VERNON, BC— Celebrate International Women’s Day with laughter as the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre proudly hosts the 19th Annual I Am Woman, Hear Me Laff! featuring headliner Elvira Kurt returning to Vernon on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at 7:30 pm. This SPOTLIGHT Special Presentation is one of the year's standout stand-up comedy events in Vernon.

A beloved annual tradition, I Am Woman, Hear Me Laff! brings a selection of the brightest professional stand-up comedians together for a night of female empowerment guaranteed to deliver side-splitting, tear-inducing laughter. Get the besties together for this sizzling night!

Elvira Kurt, a Toronto native and veteran of Second City, is an accomplished trail-blazing comedian. From hosting her own TV program in Canada, "pop-cultured with Elvira Kurt", to her numerous televised comedy specials, Kurt has done it all, at home and abroad. She's earned multiple nominations for U.S. College Comedian of The Year, performed solo shows from Iqaluit to Australia and New Zealand and is considered a queer icon for being one of the first openly gay stand-up comics. Elvira's work in television includes writing and performing on "Baroness Von sketch Show", appearing in Carolyn Taylor's, "I Have Nothing" and even being a judge on "The Second City’s Next Comedy Legend". Kurt has also hosted a Mark Burnett-produced game show, "Spin Off," and she continues to showcase her creative talents in writing, producing, and directing for projects like "The Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown" -produced by Seth Rogen, "Drink Masters," "Canada’s Drag Race," and "The Great Canadian Baking Show." Kurt has received many prestigious accolades, including recognition at the Canadian Screen Awards, Canadian Comedy Awards, Toronto Fringe Festival and earning the Jury Choice Award at the Cannes Short Film Showcase.

Kurt's comedic style is rooted in observations about celebrity culture, aging and her own appearance. With her unapologetic humor and fearless commentary, Kurt stands as a beacon of laughter, love and unity in the realm of comedy.

VDPAC Artistic Director Erin Kennedy says, “Elvira will make you laugh so hard your cheeks will hurt!”

Emcee Julie Kim is one of Canada’s top stand-up comedians and an international headliner. She has been a gala performer at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. In 2022 Julie toured across North America doing 40 theatre shows with Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah). Over the past decade, Julie has performed at all major Canadian comedy festivals with multiple televised. In 2023, Julie made her debut at the 2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and was included on VIBE's List of Power 60: Inspiring Asian-Canadians of Influence. Among other distinguished honorees were notable figures such as Lilly Singh, Andrew Phung and Russell Peters.

Kurt shares, "Our comedy love affair continues! Let's rendezvous for big laughs and good times... we deserve it!"

Grab your besties and get ready for a sizzling night out! VDPAC’s bartenders will also be mixing up feature mocktails and cocktails with local beverages from Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery.

Caution: The humour can get spicy! This show contains strong language & mature content and may not be appropriate for all audiences.

The Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre presents I Am Woman Hear Me Laff! on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 7:30PM. Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors, and $30 for students. For tickets, please visit or call Ticket Seller at 250-549-SHOW (7469); online at: Ticketseller.ca; or visit our 2023-24 SPOTLIGHT Season at: www.vdpac.ca.

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Ticket Link: https://www.ticketseller.ca/tickets/event/i-am-woman-hear-me-laff-5

About Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre

The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Society is a non-profit, charitable organization devoted to fostering artists, their work, and live performance in all genres and for all ages. The Society operates the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre (VDPAC) on behalf of the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) and with the support of over 35 staff and 200 volunteers. Each year, we present our SPOTLIGHT Season of over 30 diverse performances, complemented by over 125 concerts, festivals, and special events. We select professional touring productions to entertain, enlighten, move and amuse our audiences. Altogether, they offer patrons of all ages a world of unforgettable live theatre experiences. Please visit: https://vdpac.ca/ & https://ticketseller.ca/

Facebook: @vdpac
Instagram: @vernonperformingarts

For more information, media can contact:

Raj Jain, Marketing & Community Engagement Coordinator

250-542-9355

[email protected]