Comedy returns to the Community Concert Hall on
Nov. 5, as “The Stand-Up Dads” take the stage

DURANGO, Colo. – Billed as “Comedy for parents by parents,” The Stand-Up Dads will take the stage at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 with a 7:30 p.m. show.
Said to explore the grist of fatherhood and suburban life, from child birth to adolescence and more, The Stand-Up Dads is the brainchild of comedian Dan St. Paul. At the prestigious Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, Calif., St. Paul had been opening for acts such as Natalie Cole, Vince Gill and Smokey Robinson. He became such a crowd favorite that the Villa invited St. Paul and his funniest friends for a full evening of comedy as “The Stand-Up Dads.”
A native of San Francisco, St. Paul launched his comedy career headlining clubs in the Bay Area as part of the comedy duo Murphy-St. Paul. After seven years, he set out on his own with a solo act that landed him in the finals of the nation’s toughest comedy contest, The San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition. Soon after, he moved to Los Angeles and appeared on a variety of shows including A&E’s “An Evening at the Improv” and FOX’s “Comic Strip Live.” The majority of St. Paul’s material comes from being a husband to wife Cara and father to his son, Rory.
St. Paul is joined in The Stand-Up Dads by comedic veterans Kelly McDonald and Milt Abel who take pride in performing clever material about family life in this show for adult audiences.
Kelly McDonald is a self-confessed “nice boy from a good home,” and hails from Genesee, a small town in the farmlands of Western New York. Following his graduation from New York State University, Cortland, he moved to Las Vegas where he began his career as a humorist. As his reputation grew, Los Angeles beckoned, where a guest shot on “The Merv Griffin Show” led to a booking with Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show.” Soon after, he began making regular appearances with Johnny’s successor Jay Leno. His concert credits include performances with Jerry Lee Lewis and Steve Winwood, also appearing with a host of comedy greats, from Steve Allen to Jerry Seinfeld. McDonald lives in Las Vegas with his wife Ann and sons, Cody and Spencer.
A headlining stand-up comedian for more than 15 years, Milt Abel has performed throughout the United States and Canada in venues ranging from corporate engagements to cruise ships, and national television shows to college campuses. He has enjoyed numerous television appearances, including “An Evening at the Improv” as well as television commercials, and has recently published a book of humorous short stories, Stories from the Delux. Born in Washington DC and raised in California, Abel now lives in a small town outside Portland, Ore. with wife Janey and children, Kelsey, Noah and Ellery.
Of The Stand-Up Dads, Florida Today writes, “Get ready to hold your sides in laughter… Forget your troubles for awhile and laugh at life.”
Tickets for The Stand-Up Dads ($22/$32) are available online at www.durangoconcerts.com or by calling 970.247.7657, or at the Ticket Office in Downtown Durango at 7th St. and Main Ave. All sales final.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m., with doors to the Concert Hall and concessions, serving beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks, opening at 6:30 p.m.
The Community Concert Hall is located in the arts complex of Fort Lewis College. It operates through a partnership with the college, a state-supported, independent institution of higher education, and with financial and in-kind contributions from generous members of the community.