We've scoured the country, searching high and low for untapped talent—join host James P. Connolly for Heat 5, as 8 great comedians from across the U.S. compete to advance to the next round and keep their dreams of the $10,000 GRAND PRIZE alive in our stand-up comedy competition!
Tickets are only $10!
HOST
JAMES P. CONNOLLY has appeared on America’s Got Talent, Comedy Central, HBO, in the Netflix series, “Larry Charles: Dangerous World of Comedy, and can be heard daily on multiple SiriusXM Comedy Channels. He attended Harvard University on a Marine Corps ROTC Scholarship and, while serving in Desert Storm, was ordered to write jokes for his Colonel. Arriving in Hollywood, James began to perform at LA’s major comedy venues and soon popped up on television, commercials, and in small films. He will host heat 5 of the $10K Competition!
FEATURED COMEDIANS
Janelle Draper is a bi-coastal comedian, actress, writer, and producer. She’s been described as unapologetic, uncensored and unladylike. She started doing stand-up in LA when she was an NBC page working on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” She was named Winner of the Burbank Comedy Festival and runner-up in the Boston Comedy Festival. She has opened for a plethora of national headliners including Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Tiffany Haddish, and Jeffrey Ross. Lastly, she's the first and only comedian to sign an overall licensing deal with Bumble, where she wrote, created, performed, and filmed several image spots, which launched across their social media platforms to viral success.
Kayla McCaffrey is a lot of fun and very cool. Not only is Kayla a comedian, but she’s also a daughter, a lover, and a vegan. She’s performed at the Laugh Factory, the iO Theater, graced The Second City’s stage. She has even performed at the Guthrie Theater and graduated from the University of Minnesota’s BFA Actor Training Program, but will be making her first appearance at the Loons on the Lake Comedy Festival!
Kyle Ruff is a comedian and entrepreneur from the Midwest currently living in Steamboat Springs, CO. Kyle has gained local celebrity status for his quick wit, extraordinary height, and the profound sex appeal of his mustache. Kyle founded and operates the stand up comedy and entertainment production company Steamboat Comedy and produces the 'Best in the Boat' winning Steamboat Comedy Podcast. Kyle has performed stand-up in several states coast to coast, has been featured at Comedy Works Denver, The Comedy Store in LA, and regularly headlines all across the mountains of Colorado.
Meet your new best friend, Maggie Faris. She is noted for her ceaselessly cheerful personality and seemingly endless series of quirky, intelligent jokes dissecting our fears and social barriers. Maggie is a comedy competition assassin, having won the Minnesota Laugh off. Another competition win made Maggie the Public Address Announcer for the St. Paul Saints professional baseball team! She beat out Tig Notaro to win both the Funniest Clip of the Year and the Silver Nail award at the Aspen Comedy Festival. Curve magazine named Maggie Faris one of the Funniest Lesbians in America, and she has opened for such greats as Jeff Ross, Dave Attel, Jay Pharoah, and Michael Che.
Rob Edwards is an up-and-coming stand up comic from Memphis, TN by way of Hayward, CA. He has been doing stand-up for 6 years. He has been seen at Tommy T's, Punchline SF, San Jose Improv, and more. He placed 6th in the 2022 San Francisco International Comedy Competition, and recently got second place in the World Series of Comedy.
Roo Nafasat is a comedian/improvisor based in Orlando, FL. She is known for her whimsical, goofy, and light-hearted nature on stage. She trained at SAK Comedy Lab and was a finalist at the 2023 Nitro Theater Grand Prix. She also performed at the 2023 Orlando Fringe Festival and Don't Tell Comedy. Roo also hosts the popular monthly Silly Geese Comedy Showcase at Breakthrough Theatre in Orlando FL. Her whimsical presence is felt all over central Florida!
Sinn D. Rella, also know as Sinn, is a fiery comedienne who grew up in Oakland, California and has been performing comedy for many years. Sinn has just written and published her first book that is a funny read entitled “The Bitter Bitch Chronicles,” which is available now on Amazon. Sinn was named the funniest female in New Jersey. She was a finalist in both the Ladies of Laughter and the She Devil Competition, and was a member of the "Real Funny Housewives of Rio Linda."
Yoni Heisler is a Chicago-based stand-up who enjoys blending sharp one-liners with quirky observational humor. Currently a paid regular at Zanies Comedy Club in Chicago, Yoni has opened for several nationally touring headliners including Tim Dillon, Ali Macofsky, and others. Yoni has performed at clubs across the US, including Carolines on Broadway, Skyline Comedy Club, and New York Comedy Club. He was recently featured as a performer at the Asheville Comedy Festival.
