Cancer fund-raiser goes for the funny bone

Published 7:00 pm Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Cancer is no laughing matter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use humor to raise money for cancer research.

Bremerton-based comedian Great Cris is doing just that, with “The Laugh for Life,” a night of comedy June 17 at the Admiral Theatre, featuring himself and four other national headliner comics.

Joining Cris will be Jerry Percio, Charlie Wiener, Huck Flynn and Kermit Apio. Stuart Hagar will provide musical accompaniment.

All of the money raised will go to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Cris said he organized the fund-raiser because “it gets real personal — cancer touches everybody.” He continued, “Relay for Life is a fabulous way to support cancer research, but not everyone can walk for 24 hours. I can’t be a doctor, but if I can get a lot of people together and raise money, that’s a good thing.”

Those who follow comedy, whether at the Seattle Comedy Underground or on Comedy Central, will recognize these performers.

Percio has appeared on Comedy Central’s “Short Attention Span Theater,” NBC’s “Unsolved Mysteries” and numerous commercials. He has also written for Jay Leno.

He was a regular guest on the Dr. Demento weekly radio program and has written jingles and novelty songs. He is a three-time winner of the national Music City Song Festival.

Wiener (probably not his real name) has been performing for more than 30 years, with comedy geared to the over 30 crowd. He has made a career out of proving that nothing is funnier than the everyday life of the average middle class, middle age hippie. He has hosted his own television shows, “Wienervision” and “Off the Wall,” and has headlined at comedy clubs throughout the United States and Canada.

Flynn hails from California and is known for mixing guitar playing and blues with his comedy. His musical influences include Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

A blogger who apparently had recently seen Apio’s show wrote: “Kermit Apio was the headliner for this packed house. He is a Hawaiian, loves Spam, and was fairly funny. I have paid to see much worse.”

Apio started his standup career at an open mic in 1989 and has gone on to perform in 44 states, including North Dakota.

He is a popular performer at casinos and hotel lounges across the Northwest, and in October will perform at the Moulin Rouge — the one in Stanwood, not Paris.

Great Cris, also known as Cris Larsen, moved to Port Orchard as a teen (his parents moved from Lynnwood, he had no choice but to come along he says), and rose to Olympic High School senior class president, class of 1981.

He said he wasn’t really the class clown type, but always loved comedy. He cites classic comedians such as Bill Cosby, Jonathan Winters, and Howie Mandell as influences. Support for his comedy career came from local sources, especially Paul Peterson at the Cloverleaf Tavern.

“He helped me out a lot,” Cris said. And vice versa. One of the first benefit shows he performed at was a fund-raiser to cover medical expenses for a new kidney for Peterson. Cris has since performed in an estimated 200 fund-raising projects, including Rotary projects and Armed Forces Day, but none more important than the one coming up.

“Everyone has lost someone to cancer,” he said. “I’ve lost some good friends.”

Cris credits his parents with instilling a sense of community in him, and the idea to give back to that community.

“I get to go out and make people laugh for a living — that’s not a bad thing.”

He describes his comedy as “loud and goofy” but clean. Or as clean as a comedian can be. He noted that the Admiral show is restricted to those 18 and over, but he said that’s mainly because younger audiences won’t get the jokes.

Cris has booked two other dates for “The Laugh for Life,” in Port Townsend and Yakima, and he has bigger plans ahead.

“By this time next year it will be nationwide. I would like to see it in every state,” he said. “It goes hand in fist with Relay for Life. It’s a night out to let the worries disappear for an evening and for people to feel good about themselves.”