The Final Top Five in Santa Rosa

The last night of the Semifinals always takes place at the Luther Burbank Center, and it’s always an amazing experience. There are 1,600 seats, more than all the seats of all the Semifinal shows combined, and it always sells out.

It’s also the first Top Five where Shawn Felipe did not make the list at number one. He didn’t make the list at all! Last night Livermore, his first-place score was so high, it was more like Sean Felipe and a nine-way tie for second place. That’s not quite accurate, but that’s how big his lead worked out to be on Friday.

The Top Five

1. Bryant Hicks
2. CJ Koepp
3. Jalisa Robinson
4. Alisha Dhillon
5. Connor Lonsdale

Bryant Hicks went up first in the Marsha Warfield spot. He has been doing a great job all week, but he really turned it on, and the crowd loved him. What a way to fire up the audience, already warmed up by our host, Jackie Flynn.

CJ Koepp opened the second half and really won over the crowd. This might have been her best set of the contest. She had absolutely dominated the second week of Preliminaries, but had failed to place the entire week, bumping along just out of the Top Five.

Once again, all of the comedians really did an outstanding job. This was easily the show to see so far in the contest, and that’s after 14 previous great shows.

In case you are wondering, Shawn Felipe suffered a Time violation, which lowered his otherwise first-place score to sixth place. Shawn took up an extra few minutes to enjoy his time onstage and enjoy the experience, and nobody would blame him for doing exactly that. Jackie Flynn said last night that performing at Luther Burbank 31 years ago was the best show of his 31-year career.

You may be wondering why going up first is referred to as the Marsha Warfield spot. Producer Jon Fox told a story about Marsha Warfield in 1979. Marsha liked to go up first every night of the competition. First up is always considered the worst spot of the night, and we have a rule where if you go up first, you don’t have to go up first again. No other comic really minded Marsha “taking the bullet.” On the opening night of the Finals, Marsha was given bad directions to the club and missed her spot. If you miss your spot, you are disqualified for the night. Rules are rules. She accepted her fate and said, “Well then, I guess I will have to win every night.” Sure enough, Marsha won every single night and won the 1979 San Francisco Comedy Competition. The comics decided the first spot should be known as the Marsha Warfield spot.