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Jenkinson.
Despite being one of our busiest local entertainers, the musically inclined comedian's early involvement in the festival was limited to a few minor behind-the-scenes roles.
He wasn't considered ready for a mainstage showcase, but a last-minute dropout led to Jenkinson being pressed into service in the 2003 event's U.S.-themed Sleeping with the Elephant gala.
He seized the moment, and brought the house down.
And as if by magic, doors began to open. This year, Jenkinson is a featured performer in tonight's fest-closing CBC Gala, has appeared in the Best of the Fest shows at the King's Head Pub and has been deeply involved in writing material for hosts of some of the other gala shows, including Man Alive! host Peter Keleghan and CBC Gala host
Jessica Holmes.
"When that (2003 show) went really well, it led to a lot of work with CBC on a national level, including writing for a show called What a Week and appearing on a comedy special CBC did with PBS called The Strategic Humor Initiative," he said. "It all came directly out of that. I guess it just shows that if you put the puck in the net, things can happen."
In addition to contributing weekly song-styled commentaries on current events to CBC's local TV and radio programs, Jenkinson also has a comedian's dream day job, working for the public broadcaster's recently formed "Content Factory," which provides comedy material for numerous shows coast to coast.
"It's a great local success story," said festival artistic director Al Rae. "Based on him stepping in to replace a performer on one of the commissioned shows, Dean has since developed a very strong relationship with CBC and Just For Laughs and is now the head writer on two Just For Laughs/CBC Television specials. From a buy-in point of view, the reason Dean got these opportunities is because of his success at the festival."
Jenkinson was quick to point out that there's an element of luck, or at least being in the right place at the right time when the...