Ch-ch-ch-changes... SICC competitors list changes.

While tonight's show is the dramatic conclusion to an exciting and very closely contested Preliminary Week One of the 28th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition, it will likely continue without Toronto's Darren Frost.

Darren, who had a slower than expected start in this week's competition before turning it on and making the top 5 the last two nigths, and was once considered to be one of the early favorites to possibly win the entire competition, will be unable to perform at tonight's final night of his week--due to prior commitments. He had hoped to have earned five strong scores in the first five shows, and that would allow him to drop tonight's score and still make his way into the semi-finals.

Unfortunately, as it stands, Darren is in 7th place--and could have moved up with a strong performance tonight and some slippage from those above him...but by not performing tonight, he's consigned himself to narrowly miss moving on.

Darren's a strong performer and I wouldn't be surprised to see him working in this area more often--and when he does, remember to buckle up.

In other competitors news, the start of Preliminary Week Two is tomorrow...and the competitors list for that week continues to be in flux. A couple of highly regarded performers that originally accepted invitations to compete in week two had dropped out and had been replaced...the most recent announced replacement was that local alt-comedy favorite and the man behind "Making Strangers Laugh", Derek Sheen, has been added to Week 2.

But, in a last minute decision, another of the potential favorites to win the competition has had to pull out...

Billy Wayne Davis, originally from Nashville but now making his home here in Seattle, will not be competing this year. That's very sad news--as he has a wonderfully unique comedic presence that is impossible to duplicate...and I do hope that we'll see him battle for the championship next year. (That's right, Billy Wayne...don't you dare get too famous between now and then.)

Because of the last minute-ness of this decision, it is unclear whether or not the competition will be able or interested in replacing him with another performer--or if they will simply run this week with only 15 comedians (and that has happened in previous years, so there is precedent for that.) As of right now, 15 comedians are listed and 15 comedians are expected...but if that changes, we'll announce those changes here.