Margaret Cho

It’s a “full go” for the return of a live and in-person Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.

The National Comedy Center announced that comedian Margaret Cho has joined the lineup, performing live Thursday, Aug. 4. Cho joins comedian Jeff Foxworthy, and Saturday Night Live legends David Spade, Rob Schneider and Kevin Nealon for three consecutive nights of headliner shows during the 30th live festival.

A Stand-Up Comedy Showcase has also been added to the lineup on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The full lineup features more than 50 live events taking place Aug. 3-7.

Cho will perform at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. Tickets will go on pre-sale for National Comedy Center members only starting Wednesday, June 1, at noon at ComedyCenter.org/Festival. Public on-sale date will be Monday, June 6, at noon.

“We all need laughter after these past two years, so we’re pleased that the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is back and features some of comedy’s greatest talent: Margaret Cho, Jeff Foxworthy, Legends of SNL David Spade, Kevin Nealon and Rob Schneider, along with the best rising voices from comedy nationwide. The talent descending on Jamestown that week is remarkable,” said Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center executive director.

As a trailblazing comedian, actress, musician and activist, Cho has five Grammy Award nominations and one Emmy nod for her groundbreaking work on 30 Rock. Rolling Stone magazine named Margaret one of the 50 Best Stand-Up Comics calling her “the sort of funny, sex-positive feminist and LGBT activist younger comics continue to look up to.”

Her legendary stand-up career has yielded 10-plus comedy tours, television appearances (smash hit The Masked Singer, HBO’s High Maintenance), podcasting (The Margaret Cho) and film, Netflix’s Good on Paper with Iliza Shlesinger and Auntie Ling in Netflix’s first major animated film, Over the Moon, which was nominated for an Academy Award & Golden Globe Award. She recently made her debut on two popular HBO Max shows, The Flight Attendant and Hacks, and is starring in a comedy-horror film Fire Island scheduled to be released this summer. Cho is a fierce advocate for anti-racism, anti-bullying and gay rights campaigns, and has won numerous awards for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of women, Asian Americans and the LGBTQ+ community.

“I’m thrilled to be performing at the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival for the first time — and excited to visit the National Comedy Center, which celebrates this art form and recognizes the importance of comedic artists, whose diverse voices push boundaries and move our society forward,” Cho said. “I can’t wait to see everyone in Jamestown this summer.”

“It’s an honor to welcome Margaret Cho to the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival,” Gunderson said. “Margaret is brilliantly funny, fearless and original – a true master of the craft who opens our minds to the world around us while always keeping us laughing.”

To become a National Comedy Center member, visit ComedyCenter.org/membership or call the National Comedy Center at 716-484-2222. Memberships start at $50 and provide benefits including a full year “season pass” for visiting the acclaimed National Comedy Center in Jamestown.

“Our 30th live and in-person Lucille Ball Comedy Festival will once again offer a broad variety of comedy to suit every taste — from comedy legends to the best rising talent in the country, with stand-up showcases, late night comedy, kids comedy, Lucy legacy events, free live music, block parties and more,” said Malachi Livermore, the National Comedy Center’s Director of Programming and Guest Experiences. “If you haven’t purchased tickets yet, now is the time, before we start selling out many of these shows.”