2 hours prior to performance for both phone and walk-up sales. Located on Paseo de San Antonio between Second and Third Streets.

CITIES PARTICIPATING: Boise, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Manchester (England), Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Portland, Provo, Quad Cities, Richmond, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Jose, Seattle, Twin Cities and Washington DC.

SHORT BYTE FOR CALENDARS: The 30th annual ComedySportz World Championship will be held June 28 through July 1 in the beautiful Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo de San Antonio in the heart of downtown San Jose. Nearly two dozen teams from around the United States (and one from England) will compete over the four day event for pride and prizes with improvisational comedy, games and songs based on suggestions from the audience. Tickets are $10 to $20 at 408.924.8501 or online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/971732

PHOTOS: Photos by PJ Heller courtesy of ComedySportz San Jose.  Comedy as a sport! Two teams battle each other in an improvised comedy competition based entirely on audience suggestions. A referee calls penalties for boring or crude humor. If a player (or fan) uses “foul language" the referee can call the “Brown Bag Foul" and place a paper bag over the offenders head.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Representative teams from 22 improvisational comedy groups from across the United States and England will descend on San Jose June 28 through July 1 for the 2017 ComedySportz World Championship.

ComedySportz isn’t a comedy about sports, it’s comedy played AS a sport. It’s a competition between two teams competing for laughs and for points by making up scenes based on the audience suggestions. There are penalties, there are fouls, there’s a uniformed referee. This is serious funny business.

The four-day event, featuring workshops, public performances and impromptu improvisation sessions stretching into the early morning hours, kicks off on Wednesday June 28th at 7:30pm. San Jose’s own venerable ComedySportz team, founded in 1987, will participate in the opening match. On Saturday, July 1st, after that evening’s 9:30pm championship match, one team will emerge victorious and be awarded the "Meaningless Cup."

The ComedySportz concept, created by Dick Chudnow in Milwaukee in 1984, was inspired by the Canadian-born Theatersports enterprise. Chudnow gave it a sports-themed look and feel, incorporating uniformed referees and devising time limits and a point system that seemed to place the event somewhere between the NFL and "Who’s Line is it Anyway." Chudnow has described the ComedySportz ethos as family friendly, relatively foolproof and pretty much guaranteed to be goofy.

ABOUT US: CSz San Jose, the producer of ComedySportz was founded in 1987 and is licensed by CSz Worldwide, one of 25 teams in cities across the United States and two in Europe (Manchester England and Berlin Germany.) In addition to a year-round schedule of matches at their Arena in San Jose, they participate in programs and road shows for corporate, college, church, school and association clients each year, coach high school leagues, and lead corporate team-building and Applied Improv workshops. 2017 will be the second time that ComedySportz San Jose has hosted the World Championships and they won the title in 2006.

The Roughhouse sketch comedy show returns to San Jose

The Roughhouse is a sketch comedy group based in the Bay Area. Formed by Jimmy Snell, Marisa Hankins and Brandon Arnold in 2012. The Roughhouse has brought its carefully cultivated madness and mayhem to numerous venues and festivals, including SF Sketchfest and ShortLived.

Originating as a late night offering at the ComedySportz Theater in San Jose, The Roughhouse quickly outgrew their late night time slot and has performed sold-out shows at venues throughout the Bay Area. You can watch The Roughhouse on the first Saturday of every month at PianoFight Mainstage in San Francisco.

The Roughhouse is having three nights of homecoming shows celebrating their return to San Jose starting today. All Shows take place at the Black Cat Licorice Theater on 260 McEvoy Street near Downtown.

Website: http://roughhousecomedy.com/
Ticket info: https://www.vbotickets.com/tickets.asp?page=event&eid=13438&edid=46707

Dirty, Dirty Comedy from Roughhouse Comedy on Vimeo.

Do You Know the Way to San Jose? (From Brooklyn)

A couple years ago Glove and Boots--famous NYC puppeteers--did an epic twelve hour AMA on reddit. In a unique twist, they answered questions with videos produced on the spot. Below was their answer to "Do you know the way to San Jose?" Thanks to Kevin Zing for sending this in!

San Jose Native Comedian Phil Johnson Shooting 3rd Comedy Special at Art Boutiki!

Phil Johnson is a comedian that was raised in San Jose and still lives nearby. This Saturday (Nov 8th) he'll be filming his 3rd comedy special at Art Boutiki at 44 Race Street. He tours nationally and has appeared at the Sundance Film Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and can be heard on Sirius/XM radio's Raw Dog comedy station. This guy is hilarious, so go check him out and support a local entertainer!

