Seattle International Comedy Competition

The laughs are coming to town as the semifinal round of the Seattle International Comedy Competition will be held Nov. 16 at the .

Local and national comedians will be competing for $5,000 in cash and a one-year record contract with prestigious comedy label Uproar Records. The 10 seminfinalists are:

• Mike Baldwin (Kansas City)
• John Beuhler (Vancouver)
• Sam Demaris (Houston)
• Patrick Keane (Los Angeles)
• Eric Krug (Austin)
• Rick Kunkler (Seattle/Los Angeles)
• Xung Lam (Seattle)
• Mark Normand (New York)
• Rodney Sherwood (Seattle)
• Will Weldon (Los Angeles)

The evening's host is Australian comedian and Late Show With David Letterman regular Jim Short.

Celebrating its 32nd year, the Seattle International Comedy Competition has grown from its humble beginnings to a touring festival, with 23 shows in 26 days in 17 different venues throughout the Pacific Northwest. Hundreds of comedians audition each year from around the country to compete; only 32 are chosen.  This final round of competition will feature 10 of the best comedians selected from previous qualifying rounds. 

The Seattle International Comedy Competition is Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds. Tickets are $15-$20. For more information, call (425) 275-9595 or go to ec4arts.org or by phone.