Kids 'N Comedy Hosts The Do You Know Show At Gotham Comedy Club 2/26

Kids 'N Comedy, New York's leading presenter of young comic talent, will present "The Did You Know Show," a one-of-a-kind show of original standup material by teenage comedians, February 26 at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street.

About the show: "Did you know that cat pee glows under a black light? How about that Albert Einstein never wore socks (and probably smelled awful)? Or that the English invented football (what we call soccer) while kicking about the heads of dead Danish invaders? Charley Bardey, Dillon Heverin, Joe O’Hare, Zach Rosenfeld, Lee Wolfowitz and Andrew Vatier will perform original stand-up about random facts that nobody knows, or should know."

About the group: Kids 'N Comedy presents monthly shows at Gotham Comedy Club with a turntable of talented teens and 'tweens from the tri-state area. In the company's shows, each comic performs his/her own material, which is screened to be free of profanity and abrasive or cheap "low" humor (like fart jokes). They do, however, venture into edgy comic terrain: politics, getting old, even death. Laura Weiss wrote in Big Apple Parent, "This kid humor is quirky and often slightly mordant, with a sophistication that belies the comedians' youth. Plus, these kids are hilarious."

The show is at 1:00 PM; the reservations number is 212-877-6115 and online ticketing is available on the Kids 'N Comedy website, www.kidsncomedy.com.

LINEUP FOR "THE DID YOU KNOW SHOW"

Charlie Bardey is an eleventh grader who grew up on the border of Chinatown and TriBeCa, which he says was good because he got to learn how to peddle counterfeit handbags while simultaneously acting posh. His mother's in marketing; his father's a forensic psychiatrist, thriving off of the lovely junction of crime, insanity, and punishment. He enjoys wearing sweaters from the 70s that are too big for him, dancing to Beyoncé and getting angry at award show results. He has two younger brothers, a thirteen year old and a three year old. Showbiz experience? "I have practiced 'Don't Rain On My Parade' in front of the mirror, like, 50 times." He speaks both English and chatspeak. His passions are disguises, laughing, social interaction and crunking. Sports? "Excuse me?"

Dillon Heverin, a New Jersey based eighth grader, is the son of a government worker and a fashion designer. He plays the sax and has one sister, Cate. He's studied with Kids 'N Comedy for two years. He has a dog (Charlotte) and is allergic to cats and dust. His passions are video games, comedy and friends. He plays basketball and soccer.

Joe O'Hare is a tenth grader from Broad Channel, NY, where he attends The Scholars' Academy. His father works for Sanitation and his mother is a bartender. For hobbies, he writes that he is a volunteer firefighter at Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department. He's an only child; his pets are a dog and a cat. His passions are standup and being a fireman. His sport is wrestling and he has no allergies, bless him!

Zach Rosenfeld hails from Brooklyn, where he's a ninth grader at St. Ann's. His mom's a filmmaker and his dad's a businessman. His hobbies are Computer, Trumpet, Comedy, Golf and Tennis. He has a younger brother (Noah, age 8). He did lighting for a school play and a bit part in one of his mother's films. Job experience? "Casting Assistant. Shoveling snow." He owns a Labradoodle and has no allergies. His passions are Comedy and World of Warcraft; his sports are golf and tennis, formerly soccer.

Andrew Vatier, of Douglaston, NY, is a senior at St Mary's High School in Manhasset, where he has been class president this year and last. His mother's in Real Estate, his father's a contractor. His hobbies are sports, baseball, basketball, Lacrosse, music and travel. He's an only child who describes himself as a "people person." Naturally his passions include comedy and socializing. He played the opening of "Rautotelle" at the Ziegfield and has appeared in the Long Island Comedy Festival, a Ronald McDonald Fundraiser at Children's Museum of Long Island, the Nantucket Comedy Festival, and last but never least, Kids 'N Comedy. He works part time at McDonald's and has volunteered for three years at a summer camp.

