By JOHN BENSON

Special to The Gazette

A former touring stand-up comedian who dabbled in local theater and improvisational troupes, Brunswick native and Medina resident Jim Dove decided to get back into the funny game a few years ago by teaming up with Lodi resident Rick Rudolph to create their own comedy duo.

In the past four years, the twosome has become quite popular around Medina County. However, it’s the “Rick and Jim’s Big Christmas Show” that has really taken off.

“It’s a sketch comedy show like Carol Burnett or even more like ‘The State,’ ” said Dove, a 1992 Brunswick High School graduate, who honed his comedy craft while he was in the U.S. Army performing at USO shows. “So we have a school choir and line dancers from Dirty Cowboys. It’s just a big old party.”

The duo’s annual charity show takes place Dec. 5 and 6 at Broadway Street Hall in Medina. All ticket proceeds go to the Fred Hargrove Children’s Arts Initiative, while an intermission donation jar finds the money going to Toys for Tots.

“The show is for everyone,” Dove said. “We thought originally it was just for kids, but really what’s happening is we have more adults coming to this show than kids and that really throws us for a loop.”

Among the skits Dove said have become quite popular in the show are the possessed and overzealous holiday shopping parents in “Finding Elmo” and the dedicated actors whose statue skills are repeatedly tested by every calamity imaginable during “Living Nativity.”

There’s also a hilarious reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by wacky and senile grandparents.

“People come in thinking it won’t be as funny as they expect,” Dove said. “And we always get people walking away wiping tears away, saying their stomach hurts.”

“Rick and Jim’s Big Christmas Show” takes place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6 at Broadway Street Hall, 144 N. Broadway, Medina.
Tickets are $5.

For more information, call 330-635-8691.

Benson may be reached at ididhear@aol.com.