Announcing Comedian Calvin Evans as a Glappitnova Storyteller
Glappitnova is excited to announce comedian Calvin Evans as a 2014 Glappitnova Storyteller
Calvin Evans wants to change lives through laughter. Calvin has the type of drive, the drive to be a versatile artist, that distinguishes Evans from his peers. Most people are satisfied with mastering one trade. Not Evans, he wants to master everything he touches. “I want to write, sing, produce, perform, design, and create things that future generations will take for granted because they won’t understand how people lived life before Calvin Evans made it so.”
Essentially, he’s striving to become a modern day renaissance man. It’s something his comedic hero inspired. While Evans had been exposed to comedians before – Eddie Murphy’s Raw was his introduction to comedy at 7 and he marveled at Martin Lawerence’s ability to transform into various characters with distinct personalities, it was Jamie Foxx that had this sixth grader wide eyed. “He embodied everything I wanted to be. He was in great physical shape, could sing, act, he was funny, smart, played the piano and handsome. He drove my desire to be all that I could be,” he recalls with youthful enthusiasm. And since that moment Evans has been on a never-ending quest to be all he can be.
This Chicago born and bred comedian has come a long way from his Eddie Murphy impersonations in his elementary school lunchroom. In 2010 Evans became the first winner of WGN Chicago’s Next Big Comic Contest, a staple in the Chicago TBS Just For Laugh Festival since 2011, and he’s been steadily touring colleges and comedy clubs across the nation. While he was successful as a comic on his own, his desire to further develop his craft made him enroll in the Second City Training Centers’ Conservatory (Advance Improv/Acting) program. He recently graduated, which is no small feat.Now he’s spreading his wings further by wearing the hat of Executive Producer of the Calvin Evans Comedy Show, and Co-Producer of the Blind Bet Comedy Show, Thank You Very Much, the Michael Issac Plus Show and You Better Be Funny (coming spring 2014).
With all Evans has accomplished he offers this advice to help those on their journey toward achieving their dreams, “the biggest lesson that I have learned in life is that we as people are way more capable of things than we think we are. We often let other people or ourselves tell us we can’t do something because it appears hard or we must have a level of expertise to do something. When in actuality, we can do anything we have a genuine desire to do.”
We couldn’t agree more and can’t wait to hear him share his story live at Glappitnova. Purchase tickets here for Calvin’s session on Wednesday July 16th at 7:10pm.
Glappitnova unites young influencers from all industries through live storytelling, live performances, and various classes for one week in Chicago. Thanks to our Universal Sponsors, Crain’s Chicago Business, RedEye Chicago, and Miller Coors for making this event possible.
