LaughFest: Richard Pryor
Laughfest and Wealthy Theatre present the 1979 film “Richard Pryor: Live in Concert.”

LaughFest: Richard Pryor
Wealthy Theatre (PWA)
3:00PM, doors at 2:00PM
Duration: 2 hours
Richard Pryor: Live in Concert was the second of Richard Pryor’s filmed concert performances, but the first to be released theatrically. It was produced and distributed independently and is often hailed as one of the seminal and most influential recorded stand-up performances of the modern era.

“Probably the greatest of all recorded-performance films. Pryor had characters and voices bursting out of him …. Watching this mysteriously original physical comedian you can’t account for his gift and everything he does seems to be for the first time. – Pauline Kael, from her review of “Richard Pryor Live in Concert”.

Wealthy Theatre


MLIVE: By Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk | MLive Media/Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS — Whoopi Goldberg is coming to Grand Rapids for LaughFest 2012.
So are “Saturday Night Live” alumni Kevin Nealon and Martin Short together with former SNL writer Alan Zweibel for the second festival of seriously funny stuff.
LaughFest 2012 organizers today unveiled headliners for the 10-day event coming March 8-18 to Grand Rapids.
”The laugh is back, and we’re really excited,” said Leann Arkema, president and CEO of Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids, the creator of LaughFest.
Comedians Mike Epps, Rodney Carrington and Jim Gaffigan are among the headliners for the second festival of all things funny.

The festival will bring 60 artists to town for 200 events, including 100 free events.
LaughFest 2012 welcomes such up-and-coming comics as Anjelah Johnson, an Internet sensation for her video “Nail Salon” and a regular on “MADtv;” Bo Burnham, named one of the “12 Rising Stars of Comedy” by Entertainment Weekly and “10 Comics to Watch” by Variety; and Amy Schumer, seen on NBC-TV’s “30 Rock” and “Last Comic Standing!”
But LaughFest 2012 will have more than stand up-comedy.
Kids’ entertainers include Laurie Berkner and the Laurie Berkner Band, familiar from the Nick Jr. TV channel.
Marc Maron, whose podcast “WTF with Marc Maron” averages 160,000 listeners per week, will appear at the Wealthy Theatre. Read More

IF YOU GO
Gilda’s LaughFest 2012
When: March 8-18, 2012
Where: 40 venues in Grand Rapids plus Holland and Lowell
Tickets: Packages go on sale Nov. 18; single tickets go on sale at a later date from Ticketmaster.
More info: Call 616-735-HAHA (4242) or go to laughfestgr.org