Las Vegas Weekly

November 19, 2008 · 8:46 AM

Joan Rivers bows out last-minute in comedy festival at Caesars; Tom Arnold steps in

By Robin Leach

Tom Arnold, a noted pinch-hitter.

Photo: TVT

Veteran funny lady Joan Rivers has had to drop out at the last minute from the 4th annual Comedy Festival, premiering tomorrow night at Caesars Palace. Vegas DeLuxe exclusively learned that funnyman actor Tom Arnold will stand in for her in addition to being part of the insult team Friday night at the Cheech & Chong comedy roast.

Photo: Darrin Bush/Las Vegas News Bureau

Ellen DeGeneres.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Thursday, Nov. 20

It gets underway with Ellen DeGeneres at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace with her Even Bigger Really Big Show,featuring a slew of international stars including former Planet Hollywood headliner magician Hans Klok, who is flying in for just two days from Europe to perform. Other stars appearing in shows scattered throughout Caesars tomorrow include Josh Blue and Ralphie May of Last Comic Standing; “Breuer Unleashed” with Jim Breuer; Tom Arnold now hosts Kate Clinton, Suzanne Westenhoefer and Jim David in the Augustus Ballroom; and Triple Threat Comedy with Jamie Kennedy, Mitch Fatel and Danny Bhoy.

Friday, Nov. 21

Photo: Denise Truscello

Dane Cook.

Jerry Seinfeld and Dane Cook play back-to-back separate shows at the Colosseum; the Cheech & Chong comedy roast takes place in the Palace Ballroom, with Brad Garrett, Penn & Teller and Geraldo Rivera among the roasters; and David Alan Grier, the Kids in the Hall, Russell Peters and Down and Dirty stars Jim Norton, Robert Kelly and Russ Meneve all have shows in the Augustus Ballroom.

Photo: Scott Doctor

Jerry Seinfeld.

Photo: Michael Caulfield

Ellen DeGeneres on the set of her "Really Big Show."

Saturday, Nov. 22

Photo: Courtesy

Dave Attell.

Jerry Seinfeld performs again in the Colosseum, followed by the eagerly awaited, sell-out box office sensation, biting comedy ventriloquist Jeff Dunham with his odd-ball characters including Achmed the Terrorist and Jose Jalapeno on a Stick! Tracy Morgan hosts Laffapalooza with Corey Holcomb, Earthquake, Lavell Crawford, Mark Curry and Sheryl Underwood, followed by Andrew “Dice” Clay and Dave Attell in separate shows but all in the Palace Ballroom; The Daily Show’s John Oliver is joined by Rob Riggle and Rory Albanese in the Augustus Ballroom, and they’ll be followed by the Caliente Comedy of Gabriel Iglesias, Pablo Francisco and Anjelah Johnson and at late night Mike Epps.

Photo: Andrew Dice Clay

Andrew Dice Clay.

Photo: Jeff Dunham

Jeff Dunham (human) and friends.

Throughout the three-day festival, the Emperors Ballroom at Caesars will be the site of the TBS LOL Lounge, and the cable network’s Web site www.thecomedyfestival.com will broadcast live. Vegas DeLuxe will report directly from the shows themselves, too, with full photo reports, so click back here regularly starting tomorrow for all the latest news and information about the funniest festival on Earth!

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