Adding a Little Humor to Your Friday Night

Raue Center For The Arts welcomes comedians Rocky LaPorte, Denise Ramsden and host Mike Preston on June 21, 2013 at 8:30 pm. The Chicago natives will join perform as part of the theatre’s Lucy’s Comedy Cafe series. Join them for a night of hilarious top-notch comedy on an intimate stage that won't break the bank. Lucy's Comedy Cafe only holds 160 so buy tickets early -- we're nearly sold out!

Wanna know more about our featured comedians? Rocky LaPorte is a former Chicago truck driver and dock worker started his standup career in The Windy City back in 1988. After winning some local comedy competitions Rocky went on to win The Johnnie Walker National Comedy Competition beating out over 1100 contestants in 10 cities! He then went on to do numerous television shows like Cheers, Pat Sajak, Comic Strip Live a C.B.S Pilot titled “The Rocky Laporte Show” and his very own half hour special on Comedy Central.

Doing “The Tonight Show”, “Only16 years of sweat and toil, but who keeps track of that kind of stuff?” says Rocky in a recent interview. He mentions that he’s most proud of the fact that he was voted one of the funniest guys in his class at a recent G.E.D. reunion.

At the Las Vegas Comedy Festival Rocky received the “Best Male Club Comedian of the Year” presented by George Wallace and Andy Kindler. Forty of the top comedy clubs around the country were polled for their favorite male and female comedians. Recently Rocky also found out that his “Just For Laughs” set that he performed at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival hosted by the legendary Carl Reiner was being showed on Air Canada flights. Rocky responded by saying “Man, I’m having a good week!”

With a busy schedule of corporate work and touring all major cities, Rocky’s become a favorite everywhere in the country.

He has also traveled with Drew Carey to Iraq to entertain the troops and was seen on the ShowTime special “Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie.” Rocky has filmed his own Comedy Central Presents special and in a nationwide poll was voted Comedy Central’s second most popular comedian. He has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and had appearances on A&E’s Evening At The Improv and VH-1’s Stand-Up Spotlight, and sitcom appearances on Cheers and his own NBC pilot called the Rocky LaPorte Show. Rocky’s clean, blue-collar style of comedy continues to increase in popularity as he travels the country.

Today Rocky is one of the most sought after comedians in the country. His clean observations and take on life have made him a favorite in all the top comedy clubs, corporate events and television shows. Rocky’s like-ability and every-man style gives him an unparalleled universal appeal that any audience can enjoy and relate to.

Rocky’s opened for the likes of, Louie Anderson, Garry Shandling, Drew Carey, Tim Allen, Hootie and the Blowfish and the Righteous Brothers just to name a few. He’s done an enormous amount of charity work also. For St Jude’s for Children, N.F.L. Charities, homeless shelters, cancer research and Police and Fire Dept fundraisers.

Denise Ramsden is an innovative, original comedian, as she blends biting sarcasm and bold humor with personal experiences. Born and raised on the South side of Chicago, Denise loves to sarcastically pay tribute to her Irish Catholic upbringing. While a favorite among female audiences, her natural, honest sense of humor also greatly appeals to men, and no one is safe from the infectious laugh infused throughout her act. Denise discusses familiar topics and situations, which give her an accessible quality few comics share, but it is a combination that all audiences remember …or whatever…

After graduating from Illinois with a degree in film, it seemed obvious to move to Los Angeles for immediate fame and fortune. Those plans went slightly awry, though Denise did meet numerous not-so-famous celebrities and hangers-on. She took an overpriced stand-up class (only possible by a loan from her brother) and made her debut at the famed Comedy Store. After moving back to Chicago, she toiled at the Open Mics, but finally got a chance to open for one of her favorite comics, Margaret Smith, who ironically told Denise that she should move to L.A. D’oh.

Anyhoo, Denise continues to sharpen her comedic skills in Chicago, and clubs and weird one-nighters all over the Midwest. She has gotten the chance to work with such comics as Jake Johannsen (her favorite), Kevin Pollak, and Artie Lange. After participating in year-long Survivor-like contest, Denise was voted Chicagoland’s Funniest New Talent at the Barrel of Laughs in January 2004. Plus, you can run into her vending/slinging Old Style and movie lines at almost every game at Wrigley Field, just listen for her laugh.

Mike Preston is a comic, author, self-appointed anti-social worker. Having endured years in the trenches of social work, assisting people in various states of psychological disarray, he has all but abandoned political correctness, and opted to shine a big bright light on society, illuminating the entertainment aspect of the human condition.

Mike's also the host a of wildly successful TV talk show, Psycho Babble. His guests have included Mike Ditka, Craig Ferguson, Gilbert Gottfried, Adriannne Curry, Vanilla Ice, Gene Simmons, Ted Nugent, Jennifer Steele, Tera Patrick, Lacuna Coil, Henry Winkler and Jerry Seinfeld.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of. They can be purchased online at rauecenter.org or via the Box Office at 815.356.9212 or 26 N. Williams Street in downtown Crystal Lake.