New Orleans, it’s your turn now. Stay tuned.

OPENING NIGHT Wednesday November 7th Joey Greco DC Pierson Cameron Buchholtz Andrew Polk

NIGHT #2

Thursday November 8th Duncan Trussell Cassidy Henehan Scotland...]]> HELL YES FEST FILM
Tuesday November 6th
The Time-Raptor
Studio 8 Retrospective

OPENING NIGHT
Wednesday November 7th
Joey Greco
DC Pierson
Cameron Buchholtz
Andrew Polk

NIGHT #2

Thursday November 8th
Duncan Trussell
Cassidy Henehan
Scotland Green
Personality Plus
The Language
Handbomb

NIGHT #3
Friday November 9th
Theo Von
The Austin, Tx Invasion
The Friday 40
Dave Holmes
Kath Barbadoro
Nick Mullen
Scott Gimple
Nola Musical Improv
Stupid Time Machine
Claws With Fangs
Nola Comedy Hour
Andrew Healan
Mickey Henehan
Sophie Johnson
Shipwrecked!
Water Park
Dean’s List
Checkbook
Blink
Rob Gagnon
Matt Wayman
Duncan Carson
Joe Hafkey
Liv Augusta
Christina Parrish

NIGHT #4
Saturday November 10th
iO West All-Stars
Rory Scovel
Sean Patton
Adam Cayton-Holland
Leon Blanda
Theo Von
JT Habersaat
Altercation Punk Comedy Hour
Chris Trew
Matt Ingebretson
Jake Weisman
Shawn Dugas
Mike Wiebe
Joe Staats
The Green Team
Mack Lindsay
Richmond Comedy Coalition
Amy Anderson
Cyrus Cooper
Joe Cardosi
Addy Najera
Snow Cobra
Disco Box
Machine A
You Don’t Know the Half of It
Art Camp

Thanks to the following eateries for feeding our talented performers.

Stein’s Deli 2207 Magazine...]]> We want to thank all the local love and support we’ve gotten in the form of food donations throughout the festival!

Thanks to the following eateries for feeding our talented performers.

Stein’s Deli
2207 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70130

The Joint
701 Mazant Street New Orleans, LA 70117

Naked Pizza
6307 S. Miro New Orleans, LA 70125

Milk Bar
1514 Delachaise Street New Orleans, LA 70115

Mona’s Cafe
504 Frenchmen Street New Orleans, LA

Let’s dig a little deeper and see what that is all about!

Jesse: Hey...]]> This Year Hell Yes Fest features 2 Musical Improv Groups including the Austin based sensation known as Water Park.

Let’s dig a little deeper and see what that is all about!

Jesse: Hey Justin Strackany. You are in the musical improv group Water Park! This is Jesse Spots, associate producer of Hell Yes Fest in New Orleans. I’m being overly formal here because I am shanghaiing you into an interview. Let’s jump right into it!

Justin: OK.

Q: Musical improv looks extremely fun to those like me who have no rhtythm. Did you learn anything new about yourself when you introduced music into the comedy mix? Do you have a background in music?

Justin: The thing I love about music is it defies explanation and logic. There is a visceral response that happens when someone is impacted by music that happens at the neurochemical level. I love introducing music because it can allow people to feel sadness, joy, elation, without needing to even hear the lyrics or “get” the joke. I think it adds another layer to the audience experience. As for what I learned about myself: I think I learned that I truly need to bring an aspect of truth into every performance. As a comedian, sometimes I mask my true feelings for the sake of the joke, or to create the game. As a singer, if you’re singing a ballad about loss, or finding your purpose, or anything at all, if you’re not singing from a place of truth, the audience knows. Having that recommitment to authenticity has had a positive impact on every scene I’ve done.

I also like that musical improv teaches us to quickly get to the emotional core of a scene, because if we don’t care about it, why sing about it? I spend a lot less time on the periphery of a scene these days, because I am trying to quickly drive it to a place of emotional truth.

I do have a background in music. I was in choir for 8 years, sang professionally on cruise ships, have written jazz and choral arrangements, and have played in bands and solo projects since I was a teenager.

Q: Masking your feelings? I just want to relate to you and say I think there’s something to that, from what I’ve seen at comedy shows. I notice a lot of jokesters have difficulty showing any kind of vulnerability. I struggled for a long time with this as a performer and to this day I will hide behind a tough character if I feel exposed. Or conflict scenes. Would you suggest musical improv as a way for someone like myself to challenge myself?

Justin: Yes! This is why I think some really amazing comedians are terrified at the thought of doing musical improv. Music is a very personal experience. Many of our highest highs and lowest lows are marked by songs that left an imprint of those moments. To sing at the top of your lungs is to transport the audience to those moments in their lives, and also to visit those moments oneself. Case in point: if I were to ask you to sing a song that reminds me of someone you care about, would you do it? If not, would it be because you were afraid of letting me see that side of you? If the answer is yes, then this represents that opportunity that musical improv affords you.

