Comedian Myq Kaplan out-joked 63 other comics over a five-round tournament patterned after the NCAA College Basketball Tournament to be crowned the 2009 March Comedy Madness Champion at Carolines on Broadway.
Sixty-four comedians who passed an open call audition were randomly pitted against one another in a series of one-on-one competitions with winners being determined by audience response. The first round of March Comedy Madness took place on March 11 when all of the 64 competitors each performed one minute of stand-up comedy. 32 comedians advanced to the second round – on March 18 – and each performed two minutes of stand-up. The third and fourth rounds – which took place on March 25 –featured the “Sweet Sixteen” and the “Elite Eight” who each performed three minutes of stand-up, with the “Final Four” advancing into the fourth and final round.
“The Final Four” comedians squared off Monday night, with each performing seven minutes of stand-up. In the first match, Kaplan defeated J-L Cauvin, while Ryan Reiss defeated Calise Hawkins. Kaplan and Reiss then squared off in the finals, with each performing ten minutes of stand-up. Comedian Bryan Kennedy, who has served as host/referee for all three years of the tournament, announced Kaplan as the winner after all of the audience votes had been tallied.
In addition to a cash prize, Kaplan also wins a coveted spot opening for a national headliner at Carolines on Broadway.
