NBC’S NEW COMPETITION SERIES ‘BRING THE FUNNY’ REVEALS 40 COMEDY ACTS SET TO VIE FOR $250,000 PRIZE PACKAGE AND CHANCE TO PERFORM AT JUST FOR LAUGHS FESTIVAL

“Bring the Funny” Premieres Tuesday, July 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT Following “America’s Got Talent”

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – June 4, 2019 – For decades NBC has opened the door for countless comedians and continues to carry the legacy as a home for comedy with the launch of its new competition show, “Bring the Funny.”

The network announced the 40 comedic acts vying for the $250,000 prize package and the opportunity to perform at the 2020 Just for Laughs Festival.

“Bring the Funny” is hosted by comedian Amanda Seales along with its panel of hilarious judges – “Saturday Night Live’s” longest-running cast member Kenan Thompson, cultural tastemaker Chrissy Teigen and comedy icon Jeff Foxworthy. The premiere airs Tuesday, July 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT after “America’s Got Talent.”

The series, which pays homage to every style of comedy performance in one competition, features stand-ups, sketch troupes and comedic variety acts, including solo comics, musicians, magicians, puppeteers, YouTubers and more that will perform in front of a live audience. The series is divided into four rounds of competition: Open Mic, Comedy Clash and Showcase, culminating in a live finale where America will have the chance to vote for who they think is the funniest of the funny.

David Friedman and Matilda Zoltowski executive produce the series. Just for Laughs President Bruce Hills serves as consulting producer. The series is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio.

The inaugural season of “Bring the Funny” highlights some of the most talented comedians in the world, including:

• Lewberger: This three-man musical comedy group came together four years ago and after combining two of the members’ last names, Lewberger was born. You may recognize Keith from the YouTube group the Try Guys. Lewberger has had incredible success on YouTube thus far, but now the threesome is ready to reach even more viewers on the “Bring the Funny” stage.
• Frangela: Friends of 20 years, Frances and Angela have an unmatched bond that is showcased in their perfect timing and ability to play off each other naturally. They are not new to the television and movie scene, and they are ready to show the competition just how fierce they are!
• Chris & Paul Show: Harking back to classic Hollywood these “modern vaudevillians” take silent film style sketches and bring them into the 21st century. Over the last 20 years, Chris and Paul have been steadfast in their passion for sketch comedy, and are hoping that “Bring the Funny” brings their dream of having their own theater to life.
• Ali Kolbert: Ali has always had a clear vision of what her future holds – comedy! Ali never stops writing, performing and preparing for her dream to be a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” and is hoping she will be one step closer with the help of “Bring the Funny.” Ali is currently a host on webshow “BUILD Brunch,” discussing pop culture news live every weekday.
• Becca Brown: Gaining early success as a child star with her appearance in “School of Rock,” Brown eventually made her way to the comedy scene. She is a prominent force in Chicago’s theater and comedy space and covers various topics in the world of dating and other relatable struggles.
• Daphnique Springs: While studying to be a chemist in college, Springs took an acting class and soon realized her career path had changed. Her start in the comedy world did not come easy, but all her hard work is paying off and has been featured Fox’s “Laughs” and HBO’s “All Def Comedy.”
• Matt Rife: This stand-up comedian was influenced by his grandfather’s love of comedy while growing up. After moving to Los Angeles from Ohio, he became a leading cast member on MTV’s “Wild N Out” and appeared on “The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars” in 2017.
• Erica Rhodes Rhodes originally moved to Hollywood to be an actress but was met with a lot of frustration, so she turned to stand-up to help with the disappointment. Over the years, Rhodes has appeared on ABC’s “Modern Family,” Fox’s “New Girl,” IFC’s “Comedy Bang Bang” and Comedy Central’s “@Midnight” and “Why? With Hannibal Buress.”

