Paul Anthony is standing up for stand-up on Long Island,
which he says deserves a comedy festival to rival ones held in big cities. The Massapequa comic is producer and comic host of the 3rd Annual Long Island Comedy Festival, which will take place in venues from Port Washington to Westhampton Beach all summer long, beginning Friday.
About the festival
"The purpose of the festival is to give comedians an opportunity to work on Long Island," says Anthony, who performs stand-up regularly both on the Island and in Manhattan, and was winner of the 2005 Huntington Arts Council's "Laff Off" competition for new comic talent.
"The shows we put on are probably the best you're going to see anywhere on Long Island in terms of up-and-coming talent," Anthony says. "You can always go and see nationally known comedians, and they're performing even here on Long Island, but the ticket price may be $50 or they may be performing on a Monday night - all our shows are prime time, and you can get in for $25."
This year's venues include
Theatre Three in Port Jefferson and the Islip Pavilion, as well as Port Washington, Riverhead and Westhampton Beach.
Who's performing
Each show has five comics on the bill, and they're a diverse group, including Keith Anthony, who previously performed with the late Sam Kinison, and Chris Monty, who has written for Joan Rivers and done commercials for P.C. Richard.
Also notable: impressionist Bob DiBuono, who has been featured on MTV and E!, and Bethpage native Carie Karavas, whom Anthony calls "one of the most talented female comics ever to come out of Long Island."
How it started
The first two Long Island Comedy Festivals unfolded both at historic theaters, such as Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, and at Long Island's biggest comedy clubs, among them Governor's. This year, Anthony is trying a different spin, sticking strictly to the "historical venues" because of their larger audience capacity.
He calls Theatre Three in Port Jefferson "the birthplace of the festival," because it's where the first show was held three years ago. He quickly adds, "Not that I know anything about giving birth."
Long Island Comedy Festival
June 27-August 30
Cost: $25-$40
631-COMEDYFEST (266-3393)
licomedyfest.com
The schedule
June 27-28 and July 5, 8 p.m.
Theatre Three
Port Jefferson
