Ha! 7 comedians to battle in Wilmington Friday
Local comedy fans know that The Grand has hosted a strong lineup of popular comedians in recent years, such as Louis CK, Amy Schumer, Hannibal Buress, Fred Armisen and Artie Lange.
What they might not know is that next door to the 1,200-seat downtown Wilmington theater is the smaller, 300-person baby grand. And that's where local up-and-coming comedians battle it out each year during the annual LOL@TheGrand stand-up contest.
This year's edition -- the sixth -- will be held Friday at 8 p.m. with tickets costing $10.
Seven comedians from Delaware and the surrounding area will perform for five to seven minutes each with one crowned the winner at the end. A handful of judges will be mixed among the crowd and will decide who had the best act. (The winning comedian receives $250 and returns the next year as the paid host of the event.)
Last year's winning comedian, Michael J. Brooks of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, is this year's host. And he knows exactly what the comedians should do given the format.
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"You want to hit them with your best stuff as quickly and as often as possible," Brooks says. "For me, I hit them with a joke -- boom. And then I just kept going."
LOL@TheGrand was founded in 2012 -- an off-shoot of The Grand's "In the Spotlight" multidisciplinary talent show. "We found comedians were consistently the favorites and the winners of that competition," says Pam Manocchio, director of community engagement at The Grand.
The comedy-centric spin-off, which has been sponsored by Out & About magazine since the beginning, has been a hit, transforming the baby grand into a comedy club for one night each year.
We spoke to all seven of this year's contestants and they told us everything from their own favorite comedians to stories about their worst on-stage experiences.
Christian Mangual
Hometown: Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and grew up in Bristol, Connecticut.
Age: 23
Years doing stand-up: 3.
Venues you've performed at: The baby grand, Stand Up NY, Helium Comedy Club and the Scottish Rite Auditorium.
First time on stage: It was June 12, 2013, at an open mic at a comedy club called Joker’s Wild in New Haven, Connecticut, which is no longer open. I invited a close friend of mine and she brought along three of her friends. I’ll never forget it because it started at 8 p.m. and I was second on the list, but I did not go on until 11:15. So my friend and three people I didn’t really know had to sit there for three hours watching open mic comedy while I was dying of embarrassment and guilt.
What got your first on-stage laugh: The joke was, “My baby sister took it really hard when she found out Santa wasn’t real…can’t even imagine what she’s going to say when she finds out about Jesus.”
Worst on-stage experience: There used to be an open mic on Mondays in North Philadelphia that would have stand-up, rap, poetry, etc. It usually started at 9 and they would have all the poets go together first, then all the comedians, and finish with the rappers. Well this night was the first week of the NFL season and the Eagles were playing the Falcons on "Monday Night Football," so it didn't start until 11. Since it started late, the host decided to open with all the rappers. By the time all the rappers were done, it was after 1 a.m. and all the people who had been listening to rap for two hours DID NOT want to now listen to comedy. I lasted maybe a minute and a half.
Favorite stand-up comedians: Patrice O’Neal, Bill Burr, Chris Rock, Louis CK, Kyle Kinane.
Favorite comedy album: "Elephant in the Room" by Patrice O’Neal
Brandon Vincent Jackson
Hometown: Wilmington
Age: 29
Years doing stand-up: Three.
Venues you've performedat: Helium Comedy Club, Smyrna Opera House, World Cafe Live at the Queen and more.
First time on stage: I performed at the Fergie’s Pub comedy open mic in Philadelphia. I killed the first time I was onstage. But I didn’t record it, so no one believes me.
What got your first on-stage laugh: I told a joke about a very taboo topic and I will not be repeating it here.
Worst on-stage experience: I had to do a show that started 1-and-1/2 hours late, the mic didn’t work, the DJ was high, everyone was mad, and the front row was made up entirely of my aunts. The tension was real.
Favorite stand-up comedians: Patrice O’Neal and Dave Chappelle.
Favorite comedy album: Patrice O’Neal, "Elephant in the Room"
Hometown: Philadelphia
Age: 28
Years doing stand up: 5
First time on stage and your first on-stage laugh: When I was 18, a friend of mine went to the Tyler School of Art at Temple University and they were having a talent show in the dorms. There were people that did slam poetry, played music and sang a cappella. One of the bands was taking a while to set up so the host of the show asked if anyone would like to perform comedy in the meantime to keep the show going. A few people went up and told some distasteful jokes. The host asked if anyone had anything more "tasteful." There was a girl in the crowd that I had a huge crush on that I really wanted to impress. I felt really comfortable in front of a crowd of art students, so I felt like I could go up and make them laugh. I said, "What do you call a wave that's really, really small? A microwave." The crowd looked perplexed and I asked, "That's at least tasteful, right?" The silent room started cracking up laughing. The host let me know after a few minutes that the band was ready. He thanked me and I sat back down. I never got the girl, but I did get the itch to do stand-up comedy, but I wouldn't actually pursue it for another five years.
Worst on-stage experience: I hosted an open mic at a dive bar and a woman in the front got really drunk and told me I suck before she passed out and started snoring for a couple of minutes. She then went to the bathroom, which was right by the stage, to vomit. For the next couple of comedians, all you could hear was her dry heaving into the toilet. She left crying in a little bit. It was awkward.
