Las Vegas Weekly

October 8, 2008 · 10:25 AM

Roast of Cheech & Chong added to Comedy Festival

By Robin Leach

Photo: Ellendegeneres.com

Ellen DeGeneres.

It’s the ultimate lineup of comedy kings and queens for the 4th annual Comedy Festival set at Caesars Palace to kick off Thursday Nov. 20 and run through Saturday night, Nov. 22. One of the key highlights has to be an all-star celebrity crowd to roast newly reunited Up in Smoke stars Cheech Marin and his priceless partner, Tommy Chong, on Friday evening, Nov. 21.

Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Dane Cook, Katt Williams, Tracy Morgan and Jeff Dunham are among the headliners for the TBS special A Very Funny Festival. They will be joined by Mike Epps, David Alan Grier, Kids in the Hall, Russell Peters, Jim Breuer, Andrew Dice Clay, Jim Norton and John Oliver. TBS cameras will also film Caliente Comedy, with Gabriel Iglesias, Pablo Francisco and Anjelah Johnson along with Ellen’s Even Bigger Really Big Show, Laffapalooza with Tracey and the Cheech and Chong roast.

“This is the first year that TBS is the full presenter of this massive comedy event. We couldn’t be more thrilled at the way the lineup is coming together,” said Senior VP Dennis Adamovich, who is also general manager of comedy for the cable network. “It’s an outstanding lineup of established and rising stars and we’ll showcase them on telecasts, webcasts and live shows. They are all a perfect fit for Vegas.”

Here’s the full day-by-day rundown for the first time- and remember tickets have just gone on sale so don’t miss out on the all-star full-blown fun festivities:

Thursday, Nov 20:

*Daytime talk show hostess Ellen DeGeneres returns for the 2nd edition of her massive variety show Ellen’s Even Bigger Really Big Show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

*For 10 years now Katt Williams has been making his mark on Hollywood and his comedy shows earlier this year on the Pimpin Pimpin Tour have become one of the highest grossing tours of the year. His third comedy DVD is due for November release and Katt will perform his midnight unscripted show at the Colosseum.

*Saturday Night Live’s “Goat Boy” himself, Jim Breuer becomes “Unleashed” in the Palace Ballroom with his rock-and-roll comedy, charismatic stage antics and impressions, including a dead-on Joe Pesci.

Friday, Nov 21:

*Reigning comedy king and best selling author Jerry Seinfeld returns to the Colosseum and don’t be surprised if his hit series Seinfeld creator Larry David is lurking in the wings! Jerry this year wrote starred and produced the summer blockbuster Bee Movie.

*With a second CD Retaliation going double-platinum after debuting at the No. 4 spot on the Billboard charts, Dane Cook is still celebrating the highest debuting comedy album in 27 years. He’ll take midnight duties at the Colosseum with his energetic physical humor and clever wordplay. Expect a total sell-out because he’s had enormous crowds at Madison Square Garden, Boston garden and Chicago’s United Center!

*One-time stoned stars, Cheech and Chong, who dominated the ’70s and ’80s comedy scene, split and went their separate ways. Now they’ve reunited after successful solo gigs and a slew of stars will roast them for a TV special that will have plenty of blips and bleeps edited in!

*Talented funnyman David Alan Grier from his TV successes, In Living Color and Life with Bonnie will also do standup in the Palace Ballroom and we’ll get a sneak advance peak at his new Comedy Central series, Chocolate News.

*Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels discovered The Kids in the Hall and their sketch comedy debuted on HBO back in 1989. They’ve racked up critical Emmy and CableACE nominations with their zany characters so much so they were inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. They will produce the half-human Chicken Lady and the chauvinist Cabbage Head in the Augustus Ballroom.

*Russell Peters was the first comic of South Asian heritage to sell out Madison Square Garden, and ever since he’s been affectionately dubbed “The Legend.” He hasn’t had a network sitcom, a hit movie or a comedy album but his success around the world is unprecedented. He’ll be teamed with Tom Segura, Nick Thune and Dom Irerra in the Augustus Ballroom.

*Best selling author and national touring comedian Jim Norton, who is heard weekday mornings on the Opie and Anthony radio show will spill his honest and raunchy humor in a late-night standup show in the Augustus Ballroom with fellow comics Robert Kelly and Russ Meneve,

Saturday, Nov 22:

*Jerry Seinfeld has a second night of witty and wry observations in the Colosseum, while late-night comedy ventriloquist Jeff Dunham holds down the fortress with the controversial puppet partners Achmed plus the talking jalopeno-on-a-stick, Jose!

*Mexican-American comedy killer Gabriel Iglesias headlines at the Augustus Ballroom with former Blowout Boys member, Pablo Francisco and Anjelah Johnson, whose routine in a nail salon has become an online phenomenon.

*The Diceman still flaunts his outrageous hardcore comedy with controversy and four-letter words to shock audiences. Banned by MTV, he is still hailed as the Undisputed Heavyweight King. Andrew Dice Clay will headline in the Palace Ballroom.

*Tracy Morgan from the NBC hit 30 Rock will host the TBS Laffapalooza TV special in the Palace Ballroom, He also appeared for seven seasons on Saturday Night Live. Jamie Foxx is one of the executive producers of this laugh-fest!

*Mike Epps, who hit it big in 1995 with the DefComedy Jam Tour will headline at the Augustus Ballroom. Next year his seventh movie Janky Promoters with Ice Cube is set for release.

*The Daily Show’s John Oliver brings Rob Riggle and Rory Albanese along with him for biting satire in the Augustus Ballroom. Although from Britain, Oliver has been Jon Stewart’s correspondent the past two years and Daily Show writer Rory Albanese also handled comedy on the 80th annual Academy Awards and the 55th Emmy awards shows.

TBS will take over the Emperors Ballroom for both the comics and members of the public to hang out in the Laugh Out Loud lounge. Webcasts of all the events will run on comedyfestival.com, new every night from 6 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. and then for several weeks after the conclusion. You can think of Vegas as a convention city and this festival is no different- a convention of comics and their fans!

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