Great comedians from all over the country will be at Live-Laugh 2007,” says Kyrus Westcott, the show’s organizer. There will be two nights featuring 15 comedians in four shows at the Studio Theater at Mercer College on Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28.##M:[more]##
A graduate of Nottingham High School and a second year student at Mercer College, Westcott already performed as a comedian on stages including Gotham Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club, and Stand Up New York in New York City, the Stress Factory in New Brunswick, Pennsylvania, and West Windsor.
Kyrus, as he prefers to be called only by his first name, presents his first one-hour show, “Kyrus: K4Komedy,” at the second show on Saturday night. “I’ve done many 20-minute shows and always wish I had more time to go into details, let loose, and connect with the audience,” he says.
The other comedians include Mike Weiss, Adolfo Candray, Chris Johnston, Stanley Swain, Mike Recine, and Sauce. Weiss and Candray will both host three of the shows. Although Kyrus has co-produced “The Parental Advisory Comedy Show” at Mercer, this is his first time flying solo.
Westcott, who often had trouble remembering information for tests, began writing funny songs about subject matters in eighth grade. Classmates soon caught onto the songs and thought they were funny. “They would also remember information and do well on tests,” he says. After he wrote a song about the U.S. Constitution his history teacher suggested that he audition for the school’s musical. He auditioned for Big and was cast as the boss (the one who hires the Tom Hanks character). “I had no clue about the movie and rented it,” he says.
As an actor he has been seen on the Kelsey stage in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Jenny and the Jersey Devil, Funny Face, Bye Bye Birdie, Charlotte’s Web, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Godspell, and James and the Giant Peach.
His stage credits at Washington Crossing Open Air Theater include Fame! The Musical, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and South Pacific. He has also performed with Mercer County High School of the Performing Arts in Of Thee I Sing, The Importance of Being Earnest, Love’s Fire, and Iphigenia.
“Comedians usually have a dark sense of humor but they speak the truth,” says Westcott who has been performing stand-up for close to four years. “When you’re writing jokes you are poking fun at yourself and society. People laugh because they are uncomfortable.”
His favorite comedian is Richard Pryor. “I get my style and energy from him,” says Westcott. “He’s unlike anyone else and always had the audience in his hands.” Westcott, who considers Pryer to be a comedic genius, watched old comedy specials featuring Pryor. “There is not a better feeling than an audience’s laughter,” says Westcott.
— Lynn Miller
Live Laugh 2007, Mercer College, Studio Theater, Old Trenton Road, 609-532-6402. www.kyrusonline.com. $5. Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28, 8 and 10 p.m.
