Want to laugh about the woes of parenting? Or hear a joke or two about being married?
Adults making fun of being adults — that’s Edmonds Comedy Night in a nutshell.
The 12th annual event, which benefits programs for students in the Edmonds School District, is set for Feb. 15-16 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts. The shows will feature nationally touring comics and up-and-comers from Seattle.
Kermet Apio, a Seattle comedian who has appeared on Comedy Central and NBC, returns as host. Other comics set to perform are Rodney Sherwood, Vanessa Dawn, Chase Mayers and Tyler Boeh.
Apio, 51, said the comics will makes jokes about quirks experienced by everyday people — in particular, parents.
“I like that it’s about relatability,” Apio said. “When I start telling some stories, I can see people nodding and women sometimes nudging their husbands in the shoulder. I just love that.”
Apio started Edmonds Comedy Night with Rachel Egner, a parent in Edmonds schools, 12 years ago to raise money for a playground. It was a success — they raised more money than they needed — so they decided to keep it going. Now, it’s an event that Edmonds parents look forward to every year.
Around 1,700 people attended the 2018 event, raising about $20,000, said Heather Margo, Edmonds Comedy Night chairwoman.
“It’s kind of a parents’ night out,” Margo said. “People ask what the dates are and the number of repeat customers at the show is really high. Everyone is really positive. It’s just a good time.”
Apio said the event also gives him a chance to feature fellow veteran comics he’s met over the years — such as Sherwood and Boeh — and provide opportunities for younger acts like Mayers and Dawn to perform on a bigger stage for the first time.
A comic since 1989, Apio’s self-deprecating humor — which includes some jokes about sharing a first name (if not its spelling) with a certain green Muppet — helped him win the Seattle International Comedy Competition in 1991, The Great American Comedy Festival in 2010 and a handful of other competitions over the years.
The Edmonds Comedy Nights crowd has heard Apio’s “Kermet” the Frog jokes before, so he plans to unveil new material from his recent performances across the United States and Canada.
The comics’ jokes will generally be geared toward adults, but older kids are welcome to come. They just might get bored with all the parenthood and marriage jokes, Apio said.
“When I invite the comics, I say it’s PG-16,” Apio said. “They’ve been really great about honoring those rules. It’s definitely cleaner than a club show, but not so clean that it’s milquetoast.”
The Best of Seattle Comedy Competition
More stand-up comedy is on tap this weekend.
Drew Dunn, winner of the 2018 Seattle International Comedy Competition, will perform with three other touring stand-up comics 8 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave., Everett.
The lineup also includes Bengt Washburn, Christina Walkinshaw and Wilfred Padua, who have performed at the International Comedy Competition and at Comedy Underground, a leading comedy venue in Seattle.
Tickets start at $17. Call 425-258-6766. More at www.historiceveretttheatre.org.
If you go
The 12th annual Edmonds Comedy Night is set for 7:30 p.m. Feb 15-16 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds. General admission is $25; VIP tickets, which include appetizers, drinks and a chance to chat with the comedians before the show, are $55. Call 425-275-9595, or learn more about the comics and event, including how to buy tickets, at www.edmondscomedynight.com.
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