Richard Lewis, Julie Halston, Paula Poundstone and More Set for August Comedy Nights at Bay Street

Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the August, and September lineup for the 2016 Comedy Club.

All dates for August and September 22 are available online at www.baystreet.org or calling the Box Office at 631-725-9500. All comedy performances are suggested for ages 17 and up. Comedy Club is sponsored by Saunders & Associates and The Friars Foundation. Media sponsor is Beach Magazine.

The Comedy Club for August is Richard Lewis on Monday, August 8, Angela LeGreca and Julie Halston on Monday, August 15, Jim Breuer on Monday, August 22, Bobby Collins on Monday, August 29, and for a Special Fall Show on Thursday evening Paula Poundstone, September 22. The All Star Comedy fun returns with host Joseph Vecsey on HarborFest weekend on Friday, September 9. Tickets for this event go on sale mid-August.

Richard Lewis continues the Comedy Club on August 8. Lewis has taken his lifelong therapy fodder and carved it into a commanding, compelling art form. His early career as a standup comedian brought him to the top of his ranks. Over time and through a variety of mediums, he broadened his exposure and more and more came on board to appreciate his brilliantly warped world.

The NY Times said, "This renowned comedian, often considered to be the heir to Lenny Bruce, is a master of long form storytelling who turns his endless neurotic energy into brilliant comedy." Comedy Central has recognized Mr. Lewis as one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time and he was charted on GQ Magazine's list of the '20th Century's Most Influential Humorists'. In December of 1989, Lewis achieved a very personal goal...he performed at Carnegie Hall to a standing room only audience.

Lewis' recurring guest starring role in the first season of the Starz series Blunt Talk, was hilariously unexpected as Walter Blunt's (Patrick Stewart) Freudian analyst and he notes, "Having been given the opportunity to sit on the other side of the couch for once, and with such a great cast, was an undeniable joy."

Last May, his book Reflections From Hell: 'Richard Lewis' Guide on How Not to Live, was published by Powerhouse. He collaborated with longtime friend and patron of his, the extraordinary NY artist Carl Nicholas Titolo, who put his artistic imagery to Lewis wildly warped and often profound musings, which turned into a dream team of "poignant craziness." Larry David, Lewis' lifelong friend and also a patron to the artist, contributed a mind-blowing Foreword.

Lewis loved being part of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. The eight season series had SAG nominate Lewis for his work in the ensemble category for his recurring guest star role, playing true-to-life as one of Larry David's closest friends in CYE. The show has garnered many awards to include 39 Emmy nominations and much high praise. Vanity Fair stated, "The supporting cast of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm is a murderer's row of stand-up comedians--Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, Richard Lewis, Cheryl Hines, Shelley Berman--cutting loose in character roles with killer instinct."

Vintage Lewis is available in the box set of his Concerts from Hell (The Vintage Years), containing three comedy specials: HBO originally aired I'm Exhausted, earning him an ACE nomination for Best Stand-Up Comedy Special and I'm Doomed, his second for HBO, also earned an Ace nomination. His cable-special debut, I'm In Pain, had aired on Showtime. Playboy says, "Kvetching is elevated to surreal art in these great comedy performances. The titles say it all. Don't miss."

Lewis had a cameo role in the recent Bogdanovich film, She's Funny That Way, starring Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, along with an ensemble cast. His first defining film role was with his appearance in Leaving Las Vegas, which set the stage and led to his first major dramatic role as the lead character, Jimmy Epstein, an addict fighting for his life in the indie film Drunks along with a brilliant cast that includes Dianne Weist, Faye Dunaway and Amanda Plummer. Built around an AA meeting, he received rave reviews. He also starred in the multi-generationally beloved Robin Hood Men In Tights.

