Comedy Festival

April 14, 2009 (Winnipeg) – Elvira Kurt, who was scheduled as a performer in the “Queer as Jokes” gala, will now be hosting the show. Unfortunately, Scott Thompson, initially booked to host the gala, has fallen ill and will not be able to attend this year’s festival.

Kurt is a Second City Alumnus who has had many years of comedic success in Canada and the US. She has starred in The Comedy Network’s series Popcultured with Elvira Kurt  and Elvira Kurt: Adventures in Comedy and has had her comedy specials air on Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, CTV, CBC and The Comedy Network. Kurt was voted Funniest Female Comic at the Canadian Comedy Awards and received a Gemini nomination for her one-hour comedy special Elvira Kurt: I’m A Big Girl Now. She has also contributed to the CBS pilot and HBO special for Ellen DeGeneres.

“We are thrilled to have Elvira take on the role of host for the Queer as Jokes gala,” says festival Artistic Director Al Rae. “She’s very popular with the Winnipeg audience and I think they’re in for a treat.”

We have also had several updates to our line-up since the festival launch seven weeks ago.

• Darcy Michael will be joining the Friday Gala - Queer as Jokes on Friday, April 17th.
• Tom Steffen has moved from the Friday Gala to the Thursday gala - Savings & Groans.
• Irwin Barker will be performing in the Winnipeg Show, Friday, April 17th, Gas Station Theatre at 10pm and in the Sunday Debaters, April 19th, WAG, 1pm.
• Brad Muise will be appearing in the Saturday Evening Gala - The Seven Deadly Sins.
• Teresa Pavlinek has moved from the Saturday Evening Gala to the Saturday Late Night Gala - Cradle to the Grave.
• Due to a scheduling conflict, Big Daddy Tazz will NOT be appearing at the Winnipeg Show. He has been replaced by Irwin Barker. You can still catch Tazz hosting the Sunday Best of the Fest and on the Saturday Late Night Gala - Cradle to Grave.
  

This year’s festival is sure to be the 8th Wonder of the World... or at least of Winnipeg. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.ca or 780-3333.

The CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival is produced by the Osborne Village Cultural Centre, home of the Gas Station Theatre.

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For further information, please contact:
Anne Dawson, Director of Marketing & Communications
(204) 229-2762 or anne@winnipegcomedyfestival.com