| Issue #33, November 10, 2006 |
When In Manhattan by Oliver Peterson
NY Comedy Festival
This weather is no fun. As I said two weeks ago, I love the fall, but now it’s November and to my poor, vulnerable body the cold feels like February. Less than a year has passed since last winter. My warped memory is sure to hit me with a big, painful shot of reality when the truly frigid months once again appear on the calendar. The point, my friends, is that it’s a bit early for the winter doldrums, but if you’re like I am, you’re already feeling them. I’ve noticed some long faces and frowns that need to be turned upside down. Last night I spent the evening hanging out with a buddy of mine. We told stories, drew pictures and watched Art School Confidential – a hilarious movie. It was a nice night. We laughed a lot. As people get older and the stress and responsibilities of life take over, big belly laughs and even little, unstoppable giggles seem to be an increasingly rare commodity. So, to my friend – thanks for the chuckle.
After last night it occurred to me that laughter is important. And lo and behold, as I was trying to decide what to write about this week, I turned to an advertisement for the New York Comedy Festival in Time Out New York magazine. It’s the perfect cure for the seasonal blues. The festival runs from November 7th through the 12th, spans a number of great venues, and is hosting some of the best and brightest comics working today. I recently spoke with Bill McCuddy, a veteran stand-up comic now working as entertainment correspondent for FOX News. “The festival gets much better every year,” he said. Of the seminars and symposiums such as Saturday’s “How To Tell A Joke – And, How Not To,” McCuddy quipped, “You might be a sitcom waiting to happen, once you learn to be funny.” He’s made a career out of his humor and quick wit, and was quick to point out that today “Funny is Money.” “When a movie like Borat is likely to earn $25-30 million on its opening weekend, comedy is serious business.” McCuddy, of course, is right. But whether or not you want to attend the festival’s lectures and learn the craft is secondary to the fun and release of checking out some top-notch acts.
By the time you read this, it will be day three into the festival. You’ve already missed Tuesday’s “Roasted, Battered, and Fried,” where celebrity chef Mario Batali endured a roast by some of the most brutal comics in the industry. Wednesday featured “Comedy Cares For the Homeless,” a benefit for the homeless, with performances by, among others, Paula Poundstone (regularly featured on my favorite NPR show, “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”), and “The Biggest Loser” host Caroline Rhea. Tonight (Thursday), if you can make into town on time, pioneer of the neo-genie look and host of NBC’s hit show “Deal or No Deal,” Howie Mandel will be waxing comedic at Town Hall at 8 p.m. If you prefer the drunk and un-showered, resident funnyman of “The Howard Stern Show,” Artie Lange, competes with Mandel’s 8 p.m. slot at Carnegie Hall. Friday will also provide an 8 p.m. time slot face-off. This time you’ll choose between “Rescue Me” star and hugely popular actor/comedian Denis Leary at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, and “Opie & Anthony” regular Jim Norton at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Norton can be pretty funny, but I can guess which one of these shows will sell out first.
On Saturday night, the show to see is “An Evening with Mario Cantone” at 8 p.m. at Town Hall. Cantone is now most recognized for his outrageously funny stand-up act and a recurring role on HBO’s “Sex and the City,” but some of remember him from his days of hosting the kid’s show “Steampipe Alley.” The big finale of the week falls on Sunday, when Dane Cook, comedy’s biggest superstar and boyfriend of Jessica Simpson, performs his mega-hit and critically acclaimed show, Vicious Circle, on the circular stage at Madison Square Garden. Promoters of the festival have deemed it as “destined to be THE comedy event of the year.” The man can pack the Garden for a reason.
Check out NYComedyFestival.com for more acts, seminars, talks, hours, and ticket information. As I was reminded last night, a good laugh can cure what ails you, and if the New York Comedy Festival doesn’t get you giggling you might just be terminal.
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