Famous Faces

Tom Arnold

Comedian, actor, and screenwriter Tom Arnold began his career as a moderately successful prop comic in comedy clubs during the early 1980s. He began wringing for the very popular ABC-TV sitcom "Roseanne" in 1983. He went on to have a starring role on the show from 1989 until 1993. Tom Arnold was married to Roseanne Barr until their divorce in 1994. Arnold starred in the short-lived sitcom "The Jackie Thomas Show" on ABC for two seasons. Some of his other television roles include spending nearly four years as host of "My Big Redneck Wedding" on Country Music Television, five seasons as co-host of the very popular FOX TV series "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" as well as numerous other television work including hosting "Saturday Night Live" three times, HBO's "Tom Arnold-The Naked Truth" comedy special; several made for TV movies, and guest appearances on many series including several episodes of "The Simpsons." He has appeared in over 120 feature movies, including "True Lies" with Arnold Schwarzenegger & Jamie Lee Curtis; "Nine Months" with Hugh Grant, Julianne Moore, Joan Cusack, Jeff Goldblum, and Robin Williams; "McHale's Navy" with Dean Stockwell, Debra Messing and Ernest Borgnine; "Coneheads" with Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin; and so many others. Tom's acting has seen him receive critical acclaim and recognition, including a Golden Globe for Best TV Comedy. At the same time, he was a "Roseanne" producer, an MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Comedic Performance in "True Lies" and a nominated For Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Comedy Role for "Happy Endings"; and Peabody Award for Public Service; GLADD Media Vanguard Award winner; among others. Tom's public service and charity work are close to his heart and a major focus in his life. He has established a writing scholarship and acting workshop for students at a Community College in Iowa. Tom is heavily involved in many charities such as the Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Best Buddies, Camp del Corazon, Promises Foundation, Carousel of Hope, Arnold’s Inner City Games, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Special Olympics, USO, and several others. He authored "How I Lost 5 Pounds in 6 Years: An Autobiography" in 2003, in addition to several movies and screenplays. He hosts a very successful weekly podcast that features his unique, comedic perspective on family, work, and societal views, followed by an in-depth interview with some of the biggest celebrities from Hollywood, sports, and politics. The podcast is titled "Tom Arnold. 100% True. Pretty Much." In addition to his full schedule as a husband and father, along with his acting works, he continues to tour as a popular draw with fans at comedy clubs and in theaters across North America. This photo of Eric and Tom was taken backstage between shows at Hilarities Comedy Theater in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2016.

Angela Scott

Angela has had roles on “Sex And The City,” “NYPD Blue,” “The Cosby Show,” and has appeared on “The Arsenio Hall Show,” as well as being a best-selling author.

Andrew "Dice" Clay

Star of many HBO, Showtime, and TV specials and shows, as well as roles in over a dozen movies, comedian and actor Dice, has made his mark on the world of comedy.

Basile

Comedian Basile is a comedic force with a worldwide fan base. He sells out shows across North America as well as around the world. Basile has entertained millions of comedy fans in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Africa. His unique blend of improvisation, characters, and finely written jokes has made him one of the most sought-after comedians in the entertainment industry. Basile is a veteran of many television appearances around the world, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, HBO, Showtime, NBC, Comedy Central, A&E, ESPN, The Food Network and more. He is a regular on Armed Forces Radio Sirius/XM Radio, among others. He is the voice of Bullwinkle J. Moose at Universal Studios Productions and The Cartoon Network. In addition, he voices many animated characters for Japanese television’s anime programming. Basile was nominated for an EMMY AWARD for his work on ESPN’s 30 For 30 segment titled “The Legend Of Jimmy The Greek.” Over his long and successful career, Basile has released more than a dozen best-selling comedy recordings and videos. The most popular have been the “Growing Up Greek In America,” series which sold well over one million copies, “Greeks Gone Wild,” and “A Pinch Of Basile.” When touring in Greek-speaking countries or before Greek audiences, Basile performs his show entirely in Greek. Eric shared the stage with Basile during four sold-out shows as part of Basile’s two-hundred-city world tour titled “Dysfunctionally Yours.” In this picture, they are on stage together at The Funny Farm Comedy Club in Ohio.

