The Comic Strippers will return "home" to the Evergreen Cultural Centre this week, a venue they say has always been a good fit for their improv show.
"It goes so well in Coquitlam," leader Roman Danylo said, noting their half dozen performances over the past two years have sold out. "It's the closest thing we have to a home base."
The boys better known as Danylo, Ken Lawson, Chris Casillan, Pearce Visser, Michael Teigen and David Milchard have revived their hilarious act for another season, touring Canada and the U.S. for about 30 gigs this spring and another 30 in the fall.
Coquitlam is a stop for both tours and it will be the only summer gig for the Strippers, on July 18.
For Saturday's rendition, Danylo promises an "epic" production that will include a new Chip: up-and-comer Andrew Barber, who recently appeared on CBC-TV's This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Other than the additional cast member, Danylo said the show will follow the same concept in the past though, because it's improv, with different content.
"We'll be consistently dancing like idiots and we're still shirtless and all named Chip. The standards are the same."
Recently, the Strippers have been experimenting with new themes to jazz up their routine, he said: shower and weird lap dance scenes or using a Chip as a stripper pole, for example.
Whatever the concept, the props must be easy to carry for touring. "It all has to fit into one duffel bag. If it doesn't then it doesn't go in the show," he said.
The Coquitlam audience, he vows, "will have a super, good time. It's the last party of the century. No shirts, no script, no problem. That's my sound bite"
As for the Roman Improv Games that Danylo filmed at the Evergreen Cultural Centre earlier this year with Milchard (Convos With My 2 Year Old), it's still in the editing stage; however, he expects to have it on a YouTube channel in the next few weeks.
Danylo also hopes the pilot program will gain traction at the Banff World Media Festival next month in Alberta, with the help of Milchard's online connections.
Tickets for the Comic Strippers on Saturday, May 16 are $35/$30/$15. Call the box office at 604-927-6555 or visit evergreenculturalcentre.ca.