Q: What are some ways Water Park has been challenging themselves as a group?

Justin: Water Park is currently trying to figure out what it wants to be when it grows up. We first started doing “close quarters” shows, where the scenes were related by environment, but had more of a montage feeling. Next, we’ve been working a lot of doing more narrative work — creating heroes and antagonists, calling them to action, and giving the audience someone to root for. Next up: we want to invent some new forms that incorporate music and blur the lines between a rock show and improv show. We’d like to work with some live bands. We’d like to record a CD this year. We’d like to tour high schools & colleges to work with choral and theater departments. 2013 is gonna rock for Water Park!

Jesse: And 2012 doesn’t seem all that bad either! I’ve heard so many wonderful things from folks in Austin about Water Park. You must be opening up and sharing your hearts there in Texas. Justin I want to thank you for taking the trip and bringing your special brand of improv down here to the Marigny. We can’t wait for this special night!

I will totally sing a song to you about someone I care about. In a room with no windows. Also no cameras. And we’re inside a vacuum. And we’re floating in space because the world has blown up. And… no I’m kidding. You’ve convinced me. I’ve got to let my feelings out and be me!!!

Justin: You can do it! I’m excited to meet the real Jesse Spots!

Water Park is playing Friday November 9th at the Shadowbox Theater. 7:30pm Buy tickets below.

Buy Tickets for Water Park

New Orleans based Treats! Musical Improv will also be playing Friday night at 10:30 at the Shadowbox Theater.

Buy Tickets for Treats! NOLA Musical Improv

Michael Domangue is the newest addition to the Hell Yes team. Everyone is real excited about the work he’s been doing on the film portion of the festival. So we had Mike Breese catch...]]>

Michael Domangue is the newest addition to the Hell Yes team. Everyone is real excited about the work he’s been doing on the film portion of the festival. So we had Mike Breese catch up with him for a brief interview.

What are you putting together for Hell Yes Fest this year?

My official title is basically Film Coordinator for the HYF comedy film festival. My job responsibility this year is putting on the film screening that’s taking place this year.

How did you come up with the idea for a film portion for HYF?

It really came to me around January I had applied for a job at a film festival in Austin and I ended up not getting that job basically due to experience. And I had worked with a number of festivals at the time I had started one at the UT and so I thought the best way to get that necessary experience and take the next step was to go ahead and start one. Knowing that I had already been part of the TNM family their comedy festivals, I thought the best way to create something would be to add on to that existing greatness that was HYF and see if we can’t add film to that live festival.

What previous projects in the same vein have you worked on?

I’ve launched the Texas Union Festival in 2010 and it’s now entering it’s fourth year in the spring. I’ve also worked with SXSW in a number of roles for four years.

What can we look forward to for this year’s Hell Yes Film Festival?

The really big thing I’m excited to talk about is Time Raptor. That’s a short written and directed by Jonathan Evans co-written by Jared Gore, both New Movement performers. It’s in that dark comedy vein and we’re just really excited to be able to have it’s world premiere at HYF.

We’re also excited because one of the things we’re starting this year and hope to continue in future years is taking a retrospective look at great comedy teams or groups or institutions. In this case the first year we’ll be taking a look back at Studio 8 who helped found TNM/HYF. The these amazing part of this is looking at this partnership and see how it developed over the years.

What are you looking for in terms of contributions to this film festival?

Comedy, unlike drama comes in many different formats from 5-15 minute shorts or pilots all the way up to features. Comedy doesn’t fit into the shorts or features at a lot of film festivals. We’re going to make sure all the different styles of comedy can co-exist in this film festival.

What goals do you have for the future?

My ultimate goal for HYF is to have a major live component and major film component and have these two things work to the benefit of each other. If you look at SXSW the film/music/interactive all work to support eachother. HYF shouldn’t be overwhelming one or the other, but should be two extensions so that a filmmaker who brings a film could potentially meet a comedian who does a standup set and end up doing a movie together. I want us to be the great festival where great comedy is born there and you see it on the big screen next year.

What events are you looking forward to for this year’s HYF?

Christian Finnegan, really looking forward to him. I believe we’re doing a live podcast or two. There’s a lot of standups I have gotten to develop relationships over the years that are performing and I’m really excited about that.

What are some of your favorite comedy films?

Definitely an old school fan of Mel Brooks. Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles such an amazing comedy. Some of the more innovative ones I’ve seen recently like Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture. I do think comedy is so versatile you can put it in other genres. Look at a movie like Ghostbusters which is has so many different elements other than just being a comedy.

You can follow Michael at @MDomangue on Twitter.

They’ll be assisting us with Public Relations and they’ll be assisting you, comedy fans by helping make sure this year’s festival is...]]> We’re pleased to announce a partnership with Aline Productions for this year’s big event!

They’ll be assisting us with Public Relations and they’ll be assisting you, comedy fans by helping make sure this year’s festival is the biggest comedy thing to happen in this beautiful city in forever.

Get excited. (We are)