Favorite comedians: I think some of the funniest comedians are not on a Netflix special, but they are at a local bar with a stage right here in the area. Brandon Jackson is a Delaware local and he is a comedy monster that you will get to see at LOL@TheGrand. Pete Steele is a Philly local who is on the show as well and always cracks me up. If you have a chance to go see the stand-up comedy show "Big League" hosted by the very funny Ari Fishbein and Michael S. Watkins in Philadelphia, do it. They are both hilarious.
Favorite comedy album: Hannibal Burress' "Animal Furnace," John Mulaney's "New In Town," Mike Birbiglia's "Sleepwalk with Me," Maria Bamford's "20%" and Louis CK's "Hilarious."
Alyssa Truszkowski
Hometown:Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, but currently resides in Newport
Age: 32
Years doing stand-up:1-1/2
Venues you've performedat: Helium Comedy Club, PHIT Comedy, Charm City Comedy Project, The Kennett Flash, the Bechdel Test Fest and more.
First time on stage:I took a stand-up comedy class that culminated in a group show. It was really fun! I was really lucky that my first time on stage was in a supportive environment. That show was my first set ever -- and I got booked on a paying gig from it.
What got your first on-stage laugh:Telling jokes about being adopted -- while introducing the audience to my parents, who were in the front row.
Worst on-stage experience: Getting heckled by a 14-year-old girl.
Favorite stand-up comedians: Iliza Shlesinger, John Mulaney, Margaret Cho and Kumail Nanjiani.
Favorite comedy album:I don't listen to comedy albums much. I feel like stand-up is best as a visual medium, so I prefer watching comedy specials. Margaret Cho's "I'm the One That I Want" is my long-time, all-time favorite. I also love comedy podcasts and have been hearing tons of great stand-up performances on "2 Dope Queens."
Hometown: Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Age: 36
Years doing stand-up: 37 -- one year longer than I've been alive.
Venues you've performed at: Restaurants, bars, VFWs, backyards, and every now and then a room.
First time on stage: It was very uneventful. After ending up in Dallas, Texas, due to a problem with my passport when my briefcase was mixed up with that of an international spy, I went to unwind at a comedy show. I thought I was putting my name in a guestbook just in case I needed an alibi and before I knew it, I was being called to the stage. I mostly just decoded the mystery tattoos I woke up with that day. Pretty typical.
What got your first on-stage laugh: Whatever was my first joke in my first set. It was about how I was innocent and had been there all night.
Worst on-stage experience: Once I had to do a show shortly after getting mouth surgery and two minutes into a 30-minute set my stitches popped and I had to keep swallowing pools of blood for the rest of my set.
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Years doing stand-up: 3
Venues you've performed at: Stand-Up NY, Carolines on Broadway, Broadway, Dangerfield's Comedy Club and more. I performed at Warm Daddy's Soul Comedy this past month in Philadelphia.
First time on stage: I was nervous, but anxious to see what it would be like. It was more of a challenge for me to see if I was actually funny -- to see if stand-up comedy would be something I would want to do or possibly make a career doing.
What got your first on-stage laugh:It was a joke I wrote about a dog I had that kept humping a pillow that was supposed to be his bed.
Worst on-stage experience:In 2016 on New Year's Eve, I brought the new year in with a bomb. In comedy language that means you had a bad set. It was a bit of an older crowd than what I was used to. I should have done more family jokes.
Favorite stand-up comedians: Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy.
Favorite comedy album: Eddie Murphy's "Raw," Dave Chappelle's "Killin' Them Softly" and Chris Rock's "Bigger and Blacker" and "Born Suspect." And "Kings of Comedy." I love Bernie Mac's set.
Pete Steele
Hometown: Vernon, New Jersey
Age: 31
Years doing stand-up: 5
Venues you've performedat: Helium Comedy Club, Good Good Comedy Theatre, PHIT Comedy, The Creek and the Cave.
First time on stage:It was the open mic at Raven Lounge in Philadelphia. My best friend and I made a pact to do it together, which made it less intimidating. We went on pretty much dead last, close to 2 a.m. and got enough chuckles to come back again. After persisting for about six months, I stopped going back because I didn't feel like it was worth the punishment. Six months later, I couldn't ignore the itch anymore and went back, drawn by the undeniable allure of making a bunch of people laugh all on my own. I ended up walking right into some pretty solid friendships with a few other comedians, which helped make the whole process more fun. And haven't looked back for the past five years or so.
What got your first on-stage laugh:I really couldn't tell you. Probably something silly that didn't really have any personality to it, because when you first start out, you haven't found your voice yet.
Worst on-stage experience: More than once, I've had the experience where a bunch of jokes get absolutely nothing -- consecutively -- and that is probably the worst. When there are no laughs being produced, it almost seems like the void has created a vacuum and all noise is being sucked into it.
Favorite stand-up comedians:Chris Rock and Louis CK are at the top of my list. Gary Gulman, Aziz Ansari and Rory Scovel are certainly high on that list, as well.
Favorite comedy album: Louis CK's "Hilarious" or Chris Rock's "Never Scared."
Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).
IF YOU GO
What: LOL@TheGrand
When: Friday, 8 p.m.
Where: The baby grand, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington
Cost: $10
Tickets and information: thegrandwilmingtonde.org
PAST LOL@THEGRAND WINNERS
2012: Ian Fidance
2013; Alex Grubard
2014: Missy Grynkiewicz
2015: Lou Misiano
2016: Michael J. Brooks