Comedy Series a Hit at Racine Theatre Guild

Due to an unprecedented, unbroken string of sell-out performances, the Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Ave. (Hwy. 38), is again adding to its Comedy Tonight series. Launched in 2005 with two just two dates, it was increased to three last year, and now, starting in October, RTG presents top-notch comedy acts on four nights.

The 2007-2008 lineup is listed below. Comedy Tonight shows are each presented one night only on a Saturday (the same weekends as Racine Children’s Theatre) at 8 p.m.

Fred Klett, October 6--Funnyman Fred Klett is familiar to listeners of Dave and Carole’s morning show on WKLH –FM 96.5. Klett grew up in Beloit, one of ten children, nine of them boys. He now resides with his wife, the sainted Nance, and sons in Milwaukee--that is, when he’s not enslaved on a cruise ship. (Those 2-hour work weeks are killer!) Fred has done TV (NBC’s “Friday Night Videos,” A&E’s “Comedy on the Road,” Comedy Channel); clubs throughout the US; concerts with George Benson, Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Skaggs, Smokey Robinson and Kansas; and special shows like Jay Leno’s benefit for the unemployed and last spring’s WKLH fund raisers for Children’s Hospital.

*Sold Out* John McGivern’s “Winter Tales,” November 17—McGivern’s appearance last season sold out in record time. Milwaukee’s favorite son is the author and star of many personally written one-man shows that have received critical acclaim all over the country. His monologues are based on his real life experiences growing up in a large Irish-Catholic working-class family. His topics include parents, nuns, school, and being the one who could never throw a ball! John is known for his stage roles in “Shear Madness,” “Fully Committed,” “The Odd Couple,” “Lovers and Executioners,” “The Santaland Diaries” and “Take Me Out.” He too is a regularly featured guest on WKLH’s morning show with Dave and Carole.

Dobie Maxwell with Steve DeClark, February 9--A stand-up comedian for better than 20 years, DeClark performed with Jane Matenaer in “Trying to Live . . . Happily Ever After” both previous seasons of Comedy Tonight. He returns to open for one of the top touring comedians in North America, Dobie Maxwell, aka Mr. Lucky. Bizarre luck and horrendous timing have followed Maxwell since birth, and he’s built a career on it. A comic’s comic, he’s worked with Drew Carey, Dana Carvey, Jeff Foxworthy, Rosie O’Donnell, Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. His TV appearances include “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “Entertainment Tonight.”

ComedySportz, March 29--ComedySportz, Milwaukee’s longest-running show, returns to RTG for a third consecutive year. Not to worry, it’s never the same old, same old. Each performance is unique, with different players supplied with new audience suggestions in a variety of games (over 100 in the repertoire). ComedySportz is a battle of wits; a competitive event between two teams of players who engage in a series of wacky improvisations. The always inventive performers feed off each other and bounce from one idea to the next at lightning speed!

Season tickets are available now for $60.
Individual show tickets are priced at $18 each for adults, except for John McGivern’s show, which is $20.
There are discounts for students 21 and under.

Performances begin at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday evenings.

All Comedy Tonight performances are
at the Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Avenue (Highway 38) in Racine.

Call 262-633-4218 for tickets.
The box office is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
weekdays; weekend hours vary.