Comedian Paul Morrissey talks with WRFA’s Anthony Merchant about his upcoming album taping at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY, the unlikely dreams of being a comedian while growing up in Upstate New York, getting bumped by Regis Philbin on David Letterman, how a broadcasting background helped Paul in his transition to comedy and much more

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Tickets for Paul’s upcoming Jamestown performances –tickets.comedycenter.org/ActivityBooking.aspx 

The 2015 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival starts Thursday and will continue through Sunday with dozens of events and activities directly – and indirectly – involved with the festival.

Lucy Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson, who oversees the annual event, says that in addition to the festival events, this year will also feature the groundbreaking of the $40 million dollar National Comedy Center.

“With this coming Saturday, Aug. 1, we’re entering groundbreaking phase,” Gunderson said. “As for when the attraction will open, there’s so many moving parts that the reality is that it would be silly for us to say that we know for sure that there is one certain date that we can open. In addition to fabricating all of the exhibits, it’s also about securing all the content needed to populate those exhibits.”

• Listen to Complete Gunderson Interview

An artist’s rendering of the proposed National Comedy Center in downtown Jamestown.

Gunderson says officials involved with the comedy center are hoping it will be ready to open between late 2016 and the summer of 2017.

Meanwhile, the groundbreaking event will take place Saturday at 2 p.m. at the southwest corner of W. Second and Washington Streets and is open to the public.

As for the 2015 festival, thousands of people are expected to attend the various events – which features a variety of special guests and big name performers including Jerry Seinfeld, Nick Offerman, Regis Philbin, Melissa Rivers, Kelly Carlin, and several rising stars of stand-up comedy – along with numerous other special guests throughout the four days.

There will also be plenty of events celebrating the life and legacy of Lucille Ball, the television icon who was born in Jamestown.

During an interview earlier this month on WRFA, Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi talked about the impact Lucy’s legacy and the festival has on the community and regional economy.

“There’s a couple of words that I have for the comedy festival, the first word being ‘huge.’ It’s huge!'” Teresi said. “Another word I would say is significant and growing significance. From its humble beginnings a number of years ago, and it’s had its ups and down, this festival has exploded in recent years.”

Officials estimate the comedy festival has an annual economic impact of $4 million to the local economy.

A complete rundown of all the events of this week’s Lucille Ball Comedy Festival – including Thursday’s events which feature a roundtable discussion on David Letterman hosted by Regis Philbin, along with a stand up comedy showcase tonight at the Reg Lenna – can be found online at LucyComedyFest.com or by calling (716) 484-0800.

That’s according to Lucy-Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson, who spoke with WRFA Thursday afternoon to provide an update not only on all of this year’s Lucy Fest activities, but also on the effort to build the $40 million National Comedy Center.

Gunderson said a ground breaking for the NCC is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 at the corner of Washington and Second Streets, with several officials and special guests expected to be on hand.

“At this point Melissa Rivers is going to attend, she’s a star in her own right and her late mother Joan Rivers is a comedic icon who performed here in 2011. We’ll also have two of the adult children of Harold Ramis. We’re also going to have Kelly Carlin – her father was George Carlin,” Gunderson said, adding that several other special guests will also be on hand and she’s encouraging the community and festival goers to stop by for the ground breaking.

The actual Comedy Festival could very well be the most ambitious one held so far in Jamestown.

Regis Philbin will be in Jamestown July 30, 2015 to lead a panel discussion focusing on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Much has already been said about the featured headliner of the festival, Jerry Seinfeld, who will perform two sold out shows Saturday night, Aug 1. But in addition, there are more than a dozen other live entertainment events schedule. The latest being a panel discussion on legacy of David Letterman and his late night TV programs. That panel will be led by none other than Regis Philbin, a TV icon in his own right.

“He’s appreciated across generations, which is sometimes rare in entertainment,” Gunderson said. “But one reason he’s the perfect moderator to this panel is that he was on Late Night and the Late Show with David Letterman more than anyone else in history. During Dave’s 30-plus year career, it was 150-some appearances that Regis Philbin made.”

