One of the central comedy venues in the state of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase provides an opportunity for seasoned veterans and rookies alike to perform in front of an enthusiastic, intelligent audience. This past Wednesday, the Showcase hosted its weekly Comedy Jamm, an open mic featuring short sets from comedians of all skill levels.
Hosting the open mic was Mike Szar, a veteran of the Midwest comic scene hailing from Toledo, Ohio. Opening the show by musing on the similarities between shark attacks and unplanned pregnancies, Szar set the bar high for the rest of the evening with personal anecdotes and thoughts mixed with surreal details. What followed was an evening of raucous laughs, with several talented comedians showing off their distinctive voices.
Ray Fiore, offering boisterous stories of working-class life as an Italian-American from New York; Jon Mullinix, a University graduate who delivered passionate, angry thoughts on sex, facial hair and Bernie Sanders’ speech at Liberty University; and Brad Wenzel, masterfully combining slightly surreal spins on mundane topics such as garden gnomes with plainspoken delivery and a soft-spoken, friendly demeanor.
The Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase hosts its Comedy Jamm every Wednesday at 8 pm. Anyone interested in seeing the best of Michigan’s local comedy talent or trying their hand at stand-up should check this venue out.