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| Comedian James Cunningham is one of five headliners performing during the Komedy for Kidneys benefit show April 14 in Niagara Falls. |
There’s been a lot of coverage about the heroes of the pandemic. The ordinary people who stood up to the challenges of having to carry on throughout mandated shut-downs in order to help others. The front-line workers risking their own well-being to create a sense of normalcy for their communities. Teachers innovating methods to connect with their students in a world of isolation. Each story inspired us. They motivated us. They gave us hope that we’d get through it all.
Yet, sadly, there’s been a group of people that have been overlooked. People whose very existence relies upon the energy only a live audience can feed them. They’ve been salivating like confined tigers being teased with a tender pork loin, but the wait is finally over. And, just like an endangered animal being released back into the wild jungle, the stand-up comic is ready to pounce on stage and entertain the crowd.
“We are so excited to actually have live audiences back. I mean, we’re just like caged animals ...so (we’ll) get a sense of that crowd and I think that crowd is not going to know what hit them. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” says comedian James Cunningham.
Cunningham, a regular guest on the Marilyn Dennis Show , is one of five headliners performing at the 15th annual Komedy for Kidneys Rodney Pentland Memorial benefit on April 14. He says although comedians have been keeping busy with Zoom shows or internet comedy, there’s nothing that compares to being able to interact with a live audience.
“Ohhh! We feed off the energy,” he says. “And just to be out in public with people. It’s crazy. This is going to be, for many of the comedians and many of the audience members, their first time being out again (at) an actual show…the energy in the show is going to be really great.”
Komedy for Kidneys, being emceed by comic Mark Matthews, is an annual benefit raising money for the local dialysis units of the Niagara hospital system in honour of comedian Rodney Pentland who passed away due to complications stemming from kidney disease. Matthews also faces the struggles of kidney disease, and when he no longer responded to dialysis, which he stresses is not a cure, he was told he needed a kidney transplant.
“These are treatments. These are not cures…it got to a point where if I didn’t get a transplant it was simply just a matter of months. Weeks. So my brother (David) offered to donate his. I got a kidney from my brother,” he says.
Cunningham is looking forward to the benefit, not only because it gives him a chance to connect with a live audience again, but it also allows him to step up to the plate and do what he can to support his good friend.
“I knew Rodney and I know Mark and of Mark’s many issues with his kidneys… so if there was any way to help (them) and raise some good money, of course I am there. And it’s a great event and they do a great job with it. Every time I’ve gone I’m just hanging out with some of my friends on the show. They’ve always sold it right back to the back wall which is fantastic and they always raise a whole lot of money so, yeah, I’m really excited.”
Cunningham says when he was “just a young budding comic” Matthews provided him with opportunities to work his material and grow as a performer.
“When I was a young comic, still wet behind the ears, Mark Matthews was super nice to me and he gave me some pretty good spots. He would bring me out and we have a lot of crazy road stories together. He’s such a great guy. So he called me and he said we’re raising money…and I would give him my other kidney for God’s sake, that’s how great he is. So yeah, he really helped me out when I was a young comic and now it’s 20 some odd years or something in the business and I think I’ve done okay for myself so I can’t complain.”
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| James Cunningham, is a regular guest on the Marilyn Dennis Show and hosted the Food Network's Eat Streets |
And not only is Cunningham grateful for the opportunities Matthews provided, he also appreciates the insightful advice he was given.
“One of the first things Mark ever told me, and this is funny, (was) when I was a young, amateur comic. Mark said, ‘hey, listen, there’s a show I want you to come out for and you’re going to open up for me. So, I was opening up for Mark and I guess he was nervous and (wondering) how do I give advice to this young comic? And he said, ‘okay, show up’,” explains Cunningham.
But the words of wisdom didn’t stop there.
“And, I don’t know why he said this,” he laughs. “But he said, and I always make fun of him, he said ‘wear shoes’. Wear shoes. Wear shoes. And I was like, “ok” and he caught himself and realized how stupid that was. So, always to this day, in every text or call with him, I just go “wear shoes, buddy, eh? Wear shoes!”
Cunningham says he’s considering going rogue for the benefit and leaving his shoes at home, but he’s worried there may be something more exciting than even a barefoot comic that could upstage him.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun (and we’re) raising money for a good cause. And you know, hopefully we won’t be upstaged. Hopefully the barge won’t let loose that night. That’s what I am worried about. I’m worried about that. What if everyone goes, ‘oh my gosh the barge just let loose’ and everyone runs out of the theatre to go watch the barge. Oh no!”
Shoes or no shoes? Headline hogging barge? These complex uncertainties are just a few of the challenges a comic faces. But one thing Cunningham says is a guarantee is that Komedy for Kidneys is going to be an amazing show.
“It’s going to be crazy. I mean, off the hook. Yeah, it’s going to be a lot of fun. A lot of top comics on a great night raising some money for a great cause. And what could go wrong, right?”
Komedy for Kidneys is being held at the Greg Frewin Theatre in Niagara Falls on April 14.
Mark Matthews will be emceeing with the stand-up comedy of headliners: Mitch McBeaudry, Evan Carter, Justin Shaw, Tony Venditti and James Cunningham.
For tickets call 905-356-0777 or purchase them online at https://gregfrewintheatre.com/buy-tickets.html
Doors open at 7pm* Show starts at 8:20pm
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