CRUMBS in December

December isn't just about Xmas parties and New Year's Eve parties... it's also about improv and comedy parties. CRUMBS a some shows coming up and you will want to see them because, really, you haven't seen a real CRUMBS show in months!



CRUMBS does the Wed, Dec 30th show at the Park Theatre with H.U.N.K.S. sketch comedy. You will see the "best of 2015" sketches from H.U.N.K.S. and the "best of 2015" improv scenes from CRUMBS. Music by none other than DJ Hunnicutt!

EVENT LINK


Of course you can also catch CRUMBS on the radio on 101.5 UMFM every Monday at 5pm


Of course you catch live comedy and improv at various venues in the city every week...

Sundays at the Cavern

Mondays at the HUB

Tuesdays at the King's Head Pub

Wednesdays at Jekyll & Hyde's

Thursdays at handsome Daughter



CRUMBS in the New Year!


CRUMBS at the King's Head Pub on Thursday, Jan 7th


Of course you'll be looking forward to seeing the amazing Virtual CRUMBS show happening in... well in Berlin on Feb 4th. Some of the show happens in Winnipeg and then it's stuffed into small tubes and the digital information is sent to Berlin and projected live onstage at the Ratibortheater. A CRUMBS show that happens with the help of technology.

CRUMBS at the Winnipeg Improv Festival

The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival is approaching so quickly, that by the time you read this, it might already be here (I don't know how fast you can read).

The festival dates are Sept 29th to Oct 3rd, 2015.

The Winnipeg if... Improv Festival kicks things off with a free sample show at the King's Head on Tuesday, Sept 29th. This show is hosted by CRUMBS with music by DJ Hunnicutt. This show has always been a great time. You get to see short improv scenes with a great number of improv guests and it's a nice way to see some improv and rub some shoulders.

There are of course other great shows to see, but another CRUMBS show happens right at the end of the festival too. Yes, CRUMBS is the bookend of the festival, first and last. Anyways, the show is a CRUMBS show with special guest Kevin McDonald from The Kids in the Hall. Last year we did this show and it worked so well, we are doing it again. That show is Sat, Oct 3rd at 10:30pm at the Gas Station Arts Centre.

BUY TICKETS FOR SAT, OCT 3RD LATE SHOW


You also might want to check out Lee White's creation "Knowledge & Punishment". This is a game show themed improv show where improvisers will do hilarious scenes, answer trivia questions and be punished cruelly when they do anything wrong. So much fun... to watch. This show is on Fri, Oct 2nd at 8pm at the Gas Station Arts Centre.

BUY TICKETS TO KNOWLEDGE & PUNISHMENT SHOW



But really, you are going to want to see all the shows. Why not get a FESTIVAL PASS that way you get to see it all AND you get to jump to the beginning of the line to get in first, get your good seat.

BUY FESTIVAL PASS ONLINE NOW!

See the official festival schedule:

Go the Winnipeg if... Improv Festival WEBSITE

FACEBOOK event

FACEBOOK fan page

Festival on TWITTER

Comedy in Winnipeg

Comedy and improv and then even more comedy keeps just happening in Winnipeg. It's mostly because Winnipeg breeds funny. Geographically speaking, the centre of continents are usually funnier than their coastlines, it's just a fact, a fact with many exceptions. One of those exceptions is the East Coast of Canada. Another exception is the West Coast of Canada, but the west coast isn't trying to be funny, they just ARE funny. Not as funny as an Albertan Conservative trying to digest the latest provincial election results... but I digress.


Here is the scoop on the comedy happening in Winnipeg!

An improv show filled with comedy and suspense and story and hilarity is just what you need to recover from a May Long Weekend of rain soaked sleeping bags and soggy fires. We have a strong leak-free roof at the King’s Head. We have a stage filled with live comedy and improv. We have beers that are kept cold in a fridge and not in a 20 year old cooler. We have food that is prepared without the use of fire. It isn’t quaint and it isn’t rustic… but it is the Comedy Knights Show for FREE at the King’s Head on a Tuesday.

Stephen Sim from CRUMBS hosts many amazing guests in this show.

Special guests include some of the amazing comedy folks in town filming Sunnyside (City TV). See Pat Thorton, Alice Moran, Rob Norman, Alistair Forbes, and Kevin Vidal.

As well, we have the ladies from Outside Joke (are they a brand new sub-division of the much loved Winnipeg improv troupe?). We have Caitlin Curtis (the Improv Bachelorette). We probably have even more...

There are so many guests and so much comedy and so little rain soaked drippy tents… it’s going to be great.

