New York City to Host Comedy Festival November 9-13

(CelebrityAccess News Service) — New York City will host the inaugural New York Comedy Festival November 9-13. The five-day event will feature performances by more than 50 stand-up comedians at venues throughout the city including Town Hall, Theater at Madison Square Garden, Apollo Theatre, City Center and Beacon Theater. More than 15,000 tickets will be available for performances featuring both emerging talent and established headliners. Carolines on Broadway and NYC & Company, the City's official tourism marketing organization, anticipate the event will generate a total economic impact of $18 million for New York City's economy. NYC & Company President & CEO Cristyne L. Nicholas, Carolines on Broadway Owner & President Caroline Hirsch and Alliance President and CEO Jarrod Moses joined the Mayor at City Hall for the announcement.

"Today we're here to talk about comedy, which in New York is a real art form," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at a City Hall press conference. "From the days of vaudeville to the birth of 'Saturday Night Live' to today's era of cutting-edge comics, New York has been the Mount Everest of comedy. If you like to make people laugh, New York's the place to do it and it's my pleasure to announce the launch of the inaugural 'New York Comedy Festival,' a weeklong laugh fest."

"We are thrilled to present comedy's biggest stars on the grandest stage of all – New York City!" said Caroline Hirsch, owner and resident, Carolines on Broadway. "This city has always been the place for emerging and established comedians to perform. New York has even been the backdrop for the most successful TV comedies ever from I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners to Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond and Friends." –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen