JAMESTOWN – The National Comedy Center has added a program with Emmy Award-winning actress Debra Messing to its lineup for the final week of its Lucille Ball Virtual Comedy Festival.

The final weekend will feature Jimmy Fallon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Aidy Bryant, Gilbert Gottfried, Lolly Adefope, Kate Flannery, Paula Poundstone, Lewis Black and more, in a festival that has featured Tiffany Haddish, Jay Leno, Margaret Cho and many others. Programs stream online from Friday, August 28 through Sunday, August 30. The Debra Messing conversation will stream on Thursday, September 3rd at 8 pm ET.

Hosted by author comedian, actor and journalist Frank DeCaro, the National Comedy Center conversation with Debra Messing will explore her work in comedy and discuss comedy legend Lucille Ball, who was a major influence on Messing’s career. One of the last episodes of Will & Grace this past April was a tribute to I Love Lucy entitled “We Love Lucy,” in which Messing portrayed beloved I Love Lucy characters Lucy Ricardo, Ethel Mertz and Fred Mertz. The episode was recently nominated for three Emmy Awards.

Debra Messing

Best known for her role as Grace in NBC’s Emmy Award-winning comedy Will & Grace, Messing captivated television audiences worldwide for eleven seasons spanning 22 years with her comedic brilliance as Grace Adler, an interior designer whose best friend and soul mate is Will Truman, played by Eric McCormack. For her work on the popular sitcom, which ended its three-season return engagement this past May, Messing won the 2003 Emmy Award, has earned a total of seven Golden Globe nominations, seven Screen Actors Guild nominations, winning the ensemble award in 2001, five additional Emmy nominations, two American Comedy Award nominations and one individual People’s Choice Award nomination. She also received TV Guide’s Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series honor in 2001.

The Sunday night, August 30, the virtual festival will also recognize founding National Comedy Center Advisory Board Member and comedy legend Carl Reiner, who passed away just eight weeks ago, by featuring a long-form interview with exclusive, never-before-seen footage with Reiner directly from the Comedy Center Archives. The program will be hosted by fellow National Comedy Center Advisory Board Member Paula Poundstone and executive producer of exhibit media for the National Comedy Center, Stephen J. Morrison.

For the past two weeks, the National Comedy Center’s Lucille Ball Virtual Comedy Festival has featured over 30 artists in all-new, candid, in-depth conversations about their work, careers, influences and the art of comedy, including Lolly Adefope, Lewis Black, Aidy Bryant, Kelly Carlin, Margaret Cho, Frank DeCaro, Anna Drezen, Ophira Eisenberg, Bill Engvall, Jimmy Fallon, Kate Flannery, Wayne Federman, Judy Gold, Gilbert Gottfried, Harrison Greenbaum, Tiffany Haddish, Sam Jay, Penn Jillette, Jay Leno, Howie Mandel, Charles McBee, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Flame Monroe, Paula Poundstone, Mark Russell, Dulce Sloan, Kenan Thompson, Roy Wood, Jr., Rutledge Wood, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Alan Zweibel, and legendary creative team members from Mad Magazine.

All programs will be available free online via live stream at the National Comedy Center’s new online platform, National Comedy Center Anywhere, at ComedyCenter.org/Festival as well as on the National Comedy Center’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/NationalComedyCenter. Following each live stream, these programs will remain available for free, on-demand viewing on the National Comedy Center Anywhere platform.

The non-profit National Comedy Center encourages donations to support the museum and the Center’s mission of presenting the vital story of comedy in America, preserving its heritage for future generations. Visit ComedyCenter.org/Donate.