Angela LeGreca and Julie Halston join the Comedy Club on August 15. Angela LeGreca is the winner of six consecutive MAC awards (NYC's 'Oscar' for outstanding live performance) in the Outstanding Comedienne, Musical Comedy, and Variety Show categories. She has performed everywhere from Carolines Comedy Club to Carnegie Hall, and has played to rave reviews and sold-out shows in top clubs, theatrical venues and corporate settings--from Feinstein's, the Algonquin, and Town Hall to venues in Atlantic City, Palm Beach, and Tahiti. In addition to her career as a comedian, singer, and writer, Angela is currently a producer at NBC's Today-the country's top-rated morning news show, co-anchored by Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira. For nine years Angela was with ABC-TV's The View, first as the regular audience warmup personality, and then as a staff writer, writing and producing the show's popular "Hot Topics" segments with Meredith Vieira, the show's moderator.

On television Angela has appeared several times on The View (including Joy Behar's 'Comedy Corner'). Other TV credits include: Law & Order, Lifetime's Girls Nite Out, the NBC mini-series A Woman Named Jackie, VH-1, Good Day New York, and Comedy Central. Last New Year's Eve Angela co-hosted a webcast for MSN.COM live from Times Square. She has also recorded numerous voiceovers and promos for The View, HBO, and Nickelodeon, and has appeared in national and regional TV commercials.

Angela has a knack for assembling great talent; for years she hosted and produced a popular and critically-acclaimed variety show called "Monday Nite Madness" featuring New York's top comics, singers and songwriters. Monday Nite Madness won two MAC awards for Outstanding Variety Show and was literally the talk of the town. Angela also wrote and produced a mock Friars Club Roast for the USA network that featured Henny Youngman (in his last TV appearance), Pat Cooper, Jeffrey Ross, Freddie Roman, and others.

Angela writes most of her own standup and stories, and often collaborates with others to write songs. She has written for the National Lampoon Radio Hour, where she recorded sketches and voiceovers with Richard Beltzer, Jon Lovitz, and Chris Malone. For years her clever fashion quips appeared weekly in the STAR magazine's popular "Worst of the Week" page. Her humorous and not-always-so-humorous essays and articles have been published in ELLE Magazine, Rock Photo Magazine, and the Smith College Quarterly among others. Angela currently works with Meredith Vieira on her blog ("Meredith Today"), which posts weekdays on iVillage.com. If you are in the Hamptons, Nantucket, or Vail, you can catch Angela's interviews on PLUM-TV when her series "Laugh Out Loud with Angela LaGreca" airs. She has interviewed RoBert Klein, Joy Behar, Mario Cantone, John Pinette, and other notable performers. Angela grew up in Westchester and graduated from Smith College where she majored in Government. (Always playing against type, Angela was the first non-music major at Smith to give a classical voice recital.) She resides in Manhattan and is an active member of the New York Friars Club.

Julie Halston is one of the theatre's busiest and most well-known actresses. She most recently performed in the Tony-Award winning Broadway musical Anything Goesappearing as the hilarious Evangeline Harcourt. Last season she received a Drama Desk Nomination for her acclaimed performance in Charles Busch's smash hit play,The Divine Sister. Her range and resume includes Broadway musicals such as Gypsy,Hairspray, The Boys from Syracuse and Anything Goes as well as hit revivals such asOn the Twentieth Century (co-starring Anne Heche and Alec Baldwin), The Women, and The Butter and Egg Man. Primarily known as a comedic actress, she nonetheless has garnered kudos for her work in the plays The Vagina Monologues; Love, Loss, and What I Wore; and Olive and The Bitter Herbs.

Miss Halston is a three-time Drama Desk Nominee, a two-time Outer Critics Nominee, and a two-time Drama League Nominee.

Her theatrical life originated when she and renowned playwright, Charles Busch, helped found the now legendary Off-Broadway company, Theatre-in-Limbo, where she co-starred with Mr. Busch in many of the productions, including Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Red Scare on Sunset, The Lady in Question, and Shanghai Moon. Both she and Mr. Busch were among the first recipients to receive the designation "Legend of Off-Broadway" from the Off- Broadway Theatre Alliance and an Excellence in the Theatre Award from Abingdon Theatre Company. In addition to her prestigious theatrical career, she is known to television audiences as Bitsy Von Muffling on Sex and The City, Tina Carmello on The Class, and Antigone Carruthers on the updated PBS children's show, The Electric Company.

