5th Annual COMICS TO WATCH Showcase Set for Carolines on Broadway Tonight

After concluding a nationwide search, this year's "Comics to Watch" features 11 comedians performing in the showcase reflecting an ever-expanding scope of the very best young talent on the comedy scene today. Comedy Central and The New York Comedy Festival have teamed up again for the fifth annual "Comics to Watch" showcase which is taking place at Carolines on Broadway tonight, November 5 at 7:00 p.m. as part of the 2014 New York Comedy Festival.

The "Comics to Watch" event will premiere in full-length on cc.com/comicstowatch and theComedy Central App on Wednesday, November 12 and available through Friday, November 14. Subsequently, clips of the individual performances from "Comics to Watch" 2014 will live on cc.com.

Hosted by Chris Distefano (Comedy Central's "The Half Hour," MTV2's "Guy Code"), this year's "Comics to Watch" features the following comedians: Emmy Blotnick, Robert Dean, Alex Edelman, Naomi Ekperigin, Nate Fernald, Matt Ingebretson, Kevin Iso, Jak Knight, David Smithyman, Julio Torres and Ricky Velez. The event is sponsored by BACARDÍ Rum, Sprint and Taco Bell®.

"Comics to Watch" is a showcase featuring a wide range of diversely talented young comedians. It was created to launch the careers of the next generation of comedians by putting them in front of industry executives and comedy fans. The process involved selecting comedians from multiple cities across the country.

Comedy Central and the festival organizers worked closely together to identify the best new stand-up comedians. Comedians from past "Comics to Watch" have included Michael Che, who is the current "SNL" Weekend Update co-anchor and former "Daily Show" Correspondent, Brooks Wheelan, who has appeared on "Adam Devine's House Party" and is a former "SNL" cast member, and also Ali Wong, Andrew Santino, Emily Heller, Kurt Braunohler and Tone Bell who have gone on to make various stand-up appearances on Comedy Central and other television shows.

The 2014 New York Comedy Festival is presented in association with Comedy Central and takes place from November 5-9. Now in its eleventh year, the festival is produced by Carolines on Broadway. Sponsors of the festival include, BACARDÍ®Rum, Citi®, Sprint, Taco Bell®, The New York Post, Time Out New York and the Village Voice. For the full schedule of 2014 NYCF shows and info, please visit www.nycomedyfestival.com.

The festival has featured the country's top comedians, including Louis C.K., Bill Maher, Ricky Gervais, Larry David, John Mulaney, Kevin Hart, Sarah Silverman, Aziz Ansari, and Wanda Sykes, to name a few. In 2007, the festival launched the "Stand Up for Heroes" event to benefit The Bob Woodruff Foundation, which has featured performances by Bill Cosby, Robin Williams, Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Lewis Black, Ricky Gervais, CONAN O'Brien, Bruce Springsteen and John Mayer, among others. To date, the "Stand Up for Heroes" events have raised over $21 million. For more information please visit the NYCF website,www.nycomedyfestival.com, like the NYCF Facebook page,www.facebook.com/newyorkcomedyfestival, and follow the NYCF on Twitter, @NYComedyFest.

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