FREE Comedy Show: Monday, Oct 25 at Long's Bar in Rotana Towers Hotel! One Night Only!

WHEN: Monday, October 25 · 8:30pm - 11:30pm

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WHERE: Longs Bar, Towers Rotana Hotel - Shaikh Zayed Road

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WHAT:

More Info Hello Dubomedians!!!

Dubomedy is back with a ONE NIGHT ONLY Exclusive Show that you DO NOT want to miss! Oh, and admission is FREE! Yes, FREE LOL!

Hosted by:
Jamil Abu-Wardeh - Producer of the Axis of Evil Tour Middle East

Opening Acts:
Lamya Tawfik - Funny Girls
Rohit Jayakaran - City 1016 FM

Headliners:
Ali Al Sayed- UAE Local Comedian Extraordinaire
Mina Liccione- Stomp, MTV, Funny Girls
With our very special international guest….
DAN NAINAN FROM THE RUSSEL PETERS TOUR!!!


Call us on 050 44 00 99 4 or LOL@vivadubai.com for more information!

IMPROV LANDED ME THE JOB by Xulf Ali

-IMPROV LANDED ME THE JOB- by Xulfiqar Ali

As I waited in the big corporate IT office, waiting impatiently, having gone to the Men’s room twice already, nervous wreck, knowing that this is the time to make it or break it. Anxiety got the best of me.

Having moved to Canada from Dubai, since May this year, I had done all sorts of odd jobs from Debt collections to Insurance sales. I knew this was my big break and for whatsoever reason I had to sell myself to the person interviewing me, this was the moment of truth. The night before, I had told myself looking in the mirror again and again “I SEE PRIDE, I SEE POWER, I SEE A BAD ASS MUTHA, WHO WON’T TAKE NOTHIN’ FROM NOBODY!!” till I realize it’s a movie scene from “Cool Runnings”. Funny how some stuff sticks with you forever.

Sitting in this big room in the reception area, waiting, the clock ticking goes louder and louder, I was shaking my right leg so fast I bet BEN JOHNSON would have been proud of me. Than my name is called. I walk in to a small conference room that looks like it was going under major renovation.

The interviewer was a nice person, he got me as comfortable as possible, great people management skills, than the IT related questions start. I have no idea about IT? I mean, I get super-super excited when I transfer pictures off my camera to my laptop! I knew the interview is going all downhill. Several questions were thrown at me, I felt like one of those circus shows where I was spinning on a board and the interviewer was throwing Knives at me, but the only difference was he was hitting me with the questions every time. Then I was asked, could you ROLE PLAY and try to sell me a Pen. At this point, I was so stressed and sweaty; I actually believe I felt some sweat from under my man boobs slide. I accepted.

I told myself, “Xulf it’s now or never if you are not going to get the job! At least walk out with a presence.” The Xulf then switched ON and it was time to go LOCOO BABYEEE!! I gave my pitch, he’d throw questions at me, I felt like a cricketer, every question was a six shot. When we finished, he was kind enough to walk me out to the reception area and while we walked he asked, “Do you do a lot of improv?” I hesitated and answered “Yes, as a matter a fact I did, use to go every Wednesday in Dubai. We had a fun group, we all knew what the other one would say and it was a lot of fun!” he looked up, smiled and said, “Yes, I could make that out, because you were thinking outside the box, I tried throwing some twisted questions and you pleasantly surprised me with your answers, I liked that you have the capabilities as such and it truly builds a person’s character.” I smiled and walked to my car thinking hell, if I did not get the job I sure kicked butt at the Role play.

After a long drive back filled with contemplation I arrived home to find an offer letter in my inbox from the big corporate IT Company! And the rest they say is history….

DUBOMEDY FESTIVAL: Call for artist submissions

The First Annual Dubomedy International Performing Arts Festival will take place November 9-13, 2010 at numerous venues in Dubai.