Miss Halston is also known for her award-winning comedic solo shows which she has performed all over the country. In New York, her solo shows have been extended five times at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club due to her popularity. As if not busy enough, she co-authored (with Donna Daley) the book, Monologues for Show-Offs, which is now being used by colleges, casting agents, and performers for audition material in all media. They are currently adapting their success with this book into a play.

Miss Halston lives in New York with her husband, Ralph Howard, the anchorman for Howard Stern's Howard 100 News Department. She is devoted to the non-profit organization The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, which helped her husband enormously after his own diagnosis and subsequent successful lung transplant.

Jim Breuer continues the laughs with the Comedy Club on August 22. With over 20 years of stand-up comedy experience, Jim Breuer remains one of today's top entertainers and continues to win over audiences with his off-the-wall humor and lovable personality. Named one of Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time, Breuer is one of the most recognizable comedians in the business, known for his charismatic stage antics, dead-on impressions, and family-friendly stand-up.

Even as a young student at Valley Stream Central High School in Long Island, NY, Breuer knew he wanted to be a stand-up comedian. After spending several years working Comedy Clubs across the country, Breuer settled in as a regular on the New York Comedy Club circuit. After being in New York for only seven months, Breuer landed a gig on the nationally syndicated show, Uptown Comedy Club, where he spent two seasons. Later he appeared on ABC's Home Improvement starring funny man Tim Allen, before making his big break which came in 1995 when he joined the cast of NBC's legendary Saturday Night Live. During his four years on SNL, Breuer quickly became a fan-favorite for his original character Goat Boy and his dead-on impressions of actor Joe Pesci.

Following his success on SNL, Breuer starred alongside Dave Chappelle in the cult favorite film Half Baked. He has since appeared in the popular films Zookeeper, Dick,Titan A.E. and Beer League. On the small screen, Breuer hosted MTV's popular Beach House and VH1's Web Junk 20. His other television appearances include Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and The Marriage Ref.Breuer is also a frequent guest on the Howard Stern Show.

In 2008, Breuer set out for his Breuniversity Tour with his 85-year-old father and a film crew. The footage that was captured blended together to create The Jim Breuer Road Journals, which showcased what life is like on the road with a comedian and his father. Videos from that tour also sparked the making of his documentary More Than Me, which was shown at the 2009 Montreal Film Festival. In July of 2009, Breuer's one-hour Comedy Central special Let's Clear the Air premiered with hilarious topics that included what "success" really is, his SNL days, and life with his elderly parents, his wife, and his three daughters. In 2011, Breuer embarked on a national tour with three of the country's top comedians, Dave Attell, Bill Burr, and Jim Norton, for The Anti-Social Network tour. That same year, Breuer's acclaimed autobiography, I'm Not High: (But I've Got a Lot of Crazy Stories about Life as a Goat Boy, a Dad, and a Spiritual Warrior), was released on paperback. In the memoir, Breuer sheds light on his early struggles, his rise to fame and the many lessons he's learned along in an extremely funny, yet personal and touching way that fans have never seen before. Most recently, Jim released his all new one hour comedy special on EPIX, Jim Breuer: Comic Frenzy. The latest special focuses on what Breuer's life (and all of our lives) truly consists of: dealing with the elderly, becoming our parents' caretakers, parenting teenagers, and what it takes to be a "marriage warrior." As an added bonus, Breuer also sheds some light on what it's like to perform on "heavy metal-themed" cruises. It's not nearly as glamorous as one might think.

Throughout the years, Breuer has supported various charities through his comedy, including the Chris Farley Foundation, MusiCares, his local police and fire departments, and more. Breuer currently resides in New Jersey where he enjoys spending time with his family, playing pick-up games of baseball, softball, and wiffle ball, and watching the NY Mets.

Bobby Collins brings his humor to the Comedy Club on August 29. Observing and sharing what he finds funny has made Bobby Collins one of today's top headlining comedic talents. His ability to truthfully translate the human condition through his hilarious characterizations and conversational style endears him to audiences all across the county.

