Laughter comes home: ‘A Night of Laughs’ at State Theatre
Doesn’t a night of laughs sound great? Joel Richardson sure thinks so.
Richardson is a comedy show producer and founder of Soul Joel Productions, a New York and Jersey based company that produces comedy shows all over the country — with the next event happening this week in Uniontown.
“A Night of Laughs” featuring Richardson and three other NYC based comics happens 8 p.m. Aug. 22 at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown.
Richardson will host the show featuring Adam Lucidi, a Uniontown native, as well as nationally known comedians Rich Shultis and Chris Monty.
Richardson, like Lucidi, has strong area connections, with both sides of his family being from Uniontown.
“I was born in Pittsburgh and later grew up in New Jersey. But I came back to Uniontown to spend holidays and summers with my family there,” Richardson said.
Richardson began his career nine years ago as a stand up comic before moving into producing and hosting shows. Today, Soul Joel Productions produces more than 150 shows a year, many are fundraising shows for local charities.
“A Night of Laughs” at the State Theatre will benefit Fayette area organizations including Crime Stoppers of Fayette County, Genesis House and Fayette Friends of Animals.
“We have a good line up and people are coming out for a good night filled with laughter, and it’s all for a good cause,” said Richardson.
It’s a homecoming for comedian Adam Lucidi who has been performing all over the country with his sarcastic and sometimes nostalgic view of life and the world around him. Making his television debut on Gotham Comedy Live on AXS TV, Lucidi continues to leave a dent in the world of comedy performing at colleges, comedy clubs or benefits across the country.
New York comic Rich Shultis is regularly featured on Sirius XM Radio and has shared the stage with comic greats like Jim Gaffigan, Dean Edwards and Dave Attell. Shultis comedy covers a broad and diverse spectrum. Anything from real life experiences such as doing jail time, having a son at 21, broken relationships, to current events, common human experiences and emotions, not to mention the absurd and bizarre ideas that pop into his warped mind, no subject or material is out of bounds or beyond his reach.
As one of the co-founders of “The Mayhem and Madness Comedy Tour,” Shultis has also produced and performed on numerous shows that raise money for St. Jude’s Hospital, The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, police and fire emergency organizations.
Headliner Chris Monty is one of New York’s busier comedians. Along with being a regular at New York’s best comedy clubs, Monty is a Broadway actor and was featured in the comedy film “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.” He recently appeared on AXS channel’s “Gotham Comedy Live” as well as other roles in TV commercials. He was featured in the PBS documentary “The Business Of Comedy” and is currently performing Off-Broadway in an original award-nominated play that he co-wrote titled “Shut Up, Sit Down & Eat!” Monty has also opened for Joan Rivers, B.B. King and The Duprees and headlines in Atlantic City, Las Vegas and Reno.
“You want comedians that appeal to the masses, each of these guys do that,” said Richardson.
It’s a family affair for Richardson as well, with family in the audience and on stage — the 7 p.m. opening act, The Donnie Miller Band, is fronted by Richardson’s uncle.
“They will be playing while people are getting in their seats and getting ready for a great night out,” he said. “The band will keep the energy up so it will be a nice variety show.”
Although Richardson has produced other shows in the Uniontown area, it’s his first at the State Theatre and he wants to establish the a special event atmosphere at the historic venue.
“This is my first show at the State Theatre, along with Adam (Lucidi). It’s been a dream of ours to perform and do a show there.”
It’s going to be a real homecoming,” said Richardson.
“It really makes you think about how entertainment and comedy when that was the only venue in town where everybody got their entertainment. People went out for the night and it was special. We’re trying to bring back that feeling.”