The sixth annual Comics Come Home, a benefit for the Chris Farley Foundation, took place despite the absence of headliner Jim Breuer Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Wisconsin Union Theatre.
Performers included John Roy, 2003 Star Search comedy winner; Tim Kazurinsky, actor from \Police Academy;"" The Farley brothers, improvisational comedians from the acting school Second City and other comedic acts.
Breuer intended to return and host the event as well as perform with his comedic heavy-metal band but was snowed in in New York. He has promised to come in January for another performance, but plans for that trip had not been settled as of Saturday.
""It's unfortunate that Jim Breuer could not be here tonight. He is a very funny comic and he would have added a lot to the show, but the most important thing is to come here and support the Chris Farley Foundation and I think it's going to be funny no matter what. With or without him,"" said audience member Nicole Worden, a recent graduate of UW-Madison.
To compensate for Breuer's absence the local band Jimmy's Comet played and the comedians present performed extended sets.
The Chris Farley Foundation is about six years old and was organized by Chris Farley's immediate family after the actor's death due to a drug overdose in December 1997. The Foundation aims to prevent substance abuse among children, teens and young adults, using humor as a tool to communicate their message.
""It is important to me to be a part of something that is doing something in the right direction,"" Kazurinsky said. ""You do not have to be high to be funny.""
Comics Come Home is the largest fundraising event for the Foundation and has included acts such as David Spade, Tom Arnold, Bob Saget and Dave Chappelle in the past.
Tom Farley, Chris Farley's father and president of the foundation, noted the significance in holding this event in Madison each year.
""This is a Madison foundation. No matter what we do around the country this is where we are based and so we want to connect to the hometown where Chris grew up,"" he said.
Tom Farley added while ticket prices might not have been affordable to students, a portion of the money raised at the event will filter back to UW-Madison. He named the All Campus Party, a week of campus-wide, substance-free events, as an event that the Foundation regularly supports.