(*Please be sure to store you food at least 30 meters away from the stage. Because bears)

FACEBOOK EVENT LINK


What else?

H.U.N.K.S are doing another sketch comedy show at the Park Theatre. This time their special guests are Outside Joke. So this show will be filled with the glorious sketch comedy and the glorious improv. I don't use the word glorious enough.

May 20th at the Park theatre!

LINK TO BUY TICKETS!


What else?


The Kids in the Hall are on a reunion tour and they play a show in Winnipeg on Friday at the Walker Theatre/Burton Cummings Theatre... you know the theatre.

Kevin McDonald has been living in Winnipeg so obviously Winnipeg has claimed him as their own. So this is really like a legendary comedy troupe returning to play their hometown crowd, sort of. 

Come and see the TV sketch comedy stars of the 90's and laugh really really hard.

Fri, May 22nd at the old Walker Theatre!

LINK TO FIND OUT MORE INFO ABOUT KITH


What else?

Todd Barry brings his live comedy show to the Park Theatre on Thu, May 21st. He's funny. You want to see it if you like comedy.

EXAMPLE OF TODD BARRY


What else?

Well remember that the FRINGE is coming up and there will so many shows with many comedy hilarities inside them.

1)
CRUMBS returns to the King's Head

2)
The Big Stupid Improv Show returns to MTYP

2)
Stephen is helping out with a couple other shows in the FRINGE. What Could Go Wrong? and Revenge of the Meek.

3)
DnD Improv and Hot Thespian Action will be returning to the GSAC to do shows.

4)
Even more... there are even more shows to see. Don't worry though, I'll keep you updated.

Thank you,

Enjoy the outdoors

The Holidays are coming... and going

With the Holidays approaching so fast, you just know that they will pass just as quickly. There are some shows that bring us right up to the holidays, a show that helps us celebrate the holidays and then a couple shows after the holidays. It's like a whole holiday gift basket of shows. And let us not forget what the holidays are about... they are about not working, about avoiding the shopping malls, about eating a lot of food with your friends and family, they are about using the power of the mind to not even hear the death loop of jingles and carols that follow you everywhere.

Let's unwrap these gifts of laughter in a chronological order shall we?

1)

Tuesday, Dec 16th (doors open at) 8PM

CRUMBS at the Good Will Social Club



CRUMBS usually performs on a Tuesday night at the King's Head for the Comedy Knights free laughs series, but we are taking a break from the King's Head for the Holidays (there's that word again). Instead of just not doing a show, we thought we would do an awesome show at an awesome new venue. And since the price of OIL is so low, we can now pass the savings down to you and do a little something we used to do back in the day... FIVE DOLLAR COMEDY!

Facebook Event LINK


2)

Saturday, Dec 27th 8PM (sharp)

Outside Joke + CRUMBS = Secret Santa Improv



The two most prominent and distinguished improv companies in the city join forces and have a holiday party live onstage. This show will feature a Secret Santa game where each mystery gift is the inspiration for the improv scenes. The first have will be nice and the second half will be naughty. Come join us in celebrating not being at work, have a cup of cheer with us and cheer and laugh at the hilarity.



Get Your Tickets!

Facebook Event Page!


3)

Tuesday, January 6th 2015
Tuesday, January 20th 2015 

Comedy Knights returns to the King's Head on Tuesdays and CRUMBS returns to delivering your improv comedy theatre to you on a regular basis. Enjoy the warm and gentle insanity of CRUMBS + Dj Hunnicutt as they create instantly engaging shows. Every Tuesday at the King's Head there's a comedy show that rotates... sometimes it's improv... sometimes it's stand-up... all the times it's funny.


4) 

Saturday, January 17th 8PM

Theatre Projects Manitoba presents:
White Rabbit Red Rabbit



Stephen Sim takes part in this interesting play. Each night the play will feature a different actor, it has no director, and it has been produced all over the world. Come on the Sat, Jan 17th to see Stephen Sim of CRUMBS and improv fame perform in a legitimate theatre production. How could that not be interesting to see?

Theatre Projects Manitoba LINK

Article about the show in the Winnipeg Free Press


5)

Don't forget things like:

CRUMBS on the radio every Monday at 5-6pm. Tune in to 101.5 UMFM or use the power of the online world to do it.

UMFM LINK

CRUMBS appearing on the Week Thus Far live taping of their very very last show ever at the Park Theatre on Dec 11th. They have been airing their TV show on ShawTV for 5 years and now it's coming to an end. Come and say goodbye.

