Comedy Workshop Graduation Performance

This special show features a fantastic mix of brand-new comics taking their first bold steps onto the stage and veteran performers pushing their craft to exciting new heights. It’s a celebration of growth, creativity, and the pure joy of stand-up. Don’t miss the chance to see the future of comedy being built — right here at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase! Includes a masterful closing performance by Matt Conn! 

Tom Thakkar

Tom Thakkar has been seen on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, CONAN, This Week at the Comedy Cellar, and The Stand Up Show with Jon Dore. He’s been featured twice on Comedy Central—first on Stand Up Presents and later as the host of Stand Up with Tom Thakkar. He most recently appeared on CBS’s Comics Unleashed in September 2025. Tom has also performed at major festivals including Just For Laughs, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, First Nations Comedy Experience, Limestone Comedy Festival, and the Chicago Comedy Exposition.

Comedy Jamm Open Mic

It will be a comedy cavalcade as we present the current rising stars in the Detroit Metro area and beyond. You will see a variety of comedians, from beginners trying their hand at comedy (sometimes they are the funniest) to established comics unveiling new material & comedians auditioning to perform at the Comedy Showcase.

Damien Lemon

Damien Lemon is a comedian, writer, and actor. Damien was host of TruTV’s Comedy Knockout, a long-time cast member and writer for various MTV2 shows, including Guy Code, Hip-Hop Squares, and Uncommon Sense. Damien has also appeared on Amazon’s Harlem, Comedy Central’s Broad City, HBO’s Crashing, and The Night Of. His film credits include The Amazing Spider-Man, The Comedian, Furlough, Secrets, and more. He is also a featured performer at major festivals, including the New York Comedy Festival and the DC Comedy Festival and co-host of the popular weekly podcast In the Conversation.

Femme Showcase

Tree Town Comedy Festival presents a hilarious showcase featuring 8 of the funniest women from around the country. HOST: Julianna Wiggins-Loera PERFORMERS: Katie Kincaid / Ella Horwedel / Patty Rooney / Madison Thomas / Mary Spencer / Sonal Aggarwal / Sam Rager / Raegan Niemela

Tina Friml *Special Engagement*

Tina Friml is a stand-up comedian and writer named one of Variety’s “Top 10 Comics to Watch” (2024). She’s a Netflix Is A Joke Festival performer and has made multiple appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, along with features on The Drew Barrymore Show, Comedy Central, and NBC’s Comedy Spotlight Series. Tina is a regular at the legendary Comedy Cellar in New York City and tours nationally to sold-out audiences.

Gift Cards

Give the Gift of Laughter! Perfect for birthdays, holidays, date nights, and “just because” No wrapping paper required. Gift Cards can be purchased at the box office or ONLINE!!

Comedy Nerdz Happy Hour

Come early. Get nerdy. Stay for the show. Comedy Nerdz is a pre-show happy hour for stand-up fans and comedy-curious folks who want to meet the comics before they hit the stage. Hang out in the Laugh Lounge and meet some of the performers from the 3/11 Comedy Jamm open mic—no panels, no pressure, just comics being delightfully awkward in public. Host Bruce Umpstead & Featured comedians! Details: 🕔 Doors open at 5:30pm (with valid ticket or guest pass) 🍺 $1 off draft beers from 5:30–6:30pm (Laugh Lounge only) 🍿1/2 off popcorn baskets from 5:30-6:30pm (Laugh Lounge only) 🎟 No cover for the happy hour—check in at the box office 🎤 Showroom opens at 6:30pm and the mic goes live at 7:15pm

Comedy Writing & Performance Workshop

6-Week Course | Beginner-Friendly | Culminates in a Live Showcase. Whether you’re a beginner ready to craft your first “tight five” or a seasoned comic looking to refine your material, this 6-week workshop is designed to elevate your comedy. Through weekly sessions, you'll explore essential topics such as joke structure, comedic style, point of view (POV), timing, stage presence, and delivery. Each class includes opportunities to perform your material in a supportive, collaborative environment that encourages experimentation and growth. Beyond writing jokes, this workshop helps strengthen overall communication skills—building confidence, enhancing stage presence, and learning how to authentically connect with an audience using humor as a tool. The course culminates in a live performance at the legendary Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, where students take the stage and share their work with a live audience.

Vince Carone

Vince Carone has been seen on Tubi and TBS, and heard on Mancow in the Morning and WGN Radio. His most recent special, Bad Father, has earned strong reviews for its brutally honest take on fatherhood and family life. A winner of the Best of the Midwest Competition at Gilda’s Laughfest and a regular headliner at MGM Las Vegas, Vince delivers shows packed with genuine, hard-earned laughs.

Shaun Eli

Shaun Eli is one of America’s smartest comics, known for delivering clever, clean comedy that finds big laughs in everyday life. He has headlined shows on five continents and starred in The Ivy League of Comedy: Live from the Emelin Theatre (Amazon) as well as Seasons 1 & 2 of QuickLaffs (Netflix). His jokes have been quoted by outlets ranging from the New York Post and Reader’s Digest to Healthcare Finance News, and his work has been featured in Reform Judaism Magazine, The Christian Science Monitor (cover story), CNN, CareerBuilder.com, and The New York Times, which profiled him in 2021. His acclaimed group, The Ivy League of Comedy, was the subject of a front-page story in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Shaun’s sharp, topical material has also been used by late-night hosts for nearly two decades, and Jay Leno has publicly cited Shaun’s work as a prime example of “smart comedy.”

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