The Toronto Comedy All-Stars are once again making the trip to Ottawa, this time with an almost-fresh slate of comedians. The group of four that will this time represent the Toronto-based comedy company are performing “Meme Girls” at the Arts Court Theatre on March 7.
The headliner of the last Toronto Comedy All-Stars in Ottawa, a comedian who doubles as the group’s founder, will host the show this time. Robert Keller, who has an “uncanny impersonation of Céline Dion” according to a statement from the group, will co-host with Danish Anwar.
The other three comedians to appear are woman, in accordance with the show’s title. The headliner for the March show, Aparna Nancherla, began her comedy career where she grew up, in Washington D.C., and then moved on to Los Angeles and New York. She’s made a name for herself with titles such as “One of the Best Twitter Feeds of 2014,” according to Time Magazine.
Nancherla performed in Canada for the first time in January at the Toronto Comedy Bar. Her performance with the Toronto Comedy All-Stars will be her second performance in Canada.
Nancherla has already worked once before with Jess Beaulieu, who will also be appearing in Ottawa next month.
Beaulieu is a “clever, kick-ass feminist,” according to a statement from the group.
“She talks a lot about her day-to-day life and feminist issues,” Nancherla said. “I try to bring that stuff to light in my work but she’s even more open about it and has a very friendly, relatable tone.”
According to Nancherla, the Toronto comedy climate isn’t all that different than the States’, and she doesn’t expect Ottawa to be much different either.
“People are passionate about comedy and the audiences were very responsive,” Nancherla said. “It was very cool to see how into comedy people are.”
The March show will be Nancherla’s first time in Ottawa.
“It’s cool to use your passport and not have to go that far,” Nancherla said. “I’d like to do more shows that are in cool places.”
The third female comedian to perform is Ashley Moffat, whose Twitter bio describes her as an “avid lesbian.”
The feminist angle is a change to the group’s style since their last Ottawa show in January, when only one of the four comedians to appear was female, and she hosted the show. Michelle Shaughnessy joked about the rarity of female comedians and the skeptical reception that they often receive from audiences.
