Two engaging new events will join Laugh Out LIVE!'s gut-busting lineup this autumn.
First, the "Stand-Up Standoff" is a monthly show premiering in October: a pro-am comedy contest at Après Après where six to 10 individuals each receive five minutes to demonstrate their stand-up talent. Monetary prizes will be awarded before a seasoned comic brings things home with a headlining act.
Is stand-up not your favourite thing to watch? Consider instead the "Improv Battle," another monthly offering held at the Garibaldi Lift Co. (GLC). Two teams will face off each night in a not-so-competitive competition where viewers always emerge the true winners—similar to the long-running and acclaimed Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Of course, the troupe's Marquee Variety Show will return. Sea to Sky denizens are, for the most part, already familiar with this recurring 90-minute entertainment smorgasbord: sketch comedy, stand-up, improv, films, game show analogues and more.
Laugh Out LIVE!, now entering its fourth season, is on the fast track to becoming synonymous with most locals' conception of Whistlerite entertainment. They've even been nominated for the 2024 Whistler Excellence Awards in the "Champion of Arts & Culture Business" category. It's a distinction co-founder Ira Pettle won't take lightly.
"It's been quite a magical journey with ups and downs, doors opening and closing," he says. "Rebecca Mason and I just seem to be pushing through all the obstacles and getting support. I'm not expecting to win [a Whistler Excellence Award], though. The Point Artist-Run Centre and the Whistler Museum have been around a lot longer than we have. I'm just honoured to be in the mix."
Reinvesting in people
Pettle, Mason and Dave Francis (the latter of whom departed Laugh Out LIVE! earlier this year) have worked tirelessly to expand and entrench their brand. Fiscal limitations once compelled them to keep their circle small, but more gigs and recognition generate more revenue, which in turn has made hiring more talent a possibility.
"Now that we've got a little bit of money in the bank, we're reinvesting that in our people," explains Pettle. "What we kind of realized halfway through season three is: the more the merrier, as long as we can afford it. This means we'll be able to share the responsibility of creating content and putting on shows with more people.
"It's super exciting. It might mean that Rebecca and I have a little bit less stage time while others step up, and this gives us an option to play with a bigger cast."
While Francis' satirical brand of British humour continues to be missed, Pettle promises some fresh faces will make an appearance as winter approaches.
Enrolment for Laugh Out LIVE! workshops have also open for those who would like to try out improv or stand-up—or better their skills in both. General beginner sessions are available to complement a women's only course and a higher-level class directed toward experienced registrants.
The fruit yielded by educational opportunities like these is twofold.
"There's a whole realm of what acting classes do for people who aren't necessarily interested in performing," Pettle says. "For example, a lot of folks take our classes because they want to get better at public speaking and presenting in their work lives. They want to try something they've never done before. We get pretty much a 50-50 split [of aspiring actors and laypeople].
"The other piece of having classes is: we're creating future performers. Many of the people who are performing with me on stage right now, at one point, were my students—and now they're co-stars. Workshops are how we're getting our farm team. What's super exciting about this year is that classes are going to be running consecutively, so there will never be a break."
Discover more about Laugh Out LIVE! and its various forms of programming at laughoutlive.com.
