The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY

JAMESTOWN – After years of planning and construction, Wednesday, Aug. 1 is the day the National Comedy Center will open its doors to the public for the first time.

The multi-million dollar effort is opening in conjunction with the 2018 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which will feature a variety of events and activities beginning today and continuing over the next five days throughout the city.

NCC Executive Director Journey Gunderson recently told WRFA the opening is the culmination of countless hours of work and dedication from numerous stakeholders, starting with her staff at the NCC and the Lucy-Desi Center.

“They are a ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ type of staff. They give everything they have and there is no 9 to 5ers in the bunch. They work hard to get it done,” Gunderson said. “The board of directors has worked liked staff, rolling up their sleeves during the eight years of my tenure. Same thing for Tom Benson, the chairman. This isn’t just professional, it’s personal for him getting this done. Certainly we also want to acknowledge the support of the state, support of the federal government, the county and Andrew Nixon from the County Visitors Bureau, the chamber of commerce, and everyone else. We’ve had wonderful support.”

Highlighting this week’s activities are appearances by Amy Schumer, Lily Tomlin, Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman, Lewis Black, Lucie Arnaz, Fran Drescher, Alan Zweibel, W. Kamau Bell, Tom Cotter, and much more.

In addition, the NCC is offering timed-entry admission to the new attraction so that no visit during grand opening week is too crowded. First admissions to the National Comedy Center will begin daily at 9am today, and last admissions will take place at 5pm.

Highlighting Wednesday’s events is the opening of the NCC, along with a Stand-Up Showcase at the Reg Lenna featuring Lewis Black, W. Kamau Bell, Tom Cotter, Judy Gold, Hari Kondabolu, Kerri Louise and more.

In partnership with Chautauqua Institution, the National Comedy Center is also presenting a conversation with Lewis Black at the Hall of Philosophy today at 3:30pm.

Some events have sold out, but tickets do remain for others. To purchase tickets, call 484-2222 or go online to NationalComedyCenter.org.

The 2016 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival Headliners: Lewis Black, Trevor Noah, and Brian Regan.

JAMESTOWN – The 2016 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival headliners have been announced!

During a media conference Wednesday afternoon at the Jamestown Gateway Train Station (and future location of the National Comedy Center), Lucy-Desi Center executive director Journey Gunderson announced that comedians Lewis Black, Trevor Noah, and Brian Regan will be in Jamestown for this year’s festival, which will take place Aug. 4 through Aug. 7.

LEWIS BLACK

Black is a nationally recognized and award winning comedian known as the comedic king of the rant, skewering anything he sees—usually of the political variety. With the presidential election season expected to be in full swing this summer and fall, bring Black to Jamestown is a major coup for the comedy festival, said Gunderson.

This is actually Black’s return trip to Jamestown. He originally performed in the city during the early days of the Comedy Festival in the early 1990s when it was known as the Lucille Ball Festival of New Comedy. Black’s show will take place on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016.

TREVOR NOAH

South African-born Trevor Noah is an international stand-up comedian who in 2015 was named host of ‘The Daily Show,’ succeeding Jon Stewart. In 2012 Noah made his U.S. TV debut on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, becoming the first African comedian to appear on the program. The following year Noah had his own comedy special on Showtime, Trevor Noah: African American. And in late 2014, Noah landed yet another major gig, debuting as a correspondent for The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.

After Stewart announced in February 2015 that he would be leaving The Daily Show, it was revealed in March that Noah would be his replacement. Noah had appeared on the program three times previously. Noah will perform in Jamestown on Aug. 5, 2016.

BRIAN REGAN

Brian Regan is a comedic workhorse who spent 25 years touring and building his act. During that time he’s become a huge success just for being a stand-up without ever branching off into sitcoms or movies. He primarily works clean, making his comedy accessible to all audiences, and specializes in observational comedy, commenting on shared experiences and questioning behavior and language. Regan’s high-energy delivery and tendency to push a joke to its breaking point could be seen as an influence on Dane Cook. Regan will be in Jamestown on Aug. 6, 2016.

Lucy-Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson, announcing the 2016 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival headliners during a media conference Wednesday, April 13, 2016.

OTHER EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

In addition to the headliners, dozens of other events, activities and attractions will be taking place, including five separate late-night comedy shows featuring the best up-and-coming comedians from around the country.

Two special events seen only in Jamestown and recorded for the National Comedy Center archives will also take place this summer. One will be a look at the string of cinematic comedy movies directed by the Farrelly Brothers (Dumb and Dumber; There’s Something About Mary; Me, Myself and Irene), and will feature both Peter and Bobby Farrelly.

