Comics Kick Cancer to the Curb with The ‘C’ Word

Toronto, ON – The ‘C’ word. Some people cringe when they hear it. Others cover their ears. And there are those who are absolutely horrified by the mere mention of it. Yes, we’re talking about cancer. But on January 19, a Toronto comic and her female cohorts want to make the ‘C’ word stand for something else: Courage. Creativity. And most of all: Comedy.

The ‘C’ Word, a benefit for Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto, is a night of stand-up comedy featuring seasoned pros alongside up-and-coming comics from the StandUp For Your Sisters troupe. The title of the show was inspired by the experiences of comedian and organizer Daniela Saioni during her bout with cancer earlier this year.

“For my 40th birthday I got cancer,” Saioni says. “I’m a comic, so my natural instinct was to make jokes about it – but when I did, I got heckled. Even friends and family were uncomfortable discussing it.”

Last year’s inaugural event, StandUp For Your Sisters, was a sold-out success and raised more than $7,400 for Gilda’s Club. This year’s event has become more personal for Saioni, who credits Gilda’s Club for helping with her successful recovery.

“It was humbling having to turn to the charity I fundraise for to get help,” Saioni says, “I’m so happy to be able to give back to Gilda’s Club by doing what I love – making people laugh”.

With The ‘C’ Word’s diverse line-up of comics, there will be plenty of laughs, with topics ranging from sex to ethnicity, relationships to careers and much, much more. Since last year’s event, the Sisters have spent lots of time on local comedy stages and their acts are better than ever.

“People from last year’s audience still stop us in the street to quote their favorite jokes back to us,” Saioni says. “This year, we’ll give them even more to talk about. It’s a great night to come out and stand up for your sisters, mothers, daughters and friends. And laugh in the face of cancer.”

When: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. (Dinner and silent auction at 6pm)

Where: Hugh’s Room, 2261 Dundas Street West, Toronto

Who: Hosted by Martha Chaves (Just for Laughs, Something About Martha)

Featuring Jo-Anna Downey (CTV’s Women of the Night, YukYuks), Special Guest Sandra Battaglini (Canadian Comedy Award winner) and StandUp For Your Sisters

Tickets: $25 in advance (available at www.hughsroom.com), $30 at the door

All proceeds from tickets sales and silent auction will go directly to Gilda’s Club.

For a list of comics, bios, photos and quotes, visit The Press Room at http://www.thestandupsisters.com.

About Gilda’s Club

The mission of Gilda’s Club is to provide a meeting place where men, women, teens and children living with cancer, as well as their families and friends, can join with others to build social and emotional support as a supplement to their treatment of choice. Gilda’s Club is a non-profit organization where there is no cost to members. For more information about Gilda’s Club, please visit their website at http://www.gildasclubtoronto.org

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Bonnie Dean at media@thestandupsisters.com or 647-377-4317.

The ‘C’ Word

StandUp For Your Sisters presents The ‘C’ Word, an evening of stand-up comedy to benefit Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto. The show will take place on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at Hugh’s Room. A silent auction will be held in conjunction with the show where audience members will have the opportunity to bid on several beauty, entertainment and luxury items provided by our generous donors. All proceeds from the silent auction and ticket sales will go to Gilda’s Club. Last year’s show raised $7,400 and we’ve been working hard all year long to raise the bar for the 2010 show. If you’ve never been to a StandUp Sisters event, our show stands apart from others for two reasons: the comics are all women over the age of 25 and the majority have only been doing stand-up for about a year. When you throw in some of the most hilarious comedy veterans out there, it makes for a great night. Just ask anyone who attended last year’s show!

We call the new show The ‘C’ Word because one of our comics had a brief stint with cancer this year and discovered that she couldn’t even say the word without upsetting someone. She will speak frankly on cancer, but the jokes overall touch upon every “c” word you can think of – careers, children, compliments, cougars. The Sisters have gained a lot of experience playing comedy clubs across the GTA and beyond, growing as comics and developing new material we can’t wait to share with you! And we’re thrilled about our celebrity host this year, Martha Chaves; it’s really hard for us to think of anyone more hilarious in this country. If you’ve never experienced Jo-Anna Downey, who is closing out the show, you are in for another incredible treat. We’ve even got an amazing Canadian Comedy Award winner, Sandra Battaglini, making a guest appearance. Great comedy for a great cause – that’s what The ‘C’ Word is all about.

Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto

Imagine A PLACE…

Where you and your family and friends can gather to explore the journey of cancer in a relaxed, home-like setting.

That place is Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto.

Together, members SHARE their experiences, FEEL the empowerment of social interaction, and REJOICE in the renewed energy that community brings.

Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto is a place where women, men, teens and children with cancer, their families and friends, can join with others to build social and emotional support as a supplement to one’s treatment of choice.

Whether you’re looking for an understanding ear, a chance to laugh, or an informational resource, Gilda’s Club is the place to learn how to live with cancer, whatever the outcome.

Gilda’s Club also welcomes long-term cancer survivors and those who have lost someone to cancer. Our philosophy is based on the belief that a diagnosis of cancer affects the whole family, as well as friends, and that no one should have to face cancer alone.

Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto is a non-profit, registered charitable organization. We are funded by donations from individuals, foundations and corporations.

There are many ways to give. You can make a donation online, be part of our monthly giving program, donate a single sum in celebration or in memory of a loved one, or leave a bequest in your will – every gift helps.

