Latest news with #DryBarComedy
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jacked dudes to fat cat: Rising comedian Zoltan Kaszas brings standup to Florida
Zoltan Kaszas says while growing up in Southern California he moved often and comedy was a way for him to adapt. "I was always the new kid with the weird name. I learned to make fun of it before anyone else did," said the comedian, whose "Death-Defying Comedy Tour' comes to six Florida cities for about a month beginning in mid-June. "With a lot of comedians, me included, it comes out of a way of survival and a way to belong.' His 15 Florida shows begin in Jacksonville and end in Naples. Kaszas in his standup often discusses growing up in a trailer park and being raised by his mom. It was at home and with relatives where he first learned to laugh. 'I grew up in a funny family," he said. And as a kid, he watched comedy specials with the first being Sinbad's 1993 "Afros and Bellbottoms" filmed at New York City's Paramount Theater at Madison Square Garden. Kaszas also watched Comedy Central specials by comedians Jim Gaffigan, Brian Regan and later, standup by Bill Burr, Louis C.K., and others. He launched his career, traveling across the U.S. and working smaller venues until six or seven years later when he landed a weeklong gig in Las Vegas. 'That's a long haul just to make it to that level," he said. "I felt I was getting one step closer to becoming a real working comedian. It's not an easy hill to climb.' His career was humming along and then his 2017 Dry Bar Comedy video "Cat Jokes" ― in which he discusses his overweight cat, Jessica ― went viral. The YouTube video has nearly 4 million views. In it, Kaszas discusses why he prefers cats to dogs. He said he knew something was up because two of his shows sold out ahead of time in Spokane, Washington. 'I had no idea," he said about the cat video. 'I didn't know what it meant to go viral. I wasn't even sure it was happening.' Kaszas said his wife, Emma Bassiri, compares his career to a steady business. 'You've had such nice incremental growth every few years," he said she tells him. "The hope is it's sustainable and I don't have to go back to working on a cruise ship or something.' Kaszas said he had 15,000 to 20,000 followers on Instagram but that ballooned after the Jessica the cat video. Today, he has nearly Instagram 600,000 followers and some 400,000 on TikTok. He's more popular than he's ever been. 'Shows are sold out, which is a new problem to have," he said. Kaszas also rolls out a few videos weekly of his standup and has a podcast, "This Week In Zoltan." 'Posting regularly is really what's important in social media," he said. For his standup, Kaszas will usually start by offering his view of the town he's in. For example, he pointed out how Off The Hook Comedy Club in Naples is in the same shopping plaza as a grocery store and a Ferrari probably will be parked in a handicapped spot outside the venue when he arrives for his mid-July shows. 'I try to keep my eyes open so I get to see what's going on, and every once in a while, I have an opinion on something,' he said about arriving in a town. He's also comfortable discussing current topics, whether it's Donald Trump, singer Katy Perry being chastised for spending 10 minutes in space, Bill Belichick's girlfriend or "jacked up" 50-year-old men ("Your skin is red, you look like you're about to explode!"). 'If I do anything political, I try to make it so anyone can laugh at it," Kaszas said. "There's not much fun if one side laughs.' Kaszas said he filmed a comedy special in Seattle in April 2025 and is excited about the project that could land on a streaming site, adding: "It's the nicest I've ever looked on camera.' In his upcoming Florida shows, he said, he'll surely share some jokes about the Sunshine State. 'That's the best part of seeing a live show," he said. "If you're just going to watch someone do their hour, you could just watch that on TV. "But if they're saying something special about their town, that's what makes the shows unique. It's exciting for people to come out and have a good time for something a little different." And he's not at all concerned about the rising humidity and temperatures as summer starts when he's touring Florida. 'I've got my shorts and Hawaiian shirt ready," he added. "I'm ready to party.' His Florida shows are: June 13-15 at the Comedy Zone in Jacksonville June 26-29 at Side Splitters Comedy Club in Tampa June 29 at Funny Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant in Orlando July 9 at Improv Comedy Theatre in Miami July 10 at Improv Comedy Theatre in Dania Beach July 11-13 at Off The Hook Comedy Club in Naples. For tickets, visit Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Contact him at dosborn@ and follow him on Instagram @lacrossewriter. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Comedians to see in Florida include Zoltan Kaszas, how to buy tickets
