The East Village laughed tonight as the NYC Comedy Fest kicked off at The Comedy Cellar. Over 1,000 packed 3 shows—Chris Rock’s surprise set stole it; 150 seats sold out in minutes. A Staten Island comic’s subway bit—‘F train woes’—got 5,000 X likes. Tickets at $25—bargain for NYC laughs. Comedy’s pulse—city chuckles.
Organizer Sam Lee, 44, booked 50 comics across 10 venues—week-long fest. Rock’s 20-minute riff on Times Square—‘too many Elmos’—slayed; crowd roared. A 22-year-old from Queens debuted—her bodega cat joke killed. 68°F night—Village streets buzzed post-show. NYC’s funny bone—East Side shines.
It’s not all laughs—sound issues; mics fizzed twice. Some newbies bombed—crowd stayed kind. Still, 1,000 fans, 3 encores—Cellar’s magic. Post-show, MacDougal Street bars packed—jokes retold. Fest till Sunday—NYC giggles.
Lee’s 44—comedy guru? Queens comic—rising star. NYC laughed; Village glowed. Comedy Fest—mic on.