Bay Street Theater Announces 2014 Comedy Club Lineup, Includes Rannazzisi and McDonald

Bay Street Theater is pleased to announce the 2014 Comedy Club, sponsored by Saunders & Associates. The fun begins on June 2 and will continue on most Monday nights at 8 pm through August. All dates are available online at www.baystreet.org or by stopping by or calling the Box Office at 631-725-9500.

The Comedy Club kicks off 2014 with Kevin Pollack on June 2. Pollak has captured the attention of audiences worldwide with his range of both dramatic and comedic roles. He has appeared in over sixty films, as well as countless television talk shows, and has established himself as one of the few stand-up comedians to have a successful dramatic film career. In addition to his acting talents, he has also proven himself as a writer, producer and recently director and award-winning talk show host. Shortly after Kevin shot his first HBO stand-up special, he landed a role in Willow, directed by Ron Howard and produced by George Lucas. He later got his first dramatic acting role in Barry Levinson's Avalon, but it was Pollak's role in Rob Reiner's A Few Good Men, opposite Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore, that proved his ability to stand out while sharing the big screen with dramatic heavyweights. Not too soon after, Kevin was co-starring with icons Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in Grumpy Old Men and its' sequel, Grumpier Old Men. Pollak was also in plum roles in The Usual Suspects and the Vegas epic, Casino. The film has become known as one Scorsese's classics. In March of 2009, Kevin began hosting his own talk show, Kevin Pollak's Chat Show. Kevin was also named by Comedy Central as one of the Top 100 Comedians of all Time.

THE ALL STAR COMEDY SHOWCASE returns this year will feature the rising stars on the comedy scene. The fun kicks off the fun on June 9, with Joseph Vecsey. Vecsey is a fast rising talent in comedy and is known for hosting The Call Back Podcast in which he discusses the art and business of comedy in a hilarious way with his guests that he has on each week. Other comics include Jeffery Joseph, Tonight Show, Comedy Central, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Roxanne; Subhah Agarwal, PBS Modern Comedian; Nathan Macintosh, Montreal Comedy Festival & AXS TV; Andrew Schulz, MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, and Jobs That Don't Suck; and Jamie Roberts, MTV.

Steve Rannazzisi will hit the stage on June 30. Rannazzisi plays "Kevin," the League Commissioner on FX's hit show The League. He got his first taste of television success as one of the smart-ass cast members on MTV's Punk'd. After being recognized on stage by Ashton Kutcher at the Comedy Store in West Hollywood, Steve was quickly signed up for the show. Since then Steve has continued to make audiences laugh in television, feature films and on comedy stages across the country.

After his success on Punk'd, he was made a series regular on ABC's Big Day, which chronicled all the hilarious happenings of a couple's wedding. Steve played the wise cracking best-man "Skobo." After that series Steve was cast yet again by ABC as a lead opposite Heather Locklear in See Jayne Run. Steve was recently seen opposite Eddie Murphy and Thomas Hayden Church in the Paramount feature film Imagine That. Additionally this year, Steve starred opposite Kevin James in the Sony Pictures blockbuster comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Steve was cast as the leading character of "Stuart," the manager of the Pen store in a Mall that gets taken over in a robbery heist.

In addition to performing stand-up, his credits include guest starring in the FOX series Kitchen Confidential, HBO's Sex in the City, and NBC's Third Watch. Steve has also performed on Comedy Central's Premium Blend, and appeared in the feature films Summer of Samand For Your Consideration.

Heather McDonald continues the Comedy Club series on July 7. McDonald doesn't hold back on anything, especially when it comes to demonstrating her many talents. She continuously proves to master her craft as a comedian, actress, story producer, and best-selling author. Currently in her sixth season, McDonald is best known for her roundtable appearances on E!'s top rated show Chelsea Latelyand she became a breakout star on the E! comedic "mockumentary" series, After Lately, which chronicled the 'behind-the-scenes' shenanigans of the 'Chelsea Lately' cast and crew.

