A series of standup comedy showcases will culminate with the crowning of the Funniest Person in Oklahoma City and give local comics the chance to perform in front of some movers and shakers from the entertainment industry.
“The point of this is kind of thing is to get local comics in front of industry people,” said BradChad Porter, who organized the tournament with fellow OKC Comedy founders Spencer Hicks and Cameron Buchholtz.*
It opened recently at ACM@UCO Performance Lab, 329 E. Sheridan Ave.
“This is the first year we’re doing this contest, but the breakdown is this: six preliminary showcases, six nights,” Porter said. “We’ll take two comics out of each show and move them on to the final round.”
Those finalists will compete for a $1,000 first-place prize and perform in front of some accomplished and well-connected judges.
“The preliminary rounds will be judged by local celebrities, TV personalities, people like that,” he said. “But for the finals, one of our judges is the comedy booking agent for South by Southwest and Bonaroo. One was Marc Maron’s producer, and the other is the lady who runs the Riot LA comedy festival in Los Angeles.”
The group hopes the event becomes an annual showcase.
“We’d like to have somebody from Comedy Central, late show bookers, those types of people. That’s where we hope to go from here,” Porter said.
The number of doors opened for a local comic after a competition like this one could be limitless, he said.
“Just because somebody comes to OKC and sees your set and likes you doesn’t mean you’ll be selected for their festival immediately,” he said. “But when you apply next year and they see your name and remember you, that’s a heck of a leg up.”
Porter is also quick to remind contestants that bringing a crowd is imperative — more specifically, their crowd.
“They need to remember that it’s important to get their people out to support them,” he said. “One of the questions we ask when people buy their tickets online is ‘Who are you coming to see?’ We’re trying to get a sense of the crowd, about who people think the funniest person in OKC is.”
Tickets are $12 for the preliminary rounds and $18 for the finals. A pass to all shows is $40.
“So if there are any hardcore comedy nerds out there who want to see a whole lot of local comics, you’re all set,” Porter said.
Visit okccomedy.com.
Print headline: Last laughs, The founders of OKC Comedy scout the metro in their quest to find the city’s funniest person.
*Editor's note: This online story was edited to correct the spelling of Buchholtz's name.
