For everyone who wants to spend their summer laughing (and who doesn’t?), there’s good news: the Boom Chicago Comedy Festival (BCCF) makes an uproarious return with its second edition from 7th – 17th July. Featuring 40 shows and 160 performers from 12 countries, this 10-day event is guaranteed to tickle your funny bone.
Aaf Brandt Corstius and Josh Johnson
The Boom Chicago Comedy Festival kicks off on 7th July with Boom Chicago’s newest weekly show Musical Improv Spectacular. A unique, unscripted spectacle with an uplifting blend of comedy and music, inspired by tales told by this year’s special guest storytellers:
On opening night, 7th July, Aaf Brandt Corstius appears as the first storyteller. The Dutch columnist and writer is known for her unique brand of relativistic humor, which is ironic and recognizable at the same time.
For one night only, on the evening of 13th July, Josh Johnson performs his first solo show in the Netherlands during the BCCF. That same evening, he follows up with an appearance as the special guest storyteller in the Musical Improv Spectacular. Starting out at The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Josh Johnson is currently a writer at The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. In his solo work on stage, you can’t ignore his dry comedic sense of humor. He was voted New York’s funniest comedian for a reason, and his comedy skit Catfishing the KKK has more than 12 million views on YouTube.
East Coast to West Coast
American comedians come from all over the country. But which area is the funniest? Decide for yourself with:
- North Coast presents Anybody: an improv hip-hop show where the audience chooses a historical figure that is incorporated into a completely improvised set, filled with music and dance.
- The Mermaids: a queer improv team from Chicago.
- Jack Blankenship and his storytelling show, A funeral for my face, about what it feels like to suddenly become an internationally known meme.
- Hilliary Begley, featured in the Netflix movie Dumplin‘, shows what that famous southern charm is all about.
Never-ending fun
So many laughs are in store. Whether you’re more into improv, prefer stand-up, or go nuts over drag or musical comedy, you’ll find it all at the BCCF. From a magical duo with a punk twist (Magic Tom & Yuri), a sketch show including drinking games (Bye Bye Liver) to a satirical writing workshop by Dutch news satire platform De Pin. Or what about The Going Steady Comedy Hour, with Boom cast members Matt Castellvi and Stacey Smith, a show with standup and musical comedy. Of course, you can also go to any of the previously announced headliners: Fern Brady, and the Netherlands-based performers Fuad Hassen, and Op Sterk Water & Arjen Lubach. If you’d rather do something together with your colleagues, check out the Boom for Business workshops. Boom Chicago founder Pep Rosenfeld will help you learn to collaborate, present and pitch better while – naturally – having a good sense of humor.
31st May 2022
