By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
What was once was 84 comedians is now down to 36, the Sunday Night Funnies Kingpin of Comedy competition enters its quarterfinal round.
The contest started June 5 with its first of twelve qualifying rounds, which wrapped up last Sunday. The six quarterfinal rounds run Aug. 28- Oct. 2 with three semifinal rounds on Oct. 9, 16, and 23 with the finals being held on Oct. 30. Each week of the quarterfinals six comedians are given eight minutes to perform. The line-up order is drawn as the show progresses, so they have no idea of when they’ll be going on stage — it could be first, it could be last. Before the show begins the audience members are given a ballot. After the last comedian in the competition that night performs the audience will pick three comedians they feel should advance to the next round. The ballots are counted while a comic not in the competition performs and the comics moving on in the competition are announced at the end of the show.
“The Kingpin of Comedy competition is a blatant rip-off of the Funniest Person in Grand Rapids contest,” said Brian Borbot, known as Brian B., who is the creator and master of ceremonies of the Sunday Night Funnies. Brian is referring to the successful annual event at Dr. Grins comedy club inside The B.O.B. downtown Grand Rapids.
“Seeing that Wyoming is the 14th largest city in Michigan I thought it deserved its own stand-up comedy competition with the overall winner getting a prize package worthy of the title most humorous human in Wyoming!” he said.
The winner receives $500 cash plus prizes from Wyoming businesses Spectrum Entertainment Complex and its neighbor Craig’s Cruisers as well as gift cards from LaughFest and the Listening Room. They will also receive a bowling pin trophy and a personalized “Kingpin” bowling shirt and a presentation with Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll declaring the winner the funniest person in town. The winner will headline the Sunday Night Funnies special 2023 LaughFest performance.
The Sunday Night Funnies is the creation of Grand Rapids stand-up comedian Brian Borbot. It’s a weekly live stand-up comedy performance featuring a variety of comics from Michigan and around the country. The Sunday Night Funnies is a free admission show that starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex, 5656 Clyde Park SW.
