THEATRE + COMEDY

Reliant Arena presents The Big Stars of Comedy, Saturday, November 27 at 8pm. The Big Stars of Comedy featuring Arnez J, Lavell Crawford, Earthquake, Anthony Anderson & Leslie!

Rapidly becoming one of the most talked about comedians, Arnez J's charisma and physical agility are unforgettable. With the physicality of Jim Carrey, his brand of comedy has dubbed him "the black Jerry Lewis."

Oh his own at age 14, Arnez lied about his age to get a job at a gas station to work his way through school. Arnez wanted to be a professional baseball player. A Philadelphia Phillies Farm League pursued him, but that fell through. It was later while working as a flight attendant that Arnez discovered his comedic talent. He realized that he had the ability to keep the passengers and crew laughing and upon encouragement from friends, he made his first attempt at stand-up comedy. After that first night on stage, he knew what he wanted to do. He left his job with the airlines and made the decision to devote all of his time to a career in comedy.

The Harlem Globetrotters recruited Arnez after their scouts saw his very physical comedy routine and his local celebrity basketball game. However, Arnez suffered a minor knee injury that forced him to put his basketball career on hold. An Atlanta native, Arnez began working the comedy circuit in Georgia and quickly became one of "Hotlanta's" funniest newcomers. A finalist in the 1992 "Bay Area Black Comedy Competition," Arnez was immediately noticed by the entertainment industry and was asked to make his first television appearance on Showtime's "Comedy Club Network." Numerous television appearances soon followed including recent appearances on "The Keenan Ivory Wayans Show," "Louie Anderson's Comedy Showcase," Comedy Central's "Make Me Laugh," NBC's "Friday Night Videos," Russell Simmons' "Def Comedy Jam," his own BET "Comic View Grandstand Hour Special" and many others.

In keeping with his plan, Arnez keeps up a dizzying pace performing for sold out crowds in clubs, colleges and concert halls across the country. And most recently, he has accomplished something no other comic yet has done. Arnez has been asked by The Artist Formerly Known as Prince to perform as his opening act.

Funnyman Lavell Crawford is quickly climbing the comedic ranks and becoming one rising comedy star to watch. From his numerous television appearances and on stage performances, audiences are becoming increasingly familiar with Lavell's giant-sized talent.

Lavell has appeared on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and also was a Finalist in the Comedy Central Laugh Riots standup competition. Lavell has headlined at Laffapalooza, America's longest-running annual urban comedy festival, appeared on "Jamie Foxx Presents: Laffapalooza" a series of half-hour laugh-out-loud comedy specials that aired on Showtime and Comedy Central and subsequently headlined at the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival and appeared at The HBO USCAF in Aspen, Co. and The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. His "Comedy Central Presents" half-hour special premiered on Comedy Central in 2009.

Earthquake (pictured above) is an explosive comedic performer unlike any other. His stand-up comedy is at its peak, his ability to engage an audience is nationally known and he is now being heralded by critics as one of the most talented comedians in the country. And now...television executives have taken notice. In 2004 Earthquake signed a deal with Touchstone Television/ABC to develop and star in his own sitcom AND this year he has a deal with HBO to develop and star in his own sitcom along with a 30 minute stand-up special to be shot in New York City late April 2005.

Already immensely popular with urban audiences, mainstream audiences are now getting their chance to catch this red-hot comedian. Earthquake was recently seen as a top headliner on the Crown Royal Comedy Soul Fest. Added to the comedic mix were the R&B sounds of musical powerhouses Earth, Wind and Fire and The Isley Brothers. Walter Latham, producer of the tour, was the talented producer behind the Kings of Comedy as well.

Earthquake also toured with the Latham Entertainment Presents Comedy Tour in 2002, which was released as a DVD comedy special in October 2003. Also on his plate, Comedy Central premiered Comedy Central Presents: "Earthquake! " Earthquake will release his own DVD one hour special from Urban Works Entertainment "It's About Got Damm Time" May 24th of this year. Earthquake will be touring this year with his esteemed colleagues Bruce Bruce, Rickey Smiley, Arnez J and Don D.C. Curry and it is expected to be the hottest comedy tour in history!!

