Comedy Event Supports PBHA

Comedy for a Cause—an annual production sponsored by the Harvard College Concert Commission—raised laughs as well as funding for the Phillips Brooks House Association in Sanders Theatre on Saturday night.

This year’s show featured comedians Jessica Kirson, Arnie Ellis, Alex Barnett, and Harrison R. Greenbaum ’08, who entertained an audience with their pro bono performances.

In past years, the show has raised money for organizations such as the Earthquake Relief Coalition and Room to Read, which provides educational opportunities to girls in the developing world. This year, however, the Concert Commission wanted to keep the cause “close to home,” according to director Synne D. Chapman '11, and so decided to give all the proceeds of the event to PBHA.

Greenbaum said that he greatly enjoyed performing for the Harvard audience, describing them as extremely positive and enthusiastic.

“As a comedian, you can tell in the first few seconds,” Greenbaum said, later adding “you couldn’t ask for a better, nicer audience.”

As a graduate of the College, Greenbaum said he was excited to be performing on the same stage upon which he watched professors lecture.

“It was like coming back home,” he said.

Greenbaum said he also appreciated the service aspect of his performance and said he enjoys the opportunity to give back whenever he can with his performances. In the past, Greenbaum has participated in and held shows for causes such as Comedy Cures, and he plans to participate in an upcoming event called Wounded Warriors Project.

Chapman, who is also a Crimson magazine editor, said that overall she was pleased with the event and the audience’s response. The comedians were “a pleasure to work with—nothing but polite and hilarious,” she said.

While Chapman said she was disappointed with the attendance, which was lower than last year’s, she attributed the drop to the three day weekend and said she was pleased with the reactions of those who attended.

Comedy for a Cause is one of two major events held by the Concert Commission every year. The second event, Yardfest, takes place in the spring and has featured artists including Wu-Tang Clan, Busta Rhymes, and Kid Cudi in past years.