Bill Kirchenbauer

Bill has had starring roles on many legendary TV shows like “Growing Pains,” “Just The Ten Of Us,” “Fernwood 2nite,” “Mork & Mindy,” “Frasier,” “Night Court,” “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night With David Letterman,” “The Arsenio Hall Show,” HBO, Showtime and many others.

Bill Boronkay

One of Eric's closest friends on the comedy entertainment stage is the wildly creative and hilarious comedian Bill Boronkay. The two have worked together, writing and performing shows in many comedy clubs over the past several years. Born to immigrant parents, Bill grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. After college, he quickly became one of the country's fastest-rising sportscasters, enjoying stops in Clarksburg, WV, Evansville, IN, Kansas City, MO, and Cleveland, OH. Along the way, Boronkay won five Emmy Awards, one of which is proudly displayed in his mother's home behind a lamp. He worked his way up the industry ladder and was a runner-up for an anchor position on ESPN's SportsCenter. Continuing to work and host various television programs, Boronkay started performing stand-up comedy on the side. Before long, he left his television career and moved to New York to pursue comedy full-time. Bill has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, SportsTime Ohio, Fox Sports Ohio, and Time Warner Cable SportsChannel. He's also been heard on ESPN Radio, the nationally syndicated "Bob & Tom Show," and various radio stations throughout the country. Showing his versatility, Boronkay was a finalist in the WNCX-FM Classic Comedian Contest and the 2014 Clean Comedy Challenge. Bill was also a featured performer at the 2015 Christian Comedy Association Conference. His highly acclaimed comedy CD "Comedy Night" has been a big hit with audiences across the United States. Boronkay lives and works from his base in New York City. Still, his current multi-year tour schedule has him entertaining audiences in hundreds of comedy clubs and theaters across North America.

Bob Saget

Prior to his fame as an actor (Full House) and TV host, Bob kept a busy schedule of touring comedy clubs across North America.

Chili Challis

A writer for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show and appearances on NBC, CMT, NPR, and The Bob & Tom Show are just a few of the credits touted by Chili. He is also a hard-working touring comedian working in thousands of comedy clubs across the USA

Dan O'Shannon

After performing in comedy clubs for a few years, Dan went on to become one of the most successful writers and producers in television history. He has worked on Cheers, Frasier, Modern Family, The King Of Queens, Suddenly Susan, and Newhart, among others. Dan has earned more than a dozen Emmy Awards, Academy Awards, and Golden Globe Awards for his writing and producing work.

David Brenner

David Brenner was a stand-up comedian, actor, and author. He holds the title of the most frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the 1970s and 1980s, and was a pioneer of observational comedy. He guest-hosted, filling in for Johnny Carson over 70 times. Comedy Central TV named him as one of the top 100 stand-up comedians of all time. He authored five books, produced over a hundred TV documentaries, and toured the world as a comedian. In the 1970s and 1980s, he appeared on TV with Ed Sullivan, Mike Douglas, David Frost, Larry King, David Letterman, Bill Maher, Howard Stern, and many others.

