There is a heaven for comedy nerds.
And it’s 90 minutes south of Buffalo (or 6.5-hour drive from New York City).
Sitting smack dab in the heart of Lucille Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, NY is the National Comedy Center. The 37,000-square-foot immersive museum houses just about everything fans of funny could ever dream of — for starters, there’s a hidden, downstairs “Blue Room” devoted to the history of uncensored comedy, an exhibit devoted to Ernie Kovacs’ forgotten brilliance and, heck, even The Post gets a mention for breaking the story that Phyllis Diller snuck into the “boys only” Friars Club in drag — and more.
Mel Brooks’ “Springtime for Hitler” treatment, Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” curtain, Rodney Dangerfield jokes scribbled on scrap paper, George Carlin’s newspaper clippings and Jerry Seinfeld’s infamous “puffy shirt” are just a few of the other biggies. Hundreds if not thousands more in the business of mirth-making have also donated their outfits, costumes, scripts, lost clips and props to the immersive Center (fans can even perform “Jok-e-oke” where you can get onstage and recite your favorite performers’ bits). You may have seen the greats live but they’re all here in a different, more tangible way.
The end result is what USA Today hailed as the country’s “best new museum and “best pop culture museum” that starts in the brightly-colored lobby with visitors creating a “Laughband Profile” that identifies guests’ sense of humor and builds out an experience tailored to thier tastes to make the experience a living, breathing one rather than just walking around and admiring artifacts in display cases.
After all that, we’re still barely scratching the surface. This place is a rabbit hole come to life except all the tabs aren’t sitting on your browser- they’re surrounding you. The Comedy Center cultivates a real culture of mirth here that is all-enveloping.
Take it from John Mulaney, who after walking the hallowed halls, said “I’ve seen 40% of it and it’s overwhelming. It’s great.”
And, once a year, to celebrate Lucille Ball’s Aug. 6 birthday, the Center puts on their annual four-day Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.
This year’s edition, the 35th in the Fest’s reverential and rip-roaring history, brought in a wide range of household name performers like dry observationalist Jerry Seinfeld, bad boy party animal Bert Kreischer and incisive, witty Seth Meyers along with up-and-coming stand-ups, comedy historians with ties to the performers/shows they’re discussing (like George Carlin’s daughter Kelly), a raucous block party with a ’90s cover band that blew my ears off and much, much more that people travel from afar to attend and volunteer.
Heck, we didn’t even mention the nearby Lucille Ball Museum that offers tours…and buses fans to the famed “ugly Lucy” statue.
After having attended the dizzying event and taken in as much as one humanly could over one long weekend, I can say with certainty, one thing is true:
Comedy heaven is real and it’s spectacular.
Want to know more?
Keep scrolling and read on for a comprehensive account of the wild weekend at the National Comedy Center’s Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.
Where else are Jerry Seinfeld, Bert Kreischer and Seth Meyers performing this year?
Feeling jealous that you missed out on seeing this triumvirate of headliner heavyweights? Here’s where and when you can see each of them live these next few months.
| Jerry Seinfeld tour dates |
|---|
| Sept. 2 at the Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown, MD |
| Sept. 18 at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, MO |
| Sept. 25 at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX |
| Oct. 3 at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, CA |
| Oct. 9 at The Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL |
| Oct. 10 at The Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL 5 p.m. |
| Oct. 10 at The Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL 8 p.m. |
| Oct. 24 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. 5 p.m. |
| Oct. 24 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. 8 p.m. |
| Nov. 5 at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center in North Charleston, SC |
| Nov. 13 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose, CA |
| Dec. 4 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT |
| Dec. 5 at the Borgata Event Center in Atlantic City, NJ |
| Dec. 11 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY |
| Dec. 12 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY 5 p.m. |
| Dec. 12 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY 8 p.m. |
| Jan. 8, 2027 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY |
| Jan. 9, 2027 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY |
| Bert Kreischer tour dates |
|---|
| Sept. 10 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, TN |
| Sept. 12 at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, TN |
| Sept. 17 at The Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park, CA |
| Sept. 18 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, CA |
| Sept. 19 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV |
| Sept. 20 at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles, CA |
