Author: Pat LaVone

If you are a genuine devotee of comedy or even just a passing fan, you have probably heard the term “comedy festival.” But you might be wondering, what does that mean – exactly? Typically, a comedy festival brings together a wide variety of comedy acts, including improvisational and sketch groups, storytellers, musical acts, and – primarily – stand-up comedians, over multiple days, in several venues, in a specific geographic location. It might sound fun and straightforward; however, it is anything but simple. Even the smallest comedy festival has many moving parts and requires a ton of work and coordination (often…

When Tommy Ryman, one of Minnesota’s most iconic stand-up comedians and a semifinalist on Season 8 of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” takes the stage at Fat Pants Brewing in Eden Prairie on Aug. 25, he won’t be wearing “fat pants,” but his trousers might be a little less skinny. “I have a 30-inch waist,” confesses the comedian. “But it was 28-inches before the pandemic.” Ryman, whose credits include two Dry Bar Comedy specials (the second special will be released this fall), has been busy performing this summer. The Fat Pants gig won’t be Ryman’s first brewery show, and he does…