Ladies of Laughter, Funniest Females

DVDs
Richard Lewis -
Concerts from Hell:
The Vintage Years

Lisa Lampanelli -Take
It Like a Man (CD/DVD)

Dane Cook -
Retaliation (CD/DVD)

Tom Green - Inside &
Outside

Brother Sam: A Tribute
to Sam Kinison

Laffapolooza 1

Latinlogues, Vol. 2

Platinum Comedy
Series -Bill Bellamy
Deluxe Edition

CDs
Todd Barry - Medium
Energy

Rick Younger-Come On
N'ah

Steven Lynch - The
Craig Machine

DL Hughley - Notes
from the GED Section

Books
Billy Crystal - 700
Sundays

Tom Green and Allen
Rucker - Hollywood
Causes Cancer: The
Tom Green Story

Margaret Cho - I Have
Chosen to Stay and
Fight

Penn Jillette and
Mickey D. Lynn - How
to Cheat Your Friends
at Poker: The Widom
of Dickie Richard

Margaret Smith - What
Was I Thinking? How
Stand-Up Did Nothing
to Prepare Me to
Become a Single Mother

Bill Maher - New Rules:
Polite Musings From a
Timid Observer

Oliver Double - Getting
the Joke: The Art of
Stand-Up

Robert Klein - The
Amorous Busboy of
Decatur Avenue: A
Child of the Fifties
Looks Back

Dave Schwensen -
Comedy Faqs and
Answers: How the
Stand-Up Biz Really
Works

Movies
Fri, Oct. 14
Domino - Mo'Nique
plays a dramatic role
opposite Keira
Knightley and Mickey
Rourke.

Fri, Oct. 21
Stay - Janeane
Garofalo co-stars with
Ewan McGregor, Naomi
Watts and Ryan
Gosling.

Fri, Nov. 4
Jarhead - Jamie Foxx
stars opposite Jake
Gyllenhaal

Nov. 11
Sarah Silverman: Jesus
is Magic - Comedian
discusses race, sex
and politics with friends.

Nov. 25
Rent - Sarah Silverman
plays a supporting role
in the feature
adaptation of the hit
Broadway play.

Yours, Mine and Ours -
George Lopez and Lil
JJ (Beauty Shop)

In the Mix - Kevin Hart
co-stars with singer
Usher and Chazz
Palminteri.

       Who says women aren’t funny? The New York Improv hosted
the second preliminary round of the Ladies of Laughter
Competition where over 20 comediennes produced roof-raising
cheers from a jam-packed audience. Kim Cea, the 2002 New
Winner, emceed the contest that showcased funny women from
the New York area who competed in the amateur and professional
categories.
Outstanding performances included seasoned pros Jane
Condon, Carmen Lynch, Karith Foster and Lisa Kaplan. Condon was
the unanimous crowd favorite. The Connecticut native generated the
most belly laughs with bits about her two boys and rapper 50 cent. “I love 50 cent. He has
that song ‘I don't know what you heard about me, but you can’t get a dollar out of me.’ That’
s exactly what I tell my boys.” Condon discussed laser surgery. “I saw my doctor and he
told me about a vaginal laser surgery. And I asked him what does that have to do with my
eye?”
Lynch was exceptionally laugh-out-loud funny. She talked about her imposing height and
dating shorter men. Foster’s performance was equally refreshing as she brilliantly went
against type with a routine about people who question her “blackness.” “I’m like a
Huxtable…I know who my father is.”
Laureen Farnsworth and Leanna Conley delivered solid performances. The ladies
competing in the newcomer category struggled to keep the audience’s attention due to
long-winded set-ups without punch lines. Pro comic, Sheila Ratner came to the rescue
and breathed life into the crowd, producing huge laughs.
The winners in the Pro category were: 1st Place- Jane Condon, 2nd Place - Lisa Kaplan,
3rd place - Sheila Ratner. The winners in the New category were: 1st place Laura Manino,
2nd Place – Catie Lazarus, 3rd Place - Katrina Rossotti. The winners will advance to the
semi-final round Aug. 5 at The New York Improv. The finals will be held at The New York
Improv Aug. 14.
As the finals draw near, the funniest comediennes competing in Ladies of Laughter are
removing any doubt that women are funny.

Twelve talented women competed for cash prizes and bookings worth $10,000 in the
Ladies of Laughter 2004 Finals at The Improv. 2002 Pro Winner, Stephanie Blum hosted
the sold-out show that featured new and professional comics, such as Jennifer Belzer,
Carol Ann Domer, Jane Condon, and Tanya Lee Davis who electrified the audience with
their unique brand of humor.
The competition showcased the new comics first, in which Belzer and Domer delivered
outstanding performances. Belzer resuscitated the reserved crowd with her hilarious
routine on weight loss and testified, “every time I try to go on a diet; Burger King always
comes up with a new sandwich.”
Domer added her funny two cents on the weight issue: “Men look at me like a bowl of
cereal…Mikey, are you going to try it?” The laughs thundered throughout the room she
revealed “there are support groups for stutterers…How long do these meetings last?”
New Jersey finalist, Dena Blizzard also gave a solid performance that included a laugh-
out-funny lullaby that she sings to her daughter. Val Kappa kicked off the second half of
show in the pro category and produced long-winded laughs with a bit about her Starbucks
job interview. MTV comic, Melissa Rauch mesmerized the crowd with her dead-on
impression of Jodie Foster. Jane Condon annihilated, in which her rib-tickling set diverted
the crowd’s attention away from their checks.
The show took an unexpected turn when Roz Gholston roused hecklers with her anti-Bush
comments. Her earsplitting “I don’t have jokes…I have problems” rant created a deafening
silence in the room.
Tanya Lee Davis, best known for her Los Angeles audition on Last Comic Standing 2,
closed the show with an animated performance that garnered applause during her set.
She made some wheeze with laughter when she said, “My husband’s idea of kinky is
dressing me up as an M&M and putting me on a pillow.”
The winners in the Pro category were Jane Condon (Winner) and Tanya Lee Davis
(Runner-up). The winners in the New category were Dena Blizzard (Winner) and Jennifer
Belzer (Runner-up).
Ladies of Laughter 2004 proved to be a success despite that it did not have a corporate
sponsor as it did in previous years. Its driving force, Executive Producer, Peggy Boyce
achieved her goal: To provide talented funny women opportunities for exposure and help
advance their careers.