On top of being a full-time writer and story producer for Chelsea Lately, McDonald is also a regular collaborator with the Wayans Brothers; serving as a writer on their features White Chicks and Dance Flick. Heather is also a featured performer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has been a guest star on the hit television series Frasier, Malcolm in the Middle, Reno 911 and Nickelodeon's Drake and Josh.

McDonald is also a best-selling author: her debut book (released June 2010), You'll Never Blue Ball in this Town Again, spent seven weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, and climbed to the #1 position on Amazon's "Bestsellers in Entertainment" list. McDonald released her follow up to Blue Balls in February 2013 titled MY INAPPROPRIATE LIFE: Some Material Not Suitable for Small Children, Nuns, or Mature Adults which also became a national bestseller. My Inappropriate Life is an irreverent account of McDonald's attempts to balance fame with family time, all while doing it her way. McDonald also contributed a chapter to the NY Times #1 bestselling book Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me. Heather's writing has also been featured in Redbook Magazine, Reader's Digest,The Hollywood Reporter and she has contributed to New York Magazine's Vulture.

Bobby Collins returns to the Comedy Club on July 14 after a sold out show at Bay Street in 2013. Collins is known for his VH-1's Stand Up Spotlight, On The Inside, and Out of Bounds. He has been described as the funniest guy in the room. With more than 200 stand-up performances around the country each year, he is a show-business institution who has made millions laugh.

A native of Long Island, he was literally born into comedy when his father named him for his favorite comedian, Bob Hope. In the 1980s, Bobby left a lucrative position as vice president of Calvin Klein to pursue his dream and ended up working alongside such comedy legends as Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. While other comics have left stand-up behind, Bobby has kept going, preferring the intimacy and energy he finds in live clubs, theaters and casinos.

The audience at a Bobby Collins show is half the fun. Many of Bobby's enthusiastic fans have been following him for years and know by heart some of his classic bits ("...on the inside!"). But Bobby keeps it fresh with new observations based on everyday life and his travels around the country.

Bob Marley brings his humor to the Comedy Club on August 11. Originally from Maine, Marley began performing stand-up comedy in his hometown of Portland. He now has a weekly radio call in segment with several radio stations around the country called The World According to Bob. Winner of this year's XM/Sirius Super Bowl of Comedy, he continually makes new fans around the country.

Making his first television appearance on Comedy Central, Marley is now one of the few comics to do the complete late night circuit including The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. He has also appeared on 100 Television shows including VH-1's Super Secret Movie Rule, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, USO Comedy Tour and most recently Comedy Central Presents Bob Marley, Bob's half-hour special. Many movie fans will recognize him from his appearance in the cult favorite movie, Boondock Saints and the highly anticipated sequel, All Saints Day. His comedic take on "Detective Greenly" inspires fans to constantly approach him and quote lines from the film.

Robert Klein returns to the Comedy Club on August 18. He has made several sold out performances at Bay Street Theater. Klein is a Grammy and Tony award nominee. For more than forty years, he has entertained audiences, and he continues to have an acclaimed career in comedy, on Broadway, on television, and in film. He was nominated twice for Grammy Awards for "Best Comedy Album of the Year" for his albums Child of the Fifties and Mind over Matter. Klein received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in the hit Neil Simon musical, They're Playing Our Song. Other Broadway includes The Sisters Rosesweig. On television he's had dozens of starring and guest-starring roles on, Sisters and Law and Order. He regularly appears on talk shows, making more than 100 appearances on The Tonight Show and Late Show with David Letterman alone. Klein has also appeared in many notable films including, Two Weeks Notice, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and The Back-Up Plan.

Tickets to the Comedy Club are available online at www.baystreet.org or by calling the Bay Street Theater Box Office at 631-725-9500. Watch for two more dates to be announced soon. The Comedy Club at Bay Street Theatre is also sponsored in part by The Friars Foundation.

Bay Street Theater is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. We serve as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.

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