Dick Gregory

I was honored to have shared the stage with the legendary comedian Dick Gregory in the summer of 2016 at The Improv Comedy Club, where, at the age of 84, he continued to entertain sold-out venues throughout North America. Born October 12, 1932, Dick Gregory is an American civil rights activist, writer, and comedian. After serving two years in the US Army, he moved to Chicago in 1956 to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. He quickly became part of a new generation of black comedians that included Nipsey Russell, Bill Cosby, and Godfrey Cambridge, all of whom broke with the minstrel tradition, which presented stereotypical black characters. For his comedy material, Gregory drew on current events, especially racial issues. Gregory performed stand-up comedy in mostly black-patronized nightclubs while working for the US Postal Service during the day. He was one of the first black comedians to gain widespread acclaim performing for white audiences. Gregory described the history of black comics as limited. He said, "Blacks could sing and dance in the white night clubs but weren't allowed to stand flat-footed and talk to white folks, which is what a comic does." In 1961, while working at the Black-owned Roberts Show Bar in Chicago, he was spotted by Hugh Hefner performing racially based comedy before a largely white audience. Gregory attributes the launch of his career to Hugh Hefner. Based on that performance, Hefner hired Gregory to work at the Chicago Playboy Club as a replacement for comedian Professor Irwin Corey. Early in Dick Gregory's career, he was offered a gig on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar, which was a precursor to Johnny Carson’s and Jay Leno’s shows. Paar's show was known for helping propel entertainers to the next level of their careers. At the time, black comics did perform on the show but were never asked to stay after their performances to sit on the famous couch and talk with the host. Dick Gregory declined the invitation to perform on the show several times until finally, Jack Paar called him to find out why. Eventually, in order to have Gregory perform, the producers agreed to allow him to stay after his performance and talk with the host on air. This was a first in the show's history. Dick Gregory's interview on The Tonight Show spurred conversations across America. This was a huge step in opening doors for many other black entertainers in the United States. Gregory is listed at number 82 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of all time. Active in the Civil Rights Movement, on October 7, 1963, Gregory came to Selma, Alabama, and spoke for two hours on a public platform two days before the voter registration drive known as "Freedom Day" in October of 1963. In 1964, Gregory became more involved in civil rights activities, activism against the Vietnam War, economic reform, anti-drug issues, conspiracy theories, and others. As a part of his activism, he went on several hunger strikes and campaigns in America and overseas. Gregory began his political career by running against Richard J. Daley for mayor of Chicago in 1967. Gregory unsuccessfully ran for President of the United States in 1968 as a write-in candidate of the Freedom and Peace Party. He garnered 47,097 votes. His efforts landed him on the master list of Nixon's political opponents. He released sixteen comedy albums between 1961 and 2016. During that time, he also authored 15 books on subjects dealing with civil rights, health, politics, and comedy. He and his wife, Lillian, were married in 1959 and had 11 children. As of this writing, they had been married for nearly 60 years.

Gallagher

Gallagher began touring in comedy clubs in 1969. He made several appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in the 1970s and 1980s. He performed nearly two dozen one-hour comedy specials for Showtime Cable, HBO, and Comedy Central. Gallagher is consistently rated as one of the most recognizable comedians, making Comedy Central's Top 100 Comedians of All Time. His signature sketch is a pitch for the "Sledge-O-Matic," a large wooden mallet that he uses to smash a variety of food items and other objects, culminating with a watermelon, which sprays the entire audience to their delight. Gallagher famously uses wordplay in his act, pointing out the eccentricities of the English language.

Drew Carey

Before his own TV show and game show hosting fame, Drew was the house emcee at The Cleveland Comedy Club and toured comedy clubs across the USA.

Emo Phillips

In addition to performing in thousands of comedy clubs across Europe and the USA, Phillips has had roles in many TV shows, including “Miami Vice,” “Dr. Katz,” “Space Ghost,” and many others, including Letterman, Leno, and Arsenio Hall.

Hannibal Buress

Hannibal Buress is an internationally touring comedian and award-winning Saturday Night Live writer who may be better known to many television viewers as Dr. Lincoln Rice, DDS, from the Comedy Central series "Broad City." He has also guest-starred on many television shows, including "Bob's Burgers," "The Mindy Project," "Louie," and "30 Rock," among others. He has appeared in more than a dozen films, including "The Kings of Summer," "Neighbors," "Angry Birds," and "Baywatch." He is highly awarded for both his comedy performance and writing. He has won "Funniest Person In Chicago" for his comedy club performances, an Emmy Award nomination for his writing on both "Saturday Night Live" in 2010 and "30 Rock" in 2012, and more. He became infamous for making the rape allegation jokes against Bill Cosby in late 2014, which led to Cosby undergoing a media firestorm, followed by rape and molestation allegations made by dozens of women from Cosby's lengthy career on TV and movies. The moment of the joke was captured on a cell phone video and immediately went viral, sending Cosby’s personal and professional life spiraling out of control. It had the opposite impact on Buress’ career as they instantly became one of the most sought-after personalities for interviews, articles, and television appearances. Buress released four best-selling comedy albums from his many live theater performances between 2010 and 2015.

Jay Boc

Jay Boc is a funny, creative, and uniquely talented veteran of thousands of performances across North American comedy clubs, theaters, as well as movies and television. Jay has appeared on many television series, including "C.H.I.P.s," "The Rockford Files," "Baretta," "Isis," and several movies, including "Escape From New York" and "The Octagon." Jay has also been a fan favorite at many comedy festivals, including The Las Vegas Comedy Festival and The Cleveland Comedy Festival. He has served several tours entertaining the US Military on bases around the world. Jay and Eric have performed together many times over the years.

