The semifinals of the 37th annual Seattle International Comedy Competition will be held at Bainbridge Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19.

The competition started earlier this month and continues nightly at venues throughout the region until a winner is crowned on Sunday, Nov. 27 at Snoqualmie Casino. Featuring professional comedians from around the globe, it’s America’s biggest touring comedy festival: 26 days, 22 shows, 18 venues, 33 comedians – and more than $15,000 in cash prizes.

About 17 comedians took the stage in the two preliminary rounds, each one getting five minutes to impress. A combination of entertainment industry and celebrity judges and audience reaction determined who moves on when each performer’s five best scores were tallied. The top five comics from the preliminaries make the semifinals.

All semifinalists win some cash and get to compete for the title by performing for 10 minutes nightly in the next round of shows.

Finalists are announced at the last semifinal show – five comedians get to go big, and five get to go home. After two days to recover and plan, the final round begins on Nov. 22.

Follow the action online at www.seattlecomedycompetition.org or www.facebook.com/seattlecomedycompetition.

Tickets for the BPA show are one sale. The cost is $25 per person, and tickets can be purchased online at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, by phone at 206-842-8569 or in person at BPA (200 Madison Ave. North). The performance is not suitable for children.

Box office hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and one hour prior to each performance.