Frank O'Donnell

Great crowd tonight - close to 150 total count, and that's terrific. Took them a while to warm up - it wasn't until about halfway through that they really came to life. Go figure.

The contestants for Weeks 8 and 9 are listed to the left. If you think you should be on the list but you're not, get in touch ASAP so we can straighten that out.

I can't stress this enough: if you're on the show, you need to do EVERYTHING you can to promote the show. It's in everyone's best interest - both yours, mine and the club's.

But let's make it all about you. If you can show Jim you can draw a crowd, that's going to make you very marketable. And that's the business side of this business - being funny is only half the battle.

There are all sorts of ways to get the job done - sign up with an email service like this one (Constant Contact), use MySpace, just send out your own emails, make a poster at work, pass around the coupons at the bottom of this email.

Whatever it takes, you should be doing it. And the better you get at it, the more valuable a commodity you become.

As of this writing, the next three weeks are filled to capacity. The extra slots we opened up last week filled within 24 hours.

So, keep your eye out for any emails offering up last minute slots. That's your best - and last - chance to get to the semi-finals for this round.

HOUSEKEEPING

NO SHOWS: Certainly, we understand that sometimes, things come up at the last minute, and you can't be in the show as you planned. When that happens, please call me at 401.447.7589. If you can't get me, please call Jim Wright at 401.265.6164. If we don't answer, it's okay to leave a message - just so we know not to expect you.

YOUR CROWD: If you bring a big group, that's great. But we do expect you to help with crowd control. You can do this in two ways: in the room, during the show, which isn't always the best time; or before they even get to the show. Let them know the expectation that they need to be courteous to the other performers - which includes paying attention and not breaking into little discussion groups while the others are performing.

GETTING WORK: Some folks have been using Jim's number above to contact him about getting work at Catch beyond the contest. Please don't do that. Jim and I are in constant contact about the new folks who come through the door, and he does use the contest as a way to identify future opening acts. In fact, most of the openers lately on our weekend shows have been selected from the contests. Bottom line: don't call him, he'll call you.

	And the Week 7 Winners are...
COREY RODRIGUES & AMY PONTES Congratulations to both of them. COREY and AMY each received a check for $100, and will return for the semi-finals in May. More on that as the contest progresses.

TWO FOR ONE	SPREAD THE LAUGHTER! Send this coupon to as many people as you'd like. Make copies and hand them out at work. Have your friends make copies and pass them out at school. Pass them out. TWO FOR ONE admission to the *Catch A New Rising Star Competition* at Catch A Rising Star Comedy Club, inside Twin River in Lincoln, RI. Regular admission $10.
Coupon good Wednesday nights only, through April 30, 2008