WTF LINK

All the other comedy and stand-up rooms in the city that happen. Sundays at the Cavern, Mondays at the HUB, Wednesdays at Jeckle & Hyde's... heck there might even be more!

If you really must give a gift... give the gift of laughter.

CRUMBS pledge-o-rama and other other stuff-o-rama

It's getting close to that time when the leaves change colour and fall off the trees. We cozy up and get ready for the winter. Here's some ways to stay warm.

CRUMBS has been making radio live on Mondays for almost a decade. We've won numerous made-up awards for report the news that most media companies are afraid to touch and we've broadcasted into your homes. We are now reaching out during the UMFM Pledge-o-rama which is a pledge drive for our listeners to put their money where their ears are and support the amazing radio that 101.5 UMFM has been delivering for years.

Tune in on Monday at 5-6PM for live radio news of the fake. This week we have wonderful guests from the Week Thus Far crew (Ryan Ash, Chad Anderson and Tim Gray). The Week Thus Far tapes live on Mondays at the King's Head Pub and you can be one of those "live studio audiences" that everyone is talking about.

What else is up the CRUMBS sleeves?


CRUMBS splits in two! While Lee White is busy spreading the improv love across Europe, Stephen Sim holds the fort down here in the Prairies.

Tue, Oct 21st 9PM

CRUMB & Friends performs at the King's Head on Tuesday with the musical wizardry of Dj Hunnicutt. We will have the talent and wonder of Jane Testar and Robyn Slade joining the stage for some "not-to-be-missed" improv spectacular.

Jane and Robyn are both in Outside Joke and have been killing the improv scene with their improv musical style show for years (years before a lot of these other improv musical shows have been doing it btw).


Tue, Nov 4th 9PM

TiL stands for Today I Learned... which will be a special Comedy Knights showcase show of "jokes worth spreading". This TED inspired parody/satire/actual lecture of information. The comedy community in Winnipeg is not only hilarious, we are also a deep well of valuable information and we all do have "jokes worth spreading". Show up for hilarity and education and more hilarity and then some more knowledge.

Click this LINK to find out how cool TED is, now imagine how cool this show will be. 
Tune in and keep tuning in for more radio and live show updates!

-------

April Flowers

I was told there would be flowers, April Flowers, but here I am riding on top of a March Lion, a March Lion that was supposed to "morph" into some sort of lamb-like creature. Oh well, if we humans didn't have the weather to complain about, I'm sure we'd find something else.

So April in Winnipeg means the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and here we are fresh from having the festival stain Winnipeg with hilarity and comedic wonderment. I did get to hang out with some comedy folks (here's some photographic proof). Winnipeg was the funniest place on the planet for a week and we still have the strength to muster some more funny. Funny has not yet died. Here are some shows to enjoy.

On Tuesday we can look forward to another show brought to you by the Comedy Knights at the King's Head. The show will be CRUMB & Friends. The CRUMB will be Stephen Sim (as Lee White is still on tour in Europe) and the Friends will be: RobYn Slade, Jane Testar, Andrea del Campo, Gordon Tanner and Cory Wojcik. You can always look forward to free comedy at the King's Head on a Tuesday, so we'll always see you there.

On Friday we can look forward to another Winnipeg Stand-up showcase at the Park Theatre featuring a gaggle of handsome/funny comics standing in front of a mic stand, spinning hilarious yarns for the masses.

On Saturday we can look forward to Outside Joke's show at the Gas Station Theatre. The show will feature guests from Edmonton's Rapid Fire Theatre performing a "Theatresports-esque-Trademark-Free" competitive improv match (hosted by the ever writing this paragraph Stephen Sim). Get Tickets!

As we look back on a successful week of comedy for Winnipeg we can all thank the lovely and hard working folks at the Gas Station Arts Centre for putting together an amazing festival.

Highlights? Okay...

Bill Pats did his new show directed by Bruce Clark and then he was able to go to an after party at Moxie's (see his show to understand how amazing this truly is)

Tom Green and I both learned that we both went to Middle School (Junior High School) together. We might have even played street hockey, skateboarded and played 1941 at the Mac's together.

Did some improv with some fine Edmonton folks, which I hadn't done in a long time. We did a Dr Who inspired improv show that was filled with silly fun times. Very good to hang out and play with the cast of The Irrelevant Show.

I was able to reveal myself as the mysterious "ID guy voice" for DNTO in the live show at the Gas Station Arts Centre. Such a fun show. The true stories were truly great, the music was great, and having to re-do the credits at the end because I mispronounced the name of my boss was great.