VARIETY ACT DIVISION

Kristin Key

Solo

Hometown: Amarillo, TX

Resident: Redondo Beach, CA

Jarred Fell

Solo

Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand

Resident: Auckland, New Zealand

Drennon Davis

Solo

Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Morgan Jay

Solo

Hometown: Mahwah, NJ

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Randy Feltface

Solo

Hometown: Victoria, Australia

Resident: Victoria, Australia

Lewberger

Members: 3 (Alex Lewis, Keith Habersberger, Hughie Stone Fish)

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Mister Zed

Solo

Hometown: New Jersey

Resident: New Jersey

Mandy Muden

Solo

Hometown: London, United Kingdom

Resident: London, United Kingdom

Becca Brown

Solo

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Resident: Chicago, IL

Regan and Watkins

Members: 2 (Pat Regan and Jeremiah Watkins)

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Harry & Chris

Members: 2

Hometown: Ealing, United Kingdom

Resident: Ealing, United Kingdom

Armando Anto

Solo

Hometown: Grenoble, France

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Lucas Bohn

Solo

Hometown: Mathews, VA

Resident: Brooklyn, NY

Handsome Naked

Members: 3 (Chucho Perez, Eric Oren, Brad Kemp)

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Resident: Chicago, IL

STAND-UP ACT DIVISION

Orlando Leyba

Solo

Hometown: Miami, FL

Resident: Glendale, CA

Calvin Evans

Solo

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Matt Rife

Solo

Hometown: Columbus, OH

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

ISMO

Solo

Hometown: Jyväskylä, Finland

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Michael Longfellow

Solo

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Erica Rhodes

Solo

Hometown: Newton, MA

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Tacarra Williams

Solo

Hometown: Bronx, NY

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Rocky Dale Davis

Solo

Hometown: Brentwood, AL

Resident: Las Vegas, NV

Leclerc Andre

Solo

Hometown: Columbia, MD

Resident: Brooklyn, NY

Audrey Stewart

Solo

Hometown: Indianapolis, MD

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Graham Kay

Solo

Hometown: Ottawa, Canada

Resident: Brooklyn, NY

Daphnique Springs

Solo

Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL

Resident: Burbank, CA

Ali Kolbert

Solo

Hometown: Weston, CT

Resident: New York, NY

Ian Lara

Solo

Hometown: Queens, NY

Resident: New York, NY

Candice Thompson

Solo

Hometown: Queens, NY / Cincinnati, OH

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Ali Siddiq

Solo

Hometown: Houston, TX

Resident: Houston, TX

Jesus Trejo

Solo

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Resident: Long Beach, CA

SKETCH ACT DIVISION

Frangela

Members: 2 (Frances Callier and Angela V. Shelton)

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

JK! Studios

Members: 6 (Mallory Everton, Matt Meese, Jason Gray, Natalie Madsen, Jeremy Warner, Stacey Harkey)

Hometown: Provo, UT

Resident: Provo, UT

Willy Appleman

Solo

Hometown: Dorset, VT

Resident: Brooklyn, NY

The Valleyfolk

Members: 4 (Joe Bereta, Elliott Morgan, Lee Newton, Steve Zaragoza)

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

Kids These Days

Members: 6 (Lida Darmian, Maggie Maxwell, Scott Hercman, Nick Reichheld, Rachael Burke, Adrian Frimpong)

Hometown: New York, NY

Resident: New York, NY

Room 28

Members: 6 (Rachel Strauss-Muñiz, Jerry Díaz, Jaime Fernandez, Andrew Casanova, Ariana Rodriguez, McKenna Cox)

Hometown: New York. NY

Resident: New York, NY

Lost Moon Radio

Members: 6 (Martha Marion, Frank Smith, Ryan Harrison, Leslie Korein, Dylan Ris, Mikey Wells)

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Resident: Los Angeles, CA

The Chris & Paul Show

Members: 2 (Chris O’Neill, Paul Valenti)

Hometown: Stamford, CT

Resident: Stamford, CT

Andrea Lopez

Solo

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

Resident: Washington, D.C.

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