Sarah Silverman spearheads NY Comedy Festival

The fifth annual New York Comedy Festival will be held in New York City from November 5-9 with 13 shows at various venues. Sarah Silverman, Craig Ferguson, Frank Caliendo, Louis C.K., Carlos Mencia, Joel McHale, B.J. Novak, Tracy Morgan, Brian Regan and Katt Williams are some of the featured performers.

The venues include Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Harlem’s World Famous Apollo Theater, Town Hall, Hammerstein Ballroom, Carolines on Broadway, the Paley Center for Media and the 92nd Street Y.

Comedy Central and The New York Comedy Festival have signed a multi-year partnership providing the festival for the first-time a national television partner to showcase its prestigious comedy line-up. In addition, the partnership will include producing an on-air special shot at the festival which will premiere in early 2009 as well as digital media support and other content opportunities.

This year’s festival boasts stand-out stand-up performances and panel discussions with writers from the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” the Emmy Award-winning writers from “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and Lizz Winstead, co-creator of “The Daily Show,” who will moderate a panel featuring the most insightful and hilarious political minds working today.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the fifth year of the New York Comedy Festival with such a talented and hilarious group of performers who are on the leading edge of the comedy business,” said Caroline Hirsch, co-founder of the Festival and owner of Caroline’s on Broadway in a statement. “We are also very excited to launch a multi-year partnership with Comedy Central and look forward to working with them to extend the Festival’s audience even further and to provide even more content and programming through Comedy Central’s various media platforms.”

“Comedy Central applauds the New York Comedy Festival for its ongoing efforts in showcasing and celebrating stand-up comedy,” added Mitch Fried, senior vice president, promotion marketing, Comedy Central. “We are thrilled to partner with the Festival and Caroline’s, the preeminent comedy club and look forward to providing a national platform for this illustrious event.”

In the past, the New York Comedy Festival has presented major acts such as Rosie O’Donnell, Denis Leary, Dane Cook, Artie Lange, Howie Mandel, Damon Wayans, Roseanne Barr, DL Hughley, Mario Cantone, Steven Wright, Mo’Nique and Bill Maher.

2008 New York Comedy Festival itinerary:
(Dates and performers subject to change.)