We are currently accepting submissions from Local Musicians, Bands, Dance troupes, Theater troupes, Poets to be considered for performance slots in our First Annual Dubomedy International Performing Arts Festival. Space is very limited as we only have a few slots still open so please send us your proposal right away. Theater Pieces must be no longer than 10-15 minutes. Number of songs for Bands and Musicians will be determined individually. Dance Pieces must not exceed 10 minutes.

What should your proposal include?

*Contact information
*Description of proposed performance- including length, number of performers, technical needs
*Artist, Band or Troupe Bio
*Videos and photos
*Your script (if applicable)

When should you send your proposals?

All materials must be received BEFORE October 7, 2010 for consideration. Please send them to LOL@vivadubai.com.

What will the Festival entail?

The Dubomedy International Performing Arts Festival's goal is to unite and celebrate the diversity of the arts with the many cultural communities of the region all while having a great time. This Festival is unique in that it will feature an array of different genres of performing artists from talented local bands, dancers, theatre, poets, hip hop artists, actors, to international comedians and musicians, to everything in between. The performances will range from student showings to international professionals. This event will infuse nonstop performances with a series of free workshops in both English and Arabic over a 5 day period.

Full Festival Line-Up will be coming your way very soon! Hold onto your seats Dubai!

Student Spotlight: Angela Boshoff Hundal

Angela Boshoff Hundal is a Dubai-based writer who used to laugh at her own jokes. (Alone. In the kitchen.) But now – thanks to Dubomedy Arts’ Comedy 101 classes – she can make other people laugh too! She tells us how….

The Tom and Jerry experience

My first intense and conscious appreciation of something making me laugh out loud was when I was four-years old. I was sitting on the dirty cream carpet of my mother's bedroom wearing a worn out Superman outfit, eating Rice Krispies from a giant ceramic bowl balanced precariously on my knees and watching Tom and Jerry. And then I laughed out loud and thought, "Tom and Jerry is funny! I want to make people laugh like that!"

Of course this animated realisation didn't result in me transforming into a line illustration that runs really fast and escapes death by a cat’s hair. What it did do, however, was inspire me to bring all the garden furniture into the house, set it up around the lounge table and charge my family – who is dangerously hilarious – two Rand each (the Rand is South Africa’s currency and is equal to about one Dirham) to come and watch "my show". (Think me in a Minnie Mouse dress, bows clipped in hair and cheesy 80s Kylie Minogue beats as background music.)

After that, real life set in. You know; being kicked out of kindergarten (don't ask), learning to read, first crushes, school books, making friends, high school, making more friends, all-girl squabbles on the school field and all other manner of good things.

Twenty three years later and with no lounge tables that might support my weight in sight, I decided to find a real stage and subject people other than my family to my performances.

Find the funny!

Enter Dubomedy Arts’ Comedy 101 classes and my first foray onto a real stage. The classes run for 9 weeks and this is how they work: You laugh. You learn amazing brain-boosting improvisation games (like the games they play on Whose Line Is It Anyway?). You laugh some more. You learn super effective writing and listing techniques. You laugh some more. You write and rehearse for a stand up piece. You laugh some more. You do a final show. You laugh a lot. And then you want to do it all again!

Mina Liccione (professional comedian and stomp veteran) and Ali Al Sayed (professional comedian and producer) run and teach the classes and are really amazing at bringing the funny out of you and into the open. And before you say something silly like, “Oh, I’m not that funny. I think I’d better sign up for palaeontology lessons”, listen up! Mina believes it’s not about learning how to be funny; it’s learning how to see the funny in life and then share that with your audience. Or your gran. Or your weird neighbour. The next thing you know you’ll be rocking on stage with Mr. Rock! True story! The classes are good. You should sign up now!

What’s my flavour?

So, I’ve finished the Comedy 101 classes (which I plan to do again) and done my first five minutes of stand up (which the crowd actually laughed at!). Now that I’m famous and everything (ahem), people have started asking me whether I prefer stand up or improv. That’s kind of like asking me to choose between lemon meringue pie and double chocolate cheesecake.

