08 Apr National Comedy Center Adds Second John Mulaney Show; Largest Lucille Ball Comedy Fest Ever
Jamestown, New York – April 8, 2019 – The National Comedy Center, the country’s official cultural institution dedicated to comedy, announced today that it has added a second show for John Mulaney after his initial show – as well as Sebastian Maniscalco’s first show – broke all festival records by selling out in the first day on sale to the public for the 2019 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.
Called “one of the best stand-up comics alive” by Entertainment Weekly, John Mulaney will perform a second show on Friday, August 9 at 9:30 pm, following his sold-out 7:00 pm show. Tickets for the 9:30 pm performance will go on pre-sale for National Comedy Center members only starting Wednesday, May 1 at noon ET and on sale to the public on Friday, May 3 at noon ET at www.ComedyCenter.org.
This follows the recent addition of Sebastian Maniscalco’s second show at 5:00 pm on Saturday, August 10, following the sell-out of Maniscalco’s 8:00 pm show.
The National Comedy Center’s 2019 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is expected to be the biggest ever — never before has the festival scheduled four headliner shows to take place over two days at Jamestown’s Northwest Arena, which is adjacent to the 37,000-square-foot National Comedy Center museum complex that opened as a new, seven-day-per-week visitor attraction last August.
To ensure first access to the best available seats for the new John Mulaney show during the 48-hour pre-sale period, comedy fans are encouraged to join the National Comedy Center or renew their membership by visiting ComedyCenter.org/membership or calling the National Comedy Center at 716.484.2222 before May 1. Memberships start at $50 and provide benefits including a full year “season pass” for visiting the National Comedy Center an unlimited number of times.
Limited tickets to the Sebastian Maniscalco 5:00 pm show on August 10 are still available, and additional festival events are also currently on sale, while many more have yet to be announced, in a lineup that will celebrate comedy’s contemporary stars, rising voices, and historic legacies.
“With an unprecedented four arena shows, it’s clear that this will be the biggest Lucille Ball Comedy Festival in its 27-year history. We’re so pleased that we can bring thousands of comedy fans to Jamestown, who will visit the National Comedy Center and experience everything that Jamestown and Chautauqua County has to offer,” said Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center Executive Director.
“Our festival audiences love great comedy, and John Mulaney and Sebastian Maniscalco are two of the highest-regarded stand-up comedians performing today. We are thrilled that we can accommodate the incredible demand by adding a second John Mulaney show, in addition to the second Sebastian Maniscalco show we added recently,” said Malachi Livermore, National Comedy Center Director of Programming and Guest Experience. “We look forward to these four incredible shows this August, and there’s more still to come.”
Comedian and writer John Mulaney hosted Saturday Night Live last month to rave reviews and high ratings, with media and fans calling it one of the best SNL episodes in years. Mulaney began writing for Saturday Night Live in 2008, where he also appeared as a “Weekend Update“ correspondent and co-created memorable characters such as “Stefon” with Bill Hader. He has spent the past year touring the United States with his most recent show, “Kid Gorgeous,” which was released as a Netflix original special last year and won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety Special.
In addition to John Mulaney, comedian, actor and best-selling author Sebastian Maniscalco headlines the festival. Maniscalco has been called “one of the funniest comedians working stand-up today,” by Esquire Magazine, “one of the hottest comics,” by Newsday and “the comedian’s comedian” by People Magazine.
Maniscalco broke records in January with four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, selling the most tickets in a weekend for any comedy engagement in the history of the Garden. In 2018, Maniscalco broke similar comedy box-office records for Radio City Music Hall.
Additional Lucille Ball Comedy Festival events, including more than five comedy showcases, Late Night Comedy events, National Comedy Center Dialogues, and Lucy legacy events will also be announced at www.ComedyCenter.org in the coming months.
The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is presented by the National Comedy Center and embodies Lucille Ball’s vision for her hometown — Jamestown, New York, to be a destination for the celebration of the comedic arts and to showcase new comedic talent from around the country. The festival attracts more than 10,000 attendees annually from nearly every state in the country, who come together to share laughter while honoring the craft and contributors on stage at dozens of venues throughout Jamestown, including the National Comedy Center and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum.
Last year’s festival headliners were Lily Tomlin and Amy Schumer. Over the past 27 years the festival has featured comedy’s greatest stars and rising young comedians, including Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Trevor Noah, Jay Leno, Paula Poundstone, Brian Regan, Lewis Black, W. Kamau Bell, Jim Gaffigan, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Rivers, Bob Newhart, the Smothers Brothers and more than one hundred other comedic artists.
About the National Comedy Center
The National Comedy Center is the United States’ official cultural institution dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations, as formally designated by the U.S. Congress in 2019. Opened in August 2018 in Jamestown, New York, the museum complex offers an unprecedented visitor experience using state-of-the-art technology, interactivity and personalization to create the first true 21st Century museum environment.
The National Comedy Center was recently voted #2 “Best New Attraction” in the country, out of 20 new attractions, by USA Today readers, and chosen as the #1 museum and #1 ticketed attraction in this USA Today poll. Condé Nast Traveler called the National Comedy Center “One of the best museums in the country,” while comedy website The Interrobang named the design team second on its list of “Innovators Who Changed Comedy” in 2018. Visitors from all 50 states and nine countries have given the Center a rare 5/5 rating on TripAdvisor, ranking among the highest in the attraction and tourism industry.
Based on the vision of Jamestown native Lucille Ball for her hometown to become a destination for comedy, the National Comedy Center showcases comedy’s great minds and unique voices in ways that engage, inspire, educate and entertain. As a non-profit institution, the National Comedy Center was funded by a mix of federal, state and private philanthropic support, including partnerships with I LOVE NEW YORK ™, Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York State’s Empire State Development.
Featuring exclusive collections, world-class exhibits and leading-edge technology, the National Comedy Center presents an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the time-honed creative processes that have elevated comedy entertainment to an art form. Over 50 innovative exhibits within the 37,000-square-feet facility enable visitors to take an interactive journey through comedy history, from early vaudeville to the latest viral memes. Throughout their personalized experience, visitors gain a profound appreciation for comedy icons and innovators, as well as for the tremendous influence of humor on how we think, live and laugh.
Design for the National Comedy Center was led by the most prominent cultural and interactive design firms in the world, whose portfolios collectively include the award-winning 9/11 Memorial Museum, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, The College Football Hall of Fame, SNL: The Experience, and more.
The National Comedy Center has been embraced by the entertainment industry, with props, costumes and archival material provided by many of the most revered names in comedy. The National Comedy Center’s exhibition partners include Carl Reiner, George Shapiro and Jerry Seinfeld, Kelly Carlin and the George Carlin estate, Dan Aykroyd, Alan and Robin Zweibel, Joan Dangerfield, The Lenny Bruce Memorial Foundation, Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, The Harold Ramis Family, The Garry Shandling Estate, George Schlatter, Bill Marx and the Harpo Marx Family, the Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams estate, Desilu Too, NBC Universal, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Corporate Archive, and many more.
The National Comedy Center also operates the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, which explores the lives, careers and legacy of the “First Couple of Comedy,” and the incredible impact they had on the world.