By Tamara Junkin
What do you get when you put a Jew, a gay dude, an Asian dude, some white people, some brown people, and a ‘little person’ on the same stage?  No not a Southern style lynching…. It’s ‘The Colors of Comedy’; a pan- ethnic blend of funny people at the ‘The Tranzac’ on Jan 19 at 8:00 pm.

I met with event organizer and mc Alex Kojfman pronounced Kaufman) and headliner Richard Ryder (AKA Dick Ryder) both finalists for q107’S ‘Funniest Person with a Day Job’ and Ryder taking the win. “This guy is fucking funny” Kojfman says about his colleague” I don’t hold any grudges, he beat me in the semi finals and won a TV. Why doesn’t he get to host or at least co- feature? Most clubs won’t take risks that’s why.”

Taking risks on virtual unknowns in Toronto’s comedy world and hearing funny people with different backgrounds and therefore, different comedic voices is what this event is all about. “This is the second colours of comedy, I wanted to do this after doing a show with just white people. I just started noticing ethnic specific shows – we’re in Toronto why segregate? I wanted to show good comedians that I know…in the city that I live in,” says Kojfman of the event.

“The black flat tire experience is different than the white one and the female flat tire is different than the male one,”

Ryder tells me after a hearty sip of beer. Jokes will be sprinkled with ethnicity because who you are often dictates your experiences. In

Ryder’s case it’s a gay one and Kojfamn’s is a Jewish one. They refer to those as ‘the invisible minorities.’ “Richard does gay jokes but his set isn’t all gay and me, I do some Jewish jokes but I don’t totally Jew up the stage.”  Says Kojfman. 

“No one is going to make you rich in Canada” Ryder tells me and that seems true since in Toronto, a place far more expensive than Haggersville Ontario or even Saskatoon Saskatchewan you can see a great, funny show such as this for only ten dollars. In New York a show, a hot chocolate and a couple of beers will cost you ninety-two.

The message here is to take advantage of free ethnic labor and go see an under priced show.

COLOURS OF COMEDY

ONE NIGHT ONLY!!! Until next show in March – go GO!
Jan 19th, 10 buck, Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick
Doors at 8:00, Show at 8:30
www.coloursofcomedy.com