The New York Underground Comedy Festival Kicks Off September 8th, 2006

During the summer of 2003 in the basement of Club Neva, a New York City nightclub which offered an open mike for comedians, an idea was born in George Sarris’ head. He thought, “Why wasn’t there an event locally, that featured some of the best unknown and emerging talent in the country.” That idea prompted Sarris to team with partner Jim Mendrinos, and create the New York City Underground Comedy Festival. Sarris’ tremendous work ethic partnered with Mendrino’s industry knowledge led to the culmination of a three day Comedy Festival held at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in 2003.

Fast forward three years and two festivals later, the laugh fest enters it’s 4th run spanning all 5 New York City boroughs and even stretching over the river into New Jersey’s Stress Factory. Since it’s inception the Festival which strives to feature emerging comedians has made a huge industry impact. It has sent showcased comedians yearly to The HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO., the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, and features a Live Audition for CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman. Impressive by those credentials alone, it goes on to impress by helping comedians get notcied by the casting people for The E! Network, Warner Brothers, and Comedy Central.

Besides being a helpful tool for established and emerging comedians alike, they offer several charity shows to raise money for such causes as Operation Uplink a VFW charity that allows troops overseas to get free phone cards to call home with. It also offers free shows at Memorial Sloan Kettring Hospital titled “Comedy Fights Cancer” which is a private show for patients and family and a fundraiser for The Pati Vitale Fund a charity set up for an ailing comedienne. The festival also looks to help the established and new comedians alike by offering “Stand Up Comedy: The Business” seminar a completely free interactive workshop intended to help comedians learn about the business side of comedy directly from industry professionals.

Throughout the ten day festival many different types of comedy shows and all different types of comedy will be showcased. Designed by the producers, many shows are geared for different audiences allowing people to choose exactly which type of shows they can see and in what form. Fans of completely clean comedy will be happy to know that there is a Clean Show on Saturday September 16th at 6 P.M. at the Laugh Lounge in New York’s lower east side.

Some of the Most Interesting shows of this year include LA’s HotBox Comedy Troupe, a sketch and standup comedy group featuring 7 gorgeous LA based women, in a 1AM Pajama Party show were all entertainers perform in their Saturday Night’s best Sept. 17th at the New York Improv. Also raising some interest is a show titled “Laughing Liberally: Saving Democracy One Laugh at a Time” which premieres at 8PM September 8th at the 45th St. Theatre.

The Festival also features many established headliner comedians; besides the emerging talent. Comedians such as Jim Norton, Eddie Brill, Rick Overton, Bonnie McFarlane, Pablo Francisco, Ted Alexandro, Jim Gaffigan, Todd Barry, Bob Nelson, Jim David, Jessica Kirson, Judah Friedlander, Kevin Meaney, Laurie Kilmartin, Patrice O’Neal, Rich Vos, Rick Shapiro, The Rev. Bob Levy, Rick Overton, Tom Cotter, Wali Collins, “The Dean of The Friars Club: Freddie Roman”, and many more will be bringing their A game every night throught the city.

The only thing more impressive then the New York Underground Comedy Festival’s enormous growth [(It even has it’s own Fire Marshal Alan Schwartz, a 22 year old Comedian from the Bronx)] in such a short amount of time is it’s executive producer. George Sarris, has a work ethic that would make 20 amish men think they’re lazy. That same atribute allowed him to rise from being a paige on Wall Street to Owning a Seat on the New York Stock Exchange, before giving it all up shortly after September 11th, to go on a new career path. “All of my partners are on Greens right now on islands, wearing bermuda shorts and playing golf. That’s just not me” Says the producer Sarris. Except for the fact that he is well known for his Bermuda shorts, he takes that statement to heart. His career in comedy started as a comedian, until he realized his talents would be best suited for producing it, and shaping and defining new comedians’ carrers.

The New York Underground Comedy Festival Runs from September 8th-17th stretching across 5 boroughs, and two states it features over 50 venues, 200 plus comics, 300 shows, 3 charities, and a great time for anyone who can use a laugh. More information can be found at the Festival’s website: http://www.nycundergroundcomedy.com