Comedy Central Kicks Off NYC's 2nd Annual Comedy Week Today, 11/5

NYC & Company, New York City's official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, New York Comedy Festival and Comedy Central present the second annual Comedy Week, today, November 5–11.

"From live television and theater to Comedy Clubs and performance artists, comedy is embedded in the fabric of New York City all year-round," said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. "We are proud to again present Comedy Week to provide New Yorkers and visitors opportunities to experience some of the funniest performers in the world as they showcase their humor and entertain audiences across the five boroughs."

"We're thrilled to be partnering with NYC & Company again to present Comedy Week in New York CIty," says Caroline Hirsch, founder and owner of Carolines on Broadway and the New York Comedy Festival. "Once again, working with Comedy Central and NYC & Company, we will shine a spotlight on and bring awareness to comedy in New York and what it means to this city. Comedy is a vital part of this city's economy. With all of the late-night talk shows, sitcoms, feature films and live stand-up performances, New York truly is the comedy capital of the world."

Tickets for the free Comedy Week show will be given on a first-come, first-served basis and can be reserved starting today at nycgo.com/comedy.* After 550 tickets are claimed, additional tickets will be available through a Comedy Week sweepstakes and then through Twitter giveaways (follow @nycgo).

The second season of Key & Peele premieres on Wednesday, September 26, at 10:30pm ET/PT on Comedy Central. Fans can look forward to the return of President Obama's "anger translator," Luther, as Key & Peele continues to tackle issues like race relations in a less-than post-racial society and focusing on culturally relevant characters such as Steve Jobs and the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. Click here for more info on the show -- comedycentral.com/shows/key-and-peele

This year Comedy Week will expand to include a series of free events across the City, including special comedy tours with Gray Line New York Sightseeing, a new mobile comedy scavenger hunt by Stray Boots, special New York City–themed shows at Upright Citizens Brigade and more. Full details will be announced in October at nycgo.com/comedy.  

The New York Comedy Festival, November 7–11, is one of the world's top comedy events, attracting more than 50,000 attendees in 2011. Comedians who are scheduled to perform in this year's festival include Ricky Gervais, Robin Williams,AZIZ ANSARI, Adam Carolla, Bill Maher, Kevin Hart, Rob Delaney, Jim Gaffigan, Artie Lange, Patton Oswalt, Brian Regan and Marlon and Shawn Wayans. A full list of New York Comedy Festival performances can be found at nycomedyfestival.com, and additional shows will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more Comedy Week information and to register for the free Key & Peele event, visit nycgo.com/comedy. 

NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.

Now in its ninth year, the New York Comedy Festival is produced by Carolines on Broadway in association with COMEDY CENTRAL. The festival has featured the country's top comedians, including Louis C.K., Bill Maher, Ricky Gervais, Kathy Griffin, Dane Cook, Sarah Silverman, AZIZ ANSARI, Wanda Sykes and Joel McHale, 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 byRobin Williams, Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld, Lewis Black, Ricky Gervais, Conan O'Brien and Bruce Springsteen. The festival is produced by Carolines on Broadway. Sponsors are Citbank, Klondike, JetBlue and Svedka Vodka. The media sponsors are New York Post, Time Out New York, Variety and the Village Voice.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, COMEDY CENTRAL (www.cc.com) is the #1 brand in comedy and is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned unit of Viacom Inc. .  

*Tickets for the free Comedy Week show are available while supplies last. Seating is not guaranteed. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.