Grace White had delivered a few punchlines in the opening minutes of
her eight-minute set Friday night at Martini Blues when her eyes
began to scan the crowd.
Sizing up the patrons seated in front of her at the Huntington
Beach supper club, she switched gears and headed in a new direction.
"I was going for my usual stuff, you know, talk about how bad my
personal life is going, but noticed that the crowd was a little
edgy," she said. "Being the first one out there, I knew I had to
change things up a bit to get them going. I just altered my
material."
By the luck of the draw, White was the first of 60 comics to take
the stage in the Orange County's Funniest Person Contest.
The fourth annual event, laced with bawdy humor, is produced by
comedian Bill Word, who organizes comedy events at Martini Blues.
"I was happy with my performance," said White, 55, who took up
comedy six years ago to help combat, she said, "my midlife crisis."
"My daughter had left home and I was experiencing the empty nest
syndrome," she said. "I got started on a lark, going up on stage
during open mic night at a club.
"I travel all the time, performing on the road, and produce a show
called 'Women That Kick Comedy Butt' at the Sands hotel in Reno. I
call myself 'a transient with an act.'"
White said she doesn't usually enter comedy competitions, but she
heard the Orange County contest had a good reputation.
Word, 46, began the contest in 2002 as a way to promote some of
the best comedians in the county.
"Most people who enter this contest are relatively new to comedy,
mostly [with] just two years or less in the business," Word said.
"This contest has grown with each year, and it gives the newcomers a
great opportunity to get stage experience."
The contest began Friday and Saturday night with the first two
rounds of preliminary competition. Rounds three and four of the
preliminary competition continue Friday and Saturday, and rounds five
and six will be held Oct. 8 and Oct. 16.
Three rounds of semifinal competition will follow, leading up to
the final round on Nov. 5.
Each preliminary round has 10 contestants, and a different guest
comedian hosts each night of the competition. Showtime is 8:30 p.m.
each night.
The Nov. 5 finals guest host will be Marc Takemiya, who won last
year's contest. Takemiya was named one of the '25 Hottest People' by
OC Metro magazine.
"The Tonight Show asked to see some tape of Marc after he won last
year's competition," Word said, adding that Takemiya was not booked
for the late-night show.