Bobby is a native New Yorker who honed his talents at night working the clubs, while paying the bills from his various day jobs. Jobs ranging from history teacher to "garmento," before leaving the position of vice president of Calvin Klein to follow his dream of becoming a professional comic.

A dream that resulted in Bobby working alongside such comedic notables as - Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Chris Rock, and many others. A dream that has allowed him to tour with Cher, Julio Iglesias, Dolly Parton, and Tony Bennett; as well as hosting VH-1'sStand Up Spotlight. His appearances on The Jimmy Fallon Show, The CBS Morning Show, and The Tonight Show, along with HBO and ShowTime Specials, continues to win him legions of new fans, while adding to his solid fan base of loyal followers.

From small clubs to capacity theaters, fans continuingly welcome him with, "Bobby, you da man!" It's this relationship with his audiences that result, in sold out shows everywhere he appears. Audiences recognize his genuine love of what he does, and relate to his - We're all in this together - attitude. Many of his lifelong fans relish his many classic bits, which include "...on the inside" and "...some of you aren't getting on the boat," as evidenced by the communal nodding in knowing approval, as well as the oft occurrence of an audience requesting, and then reciting back, such loved classics!

Every show continues to uproariously deliver a no-nonsense, tell it like it is, relevantly, raucous, dissection of everyday life in our wacked out world - through Collins' charisma, style, flair, and laser wit! All of which has been captured on his 6 CD's and 3 DVD's, as well.

With the publication of his book, On The Inside - Witisms and Wisdomisms by Comedian Bobby Collins, Bobby shares the wisdom gained while facing life's personal and professional tragedies and triumphs. The book offers insight to how he obtained, and has remained, one of the industry's most sought after talents, all the while continuing to cherish and honor his role as a dedicated family man.

To simply say, "Bobby Collins is a funny man" is a little like saying, "The Empire State Building is big." While they both are true - you have to experience them to truly appreciate the crafting necessary to successfully assemble such an American Icon!

Paula Poundstone culminates the Comedy Club on Thursday, September 22. 32 years ago Paula Poundstone climbed on a Greyhound bus and traveled across the country -- stopping in at open mic nights at Comedy Clubs as she went. A high school drop-out, she went on to become one of the great humorists of our time. You can hear her through your laughter as a regular panelist on NPR's popular rascal of a weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me. She tours regularly, performing standup comedy across the country, causing Bob Zany with the Boston Globe to write: "Poundstone can regale an audience for several hours with her distinctive brand of wry, intelligent and witty comedy." Audience members may put it a little less elegantly: "I peed my pants."

While there is no doubt that Poundstone is funny, the thing that separates her from the pack of comics working today and that has made her a legend among comics and audiences alike is her ability to be spontaneous with a crowd. Poundstone says: "No two shows I do are the same. It's not that I don't repeat material. I do. My shows, when they're good, and I like to think they often are, are like a cocktail party. When you first get there, you talk about how badly you got lost and how hard it was to find parking. Then you tell a story about your kids or what you just saw on the news. You meet some new people and ask them about themselves. Then, someone says, "Tell that story you used to tell," and then someone on the other side of the room spills a drink, and you mock them. No one ever applauds me when I leave a party, though. I think they high five."

Paula's interchanges with the audience are never mean or done at a person's expense. She even manages to handle politics without provoking the pall of disapproval less artful comics have received.

Paula's touring schedule is rigorous. She performs an average of 75 dates per year, mostly in performing arts centers and theatres. For those who don't have a chance to see her live, they can listen to her brilliance on her CD's or read her in print: Her newest comedy CD, I Heart Jokes: Paula Tells Them in Boston was recorded during a performance at the historic Wilbur Theatre in the heart of the city and released on April Fool's Day 2013. It follows her first CD, I Heart Jokes: Paula Tells Them in Maine(November 2007), recorded at the world-famous Stone Mt. Arts Center in none-other than, Maine! Both are available for sale through Paula's website at www.paulapoundstone.com, on Amazon, CDbaby, Itunes, and if you are there, at Paula's shows! Paula is also an accomplished writer. Her first hard cover book, There is Nothing In This Book That I Meant To Say, with a forward by Mary Tyler Moore,was published in 2006 by Harmony Books, a division of Random House. It is still in release on audio (Highbridge) and in paperback. Paula is hard at work on her second book, this one for Algonquin Press.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me is now the most popular show on NPR, having reached #1 status in 2014. Listeners can test their knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what's real news and what's made up. Paula quickly goes on record about how much she loves being part of the show saying: "I am a proud member of the endorphin production industry. They allow me to say whatever I want on Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me. The panelists are unscripted, so it's perfect for me. I feel like I'm a batter in a batting cage. I get lobbed topics. Sometimes I just watch them go by, but every now and then I get a piece of one. If the others didn't cheat, it would be an almost perfect work experience." The show is also heard internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast. In May 2013 the show was Cinecast to movie theatres across the country. Paula was on the show, as was Steve Martin.