To be honest, the ideal thing would be to have a slice of both but because I’m new to the comedy game I’d like to feed on stand up for a while. I’m a writer by profession, so I really enjoyed compiling and writing the stand up monologue during the Comedy 101 classes. You see, I thought that stand up was just about standing up and winging it in front of an audience. While some of the more famous comedians might be able to pull that off sometimes, stand up is actually really well planned and rehearsed. Of course performing my monologue and getting laughs was the icing on the cake! (Oh by the way, if writing makes you cringe, don’t be put off! Mina will help you whip up some chair-wetting stand up material before you can say alakazam!)

The best thing about stand up is the laughs! Hearing people you don’t know laugh at your jokes is addictive. In fact, hearing people you know laugh at your jokes is addictive too. (Even if the latter is laughing because you paid them to!) The worst thing about stand up is thinking you’re going to forget your monologue or blank on stage although I hear that’s normal, especially for your first show. To be honest, during the last two weeks leading up to the performance, I felt ill (literally) at the thought of having to perform on stage in front of 150 people. But when I got up there it was absolutely fine. It’s sort of like my brain and body took over. I had so much fun on stage, which is really the point of getting up there in the first place.

Join me!

If you’re contemplating taking the Comedy 101 classes but are procrastinating - don’t. The fact that you’re even thinking about it probably means you’ve already got a sense of humour. So just sign up! Whether your humour leans more towards the on-the-fly or the pre-meditated, Mina will help you find a comedy slant that suits you. Fo’ shizzle! And if it’s nerves that are holding you back, just remember that Jim Carrey still pukes before every live performance – and the whole world knows about it! Now that’s always going to be much more embarrassing than anything you’re ever going to do! So, see you on stage!

For a list of Dubomedy Arts’ classes (and they have many!) log onto Facebook and search for ‘Dubomedy Arts’ or go to www.dubomedyarts.wordpress.com. Or call Ali on 050 44 00 99 4.

* No animals were harmed during the writing of this piece.

New Year at a Glance!

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: What started as LOL! Comedy Institute almost 3 years ago quickly branched into Dance Out Loud! Tap and Body Beats then Circus Skills and now Writing, Film Workshop, Coaching & Casting Program as well as Musical Theater & Comedy. In order to keep all of our growth under one roof we are officially launching our new name: “Dubomedy Arts School” to best define our much broader creative landscape.

OPEN REGISTRATION DATES FOR ALL FALL CLASSES: Saturday, September 4th from 2-3pm and Wednesday, September 8th from 8-9pm in the DUCTAC Lobby at Mall of the Emirates. Please send us an email to LOL@vivadubai.com for more details or questions.

NEW SITE: www.dubomedyarts.wordpress.com

DUBOMEDY ARTS SCHOOL CALENDAR 2010-2011 : A Year at a glance…..

Each Session will introduce new and unique classes to ensure our community gets a well rounded arts education! These new classes will be co-taught by a team of professional artists to ensure diverse artistic perspectives and techniques.

September- November: Fall Session 1

Comedy 101, Improv, NYC Tap & Body Beats Levels I, II and III, LOL! Kids.

*Please note change: Wednesday Night Improv will begin on September 22 (not Sept. 15) and the timing is 7:15-9:00pm.

New classes- “From the Page to the Stage”: Writing and Performance.

Circus Skills warm up has been added to our Wednesday Night Improv Class

November: First Annual Dubomedy International Performing Arts Festival!

December: Winter Film Workshop! 3 sides to Film in a 1 Week Workshop: Acting for Film, Directing for Film & Indie Film Production taught by a San Francisco based Independent and Documentary Film maker, director, screen writer, producer and Professor of Film Studies at both Laney College and City College of San Francisco.

January- March: Winter Session 2

Comedy 101, NYC Tap Dance & Body Beats Levels I,II and III, Writing and Performance, LOL! Kids . New classes-

MUSICAL THEATER & COMEDY Level I: co-taught by a team of international professional artists ranging from singing coach to choreographer to musicians to Broadway veteran to song writers.

