Gilda's Club Presents "Laugh Out Loud 5" Comedy Show, Nov. 2

A comedy showcase featuring nationally known talents David Steinberg, Gilbert Gottfried, Caroline Rhea, Vince August, Cory Kahaney, Reese Waters, Jeff Norris, Gary Delena, and Eddie Brill is coming to Hackensack to deliver laughs and raise funds for Gilda’s Club Northern New Jersey.

The peals of laughter from “Laugh Out Loud 5” are scheduled to erupt Sunday, November 2 at 7 p.m. at the Bergen County Academies Auditorium located at 200 Hackensack Avenue in Hackensack. Tickets range from $29 to $59 each and are available at Showclix.com. Proceeds from “Laugh Out Loud 5” will benefit Gilda’s Club Northern New Jersey, a cancer support community offering free social activities, lectures, workshops and support groups.

“We are thrilled to present our fifth major comedy event to remember and share hilarious laughs in the spirit of Gilda Radner,” said Ruth Dugan, Gilda’s Club NNJ. “With entertaining, laugh-filled fundraisers like these, Gilda’s Club is able to continue to provide vital cancer support services to our growing membership without charge.”

A legendary comedian of the 60′s through the 80′s, David Steinberg is now regarded as one of the best and most creative directors working in television today. He has directed numerous episodes of “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” “Mad About You,” “Newhart” and Designing Women,” which he also executive produced. More recently, David has directed for the hit series “Weeds” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” His work on “Seinfeld,” “Mad About You” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has earned him several DGA and Emmy awards and nominations. One of Johnny Carson’s most popular guests, he has made numerous appearances on “The Tonight Show.”

Gilbert Gottfried began doing stand-up at open mike nights in New York City at age 15 and after a few short years, became known around town as “the comedian’s comedian.” After spending several years mastering the art of stand-up comedy, producers of SNL became of aware of Gottfried, and in 1980, hired him as a cast member. It wasn’t until a few years later when his true notoriety would begin when MTV hired him for a series of improvised and hilarious promos for the newly-formed channel. This led to several television appearances on “The Cosby Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman.” His work in television led to roles in film, including “Beverly Hills Cop II,” “Problem Child,” “Problem Child II,” “Look Who’s Talking II,” and “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.” After his stellar performance as the wise-cracking parrot in the Disney classic “Aladdin,” Gottfried became one of the most recognizable voiceover talents. His signature voice can be heard in several commercials and movies. Gottfried also is the voice of DIGIT in the long-running PBS series “Cyberchase.” Gottfried has been a regular on the new “Hollywood Squares” and is a frequent guest on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Howard Stern Show.”

The event will feature Alan Zweibel as a special guest. Zweibel is an original “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) writer, best-selling author and award-winning playwright. His close friendship and collaboration with Radner extended beyond their tenure at SNL – as her last television appearance was on an episode of “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” which Zweibel co-created and produced. After Radner passed away, Zweibel wrote a best-selling book about their relationship titled “Bunny Bunny: Gilda Radner – a Sort of Love Story,” which he later adapted into an off-Broadway play. He has won multiple Emmy, Writers Guild of America, and TV Critics awards for his work in television, which also includes “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and the Thurber Prize for American Humor for his novel “The Other Shulman.” Zweibel was also co-author of the Tony Award-winning play “700 Sundays.”

A stand-up comedian and actress, Caroline Rhea is known for her work on “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” and host of “The Caroline Rhea Show.” Other notable television appearances include “The Drew Carey Show,” NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” and HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Caroline’s career in stand-up comedy dates back to 1989 when she moved to New York and became a regular at comedy clubs throughout the city. She continues to delight sold-out audiences throughout North America.

Vince August is none other than former Judge Vince Sicari, who recently chose comedy over the court when the Supreme Court ruled he couldn’t do both. He has made quite a name for himself as a standup comic in New York City as a New York Comedy Festival regular, closing more shows at Caroline’s over the last three years than any comedian in the country as well as being the closer for the Caroline’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular. He has been a warm- up comic to “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” His acting credits include 30 appearances on the hit show “What Would You Do?” on ABC, which is currently in syndication on HLN. Usually portraying the antagonist in the social experiment show, his passive aggressive improvisation skills made him a show favorite.

Cory Kahaney is best known from Season One of “Last Comic Standing,” where she made it to the finale and earned praise from host Jay Mohr, who called her performance “flawless.” Other television credits include “Comedy Central Presents: Cory Kahaney,” “The View,” and many episodes of “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.” She has also appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” Her off-Broadway hit “The J.A.P. Show” ran for six months in New York City and continues to tour the country, re-named “The Princesses of Comedy.”

When New York Magazine tapped Reese Waters as one of the city’s Ten Comedians To Watch in March of 2009, few realized just how quickly his star would rise. First came his victories in the annual Caroline’s Comedy Competition and the Emerging Comics Contest at the New York Underground Comedy Festival. Soon after, appearances on MTV, Good Morning America, Sirius Satellite Radio and NPR were followed by Waters’ mastery of his Comedy Central “Live At Gotham” set and subsequent role on the critically acclaimed Comedy Central series “Michael and Michael Have Issues.” He has accomplished a rare scheduling feat of making back to back appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” Waters can be seen live every morning on The Weather Channel’s AMHQ morning show with Sam Champion.

Jeff Norris is an actor and comedian who has appeared on the small screen on SNL, Boardwalk Empire, Oz, and Law & Order. He can be seen dazzling audiences at comedy clubs around the country with appearances at Caroline’s on Broadway, Dangerfield’s, The Stress Factory, Rascals Comedy Clubs and more.

A triple threat showman, Gary Delena is a singing impressionist, an accomplished musician and a comedian. His show mixes musical parodies, good natured clowning and the ability to befriend the room by simply chatting.

Hosting “Laugh Out Loud 5” will be Eddie Brill, a well-respected comic in the United States and abroad. A regular on the comedy scene in England, Eddie previously worked on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” serving as both the Stand Up Comedy Talent Coordinator and audience warmup.

About Gilda’s Club Northern New Jersey:

Gilda’s Club Northern New Jersey is a cancer-support community serving 12 counties in North Jersey as well as southern Rockland County, and is part of an international network of affiliate clubhouses anchored by Gilda’s Club Worldwide. All services at the Hackensack-based clubhouse, from lectures and workshops to support groups and social events, are open to anyone – men, women, children and teens – who has been touched in any way by cancer, and are completely free of charge. For further information or to make a donation, visit www.gildasclubnnj.org or call (201) 457-1670.