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Canton area entertainment. Divine Mercy Fest, KSU Tusc summer movies, Minerva comedy show
Repository entertainment writer Ed Balint runs down things to do in the Canton area while highlighting news in the local arts scene. Comedians Glen Tickle and Ricky Glore will perform May 16 at the Roxy Theatre in downtown Minerva. Krackpots Comedy Club of Massillon is presenting the show at 7:30 p.m. Tickle and Glore both have "Dry Bar Comedy" specials, and each has appeared on SiriusXM, a news release said. Glore also has appeared on "The Bob & Tom Show," and Tickle released a special on Amazon Prime and has appeared on NPR and PBS. Tickets ($27.75 general admission and $49.25 VIP) can be purchased at Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Roxy Theatre is at 114 N. Market St. "Newsies" opens May 16 at Players Guild Theatre on the campus of Kent State University at Stark in Jackson Township. May 16-17 shows are at 7:30 p.m. The May 18 performance is 2 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Performances are also May 23-25. To purchase tickets, $25 to $45, go to Performances will be at the Mary J. Timken Theatre on the KSU Stark campus, 6000 Frank Ave. NW. The Divine Mercy Parish Festival will be May 15-18 at 2813 Lincoln Way W in Massillon. The event features live music, rides, beer, food and raffles. Festival hours are 5-10 p.m. May 15; 5-11 p.m. May 16; 1-11 p.m. May 17; and 1-8 p.m. May 18. The band schedule is Billy Likes Soda at 7 p.m. May 15; Disco Inferno, 7 p.m. May 16; LaFlavour, 7 p.m. May 17; and Off the Charts, 3 p.m. May 18. Weather permitting, rides will be open 5 to 10 p.m. May 15; 5 to 11 p.m. May 16; 1 to 11 p.m. May 17; and 1 to 8 p.m. May 18. Canton Ballet dancers collectively earned more than $75,000 in scholarships at the recent Regional Dance America Northeast Festival in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Giada Szekeres, a junior at Lake High School, received a $60,000 collegiate scholarship to the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Szekeres was selected through a competitive audition process, according to a news release from Canton Ballet. Szekeres will attend Ballet Arizona this summer. Freshman Kaitlyn Giltz and junior Ashlyn Wood, both students at Jackson High School, will be participating in an intensive summer program at the School of American Ballet in New York City. Joining them in securing competitive placements are Madison Fabek, a sophomore at Central Catholic High School, and Maria Carosello, a junior at GlenOak High School, both of whom have spots at the Miami City Ballet, the news release said. 'We are incredibly proud of our dancers' achievements at the Regional Dance America Festival and in securing these prestigious scholarships and summer intensive placements,' said Canton Ballet Director Jennifer Catazaro Hayward. 'Their success is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and the rigorous training and guidance they receive from our exceptional teaching faculty. These opportunities are vital stepping stones in their development as dancers.' The Performing Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas plans a new summer movie series. Beginning June 24 with "Wicked," the venue in New Philadelphia will feature movie musicals on the Performing Arts Center's 43-x-24-foot screen. Movies will be shown weekly at 7 p.m. Tuesdays. Attendees will receive free popcorn, with bottled water and candy available for purchase. Tickets cost $10 per movie, and a summer movie pass can be purchased for $60 (valid for eight admissions). Performing Arts Center members receive a discount of $5 per ticket. The movie schedule is: "Mamma Mia!," July 1; "La La Land," July 8; "Chicago," July 15; "Grease," July 22; "Moulin Rouge," July 29; "Waitress," Aug. 5; and "The Greatest Showman," Aug. 12. Tickets are on sale at the Performing Arts Center box office, which can be reached at 330-308-6400. Tickets also can be purchased at The box office is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the KSU Tuscarawas campus, 330 University Drive NE in New Philadelphia. The Wilderness Center will host a planetarium show, "Chronicle of a Journey to Earth," at 11 a.m. May 17. "Tour the solar system from the perspective of a visitor from another part of the galaxy," The Wilderness Center said. "... On Earth, we learn about lunar phases, lunar and solar eclipses, Earth's seasons and how they depend on Earth's axial tilt and its relationship to the sun. These concepts are woven together into a journey of exploration and discovery." The event is in the Astronomy Education Building at The Wilderness Center, 9877 Alabama Ave. SW in the Wilmot area. Tickets cost $4 for members and $6 for non-members. The show is for families and children age 8 and older. Pre-registering is suggested at Walk-ins are accepted but ticket payments must be in cash. A 'Tonight's Sky' program showing seasonal constellations and planets currently in the night sky will follow. Stark Parks will host a sunset hike at 8:30 p.m. May 16 on Hoover Trail, followed by a stargazing program with The Wilderness Center's Astronomy Club. The guided lantern hike will be one hour. Hoover Trail is at 1325 E. Maple St. in North Canton. Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@ Follow on Instagram at ed_balint This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton things to do. Divine Mercy Parish Fest, KSU Tusc summer movies
