LaughFest Announces ‘Off Season’ Show [Video]

While the huge fundraiser for Gilda's Club of Grand Rapids is usually in March, LaughFest has announced a special off season show this November.

Gilda’s LaughFest, the nation’s first ever community-wide festival of laughter, and Wealthy Theatre together will host LaughFest alum Cristela Alonzo for a LaughFest “off-season” special performance on November 22 at 7:00 p.m.

 Alonzo, who first appeared at LaughFest in 2015, will be in Grand Rapids to perform her stand-up comedy show, “My Affordable Care Act” and to celebrate her memoir, “Music to My Years,” which will be released October 8 by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Following the show, Alonzo will be available to sign copies of the book.

 Tickets for Alonzo’s LaughFest “off-season” special go on sale Friday, July 19 at 8 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at grcmc.org/event/cristela-alonzo-2019.

 Alonzo made history in 2014 when she became the first Latina to create, produce and star in her own network sitcom, “Cristela” for ABC. During that same year, she split her time between LA and NYC to serve as one of ABC’s favorite guest hosts on their hit daytime talk show, “The View”.  In 2017 Cristela made history again when she became the first Latina lead in a Disney Pixar film when she voiced the part of “Cruz Ramirez” in Cars 3. Her first stand-up special, Lower Classy, is currently streaming on Netflix.

 High five donations made at the “off-season” special support the free cancer, grief and emotional health programs offered through Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids. Visit laughfestgr.org, or call 616-735-HAHA (4242) to learn more about Gilda’s LaughFest.