Originally airing Friday, Aug. 2, 2019
WRFA’s Jason Sample talks with Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center shares details about the 2019 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, happening in Jamestown from Wednesday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 11. More details on all events for the 2019 Comedy Festival, including ticket info, is available at www.ComedyCenter.org.
The NCC’s 2019 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is expected to be the biggest ever — never before has the festival scheduled four headliner shows to take place over two days at Jamestown’s Northwest Arena, which is adjacent to the 37,000-square-foot National Comedy Center museum complex that opened one year ago.
Headliners for this year’s festival are nationally known comedians John Mulaney and Sebastian Maniscalco.
Mulaney hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this year to rave reviews and high ratings. He began writing for Saturday Night Live in 2008, where he also appeared as a “Weekend Update“ correspondent and co-created memorable characters. He has spent the past year touring the United States with his most recent show, “Kid Gorgeous,” which was released as a Netflix original special last year and won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety Special.
Maniscalco has been called “one of the funniest comedians working stand-up today,” by Esquire Magazine, “one of the hottest comics,” by Newsday and “the comedian’s comedian” by People Magazine. He broke records in January with four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, selling the most tickets in a weekend for any comedy engagement in the history of the Garden. In 2018, Maniscalco broke similar comedy box-office records for Radio City Music Hall.
Additional Lucille Ball Comedy Festival events, including more than five comedy showcases, Late Night Comedy events, National Comedy Center Dialogues, and Lucy legacy events can be found at www.ComedyCenter.org.
The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is presented by the National Comedy Center and embodies Lucille Ball’s vision for her hometown — Jamestown, New York, to be a destination for the celebration of the comedic arts and to showcase new comedic talent from around the country. The festival attracts more than 10,000 attendees annually from nearly every state in the country, who come together to share laughter while honoring the craft and contributors on stage at dozens of venues throughout Jamestown, including the National Comedy Center and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum.
About the National Comedy Center
The National Comedy Center is the United States’ official cultural institution dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations, as formally designated by the U.S. Congress in 2019. The NCC was recently voted #2 “Best New Attraction” in the country, out of 20 new attractions, by USA Today readers, and chosen as the #1 museum and #1 ticketed attraction in this USA Today poll.
Journey Gunderson
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