The National Comedy Center, the nation’s museum and cultural institution dedicated to comedy, recently announced Jon Stewart, Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers, SNL’s Mikey Day & head writer Streeter Seidell are among the comedic performers to descend on Jamestown, New York for its annual comedy festival.
“An Evening with Jon Stewart” will take place on Saturday, August 9, with Stewart bringing his incisive stand-up comedy to the stage. On Sunday, August 10, a Stand-Up Showcase to be followed by a Rock ‘n’ Blues concert featuring Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers will fill the arena with an evening of comedy and music — a live blues and classic rock performance along with stand-up by some of today’s top talent from around the country.
“Jon Stewart is one of the most influential comedic voices of our time — providing his signature social commentary at a pace responsive to the news cycle, while deeply thoughtful about our shared humanity,” said Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center Executive Director.
“I’ve said comedy is an iterative business and a grind; and that the best amongst us just keep at it. I’m glad there’s a museum and national archive that strives to honor that, and I look forward to seeing how the National Comedy Center tells the story of this great art form that survives every moment,” said Jon Stewart.
“Bill Murray entered our comedy consciousness in 1977 and never left,” Gunderson added. “Whether you encountered his genius as a sketch comedian on SNL or came to know him through films considered ‘required reading’ in many households including mine, from Caddy Shack to Stripes to Ghostbusters to Groundhog Day to What About Bob and more, he’s left an indelible mark and an incomparable legacy. We’re thrilled to have him headline an incredible evening of music while he shares the spotlight with his phenomenal Blood Brothers band.”
The festival lineup will also feature Saturday Night Live cast member and writer Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidell, who will join the National Comedy Center for an on-stage dialogue curated for comedy’s national archive, offering an inside look at the ground-breaking show as the festival honors SNL’s 50th anniversary and explores its lasting impact on comedy. Seidell and Day’s visit also commemorates the “Washington’s Dream” sketch cue cards being accessioned into the National Comedy Center’s museum.
“It’s an incredible honor to be invited to the National Comedy Center, along with my friend and writing partner, Mikey Day, to talk about the craft of comedy. And an even greater honor to have some of our work preserved in the Center’s archive alongside that of our heroes. That honestly seems like a mistake on the Center’s part but we’re going to roll with it until they realize their error,” stated Streeter Seidell.
Tickets for “An Evening with Jon Stewart” and “Stand-Up Showcase Featuring Music by Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers” will go on pre-sale for National Comedy Center members Friday, April 25 at 10 am ET through Thursday, May 1. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, May 2 at 10 am ET, at ComedyCenter.org. Both events will take place at the Northwest Arena in Jamestown, NY.
Tickets will also go on sale for the SNL on-stage dialogue event, as well as Late Night comedy shows, Lucy legacy events and more — all part of a festival that celebrates comedy’s contemporary stars and rising talent from across the country, while honoring comedy’s great heritage.
“Our festival will pay tribute to the best of comedy’s past and present with performances from the nation’s best stand-ups, block parties with live music, Lucy celebration events — over 50 live events over four days,” stated Malachi Livermore, Vice President, Programming and Guest Experiences.
To become a National Comedy Center Member in order to gain first access to available seats during the pre-sale ticket window, visit ComedyCenter.org/membership or call the National Comedy Center at 716.484.2222. Memberships start at $75 and provide year-round benefits including a “season pass” for visiting the award-winning National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.