Doors at 7:30 pm; Show at 8:00 pm
Tickets are $15 - $20 Sliding Scale
Bay Area comedian and comedy producer, Lisa Geduldig (of Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™), and Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center joined forces in 2017 to bring the East Bay a new monthly (the second Thursday of the month) comedy series, Comedy at Ashkenaz!
This show has been presented monthly for almost two years. Since launching, Black History Month, International Women’s Day/Women’s History Month, Gay Pride, and Mother’s Day have been commemorated; there has been a political comedy night; and funds have been raised for three organizations and causes (the Redwood Empire Food Bank which provided food to shelters in Sonoma County for residents displaced by the North Bay fires, RAICES: The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, and Alameda County Community Food Bank).
The Thursday, September 12th Comedy at Ashkenaz features Mark Pitta, Keith Lowell Jensen, Priyanka Wali and Lisa Geduldig.
Mark Pitta exploding into the vibrant comedy scene of the 1980s in San Francisco, honing his stand up skills for a few years then moved to LA because that’s where they plug in the TV cameras. He has appeared in light pancake make-up on shows like 3rd Rock From The Sun, Mad About You, Totally Hidden Video, and countless shows on Comedy Central (six). Bay Area TV viewers will recognize Mark from his years as the entertainment reporter on KTVU’s Mornings On 2. Others will recognize him from surveillance cameras. For 10 years Mark ran his own showcase night at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, bringing to the stage his buddies in comedy, Dana Carvey, Richard Lewis, Robin Williams and many others with lesser credits. He has opened for all the big names: James Brown, Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Smoky Robinson, Chris Issak, Foreigner, B.B. King, The Monkees, Celine Deon, Vanessa Williams, Paul Anka, Rob Schneider, Dana Carvey…enough bragging. Whether you’ve seen Mark on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Jay Leno or Jimmy Fallon (pending), seeing him live is the only true way to appreciate his unique talents.
Keith Lowell Jensen, a Sacramento-based comedian, has become known for his subtle, smart approach, and his meandering storytelling. He has appeared on The History Channel, Spike TV, and The Starz Network, and has six hilarious comedy albums to his credit, with his latest, Bad Comedy For Bad People, hitting the #1 spot on Amazon's comedy charts. Jensen's work is also a fixture on SiriusXM's comedy channels. In May of 2018 Skyhorse Publishing released the comedian's first book, Punching Nazis, and other good ideas, a collection of short stories, essays, and interviews centering around the late eighties and early nineties punk rock scene and the bewildering presence of racist skinheads within that scene. In 2016 Jensen spent two weeks in Shanghai headlining the China International Comedy Festival.
Priyanka Wali, named by Refinery29 as "50 Female Stand-Up Comedians You Need To Know,” is a stand up comic who performs routinely all throughout the United States and abroad, including corporate gigs, casinos and comedy clubs. She has been featured on KFOG Radio, Women's Health Magazine, The Today Show, Business Insider, Uproxx, Cosmopolitan, India Currents Magazine, and Healthline. Priyanka truly believes laughter is the best medicine but likes to cover her bases as a board-certified practicing physician in Internal Medicine too.
Video clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvRBYOMJY-I
Press: www.sfexaminer.com/s-f-doctor-helps-kick-off-south-asian-comedy-fest
Web site: www.priyankawali.com
Lisa Geduldig is a local comedian and comedy producer who’s the creator, producer, and MC of a variety of comedy shows including Kung Pao Kosher Comedy™ - Jewish comedy on Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant (which celebrates its 27th year in 2019) and Comedy Returns to El Rio! (which just celebrated its 10th Anniversary in May).
**While Ashkenaz is an all ages venue, the comedy shows are not recommended for kids under 16.
Free parking at REI, across the street.
