The Snowed in Comedy Tour is back in Port Alberni, showcasing some of Canada’s best comedic talent as four very different performers unite for a fantastic evening of comedy.
One of these performers will be three-time female Comedian of the Year Debra DiGiovanni (Video on Trial, Match Game, Debra DiGiovanni: Single, Awkward, Female).
Being the only woman on tour can sometimes be a bit challenging, DiGiovanni admitted—especially when it comes to bathroom breaks.
“The boys are constantly trying to scare each other, and I’m a very easy target. It’s gotten to the point where I have to be careful when I go to the bathroom—I have to make sure someone’s not going to jump out from somewhere.”
Although DiGiovanni is based in Los Angeles, most of her comedy career was developed in Toronto. She joined the Snowed in Comedy Tour in 2018, filling in for a comedian who had to drop out, and enjoyed it so much that she returned in 2019 and will be taking on an even larger role in 2020.
“The crowds are amazing, and they’re loyal,” said DiGiovanni. “The crowd is always really excited to be there. There’s something really cool about that—it has a great energy.”
In a market still dominated by American acts, the homegrown Snowed in Comedy Tour tour has won fans over one performance at a time, and become the largest comedy tour in Canada with over $2 million in ticket sales, and performed internationally for audiences in Australia, U.S.A., France, and Switzerland.
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Comedian and tour founder Dan Quinn wanted to go on a snowboarding vacation with his comedian buddies, but he couldn’t afford to take time off work. He scheduled comedy tour dates strategically around what ski hills he could hit during the day, and paid for his lift tickets and rentals by doing comedy shows at night.
It’s partly why DiGiovanni waited so long before joining the tour in 2018.
“My brain was like, ‘I’m not a snowboarder!’” she laughed.
Other performers in Port Alberni will include five-time Canadian Comedian of the Year nominee Pete Zedlacher, Just for Laughs winner Dan Quinn and the $25,000 Great Canadian Laugh Off winner Paul Myrehaug.
“The nice thing is that we’re all very different,” said DiGiovanni. “I’m probably the dirtiest, to be honest,” she added with a laugh. “I’m a motormouth, my mouth is always going a mile a minute.”
She describes Zedlacher’s style as very “theatrical,” with plenty of voices and act-outs.
“He always closes the show because he’s just such a big performer,” she added.
Myrehaug fills his set with humorous stories about his life, while Quinn is the “classic comedian,” said DiGiovanni, who does “a little bit of everything.”
The combination of all four comedians is a winning equation, said DiGiovanni. There’s something for every brand of humour, and everyone will walk away with their own personal favourite.
“It would get monotonous if it had the same energy all the way through,” she added.
The Snowed in Comedy Tour is a rotating lineup of four Canadian stand-up comedians, playing 70 shows in 63 cities from the dead of winter until spring thaw. The crew will arrive in Port Alberni for a performance at the Capitol Theatre on Monday, Jan. 13, starting at 8 p.m.
Tickets for the Snowed in Comedy Tour are available online at brownpapertickets.com.