FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Livermore Valley Arts
Contact: Ruth Egherman (925) 583-2306
Jokes, Jests, & Quips: COMEDY Coming This April to The Bankhead!
Livermore, CA – (March 28, 2025) – Livermore Valley Arts is thrilled this April to bring a number of shows with the perfect cure for those ‘April showers:’ laughter! From the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, the iconic The Second City on Friday, April 11, to Bankhead favorite, the best up-and-coming comedians on the West Coast at the Best of San Francisco Comedy Competition on Friday, April 18, 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, April 25, The Bankhead will truly be tickling Tri-Valley funny bones this upcoming month. All three of these laugh-filled events will be at the beautiful Bankhead Theater in Downtown Livermore.
The Second City is celebrating 65 years of legendary laughs! Showcasing some audience favorite songs, sketches, and characters written on their stages by some illustrious alumni, including Tina Fey, Keegan-Michael Key, Amber Ruffin, Steven Colbert, Tim Meadows, Bill Murray, Tim Robinson, Adam McKay and so many more, with material handpicked from some of their iconic comedy archives and brought to life by an all-star ensemble, Livermore audiences will see for themselves on April 11 why The Second City continues to be the world’s most influential name in comedy for sixty-five years and counting. Rooted in the groundbreaking improvisational games of Viola Spolin, The Second City opened its doors on a snowy Chicago night in December of 1959, and a comedy revolution began. The small cabaret theater has grown to become the most influential and prolific comedy empire in the world, developing an entirely unique way of creating art and fostering generation after generation of superstars. Co-founded by Spolin’s son, Paul Sills, along with Howard Alk and Bernie Sahlins, The Second City was experimental and unconventional in its approach to both theater and comedy. Almost immediately, alumni of The Second City, including Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Fred Willard, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, and John Belushi, launched the theater into the international spotlight. In 1976, Second City launched “SCTV,” which has been hailed as one of the greatest sketch comedy series of all time. The two-time Emmy winner featured an all-star cast made up of Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, and Rick Moranis. Today, The Second City is home to a world-class entertainment company, continuing to produce premier talent in all three of its locations—Chicago, Toronto, and Hollywood—and entertaining more than one million audience members a year. From Steve Carell to Keegan-Michael Key, Stephen Colbert to Tina Fey, Chris Farley to Mike Myers, Second City’s imprint is all over film, television, and beyond. In addition to its stages, Second City Touring Companies perform electrifying revues and original productions across North America and abroad, including the 65th Anniversary Tour stopping by The Bankhead. Second City’s creative collaborations have produced thrilling and critically acclaimed work in partnership with organizations like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Norwegian Cruise Line, the New York Comedy Festival, and the Chicago Bulls. Second City Training Centers in Chicago, Toronto, Hollywood, and online teach thousands of students a year, and the opening of the Harold Ramis Film School in 2016 gave the world the first film school dedicated to comedy. Finally, Second City Works is an industry leader in bringing improv-based methodologies to businesses and organizations of all types. The hilarious talents dropping by Downtown Livermore include Rich Alfonso, Kennedy Baldwin, Anna Bortnick, Karl Bradley, Claire Favret, and Ross Taylor.
The legendary Best of 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 evening of side-splitting laughs will be headlined by Don Friesen. If you missed Don’s hilarious Showtime one-hour Special, “Ask Your Mom,” don’t miss his upcoming special “Best Foot Forward.” Engaging, clever, and just flat-out funny, Friesen ignites the stage with a playful, high-energy spoof of his life as a modern suburban dad, and (until recently) husband, who’s just trying to make sense out of the constantly changing world around him. Everyday life has never been funnier. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says “Friesen will leave a lasting comic impression,” and describes him as “offbeat, satirical, self-deprecating and slightly out of control.” With an act that somehow manages to be both intimate and absurd, Don will draw you into his world where he skillfully blends characters, voices, physicality, and parodies to create some of the most memorable routines around. Friesen’s credits include Showtime, Netflix, Dry Bar Comedy Live at Gotham, and Comics Unleashed, and he is the only two-time winner in the 50-year history of the prestigious San Francisco International Comedy Competition. He is wildly popular on KLOS’ 5:00 Funnies, 100.3 The Sound’s Laughter at 45 After, and XM Sirius Satellite Radio. The Bankhead looks forward to welcoming the best of the next comedy greats and Don Friesen to Livermore on April 18.
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 on April 25 right in Downtown Livermore.
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: The Second City 65th Anniversary Show
Date/Time: Friday, April 11, 2025, at 8:00pm
Tickets: $25—$80 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20%
Show: Best of SF Comedy Competition
Date/Time: Friday, April 18, 2025, at 8:00pm 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, April 25, 2025, at 8:00pm
Tickets: $25—$70 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events available at www.LivermoreArts.org
