“When he said that I was the winner, I did that beauty queen thing where you put your hands over your mouth and I didn’t cry but I felt a little bit tearful. Oh, that’s so lame. But I’m just so pleased!”
These were the words spoken by Marilla Wex last Thursday, as Gus & Guidos opened its doors to both boisterous laughter and drunken heckles by hosting the Brantford Comedy Festival’s Rising Star Competition.
The stakes were high because the winner of the competition was granted a spot in the upcoming Brantford Comedy Festival’s Saturday show, opening for heavyweight comedians Tom Green and Sean Cullen.
It was an extremely close competition with the British-born Wex only winning by one point. Going up against five other strong competitors, Wex wasn’t sure where she would place.
“It was very close, there was one point between me and the other guys so I’m pleased to be in really great company,” says Wex. “I am really blown away. I totally thought there were a couple of other comedians that were going to win.”
One of her competitors in particular, 17-year-old Mayce Galoni, won over Wex and the crowd over the course of the evening with his self-deprecating humor and fresh material.
“I honestly loved what Mayce did. He was my absolute favourite,” praises Wex. “I can’t believe he’s 17 and he has that material he has written himself. I totally thought he would win because he was incredible.”
While wonderkid Mayce Galoni didn’t win the Rising Star competition, he did tie for second place earning himself an opening spot for the comedy festival’s Friday night show. Galoni, along with other second place winner Mike Takacs, will open for Trevor Wilson, Mark DeBonis and Gilson Lubin on Sept. 23.
Now that Wex has just over a week to prepare for the upcoming Festival, it also means she will have a week to first feel nerves and then overcome them as she prepares material to open for some of Canadian comedy’s biggest names.
“I’m a bit intimidated. It’s interesting, terrifying, amazing, and I’m just blown away right now,” says Wex.
You can check out Marilla Wex next on Sept. 24 when she performs in her well-deserved opening spot for the Brantford Comedy Festival at the Sanderson Centre.
