Professional Stand-Up Comedy Returns to Tibbits March 25
COLDWATER – Laughter abounds as Coldwater Comedy Fest, last seen on Tibbits’ stage in 2020 just days before theatres and public venues across the country were shut down, returns to Tibbits Opera House March 25.
Three professional stand-up comedians —headliner Leighann Lord, featured comic Lee Hardin, and emcee Wesley Ward — will perform at the historic theatre.
Headliner Leighann Lord has been seen on Comedy Central, HBO, and The View, and was recently seen on Netflix in the Def Comedy Jam 25th Anniversary Special. She was a national finalist in the American Black Film Festival-HBO Comedy Wings Competition and received the 2019 Humanist Arts Award from the American Humanist Association. Lord is a veteran stand-up comedian and author of several humor books. She is the creator of the People with Parents podcast (where she talks about the role reversal between adult children and aging parents); and is a former co-host on StarTalk Radio, with Neil de Grasse Tyson.
A Queens, NY resident who has performed internationally, including for U. S. troops stationed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, Lord says “I believe that humor makes people happy. Happiness gives us hope and my hope is that if we can laugh together we can live together.”
Featured comic Lee Hardin, based out of Nashville, Tennessee, has been touring the country relentlessly, performing in comedy clubs, churches, corporate events, and once on a farm for prisoners. His work on the road paid off in 2019 with the release of his Drybar Comedy special, “Not Quite a Grown-Up,” which is available to watch for free on the Drybar Comedy app.
His quirky and clever approach to comedy, his stories about Taco Bell, and being an only child with bunk beds, have led him to share the comedy stage with acts like Henry Cho, Ryan Hamilton, and Nate Bargatze. Hardin has also performed as a warmup act for The Mike Huckabee Show and was a Top 10 Finalist for Jeanne Robertson’s “Comedy with Class” competition in 2019.
Emceeing the evening is Detroit-based Wesley Ward. A finalist in the Border City Comedy Festival and frequent performer at Laugh Fest, Ward can also be seen across the Midwest performing at comedy clubs, universities, and any stage with a microphone.
Comedy Fest begins at 7pm with doors to the theatre, Ghost Light Bar, and Art Gallery open at 6pm and seating beginning at 6:30. Tickets range from $19-26 including fees, with discounts available to Tibbits members. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Tibbits.org, stop in at Tibbits business offices at 93 W. Chicago St. in Coldwater, or call 517.278.6029. The performance will be held at Tibbits Opera House, located at 14 S. Hanchett St. in Coldwater, MI.