Author name: Rodney

With the impact ComedySportz has made on training and developing Milwaukee comedytalent over its nearly 30 years, Milwaukee is a hotbed for improv. That’s what makes the weekly Open Improv so unpredictably invigorating. Performers never know who’s going to show up. There can be such a range from novice to pro that everyone learns something […]

Meteorological summer has ended (on Labor Day), but summer-style comedy is still in season in Milwaukee. In fact, Summerfest is sponsoring a free comedy show at Maier Festival Park. At 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage, you can catch “ComedySportz and Friends.” From Tap Milwaukee, which is co-sponsoring the

The Green Bay Packers start their football season for real on Sunday, Sept. 8. We know some Milwaukee people take that pretty seriously and are ripe for some postgame comedy relief. Here’s the place: The Dangerously Strong Open Mic, at Rounding Third Sports Bar, 6317 W. Bluemound Ave. They flip the microphone on about 7

Most comedy goers know about open mics. That’s where someone puts a microphone on a bare stage in a club or a bar and stand-up comedians of various proficiency practice their craft. It gives veterans a chance to work on new material and wannabes a chance to just try it out. Well, Milwaukee also has

It isn’t always comedy, per se, but the local storytelling fostered by Ex Fabula generates its share of laughs and is a growing force in the Milwaukee performing arts community. On Thursday, Sept. 5, Ex Fabula kicks off its fifth season with food, beverages, raffles, auctions and – of course – stories. Cocktails start at

You might not think it to watch them from the audience, but comedians generally are very collegial. Individually, they work hard crafting and delivering very personal thoughts in a very public setting – something that the vast majority of people dread. But it’s a nonconformist pursuit that they share with fellow comedians, it’s an unconventional

Summer may be a blur, but as Labor Day approaches reflect on all the comedy that Milwaukee has hosted since Memorial Day. “More than ever” is the right answer. Not only are there more open mics and original productions around town than there were a year ago, but regular monthly shows such as the Variety

It’s the last Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time for the open mic contest at Milwaukee’s Comedy Café. That’s where eight standup comedians perform five-minute sets, and the audience votes on its favorite. The winner goes home with a $25 prize, a guest spot at an upcoming regular Thursday night show, plus a

Labor Day weekend is a time to reflect on all the good folk who have worked hard and sacrificed to make our lives easier. And while that’s a bit of a down note at a time when most of us are grilling sausages and toasting the completion of summer, it’s also a reason to find

So they’ve changed the name of the comedy show “Variety Hour Half-Hour” to just “Variety Hour Happy Hour.” Because apparently some Milwaukee comedy enthusiasts were confused, that’s why. Some thought the monthly shows at the Arcade Theatre were just 30 minutes long. However, the shows are 60 minutes – one hour – live. And then