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the tinley junction | February 14, 2019 | 3
Local comedians raise money for Knights of Columbus
Mary Compton
Freelance Reporter
For residents who attended the
annual Knights of Columbus comedy
show Saturday, Feb. 9 at St.
George in Tinley Park, the laughs
didn’t stop.
As of 17 years ago, Bill Brady
from Tinley Park has not only
helped organize the comedy show
by booking the acts, he also has
been a comedian himself for years.
“It’s a great thing” Brady said.
“I do a lot of these shows. I’m
honored to be helping the Knights
of Columbus with this show. Tonight
was a sold-out show. To get
talent like we had tonight that they
would come in and perform in a
basement of a church, these guys
really wanted to help out.”
Brady, who owned the Barrel
of Laughs comedy club in Oak
Lawn, has worked with some of
the top comedians in the business.
Both performers who took to the
stage at St. George, comedians
Brian Hicks from Mokena and
Rocky LaPorte from Frankfort,
performed at Brady’s club before
its closing in 2010.
Raised in the southside of Chicago,
LaPorte was always the
class clown.
“The teachers would send me in
the hall and I would think of more
jokes to say when I came back
in the classroom” LaPorte said.
“I knew when I got the teachers
laughing I wasn’t a nitwit. I was
always getting in trouble making
people laugh when I was growing
up.”
During his career of driving a
truck, a woman asked if he ever
thought of doing comedy full time.
“It was an epiphany moment”
said LaPorte. “That week, I went
to an open mic, went up onstage
and was a hit. That was in February
of 1988, by October I quit my
day job. I told myself I’m going to
jump in, I can always go back to
driving a truck. It was a big leap
but I’m glad I took it.”
Tim Allen saw LaPorte on the
“Tonight Show” and brought
him on to play in his movie “The
Shaggy Dog.” He also visited Iraq
with Drew Carey and did standup
comedy for the troops. The
trip became a Showtime movie
called “Patriot Act,” which aired
on Showtime. Getting a standing
ovation on the “Tonight Show”
with Jay Leno has been the highlight
of his career.
“I was one of the few comedians
that got a standing ovation” said
LaPorte. “A few years ago I was
on the “Last Comic Standing.” I
made it to the Top 5 and we did
a three-month tour all over the
country. I also do a lot of corporate
shows.”
In 2016, LaPorte also did a
show in front of the Cleveland Indians
baseball team.
Helping bring comedy to raise
funds for the Council 4698 Father
CC Boyle Knights of Columbus
are brother-in-laws Ed Utsch and
Don Clark both from Tinley Park.
Besides being members of the
Knights of Columbus, they are
both the event coordinators for the
comedy show.
“Our first year for the comedy
show fundraiser was in 2003,”
Clark said. “We wanted to have
something for the community to
have a light spirited night.”
The night included not only the
comedy show but dinner along
with beverages.
“Our Knights of Columbus,
which is Father CC Boyle Council
involves five parishes; St. Elizabeth
Seton, St. Stephens Deacon
of Martyr, St. Damian, St. George
and St. Julie Billiart,” said Clark.
“We sponsor their SPRED programs
and we give to charity.”
“Without Bill Brady, this would
not happen” Utsch added. “Every
year he pulls something better. It
has grown so much over the years.
This is our biggest night tonight,
we’re sold out.”
While the jokes continued,
Utsch and Clark said they were
happy the comedians gave their
all for the show.
“What a better way for charity
to spend your time laughing,” said
Hicks.
Hicks spends 46 weeks a year
Comedian Rocky LaPorte from Frankfort performs at St. George Church in Tinley Park for the Knights of
Columbus Comedy Show Saturday, Feb. 9. He was the headliner for the comedy show and has appeared on
“Second City,” “Last Comedian Standing” and the “Tonight Show.” Photos by Mary Compton/22nd Century
Media
A crowd at St. George Church in Tinley Park enjoys the comedy show on Saturday, Feb. 9. The annual show
raised funds for the Knights of Columbus.
traveling for his comedy acts.
Most recently, he was traveling
with Michael Carbonaro and the
show “The Carbonaro Effect.”
The St. George show was special
for Hicks, as well.
“I do a lot of charity including
Together We Cope in Tinley Park.
I do their annual event every year.
Any time you can make people
laugh and raise funds, I would do
this all the time,” Hicks said.