Sook Yin and Stephen "meeting" onstage. She called me a slob, then called me rugged. Which do you think is more appropriate? #teamrugged

I learned that Elvira Kurt pronounces her name El-veera Kurt. Who know (the answer is everybody... also, who knew that someone introducing artists could mispronounce so many people's names).

Being immersed in the stand-up comedy world and seeing Winnipeg engulfed in comedy was amazing. Seeing local Winnipeg comics hold their own, and sometimes even hold themselves up high, was also wonderful.

Size Matters show backstage (tall meets small)

Trish Cooper before the No Bro Show getting ready. And then Evany Rosen (of Picnicface) doing her set.

A great week. Now let's have this lion I'm riding on turn into a lamb and smell some flowers.

You can always tune into the CRUMBS radio show on Mondays from 5-6 PM to catch live radio about everything that's going on in the world... and your own backyard.

Listen online

Improv and the Comedy Festival

The CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival is almost upon Winnipeg and Winnipeg will soon be the funniest place on the planet for a week, not that Winnipeg isn't usually in the top ten on any day.

While I am going to be at the Gas Station Arts Centre introducing all of the shows for the Comedy Festival I will be hosting and performing in The Doctor Whom & the Lords of Improv show happening on Tue, April 8th. The is happening at the always wonderful Gas Station Arts Centre and will not only be featuring myself, it will also feature OTHER amazing performers too. Robyn Slade and Leif Ingebrigtsen will be there as well as some cast members of the Irrelevant Show including Mr Mark Meer. Who(m) is Mark Meer? Well, he will be playing the part of Doctor Whom and who better to play the part than Mark Meer, the king of the nerds! He is perhaps best known for being the voice of Commander Shepard on the monster hit video game Mass Effect. He's also quite beloved as an international improviser. Improvising for years with Edmonton's Rapid Fire Theatre and the long running improv soap opera Die Nasty. Winnipeg is happy to have my good friend Mark Meer on a Winnipeg stage. Check this show out!

Buy tickets to the Doctor Whom & the Lords of Improv Show

The next Comedy Knights improv show is Tuesday, April 15th at 9PM and free as always, the show will be CRUMB & Friends. Of course you do know that every Tuesday there is a show that happens, we rotate between improv and stand-up to ensure that all the comedy bases are covered.

How amazing was the Bizarro Comedy show that happened on April Fool's Day? If you missed it, then you missed a dozy. You missed some local stand-up comics giving improv a try… and rocking the stage with their improv-ness. You also missed some local improvisers giving stand-up comedy a try… and killing it!

It was such a success that it will most assuredly be returning with more stand-up and improv swappiness.

Outside Joke is presenting their 2nd Season of the Yuks. Which is Outside Joke putting on an actual season of shows at the Gas Station Arts Centre with some amazing guests. I say amazing guests because you might remember that CRUMBS was their guest at the season opener… and CRUMBS is amazing. But seriously folks, more amazing than that is Rapid Fire Theatre is sending over one of their own to guest with Outside Joke. Kory Matheweson will be partaking in some improv and teaching some improv workshops. The show will feature a "Nondescript, Non-denominational, Trademark-Free Short form Improv Competition show" that will be hosted by Stephen Sim (hey, that's me).

Tickets for the Outside Joke Show

What other shows are happening in Winnipeg?

Every Monday you can go see a live taping of the Shaw TV show "The Week Thus Far" and be in a real "Live Studio Audience". The show features a good cross section of Winnipeg stand-ups in a talk show formatted comedy show. The show is taped live at the King's Head and starts around 8PM.

Every Wednesday you should go to The Cheer in Osborne Village. The stand-up show there is called "Stand-up and Cheer" and it is hosted by the "always handsome" Ben "Ol' Ball Coach" Walker.

Every Thursday at the Times Change(d) on Main Street you can enjoy the "Workshop" hosted by the very talented Chantal Morastica. The evening is a show that has stand-ups and improv and sketch comedy performers work on new hilarious material. Always so much fun.

On the Sundays that this show is happening, you should really go. The legendary Comedy at the Cavern open mic stand-up show. The Cavern is under the Toad in Osborne Village and it hosts a legendary stand-up night that is hosted by the almost just as legendary John B Duff. This is where most of the city's stand-ups cut their comedy teeth (teeth, I might add, that are now razor sharp).

Hey Winnipeg, thanks for reading this, thanks for seeing live comedy shows and thanks for being so great.

