'Up Yours' Comedy Upload Contest Winners Hit Royal Oak

ROYAL OAK -- The "Up Yours" nationwide comedic talent search, the brainchild of The Improv Comedy Club Founder Budd Friedman and his partner Mark Lonow, will make a stop in Royal Oak at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

More than 30 area professional and amateur comedians will be performing that evening and their routine will be uploaded to the "Up Yours" contest Web site, www.improvcc.com.

The comic contest will run through early 2012, with the finals taking place at The Improv at Harrah's Casino & Resort in Las Vegas. The winner will receive $25,000 worth of paid bookings at The Improv clubs at Harrah's in Las Vegas and Harvey's in Lake Tahoe.

A voting system on the web site and Facebook will determine the finalists for Vegas. The finale will include celebrity judges from the world of comedy. The winner will be provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet with APA Talent Agency as well as the chance to perform on the Improv stages. The performance will be taped and shared on the site for millions of people to watch and possibly become an overnight sensation.

Friedman and Lonow have partnered with Royal Oak-based PixoFactor Entertainment on an innovative digital program to develop The Improv into the largest Online comedy platform in the world, incorporating Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other social media with a content driven website and video integrated Mobile Apps.

The Improv, which opened its doors in 1963, was the birthplace of many famous comedians including Jay Leno, Billy Crystal, Richard Pryor Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and thousands of others.

To purchase tickets, please call (248) 542-9900 or visit, www.comedycastle.com.