Full Schedule and list of talent participating includes:

Friday, August 28th:

8pm ET – Mark Russell: Hosted by Lewis Black – Legendary political satirist and comedian Mark Russell takes on current events for the National Comedy Center with a performance of new musical parodies, plus a discussion of his career and legacy.
9pm ET – Aidy Bryant & Lolly Adefope: Hosted by Anna Drezen – Actress, comedian and SNL cast member Aidy Bryant and her “Shrill” co-star Lolly Adefope in conversation with comedian, actor and SNL writer Anna Drezen.
10pm ET – Gilbert Gottfried with special guest Penn Jillette: Hosted by Harrison Greenbaum – Voice actor and stand-up comedian Gilbert Gottfried sits down virtually with comedian Harrison Greenbaum to talk about his unique voice, crude humor, and the many aspects that go into telling a joke in this National Comedy Center Conversation. Special guest Penn Jillette joins the conversation.

Saturday, August 29th:

8pm ET – “Weird Al” Yankovic: Hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Lin-Manuel Miranda –  Singer/songwriter/producer “Weird Al” in conversation about his work, creative process and influences with The Tonight Show host and comedian Jimmy Fallon and composer/lyricist/producer/playwright/actor, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
9pm ET – Kate Flannery: Hosted by Ophira Eisenberg – Comedic actress Kate Flannery, best known for her work on The Office, reflects on her acting career and the 15th anniversary of the popular TV series in a National Comedy Center Conversation with comedian and NPR host Ophira Eisenberg.

Sunday, August 30th:

8pm ET – Carl Reiner Interview from the Archives: Hosted by Paula Poundstone and Stephen J. Morrison – An interview with comedy legend and founding National Comedy Center Advisory Board Member Carl Reiner from the Comedy Center Archives, featuring never-before-seen interview footage, plus a discussion about Carl Reiner’s genius with comedian Paula Poundstone and producer Stephen J. Morrison.
Thursday, September 3rd:
8pm ET – Debra Messing: Hosted by Frank DeCaro – An interview with Emmy Award-winner Debra Messing in conversation about her work and career, the art of comedy, and comedy legend Lucille Ball as a major influence on Messing throughout her career.

Now available for viewing on demand at ComedyCenter.org/Festival:

• Jay Leno – Hosted by Stephen J. Morrison (Part 1 and 2) – Legendary comedian Jay Leno discusses his extensive career in stand-up, writing and late-night television in a conversation with Stephen J. Morrison, Executive Producer of Exhibit Media for the National Comedy Center.
• Tiffany Haddish – Hosted by Flame Monroe – Actress, comedian, author, Emmy Award-winner, and two-time 2020 Emmy-nominee Tiffany Haddish discusses her work and process with comedian Flame Monroe on the Emmy-nominated Netflix variety special Tiffany Haddish Presents; They Ready, “Flame Monroe” as well as her personal nomination for Outstanding Variety Special for Netflix special Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah.
• Margaret Cho – Hosted by Judy Gold – Margaret Cho candidly discusses her craft and comedy’s vital role in issues of social justice and equality with comedian Judy Gold in this National Comedy Center Conversation.
• Roy Wood Jr. – Hosted by Wayne Federman – Roy Wood Jr. speaks about his multifaceted comedy career, including his experiences as a correspondent on The Daily Show, in a conversation hosted by comedian Wayne Federman for the National Comedy Center.
• Kenan Thompson – Hosted by Stephen J. Morrison – Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson, the longest-tenured cast member in SNL history and 2020 Emmy-nominee discusses comedy with Stephen J. Morrison
• Sam Jay – Hosted by Harrison Greenbaum – Sam Jay, stand-up comedian and Emmy-nominated writer for Saturday Night Live, discusses her creative process and new Netflix special, “3 In The Morning,” with comedian Harrison Greenbaum in a National Comedy Center Conversation.
• Bill Engvall – Hosted by Rutledge Wood – Comedian Bill Engvall discusses finding his unique comedic voice and the phenomenon of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour in a National Comedy Center Conversation hosted by Floor is Lava’s Rutledge Wood.
• Howie Mandel – Hosted by Harrison Greenbaum – Comedian, host and producer Howie Mandel discusses his vast career and his “say yes” philosophy with comedian Harrison Greenbaum in an exclusive National Comedy Center Conversation.
• Dulcé Sloan – Hosted by Charles McBee – Join stand-up comedian Dulcé Sloan and The Daily Show correspondent as she discusses her career and the importance of Black artistry in a National Comedy Center conversation with her former comedy collaborator, Charles McBee.
• Judy Gold – Hosted by Frank DeCaro – Judy Gold discusses her craft and the importance of comedy during these trying times with comedian and author Frank DeCaro in a conversation for the National Comedy Center.
• Alan Zweibel – Hosted by Kelly Carlin – Original Saturday Night Live writer and five-time Emmy winner Alan Zweibel discussed his new memoir, Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier, and his nearly five decades as an award-winning comedy writer with writer/producer/actress/radio host Kelly Carlin, the daughter of George Carlin.
• Mad Magazine – Hosted by Harrison Greenbaum – Legendary creative team members from Mad Magazine, including John Ficarra (former Editor-in-Chief), Joe Raiola (former Senior editor) and Sam Viviano (former Art Director) join in a National Comedy Center conversation with comedian Harrison Greenbaum to talk about the impact of comics, comedy for print, and the transition to becoming a digital humor magazine.

