Comedy – Salem Happenings

The 35th Anniversary of King Richard’s Faire

If you read my post a couple of weeks ago about the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival, you probably already know that King Richard’s Faire is right around the corner. In fact, if you’re a renaissance fan who’s been counting down the days to one of the largest and longest-running renaissance festivals in the area, you’ll be happy to know that the wait is finally over. This is because King Richard’s faire will open its gates for the 35th time tomorrow (Saturday, September 3, 2016) at approximately 10:30 A.M. This year’s Faire will feature some new acts plus all of the tried and true entertainment of years past, including acrobats, comedy acts, fire eaters, games, jugglers, jousting, magicians, minstrels, rides, tigers and more 16th-century style entertainment than you can shake a sword at. And, speaking of swords, the Faire will also feature a huge assortment of vendors that will allow you to purchase armor, weapons, and everything in between. Best of all, there are a number of coupons and discounts available for the Faire, including a Groupon that will allow you to save over 30% on admission for a group of two or four. For more information on King Richard’s Faire, which runs from September 3, 2016 to October 23, 2016, please visit the King Richard’s Faire website.

Photo credit: Wolfrage via Visualhunt.com / CC BY

The Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival

King Richard’s Faire will open its doors to all of the renaissance fair fans out there in just a couple of weeks, but if you just can’t wait to grab your medieval finery or dress up as your favorite Game of Thrones character, fear not! It just so happens that the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival is scheduled to take place this Saturday and Sunday (August 20th and 21st, 2016) from 10:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. in Charlton, MA. This festival, which is definitely smaller than King Richard’s Faire (but also costs less than half the price), will feature comedy acts, costumes, dance performances, musical performances, historical weapon demonstrations (swords, guns, and cannons), stories, a bunch of merchants selling a wide variety of unusual items, and a whole lot more. Best of all, there’s currently a Groupon available that will let you purchase two tickets to the festival for $19, which is pretty hard to beat. For more information on the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival, which typically costs $15 for anyone over the age of 14 and $10 for children ages 6 to 14 (children under 6 are free), please visit the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival website.

Photo credit: WalterPro4755 via Visualhunt / CC BY

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twin Peaks Parody

Do you remember all of the somewhat cheesy, but fun horror shows that were on TV during the 90’s like Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Mark Frost’s and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Were you always a big fan of Special Agent Dale Cooper or a huge fan of Giles, Willow, Xander, and the rest of the “Scooby Gang”? Do you just love it when some good-old fashioned comedy collides with some of your favorite cult classics? Well, if the answer to some or all of these questions is a resounding “yes”, you may want to check out the Riot Theater in Boston this weekend.

This is because the Riot Theater is hosting an improv performance known as “BuffyProv! / Twin Peaks” from 8:00 P.M. to approximately 9:30 P.M. tomorrow night (Saturday, April 23, 2016). This event will let you see a group of incredibly amusing comedians perform their own unscripted parodies of all of your favorite characters and scenes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twin Peaks. However, it is important to remember that even though there will be vampires, spirits, and all sorts of supernatural creatures, the only thing these slayers and monster hunters are really concerned with is making sure that you laugh yourself…to death. For more information on “BuffyProv! / Twin Peaks: A Double Feature of Improvised Parodies” and/or to order tickets for the event, please visit the BuffyProv Facebook page or the BuffyProv! / Twin Peaks Eventbrite Page.

Photo credit: Enokson via VisualHunt / CC BY

Bring Some Magic Into Your Life

We live in a frightening world. A world filled with bullies, cheaters, fanatics, murderers, incompetent politicians, and an endless array of other less-than-pleasant individuals. As a result, it really should come as no great surprise that so many people like reading books, watching films, and playing video games that allow them to indulge in a fantastic world in which every problem can be swept away with the wave of a hand. In fact, almost everyone will experience something at some point that makes them realize that they could really use some more magic in their life (whether that magic is in the literal or figurative sense.) And, if you have reached a point in which you could really use some more magic in your life, you’ll be pleased to know there are a number of magicians performing in the Boston area this weekend that would be more than happy to help you find it.

First, if you’re looking for a magic show that is aimed at the younger crowd, you may want to get tickets for Davey the Clown. Davey the clown is an accordion player, comedian, juggler and magician performing at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA at 10:30 A.M. tomorrow morning (Saturday, January 24, 2015.) This show is not just your typical clowning around, however, as you and your kids can expect to see a wide assortment of balloon sculptures, tricks, unicycle riding, a rubber chicken, and more. For more information on Davey the Clown’s show at the Coolidge Corner Theatre and/or to order tickets, please visit the Coolidge Corner Theatre website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for a magic show that is aimed at a more adult crowd or you just find clowns to be extremely creepy, the Hampshire House may be your best bet. This is because the Hampshire House is hosting an event entitled Four-Handed Illusions: An Intimate Evening of Laughs and Wonder at 6:30 P.M. on Sunday (January 25, 2015.) This event will allow you and your friends to enjoy a pre-show reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres (the hors d’oeuvres are free, but the drinks are not) before you watch two talented magicians, Joel Acevedo and Steve Kradolfer, make objects appear and disappear out of thin air, read minds, teleport, and more. For more information on the Four-Handed Illusions show at the Hampshire House and/or to order tickets, please visit the Four-Handed Illusions webpage.

Finally, if you’re looking for some of the lounge-style magic that you only typically see in Vegas, but you don’t really want to go to Vegas, you may want to check out The Comedy Studio in Cambridge. The Comedy Studio has a live magic show with a guest comedian every Tuesday night from 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. entitled Mystery Lounge Magic. This show will give you a chance to see a professional magician perform an assortment of new and classic tricks while a comedian cracks jokes about pretty much everything under the sun. For more information and/or to order tickets for Mystery Lounge Magic, please visit The Comedy Studio website.

Photo credit: jeff_golden / Foter / CC BY-SA