YPAC Presents Date Night: Comedy Night

The Yucaipa Performing Arts Center (YPAC) is excited to present Armando Anto, Catherine Donnelly, and Barry Neal w/ Special Guest Set by Jeremiah Burton! These hilarious comedians will crack you up for our April Date Night Series. Join us April 14th for side-splitting laughs!

Armando Anto

Armando Anto was born and raised in France. He began studying classical violin at the French National Conservatory at the age of 5. After earning his BA in Finance, he turned his virtuoso talent into a business, embarking on a world tour of violin concerts. Performing and teaching his art for over a decade, Armando began implementing more and more comedy in his performances. Armando believes that in order to be successful, you have to surround yourself with successful people. This explains all the mirrors in his home.

He understood that laughing opens the heart and mind, and that people understand any concept better through humor. Following his twin muses, music and comedy, he has established himself as a standup comedian in Los Angeles. Armando feels he never spends enough time with himself.

For the last 10 years, Armando has been perfecting his unique style of comedy, utilizing his decades of classical violin mastery, his guitar skills, and even breakdance in his act. Discovered in Hollywood, he won first place in his very first stand up comedy competition. He now performs all over the US in various comedy clubs, colleges, competitions and theaters. Even when Armando brags, he is the best at bragging.

Armando Anto’s brand of comedy is widely accessible and works anywhere in the world. From New York to Texas, France to the Middle East, every audience understands the universal comedic language of music.

Catherine Donnelly

A California native, Stand-Up Comedian Catherine Donnelly grew up in Orange County, and was raised Catholic. Growing up with three sisters, she is the middle child of two attorneys. She graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Psychology and became a risk management insurance broker just out of college. She quickly discovered that the cubicle was sucking the life out of her and decided to quit to become a fitness instructor. She trained clients at the Biggest Loser Resort in Malibu until she got kicked out for wearing short shorts.

After stumbling upon UCB and watching comedians like Lauren Lapkus and Mary Holland, Catherine began taking improv and sketch classes and has been hooked on comedy ever since. She’s been dating her Floridian boyfriend for almost six years and they live together in south central LA. Catherine is a yoga teacher who practices new age spirituality and drives a Prius.

Barry Neal

Barry’s beginnings were unusual. After graduating from Northwestern University and completing a successful run in the famous Mee-Ow show (who’s celebrity members have included Julia Louis Dreyfus, Dermot Mulroney, George Newborn, Craig Bierko, Seth Meyers, and Ana Gasteyer), his brother dared him to go onstage at an open mic to do a routine. Barry was hit that night, and knew that stand-up comedy was his next mountain to climb.

Barry learned from the best comedians in the country. Jerry Seinfeld was a regular. He watched people like Bill Maher, Ellen Degeneres, Paul Reiser, and Tim Allen just to name a few. Barry learned by not only watching these comics but by being a good listener when these comics would talk comedy.

Barry’s style is clean, high energy, and relationship material was a hit in almost every market. He quickly moved up the comedy ladder and was on cable and network tv, from MTV, NBC, Comedy Central, and VH-1. Barry’s act was noticed by a production company that loved his Counselor of Love persona, and his act is currently being shopped as a sitcom called The Counselor of Love that Barry wrote along with his partner Dan Patterson, who was creator and executive producer of Who’s Line Is It Anyway?