• RELATED: ARTS ON FIRE PREVIEW INTERVIEW WITH PAULA POUNDSTONE

A block party is free and open to the public between 5 and 7:30 p.m. Beer, wine, soda, water and concessions will be on sale throughout the event. Siri Thai, 3C’s Catering and Southern Tier Brewing Company will be vending. Live music will be performed on an outdoor stage by members of Porcelain Bus Drivers. Free tours of the newly renovated facilities will be given at 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m. Patrons are asked to meet under the Reg Lenna awning for tours. The block party will be held on 3rd Street between Pine and Spring Streets.

At 8 p.m., renowned stand-up comedian Paula Poundstone brings her humor and wit to the Reg Lenna Theater stage for a night of laughs.The frequent panelist of NPR’s Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me last performed at The Reg in 2012 as part of the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and is a National Comedy Center Advisory Board Member. Tickets for the performance start at $25. An Evening with Paula Poundstone is sponsored by Comfort Inn of Jamestown.

The renovation of Reg Lenna Center for The Arts included complete overhauls of seven spaces including lobby-concessions-box office, 3rd on 3rd Gallery, Bill’s Place – home of the 1878 Buffalo Bill Billboard, WRFA offices and studios, administrative offices, a Pre-Function space and library and a Media Arts Studio.

$1.5 million in funds were secured through Governor Cuomo’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative for the project. Local support included $1.5 million from Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation, $900,000 from the Gebbie Foundation; and $850,000 from the Lenna Foundation. The final funding gap of $216,469 was awarded by Chautauqua Region Community Foundation last May in its largest single grant in its history.

Since the renovations have been completed, The Reg has seen an increase in rentals throughout the facility including private parties, meetings of non-profit organizations and business groups and more. All available spaces, including the Reg Lenna Theater were rented last May for Conduit Ministries’ (Re)Treat 2019: In This Together weekend of events.

Paula Poundstone

The Media Arts Studio is now the home of several live series of events which are free and open to the public. These include Bill Ward’s Back Room Radio Hour and WRFA’s Community Matters LIVE! (featuring a Jamestown Mayoral Candidate debate October 17 and a Meet The Candidates event with city council candidates  on October 24) and Arts On Fire LIVE! (An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe featuring storyteller Paul Leone is scheduled for October 25.)

Additionally, several Downtown Revitalization Initiative funded events have been presented on The Reg Theater stage this year including The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performing the music of Queen, a concert from national touring band Guster and Emmanuel Baptist Church’s 100th Anniversary concert celebration featuring The Walls Group.

For information on rentals, reservations and ticketing for all events, please visit reglenna.com or call 716.484.7070. Reg Lenna Center for The Arts is located at 116 E. 3rd St. in Jamestown.

