More than 60 comedians are scheduled to perform over eight days for the fifth Cleveland Comedy Festival.
Sixteen shows are planned at the 14th Street Theatre and other PlayhouseSquare venues between Wednesday and Nov. 21. Highlights include:
A stand-up comedy contest featuring 36 comedians from several states and Canada competing for a total purse of more than $2,000. The top nine comedians will compete in the finals at 10 p.m. Nov. 17 at the 14th Street Theatre.
The sketch comedy troupe Last Call Cleveland, featuring Newton Falls native Mike Polk Jr., will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the 14th Street Theatre.
Polk and fellow Cleveland comedians Ryan Dalton, Jeff Blanchard and Joe Howard will be part of a "Roast of Cleveland" at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the 14th Street Theatre.
New York comedian and podcast host Tom Simmons, winner of the 2009 San Francisco Comedy Competition and a two-time finalist at the Boston Comedy Festival, will do two shows Nov. 16 at the 14th Street Theatre.
Gay and lesbian comedians will be spotlighted on Nov. 17 at Kennedy's Theatre, and $5 of every ticket sold will go to the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.
The Class Clown Graduation show will feature 11 aspiring comedians ages 11 to 17 on Nov. 18.
Cleveland native Tammy Pescatelli, who competed on NBC's "Last Comic Standing," will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at the 14th Street Theatre for the festival finale.
Tickets for most events are priced between $10 and $20. A complete list of events and ticket information can be found online at www.playhousesquare.org. The 2012 Cleveland Comedy Festival is sponsored by Playhouse Square, Skylight Financial Group, Nissan Next, Ambiance and Cleveland Yucks.