Hey You Millionaires was a
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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based
sketch comedy trio composed of
James Asmus
James Asmus is a writer, actor and comedian known for his affiliation with such theaters as The Annoyance and the sketch group Hey You Millionaires, and for his work writing comic books such as '' Quantum and Woody'', ''Thief of Thieves'' and ''G ...
, John Bohan, and Jim Fath. Though all three members are originally from Cleveland, Ohio, the group formed in Chicago in 2004. They've appeared on the cover of Fortune Magazine, CNN.com, were twice voted "Best Sketch Group" in the "Best of Chicago" Chicago Reader Poll (2008 and 2009). As of 2011 the group is on indefinite hiatus.
History
James Asmus, John Bohan, and Jim Fath met as castmates of
Cabaret Dada
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or ...
in Cleveland in 2003. In 2004, all having moved to Chicago, they formed the group "The Leading Brand". The group's first effort, "The Unbearable Lightness of Death", was a sketch show molded into a narrative following the story of a terminally ill man named Charlie Peeler and those seemingly oblivious characters around him. It was eventually performed at the Apollo Theater in Chicago in the spring of 2005 and then again in the same space that fall.
After a brief hiatus the group resurfaced under the new name "Hey You Millionaires" (HYM). The name was taken from the first sketch of the pilot episode of late 1980s-early 1990s Canadian sketch comedy show ''
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1989 to 1995, on CBC, ...
''.
HYM's first performance was at
the Playground Theater in the winter of 2007 as part of their Graffiti sketch comedy showcase.
In 2007, the group gained notoriety when two self-produced videos were featured on Myspace, Funny or Die, and YouTube, along with a host of other online media outlets. Notable was "Crazy Hank". and "Catching the Gay"
In 2008 they performed at the Chicago Sketchfest to rave reviews and then secured a run at the
Annoyance Theatre
The Annoyance Theatre, or Annoyance Productions, is a theatre and associated ensemble based in Chicago, Illinois, that deals mainly in absurd and outrageous humor. Many people who have performed with the ensemble have gone on to become successf ...
.
In 2009 they were featured in a Fortune Magazine and on CNN.com article about how to find a job. The group was invited to appear at the
Just for Laughs comedy festival in Chicago. Appearing at
Bob Odenkirk's Best of Sketchfest.
In 2010 the group was again, invited to appear at the
Just for Laughs comedy festival in Chicago. They also toured various festivals and colleges. Their comedy short "Catching the Gay"
was selected to appear in the Copenhagen Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
As of 2011 the group has been on indefinite hiatus.
Appearances and Venues
2005
*Cleveland Black Box Theatre at Cabaret Dada, Cleveland Ohio
*Apollo Studio Theatre at the Apollo Theater Chicago IL
2007
*Lake Shore Theatre Chicago IL (As part of the Variety show Impress these Apes)
*The Cleveland House of Blues, Cleveland Ohio (Appeared with Last Call Cleveland)
*The Playground Theatre Chicago, IL (As part of Graffiti Sketch Comedy Showcase)
*The Playground Theatre Chicago, IL (In place of Don't Spit the water)
2008
*
Chicago Sketch Fest 2008
*
Annoyance Theatre
The Annoyance Theatre, or Annoyance Productions, is a theatre and associated ensemble based in Chicago, Illinois, that deals mainly in absurd and outrageous humor. Many people who have performed with the ensemble have gone on to become successf ...
Chicago, IL
*SketchFest NYC
*DC Comedy Fest
*SketchFest Seattle
2009
*
Chicago Sketch Fest 2009
*
Just For Laughs Comedy Festival Chicago
*Power House Pub, Cleveland, OH
*Curious Comedy Theater, Portland, OR
*Everett College, Everette, WA
*SketchFest Seattle, Seattle, WA
2010
*
Chicago Sketch Fest, Chicago, IL
*
The Improv
The Improv is a comedy club franchise. It was founded as a single venue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City in 1963, and expanded into a chain of venues in the late 1970s.
History
Originally, it was a single venue founded in 1 ...
, Hollywood, CA
*
I.O. West, Hollywood, CA
*
Just For Laughs Comedy Festival Chicago, IL
*Breen Center for the Performing Arts, Cleveland, OH
*Power House Pub, Cleveland, OH
*
I.O. Chicago, IL
*
Annoyance Theatre
The Annoyance Theatre, or Annoyance Productions, is a theatre and associated ensemble based in Chicago, Illinois, that deals mainly in absurd and outrageous humor. Many people who have performed with the ensemble have gone on to become successf ...
Chicago, IL
*Sketchfest Seattle, Seattle WA
*Curious Comedy Theater, Portland, OR
*Everett College, Everette, WA
*
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
Gay and Lesbian Film Festival "Catching the Gay"
Directors
* Sarah Haskins 2007-10
* Evan Makela 2006
References
External links
Official siteHey You Millionaires MySpace site
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American comedy troupes