'Comedy concert' hits IU

A free comedy show is one thing, but a chance to win $50 for not laughing is another.\nStudents and guests have the chance to do both tonight. \nIU Union Board and Kramer Entertainment are hosting the "We Can Make You Laugh" Comedy Game Show at 8 p.m. in the Frangipani Room, located on the Mezzanine level of the IMU. The free, two-hour comedy show features comedians Joe Anderson, Scott Piebenga and Adam Mollhager.\nAfter the main event, four to six audience members, chosen at random, will compete in the "One Minute Challenge" to win $50 each if they can last 60 seconds without laughing. The comedy troupe toured through college campuses in 35 states last school year, and claims to be one of the best national comedy tours around "you've never heard of."\nAnderson, a two-year member of Second City Theatre in Chicago and a MTV stand-up comedy competition winner, said audience members can expect a "super fun, straight-up comedy show."\n"It's really diverse, fast pace stand-up comedy and improv with musical bits in there," he said. "It's medically proven laughter actually heals the body. It's like an escape, and equally safe to hugging a tree -- but no matter how hard you hug a tree fifty bucks will not come of it."\nPiebenga has performed professional comedy for five years and he is also a member of the Spontaneous Combustion and Crawlspace Eviction comedy groups, according to Kramer Entertainment. Mollhager has performed professional comedy for more than five years and he is also a member of Spontaneous Combustion comedy group and the River City Improv troupe.\nThe "We Can Make You Laugh" Comedy Game Show is billed as an one-hour "comedy concert," followed by a fast-paced, one-hour "Hollywood Style" game show where the group will pay you if don't laugh. Audience members can also win free T-shirts besides the $50 in cash.\nSimilar to other professional comedians and national comedy acts, Anderson said his troupe rehearses its act to the last comma and extended pause beforehand for maximum effect. He said audience members have no chance to act passive during the show because good comedy brings the show to the crowd.\n"We want to put an end to the cycle of grumpiness," Anderson said. "Come out of the darkness and into a room full of goofy, laughing people. If you're not along for the ride, you will be left behind somewhere at one stop or another."\nUp to 12 audience members are needed to participate in various improv sketches throughout the show, he said, and at least one person usually forces a frown for one minute or more to win $50 during the "One Minute Challenge."\nAccording to Kramer Entertainment, the only rule to the "We Can Make You Laugh" Comedy Game Show is "uncontrollable laughter" from a standing-room-only crowd.