Jay Leno

In addition to his twenty-two-year hosting duties with The Tonight Show, Jay Leno is a huge draw at thousands of comedy clubs across the USA and Canada. He has been since beginning his career in stand-up comedy in the early 1970s.

Jeff Blanchard

(Center Bill Boronkay) Jeff Blanchard started performing comedy while a student at Kent State University in the late 1980s. Up until then, he had been heavily involved in theater. After college, where he majored in film and theater, he found steady work in improvisation, commercials, theater productions, and industrial trade films. He was a founding member of the Cabaret Dada Improvisational Theater and The Something Dada Improv Comedy Company on West 6th Street. He spent the next six years dividing his time between working at the Cabaret Dada Improv Theater, a regular contributor to Fox 8 in the Morning, and the WOIO Browns per game TV program, Tailgate 19. He also spent nearly three years as half of the Scott & Jeff Morning Radio Show on Cleveland's WNCX. During that entire time, he regularly had stage time at The Cleveland Improv Comedy Club, where he quickly worked his way up to headliner and crowd favorite. With longtime friend and business partner, Blanchard has founded The Comedy Project Alliance, a conservatory for comedy on Cleveland's east side. The CPA teaches and regularly performs stand-up, sketch, improv, film, and theatrical comedy. Jeff has had roles in several motion pictures, including "Facebook Faux Pas," "Striking Point," and "Renegade Force." Blanchard is widely considered one of the funniest comedians in northeast Ohio and a favorite in clubs across the country. His shows are always fast-paced, physical, unpredictable, and hilarious.

Jim Carey

Along with his famous movie roles and many Hollywood awards, Jim Carrey is, first and foremost, a stand-up comedian, having worked in thousands of comedy clubs around the world.

Jimmie JJ Walker

Jimmie began performing in comedy clubs in 1969 and has never stopped. He is most famous for his role as J.J. on the CBS sitcom “Good Times,” where he became well known for his catchphrase “Dy-No-Mite!”

Kevin Farley

Kevin Farley is an actor, production designer, musical composer, and stand-up comedian. Farley's work has been diverse and plentiful. He has appeared in such blockbuster films as "Tommy Boy" and "Black Sheep" with his brother, Chris. He had roles in "The Water Boy" opposite Adam Sandler and "Joe Dirt" with David Spade. Farley was cast in several national advertising campaigns for Dairy Queen and Hertz Rental Cars before returning to acting with parts in television and cable shows, including "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "That's So Raven" and "An American Carol" with Kelsey Grammer and Jon Voight. More recently, Kevin has appeared on "Always Sunny In Philadelphia," "Rules of Engagement," "Hot In Cleveland," "'Til Death," "Superstore" and many others. In 2015, Kevin appeared in the documentary "I Am Chris Farley" alongside Adam Sandler and Dan Aykroyd. The film documented the life of his brother, comedian/actor Chris Farley. Beginning in 2017, he starred in the CMT series "Still The King" and Bill Burr's Netflix series "F Is For Family." On top of his many on-screen projects, Kevin Farley's live performances remain a huge draw as he sells out comedy club shows from coast to coast.

Kenny Miller

A career spanning over 25 years has seen Ohio native comedian Kenny Miller perform in nearly three dozen US states and seven other countries. From comedy clubs and college campuses to resorts and casino showrooms, Kenny Miller has shared the stage with such acts as Tim Allen, Bob Saget, Steve Harvey, Drew Carey, and many others. In addition, for nearly twenty years, Kenny Miller has headlined his show on board the many cruise ships of Carnival Cruise Lines. Kenny has performed hundreds of shows for thousands of cruise line passengers all across the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the biggest laughs have come during the many shows that Eric Thompson and Kenny Miller have performed together. Here is a photo from one of Kenny's recent comedy club appearances with The Comedy & Magic of Eric Thompson, and that shows the opening act, Cleveland's own funny man Jay Jay Johnson.

Marc Weiner

Mark has starred on Nickelodeon’s “Weinerville,” “Saturday Night Live,” Showtime, HBO, Sesame Street, and as several characters on “Dora The Explorer.” He has also appeared in many comedy clubs and theater stages throughout the USA.

