A great line-up of comics, including Bay City’s own Brenda Pontiff, as well as Houston treasures Andy Huggins and Mike Peterson, hit the CAST stage at 7 and 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 15.
“Showcasing seasoned stand-ups fits nicely with CAST’s mission to bring live entertainment to Matagorda County and surrounding areas,” said CAST Vice President of Operations Daran Norris.
“We’ve got new stadium seating in the theatre, perfect for hosting not only our play productions but variety of performances as well.
“This show is another way to treat local patrons who want to enjoy professional entertainment without having to travel long distances.”
Featured in the show and originally from Bay City, Brenda Pontiff started her stand-up career at “The Comedy Workshop” in Houston.
When she began the process of retiring from her business development career, Pontiff said she knew she would return to the stand-up circuit.
After leaving Texas in the early 1990s, Pontiff became a new face at the famed “Improv” in Los Angeles and landed television spots on Comedy Central and sitcoms such as “The Five Mrs. Buchanans” and “The Crew.”
She gave up her stand-up dreams to focus on a career as a client care executive for law and accounting firms, but she kept writing comedy in her spare time and eventually optioned a screenplay and was hired by studios to provide joke punch-up for other screenwriters.
Though she had not done stand-up in 14 years, she got on stage again several years ago at the urging of old comedy buddies and realized she much missed hearing live laughs.
“I feel like I can finally just enjoy my time on the stage, whereas in the 1990s I was under a great deal of pressure to get higher paying gigs,” said Pontiff.
“I’m blessed to be able to relax a little and cherish the craft I love so much.”
Also featured in the CAST show is Andy Huggins, a 45-year veteran of stand-up comedy, another alumni of The Comedy Workshop, and an original member of “The Texas Outlaw Comics” which launched the careers of Sam Kinison and Bill Hicks.
Huggins was recently seen on “America’s Got Talent” and will be taping a comedy special later in the summer.
He is a Houston treasure and is a mentor to many up-and-coming comics navigating the Texas and national stand-up landscape.
Opening the festivities is Mike Peterson, a former police officer now known as “Houston’s Original Comedy Cop.”
Mike has opened for such legends as Jay Leno and Glen Campbell.
Tickets are $10 cash at the door or can be purchased online at the CAST site at www.baycitycast.com.
Because of some adult language and themes, the show is not recommended for children under the age of 15.