You may also wish to donate your time, participate in one of our fundraising events, or organize your own fundraiser for us. Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto provides many meaningful ways for you to get involved.

Gilda Radner

Gilda’s Club, named for comedienne Gilda Radner of Saturday Night Live fame, was created because of Gilda’s wish that no one should face cancer alone. After Gilda’s death from ovarian cancer in 1989, co-founders Joanna Bull and Gene Wilder began the process of launching the first Gilda’s Club in New York City in 1995. Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto opened its doors in October 2001.

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For more information about Gilda’s Club, or to make a donation, please call
Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto : (416)214-9898 x 504
http://www.gildasclubtoronto.org/

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!

It’s hard to believe a whole year has passed since we made the pyramid formation in our press kit photo and began selling tickets for our first Gilda’s Club fundraiser without knowing if anyone would actually show up. Although we had a stellar celebrity MC, Elvira Kurt and our teacher, Dawn Whitwell, to stand up with us, most of the original nine SUFYS had less than six months’ experience under our belts at the time, and we were selling an all-girl comedy show to an audience that didn’t frequent comedy clubs.

It was a gamble, but those of you who came to the January 27, 2009 StandUp For Your Sisters show know how it all turned out. Many of us did our best sets, and it was an incredible night of comedy that a lot of the performers will remember for a long time. And the audience apparently will, too: people stop me in the street to this day and say, “That Gilda’ Club event was such a great show! Will you girls be doing it again next year?”. Is there any other answer but “Yes! Yes, yes, YES!”?

We sold out weeks early for that one, and we hope to do the same again, especially since the comics now have another full year of stage time under our belts.

And what a year it’s been!

Shelley Kidwell, who some of you will remember as the sassy Texan in the red dress, has opened for Shelley Marshall and performed at various clubs in Southern Ontario – all while raising three kids and finishing school at The Second City conservatory.

Lianne Mauladin, the blonde rocker who did that killer set in act one, played venues all over Southern Ontario and down the coast of California. She won a tough competition in Toronto called StandUp Showdown, and came in second at two separate Great Canadian Laugh-off contests in Barrie and Hamilton. She surpassed the efforts of some pro comics, and continues to rock her career in stand-up. She’s highly inspiring.

Marilla Wex, the cheeky Brit who probably sold you a raffle ticket at last year’s show, beat out over 60 other comics this summer to come in third in the Toronto Comedy Brawl. She has become a fixture on comedy stages around Toronto and on your TV as well, as her acting gigs also continue to climb.

Becky Bays was chosen to take part in a CBC taping of Barack jokes with the killer Obama bit you’ll remember from last year’s show. She continues to bring her highly original take on life and news to stages in and around Toronto, including Eton House, Spirits, AltDot Comedy and Absolute Comedy, where she opened for headliner Steve Levine.

Laura Salvas, the reluctant Liza Minelli lookalike, came in fourth at the Toronto Comedy Brawl, and continues to make great strides on the improvisation front.

Muniza Rauf quit comedy two more times last year, but came back to play gigs at Spirits, West End Girls and this show. She also has a new boyfriend, and a whole pile of new material to go along with that.

I haven’t won any contests myself, but I’ve performed in four provinces now, with some killer sets in Montreal and St. John’s which keep me pumped to continue in this wonderfully challenging and fulfilling profession. I also spend a lot of time on film sets and writing, and the stand-up has definitely informed my other jobs. Like some of the girls, I now sometimes get paid for my comedy, which is a great feeling.

Maia Mitchell has stopped doing stand-up, at least for the time being, so we invited Rhiannon Archer to join SUFYS this year. Although she’s also a relative newcomer, she can be found performing in or hosting shows across Ontario on any given night. She’s a dynamo, and quite hilarious!

Marjorie Malpass, our special guest last year, has taken a few months off to have a baby (congratulations!).

When I saw how well the SUFYS and other female comics around town were doing, and noted that many comedy rooms in Toronto were still programming “old school” (which is one token female per show), this past September I created a monthly show at Poor John’s in Parkdale called West End Girls. It’s an all girl stand-up room (with one token boy) and the room is always filled to capacity with an all-ages crowd of enthusiastic comedy fans of both genders.

Heidi Mole, who you might remember as last year’s liturgical dance maven, is a crowd favourite at West End Girls, and, I’m proud to say, is now producing this year’s Gilda’s Club show with me and Becky Bays. Her background in film production has made her a natural at fundraising and organizing, and she’s pulled off some major miracles.

Elvira rocked the house so well last year that it took us a long time to come up with a celebrity MC to match her level of skill and funny, but we did it. When Martha Chaves said yes to hosting The ‘C’ Word, we jumped for joy. If you’ve never seen her work, you’ll know what we mean when you see the show. And Jo-Anna Downey – beloved host of Spirits – and Sandra Battaglini – who did the best-ever set so far at West End Girls – are sure to slay you.

How could The ‘C’ Word possibly get any better? Well, the legendary Cylla Von Tiedemann did a photo shoot with us this year outside the famous red doors of Gilda’s Club, and we were honoured to have such an incredible artist lensing us at such an iconic location.

It was touching to be photographed in front of the clubhouse, which is also where Gilda got her comedic training. This show is our small way of honouring the late, great Gilda Radner, a pioneering woman in comedy and the wellness community, and our inspiration.

We hope you will enjoy the show as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you.