Comedian Mary Mack’s live PG-13 variety show, North Star Comedy Hour, returns to Hayward’s Park Center Saturday, June 8th at 7:30 p.m. This second year of the summer series, features new guest performers, and brings back Mary and her comic husband Tim Harmston and the house band, Circle of Heat (named after the temperature gauge on a crock pot). North Star Comedy Hour typically features sketches, comedians, musicians and poets, all interacting with Mack.
A sneak peak at the June show includes musician Abdul Sesay, originally hailing from Sierra Leone, who offers a really unique percussive guitar and voice listening experience along with his bassist Jun Sugiyama. Readers who’ve attended the Minnesota State Fair, may have seen Sesay perform there.
Longtime comedy veteran, Jackie Kashian will be guest comedian. Based in L.A., Kashian grew up in South Milwaukee. She runs two very popular podcasts, The Jackie and Laurie Show and Dork Forest. Jackie has made many television late night appearances and is a household name for up and coming comedians around the country. Her comedy albums have been number one on Amazon and Apple and #3 on Billboard.
Comedian Tim Harmston, who’s appeared on Letterman and Comedy Central, closes the evening with an interactive, North Woods gameshow sketch—think Deal or No Deal, but with a pyramid of tackle boxes rather than briefcases.
The August show features poets Hope McLeod and Dee Sweet (former Poet Laureate of Wisconsin). Comic Ben Katzner and a soon-to-be-named mystery musician also perform.
Host Mary Mack’s credits include performances on Conan, The Tonight Show, and The Grand Ole Opry. She currently co-stars in the cartoon Solar Opposites on Hulu, and voices several characters on the Disney+ show, Kiff. Her passion project, however, is producing North Star Comedy Hour variety show.
“I’m proud that on any one of these episodes, you might see several performers who have appeared on national television multiple times. We are bringing a high level of talent to the woods,” says Mack.
All shows are filmed and audio recorded for podcast and potential broadcast. Adult beverages are available at The Park Center.
Tickets: $30 adv./$35 door