Caroline’s Does It Again

There's one undisputed Queen of Comedy and that's Caroline Hirsch. She always manages to outdo herself, as evidenced by the incredible line-up at her wildly successful NY Comedy Festival.

This year the festival featured sold-out performances at major venues around town with stars like Dane Cook, Robert Smigel (aka Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog), Artie Lange, Howie Mandel, Jim Norton, Brian Regan, Susie Essman, and Mario Cantone. Artie Lange sold out Carnegie Hall within minutes. It's great to see Artie doing so well because he's such a good guy. He deserves it.

George Shapiro and Jeffrey Gurian
At the “Andy Kaufman Award Show

Caroline's also had a great team in Louis Faranda, Greg Charles, and Bryan Kennedy who all work tirelessly to make sure that everything goes smoothly. That's why heavyweights in the business like George Shapiro (best known as Jerry Seinfeld's manager) agreed to be a judge at the third annual Andy Kaufman Award show.

George also managed Andy. Andy's dad Stanley gives out a $5,000 award each year to the performer who best embodies Andy's creative spirit. This year it was to a young comic named Reggie Watts. Both George and Stanley gave me great stories for my new book Turning Point about the synchronicitous events in celebrities’ lives that took their lives in a different direction.

Susie Essman is always a crowd pleaser and she had a sold out show at Caroline’s with two very talented performers, Dan Naturman and Ted Alexandro, as her opening acts. Both of these guys will be HUGE! Trust me, I know!

Susie was there with her boyfriend Jimmy. Backstage I ran into writer/producer Alan Zweibel, who co-wrote the new Martin Short show, Fame Becomes Me . Alan, who was there with his lovely wife Robin, gave me my start many years ago. Susie will soon begin shooting the next season of Curb for Larry David. Can't wait to see it!!!

The Other Queen Of Comedy

Jeffrey Gurian Dancing With
Lisa Lampanelli
Backstage at Caroline’s

There's one more Queen of comedy, and that's my old pal Lisa Lampanelli. The NY Times called her "Comedy's lovable Queen of Mean" and it stuck. Lisa's career is astronomical. She's almost a regular on Leno: three times in six months. The only one on the show more than Lisa is Leno himself! Howard Stern loves her.

I saw Lisa at Caroline’s; I find myself there a lot! I brought Tommy Silverman, CEO of Tommy Boy Records, and his beautiful wife Donna D'Cruz (of Rasa Music) to see her. They were knocked out. Lisa gave them an autographed copy of her new CD, "Take It Like A Man." But she didn't give one to me!!!

Lisa made my "Dancing With Comedians” series of photos. Only a very few stars make that distinguished group: people like Gilbert Gottfried, Paul Provenza, and Phil Hartman.

Comedy Is Sexy

Krista Ayne and Jeffrey Gurian outside The Joey Reynolds Show

Just ask anyone who was at the Penthouse comedy show (once again at Caroline’s). I really didn't intend for my entire column to be set at Caroline’s, but if that's where the action is, then that's where I have to be. Penthouse heavyweights John Bolster, Mark Healy, and Lainie Speiser were at the Caroline’s show. Penthouse does a monthly column called Stand-Up Guys where they interview hot comics.

I brought Penthouse Centerfold Krista Ayne, who's running for Pet of the Year for 2007, to the Joey Reynolds national talk radio show on WOR. I haven't seen Joey look that happy in years! Krista is my Comedy Matters Girl of the Month, where she will receive a lot less compensation than she'll get if she wins Pet of the Year.

Artists Fight Autism

Jeffrey Gurian and Jimmy Fallon at the After-Party
Mandarin-Oriental Hotel

Robert Smigel exec-produced the Comedy Central event “Night of Too Many Stars,” a benefit to fight autism hosted by Jon Stewart; they raised two million dollars. Some of the stars that showed up to perform were Stephen Colbert, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Amy Poehler, Ricky Gervais, Will Ferrell and Jimmy Fallon. !

Heath Ledger Wants To Do Comedy

Jeffrey Gurian and Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger was in town doing press for his new film with Abby Cornish called Candy. It's a very dark love story about two heroin addicts and nothing like Brokeback. I can only assume Heath preferred kissing Abby Cornish to kissing Jake Gyllenhaal. Heath wants to do more comedies. I just might have a script to show him!

Anyway, remember, until next time, COMEDY MATTERS!!!

A nationally known comedy writer, and an authority on roast humor, Jeffrey L. Gurian has written material for many of the great performers at the fabled Friars Roasts, including Richard Belzer, Robin Williams, Milton Berle, Jerry Lewis, and even Bruce Willis, as well as material for comedy stars such as Joan Rivers,
Gilbert Gottfried, Phil Hartman, Pauly Shore, "Dice" Clay, and Pat Cooper. He wrote and directed The Men Who Series of short films for the Toyota Comedy Festival, currently showing on cell phones and You Tube. . He also wrote for MTV and USA Network, and was one of the writers of Sony's first interactive film. As a playwright he wrote a one- hour NBC drama about the devastating effects of homelessness on the young, entitled De La Salle. He was given the honor of having his own column in the legendary Weekly World News called "Gurian's
World of the Bizarre." His first feature film Face to Face, that he wrote with Scott Baio, made its world premiere at the Taos, New Mexico Film Festival, and was honored as the opening night film. It has since become an award-winning film, and won for Best Comedy Feature at the Marco Island Film Festival in Florida, and the Valley Film Festival in Hollywood. His newest film, I Am Woody about a mob boss obsessed with Woody Allen, won for Best Short Film at the NY Independent Film Festival. He can be seen around town performing his comedy news broadcast Uncle Nat's Traveling Peep Show with his comedy partner model/performer Sonya Gignac. Jeffrey was recently chosen to be the East Coast producer of National Lampoon radio. His first book, based on his writing for the Friars Roasts is from Kensington Books, "Filthy, Funny, and Totally Offensive - Jokes So Dirty Comedians and Entertainers Only Tell Them To Each Other." In addition Jeffrey is a Clinical Professor at NYU in the Oral Medicine/Oro-Facial Pain Department, a cosmetic dentist, lecturer, author and healer. He also is credited for developing a cure for stuttering. You may read more at http:www.jeffreygurian.com.