Lee Wolfowitz, of Manhattan, is an eleventh grader at Bronx Science; his parents are an investment banker and a full time Mother. His hobbies are video games, TV and music. He has a younger sister. He makes money by babysitting and giving computer assistance. His passions are material possessions and his adorable dog, Charlie.

ALSO UPCOMING

January 29: "The Philosophy Show" -- The teen comics will crack books to prepare for "The Philosophy Show." What better way to deal with the confusion of adolescence than by weighing Hegel against Kierkegaard? With: Leo Frampton, Val Bodurtha, Lee Wolfowitz, Eric Kurn, Zach Rosenfeld and more.

February 12: "Comics in Love" -- Love hurts. Especially when you have braces. Just in time for Valentine's Day, the teen Romeos and Juliets of Kids 'N Comedy will make light of the brutal, unforgiving experience that is 'first love.' With: Val Bodurtha, Ryan Drum, Eric Kurn, Daniel Laitman, Jake Sidransky, David Thompson and Conor Williams.

SUBSEQUENT SHOWS

March 25: "The New York Show" -- Kids who grow up in New York are a wild breed. They eat bagels, catch the subway by themselves, and even write and perform their own stand-up routines. Come listen to them complain about the MTA (among other things). Lineup TBA.

April 22: "When We Were Young Show" -- Who said you had to wait till you were old to start complaining about change? Our nostalgic teenagers long for a simpler time. Lineup TBA.

May 20: "The Horrible History Show" -- John Quincy Adams kept an alligator in the White House. Need we say more? This show is devoted to the lighter side of history. Lineup TBA.

MORE INFO

Complete info on all shows (including lineups) will be available on the Kids 'N Comedy website, www.kidsncomedy.com.

For biographies of the young comedians in the Kids 'N Comedy troupe, visit: www.jsnyc.com/season/knc_bios.htm.

To read about training opportunities with Kids 'N Comedy, visit: www.jsnyc.com/season/knc_training.htm.

ABOUT KIDS 'N COMEDY

Kids 'N Comedy originated in 1996 as a talent show for kids at a The West End Gate restaurant on the Upper West Side that was owned at the time by Associate Director Stu Morden, Art D'Lugoff and Manny Roth (Cafe Wha). The talent of the kids caught the attention of BBC-TV, which filmed a documentary about them, which resulted in more media attention. Demand spiked among kids wishing to perform and this prompted Morden and his wife, Artistic Director Jo Ann Grossman, to establish Kids 'N Comedy to serve these budding comics through classes taught by a rotating staff, an intensive summer comedy camp, and professional gigs. Their performance series started at The Knitting Factory in 1996 and moved to Caroline's in 1998 and to Gotham Comedy Club in 2000. The founders point out that there's a ten year ramp-up to a comedy career and stage time is essential to becoming a good performer. Before there was Kids 'N Comedy, getting that stage time was nearly impossible, since Comedy Clubs are primarily bars and therefore off-limits to teens.

Parents report that their children's involvement in Kids 'N Comedy yields an increase in self confidence and a better attitude toward school. One parent wrote, "My son (like his father) has always marched to the beat of a different drum. As a result, he has had to take a lot of criticism from his peers and was not always the most secure of children: funny, pleasant to be with, but always uncertain as to who he was. As a result of your efforts my son has found that the road less traveled could possibly be the most rewarding."

Distinguished alumni of Kids 'N Comedy include Josh Peck, star of Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh," and Lucian Maisel, who can be seen in the film "The Ex" with Zack Braff and Amanda Peet. Last Spring, ensemble member David Thompson made his film debut in "WIN WIN" with Paul Giamatti (directed and written by Tom McCarthy).

Beside their regular shows at Gotham Comedy Club, Kids 'N Comedy performers have appeared at a variety of benefits and charity events, including events of the WB11 Care for Kids Fund, a fund of the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation (supporting needy families, including teen mothers, homeless families and at-risk youth), Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation (it brightens the lives of seriously ill children and their families) and the Toyota Comedy Festival.

This program has been made possible in part through the sponsorship of The Field, a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization serving the New York City performing arts community.

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