• ALSO AVAILABLE AT WRFA’S SOUNDCLOUD PAGE

Airing Friday, Oct. 11, 2019.

WRFA’s Jason Sample talks with nationally touring Comedian Paula Poundstone in advance of our Oct. 19 appearance at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.

For ticket information visit RegLenna.com.

Paula Poundstone

Friday Night Block Party before Trevor Noah’s performance in Jamestown, NY during the 2016 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. Details of the 2017 Comedy Festival will be announced on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 20. (Jamestown, NY; National Comedy Center​)

JAMESTOWN – A major announcement regarding the 2017 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival will be made on Tuesday.

Officials with the Lucy-Desi Center in Jamestown will hold a press conference at the Jamestown Gateway Train Station to provide an update on the National Comedy Center, including an announcement of a comedian coming to Jamestown in August 2017 to perform at the comedy festival.

Past festivals have featured Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Lewis Black, Trevor Noah, Joan Rivers, Ellen DeGeneres, Paula Poundstone, Nick Offerman, Ray Romano, and Bob Newhart.

Tuesday’s press conference begins at noon and WRFA will post updates on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/WRFALP.

Paula Poundstone

JAMESTOWN – One of the top names in comedy will be in Jamestown tonight as part of the 2012 Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy. Comedian Paula Poundstone  is a regular panelist on NPR’S hit weekly news quiz show, “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me” and has been named one of Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Comics of All Time. Lucy-Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson says this is the second year in a row the critically acclaimed comedienne will perform at the Festival.

“She was the one that – pretty much, as soon as her show ended on Saturday night of last year’s festival – we said, ‘We would like you back.’ And that’s really unusual for comedy. There’s not too many comedians that I would go after and book twice in a row, except for Paula Poundstone,” Gunderson told WRFA. “If that was a show you missed last year, you have to see it this year. She is so witty and off the cuff, that her show is never the same twice. She interacts a lot with the audience, she has an affinity for Jamestown, she’s a Lucy fan and we really like Paula Poundstone.”

• LISTEN TO WRFA INTERVIEW WITH JOURNEY GUNDERSON

Poundstone is also the first woman to receive the Cable ACE for Best Standup Comedy Special. Her show begins at 8 tonight in the Reg Lenna Civic Center, with doors opening at 7:30. Tickets are still available. For ticket information, go online to www.lucycomedyfest.com.

Other events planned for today include a book signing by Gregg Oppenheimer, producer of the “I Love Lucy” DVDs and son of I Love Lucy creator-producer-head writer Jess Oppenheimer. Gregg will be signing copies of the book he co-authored with his dad: “Laughs, Luck…and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time.”

Various other activities are planned as well with a complete schedule available online at the festival’s website.

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.

This year’s featured headliners for the 2012 Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy.

JAMESTOWN – One of Jamestown’s biggest events of the year will be underway less than a month from now. The 2012 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival will kickoff on Aug. 1 and continue through Aug. 5 with dozens of events scheduled over the five-day event.

As announced in March, the headliner for the show is standup comedian and Pittsburgh native Billy Gardell, who stars in the CBS sit-com “Mike and Molly.” Gardell will be featured at the Reg Lenna on Saturday, Aug. 4. Also Returning from last year’s event is comedienne Paula Poundstone, 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. Poundstone will appear one month from today, on Aug. 2.

And just this past week, officials with the Lucy-Desi Center announced that stand up comedienne Tammy Pescatelli will be joining this year’s line-up. Pescatelli – who was winner of Comedy Central’s 2010 Stand-Up Showdown – will be performing at the Stand-Up Showcase on Fiday, August 3. In addition, Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, will be the host and musical guest of the showcase Friday.

The Lucy-Desi center has also partnered with several other groups this year in the creation of various comedy courses to take place the week of the festival. The series will culminate with students earning stage time at Lucy Fest and the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City.  Courses are presented in partnership with Jamestown Community College’s Center for Continuing Education, and registration for youth and adults is now underway.

