Sketch (not skit!) Comedy – The Imponderables

Beer, maple syrup, police in red tunics, legalized medicinal marijuana and cold fronts – all are part of Canada’s contributions to the world. But this upstairs neighbour to the United States is proving to be like a crazy relative hidden in the attic. We’ve provided the entertainment world with talents such as Caroline Rhea, Martin Short, John Candy, and so many more. And, like good neighbours, we just keep sharing our bounty. Meet the latest offering, The Imponderables: Dave Brennan (the talkative one), Jon Smith (the quiet one), Eric Toth (the second most talkative one) and Tony Lombardo (the misunderstood one). Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, the four are quickly becoming known all over North America.

The Imponderables are no stranger to Montreal’s English comedy scene. Like many comedic groups, the Imponderables – or the Imps – began performing in Fringe Festivals and small clubs and they continue to return to Montreal to share their brand of humour. This year, not only are The Imponderables performing at various venues, they’re the headlining sketch group for Jim Gaffigan’s Videotron Gala on Saturday, July 25, along with Adam Hill, Debra DiGiovanni, Jim Breuer, and Jon Dore.

Blame the Internet

As seen with Susan Boyle, overnight success is possible now with the Internet, something that earlier performers couldn’t ever dream of. Nothing can make or break a person or group faster than the Internet. Through YouTube, Twitter, and all the other social media, it doesn’t take long for the news of great entertainment to reach far and wide. In the case of The Imponderables, the Internet is a Good Thing.

Dave and Eric pointed out that the Internet is actually a wonderful medium for comedy, particularly sketch comedy. The medium fits the attention span of the majority of people who are surfing. Studies have been done that show web surfers only skim writing on the web, picking out the most interesting bits before clicking on to another page. When they click on videos, they don’t want them to run on and on. They want quick, available, good entertainment and then they want to go on to the next thing. Sketch comedy fits that bill.

Not Improv!

Sketch comedy is becoming more popular and seems to have taken off again with the popularity of the comedy improv show, “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” which ran from 1998 to 2006. But make no mistake – sketch comedy isn’t improv. It’s well planned, thought out, tried and true comedy, with a pinch of ad libbing to taste.

It’s also not static. Although the group works together to write the script and perfect it, the bit is rarely performed exactly the same way twice. One show, the sketch may be 6 and a half minutes long, the next show 7 or 8. It all depends on if one of the guys wants to throw something extra in or not.

And the ideas? They can be found in the most ordinary of places and turned into the next funniest routine. Eric is still working on making a toaster into something funny. Who knows, maybe they can make it work.

Sketch, Not Skit

Want to drive the guys crazy? Ask them to do a skit for you – or suggest they add something to one of their skits.

How They Got Together

Dave, Jon (without an “h” and if he doesn’t respond, it’s likely he heard you say the “h”), Eric and Tony have known each other for a long time. Dave and Jon went to the same high school and were tapped to emcee their high school talent show. It likely comes as no surprise to hear that they hadn’t planned anything until just hours before the show, but in that short span of time, they developed a quick and funny routine that turned out to be very successful.

How They Stay Together

You don’t have to be with the guys for long before you see the easy camaraderie between them. Their banter flows as they interrupt each other, correct each other and crack up at each other’s expense. They said that the lack of infighting surprises some comedy team veterans, but they work together well and develop their sketches as a team.

If they keep on going they way they have been, it won’t be surprising to see them make their goal of a television show of their own.

The Shows and Videos

The Imponderables are flexible and can tailor their show to a G-rated audience or an R-rated one. Who knows? Maybe we can get them into the Nasty Show next year. Those tickets always sell very well.

Their videos are well planned and appeal to the general public, as well. Matt Hoos is the man behind the scenes that helps make the guys look as good as they do. Matt is no slouch in his department either. His biography shows that he directed HGTV’s “My Parent’s House,” and the pilot episode of “Living On-Line” for CanWest Global, as well as many short films and other TV projects.

All joking aside though, the guys do take their good fortune to heart. Not satisfied with just entertaining, they have taken steps to give back to the community by doing charitable work. Their most fun event to date was the Couchathon in 2008 – it even caught the eye of the Los Angeles Times.

How do you raise money for the children’s charities? You take four comedians, make them sit on a couch for as many hours as they can without falling asleep. You also place a swear jar and fart jar nearby for extra coinage. The guys modestly claimed raising over $5,000, but a look at the Couchathon site shows that as of July 10, 2009, they had raised over $10,000.

If you get a chance, check out The Imponderables. They’re performing tonight at Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival, the Mainline Theatre at 11:30 PM (3997 St. Laurent, Montreal) and again tomorrow, Saturday, at 10 P.M. at the Gala (Theatre St. Denis, 1594 St. Denis, Montreal) and again at 11:30 at the Mainline Theatre.
If you miss them, be sure to watch for their return. They’re well worth the wait.