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Belt Out Laughing
Belt Out Laughing is an evening of comedy celebrating Stone Belt’s 50 years in the community.
JOIN US . . .
Thursday, October 15 @ 7:30 pm
Buskirk-Chumley Theater
114 E Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington
Opening Act by Local Comedy Favorite, Brad Wilhelm
LIMITED SEATING, PRE-SHOW DINNER . . .
Thursday, October 15 @ 5:30 pm
Uptown Cafe
102 E Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington
Tickets are $25 per person for the optional pre-show dinner and $25 per person for the comedy event. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, September 1 at the Sunrise Box Office. ORDER ONLINE!
About Josh Blue
Perhaps best known as the comedian who puts the cerebral in Cerebral Palsy, Josh Blue exploded onto the national comedy scene by capturing the attention and endearment of the country as the winner of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” Season 4, which aired May through August 2006. Having already established himself as one of the most sought after comedians on the college circuit, his weekly appearances on “Last Comic” in the summer of 2006 expanded his fan base exponentially.
Blue riveted audiences on the fourth season of the NBC reality series, usually garnering standing ovations after each brief set. Blue appeared on Last Comic Standing to “make people aware of the fact that people with disabilities can make an impact.” He coined the term “palsy punch” during his final set of the final round of the show, when he said that the palsy punch is effective in a fight because “first of all, they don’t know where the punch is coming from and second of all, neither do I.” He also joked that signing an autograph takes 45 minutes and that to write down his phone number he has to find a big stack of paper.
Possessed with an undeniable likeability and comedic timing that belies his youthfulness, Josh continues to break down stereotypes of people with disabilities one laugh at a time. He helps listeners laugh at their own stereotypes and corrects misconceptions about individuals with disabilities. His stand-up routine is in a constant state of evolution and his off-the-cuff improvisational skills guarantee that no two shows are exactly alike. Josh has also become a hit on the internet with his top two YouTube videos receiving well over 1 million plays.
“I have the common sense to know that my disability is what makes me stand out,” the 26-year-old explains. “But I don’t want to be thought of as just ‘the comic with cerebral palsy.’ I want people to think I’m funny, and I want to make them laugh. A lot of my set is about having CP, but it’s not like I can’t address it -- plus, most comics do a lot of talking about themselves. If I didn’t talk about it, it would be uncomfortable and weird for everyone.”
Blue got his start in comedy doing open mic sets while attending Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Audiences reacted enthusiastically to his self-deprecating humor and Blue started making a name for himself on the comedy circuit.
Josh has appeared as a regular guest star on Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia” and his story has been featured on Fox, CBS, ABC, and MSNBC. He was the first comedian to perform stand-up on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, was named Best Winning Reality Show Guest for his appearance on “Live with Regis and Kelly”, and made a standout guest appearance on “Comics Unleashed”. He became the first comic to debut a stand-up special on the big screen when “7 More Days in the Tank” was shown in theatres across the country. Portions of the performance also aired on Bravo Network as a half-hour comedy special. Josh is a repeat guest on such nationally syndicated radio programs as NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” and “The Mancow Show” and has been featured in numerous print publications including “People Magazine” and “The New York Times”. Josh has also performed at the prestigious HBO-Aspen Comedy Festival and Comedy Central’s South Beach Comedy Festival. He also appeared in the 2009 low budget horror film, “Feast 3: The Happy Finish.”
Outside of comedy, Blue is also known for his skills in soccer, which included traveling to Athens in 2004 as part of the U.S. Paralympics soccer team. He is also an artist and has created several sculptures and paintings, which he currently sells. One particular piece he sells at an extremely high price, because, as he said on his appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, “I nearly died making it.”
Blue was born in Cameroon, where his father, Walter Blue, a professor or romance languages from Hamline University, was teaching in a mission. Blue grew up in St. Paul, Minnesotra and currently resides in Denver with his fiancé, Yuko, and their baby boy, Simon.
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