Stu Bykofsky: A night of gags, a stellar (?) cast - and kids benefit

A DATE HAS BEEN chosen

for the 21st edition of the Stu Bykofsky Candidates Comedy Night, and while all the candidates are (no doubt) thrilled to death, one has a special reason to be excited.

Republican at-large Council candidate Al Taubenberger, in order to perform (for the second time; his first was as a mayoral candidate), will break from celebrating his 58th birthday downashore with his family and - showing public spirit - do the show. Maybe I'll have a birthday balloon for him.

Affable Al is not the top headliner of the evening. That is returning comedy-show veteran Mayor Nutter, the Democratic candidate for the post he now owns. His Republican opponent, Karen Brown, will be making her comedy-show debut.

Due to an unusually active political year - in which some candidates will have opponents (for a change) - the cast is as large as Chris Christie's bib overalls.

A fundraiser for Variety, the charity that serves children with disabilities in the Delaware Valley, the show is set for Aug. 18 on the third floor of Finnigan's Wake, 3rd and Spring Garden, at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and tickets, which cost $75 each (tables of 10 for $750), can be ordered by calling Variety at 215-735-0803 or by going to the Variety website (http://www.varietyphila.org/events/details/21st-annual-stu-bykofsky-candidates-comedy-night/).

Before I continue, I have to let you know that I'll be attending stag because my girlfriend thinks I'm a stalker. (She's not exactly my girlfriend . . . yet.)

In addition to the mayoral contest, we have the candidates for register of wills, Democratic incumbent Ron Donatucci and his Republican challenger, Linda W. Bateman. Donatucci always buys a table to support the charity, but hasn't been called to the stage since 1995. This year, because he's out of town, he'll send a surrogate.

In the city commissioner race, we have a couple of stiffs.

Incumbent Republican Joe Duda seems to have an allergy to returning phone calls or emails inviting him to participate in the show. Al Schmidt, the other Republican (who has a personality and a pulse), will be making his second appearance (the first was when he was running for controller).

On the Dem side, incumbent commissioner Anthony Clark has the "Duda disease" and is cowering under his desk. Insurgent Democrat Stephanie Singer will perform, raising money for Variety's children. Shame, shame on nonparticipants Duda and Clark.

Look for a (figurative) shoot-out between the two candidates for sheriff, Democratic state Rep. Jewell Williams and Republican lawyer Joshua West, who has deployed several times with the National Guard.

In the hotly contested race for at-large Council, all five Republicans have confirmed. In addition to Birthday Boy Taubenberger, there's Michael Untermeyer (making his second show appearance), returning show veterans David Oh and Joe McColgan, plus show virgin state Rep. Denny O'Brien.

On the Democratic side, incumbent Bill Greenlee will make his show debut, along with incumbent Wilson Goode Jr. Blondell Reynolds-Brown will be making her fourth appearance.

Surprisingly, and shamefully, incumbents Bill Green and Jim Kenney, both veterans of the show, are saying "no" to me (perhaps bitter about my critical reporting on Council) - but

they're also turning their backs on the local children with disabilities helped by Variety. That's pretty small of them. Tiny.

Finally, vying for a seat left open by Anna Verna's retirement, Republican Ivan Cohen faces off against Democratic state Rep. Kenyatta Johnson.

Email stubyko@phillynews.com or call 215-854-5977. See Stu on Facebook. For recent columns: www.philly.com/Byko.