ARABIC COMEDY! :This exciting new course will cater to the Arab Speaking Community.

March: Teacher Appreciation Day!

A full FREE day of cross training, professional development and a panel discussion for Arts Educators in the UAE.

April-June: Spring Session 3

New Classes- TBA

July: Summer Session 4

LOL! Kids Circus & Magic Camp

Adult Improv Jam Retreat!

KAYA JONES: Nothing Fake about this Doll

KAYA JONES: Nothing Fake about this Doll!
By Mina Liccione

On June 26th, 2010 VIVArts, in collaboration with Dubomedy, brought former Pussycat Doll Kaya Jones to Dubai for her first Middle Eastern appearance. Kaya was tightly scheduled with a slew of press events promoting her concert though made the time to pass by the Dubai Community Theater to say hello to the hundreds of young aspiring dancers attending Sharmila Kamte’s Annual Summer Dance Camp where I was on board as one of the guest teachers. I must admit that I was expecting an over the top, full of attitude woman to walk in. I was greatly mistaken. She was very generous, honest, positive and patient with the young dancers as they shouted out their many questions and insisted that she sang something for them. At one point her Road Manager gave her the “wrap it up” gesture and she insisted that she stay an extra 10 minutes to ensure that the kids had a chance to have their questions answered. She didn’t fake her way through anything, but rather an open book refraining from magazine cover answers. She talked about the audition process, rejection, determination, the down side to fame, the importance of remaining grateful and not letting your ego take over. One young girl even said “Wow, you are so nice for a celebrity!” She wasn’t just nice, she was REAL! Kaya was humbled by the responsive energy and continued to talk about the experience for the rest of the night. Even as we laughed and chatted after her late night performance she brought up how much it meant to her to have the chance to share advice to young artists again. She was inspired to continue her work with the youth when she returned to the United States.

I have grown up with the American media glamorizing the rich and famous for their party life, plastic surgery and extravagant shopping. We live in a day and age where Paris Hilton is on more magazine covers than Obama. Lady Gaga’s outfits and Lindsey Lohan’s stint in jail gets more press than the strife in Palestine. It is refreshing to meet a celebrity who not only talks about helping but actually does so. I am honored to now call Kaya my friend and wanted to glamorize the positive side of fame as it often gets it’s thunder stolen by celebrity DUI’s, sex tapes and affairs. This interview with Kaya focuses on a much different way of celebrity life.

Mina: What advice would you give to aspiring young artists?

Kaya: Follow your dreams. Don't let anyone say you can't. It's your dream so no one is gonna see it for you, you have to make your dream come true. And remember this if nothing else, you are special. No one can do you better then you. So be yourself, don't try to be anything you’re not. You are perfect the way God made you.

Mina: As a professional artist you not only need to stay physically fit but also mentally and spiritually. Your line of business is quite stressful. What do you do to keep yourself healthy, balanced and positive?

Kaya: I pray and read the Bible. I also am very connected to my spirit which is connected to the Lord. That helps me spiritually. Mentally I love to write or paint. And physically I like to work out with my trainer or run. But swimming or Bikram yoga are my favs.

Mina: You are known to do a lot of charity work. Which causes are close to your heart and why?

Kaya: The causes close to my heart are, Teachh, which is a charity for Autism. I will be doing a performance August 12th in North Carolina for the first annual benefit. Also working and performing for the American troops. I went to Iraq and Kuwait which was an amazing experience. I will also be going to a local hospital in Denver to play cards, read and hang out with injured soldiers. I also am involved with Project Smile, it helps children born with cleft lips from all over the world get the proper medical care to make sure their surgeries are free and taken care of without any worries. I am also very avid about A21 and Not for sale. Both are causes helping to stop human trafficking. Which is harming and hurting both men, women, and children. This has got to stop.

Mina: How did you first get involved with charity work? How has this type of relief work affected you as an artist and as a person?

Kaya: I was raised in Jamaica. My mother is Jamaican and I remember going with my God mother who was adopted to the orphanage in Jamaica to help with basic needs for the children. Those children became my friends. They helped me I think more then I helped them. They gave me the awareness to know how fortunate I was and that I could do more for my community.