Other highlights of the 2015 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival include comedian and actor Nick Offerman, best known for his role on the hit TV show Parks and Recreation; the one woman show A Carlin Home Companion, featuring Kelly Carlin – daughter of George Carlin; a Comedy Legacies panel; A Stand Up Showcase featuring up and coming comedians; the Free Kids show from the Story Time Pirates and much, much more.

For more information about the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and all associated events you can visit LucyComedyFest.com.

Journey Gunderson will also be our guest this week during our Arts on Fire program at 5 p.m. Friday with an encore at 2 p.m. Sunday. During the interview she’ll give us a complete rundown of what to expect for this years event – which again runs from July 30 to Aug. 2.

Regis Philbin will be in Jamestown July 30, 2015 to lead a panel discussion focusing on The Late Show with David Letterman.

JAMESTOWN – To celebrate the groundbreaking of the National Comedy Center, Regis Philbin will moderate a panel of producers, writers and crew from David Letterman’s Late Show and Late Night.

“David Letterman – Behind The Scenes Of Late Night’s Longest Running Broadcaster” will take place on Thursday, July 30 at the Willow Bay Theater in Jamestown, NY as part of the 2015 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.

This will be the first time since David Letterman’s retirement that the group will discuss how they helped craft Letterman’s shows for the last 33 years.

“This event embodies the spirit of the National Comedy Center, and we’re thrilled to host Regis Philbin and these major influencers of comedy,” said Executive Director, Journey Gunderson.

With one hundred and fifty appearances on Late Night/Late Show, Regis Philbin holds the record as the most frequent Letterman guest.  Philbin took part in countless comedy bits on the show and his banter with Letterman was legendary. Over the last five decades, Regis has hosted numerous shows, including: Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, Live with Regis and Kelly, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and The Regis Philbin Show.

The panelists for the evening are: Barbara Gaines (Executive Producer/Associate Producer Late Show/Late Night), Jerry Foley (Director/Supervising Producer/Technical Director Late Show/Late Night), Steve O’Donnell (Head Writer/Writer Late Night/Late Show), Steve Young (Head Monologue Writer/Writer Late Show/Late Night), and Biff Henderson (Stage Manager Late Show/Late Night). Gaines and Foley were each nominated in the 2015 Emmy Awards announcement last week.

Tickets are on sale at www.lucycomedyfest.com or 716.484.0800.

The National Comedy Center is a new $40 million attraction that will celebrate comedy: the craft and its greatest contributors. The groundbreaking ceremony takes place Saturday, August 1 in Jamestown as part of the 2015 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. The weekend also includes Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa Rivers, Nick Offerman, Kelly Carlin, the family of Harold Ramis, the critically-acclaimed kids comedy troupe Story Pirates, showcases including Joe Machi, Andy Hendrickson, Michelle Wolf, Michael Palascak, Jon Rineman, Paul Morrissey, and more than 40 events in four days.

About the National Comedy Center: The 501(c)(3) non-profit National Comedy Center visitor experience is being designed by world-renown creative firms:  Jack Rouse Associates, and interactive specialist Local Projects, which just completed work on the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Project feasibility and economic forecasting was provided by AECOM.

In December, the National Comedy Center (NCC) project in Jamestown, NY was awarded $1.5 million by New York State Empire State Development and Governor Andrew Cuomo, making it a partner of the I Love New York campaign.  The $1.5 million in state funds will help complete the NCC’s vision for the first national attraction complex dedicated to the art of comedy in the United States.  For more information visit www.NationalComedyCenter.org.

About the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival: America’s premier comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, will be performing his signature stand-up routine during the 2015 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival on Saturday, August 1, 2015 at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena. Past festival headliners have included Jay Leno, Joan Rivers, Bob Newhart, Lewis Black, Ray Romano, Ellen Degeneres and more.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is proudly sponsored by Northwest Savings Bank, Southern Tier Builders Association, Seneca Gaming, Buffamante Whipple Buttafaro P.C., Shults Auto Group, Key Bank and many more at www.lucycomedyfest.com. Time Warner Cable News is a television media sponsor.