| Sept. 26 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA |
| Oct. 1 at Caesars in Windsor, ON, CA |
| Oct. 2 at Casino Rama in Rama, ON, CA |
| Oct. 3 at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH |
| Oct. 4 at the Crouse Performance Hall in Lima, OH |
| Oct. 8 at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, CT |
| Oct. 9 at The Met in Philadelphia, PA |
| Oct. 11 at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, NY |
| Oct. 16 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, TN |
| Oct. 22 at the Selena Auditorium at Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi, TX |
| Oct. 24 at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, TX |
| Oct. 25 at The Buddy Holly Hall in Lubbock, TX |
| Nov. 5 at the Stranahan Theater in Toledo, OH |
| Nov. 6 at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL |
| Nov. 7 at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL |
| Nov. 8 at The Lerner Theatre in Elkhart, IN |
| Nov. 12 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY |
| Nov. 13 at The Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, RI |
| Nov. 14 at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA |
| Nov. 15 at the Merrill Auditorium in Portland, ME |
| Dec. 3 at The Carson Center for the Performing Arts in Paducah, KY |
| Dec. 4 at the Robinson Center in Little Rock, AR |
| Dec. 5 at the Topeka Performing Arts Center in Topeka, KS |
| Dec. 6 at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs, IA |
| Dec. 10 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, SD |
| Dec. 11 at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, WI |
| Dec. 12 at the UIS Performing Arts Center in Springfield, IL |
| Seth Meyers tour dates |
|---|
| Sept. 27 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY with John Oliver |
| Oct. 23 at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas, TX |
| Oct. 24 at the Bayou Music Center in Houston, TX |
| Oct. 25 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY with John Oliver |
| Nov. 20 at the San Diego Civic Theatre in San Diego, CA |
| Nov. 21 at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City, UT |
| Nov. 22 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY with John Oliver |
| Dec. 11 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. |
| Dec. 12 at The Wylie in Pittsburgh, PA |
| Dec. 13 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY with John Oliver |
| Jan. 15, 2027 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, MN |
| Jan. 16, 2027 at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, IL |
Who were the up-and-coming performers?
In addition to the aforementioned big name headliners (who all played Jamestown’s cozy, homey, 3,400-seat Northwest Arena that’s usually reserved for ice hockey), many rising stars pop in to either open for Seinfeld, Kreischer and Meyers or showcase their best 15-minutes at the lush Reg Lenna Theater or kitschy, late-night Tropicana Club.
Here’s who we saw and a little about each of their sets.
On night one, National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson jazzed up the room and got show one underway.
Peter Revello took the stage first. The New York-based comic dazzled with spiffy, trenchant punchlines and had an instant connection with the crowd, serving up a blue-collar homespun wisdom by expertly taking gamblers’ bad luck and toxic masculinity down a peg.
Emmy Blotnick went second. Don’t be fooled by her unassuming, cerebral yet whimsical style. The former “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” writer wowed with writerly, evocative chunks on 23 and Me, her life compared to Jennifer Lopez’s and TV show jingles. See her live to find out which ads haunt her.
Nick Thune is a total pro. Just moments into his short set, the vet with the easy cadence made the crowd feel like we were in good hands melding delightfully dry subversive gags (his throwaway aside to a tech where he said “can you keep the lights exactly as they are? Thank you” was a favorite of mine) with lo-fi, oddball observations about the world. One long, meditative story about groceries stood out as did other absurd one-liners (about Jamestown: “feels good to be home. I lived here for two days six years ago” and the tossed-off throwaway “that was the New York Times ‘joke of the fest,’” which, ironically, is now The Post’s joke of the fest).
Ian Lara went inside baseball with his set commenting on the crowd. After Thune’s off-kilter, mood altering, madcap antics, the Millennial jokesmith showed off his chops and commanded the room with self-deprecating misdirects and an endearing onstage energy. Should you see him live, pay extra close attention to his bravura joke about Arkansas. It’s a comedy miracle.
Gina Brillon closed the first show. Like Thune before, she mellowed the room out. Self assured, she dropped breadcrumbs of genius (“miserable people never end up where they should be and they always get stuck going to comedy shows” and “who even invited you” about tourists visiting New York) when she wasn’t impressing by spilling her life story. Good stuff definitely worth seeking out live.
Once the first show wrapped, crowd members shuffled a few blocks over to the Tropicana Room above the Lucille Ball Museum. This show was looser, dirtier and a whole lot of fun.
