Award Winning Comedian And Filmmaker Don Barnhart Jr Returns Home To Las Vegas And Will Perform At The Infamous Improv Comedy Club April 29 - May 4th, 2008

Creator and host of the syndicated comedy series, The Freedom of Speech Comedy Show and writer/director/star of the indie film China Dolls Don Barnhart Jr to perform at The Improv Comedy Club at Harrah's Hotel in Las Vegas, NV April 29 - May 4, 2008 End Quote

"One of the best working comedians today"

Las Vegas, NV-AZ (1888PressRelease) April 14, 2008 - In one of his few club appearances this year, award winning comedian, actor, writer and director Don Barnhart Jr will return home to Las Vegas to perform at the Infamous Improv Comedy Club at Harrah's Hotel April 24-May 4, 2008.

Barnhart was the winner of the 2007 American Idol Underground's Comedy Contest and is the creator and host of the new syndicated comedy series, The Freedom of Speech Comedy Show with is set to start airing throughout Southern California in May with air dates scheduled for Las Vegas shortly thereafter.

Don is also the writer, director and star of the independent feature film China Dolls which will unveil in Cannes during the worldwide film festival later in May. The film is currently hitting the festival circuit seeking distribution but the writer/director and producer also chose to try alternative distribution methods. In a unique twist, Don and his producing partner, co-star and wife Linda Vu have also released the DVD and digital download of the movie on their website: www.ChinaDollsMovie.com

China Dolls had been shopped around Hollywood but Barnhart turned down several lucrative offers along the way opting to keep creative control over the project. It was then that he and his wife decided to produce the film themselves putting in their own money with the belief that the film would find an audience and it already has.

With the power of the internet, Barnhart and Vu's pre-release of the DVD and download of the movie have already gotten them a return on the original investment. “We bypassed the studios altogether and decided to test the power of the internet and were shocked by the huge response” added Vu, “We first put the preview up on our myspace page and that drove people to our official web site where they could order the pre-release DVD or download the movie and in the first month we got just over 100,000 hits on ChinaDollsMovie.com we were blown away at the response with the DVD selling for $19.95 and the mp4 download selling at $4.99”.

Barnhart and Vu are currently in pre-production on a horror film, Morgue with plans to shoot in and around Las Vegas later this year and Don is putting the final touches on a new comedy film, Freeloader that is also in development.

Don recently completed another Comics On Duty World Tour entertaining the troops overseas. He has been performing for the troops since 1992. "I feel we all have a part to play. Some people fly the fighter jets, some scub the decks. My job is to keep them happy so they can get back to their job a bit more refreshed, finish up and come home safe to their families", said Barnhart from a phone interview. "The men and women serving our country really need the moral support from all of us and when we come over there to perform, it brings a piece of home. It means more than you can even imagine".

It was a unique twist of fate that Barnhart even started doing comedy as he went to join the Air Force but it was a holiday and the recruiting offices were closed. "I stopped by the comedy club in my hometown of Hermosa Beach and saw that they needed a doorman so I applied there and got a job and made a promise to myself then that if I ever made a living doing comedy I would put something back and perform for our troops", added Don.

Within a few years Don Barnhart had become the clubs house emcee, manager and talent agent. It was there he developed his unique laid back style working with and alongside Vegas greats and regulars, George Wallace, Louie Anderson, Robin William, Dennis Miller, David Spade, Bobby Slayton, Lewis Black, Kozak, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, and many more.

Barnhart added, "They all encouraged me to go for it and if you want to get great you've got to get out there and hit the road." Don took that to heart and since then has been performing an average of 250 plus days a year on the road headlining the top clubs and venues across the country and around the world.

Don's new comedy DVD and CD are already getting great airplay on XM and Sirius and are currently selling on his webistes along with Amazon.com

For more information/video clips and press interviews:
www.DonBarnhart.com
www.LindaVuArtist.com
www.ChinaDollsMovie.com
www.myspace.com/freedomofspeechshow
www.TheChucklehut.com
702-449-1763

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