The first Sweetest Day Comedy Affair is going to be a laugh riot, according to one of its stars.
“It’s a night of unbelievable laughter,” Bill Bellamy said. “Every comic is a powerhouse comic.”
The night of stand-up comedy is set for 8 p.m. Oct. 17 — Sweetest Day — at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville.
“We have every kind of comic,” Bellamy said in a recent phone interview. “Tommy Davidson is hosting.”
Davidson’s career got a huge boost from his television work on Fox’s “In Living Color” — which also was a launching pad for Jim Carrey.
“Bill Bellamy and Tommy Davidson may not be comedic legends on the order of a Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Flip Wilson or Redd Foxx, but both can hold their own on stage and on the silver screen,” said Ben Clement, executive director of the Gary Office of Film and Television. “They also share a rapier wit, as evidenced by Bellamy’s take on relationships and Davidson’s ability to morph into different characters.”
The Sweetest Day roster in Merrillville is rounded out by Michael Blackson, Arnez J, Capone and Lil Duval.
The theater bills the laugh bash as the first annual edition.
It might pop up at other theaters.
“This is our first show with this lineup,” Bellamy noted. “We’ll see how we do. If it goes really, really well, I think we could probably do this in any city because the lineup is so strong.”
Bellamy has buttressed his name recognition as a TV co-host on Rachael Ray’s show and as a red-carpet host for ESPN’s “ESPY Awards” and for “Entertainment Tonight.”
Additionally, the New Jersey native was a VJ for the MTV network and hosted “MTV Beach House” in the 1990s.
In 1994, Bellamy’s “Booty Call” TV special was unleashed and provided a memorable slice of pop-culture vocabulary.
His Showtime comedy special “Crazy Sexy Dirty” aired in the spring of 2012.
Bellamy pointed out that Sweetest Day Comedy Affair is not for children.
More Top Picks Best Floor Standing Speakers For Living Rooms 2
As for his own comedic methods, Bellamy said there is some punch employed.
“My style is explosive laughter; it’s very physical,” he said. “It’s topical. It’s personal. It’s observations on life and what’s going on in the world. So I take you on a journey.”
Aside from TV, Bellamy has some high-profile feature films under his belt, including 1997’s “How to Be a Player” and 1999’s “Any Given Sunday,” which starred Al Pacino.
There likewise is a January flick on the horizon.
“I got a new movie coming out called ‘The Bounce Back’ that’ll be in theaters,” he said.
The cinematic work features the celebrity allure of Shemar Moore, who won a Daytime Emmy Award for his acting on “The Young and the Restless.” Another CBS show — the popular “Criminal Minds” — provided Moore with the juicy role of FBI special agent Derek Morgan.
Merrillville Sweetest Day performer Lil Duval can also claim some TV fame.
In 2005, the man born Roland Powell became a semifinalist on the BET comedy-competition series “Coming to the Stage.”
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance writer.
Sweetest Day Comedy Affair
Where: Star Plaza Theatre, U.S. 30 and Interstate 65, Merrillville
When: 8 p.m. Oct. 17
Tickets: $69, $89, $125
Information: 219-769-6311, ext. 5463; www.starplazatheatre.com