Marc Price.png

Marc Price is best known for his role as Irwin "Skippy" Handelman on the NBC TV series "Family Ties" during the mid to late 1980s. In addition, Price had major roles in the cult classic "Trick Or Treat," starring opposite Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne. He starred with Kevin Dillon in the movie "The Rescue" in 1988. Beginning in 1989, he hosted the Disney Channel game show "Teen Win Lose Or Drew" until 1992. He has been performing stand-up comedy in clubs across North America for more than twenty years. In 2006, he was a contestant on NBC's "Last Comic Standing." Price has toured with Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld, as well as many other comedians. In addition, he has acted, written, produced, and directed shows for Disney Channel, Food Network, Animal Planet, GSN, Showtime, TBS, and FOX Sports.

Marsha "Roz" Warfield

Marsha Warfield is once again touring comedy clubs and small theaters with her own hilarious one-woman comedy show. Warfield is best known for her 1986–1992 role as Roz Russell on the popular NBC sitcom "Night Court." Roz was a tough, no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Harry Stone's (Harry Anderson) court. She also starred with Richard Mulligan in the sitcom "Empty Nest" as Dr. Maxine Douglas (1993-95). She earned her comedy chops as a writer and performer on the first season of "The Richard Pryor Show" in 1977. Warfield appeared in feature films such as "D.C. Cab" (1983) and “Mask” (1985), "Caddyshack II" (1988), among others. She hosted "The Marsha Warfield Show" in the early 1990s and has made guest appearances on many television shows, including Riptide, Family Ties, Clueless, Cheers, Living Single, and Star Dates. She has also made many comedy performance appearances. She hosted a nationally syndicated television show called “The Comedy Shop” from 1978 through 1981.

Pat Paulsen

Comedian and humorist Pat Paulsen, best known for his recurring roles on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” and “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In” as well as several other TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s, including “The Odd Couple,” “The Monkees,” “The Wild Wild West,” “Get Smart,” “Love American Style,” “The Bob Hope Show” and many others. Paulsen ran for president in 1968, 1972, 1980, 1988, 1992 and 1996. Paulsen also appeared in nightclubs, theaters, and conventions throughout the country.

Phil Van Tee

Phil has been performing in comedy clubs and theaters for a very long time. His hilarious talent has led to roles on several TV shows.

Richard Jeni

As one of the funniest comedians ever, Jeni has appeared on The Tonight Show more times than any other comedian in history! He has had specials on Showtime, HBO, and Comedy Central and has appeared in many movies, including “The Mask” with Jim Carrey, “Platypus Man” and thousands of comedy club shows around the world.

Rain Pryor

Rain Pryor is a comedian, director, producer, actor, educator, activist, dynamic speaker, and mother. Pryor is a hilarious comedy writer, storyteller, and headlining stand-up comedian in her own right. Although some of her stand-up act consists of stories about her father, arguably the greatest stand-up comedian to have ever lived, Richard Pryor, she has admirably forged an entertainment career of her own identity. She has headlined across the USA on her current tour, "The Joke’s On You Comedy Tour." Not trying to be her iconic father, Richard Pryor. Her comedy is about her connecting with audiences with her ability to open up about her life and talk real talk. Growing up Black and Jewish gives Rain a unique perspective on race, religion, and spirituality. She shares her views and has led panel discussions on diversity in education and the entertainment industry at Princeton University, The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore. “Fried Chicken and Latkes” is her award-winning solo show, which is based on her own life. She has played to sold-out crowds and standing ovations every night at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills. She has repeated that success at the Culture Project in New York, Chicago, Ohio, Virginia, Texas, and Scotland. Rain’s theatrical stage credits are just as impressive and include playing the title role of Billy Holiday in the UK tour of "The Billie Holiday Story" and the title role of Ella Fitzgerald in the UK premiere of "Ella, Meet Marilyn." Adding to her impressive resume, Rain also wrote her autobiography "Jokes My Father Never Taught Me - Life, Love, and Loss with Richard Pryor." Her performances have not gone unnoticed by critics and peers alike as she has won many awards and honors, including The Ovation Award For Best Solo Performance, NAACP Best Original Playwright Equity, NAACP Theatre Award, Best Female Performer Equity, African American Literary Awards (for the book about her father), NAACP Image Award, Best New Author, The Thurgood Marshall Award for Theatre Arts Education, National Business Women Award for Theatre Arts Education, among others. In addition to her constant schedule on theatrical stages around the world and selling out comedy club showrooms, she hosts the morning cable news show "Rise & Shine" on ARISE TV.

