Ity and Fancy Cat spreading laughter this holiday - ‘Christmas Comedy Cook-up’ set for virtual staging today
Published:Saturday | December 26, 2020 | 12:07 AMShereita Grizzle/Staff Reporter
In May, popular comedic duo Ity and Fancy Cat tested the online waters when they presented their first virtual show, Laugh Online. Having ironed out the intricacies of hosting events in that space, the duo is getting ready to serve up another heavy dose of laughter today when they stage the online edition of their annual Christmas Comedy Cook-up.
In an interview with The Gleaner, Ity expressed the view that, with the demand for the event still high, he and his team decided it would be a great disappointment to break a 16-year run for the show.
“Last year, we celebrated our sweet 16 and so this year we would see 17 years of Christmas Comedy Cook-up. But with COVID, of course, we can’t have the usual get-together at the Pegasus. We didn’t want to let down our patronage who every year look forward to coming out and enjoying the show, and so we decided this was the route we would take. We have the means to still pull off a top-class show without being physically present, and so why not carry on with the event as usual? Why break in this our 17th year,” he said.
“This is a new format and it’s almost like a rebirth of sorts. It’s going to be a brand-new experience, and so it’s going to be almost like we’re seeing the show for the first year, because it will be presented differently.”
Speaking of the show being presented in a new format this year, Ity said that the presenters, as well as the production crew, have been learning how to manoeuvre the virtual space, and believe they have everything under wraps.
“I am happy that this show is in December, because we got a chance to properly transition into the online space. We got to make mistakes, and learnt how to engage the audience in this new way. When we first made the transition to online events, I never knew how to present myself, but we have met the learning curve, especially having hosted Laugh Online,” he said.
online audience
“Now you’re getting experienced comedians who know how to engage with an online audience. If this was done in April or May, it would be rough. But, having gone through the various events from May till now, we are a lot better and we are ready to deliver a top-class show. Plus, people are a lot more acclimated to the online space and are okay with attending events there.”
A virtual show also presents an added bonus. Ity said that, with the show being sold out every year, there were many instances where they had to turn back patrons. But, with the event going online this year, that will not be the case.
“This year, we nuh affi turn back a soul and nobody will have parking issues,” he said with a laugh. “So there are no reasons not to attend this year, and that is a big deal. It never nice when we used to have to turn back people who put on dem nice clothes pan holiday, come out to the show, and we have nowhere to put them. And this is the best part – I don’t like to advertise it, but it’s true. When one family member buys a ticket, everybody in the family can watch. Dem can group up and host one watch party and just enjoy dem self laughing together.”
Christmas Comedy Cook-Up: The Virtual Edition will see performances from the likes of Oliver Samuels; Kathy Grant; Owen ‘Blakka’ Ellis; Jamaican Canadian Jay Martin; Latin American comedienne Gina Brillion; Dahlia Harris; Leighton Smith, and many more, with musical guest, the Silver Birds band. The show is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are expected to cost US$19.99.