<= span style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Time Out Chicago / Issue 116: May 17–23= , 2007

<= span style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Give a dog a funny bone<= /o:p>

<= span style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:#666666'>Comics stand up= to bring relief to sheltered animals.

SPECIAL DELIVERY Nick Lullo does it for the= pets.

Stand-up comics get to hog the limelight, according to Nick Lullo, comedian = and impresario behind the Apollo Theater’s weekly stand-up event The= Blue Mic. That’s why Lullo decided to take the spotlight off himself and shine it elsewhere. On Saturday 19, Chicagoland shelter animals will benefit from Lullo’s goodwill when he hosts the second ann= ual Barks, Purrs and Laughs stand-up comedy evening. The first event raised more than $2,500 for the Anti-Cruelty Society, and this year funds will be directed to Heartland Animal Shelter, a small no-kill rescue facility for= cats, dogs and rabbits based in North Shore suburban Northbr= ook.

Lullo has been an animal fan since= he was a kid, but it struck him that there was a void in the kinds of gala events taking place on behalf of animal rescue organizations. Sure there = are dog walks, mixers, bowl-a-thons and charity di= nners galore, but nothing entertainment-based. “I’ve had pets my en= tire life,” says the Niles<= /st1:place> resident, “and I kind of wanted to do something for my two passions: animals and producing stand-up comedy shows.”

Last year’s effort turn= ed out to be quite a coup for the first-time fund-raiser—not only did the event raise a chunk of change for Anti-Cruelty, but = Lullo was able to generate interest from numerous corporate sponsors. It also introduced the audience, basically consisting of pet lovers, to Lullo’s other passion. “The majority of people who purchased tickets had never been to a stand-up comedy show,= 221; Lullo says. “It exposed them to that ar= t form and it exposed them to a good cause.”

Lullo anticipates even bigger succ= ess the second time around. The lobby of the Footlik Theater at Oakton College in Des Plaines, where the event will be held again this year, will include an exhibitors’ area for the sponsors. Volunteers from Heartland Animal Shelter also will be on hand to talk about the resc= ue.

Lullo is confident that his choice= in entertainment is up to par. Local and touring comedians Jim Flannigan, La= uren Bishop, Kelly Williams, Vince Carone, Josh Ch= eney and Lullo himself will perform stand-up along= side headline entertainer Mark “the Knife” Fa= je. But if “A dog walks into a bar” doesn’t do it for you, = have no fear; the comedy isn’t just for pet fanatics and Dr. Dolittle.

“[The comics] will tail= or their material a little to the audience and maybe throw in a pet reference here and there,” Lullo says, “but= the only animal-themed aspect is that the profit goes to the animals. I [did have] one lady ask me if pets would be doing t= he jokes. If I could pull that off, I wouldn’t be doing comedy.”= —Jason A. Heidemann