Ritch Shydner

Ritch Shydner appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Arsenio Hall Show numerous times. He starred in an HBO One Night Stand special. He was a guest on Comics Unleashed. Shydner has authored several books, including "I Killed" and "Stand Up Comedies." He was the focus of the documentary movie "I Am Comic," in which he traveled around the country interviewing various comedians. He played Al Bundy's co-worker on "Married... with Children" and made guest appearances on many other TV shows such as "Designing Women," "Roseanne" and "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist." His film roles include "Beverly Hills Cop" with Eddie Murphey and "Roxanne" with Steve Martin. Shydner was a staff writer on sitcoms such as Roseanne, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, and Becker, among others. He has also written for many other comedians and performers. Early in his career, he wrote for MAD Magazine and National Lampoon. I had the opportunity to share the stage with Shydner several times over the years, most memorably at the original Cleveland Comedy Club and at Tickles Comedy Club in Pittsburgh, PA., both in the early and mid-1980s. We stayed in touch through the years. This photo is from an evening together in Cleveland in early 2016.

Sandra Bernhard

Sandra Bernhard began her comedy career in the mid-1970s at the infamous Comedy Store in Los Angeles with a class of comedians that included Jay Leno, David Letterman, Robin Williams, and many others who went on to great fame. Her popularity quickly grew, and she won a supporting role on the critically acclaimed "Richard Pryor Show" in 1977. After guesting on several talk shows, including Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, she earned a starring role in Martin Scorsese's "The King Of Comedy" opposite Jerry Lewis and Robert Deniro. Bernhard won the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in that 1983 film. While headlining comedy clubs across the United States, she wrote, recorded comedy albums, and starred in several one-woman plays that appeared both on and off Broadway during most of the 1980s. She was a constant guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, The Arsenio Hall Show, and many others. In 1991, Bernhard joined the cast of the hit ABC television show "Roseanne" playing the part of Nancy. She was part of the ensemble cast through 1997. During her long and varied career, she has written and starred in a half dozen off-Broadway shows, recorded nearly two dozen comedy and serious musical albums featuring her beautiful voice, and made over a hundred television appearances, including "Will & Grace," "The Larry Sanders Show" with a Garry Shandling, "Law& Order," "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist," "Superman," "Ally McBeal," "Hercules," "Brooklyn Nine-nine," "Two Broke Girls" and many others. Her film credits include Cheech & Chong's "Nice Dreams," Sesame Street's "Follow That Bird," "Truth Or Dare" with Madonna, "Zoolander" with Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell, and more, 38 in total. Comedy Central Television rated Sandra Bernhard #97 on their list of "The 100 greatest Stand-Up Comedians Of All Time," placing her between #96, Joey Bishop, and #98, Louis CK. In addition to her hilarious stand-up career and her many award-winning acting roles, she has also authored three best-selling books as well as articles and features for numerous publications, including Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Conde Nast Traveler, and The New Yorker, among others.

Shirley Hemphill

Best known as the wise-cracking waitress on the ABC sitcom “What’s Happening,” Hemphill was one of the hardest working and most respected comedians performing in comedy clubs in the United States.

Tammy Pescatelli

Tammy Pescatelli is one of the funniest comedians to perform on stage or screen in the last twenty years! Born in Cleveland and raised in northeast Ohio, Tammy has won Comedy Central's StandUp Showdown and was a finalist on NBC's Last Comic Standing. Her 2016 comedy special titled Finding The Funny was released as a Netflix exclusive and immediately went to #3 on iTunes. She has performed numerous times as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Last Call with Carson Daly, The Bonnie Hunt Show, The View, Comedy Central Presents, The Dennis Miller Show, The Talk, Comics Unleashed, and many others. Pescatelli co-created, executive produced, wrote, and starred in a reality television show on WE Television Network. The exhibition titled A Standup Mother aired in 2011-2013. Pescatelli is a regular guest on The Bob & Tom Radio Show, The Opie & Anthony Show, and The Howard Stern Show and is a fixture on the comedy channels of Sirius XM Radio. Her film appearances include roles in Made in Brooklyn, Single: A Documentary, and Everybody Wants to Be Italian. She has performed regularly for the United Service Military Organizations.