Kenice Mobley hosted. She’s a long-time favorite of mine and didn’t disappoint here telling a nasty tale while maintaining her wholesome persona. Not an easy tightrope to walk but Kenice pulls it off with ease. Click the link and give her a follow. You won’t regret it.
Tina Friml exuded cheer, seemingly having the most fun I’ve seen a comic have onstage in ages. She doesn’t let her cerebral palsy get her down; in fact, it’s the catalyst and driving force for a lot of her whip-smart material. Expect big things from her in the very near future. I smell an Apatow movie on the horizon.
Drew Dunn went up a lot over the weekend. In fact, I saw him three times! In this first show, he nonchalantly set the scene as a “goofy but cynical everyman with a chip on his shoulder.” That deceptively smart comic persona stayed intact the whole time as he dropped truth bombs about topics as wide-ranging as AI, the early days of parenthood and cellulite. At a later gig opening for Kreischer, he started his set with a fake-out British accent and ended his set with a joke so good, he got an applause break before tagging the last line with yet another punch. He’s not just a dense joke writer; he’s also a virtuosic performer.
Peter Revello didn’t do any repeats. Rather than revisit his A-material, the “Tonight Show” alum busted out a brand new second set that felt just as fresh as the first and not at all like B-stuff. This time around, he lambasted Millennials’ pets, Gen Z incels and the right age to call it quits. A true masterclass. He’s the real deal (as is his joke about deadbeat dads comparing notes that still has me chuckling days later).
Ian Lara followed suit and impressed just as much. He also mixed things up in this second set, going all in on one topic and one topic only (a tall order for any comic): male versus female friendships. That’s all. His twisted take on the subject is surprising, revealing and quite insightful. Out of everything I heard at the fest, the message from this set will stick with me most.
One last show on the itinerary. Night two at the Tropicana. Just as loosey-goosey, dirty and jubilant. Here’s a bit about each of the performers
Jenny Zigrino wasted no time. She’s rat-a-tat, sis-boom-bah club fun telling jokes at the speed of 100 miles a minute. You can tell she’s seasoned based on just how quickly she’s moving, conjuring up riffs on riffs on riffs about audience members on the fly. Willfully silly and dirty, she electrified the room and set the stage for the juggernaut of comics coming after her.
Brittany Schmitt slowed things down a bit while taking the crowd on an equally wild ride. She’s a low-key Wisconsinite who brings the state’s baggage to the rest of the country in a relatable way. Yet, reducing her to where she’s from would be a disservice. Her material is racy, skirts the line of decency and pushes buttons. Don’t be surprised if you see her crushing on a Netflix roast in the very near future.
Dan Mahoney is a little older, a little cleaner, a little broader, a little more palatable, a little less niche than all the other comics I saw this weekend. Most importantly, he’s wonderful. In the mold of Brian Regan, Mahoney goes big with his act-outs and small with his subject matter, focusing on the minutiae of the world. His finest hour was when he masterfully handled a heckler who tagged a joke of his. Rather than let the moment slide, Mahoney introduced us to his “head writer.” That led to one of those rare magical moments where the room felt like it was floating on air, the crowd was having that much fun.
Drew Dunn again. No complaints here. Watching him praise gambling (would love to see him and Revello do their bits about throwing your money away back to back) and then neatly compared healthcare to the mob. Three solid sets in a row is no easy feat especially in front of crowds that have watched you multiple times over the course of 24 hours. Dunn made it look easy.
The TL;DR here is that all of these up-and-comers would make Carlin proud. Sharp, fearless and, most importantly, funny. Heck, the whole block of showcases revived my faith in the future of stand-up. Make sure to catch them all live.
What are the exhibits at the National Comedy Center like?
Thorough.
The attention to detail at the National Comedy Center is overwhelming but also exciting. Every which way you look is an adventure. Walk in and go to the left and you’ll find an opulent exhibit devoted to Johnny Carson. Head right and you’ll find yourself doing a deep dive digging through George Carlin’s archives. All the while, people dressed as Lucille Ball stalk the halls.
To paint a better picture, here’s a quick look at everything we explored whilst inside the magnificent museum.