Chicago Tribune
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Orland Park comedian Tim Cavanagh back to laughing after pancreatic cancer nearly took his life
Tim Cavanagh scared someone's poor dog in 2021. And that was a good thing. Cavanaugh, 71, is a nationally known comedian from Orland Park who at one time was backed up by Drew Caray, co-headlined with Dennis Miller and backed up Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld among others. He opened 2021, however, being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Jan. 2. He went through hell, having a bunch of internal organs taken out and spending 26 days in a hospital. But he survived a disease that, according to carries a survival rate of 13%. That was the good news. The bad news is that after he survived, his mind was a mess and wasn't sure he would ever be able to walk on stage and make people laugh again. 'I was feeling like a complete idiot,' Cavanagh said. 'I used to be able to do this stuff easily. 'It was like, can I still do this? Am I still quick? Can I remember my jokes? I was like a crazy man.' He closed out the worst year of his life in early December performing a half-hour set that Dry Bar Comedy aired on YouTube. Cavanagh said when he was trying to get his confidence back, Northwestern Medicine psychologist Stacy Sanford told him that 'affirmation' was a huge step in the recovery process. He received plenty of that after the Dry Bar video ran. There were more than 100 comments and an overwhelming majority were positive. A poster by the name of Shazam6274 said, 'Hilarious! Many of the punch lines had me laughing out loud…(which scared my dog.)' Others called him a 'fun goofball,' 'intellectually superior' and 'a brilliant comedic mind.' That affirmation allowed Cavanagh to plow ahead. 'It sounds sick and psychotic, but I needed that,' he said of the positive feedback. 'I needed to hear that and to put that in my head.' In February 2022, he did a corporate show in Nebraska that he had committed to before he was diagnosed with cancer, and warmed up with some 10-minute midweek shows at Zanies Comedy Club in Rosemont. Cavanagh said he was terrified before those shows, but they went well. Soon, he was doing more shows and restoring his confidence back to normal. Now he is doing shows with ease. The Orland Park funnyman has so many people to thank for his recovery but at the top of the list is his wife, Chris Barclay, who was with him at his worst times, including the monthlong hospital stay in which the man she knew as a vibrant, cheerful man was looking like near-death in a hospital bed. He had Whipple surgery, in which the head of his pancreas, duodenum, gall bladder and 10% of his stomach were removed. 'He should have been out in six days, but his body wasn't processing,' Chris said. 'He looked like the Pillsbury Dough Boy and lost 40 pounds. His body would not restart to process things. His lungs filled up with fluid and they had to put him on a respirator for two or three days.' After 26 days in bed, even re-learning to walk was an adventure for him, Barclay said. But the couple was patient. Tim is cancer free, and he is killing it on stage. He headlined Zanies in Rosemont on March 16 and many people in the audience were friends and some were former students from his pre-comedy days when he taught at Maria High School in Chicago. 'I was so looking forward to this show,' he said. 'It was a sizable crowd and I could name almost everybody. It went really, really well.' This year also found him opening for his friend Emo Philips, and a Feb. 22 show in Cedar Rapids affirmed to Cavanagh that working hard to come back was a pretty good idea. 'From top to bottom, it was the funniest show I've ever been a part of,' Cavanagh said. Cavanagh is taking part in a cancer survivor's walk and 5K for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center on June 1 in Grant Park. He raised $6,500 last year and wants to top that. To help his cause, visit He is appreciative to be back doing what he loves best. 'I'm so lucky and happy that I'm back to being back to being where I was,' he said. 'I got a second chance to pursue what I've always wanted to do … let the laughter work its healing magic on my audience's bodies and souls. 'And all the while letting it work on me, too.'
