Kathy Griffin, Norm MacDonald & More Headline New York Comedy Festival; Full Lineup Announced

The New York Comedy Festival (NYCF), in association with COMEDY CENTRAL, announced its 2011 line-up today, which includes some of the industry's biggest and most notable stars. Multiple Emmy® nominee Louis CK, star of FX's hit series "Louie," will perform at the Beacon Theatre. Ricky Gervais, with Emmy® nominations for his Golden Globe-hosting appearance and his HBO special, will appear at the 92nd Street Y for a rare one-on-one conversation, with The New York Times' media correspondent Bill Carter. Bill Maher, who will release his fifth book, "The New New Rules," this fall, returns to the festival to perform at the Beacon Theatre. Maher's popular HBO series "Real Time with Bill Maher," also garnered an Emmy® nod for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series. With record-breaking concert sales throughout the world, international comedy sensation Russell Peters will make a very rare Comedy Club appearance when he headlines an intimate, four-night engagement at Carolines on Broadway as part of the festival.

Comedy superstars Kathy Griffin, Jo Koy, Tracy Morgan, Norm Macdonald, John Pinette, Sarah Silverman and Wanda Sykes will also be gracing Big Apple stages at this year's festival. They will be joined by more than 150 other comedians performing at more than 10of New York City's most prestigious venues. This year for the first time, the New York Comedy Festival will broaden its reach to include a show in Brooklyn at BAM. Additional shows to be announced in the coming weeks. The festival runs from Wednesday, November 9 through Sunday, November 13. For more information go to www.nycomedyfestival.com.

The 2011 NYCF is presented in association with COMEDY CENTRAL. Now in it's eight year, the festival is produced by Carolines on Broadway. The sponsors are Energizer, JetBlue and Pandora. The media sponsors are NBC4, New York Post, Timeout New York, Variety, Verizon FiOS and the Village Voice.