“axis of evil” comedy tour closes with raving reviews
Jordanians Loving the Comedy Tour Brought by Play 99.6 Inspiring Showtime Arabia to spread Comedy Across the Region
The “Axis of Evil” Comedy show in Jordan, the first stand-up comedy ever to be hosted in the Kingdom, finally came to a close on November 19th 2007. Raving reviews from media representatives and audiences proved once again that the Jordanian community appreciates art, comedy, and a good laugh.
The show was hosted at the Courtyard of the Al Qasr Metropole Hotel between November 16th and November 19th 2007.
Audiences especially expressed admiration for performers Maz Jobrani, Ahmed Ahmend, and Aron Kader and their ability to use stand-up comedy as a means to tear down stereotypes that the world forms about Arabs and Muslims in this day and age, and to raise the very issues that affect the daily lives of Arabs living abroad.
The show was brought to Jordan by Play 99.6 in collaboration with event sponsors Zain, SmartBuy, Al Ghad Newspaper, Al Qasr Metropole Hotel, Showtime Arabia, Green Meadows, and TRACCS PR Network. Its segments, which were performed before a sold out crowd, served to echo its performers’ belief in: laughter as a tool that humanizes people’s perceptions on life, and people of different ethnicities
“We are very proud to see the “Axis of Evil” comedy show generate so much success in Jordan. This success makes us proud to have introduced Jordanians to this genre,” said Marketing Manager at Play 99.6, Mr. Mazen Halaby. “Seeing ourselves as an integral part of this community we were inspired to bring this show to viewing audiences in Amman. I believe that our community especially enjoyed the realistic yet fun to watch reflection that this show presented in regards to some of the day to day problems affecting this region, its citizens and the world at large. The performers did a great job in making audiences see and understand the nature of the problems affecting Arabs living abroad and the true ingenuity in their performance lies in their ability to present such a serious message yet in such a lighthearted and fun way. The last night of the performance was one especially filled with vibrant energy and it is this energy that encourages us to repeat this memorable experience by introducing more initiatives like this one to Jordanians.”
Mr. Halaby also thanked event sponsors for supporting Play 99.6 in its endeavor to bring laughter to Amman, which resulted in a regional tour supported by Showtime Arabia.
It is important to note that, the “Axis of Evil” show was first performed in Washington DC on November 11th 2005 to a sold out crowd of 1400. The critically acclaimed performance then burst on to the scene and was able to draw an impressive crowd from around the globe by inviting them to reconsider pre-set negative perceptions they may have formed on the Arab and Muslim worlds. Able to capture the admiration of a diversified viewing audience, the show premiered on Comedy Central in March of 2007, thus presenting itself as the first all Middle Eastern/American show to ever air on American TV. The show’s premiere was then followed by a DVD release a month later.
Apart from performing across the USA and the world, the comedians forming the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour were also featured on internationally acclaimed TV networks including CNN, HBO, and MTV.
