Adam Growe, host of the popular Discovery Channel show Cash Cab, is coming to Ottawa—but don’t go hailing every taxi in downtown Ottawa just yet.
The long-time comedian is coming to Ottawa Little Theatre Oct. 18 with his own comedy show, titled The Adam Growe Quiz Show. The live show is a combination of standup comedy, mixed in with trivia games that give audience members a chance to win some cash.
“When the opportunity [came] to drive around in the Cash Cab on a television show, and ask people questions. . . eventually more and more humour came into that show even though the trivia questions, the game itself wasn’t designed to be a comedy show,” Growe said. “I just thought, you know, why not marry the two together when I’m performing live?”
His role is to guide the audience through each game, with the finesse of a veteran master of ceremonies.
“If I go way back, the honest truth is, for as long as I can remember, really, even as far back as elementary school, but for sure through late high school and all the way through university, I was always hosting stuff,” Growe said. “I was the guy on student council who was emceeing this event, or hosting this function. I was the guy who did the morning announcements.”
For his live show, Growe said that audience members can expect general knowledge trivia games, with some questions even involving charades to answer correctly. He explained he does not derive any of his questions from the Cash Cab databank. Instead, he draws them from whatever catches his interest, whether its popular culture, science, or current events.
He said his favourite part about the performance is always seeing the hidden potential in a contestant, and that he’s most comfortable when he can bring out the star in other people.
“I love that moment when a couple, two buds are working together, and either the two of them had no idea that they were going to find the answer to that question, or that they totally thought they were going to rock the game and they completely stumped on everything that I asked them,” he said. “I love those reactions when people surprise themselves.”
Growe stressed that while he’s “obviously there for the funny,” the main goal of the show is for people to leave with more knowledge than what they came in with. He said he is a huge supporter of scintillating water cooler talk.
“It’s not like any other comedy show you’ll see anywhere,” he said. “It’s really unique. And so they will leave going ‘I’ve seen standup comedy tons, but that was completely different.’”
The Adam Growe Quiz Show comes to Ottawa Little Theatre on Oct. 18.
