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Date: 4/19/2022
SPRINGFIELD – The Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club (PVRC) is hosting a charitable comedy show on April 30 at 8 p.m. The event will take place at the CityStage on 150 Bridge St., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
The show, which is entitled “Revelry: A Funny Raising Comedy Show,” will feature comedians Timothy Lovett, Kevin Lee and Liz Barrett with the Jess Miller Comedy Show. Tickets for the 21-plus show are $30 and will be sold at www.jessmillercomedy.com/event/pvrc430/. All proceeds will benefit the PVRC, according to PVRC Executive Director Ben Quick.
Quick shared that PVRC is gaining traction in the aftermath of the pandemic, with the organization maxing out occupancy for its middle school rowing program and adding more members to their “robust” high school program. While the organization’s memberships lag in some facets of their pre-pandemic numbers, Quick expressed optimism about the PVRC’s current trajectory.
“I had 70 kids in my afterschool rowing program before the pandemic. We will probably reach 50 kids this spring, but that bodes well. Our challenge now is just to give [participants] a very positive experience,” said Quick.
The PVRC executive director also explained that rowing continues to represent an apt activity for people looking to experiment with different sports.
“People have been couped up. They are looking for something to do. Rowing is such a great sport for someone who is curious and interested in trying something new,” said Quick.
Looking ahead to Revelry, Quick said the light-hearted show serves as an annual spring fundraiser for PVRC, occurring right before the start of the club’s busy summer season. The fundraiser initially took place at the PVRC’s boathouse but has since moved to CityStage due to the event’s popularity.
The new setting also allows PVRC spotlight comedic performances, selling out a similarly-themed show in 2020 before the pandemic led to its cancellation. “[Revelry] is a second pass at an idea that we were in love with two years ago. We think now is the right time,” said Quick, who shared that comedy serves as a wide-ranging canvas for attendees to learn about PVRC.
Along with bolstering PVRC’s programs, the fundraising event tries to inspire interested newcomers to join the organization. “Revelry introduces who we are to a broader audience in a fun setting…hopefully the idea is after they’ve gotten to know us a little, they will come down for programing,” said Quick.
Revelry will also feature raffles and a silent auction before the comedy show. Quick said the fundraiser will include PVRC’s own limited-edition microbrew entitled “Pandemic’s End.”
“Hopefully this is the beginning of a new tradition…laughter is the best medicine,” said Quick.
Readers interested in learning more about Revelry and PVRC can go to https://www.pvriverfront.org/.