A roundtable discussion on the comedic influence of Lenny Bruce, George Carlin and Richard Pryor will also take place, featuring the children of those legendary comedians discussing their impact on the world of standup comedy.

Lucy Arnaz announced she will move the entire collection of Lucille Ball’s estate memorabilia to Jamestown this summer, where it will remain and where it will be exhibited at the Dykeman-Young Gallery in August, where it will be show in celebration of I Love Lucy’s 65th anniversary.

Gunderson announced that NBC’s cozy TV will also return to conduct a contest for the next great comic of the United States, with the prize being a spot to perform in Jamestown during the Comedy Festival.

There will also be the return of the Story Pirates program, comedy classes, and a variety of other events happening during the weekend with details to be posted at the Comedy Festival’s website.

Tickets for all festival events go on sale later this month at www.lucycomedyfest.com.

Lucy – Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson (left) and Board President Tom Benson stand next to a poster announcing Jay Leno as the headline act for the 2014 Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy.

(LISTEN TO INTERVIEW WITH LUCY-DESI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOURNEY GUNDERSON)

JAMESTOWN – The finishing touches are being made for this year’s Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which begins on Wednesday and continues through the remainder of the week and on into the weekend.

Highlighting the 2014 festival will be a sold out stand up performance by late nigh TV legend Jay Leno, along with an opening musical performance by Lucie Arnaz. Also on hand will be stand up comedian and Last Comic Standing Runner Up Tom Cotter, Comedian and actress Caroline Rhea, along with more than a dozen other comedians and entertainers and over 50 scheduled events.

According to Lucille Ball – Desi Arnaz Center Director and event organizer Journey Gunderson, the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is the first in a four-pillar vision for the Lucy Desi Museum & Center for Comedy, including a comedic arts education program, a comedy film festival and the establishment of the first National Comedy Center.

For more information on the Lucy Desi Museum & Center for Comedy or the National Comedy Center, Inc., visit Lucy-Desi.com.  To purchase tickets to comedy festival events, visit LucyComedyFest.com or call (716) 484-0800.

Lucy – Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson (left) and Board President Tom Benson stand next to a poster announcing Jay Leno as the headline act for the 2014 Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy.

JAMESTOWN, NY – The Jay Leno performance, with featured musical guest Lucie Arnaz, set for Aug. 9 during the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival has sold out.

With tickets going on sale on April 18 and selling out in three weeks, it’s now the fastest headline show to sell out in Lucille Ball Comedy Festival history. The performance, taking place at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena, will also feature a pre-show and post-show party outside the Arena featuring live bands, beer, wine, classic cars and more.

Although tickets to the Jay Leno show are sold out, tickets are still available for over 50 other events taking place during the festival August 6-10, including performances by comedians Tom Cotter, who recently became the first comedian to reach the finals of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, and a Stand-Up Showcase featuring Caroline Rhea at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. To purchase festival tickets, contact the Lucy Desi Museum box office at (716)484-0800 or visit online at www.lucycomedyfest.com.

Jay Leno, just stepping down this year from two decades of ratings domination as host of The Tonight Show, will be performing in front of a sold-out audience in Jamestown on August 9th. Leno is an acclaimed TV late night show host, admired stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist.

Lucie Arnaz will return to the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival as the featured musical guest during Jay Leno’s performance on August 9th. Arnaz has had an extremely diversified career spanning over 45 years in show business, and has achieved success wearing the hats of producer, singer, actor and director. In 2012, Arnaz performed at the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival as a musical guest during the “Comics to Watch” showcase featuring Baron Vaughn, Tony Deyo, and Tammy Pescatelli.

Tom Cotter, who will be performing at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts on Aug. 8, recently became the first comedian to ever reach the finals of NBC’s America’s Got Talent and his runner-up finish on the show has catapulted him to the comedic stratosphere. Before America’s Got Talent, Cotter won the Seattle International Comedy Competition, the grand prize at the Boston Comedy Festival and was voted “Best Stand-Up” at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival.

