A former Olds resident is coming home to MC a standup comedy show at Tracks Pub Aug. 12.
AimÈe Beaudoin is not only MCing the event, but organized it via a new company she set up, called Mermaid In The Shade Comedy. Her mom, Laurie Brigden, is a retired Olds High School teacher.
The event, called Laugh Tracks Comedy Night, is the first show her new company has ever booked. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the entertainment is expected to start at about 8 p.m.
Beaudoin is not the only local connection. Olds resident Ron Ross will open the show.
Beaudoin describes Ross as "hilarious" and adds another tidbit: he beat her in the race for student council president at Olds High School "many, many years ago."
Beaudoin stars in the Alberta homegrown sketch comedy TV series Caution May Contain Nuts, which runs on the APTN network. In that show, she has played more than 70 different characters and co-wrote 26 episodes.
"We started back in 2007, and I've been nominated for three Canadian Comedy Awards for that show and a Canadian Screen Award for being a writer on that show," Beaudoin says.
Her latest co-writing project is a live musical comedy called Orange is the New Pink, which is currently touring Western Canada with Jubilations Dinner Theatre.
She is also a guest player with the Canadian Comedy Award-winning DieNasty improv troupe.
As a standup comedian, this year, Beaudoin was a finalist in Edmonton's Funniest Person with a Day Job and Winnipeg's Funniest Person with a Day Job.
The headliner for the show is Lars Callieou.
Callieou has toured with other famous comedians like Joan Rivers, Jeff Foxworthy, Bob Saget and Martin Short.
He has appeared at the Just for Laughs Festival and has a one-hour comedy special currently airing on The Comedy Network. He was just the third Canadian in history to make the finals of both the San Francisco and Seattle International Comedy Competitions.
This past spring, Callieou won Best of the Fest at the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival. He also has a weekly comedy radio show that was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award.
Callieou has entertained the troops three times overseas in Kuwait, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Ryan Short will also take to the stage. He has appeared on Much Music and SiriusXM.
Beaudoin is excited about this project.
"It's actually my first show that I'm doing, because the owner of Tracks had wanted me to come there and headline," she says. "I'm not new to comedy, but I'm new to standup, so I was kind of always not sure about coming to Olds and headlining.
"But then I realized I don't have to headline. I can bring a really experienced awesome international headliner and I can MC the event, so that's kinda how I'm going about it for right now."
Beaudoin is hoping this show will be a success so she can bring other renowned standup comedians to Olds.
Not only that, but she's also hoping the set by Ross will inspire other Olds residents to give standup comedy a try.
Beaudoin, Callieou and Short all live in Edmonton.
Another performer, local resident Ron Ross, beat Beaudoin in the race for Olds High School student council president