Scroll down for more information and you can buy tickets over here.

LOUISVILLE, KY, - San Jose native and national comedian Phil Johnson is bringing his hilarious antics back home for a special filming of his 3rd DVD.

Johnson, who has appeared at the Sundance Film Festival, has an entertaining and action packed show filled with his two loves, comedy and music.  The comedian and singer/songwriter will be performing at The Art Boutiki, 44 Race St, San Jose, CA on Saturday, November 8th at 8 PM.

Advanced tickets for the “Comedy Special Taping with Phil Johnson” are on sale now for $10 per person or $15 for an advanced sale ticket including a DVD of Johnson’s performance. Tickets can be purchased online at http://bit.ly/philcomedyspecial. Tickets are $15 at the door.    

Comedy-goers can be part of the show and get their laughs with Johnson’s original music and stand up comedy.  His playful and good-humored songs are inspired by the oddities of everyday life, social issues and the flat out crazy things people do.

Johnson has performed at the Sundance Film Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Sirius and XM radio comedy station Raw Dog. He has multiple DVDs and CDs with his clever sidesplitting comedy available for purchase.

Johnson grew up in the Berryessa area of San Jose and now calls Milpitas home. More information on Phil Johnson can be found on his website: www.PhilJohnsonComedy.com.

The Colossal Show @ MACLA

On August 3rd, MACLA Art Gallery will be the host of the Colossal Show, a variety show featuring some of the funniest comedians and most talented musicians.

Having an art gallery as a venue allows comedians to practice an alternative brand of comedy and musicians a very intimate setting for a memorable performance. Audiences are also afforded the opportunity to support the local performing art scene away from cover charges and the two-item minimum.

It's also BYOB! Beer and Wine only, but bring as much as you'd like. Food is also welcomed.

Ben DelCastillo will be hosting a stellar line-up. The show features comedians: David Nguyen, Imran G-i, Clare O'Kane, and Nick Aragon! We're also excited to have musicians Shaanz and Brooke D share the stage!

$10 is all we ask. Most of the proceeds goes towards covering the cost of producing the show

RSVP online @ thecolossalshow.ticketleap.com or call (408) 256-2690

Doors open at 7:30pm and show starts at 8pm on Saturday, August 3rd, 2013.

Magic is Coming to the San Jose Improv Tomorrow!

World-renowned magicians Wayne Houchin and Aaron Fisher will present an evening of Mystery, Magic & Curiosities at the San Jose Improv on March 8th at 8 PM. This all-ages* show features cutting edge sleight-of-hand magic along with special musical guest Josh Funk.

Wayne Houchin worked with Criss Angel on the hit TV show Mindfreak, made headlines for predicting the exact outcome of the Super Bowl and recently made history in the Dominican Republic by stopping time for the entire nation – on live national television.

Aaron Fisher is a regular performer at the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sleight-of-hand artists in the world. His best selling magic book The Paper Engine has been hailed as a modern day classic.

*The poster says ages 13+, but management has decided to open the show up to younger children (10+) as well.

San Jose Improv - SPECIAL EVENTS

I have been to both the Punchline and Cobb's Comedy Club in SF, and have to say I have always had a better experience ant the Improv in downtown. The seating is better, location is better, and we've consistently been getting top tier acts month after month. If you've never been to a live comedy show before, this is the place to go. You'll probably be coming back for more.

Here is a list of some of the "special events" coming this summer (Improv's way of saying: "these our our big name acts"):

Jim Breuer: Jun 25-28

Josh Blue: Aug 14-16

Kevin Nealon: Aug 21-22

Eddie Griffin: Sep 11-12

Gabriel Iglesias: Sep 25-27

I've seen Jim Breuer, Josh Blue, and Gabriel Iglesias... all were amazing. By the end of Gabriel Iglesias' routine I was laughing so hard I was almost in tears. Gabriel also gets respect for brining in San Jose Lightrail and pedicabs into some of his jokes.

Dane Cook @ HP Pavilion, Sun 5/31

Here's the news release:

Fresh on the heels of the announcement of his Comedy Central special and comedy album, ISolated INcident, comedian Dane Cook has now announced plans to take his material on the road with the ISolated INcident - Global Thermo Comedy Tour. Touted as the largest comedy tour in history, Cook will travel within the US, Canada, Africa, Brazil, Australia, UK and Germany.

Tickets range from $30 to $100 and can be purchased here!