On the evening of Aug. 7, the Lucy Desi Museum & Center for Comedy will bring back the popular Stand-Up Showcase back to the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, featuring some of the hottest rising comedians in the industry. Comedian Caroline Rhea, who starred in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and former host of The Biggest Loser, will host and perform during the showcase. Past festivals have featured then-rising comedians such as Ellen DeGeneres, Ray Romano, and Lewis Black, and this showcase aims to catch comics on a similar rise to the top.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is the first pillar in a four-pillar Legacy of Laughter vision for the Lucy Desi Museum & Center for Comedy, including a comedic arts education program, a comedy film festival and the establishment of the first National Comedy Center. Lucille Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, NY honors the legacy of “The First Couple of Comedy” with the Lucy Desi Museum & Center for Comedy. The museum attraction is open seven days a week, and features replica sets, Lucille Ball’s Emmy awards, costumes, rare memorabilia, and much more.

Tripling in size in 2006, the mission of the museum and center for comedy is to preserve the legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and enrich the world through the healing powers of love and laughter through its commitment to the development of the comedic arts. For additional information on the Lucy Desi Museum & Center for Comedy, as well as its online gift shop, visit www.lucy-desi.com.

Lucy – Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson (left) and Board President Tom Benson stand next to a poster announcing Jay Leno as the headline act for the 2014 Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy.

JAMESTOWN – One of the top names in television entertainment the past two decades will be coming to Jamestown this summer.

Officials with the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy in Jamestown announced Wednesday afternoon that long-time late night television host and comedian Jay Leno will be appearing in Jamestown as part of the 2014 Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy. Leno will appear at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena on Saturday, Aug. 9. In addition, the evening will feature a musical performance by Emmy Award-winning Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of the late Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

Following the announcement, Lucy Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said it was a lot of hard work and effort by her organization to land Leno, but they are thrilled that it paid off.

“In the context of our larger vision to establish Jamestown as the home of the national comedy center, the timing is perfect to have a legend who dominated the ratings in the late-night spot for more than two decades,” Gunderson explained.  “He’s already cemented his place in our culture’s history and nothing he does from this day forward will change than. He’ll be a Carson-esque figure that’s celebrated forever and we intend to celebrate him here.”

Gunderson said that the idea to book Leno began during a Lucy Desi Center board meeting when the discussion turned to late night TV and the announcement by Leno that he would be retiring in February 2014.

“We talk a lot about comedy and we talked about Jimmy Falon taking over [The Tonight Show] and Jay Leno stepping down and that’s was the moment when we all looked at each other and said ‘Wait a minute. I wonder what Jay Leno will be doing in August now?’ And the rest was just a whole lot of fun calls, waiting and history.”

Leno’s Saturday night show is only part of the five-day festival that begins Aug. 6 and continues through Aug. 10. Other attractions for the festival include comedian Tom Cotter (Past runer-up for America’s Got Talent), who will appear Friday, Aug. 8 and also a Comics to Watch showcase hosted by Caroline Rhea, taking place on Aug. 7. Both events will take place at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. In Keeping with past tradition, the Thursday night show will also be free to all veterans and currently serving military service men and women.

The festival will also have a variety of other events and attractions throughout the downtown focusing on comedy as well as celebrating the legacy of Jamestown native Lucille Ball. Gunderson said that many of the activities will be done in concert with local organizations, businesses and residents, adding that she wanted to make sure that as much of the community as possible is involved with the Comedy Festival.

“This festival and our work at the Lucy Desi Center, we’re just stewards of this legacy,” Gunderson said. “The whole idea is to benefit this community and honor our mission. So if we were just to try and operate in a silo, that would never go either.”

COMEDY CENTER UPDATE

A conceptual drawing of what the future National Comedy Center on W. Second St., Jamestown may look like once completed.

Prior to the announcement of who this year’s headliners would be, Gunderson and Lucy-Desi Center board president Tom Benson spent some time discussing the proposed National Comedy Center. The center will be located on W. 2nd St. just to the west of Washington St.

According to Benson, the facility portion of the comedy center is still in the design phases, but development of a public park, which will connect the center to the adjacent river walk area, will begin in the next few weeks with a ribbon cutting tentatively scheduled to take place during the Comedy Festival in August.

Benson says much of the comedy center and connecting riverwalk project is being funded by local and regional foundations, including the Gebbie Foundation and the Oishei Foundation, based out of Buffalo.

Pre-sale tickets for the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival will begin going on sale to museum members, sponsors and supporters on Friday, April 11 at noon EST and can be purchased by visiting www.lucycomedyfest.com. Tickets for the general public will go on sale on April 18 at noon EST.

Lucy Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson (left) and Board President Tom Benson stand next to a poster announcing Jay Leno as the headline act for the 2014 Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy.

JAMESTOWN – One of the top names in television entertainment the past two decades will be coming to Jamestown this summer.