CRUMBS in a new year

Well, the holidays happened and a whole new year is upon us. Someone told me that it's the year 2014, and to me, that just sounds too much like the future. 2014 should be moving sidewalks and flying cars and robot slaves. Instead we have found out that moving sidewalks would just make us fat. We have too many cars as it is and just imagine all the idiots trying to fly cars, nevermind just drive them. And robots? The robot slaves would just revolt and conquer us weak humans. It's just as well.

But it being 2014 also just makes me ask "Why is it the year 2014 anyway?". Seriously, if you go by the chinese of the jewish calendars, they're all different years. If you ask me its the year 41. I think its about time in this globalization and information age to just start over. Why can't we just say its the year zero. I'll make it even simpler. Let's just say that there's no more "Two Thousand" in front of the year. It's just the year 14. There, simple.

Now let me tell you about some shows you need to check out:

#1
CRUMBS at the King's Head
We're performing at the King's Head for free on Tuesday, January 21st at 9PM. You should really come on down (like you would on any Tuesday) for the free amazingness. While you're at it, come to all the CRUMBS shows at the King's Head! (Feb 4th and Feb 18th to name but two).

Where's the King's Head Pub?

#2
Outside Joke and The D&D Improv
They're doing a show at the Gas Station Theatre on Saturday, Feb 15th as part of Outside Joke's Season of the Yuks. CRUMBS was lucky enough to be a part of this amazing show in December and now all you improv fans can get another dose of awesome, this time mixed with the D&D Improv crew. Rumour has it that they will be doing the show in the style of Sci-Fi rather than their famous Fantasy genre. Fun times.

Where's the Gas Station Theatre?

#3
CRUMBS on Sat, Feb 22nd!
Yes, CRUMBS will put on a show at the Gas Station Theatre. Yes, it's true. CRUMBS is doing their very own show at this amazing theatre. Right in the heart of Osborne Village you can enjoy your very own CRUMBS show. We might even have some amazing guests. Who knows?

What is a word that would describe this show?

#4
CRUMBS on your radio every Monday!
We are doing our live radio show every Monday at 5pm CST on 101.5 UMFM. You can tune it and listen to CRUMBS as they guide you through the news of the week and even call in and give them your scoop.

How can I listen to this radio show live online?



Okay, now thanks for reading the words on the internet, or perhaps you had these words dictated to you by some sort of super computer robot slave while you were flying in your car. 

Welcome to the year 14!

CRUMBS for the Holidays

CRUMBS is in the wintery wonderland known as Winnipeg. We are of course warming people up with our shows, so you should cozy up next a stage we're performing at.

We are doing a big show coming up with our friends Outside Joke at the Gas Station Arts Centre on Saturday, Dec 28th at 8pm. Follow the LINKS HERE for tickets and more info.

CRUMBS has also just finished up the 2013 season of shows at the King's Head Pub on Tuesday nights. Look for CRUMBS and other amazing comedy shows in 2014 at the King's Head every single Tuesday for your FREE and AMAZING COMEDY shows!

Have a nice holiday time and a safe holiday time. Here are some Xmas cats to help you enjoy the holiday times in true internet fashion.

Keep laughing, and we'll see y'all soon

CRUMBS away and at home

Just because CRUMBS are now away in the land of Europe spreading the good word of improv and theatre and comedy to all the Europeans doesn't mean there isn't important things happening back at home in Winnipeg. Oh no, quite the opposite.

101.5 UMFM is having their 2nd annual Pledge-O-Rama to raise funds to keep supplying Winnipeg and the world with top quality radio. Radio that just happens to include a weekly dose of CRUMBS. For almost 10 years CRUMBS have been producing and airing a live radio show on Mondays. When CRUMBS are actually in Winnipeg, you can hear them live on Mondays at 5pm on 101.5 UMFM.

You love your ears, you love listening to things. Why not put your money where your ears are and support local independent radio.

The King's Head is still your home of amazingly hilariously awesome comedy shows. Every Tuesday there is a FREE comedy show upstairs at the King's Head Pub. The show starts at 9pm and rotates between improv and stand-up comedy and improv and comedy comedy. So much comedy.

While CRUMBS is away, Outside Joke is at the King's Head making sure the improv still gets "made up".

Outside Joke also has other improv fish to fry... can I say that? Can I say "other improv fish to fry"? What I mean to say is that Outside Joke is also producing a season of shows at the Gas Station Arts Centre including a series of workshops.

Click this LINK for the info and the deets!

So until we see each other again, either on the road somewhere in Europe, or on the airwaves of UMFM or at the King's Head Pub laughing it up, keep being cool.