New York Comedy Festival announces additional shows to schedule

MUMBAI: The New York Comedy Festival (NYCF), in association with Viacom?s comedy channel Comedy Central has announced over 70 additional shows taking place at more than 25 venues throughout New York City, to its 2012 schedule in November.

The highlight is two events in partnership with The Paley Center for Media: a reunion of the creative minds behind the TV series The Ben Stiller Show and a Conversation with Denis Leary in celebration of his new publication on Christmas.

In addition, the NYCF?s New York?s Funniest Stand-Up competition, brought in partnership with JetBlue, and the festival?s Comics To Watch program will offer emerging comics a platform to showcase their work to industry professionals in front of a live audience.

The Ben Stiller Show debuted on MTV in 1990 and ran for 13episodes before moving to Fox for twelve episodes in 1992. A blend of a sketch comedy and backstage intrigue, The Ben Stiller Show launched the careers of Stiller, Judd Apatow, Bob Odenkirk, Janeane Garafolo, Andy Dick, Jeff Kahn and Rob Cohen each of whom will participate in the 20th anniversary reunion at the Paley Center to share memories. Denis Leary?s holiday song on Chritsmas has been transformed into an interactive children?s picture book? for adults. With new verses and original stop-motion-animation art, the dirty ditty will arrive on the shelves just in time to ruin yet another holiday. Leary joins the NYCF for a Conversation with Kate Snow about this comedy classic at The Paley Center for Media on 9 November.

Continuing the festival?s commitment to discovering and showcasing new talent, the festival will host the Comics To Watch programme, a live stand-up show featuring the best up-and-coming young comedians from across the country, chosen by the festival organizers and Comedy Central for their strengths in writing, delivery and stage persona. The NYCF will also host New York?s Funniest Stand-Up, a competition that will see finalists judged by a panel of industry experts.

A few of the other NYCF shows announced are:

• Celebrity Autobiography?
• ?You Made It Weird? with Pete Holmes Live Podcast
• ?An Evening with?? Series - One Comic, One Show, One Hour
• ?Nikki and Sara and Friends?
• ?Crowd Work with Colin Quinn?

New York Comedy Festival founder, owner Caroline Hirsch said, "Each year we strive to present the very best and most diverse comedy programming. In addition to the major theater shows we?re producing, we also have a wide variety of specialty shows, conversations, competitions, podcasts, and other great events taking place. We?re proud and thrilled to include among those events a 20th anniversary reunion of ?The Ben Stiller Show? and a conversation with Denis Leary, as part of this year?s programming."