By NAFISAT ALAO
The Good Laughs stand-up comedy show will taking place this May to help raise funds for the Michael Garron Hospital Foundation.
Founded a decade ago by Leslieville resident Michael Currie, the Good Laughs comedy shows have the motto “Laughs for a Good Cause” and have raised funds for a number of causes over the years.
Currie is a lawyer at Lax O’Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb law firm in Toronto, and has been a resident of Leslieville for the past five years. The Good Laughs shows feature lawyers like himself performing stand-up comedy.
“I was doing stand-ups with a few people and realized there were many other people who wanted to take the risk of doing stand-up as well but felt like there wasn’t a platform or an opportunity,” said Currie. “So it was me encouraging other people to do stand-up for their first time but also using it to fundraise for a good cause.”
Hence the name Good Laughs for the shows.
The fundraising show for Michael Garron Hospital will take place on Thursday, May 25, at The Comedy Bar at 2800 Danforth Ave., just east of Dawes Road.
“Knowing how hard hit the hospitals are right now, we all understand the struggles that they are facing and the demand on the system,” said Currie of the decision to hold the fundraiser for the Coxwell Avenue hospital.
“It just seemed fitting to pick that hospital this year, also knowing it is a local hospital,” said Currie.
He said The Comedy Bar’s location makes it the perfect place to host a fundraiser for the nearby Michael Garron Hospital.
The May 25 Good Laughs show will be the first one to be performed live since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. Shows since then were performed online, said Currie.
“We made it work on Zoom. It was challenging but it was fun to navigate the different platforms and being able to use some different visuals,” he said.
“I am very excited to have it back in person, nothing can replace the feel and the vibe of being in a room and hearing that laughter live,” added Currie.
All of the proceeds from the show will be donated to the Michael Garron Hospital Foundation, he said.
The show is being promoted in the hospital by members of the Michael Garron Impact Council who are a group of young professionals who raise awareness about events taking place in support of the hospital.
Currie said he will be performing at the Good Laughs show along with some of his friends who he has been doing shows with since before the pandemic. Among the stand-up comedians performing on May 25 will be Claudia Brabazon, Ceilidh Henderson, Christine Kilby, Peter Henein, and Eugene Cipparone.
The show, which is sold out, should bring “lots of laughs” with a diverse group of comedians that will bring high energy to their performances, said Currie.
For information on the Michael Garron Hospital Foundation, please go to https://www.mghf.ca/
For more information on the Good Laughs show, please go to https://mghf.akaraisin.com/ui/GoodLaughs
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