FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Livermore Arts
Contact: Ruth Egherman (925) 583-2306
Comedy, Comedy, and More Comedy This Fall at The Bankhead
Livermore, CA – (August 3, 2024) – As the 2024-2025 Bankhead Presents Season continues to sparkle this fall, Livermore Valley Arts is thrilled to bring a number of shows early on with the best medicine: laughter! From Bankhead favorite, the best up-and-coming comedians on the West Coast at the San Francisco Comedy Competition on Thursday, September 19, to a special kind of nostalgia blended with hilarity at The Office Trivia with “Todd Packer,” starring the hilarious Pack-Man himself, David Koechner, on Friday, October 11, to a welcome return engagement from favorites Funny Women of a Certain Age on Saturday, October 26, The Bankhead will be continuing its new season with multiple delights for the funny bone here in the Tri-Valley as part of the LVA 2024-2025 lineup. All of these laugh-filled events will be at the beautiful Bankhead Theater in Downtown Livermore.
The San Francisco Comedy Competition is a unique elimination-style contest, differing from many other competitions in prestige and time commitment. Running over a four-week timeline during the month of September, the legendary San Francisco Comedy Competition attracts hundreds of qualified comedians from around the world, with only 32 comedians being chosen. Now in its 48th year, the San Francisco Comedy Competition has helped launch a Who’s Who of comic champions. Over the years, legends such as Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Sinbad, and Ellen DeGeneres have emerged from this renowned stand-up comedy contest to become stars. This September engagement, during the finals, at The Bankhead will be hosted by past champion Jackie Flynn, an actor and comedian with prominent standup appearances, as well as extensive film credits to his name. Jackie has emerged as one of the funniest and most talked about comedians to come out of Boston, joining the ranks of Steven Wright, Denis Leary, Lenny Clarke, and Jay Leno, and gracing the stages of the IMPROV, COMEDY STORE, FLAPPERS, LAUGH FACTORY, and other noteworthy venues. He has parlayed his success as a stand-up to
firmly establish himself in the film and television arena, featuring in several episodes of the hit series “The King of Queens,” and guest appearances on “Veep” on HBO and the Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark.” He can be seen in the Netflix series, “Loudermilk.” He is also one of the proud winners of the prestigious San Francisco Comedy Competition, as well as a featured performer at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival gala. He was chosen to perform at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, produced by HBO. Before bringing on the contestants, Jackie will rapid-fire his unique Boston-style material to warm up the crowd. At evening’s end, he’ll keep the laughter going while the judges’ scores are being calculated backstage. Five finalists, having risen to the top of this year’s field during four weeks of elimination shows throughout Northern California, will each perform for 15 minutes. They’ll hope to hear their name announced as the winner of the lion’s share of $20,000+ in prize money. The Bankhead looks forward to welcoming and discovering the next comedy greats before they hit it big, as well as Flynn, during finals week in Downtown Livermore on September 19.
What’s up my trivia nerds? Test your knowledge of The Office with the Pack-Man himself! At The Office Trivia with Todd Packer, teams will compete for prizes – while also hearing behind-the-scenes stories from star David Koechner about playing the hit show’s favorite obnoxious paper salesman (and Michael’s bff), Todd Packer. Whether one wants to form a team or try as an individual, David and his co-host Rob Maher will be interacting with the audience the whole time at this memorable show. (All audience members with a smartphone will have an opportunity to go online and answer questions in real-time from their seats.) Even if one wants to sit back and just relax, there will be exclusive stories and conversations with the audience in addition to the multiple rounds of trivia questions to keep everyone entertained. The top teams will need to channel their favorite “The Office” characters and test their acting chops in order to be crowned – by David – trivia champions and the winning team will even win a prize bundle in addition to bragging rights. After the show, there will be special merchandise available for purchase, as well as a meet and greet and pictures with the Pack-Man himself. The Bankhead is elated to host one of Hollywood’s funniest characters right in Livermore on October 11.
Closing out October will be much laughing out loud with the return engagement of Funny Women of a Certain Age. This hilarious show features a lineup of some of the funniest female
comedians over 50, including Carole Montgomery, Julia Scotti, Monique Marvez, and Barb North, who will be appearing in the Downtown Livermore engagement. From relatable anecdotes about aging and relationships to witty world observations, these comedians will surely have audiences in stitches all night. Funny Women is a show straight from the unfettered mouths and uninhibited minds of the funniest, most daring, most experienced people in comedy: the women who have seen it all. They’ve raised children both on and off the road, having club bouncers watch their babies while onstage. These women have stayed in comedy condos where you don’t want to use a blacklight on anything, and they’ve been told women aren’t funny. They have a lot to say, and they say it hysterically. The creator of Funny Women, known as the comic’s comic and “one of the pioneering female comics of the modern era” (San Antonio Express), with over two dozen television credits to her name, Carole Montgomery is a respected veteran of the standup comedy scene nationwide. Carole has also headlined clubs and colleges across the USA and starred in two Las Vegas production shows. In her ten years as a Vegas star, it is estimated that over 5 million audience members have seen her. Carole filmed Funny Women of a Certain Age for SHOWTIME, becoming the network’s highest-rated comedy special in 2019, and her second SHOWTIME special rated even higher, also making TV history as the first comedy special to feature six women over the age of 50. Don’t miss out on this side-splitting performance on October 26, where these ladies will prove that, indeed #funnynevergetsold, coming right here to the Tri-Valley once again.
Tickets for shows in the 2024-2025 Bankhead Presents season are available online, by calling 925-373-6800, or at the box office windows. For a complete list of events, visit livermorearts.org.
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Livermore Valley Arts is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit offering wide-ranging programs that provide access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. The Bankhead Theater and Bothwell Arts Center are home to eight resident performing arts companies, over 40 studio artists, and cultural arts instructors. LivermoreArts.org
Show: SF Comedy Competition
Date/Time: Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 7:30pm Previous Bankhead Sellout Tickets: $25—$55 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20%
Show: The Office Trivia with “Todd Packer” Starring David Koechner Date/Time: Friday, October 11, 2024, at 8:00pm
Tickets: $25—$70 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20%
Show: Funny Women of a Certain Age
Date/Time: Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 8:00pm
Tickets: $25—$85 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events available at www.LivermoreArts.org
