When the lights went down on Mighty Real: A Comedy Night in November 2019, who knew it would be nearly three years before we’d return to the stage. What a ride the last couple of years have been and we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this 2022 production to life and to you.
Mighty Real: A Sketch Variety Show recalls ’90s-era comedy TV shows like In Living Color, All That, and Saturday Night Live, woven around a variety of performances of spoken word, song, and dance. Scripted with a team of Black and Brown queers, this show pulls back the curtain on life in a QTPOC world.
An annual live event of various themes, our fourth annual Mighty Real is Saturday, November 5 at PianoFight in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District.
Mighty Real by ItsQwere takes its name from the 1978 Billboard chart-topping hit “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” by Sylvester; the Black, flamboyant, San Francisco chanteuse whose unmatched acrobatic vocals made him an international music sensation and a queer icon still revered over 30 years after his passing.
“We’re bringing the spirit and worry-free energy of the song, and Sylvester himself, into each annual show,” says Tony Taylor, the event’s producer. “Whether it’s live music, stand-up comedy, author conversations, or a film screening — during those two hours, we want you to feel fully authentic and uninhibited.”
Black Voices In Conversation, last year’s virtual Mighty Real, featured readings by award-winning authors and poets, including Robert Jones, Jr., The New York Times bestselling author of The Prophets, Boston’s poet laureate Porsha Olayiwola (I Shimmer Sometimes, Too), and multi-hyphenate performance artist Brontez Purnell (100 Boyfriends).
Other annual events from Mighty Real include 2019’s A Comedy Night (San Francisco) and A Live Musiq Event (Los Angeles) from 2018.
In partnership with Manny’s Cafe in San Francisco, ItsQwere will host Back Outside Brunch: a Mighty Real Launch Party featuring DJ Fiveminusdeuce on Sunday, August 28, at 2 PM. Pre-sale tickets for Mighty Real: A Sketch Variety Show will be available on Eventbrite from August 1 through August 28. VIP packages and General Admission tickets are on sale on August 29.
“The arena of comedy hasn’t traditionally been a safe space for women, people of color, or the queer community,” says sketch writer Sampson McCormick, who previously performed at Mighty Real 2019 and emceed in 2021. “It’s long overdue that our community have more spaces to celebrate our experiences through laughter.”
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