Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids announced artists for the upcoming 2025 LaughFest coming up March 5-9, including Adam Ray, Gabby Bryan, Dan Soder, and Corey B. (Bonalewicz). Comedian and actor Preacher Lawson is set to headline the Gilda’s Club annual Red Door Gala, which will be held on March 19 at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Other events and shows announced include: The Clean Comedy Showcase, LaughFest: Night at the Museum, Laughter RX Symposium, Pop Scholars, River City Improv and The Dirty Show. New to LaughFest 2025 is Gospel Fest at Resurrection Fellowship Church in Grand Rapids. This annual event hosted by the Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids Sister-to-Sister Breast Cancer Support Group for Women of Color, consists of laughter, praise, and shared song.
Proceeds from LaughFest, presented by Gun Lake Casino and Resort, and LaughFest’s High Five Campaign benefit the free cancer and grief emotional health support program offered through Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids.
“We are excited for our 15th year of bringing seriously funny events to West Michigan, while at the same time, raising awareness and funds for the free support programs at Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids,” said Wendy Wigger, president and CEO of Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. “This year’s LaughFest lineup and Red Door Gala feature nationally-acclaimed comedic artists who are guaranteed to make audiences of all ages smile and laugh.”
LaughFest 2025 will include over 40 free and ticketed shows venues in Grand Rapids, Lowell and Wayland’s Gun Lake Casino and Resort. Tickets for all events will go on sale Friday, Jan. 24, at 10 a.m. at laughfestgr.org. Dinner and show tickets for the Red Door Gala featuring Preacher Lawson will be available at gildasclubgr.org/red-door-gala
“Gun Lake Casino and Resort is honored to continue our longstanding partnership with Gilda's Club to bring this cherished festival to West Michigan,” said Carter Pavey, vice president of marketing at Gun Lake Casino and Resort. “Our team takes great pride in sponsoring the entire event and hosting two exclusive shows inside the 131 Sportsbar & Lounge. Performances at Gun Lake Casino and Resort are always a highlight, and we're excited to deliver unforgettable experiences once again.”
In addition to ticketed shows, there will be free LaughFest events, such as Virtual Reality Showcase, Sunday Night Funnies, Kids Joke, Family Improv, the Cancer Survivors Showcase, Drums for All, and more.
Adam Ray is a seasoned comedian and actor hailing from Seattle, renowned for his versatile performances across television, film, and digital platforms. His extensive acting credits include roles in critically-acclaimed shows and movies such as: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Barbie Movie, MadTV, Hacks, Pam & Tommy, and The Heat, among others. Ray’s appearances on popular podcasts like Kill Tony, Bad Friends, and Two Bears, One Cave have garnered millions of views. His talent for impressions and character work shines through his portrayals of iconic figures like former president Joe Biden, Dr. Phil, and original characters, such as Elaine and Jeremy. Ray is taking his show, Dr. Phil LIVE!, on a national theater tour, offering fans an electrifying mix of stand-up, crowd interactions, celebrity guests, surprise characters, and unforgettable moments. His recent comedy special, Like and Subscribe, has further solidified his status as a must-watch performer. Ray will be performing on March 7 at Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids.
Gabby Bryan is a New York-based stand-up comedian, actress, Emmy-award winning producer, and overall girlie girl. This winter, she brought her Fringe hit, Billy and the Situation, to Union Hall, garnering praise in the New York Times, after a successful Edinburgh Fringe Festival run. She performed alongside Olivia Wilde and Oscar Isaac in the film, Life Itself, on Amazon Prime; appeared in the bilingual film, Ruta Viva, on HBO; and featured in Ilana Glazer’s special, Comedy on Earth, on Comedy Central. Bryan co-hosts L'Podcast with comedian Zack Signore, which has built a global audience, as well as the Let Me Ask My Dad podcast with musician and composer David Bryan. Gabby Bryan has toured all around the globe, including shows in London, Dublin, Los Angeles, Boston and hits the road again with her headlining tour, “Gabby Bryan is my Best Friend,” this fall. She will be performing on March 7 and March 8 at Midtown.
Dan Soder is a New York City-based comedian and actor who is best known as “Mafee” on the hit series, Billions, on Showtime. Soder hosted Sirius XM’s The Bonfire before his current podcast, Soder, which is consistently charting in the top 20 of all comedy podcasts on Apple and Spotify. His most recent stand-up special, On The Road, can be seen on his YouTube channel. Soder’s special, Son of a Gary, (directed by Chris Storer) is streaming on HBO, while, The Standups, is streaming on Netflix. Soder’s other credits include: Netflix's Paradise PD, MAX's Fired on Mars; and the films Trainwreck and Drunk Parents. He will be performing on March 8 at Fountain Street Church.
Corey Bonalewicz, aka COREY B, is an American radio personality, comedian and content creator based in New York. Corey B has been working in radio for over 10 years. He got his start in New Orleans and has hosted radio shows in Chicago and New York. Prior to the pandemic, Corey performed stand up in the New York comedy club circuit, and planned on touring. Corey shifted his focus to long-form content during the pandemic, which showcased his comedic style on top of food hacks. He has amassed over 9M followers on TikTok and almost 6M followers on Facebook. He is releasing his own BBQ sauce, has equity in a New York restaurant and cookie company; and co-hosts a podcast, Cane and Corey. He previously created content on his family’s YouTube page, The B Family. He will be performing on March 6 at Gun Lake Casino and Resort in Wayland and March 7 at First Congregational UCC of Lowell.
The Clean Comedy Showcase returns to The B.O.B. and Dr. Grins Comedy Club with dinner and brunch options. The Clean Comedy showcase will feature four nationally-touring comedians featuring adult content without profanity or vulgarity. The comedians will perform the showcase at multiple times from March 5-8. The performers in this year’s showcase are: Mayce Galoni, Vanessa Gonzalez, Katie Hannigan, Paula Kosienski, and Keith McGill.
Following the festival, Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids will hold the Red Door Gala on March 19 at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Preacher Lawson, a national leading comedian and content creator, will host the gala. Lawson is best known for his appearance on season 12 of NBC’s hit series, America’s Got Talent, where he made it to the final round in 2017, and then competed on America’s Got Talent: The Champions and Britan’s Got Talent: The Champions in 2019, where he advanced to the finale after receiving the most fan votes. He can be seen on HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, as well as a series regular on NBC’s Connecting. Most recently, Lawson can be seen on The Tonight Show talking about his fame recognition and MMA fight. His YouTube channel has amassed over 600,000 subscribers and features clips of stand-up, MMA training, and vegan cooking tips. Lawson recently completed his residency hosting AGT Live in Las Vegas and continues to perform at sold-out venues around the country.
Donations raised during the festival and at the gala support the free emotional health services offered through Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids for anyone on a cancer or grief journey. Ticket and sponsorship information on the Red Door Gala can be found at gildasclubgr.org/red-door-gala.
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