Mina: You’ve recently performed in the Middle East for the first time. What was your experience like? Were audiences different here?

Kaya: It was amazing! I truly had a wonderful time in the Middle East. I think that the human spirit is the same. The audiences weren't different at all. I think when we as humans can see that we all enjoy, food, love, dance, music, family, in every culture we are not all that different.

Mina: What’s next on your agenda and how can your fans best stay in the “Kaya loop”?

Kaya: I am getting ready to head to Los Angeles to film my music video with DJ Regi our song is called "Take it off". The album is #1 right now in Belgium and slowly entering the charts in Europe. I am also still performing and recording nonstop. The best way to keep up to date with me is through my Myspace, Facebook, or Twitter. I answer all emails from my fans personally. Can't wait until I am back in the Middle East performing again for you all. It was truly an honor.

www.MySpace.com/KayaJonesMusic
www.Facebook.com/KayaJones
www.Twitter.com/KayaJones

"Clowns Who Care" by Sabina Giado

"CLOWNS WHO CARE" By Sabina Giado
ILLUME Magazine
August 8, 2010


The Clowns Who Care, Mina Liccione and Ali Al Sayed, recently brought their unique brand of humor to the Special Families Support, a support group in Dubai for children with special needs and their family, and Senses, a residential care facility for children with special needs.

Italian American Mina Liccione is the director of Dubomedy Arts, a collective of performance artists based in Dubai. Her business partner in Dubomedy Arts is Ali Al Sayed, an Emirati and the chief executive officer of parent events company Viva Arts.

The two dress up as clowns Charlene Chaplin and Rusty Keaton and perform a comedy and tap dance routine to get their audience laughing and comfortable with their presence. Then comes the fun part – there is music, singing and/or dancing to get the juices flowing and keep the laughter ringing. Their act ends with a group circle where each member of the audience places themselves in the spotlight for a moment and shares something personal.

The experience proves moving for both the performers and the spectators. “We are moved to tears every time by the amount of love and appreciation the families, staff and children always have towards us,” say Liccione and Al Sayed.

Liccione, a native of Rochester in New York, comes from a professional and educational background in dance, clowning and theater arts. She came to Dubai as part of the Arts Festival during the Dubai Summer Surprises. Noticing that her Solo Comedy, Song & Tap Dance Show was not working as well as she’d hoped, she decided to rework the routine, localizing jokes, changing songs and adding more interaction. The performance hit the bulls-eye with her audience, and Liccione was now loath to leave. She decided to extend her stay and taught a series of comedy workshops for children and adults.

Liccione and her business partner Al Sayed met through a mutual friend and soon found that they shared the same passion for creating a sustainable community of performance artists in the United Arab Emirates. The two founded Dubomedy Arts on April 1, 2008.

Liccione’s parents were at first filled with trepidation at her decision to stay in the Middle East.
“My parents are a product of American media... Many of our neighbors have sons in Iraq and here I was moving to the Middle East armed with clown noses and tap shoes.”

But Liccione soon convinced her parents that being in Dubai gave her work a meaning she had not found elsewhere. “Sometimes artists need to go where the art isn’t and use their talents and passions to help build a community rather than simply taking from it".

Liccione and Al Sayed’s plans for expanding the Clowns Who Care project extend within the city and beyond. They aim to train more clowns, build a database of committed volunteers and organizations, and ultimately, become regulars at care facilities and hospitals. The benefits of regular visits will be exponential, say the pair, “Visiting once will bring joy to them but becoming a regular part of their lives will benefit them much, much more.”

Their dream of bringing their show to Palestine is about to become a reality in September with the help of on-the-ground relief organizations. “We have connected with the Ziara Group, The Palestinian Circus School, Maysoon’s Kids as well as other relief organizations to see how we could best help.” Their work in Palestine is due to include special training for teachers as well, i.e. “a specifically designed training program for teachers and educators to further develop their own skills.”