Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Deb Kimmett is asking people to forgo the necktie this Father’s Day and give dad the gift of comedy.
The Napanee comedienne will be hosting a virtual performance known as The Dad Show on June 20, live from Ellena’s Café in downtown Napanee and broadcast on a private YouTube link.
A Second City veteran, Kimmett has been heard on CBC Radio’s The Debaters and seen on TV on shows such as Frankie Drake, Tall Boyz and Gayle Pile.
Napanee’s own blues singer Kim Pollard will also be at Ellena’s to perform some songs during for The Dad Show, with special guests Lisa Merchant, Ed Sahely and Colin Mochrie, all joining via virtual link from separate locations.
“The show is about dads, each person is going to tell a story or a song about that and we’re giving 10 per cent to the Victorian Order of Nurses who do a lot of outreach with seniors like Meals on Wheels and respite care and foot care so seniors can live more independently,” said Kimmett. “We thought that was a good place to put the money right now since seniors have been so hard hit by COVID.”
Virtual tickets to the show can be purchased at https://kimmett.ca/events/. In light of all the financial uncertainly many people are facing, tickets are ‘pay what you can’, with a recommended price of $20. Once the ticket is purchased, a private YouTube link will be emailed and viewers can watch live at 7 p.m. on June 20 or watch it any time in the next 10 days following the live broadcast.
The 45-minute show promises plenty of laughs, but also some heart-warming moments as well.
“My dad was an important man in my life, Jim Kimmett Boulevard was named after him,” said Kimmett. “I’m going to talk about the hardships he went through and what he overcame in his lifetime and have sort of an inspirational story of how we don’t know where we’re going right now, there’s people who lived before us and they have stories of how they survived many things.”
When putting together the show, Kimmett used her connections in the comedy business, recruiting long time Second City pals Merchant and Sahely.
“They’re fabulous performers, not only do they improvise, they teach improv and teach comedy,” said Kimmett. “They’ve also been doing the Zoom calls and improvising for shows across Toronto and Canada.”
“The real pièce de résistance was Colin Mochrie said he would come and tell a story about how he felt when he became a father,” added Kimmett.
Quite possibly Canada’s most well known improviser, Mochrie has been making things up as he goes for over two decades on Whose Line Is It Anyway?
“He’s a really fabulous man to get on this show, he does a lot of charity work and always good to say yes to his friends that are raising money,” Kimmett said of Mochrie.
Live theatre has been deeply impacted by COVID-19 safety measures, with performers left with no real timeline as to when they may be able to showcase their talents to a room full of people. A YouTube broadcast was one way for Kimmett to do what she loves while giving back.
“It’s pretty uncertain with what’s going to happen next for the entertainment business, but it’s also a time where we can use our talents to do good in the world,” she added.