Zoom on over to Everett Comedy Night’s 8th anniversary show

Everett Comedy Night’s monthly shows have been held at Emory’s on Silver Lake for eight years.

But its eighth anniversary show won’t be there, thanks to the coronavirus epidemic and the stay-home order.

Yet Emory’s connection with comedy endures.

Everett Comedy Night’s anniversary show will be live-streamed, with the proceeds benefiting the popular south Everett restaurant’s furloughed staff.

Corey Michaelis will host headliner Gabriel Rutledge featuring Mary Lou Gamba and Andrew Rivers in the May 17 show via Zoom.

“Not only do you get to see live comedy, you’ll also be supporting out-of-work folks at Emory’s,” Michaelis said. “All of the profits will go to Emory’s greeters, servers, bussers, bartenders, cooks and valets who have been out of work.”

He said Emory’s closed for a month after Gov. Jay Inslee issued his ban on restaurants and bars, but that the restaurant recently opened for delivery and takeout only.

Michaelis started Everett Comedy Night in 2012 at Chopstix Dueling Piano Bar on Oakes Avenue. When Chopstix closed, Michaelis turned to Emory’s. The show has called the lakefront restaurant home ever since.

The show features touring and local comedians on the second Sunday of every month except November, when Emory’s hosts the annual Seattle International Comedy Competition. The anniversary shows in May are held on the third Sunday because of Mother’s Day.

Michaelis joked that you’ll get all the laughs you would have at Emory’s, except you’ll be watching “from the comfort of your own home — assuming your home is comfortable.”

Michaelis said he picked each of these comedians for the anniversary show for two reasons: They’re fan favorites and they’ve all put on their fair share of Zoom comedy shows from their own homes.

“They’ve done the show in the past and have really enjoyed it,” he said. “They’re going to be sitting at home on a Sunday night anyway, so they might as well tell some jokes an make a couple of bucks.”

Andrew Rivers, 35, of Seattle, hosts the live-streamed show “Inside Jokes” with Michaelis every Friday on Facebook and YouTube. He’s been a stand-up comedian for about 11 years. Along the way, he recorded his own Dry Bar Comedy special.

Mary Lou Gamba, 53, also of Seattle, has been a comedian for seven years. She likes to joke about dating, menopause and what it’s like to be a cougar. She jokingly calls herself “a middle-age teenager” and a “delightfully dirty bird.” Gamba has been featured at HBO’s Women in Comedy Festival.

Gabriel Rutledge, 46, from Olympia, has won both the Seattle International Comedy Competition and The Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta. He’s been doing stand-up for 20 years. He gets most of jokes from being a married father of three.

“I haven’t taken a week off comedy in 19 years,” Rutledge said. “It’s been pretty weird. I’m like, ‘Who am I if I’m not doing comedy?’ So I’ve been doing some Zoom shows, and although it’s not the same, it’s the closest thing we have, and I’ve actually been enjoying it.”

Michaelis, 39, of Everett, hosts the Everett Comedy Night and the aforementioned “Inside Jokes” with Rivers. He also has his own Dry Bar Comedy special and has been a career comedian for 11 years.

Michaelis said some fans may hesitate to book tickets for the show because it’s on Zoom. His advice? Don’t hesitate.

As long as you have an account, the Zoom platform is straightforward and easy to use. Michaelis said even his retired parents figured out how to watch one of his shows.

He also said that Zoom comedy shows are as close as you’re going to get to the real deal during the shutdown. It’s still a live show where the audience is laughing at jokes — you’re just not all in the same room.

Michaelis said he’ll plan another celebration for Everett Comedy Night’s anniversary when Emory’s can reopen.

He just didn’t want to let the show’s anniversary pass without so much as a Zoom.

“When we come back, we’ll have a big celebration,” Michaelis said. “Letting our eighth year pass by without doing or saying anything seemed a little disheartening, so I didn’t want to do that.”

Sara Bruestle: 425-339-3046; sbruestle@heraldnet.com; @sarabruestle.

If you stream

See the Everett Comedy Night’s 8th Anniversary Show from 8 to 9:30 p.m. May 17 in a live stream on Zoom. Tickets are $10-$15 via Eventbrite. Cory Michaelis hosts Andrew Rivers, Mary Lou Gamba and Gabriel Rutledge. All profits go to furloughed restaurant staff at Emory’s on Silver Lake. After you purchase a ticket, you will be emailed a Zoom link to the show. Find Everett Comedy Night on Facebook for more information.