Your journey starts in the lobby before you even enter the museum (or “amuseum” if you will). There, guests receive a “Laughband,” take a photo that will show up at every exhibit and create a Comedy Profile where you identify all your favorite comics (I chose Andy Kaufman, Don Rickles, Chris Rock, Tina Fey, Jon Stewart and many others), TV shows (“SNL,” “The Simpsons,” “Cheers,” “Atlanta,” and “Community” for me), movies (said yes to “Home Alone,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Airplane!” and a bunch of others) and then things get nerdier. You share your favorite humor sites, podcasts and more. It’s a lot but clearly the museum wants to get to know you so you have the best possible experience once inside.
The first thing I did once I crossed the threshold into the Comedy Center was take a hard left into the Johnny Carson exhibit. Outside the theater, you’ll find classic Carson costumes, the famed “Tonight Show” rainbow curtain, records of when guests were on the show among other ephemera. Then, once you enter the mini-cineplex, you’ll be sent in a time machine back to the ’70s (and present day!). The theater has the cozy feel of visiting my parents’ childhood den as well as futuristic fractured screens showing archival Johnny footage along with packages highlighting different aspects of his show like the monologue and failed monologue jokes, all aided by hologram host Jimmy Fallon. Worth the price of admission alone!
Outside, I admired costumes preserved in glass casings (Andy Kaufman! The Smothers Brothers! Lucy!) on my way to the history of the talk show section. In a clever use of repurposing historical artifacts, a bulky 1960s camera swivels left and right through history. Go right to see Conan; head left to view classic Jack Paar clips. Marvelous.
Made my way to the exhaustive Carlin tribute next. As noted above, newspaper clippings, rarely-seen video, George’s records and hand-scribbled scraps with joke ideas line the space. It’s hard to make out his chicken scratch but fascinating to see the man’s process- a simple idea scrawled on a napkin just might have led to one of the most iconic jokes in comedy history.
Truly, not an inch of real estate is wasted here. The one-liner hall could be a nothing walk. Instead, the National Comedy Center have classic bits from Mitch Hedberg, Steven Wright and Amy Schumer. As an extra added bonus, you can faintly hear them recite the lines that are written on the walls aloud.
Once through the hall, you can take a seat on the couch (be aware, there is a surprise waiting for you) or peruse the history wall that starts with comedy’s Greek and Shakespearean origins to the present day’s podcasts and front-facing video. My favorite fun fact? I learned the origin of the word “zany” comes from commedia dell’arte archetype “Zanni.”
Things get a bit more interactive from here at the continuum, where you can connect comedians of all eras through clips. Truth be told, I watched a lot of Tina Fey scenes of her with other icons from a number of generations. There’s also prop stars where you can grab a literal “comedic touchstone” like a pie and watch clips of The Three Stooges getting pied in the face to Fallon receiving some dessert to the dome. Be aware- you could make a whole day of this room.
Need a break? Take a seat in the TV room. Here, you can watch your favorite shows with strangers (or friends and family). Episodes of your favorite series run all day. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to take a seat and watch but every time I passed, folks were laughing at classic “Office” gags.
National Comedy Center’s sketch space gave me chills. This small but impactful room is filled to the gills with an SNL section (which has the script for the original “feed your fingertips to the wolverines” Cold Open) paying homage to the series’ history as well as “In Living Color,” “Monty Python” and other shows that broke the mold. Plus, there are cue cards from Nate Bargatze‘s “Washington’s Dream” sketch.
As a bit of a movie buff, the film theater was my respite. Once you tap your Laughband, the mini movie house caters to your every whim showing punchy, informative clips based on your taste (a scene from Robert Zemeckis’ “Used Cars” was a particular highlight) while also unveiling educational (but funny) comedy history packages about different subgenres and tropes.
A little bit past the theater is the recreation of New York City’s Carolines. The full-fledged model set —everything really is expertly, painstakingly preserved here — has bursts of Mulaney, Bill Burr, Tracy Morgan, Kevin Hart and Sarah Silverman flickering on the TV and seats from the classic venue that used to live on 49th and Broadway (and still hosts the annual New York Comedy Festival).
Out of everything, the exhibit I came back to most was the section devoted to television pioneer Ernie Kovacs, filling in gaps of comedy history that many have not gotten around to. The one that will stick in my memory is the man smoking a puff from his trademark cigar underwater. Or maybe the transcendent bathtub slapstick. Or the invisible girlfriend shtick. It’s impossible to choose.
One historical artifact that is treated with nothing but respect (sorry, Rodney) is Joan Rivers’ famous joke notecard drawers. The beloved, acid-tongued comedienne famously documented all of her one-liners by subject in drawers. And, yes, they’re here. Amazingly, they’re somehow all good. One could easily make flipping through them their whole day.