With a quick wit to match his impressive comedic skills, Earthquake was a special invited standup guest on the Bill Maher's politically-skewed talk show on HBO "Real Time with Bill Maher." Receiving the first standing ovation from the studio audience since the show's debut, Earthquake's set rocked the crowd. He also appeared as a guest on "The Orlando Jones Show" on F/X and the "Dennis Miller" Show on CNBC.

Before embarking on his fast-rising comedy career, Earthquake spent eleven years in the Air Force where he was enlisted as a sergeant. While stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Ft. Walton Beach Florida, he found his funny while performing stand-up onstage at the military's well known talent show "Tops & Blues." Recognizing he may have found his comedic niche, Earthquake took his comedy outside the military as well and began performing in comedy clubs & rooms in the southern U.S.

A move to Atlanta was next, where Earthquake pursued comedy full time and found that working in comedy clubs as well as owning them was the way to go. He opened the "Uptown Comedy Corner" and "Earthquake's Comedy Corner II" which became known for introducing hot talent in Atlanta, and bringing in established comedic talent from all over the country.

His straight-ahead humor resonated with his audiences, and Earthquake was asked to join the Def Comedy Jam circuit on the road. He later took a trip to L.A. and made several appearances on BET's "Comic View" during its early years, alongside D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and a few other of today's best comedians who were also making their mark. Quake made quite an impression on BET, and they quickly offered him his own 1/2 Hour Comedy Special. His slam dunk comedic style has won him coveted spots on Comedy Central's "Premium Blend", VH-1's "The List" as well as a guest appearance on "Mad TV."

He appeared on stage at the "BET Awards " with Ludacris and was personally requested as a headlining comedian for Magic Johnson's Midsummer Night's Magic Weekend comedy show two years in a row.

Earthquake's charm and good nature are apparent as he delivers his straight-ahead humor. Yet he pulls no punches, touching on a variety of topics in his comedy act. The entertainment industry is taking notice of this sure hit comedian. He has performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival, and headlined at the Aspen Comedy Festival winning laughs from sold out crowds and new fan Whoopi Goldberg.

Aside from keeping everyone in stitches, Earthquake is also a talented actor. You can see him in the upcoming movie "Getting Played" with Vivica Fox and Bill Bellamy. He toured as a principal in the play "Listen to Your Woman", for which the Washington Post praised him as a talented newcomer.

Earthquake currently resides in Los Angeles with his family.

Anthony Anderson has appeared in over 20 films and has earned three NAACP Image Award nominations. Anderson was recently seen on the big screen in Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" with a stellar cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. He appeared in Paramount Pictures critically acclaimed "Hustle & Flow" opposite Terrance Howard. Last year he gave an Emmy-deserving performance in the FX drama "The Shield" opposite Michael Chiklis and Glenn Close. Recently, Anderson joined the cast of the Dreamworks' feature film "Prime Directive," directed by Michael Bay.

Anderson first gained attention as one of Jim Carrey's sons in "Me, Myself and Irene," and has subsequently appeared in such blockbuster films as "Scary Movie 3," "Barbershop," "Kangaroo Jack," "Exit Wounds," "Cradle 2 the Grave," "Two Can Play That Game," and "Malibu's Most Wanted." Last year, Anderson starred opposite Eddie Griffin and Michael Imperioli in "My Baby's Daddy," opposite Frankie Muniz in "Agent Cody Banks 2" and had a cameo in "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle." He also brought his talent and humor to the small screen in his own WB sitcom "All About the Andersons" which was loosely based on his life.

Anderson grew up in Los Angeles and while pursuing his acting career, he continued his education by attending the High School for the Performing Arts, where he earned first place in the NAACP's ACTSO Awards with his performance of the classic monologue from "The Great White Hope." That performance, along with his dedication and talent, earned him an arts scholarship to Howard University.

In 1996, Anderson landed his first professional job starring in the teen series "Hang Time". He then quickly landed guest-starring roles on other shows including "J.A.G" and "NYPD Blue." Producer David E. Kelley was so impressed with Anderson's talent that he wrote a two-episode arc especially for him on the hit series "Ally McBeal."

Anderson currently lives in Los Angeles. He is married to his college sweetheart and they have two children.

Leslie has appeared on Comedy Central.