Sinbad

Sinbad is a comedian, actor, and writer who has enjoyed a very long and successful career on comedy club and theater stages, as well as on television and in movies. He began performing stand-up comedy in clubs during the late 1970s. His first widely recognized television appearance was in 1983 on the talent competition show "Star Search" with The Tonight Show's Ed McMahon. Sinbad made it all the way to the finals, beating a number of talented comedians along the way, including Dennis Miller. In 1986, Sinbad was cast in a starring role on the short-lived sitcom "The Redd Foxx Show." In 1987, he had a guest-starring role on "The Cosby Show." The following year, he became a member of the cast of the television sitcom "A Different World" until 1991. For the next few years, he kept busy with television and movie roles, including "Necessary Roughness," "First Kid," "Houseguest," "Jingle All The Way," "Good Burger," and "Homeward Bound," among others. His many television appearances include "Saturday Night Live," "Cosby," "Celebrity Apprentice," "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia," "Miss Universe" and several others, including a few award-winning HBO comedy specials. Sinbad was listed at #78 on Comedy Central's 100 Best Comedians Of All Time list. He has been one of the most popular comedians on tour, selling out comedy clubs and theaters for four decades.

Ted Hollum

His TV credits include Showtime, “The Phil Donahue Show,” “The Tonight Show,” “Seinfeld,” “The Drew Carey Show,” and others. He is a huge draw at thousands of comedy clubs across the United States.

Tim Cavanaugh

Comedian Tim Cavanaugh's Comedic song parodies first received national exposure on the Dr. Demento Radio Show in the 1980s. Tim has been featured on Sirius XM and the BBC, as well as radio stations in nearly every market in North America. In 1997, Tim released his first CD, "Sounds Like Fun!" By then, he had become a regular guest on "The Bob & Tom Show," a nationally syndicated radio show heard in 130 markets. Since then, Tim has released four CDs of comedy songs and music parodies. Tim has performed on Comedy Central, ABC, NBC, Showtime, WGN America, and HBO. He is a contributing writer of the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jokes. He also authored another book titled "Chicken Soup for the Vegetarian Soul." That book is now in its sixth printing. Tim has made well over 200 appearances on The Bob & Tom Show. Tim regularly tours the United States and Canada, performing in comedy clubs and theaters as well as the Caribbean as a headlining entertainer on Carnival Cruise Lines.

Tim O'Rourke

Writer, comedian, television actor, and veteran of thousands of performances in comedy clubs and cruise ships around the world, Tim has worked as a screenwriter on Nickelodeon shows “The Fairly Odd Parents” and “SpongeBob Square Pants” as well as his work on “Family Guy” and appearing as a recurring character on “The Drew Carey Show.”

Todd Bridges

Todd Bridges is an accomplished stand-up comedian and iconic actor in movies and on television. Bridges appeared on "The Waltons," "Little House on the Prairie," and the landmark miniseries "Roots". He was a regular guest star on "Barney Miller." But it was playing Willis Jackson on the long-running sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" that made him a household name. Bridges defeated Vanilla Ice on a 2002 episode of "Celebrity Boxing." In the mid-2000s, Bridges appeared as a contestant on a celebrity episode of "Fear Factor" and the Fox reality show "Skating with Celebrities." He has appeared on "TruTV Presents: World's Dumbest.." as a frequent guest star and commentator. He made a guest appearance as a contestant on "Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling" on the CMT Network. Over the years, Bridges has had roles on such iconic series as "Love Boat," CHiPs," "The Facts of Life," "The Ben Stiller Show," "L.A. Heat," "The Young & The Restless," "Dr. Oz," "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Everybody Hates Chris" among others. From 1978 until 1986, Bridges starred alongside Gary Coleman in 196 episodes of "Diff'rent Strokes," one of the most popular sitcoms of the era. In addition to his numerous television sitcom work, he has appeared in nearly fifty movies, mostly small-budget, independent films. Bridges wrote a book titled "Killing Willis: From Diff'rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted" in which he openly discussed his childhood abuse, drug addiction, criminal charges, and life struggles. In addition to working on several television pilots and scripts, Bridges is currently touring comedy clubs and theaters across the United States, where he performs hundreds of stand-up comedy shows each year in addition to his one-man show. The venues are always full, usually sold-out audiences.