Ben Miner gives the rundown on SiriusXM Top Comic 2017!
It’s the beginning of the next SiriusXM Top Comic!
Last year saw Toronto comic Chris Robinson take home the title and he’s been ripping it up ever since. With the title, Chris also claimed the $25,000 cash prize and bookings at Just for Laughs in Montreal (where he’s also doing a TV taping), JFL Northwest Vancouver and JFL 42 in Toronto.
If the prize was just the money, that would be amazing. If the prize was just the Just For Laughs festival bookings, no one would bat an eye. But it’s the money AND the bookings that make this a special thing. Top Comic isn’t just a payday, it’s a huge career boost. There aren’t a lot of opportunities for comedians to level up in Canada so trust me when I say that Top Comic is something that stand-ups from coast to coast look forward to every year.
We hold audition nights in Toronto and Vancouver but we really want comics from all over Canada submitting, so much so that all comedians chosen to compete will receive a travel grant.
That’s another great thing about the competition, everyone who competes in Top Comic walks away with something. The travel grant is huge but so’s the video you get! Everyone who steps on the Top Comic stage gets a fully produced video of their performance shot by a professional video team and using our audio.
It’s a really slick tape and every single comic needs a really slick tape so they can book stuff. Having a great tape is essential and part of every pro comics arsenal of promotional material.
But everyone already knew about all of that stuff, so what’s new about this year’s competition? WILD CARDS! This year, it’ll be the top 6 vote-getters making the finale at JFL42 and the remaining 2 spots will be chosen by the SiriusXM Top Comic team!
It’s Top Comic time!!! Everyone in the pool!
Top Comic Audition Dates:
Toronto
May 29th: Yuk Yuk’s
May 30th: The Drake Comedy Underground
May 31st: Absolute Comedy
Vancouver
June 6th: Comedy Mix, 8 & 10pm
June 7th: Yuk Yuk’s