Laughs line up for the 30th annual Seattle stand-up comedy contest

Stand-up comedians from around the world will descend upon Western Washington for more than 20 days of competition at the 30th annual Seattle International Standup Comedy Competition.

This year "will start with a bang and end with a bang," said event producer Ron Reid, referring to the new locations for opening night and the finale. The competition kicks off tonight at the Columbia City Theater and finishes at the Moore Theatre on Nov. 29.

The touring competition visits a variety of locations around the region. This year it travels as far north as Bellingham and as far south as Longview.

Three rounds will narrow down the competition from an initial 32 comedians. The first round features half of the comedians each night. Judges come from all aspects of the comedy world; even the audience members add their two cents by providing the important "tremendously obvious encore point."

"It's a unique competition," said Reid.

The competition is considered to be a career steppingstone for the comedians. The winner receives $5,000 and a yearlong recording contract with comedy label Uproar Entertainment, which will include a $1,000 advance.

Laurie Dunlap, Seattle Times staff