Gerald Anthony Guidry
July 28, 2009
Florett "Flo" Johnson
July 30, 2009
Who says Christians aren’t funny? They’ve probably never encountered Kerri Pomarolli and Ron McGhehee.
The husband-and-wife comedy team are regulars at the famous Improv, have made numerous TV and film appearances, and half the duo – Kerri – has penned a book, “If I Am Waiting On God, Then What Am I Doing In a Christian Chatroom?; Confessions Of a Do-It-Yourself Single,” which was published by Zondervan.
And they’re able to laugh about life, marriage and raising 1-year-old daughter Lucy without being blue onstage.
Ron and Kerri are bringing their clean Christian comedy to the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center on Aug. 7. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children ages 12 and under.
The doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m.
Proceeds from the night’s event benefit A Place of Restoration, a Christian-based alcohol and drug addiction treatment center for men opening Aug. 15 in Gray.
“We were looking for a family-oriented event that parents would find entertaining and would be comfortable bringing their kids,” said Maria Dupuis, event co-organizer. She and her husband Buster are also the creators of A Place of Restoration.
After a 25-year battle with alcohol addiction, Buddy found an in-house program in Florida that helped free him of bondage.
Maria said she and her son, then age 14, spent weekends in a nearby hotel in support of her husband.
Years later, the couple relocated to Houma.
“That’s when God put it in our hearts to give back some of what was given to us,” Maria said. “That’s when we decided to open a drug and alcohol treatment center for men.”
It’s taken four years to get off the ground, and now the Dupuis’ vision will become a reality.
The program will start small, Maria said, serving only five men in its six-month in-house program initially. But a doublewide trailer will later be added, which will expand the center’s patient load to 15, she said.
A Place of Restoration provides a healthy environment, biblical instruction, work opportunities and a family approach to treating addiction, Maria explained.
“Generally, addiction involves the man going out and making a mess of his life. He goes to treatment, but the wife is home,” she said. “In reality, she has become part of the (addiction) process, and she needs help too.”
A Place of Restoration will provide weekend classes for families.
Family Comedy Night is the first of many fundraisers planned to support the treatment facility. A golf tournament is in the works for November, and a banquet is slated for next year.
“We’re very excited about having Kerri Pomarolli and Ron McGehee coming to Houma,” Maria said. “Our center is Christian-oriented, and these two have a Christian emphasis in their act.
“This night should be fun for the entire family, and parents don’t have to worry about what may be said.”
From her observations about family quirks as a child – “Our family shampoo was Holiday Inn… It wasn’t just that my mother took the shampoo, she displayed it in the guest bathroom…” – to jokes about day-to-day experiences as a wife and mother, Kerri Pomarolli hits a familiar nerve onstage.
Her comedy routine, described by critics as “hilarious, yet inspirational,” includes strong messages of how she gave God control of her life and Hollywood career.
Hubby Ron keeps audiences laughing with stories about finding his life-mate, registering at “Bed, Bath & Beyond” only to discover “Beyond” had nothing to do with lasers and “Battlestar Gallactica,” and chiding from friends to dive into marriage.
“They’re clean and have a lot of energy onstage,” Maria said. After the show, the couple will be available at an autograph table in the civic center lobby.
For more information about the event or treatment center, call (985) 856-6697.
