Comedy on Elm Street: Mike Donovan, Chris Zito, more

Comedy returns to the Elm Draught House Cinema on Saturday, Sept. 23 with Mike Donovan, Chris Zito, Matt Barry and Joni Grassey. Showtime is at 9:30 and tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door.

Mike Donovan has long been one of the most creative and funniest headliners in the country. The South Boston native works the top clubs in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and has been featured on The NESN Comedy All-Stars, ESPN’s SportsCenter, Fox’s Best Damn Sports Show Period, and the Showtime network. He was featured in the documentary When Standup Stood Out. He’s also authored a series of American history books, available at Amazon.com and at the show.

Chris Zito has spent the last 34 years sharing observations with comedy fans and radio listeners all over the country. Known to many for his stint on a highly-rated morning show on WXLO in Worcester and 103.3 WODS in Boston, he has also been a mainstay of Boston comedy stages and also ventured into acting with a notable role in Larry David’s HBO film Clear History. Chris has provided comic relief to the JR in the Morning Show on WZOU in Boston, and to drive-time shows on Detroit and Springfield radio. Clean, funny, and upbeat, Zito delights audiences with his look at family, marriage, and how much childhood has changed.

Matt Barry has been a staple of the New England comedy scene for years, performing in clubs, theaters, bars, and apartments. In 2013 he was crowned “New England’s Best Bar Comic” and in 2015, he took third place in “Last Comix Standing,” a competition between 120 comedians at Mohegan Sun Casino. He’s appeared on SiriusXM Satellite Radio and has opened for national acts including Tom Green, Gilbert Gottfried, and Harland Williams.

Joni Grassey was a comedian in Las Vegas for more than 20 years, working at Catch a Rising Star, The Improv, The Comedy Stop and other top clubs.  She starred in the comedy review Funniest Females at O’Shea’s for a year, hosted at Caesar’s Magical Empire, and performed at many other fantastic events.  Las Vegas Review Journal entertainment critic Michael Paskevich called her, “a quality Vegas mainstay.” Back in her home state of Massachusetts, she’s appeared at the Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, NH, the Center for the Arts in Natick, and the Spire Center for the Performing Arts in Plymouth.