By Mary Damiano

	Kathy Griffin headlines the South Beach Comedy Festival, with two shows at the Fillmore at Jackie Gleason on January 16

“Miami: it’s not just for cocaine and whores anymore.” —Comedian Ralphie May

Ralphie’s right.  Miami does have a lot more to offer, including the South Beach Comedy Festival, which will bring laughter-a-plenty to various venues throughout Miami Beach.

Now in its third year, the South Beach Comedy Festival delivers another bold line-up featuring today’s top performers.  The festival will welcome back the Emmy-Award winning “D-Lister” Griffin, whose sold-out shows during the first year of the festival was the talk of the town. Comedy Central’s “Insomniac” Dave Attell; brash funny man Louis CK; Creation Nation’s Billy Eichner; “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Susie Essman; popular co-host of “Despierta América”, Univision’s live morning news/entertainment show, Raúl González; international Colombian comedy sensation, Andres Lopez; comic balladeer Stephen Lynch; the “Meanest Men in Comedy Tour” Jeffrey Ross with Ralphie May; award-winning ventriloquist Jeff Dunham; 2007 Drama Desk Award winning monologuist John Fugelsang; and the raucous and irreverent Kristina Wong are among those who will make South Beach the place to be for a laugh riot.

“We are very proud to host the best talent working today, as well as the next generation of talent,” says Raul Mateu, senior vice president and managing director of the William Morris Agency in Miami Beach and festival director of the South Beach Comedy Festival.  “Knowing that we are bringing laughs to South Beach is a lot of fun for us, and is very gratifying.”

	Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, who will perform Friday, January 18 at the Fillmore at Jackie Gleason

Performances will take place at the Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, Colony Theater, and Lincoln Road Stage, which is home to the festival’s outdoor, nightly, free, comedy stage.

One of the biggest highlights at this year’s South Beach Comedy Festival is the roster of free comic performances on Lincoln Road.  Beginning Wednesday, January 16 at 9 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., five comics will give free performances at the Euclid Oval on the Lincoln Road Mall.  There’s former 7th grade-public-school-teacher-turned-comedian, Al Jackson, who has been selected for Comedy Central’s “Fresh Faces of Comedy” promotional spots; former professional jump-roper-turned-comic, Doug Mellard, who has been given the title “Funniest Person in Austin” at the Capitol City Comedy Club by a panel of judges comprised of Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, and Montreal Comedy Festival; Michelle Buteau, who appeared this season’s “Last Comic Standing”, Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend”, and VH1’s “Best Week Ever”; Mo Mandel, winner of this past year of Comedy Central’s “Open Mic Fight” and finally, 23-year-old story-teller Tommy Johnagin, who has been seen on comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham” and CMT’s “Comedy Stage.”  Seating is limited, so get to the Lincoln Road stage early.

“We are thrilled to once again showcase great, young, up-and-coming talent on the free outdoor stage on Lincoln Road,” says Mitch Fried, senior vice president of promotion marketing, Comedy Central. “This year, we have bulked up the talent roster to meet the audiences growing appetite for free, outdoor comedy.”

	Susie Essman will take the stage of the Lincoln Theatre on Lincoln Road Friday, January 18, at 11 p.m.

The festival will feature two other free shows.  The Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is hosting the performance of Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show with Billy Eichner, Wednesday, January 16, 10:30 p.m. at the Colony Theatre. Eichner has appeared on Comedy Central’s Showbiz Show with David Spade, and is the star, writer, and co-creator of one of New York’s hottest shows, Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show.  He’s known for his wacky gay ideas and twisted takes on life.  Creation Nation features sketches, stand-up, original musical numbers, filmed segments and a live interview with special celebrity guest Louis Aguirre, cohost of WSVN-7’s “Deco Drive”.  John Fugelsang’s autobiographical comic play, All the Wrong Reasons, won the 2007 Drama Desk Award and will be presented Saturday, January 19, at 11:59 p.m. at the Colony Theatre. “I did this show to bring back the Bible from the creeps and to bring back the flag from the hypocrites,” says Fugelsang.  Tickets are free but limited to both shows. Visit southbeachcomedyfestival.com to download free tickets.

The South Beach Comedy Festival is partnering with the Miami Light Project to present  L.A.-based Kristina Wong in her show, Free, Wednesday, January 16, 8 p.m. at the Colony Theatre.  Wong makes her Miami debut with Free, which walks the line between stand-up and performance art. Tickets are $25, and all proceeds benefit Miami Light Project.

South Floridians will also get to show off their funny bones.  The South Beach Comedy Festival’s comedian search has become a breeding ground for new talent and—for some lucky comic—an excellent opportunity to be launched into comedic stardom. Previous winners include Malik Sanon and Flip Schultz, both of whom have gone on to appear on Comedy Central's multi-platform series “Live At Gotham”.

	Jeffrey Ross, who will perform with Ralphie May Thursday, January 17 at the Colony Theater, part of the “The Meanest Men in Comedy Tour”

This year, the South Beach Comedy Festival has joined forces with Paul Castronovo and Young Ron from BIG 105.9 FM's “The Paul & Young Ron Show”, to create the “So, You Think You're Funny?” search for the best, new comedian.

“We have had tremendous success in introducing new talent gathered from the local comedian contest,” says Mateu. “The previous two winners have gone on to appear on Comedy Central.  We’re really excited to be collaborating with “The Paul & Young Ron Show” to find the next best comic in South Florida.”

First round open calls will take place Saturday, January 5, 1-4 p.m. at the Improv in West Palm Beach, and Sunday, January 6, 1-4 p.m. at the Improv in Miami.  Comics are asked to prepare three minutes of clean material, as the video clips of the semi-finalist performances will be streamed online at WFOR/CBS4's website (cbs4.com/comedy) where viewers can vote for their favorite comedian to determine who gets the last coveted slot in the finals.  The semi-finals will take place Wednesday, January 9, 7:30 p.m. at the Improv Miami; and the finals will take place Friday, January 18, 10:30 p.m. at the Colony Theatre in Miami Beach.  Both the semi-finals and finals will be hosted by Paul Castronovo and Young Ron.

“We love working with the festival to produce the open call,” says Joel Bachkoff of the South Florida Improv Comedy Clubs.  “It’s a great opportunity to scout new talent that is coming from somewhere other than L.A. or New York City. South Florida is usually overlooked in the entertainment industry as a location to find new talent.”