The Rotary Club of Moorestown’s Fall Comedy Night will be held at the Community House on Wednesday, Oct. 21, and will feature special guests Tim Conniff, Sheila Kay and Chris Monty. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30. The event is described as a picnic style gathering, so attendees are welcome to bring their own food.
“It’s truly a neat atmosphere,” said Rotary member Doug Sell, who’s been involved with selecting the comics for the show for the past few years. “People can expect to laugh and have a good time.”
Sell has been with the club for 40 years. His father-in-law was a member of the Maple Shade Rotary Club, so Sell and his wife would join him for their activities. That inspired them to join Moorestown’s and since then, he’s held most of the officer positions including past president. Sell, who’s lived in town for 43 years, enjoys the service aspect of the club, and likes getting together with like-minded people.
“Something that’s important about any Rotary Club is that we’re part of an international organization that has between 1.2 and 1.3 million members around the world, and we’re in well over 100 countries around the world,” Sell said. “That gives us an opportunity to get involved in global service projects.”
Beer and seltzers will be available for purchase from King’s Road Brewing Company, as well as complimentary King’s Road Root Beer. Conniff will also serve as the show’s host. Conniff is an award-winning keynote speaker. His motivational talk “Your Comfort Zone is No Joke!” has inspired thousands from large corporations to community groups and even churches. Through Conniff’s speaking and stand-up comedy, he has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local and national charities. Featured performer Kaywas has been nominated twice as Funniest Female Comic in the USA at the American Comedy Awards. She performs on cruises and at casinos across the country and has been on ABC, CBS, NBC and Comedy Central. Monty will be the evening’s headliner. His credits include his stand-up comedy special titled “What’s the Worst That Could Happen,” and appearances in “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2,” “Kevin Can Wait” and “Orange is the New Black.”
Since the comedy night event started eight years ago, the club has put on 15 shows, two per year (fall and spring). At this point, the club knows their audience, so they’re always looking for comics who the guests can relate to, performers whose humor is going to hit home.
“We’re hoping that people who come see that it’s fun and that Rotary is fun,” said club member Amy Webb. “The motto for Rotary (International) is ‘Service Above Self’, and we want to do good in the world and in our own community, and we want to bring fun. That’s a good thing in today’s world.”
All proceeds from comedy night will benefit two organizations – Moorestown Rotary Charities, the fundraising arm of the club, and MEND (Moorestown Ecumenical Neighborhood Development). For tickets, visit www.moorestownrotary.org.