Paula recently did commentary on CBS Sunday Morning. Her editorial pieces can be heard on NPR's All Things Considered. An avid reader, Paula signed on as the National Spokesperson for the American Library Association's (ALA) United for Libraries in 2008 - a role she continues to this day! United for Libraries is a national citizen's support group that works to raise funds and awareness for their local libraries. Said Paula, when she was chosen, "It's funny that we think of libraries as quiet demure places where we are shushed by dusty, bun-balancing, bespectacled women. The truth is libraries are raucous clubhouses for free speech, controversy, and community. Librarians have stood up to the Patriot Act, sat down with noisy toddlers and reached out to illiterate adults. Libraries can never be shushed." As part of her duties, Paula recorded a public service announcement for United for Libraries and helps raise funds. For the last four years she has also been the headline panelist at the ALA's annual conference for their "Laughs On Us" panel of writers. To quote Sally Reed, the ALA Nat'l Director: "...you'd have to come to one of these events to see how adored Paula is by librarians. We love her and it's never repetitive."

Paula grew up in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and began performing at open-mic nights in 1979. Over the span of her career, she has amassed a list of awards and accolades that stretch the length of a great big tall guy's arm. She not only shot through the glass ceiling, she never acknowledged it was there. She was never one to stereotype herself as a 'female comedian' or limit herself to comedy from a 'female' point of view. In the early 90's she was the first woman to win the cable ACE for Best Standup Comedy Special and the first woman to be invited to perform standup at the prestigious White House Correspondents dinner where she joined the current President as part of the evening's entertainment. Paula starred in a self-titled series for HBO in '93 (for which she won her second Cable ACE Award for Best Program Interviewer) and moved the show to ABC which was short-lived, but applauded for its break from convention. Paula had her own comedy specials on HBO and BRAVO. In fact, she starred in several comedy specials on HBO, including "Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard," the only time the elite university has allowed their name to be used in the title of a television show. If it means anything to anyone, Paula is recognized as one of Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. She won an American Comedy Award for Best Female Standup Comic, and in 2010 she was one of a select group voted into the Comedy Hall of Fame.

Late-night America roared when Paula served as "official correspondent" for TheTonight Show during the 1992 Presidential race. This was followed by her extremely successful backstage commentary during the 1993 Emmy telecast. She has made numerous appearances on all the late night talk shows, including David Letterman, and a regular stint with Craig Ferguson. She has also appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and guested several times on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. In 2000, when a syndicated version of the popular game show To Tell The Truth came calling for Paula to be one of the panelists, she found another perfect showcase for her razor-sharp humor and spontaneous wit.

Joseph Vecsey performs stand up, writing, and acting, and still finds time to host The Call Back Podcast that has featured interviews with the world's most successful comedians and entertainers such as Chris Rock, AZIZ ANSARI, Garry Shandling, Paula Patton, Tom Green, and Romany Malco just to name a few. Joseph has also written articles for the NBA's most popular publication Slam Magazine that featured brilliant comedian Colin Quinn and Power 105's Charlamagne The God. The All Star Comedy series is a popular stand up series with all new shows and some of the best rising stars in comedy.

Tickets to the Comedy Club are available online at www.baystreet.org or by calling the Bay Street Theater Box Office at 631-725-9500.

Bay Street Theater is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. We serve as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.

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