Hidden in the downstairs section of the Comedy Center is the ribald blue room devoted to dirty words, obscenities and uncensored comedy. Roast battles, bad language and all things raunch are given their moment in the sun here (with some jokes hidden behind doors!) and marketing and communications director Megan Arnone Eckwahl told me “this was the place to check out.” She was right. It’s like a secret, little speakeasy. Don’t miss it or else you’ll kick your *&$! later.
Even further down in the belly of the former Jamestown Gateway Train Station are the biggest props of all. Garry Shandling’s “Larry Sanders” desk set and Dan Aykroyd’s motorcycle are intact and breathtaking to witness up close and personal.
We’re still far from done.
Meme humor captures the feel of scrolling through the past 20 years as you jump from primitive internet humor (who can forget when cartoon strips were the height of funny on the web?) to modern-day Reels. And, yes, you can even make memes. I did.
Near the end, museum goers get to show off their skills. Comedy karaoke allows you to tell jokes. I took the stage and re-told one of Norm MacDonald’s classics only to find myself blushing at the punchline. Nearby, you’ll find laugh battle where you can attempt to crack up a friend with classic jokes. Don’t forget to act alongside greats in legendary scenes. I opted to play Costello in “Who’s On First” but watched many a tourist attempt to mimic Molly Shannon and Alec Baldwin in “SNL’s” Delicious Dish sketch. Truth be told, their tries to be funny might have made me laugh harder than anything else all weekend.
Lastly, get your sense of humor analysis to find out what tickles your funny bone. After calculating, you’ll feel an oddf but strangely satisfying sense of accomplishment. It’s truly a nice way to go out after such an all-encompassing day at the funny factory. They really see you at the National Comedy Center and have something for fans of all stripes.
Final verdict: Stay a long time here. Mulaney wasn’t lying when he said there’s a lot to take in.
I liken the Center to a million YouTube rabbit holes come to shimmering technicolor life surrounding you. You just have to choose which way to go and not stay in one for too long. Otherwise, you’ll miss something else.
Other highlights:
• If you’re a comedy nerd, prepare to make friends with fellow obsessives. I ended up chatting with one I kept bumping into and have since followed him on Instagram. Turns out he’s a very funny LA comic named Darrell Goss. Check out his stuff!
• Kids might have the best time of all at the Comedy Center. They discover a world they never knew existed while their grandparents get to fondly look back at the entertainment from their youth (along with newer stuff, too!).
• Warning: if you’re anything like me, you’re going to drop some serious coin in the gift shop. I went a little nuts and bought something for all my in-laws (and a few accoutrements for myself).
What I missed:
The animation and sound effects booths. I didn’t get to spend much time watching stand-up in the club near the entrance, Dan Aykroyd motorcycle or the Carl Reiner retrospective either. Oh, well, looks like I have an excuse to come back next year.
Another reason for other visitors to come back? The Comedy Center is constantly evolving. Senior Marketing, Communications and Branding Executive Director Gary Hahn let me know that this living, breathing organism of a museum has an archive that keeps growing and more and more exhibits keep making their way in.
What is the Lucille Ball Museum like?
A real love letter to “I Love Lucy.”
Just a few blocks away from the National Comedy Center, is a comprehensive Lucy Desi Museum that is dedicated to all things Lucy (and a little bit Desi).
Artifacts, costumes and sets (the New York and LA living rooms that you can sit in for a small fee!) are all preserved with loving care as are props that are accompanied by snappy stories.
Everything from Lucy’s hairdresser, famed cinematographer Karl Freund’s innovative filmmaking techniques (that more or less ushered in the multi-camera sitcom) and the famed “editing three headed monster” are on hand.
And they’re all bite-sized! Complex historical anecdotes are broken down easily for even the most casual fan.
At the end, you’ll find a tasteful gift ship with mugs, tumblers, books, bags, shirts and all things Lucy (and a little bit Desi again).
More than anything though, every cashier here forms a lasting friendship with customers. This happened at the National Comedy Center, too. The folks in Jamestown really care about their patrons and make sure they have a memorable transaction. Heck, one where an employee handed homemade art to a young girl made me tear up.
But wait! There’s more!