Officials with the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy in Jamestown announced Wednesday afternoon that long-time late night television host Jay Leno will be appearing in Jamestown as part of the 2014 Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy. Leno will appear at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena on Saturday, Aug. 9. In addition, the evening will feature a musical performance by Emmy Award-winning Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of the late Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

The Saturday night show is only part of the five-day festival that begins Aug. 6 and continues through Aug. 10. Other attractions for the festival include comedian Tom Cotter, who will appear Friday, Aug. 8 and also a Comics to Watch showcase hosted by Caroline Rhea, taking place on Aug. 7. Both events will take place at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.

Lucy Desi executive director Journey Gunderson addresses the audience during a media conference on Wednesday, April 9.

The festival will also have a variety of other events and attractions throughout the downtown focusing on comedy as well as celebrating the legacy of Jamestown Native Lucille Ball.

Pre-sale tickets for the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival will begin going on sale to museum members, sponsors and supporters on Friday, April 11 at noon EST and can be purchased by visiting www.lucycomedyfest.com. Tickets for the general public will go on sale on April 18 at noon EST.

During Monday night’s Jamestown City Council work session, Lucy-Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson and Board President Tom Benson gave the city council an update on the success of the 2012 Comedy Festival, along with how the organization would like to proceed with future events and the creation of a comedy hall of fame in Jamestown.

Benson said right now, the organization is looking into possibly establishing the Hall of Fame in the renovated Erie-Lackawanna Train Station and is getting local support, including interest from two area foundations. In addition, Benson said the organization has also received the support of Luci Arnaz and other potential stakeholders in creating the Comedy Hall of Fame. Benson added, though, that the organization would like to see further support from the city, including financial support to help keep the event and hall of fame project moving forward. He said while he didn’t want to get into specific details, he was hoping the presentation would initiate further discussion between the Lucy-Desi center and the city.

According to a recent study, the Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy had a $3.6 million dollar impact on the local economy in 201l and officials believe the event had a similar impact this year.

WRFA will present the full presentation from both Gunderson and Benson this Thursday night at 6 p.m. during our Community Matters program.

On Saturday,  an event for children will take place with the return of the Story Pirates. The Story Pirates, who recently appeared on stage with Conan O’Brien, are a critically acclaimed arts and creative writing organization formed to celebrate the words and ideas of young people, to promote literacy as a vital part of education, and to preserve the spark of youthful creativity.  The Pirates will perform Saturday  at 11 a.m.

And on Saturday night, the festival will conclude with a performance by headliner Bill Gardell – a stand up comedian from Pittsburgh who also stars in the CBS Sit-com “Mike and Molly.”

All three shows will take place at the Reg Lenna Civic Center. Tickets are still available at LucyComedyFest.com or by phone at (716) 484-0800.

WRFA’s Jason Sample recently spoke with Lucy-Desi Executive Director Journey Gunderson to get a preview of this year’s festival.

• LISTEN TO WRFA INTERVIEW WITH JOURNEY GUNDERSON

Some of the events scheduled for today include tours of the area and various Lucy attractions, provided by the Lucy Town Tour Bus, a luncheon at the Tropicana Room at teh Lucy Museum, and an event entitled Lucy 101 & Being Fred Mertz – featuring comedians Bill Chott and T. Faye Griffen. Several comedic workshops will also take place later this week.

Other events planned for later this week include an appearance from nationally known actor, standup comedian and Pittsburgh native Billy Gardell (Saturday at the Reg Lenna), who stars in the CBS sit-com “Mike and Molly.” Also Returning from last year’s event is comedienne Paula Poundstone (Thursday at the Reg Lenna), who serves as a panelist on NPR’s popular Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, program and who was also named one of Comedy Central’s 100 greatest comedians of all-time. And stand up comedienne Tammy Pescatelli will be joining this year’s line-up as one of several performer taking part in the Stand-Up Showcase (Friday at the Reg Lenna). In addition, Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, will be the host and musical guest of the showcase.

Tickets are still available for all three main events as well as many others. To purchase ticket or for more information, visit www.LucyComedyFest.com.

The new audio guide tours, which will be narrated by Lucie Arnaz, were made possible thanks to a grant from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, matching funds from the Lucy Desi Center, and the generous collaborative production efforts of Desilu, Too and exhibit designer David Weiss.  

The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum and Desilu Studios are open 7 days a week, Monday – Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-4pm.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, or “Lucy Fest,” runs August 1st-5th and features performances by Paula Poundstone, Lucie Arnaz, Story Pirates, Billy Gardell from CBS’s Mike & Molly, and much more. Visit www.LucyComedyFest.com for more information and tickets.