Bay Street Theatre's Comedy Showcase Is Coming!

Not that we’re looking forward to the end of the weekend here in the Hamptons, but when it does come to an end at least we’ll still be smiling. Come Monday, Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor will be giving audiences their favorite ab workout—laughing—on Monday, June 11 and Monday, June 18.

On June 11 the All Star Comedy Showcase will take place, hosted by Joseph Vecsey, and Shaun Eli will be hosting the Ivy League of Comedy on Monday, June 18. Tickets to each show are $25.

All Star Comedy Showcase host Joseph Vecsey also has a podcast in which he delves into the art of comedy and the business that comes along with it. Vecsey will be introducing some of the greatest up-and-coming comedians around, including; Yannis Pappas, Kenny Garcia, Sergio Chico, Kareem Green and Dawn B.

Yannis Pappas, a Brooklyn native, was recently selected as the new face for the well-known Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He also co-hosts a weekly podcast with Nate Bargatze. From graduating with a degree from American University in Washington D.C. to being acknowledged for his regular stand-up at BAR 4 in Brooklyn by The Wall Street Journal, Pappas has made a great name for himself in the world of comedy.

Up-and-coming stand-up comedian Kenny Garcia tours different comedy clubs around the country, attracting great crowds. He’s confident Sag Harbor’s will be among the best.

Born and raised on New York’s Lower East Side, Sergio Chicon has created his own uninhibited comedic style. As well as touring around the city and the country, Chicon has also been featured in Comedy Central’s “Funaticos” and Comedy Central’s “Los LOL,” MTV’s “Tr3s,” the Miami Comedy Festival, SITV, Comedy Net, BET on Blast, and Comedy Cafe in Amsterdam.

Stand-up, improv, acting, writing, and dancing are among the many talents of Kareem Green. Three-time champion on “Showtime At The Apollo,” he has really made a name for himself in all things entertainment. He’s made appearances on BET and NBC and performs at famous New York comedy clubs like Caroline’s on Broadway, the Laugh Factory, and Comic Strip.

Originally from Chicago, Dawn B sets up camp in Brooklyn, New York, and is taking no prisoners. Dawn’s spunk sets her apart from the crowded New York comedic scene because she’s known for her audacity and whit. Her material is mainly based on a woman’s point of view on various scenarios and she gives her opinion on being single and on relationships with men.

Shaun Eli will be hosting the Ivy League of Comedy on Monday, June 18 for a night of some of the “smartest” comedy around. Shaun will be accompanied by Dan Naturman, Myq Kaplan, and Joe DeVito.

Readers Digest proclaims that Eli is the “smartest comic in the country.” Eli hosts a Sirius XM satellite radio show, and has appeared on “CBS Business News,” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Graduate of the Wharton School of Business, his intelligent writing has gotten him published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Business Week.

In regard to the comedy tour, Eli says, aside from his driving, it’s going well. “We’re attracting great audiences that appreciate smart, clean comedy and we’re having a great time at the shows.” His material is largely based on his parents and he is often asked “What’s your style?” Eli’s happy that they’re not asking about his clothing. “My style is clean and a lot of it’s storytelling, though for the Bay Street Theatre show I’m the emcee so it’s more of talking to the audience, getting to know them a little, welcoming them, making them appreciate us, and leaving the hard work to Dan, Myq and Joe.”

Eli jokes “sucking at everything else” is the reason for his career choice in comedy, but he’s dabbled in many jobs and comedy ended up suiting him best. “Actually, I was working in banking while moonlighting as a comic, and two full-time jobs was too much so I brilliantly got rid of the one that paid more. But I’m back with another full-time job, I’m apparently full-time tech support for my parents’ computers. And since they’re 90, sometimes it’s the same questions over and over again, but to amuse myself I give different answers.”

His degree in marketing from Wharton, made him aware of his ability to market himself as one of the few clean comics. “…when I was working in banking during the day and on stage at night clients would come see me and ask why I was a clean comic but others in the shows were not, and I realized this was a market in need of a product so I created The Ivy League of Comedy.” Born and raised in Queens he has a special place in his heart for Long Island. This will be their first showcase on Long Island but Eli remembers L.I. a little differently. “Of course back then Nassau and Suffolk were all farmland, and lovely places to visit, once my father and his brothers finished chasing the British troops out in 1776.”

While at Fordham Law School, Dan Naturman discovered the world of stand-up comedy. Although he graduated, he turned his back on the Bar and the Law by becoming a stand-up comic full time. Naturman explains, “I’ve always liked making people laugh. I wasn’t always good at it, but it was always something I enjoyed.”

Naturmans’ material is inspired by life. “I talk about things that everyone can relate to because that’s who I perform for—everyone. I talk about dating, paying bills and how I don’t use anything I learned in college. I also talk about being single at an age where most people are married, or at least divorced.” His grouchy attitude has put him on the comedic map and awarded him appearances on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” Naturman has always had good shows on Long Island and thinks the Bay Street Theatre won’t be an exception. “Sounds very classy, ‘Bay Street Theatre.’ I’m thinking something on the water with boats passing by.”

Myq Kaplan made his comedic debut on “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” which skyrocketed his career with other appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and was one of the Top 5 Finalists on “The Last Comic Standing.”

After a decade working as a journalist and an advertising writer Joe DeVito discovered his talent in comedy. With appearances on “b Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” “The Last Comic Standing,” “Chelsea Lately,” “CNN Headline News,” and Animal Planet’s “Wild 100,” he’s gotten noticed and acclaim from the comedic community.

For tickets call the box office at 631-725-9500 or visit www.baystreet.org.