During festival season, the upstairs Tropicana hosts a kitschy 5 p.m. dinner with gifted Lucy and Desi impersonators who gently entertain with schmaltzy borscht belt comedic stylings straight out of the 50s. Expect set up-punch while dining on a buffet that comes with pot roast, stuffed chicken, cheesy hash browns, a zucchini mix and carrot cake to top off the meal.
Stick around to the end for the feel-good singalong. We won’t spoil the tune Lucy and Ricky leave but we dare you to leave without a smile on your face. It’ll be darn near impossible.
Where does the Lucille Ball tour stop?
Since the small Jamestown — the population is only approximately 27,000 — was the home to Lucille Ball, they have to have a tour when the festival is in full swing.
On Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of attending guide Jeff Spencer’s informative tour that flew by so fast, I couldn’t believe the two hours were up by the time we returned to the pick-up point.
Just a few of the highlights include the 1,800 square feet Lucy mural (that comes with hidden messages that I won’t spoil), the Lucille Ball Little Theatre where she got her start, high school that she didn’t graduate from, Lucy’s home and, of course, the famed “ugly Lucy statue” that, yes, you can take a selfie with if you so choose (there’s also a second one that’s a better likeness of Ball along with a Desi bandshell).
Don’t tune out either- the last line that the guide delivered leaves an emotional wallop.
Final verdict: This tour is absolutely worth it if Lucy means the world to you (as she did to pretty much everyone on the bus).
The tour guide peppers the experience with fun facts (did you know Lucy and Desi met on the set of the 1940 movie “Too Many Girls” and they premiered their 1956 film “Forever Darling” at Jamestown’s Reg Lenna Theatre), silly asides (for $1,000, the owners might open the doors to Lucy’s currently-occupied childhood home) and stops (you end the two-hour excursion with a stop at the cemetery that Lucy and B.F. Goodrich are buried in- there are lines with red hearts that lead you to her headstone).
It’s a true stroll down memory lane- literally and spiritually.
What were some of the fun facts from the talks about George Carlin, Jerry Stiller and ‘SNL’?
There’s too many to share but I’ll do my best to give two from each.
Upon arrival at the Comedy Center, the freewheeling, storytelling Kelly Carlin held court reading excerpts from her biography while perched on a stool outside dad’s exhibit.
My favorite stories she shared were that she “ran out of the room crying the first time she saw George on TV, thinking he was stuck in the box” and that “Richard Belzer, Richard Lewis and Lewis Black came to the family’s aid” after her dad’s untimely passing.
The next day, a well-informed archivist intern led fellow guests through Jerry Stiller’s belongings taking us further than the exquisite Apple TV documentary. An electric bill with a set list on the back, a still of Stiller on the set of “Zoolander” with his son Ben and co-star Will Ferrell was also on hand. Most touching of all though was a photo of Jerry and his equally hysterical wife Anne Meara.
Rounding out the talks was a thoughtful SNL chat headed by former intern Elie Docter (who was with the show in the COVID-shortened 45th season). The 30-minute explainer detailing the show’s Tuesday through Saturday process was punctuated with tales from inside the machine and served a nice extra for super-fans who had already inhaled the sketch room with the script and pics.
Afterwards, I stuck around to ask what it was like for interns during the first “digital” episode in March 2020.
She said “they were brought in as a test audience for jokes.”
This is exactly the kind of intel you go to Jamestown for.
Where are the best places to eat?
You really can’t go wrong in Jamestown. There is a plethora of fine dining options in the area.
My favorites were the vegan restaurant Labyrinth (where I way overspent but the hearty grub was well worth the small fortune I dropped), elaborately-designed brewery Wicked Warren’s (please get the flavored seltzers, they’re delicious as is the delectably crispy fried chicken sandwich), The local Pub (you better believe they’ve got beef on weck) and Cherry Lounge, which has a mighty fine chicken fajita and even better wings…you are close to Buffalo after all. Might as well grab ’em.
Huge comedians on tour in 2026
Need even more laughs?
After all that?
We got your back. Here are just five of our favorite comics touring these next few months that you absolutely won’t want to miss live.
• Steve Martin with Martin Short
• Nate Bargatze
• Weird Al
• Jim Gaffigan
• Sebastian Maniscalco
Who else is pounding the pavement? Take a look at our list of all the biggest comedians on tour in 2026 to find the show of your dreams.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
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