A laugh-off the Haitian way.
A comedy show is pitting viral and stand-up Haitian comedians to kick off the celebration of Haitian Heritage Month at Loft172 on May 12. “Haitian Bad Boys of Comedy: North versus South” will have the popular jokers battle out to decide which region has the funniest comics. With Haitian flag day around the corner, what better way to celebrate that than with some interactive team challenges with some well-known faces online, said the organizer.
“This is a flag day celebration through comedy, but this time we’re doing something different than regular stand-up,” said Moses Merisier, organizer of the event. “A lot people are into social media and stand-up and we wanted to combine that and do a North versus South battle with the comedians.”
The show is set to be about two hours and is introducing popular games that will be done with a Haitian style of comedy, according to Merisier. A family feud-like game and a segment similarly modeled after the popular MTV show, “Wild’ N Out,” are a few of the games the jokesters will partake in and this element of the show is relatively new to most Haitians, he added.
“We’re going to have a lot of different challenges, a lot of improvisation and impersonations, and a lot of these have never been done in the Haitian community before,” he said.
Two teams of five comedians are going to be divvied up to represent their regions, and towards the end of the show the audience decides which team was the funniest. Comedians include Haitian Jonas and Chelo Chelo, who will act as team captains for both regions respectively. Besides the final judging, guests can participate in the challenges because it will be very interactive, said Merisier.
He said the show is more than a party and highlights the adamant champions of Haitian culture, which is important to him because throughout the year these comedians are uplifting the culture and keeping it alive with humor, said Merisier.
“I try to choose comedians who are really funny and also dedicated to Haitian culture, because I find it very important to do this around Haitian flag day,” he said. “During this time of the year I like to give back and this is a way for us to show who is doing that.”
Most of the show will be done in English with little references in Haitian Creole, according to Merisier. But non-Haitians and kids under 18 who come with adults, are invited to the show.
“If you’re Haitian and have Haitian pride this is one of the best events to come to and one of the few moments where we celebrate our culture with laughter,” said Merisier. “We have a family-oriented show and besides the regular comedy, we’re doing something everyone can laugh at and all generations are invited.”
“Haitian Bad Boys of Comedy — North versus South” at Loft172, 172 Classon Ave. between Myrtle and Park avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant. May 12 at 7 pm. $30 ($75 VIP).