Tickets are still available for all three main events. In addition, details on several other events and promotions, including the comedy courses, can be found online. To purchase ticket or for more information, visit www.LucyComedyFest.com.

The show, which featured stories written by kids from across the country, never had a dull moment. Whether it was the story about the girl who did exactly what her dog did or the story about flying cats, kids kept cheering.

As a special treat, The Story Pirates announced they will be accepting stories from local students and will premiere sketches written by local kids at their upcoming show at the Lucille Ball Comedy Fest on Aug. 4 at 11 a.m.. Their show is funny for all, but it’s especially great for children ages 4-12. All children can submit their own original stories to info@lucy-desi.com by July 1 for a chance to be featured at the show. Tickets are available at LucyComedyFest.com and at the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy by calling 716-484-0800.

The Story Pirates, who were recently featured with Conan O’Brien, are a critically-acclaimed arts and creative writing organization founded in 2003 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 non-profit group that has been featured on the Today Show has grown to reach hundreds of thousands of children in over 200 schools across the country.

About The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival
The 2012 festival August 1-5 features Billy Gardell of the CBS hit Mike & Molly and his own 2011 Comedy Central Special: Halftime, Paula Poundstone – named Top 100 Comedians of All Time by Comedy Central, Lucie Arnaz, The Story Pirates kids comedy, Live Lucy Radio Plays, Dinner Theater with The Ricardos & Mertzes, museum & town tours, Late Night Comedy in the Tropicana Room, “Party on the Plaza” Friday and Saturday featuring bands, vendors, drinks and the Lucy World Games of grape-stomping, conveyer-belt candy-wrapping, I Love Lucy Trivia, a costume contest, and much more.  Tickets and information are available at www.LucyComedyFest.com.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, or “Lucy Fest,” embodies Ball’s vision for her hometown legacy: a celebration of the comedic arts held annually on the weekend closest to her birth date, August 6th.

According to an economic impact study conducted by Buffalo firm Paradigm Economics, the 2011 five-day festival saw 13,000 in attendance and had a direct impact of $3.6 million on Chautauqua County.

The 2011 Lucy Fest featured more than ten comedians from NYC, Boston, Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles performing over five days, and made international news with the setting of a Guinness World Record for “Most People Dressed as Lucy Ricardo” with 916 on Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is the first pillar in a four-pillar Legacy of Laughter vision for the organization including a comedic arts education program, comedy film festival and the establishment of the first national comedy museum and hall of fame.

The mission of the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, 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.

Billy Gardell will headline Lucy Fest 2012

JAMESTOWN – A Pittsburgh-native and television comedy star will be the headliner for the 2012 Lucy Fest. Lucy-Desi Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson announced that comedian Billy Gardell will headline the event in August of this year.

Gardell is known to more than 12 million TV viewers each week for his role on the CBS sit-com “Mike and Molly.” He’s also appeared in his own hour-long Comedy Central Special in 2011, and will be performing at the Reg Lenna Civic Center in Jamestown on Saturday on August 4.

Gunderson said they were obviously pleased to learn the up-and-coming national star will be coming to town, given his popularity on network television and that he is from nearby Pittsburgh.

Gunderson added that other attractions for the 2012 Lucy-Fest including the return of stand-up comedian Paula Poundstone – who was rated one of Comedy Central’s 100 greatest comedians of all-time and currently serves as a panelist on NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.” It was also announced that Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, will be in town to witness the Center’s new Legacy of Laughter direction.

Several other events and features were also announced, including a set of comedy courses to take place the week of the festival, culminating with students earning stage time at Lucy Fest and the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City.  Courses are presented in partnership with Jamestown Community College’s Center for Continuing Education.

This preliminary schedule will be updated as new events are confirmed at www.LucyComedyFest.com. Tickets for all events go sale April 17.