ABOUT THE COMEDY IGLOO
Kevin Janus started The Comedy Igloo in 2003, booking shows as his New York-attorney’s schedule permitted. Its success has now made it a monthly event that is regularly lauded as a “Critic’s Pick” and “Don’t Miss” in TimeOut New York magazine.
Kevin was inspired to start the show after he did a full-length, five-minute-long, impersonation of Corey Hart singing his unforgettable 80s classic, “Never Surrender” in a show in Brooklyn. The largely American audience responded heartily to the sketch and The Comedy Igloo was born.
The name of the show is a play on the stereotypical vision that most Americans have of Canada: that all Canadians grew up in igloos, tool around on dogsleds, and produce a disproportionate number of world-class comedians per capita.
Kevin usually supplies the “Canadian-ness” of the evening with sketches and stand-up that have distinctly Canuck themes, references, and accents. In addition, for each show, Kevin mines the New York comedy-club circuit for four or five of the city’s top up-and-coming comics, who have been featured on and written for television programs such as Saturday Night Live, Chappelle’s Show, The Tonight Show,Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Comedy Central Presents, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, VH1’s Best Week Ever, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham.
Some of Kevin’s featured characters include:
* Jacques Fournier– the lovable, friendly, French-Canadian celebrity guest host of The Comedy Igloo. Jacques also hosts Eastern Quebec’s number-one rated talent show, “Reach for Da Star Quebec.” Known as the Ryan Seacrest of Rimouski, he’s everybody’s favorite guy.
* Corey Hart - the 80s Canadian pop superstar periodically drops by as a surprise musical guest, singing “Sunglasses at Night,” “Never Surrender,” and, if you ask nicely, “The Boy in the Box.”
* Gordie Shaffer– an accomplished soft-rock conductor who leads an easy-listening rock, paddlewheel cruise around the ports of Lake Erie. He may or may not be a distant cousin of Dave Letterman’s side-kick, Paul Shaffer.
* Cardinale Giovanni Boscaiola – an Italian Cardinal who is actively campaigning to be the next Pope.
* Judge Wop – a small claims court judge in New Jersey and the star of the television show, “The People’s Court: New Jersey.”
* Jorge Sabbato-Motorhendez-Metallicaneque – a world-renowned opera tenor who has given up classical music for his true passion – singing heavy metal.
* John Ashcroft – the former U.S. Attorney General recently starred as an evil recluse genius in the critically-acclaimed new Broadway musical, “Rovefinger… Karl Rovefinger.” Mr. Ashcroft also enjoys singing Tom Jones.
* Paul Martin – the former Canadian prime minister often leaves irrational rants on The Comedy Igloo voicemail admonishing Kevin for promulgating Canadian stereotypes that tarnish Canada’s name brand in the world community.
ABOUT KEVIN JANUS
Kevin Janus, host and producer of The Comedy Igloo, is a veteran stage actor, singer, comedian, and a regular on New York’s comedy scene. He’s been performing since age 13, when he played the title role in Skylight Theatre’s production of The Little Prince, under the direction of Lewis Baumander. Since that time, notable performances have included lead role premieres with the Ancient Comic Opera Company’s adaptations of Aristophanes’ Clouds (Socrates) and Assemblywomen! (Blepyros), the role of Vlad Lupo the Vampire in the world’s first ever cowpunk musical, The Yeehaa Cowboys, and played Herman in The Canary at Greenwich Village’s Players Theater. Film credits include the lead role in the romantic comedy, And That’s My Life Story.
Kevin is also the lead singer of the cowpunk band, The Yeehaa Cowboys, who have made numerous television appearances in Canada to promote their CD, “May the Twang Be With You.” The group has also been actively pitching an original film script.
For three years, Kevin was the artistic director of the TheatreFix Arts Festival in Toronto, which featured comedy and musical theatre as well as recitals by some of Canada’s finest classical and jazz musicians.
Kevin is an attorney at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and their stuffed tiger, Richard Parker.
Kevin currently writes for and performs on the hit live sketch-comedy show, Shoot the Messenger. Check him out as legal affairs correspondent, Bernie Silvergold.