‘Boob Tour’ has a serious side
 Allison Lane, is part of the Boob Tour . |
At first glance, it might seem to be an odd combination, mixing something as serious as breast cancer with something as light as comedy.
But when it comes to the Boob Tour, the brainchild of comedian James Uloth, giving cancer victims, survivors and their families a night out and a couple of hours to sidestep their worries seems to be perfect fit.
Fresh from a successful show in Squamish, Uloth was ready to talk about the upcoming show in Kelowna, which is set for Friday in the Rotary Centre for the Arts.
“It’s amazing how many people across Canada have been touched in some way by cancer,” Uloth said. “In high school, my best friend lost his mom to cancer, and it affected me, too. I thought doing the tour, connecting to comedy and supporting a worthwhile cause was a good combination.
“It helps to keep her memory alive and it’s catching on like wildfire.”
Last year, the Boob Tour raised $200,000 and hopes to exceed that with the current tour, which features four comedians who take turns amusing the audience during the show.
The tour is directly connected with numerous dragon boat teams across the country, including the Bust’N Loose team in Kelowna, which is sponsoring the show.
Proceeds from the fundraiser are earmarked to go to breast cancer charities.
In Kelowna, the funds will be shared with the Interior Breast Rapid Access Program for Investigation and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer.
The collaboration of the comedians, whose time is given voluntarily, includes Allison Lane, who has been part of the production since its inception.
Calgary-based, Lane aims to put a smile on everyone’s face as she hosts her version of the Boob Game Show, a trivia-like tribute to the “two girls up front” who share a variety of names.
“I like to walk around through the audience and pick people out to take part in the show, but of course, only if they are game to do it,” Lane explained.
“When you actually take time to think of all the different ‘pet names’ people have created just for boobs, it can be very funny,” she added, quickly listing off jugs, hooters, sweater puppies, the girls and knockers.
“There’s a lot you can do with that kind of material, and make it real funny too,” she said.
To add another touch of hilarity to the game show, Lane will outfit a willing man in a pink bra, rigged out with a buzzer mechanism that the ‘players’ have to squeeze in order to register their answers to goofy game show questions.
“People love to laugh, and as a cancer survivor, I know how important it is to laugh and to set aside your worries and fears for an evening,” she said.
“I know it’s hard not to think about it, but it’s also really nice to go back to what life was like before, even for a short time. Laughter really is the best medicine.”
When Lane is not on tour with the show, she delivers motivational speeches, based in comedy.
Uloth, whose comedy is more “family-storyteller-guy-style,” works with many dragoon boat teams, and added that the local team “is very, very active and enthusiastic.”
Locally, the team has 35 keen members who are dedicated to participating in several dragon boat festivals each year.
The women push themselves to their limits, either as paddlers or support crew.
The women push themselves to their limits, either as paddlers or support crew.
In recent years, the team has travelled to Germany, throughout B.C. and Alberta, and were part of the International festival in Peterborough, Ont., where they placed 9th out of 74 teams from around the world.
The next world competition takes place in Florida in 2014, and the team is always part of the popular dragon boat festival held in Kelowna each year.
New paddlers are welcome to join this fun team of breast cancer survivors, where instruction and training in the art is combined with a lot of fun and camaraderie.
Bust’N Loose encourages everyone to bust out of the winter blahs, bring your significant other, call a bosom buddy or bring a breast friend for a boobaliciously funny night for a good cause.
QUICKFACTS
What: The Boob Tour, presented by the Bust’N Loose dragon boat team. Featuring comedians James Uloth, Allison Lane, Lars Callieou and Erica Sigurdson.
When: May 25 at 8 p.m.
Where: Mary Irwin Theatre in the Rotary Centre for the Arts.
Tickets: $30 at the RCA box office or selectyourtickets.com
