North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival Announces Line-Up Change - Steven Wright & More

Last year, the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival began a partnership with the Carolina Theatre in Durham and partnered with the theatre to present two shows during last year's festival. Both shows were wildly successful and this year should prove to be no exception. Two of the festival's headliners are slated to take center stage at the Carolina Theatre on February 8 and February 10.

Larry Miller is no longer performing at the theatre on Friday, February 8. However the festival is pleased to welcome the touring company from the legendary Second City in his place. This show follows their sold out performance last year. Then, as an added bonus, legendary comedian Steven Wright heads to the Carolina Theatre on Sunday, February 10. Tickets and a full schedule will be available at www.nccomedyarts.com.

Second City returns to the Carolina Theater on Friday February 8 at 8 p.m. Their show last was one of the highlights of sketch week at the festival. America's famed comedy troupe, The Second City, travels the country in the one of a kind "Laughter Matters." From the company that launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray and more, comes the next generation of the comedy world's best and brightest in an evening of hilarious sketch comedy and Second City's trademark improvisation. Tickets for Second City go on sale January 4 on nccomedyarts.com and ticketmaster.com.

On Sunday, February 10, at 8 p.m. Steven Wright takes the stage at the Carolina Theatre for one night only. Academy Award Winner Wright is a prototype comedian that many others continually try to follow. Upon graduating from Emerson College and holding a bevy of odd jobs, he attended an "open mic" audition and became a regular performer at a club in Cambridge, MA, during that time he landed his big break and was booked for his first Tonight Show appearance and he had a repeat appearance a week later after the success of the his debut. His back-to-back appearances helped put his fledgling career into high gear. The comic soon found himself performing his off-beat routines on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, and numerous trips back to The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Wright expanded his comedy career to include comedy albums, film and television appearances. His 1986 debut album, I Have A Pony, earned him a Grammy nomination. In 1985, Steven starred in his first HBO Special A Steven Wright Special. In 1989, Steven was honored with an Academy Award for Best Short Film for his film entitled The Appointments of Dennis Jennings. He has appeared in numerous films including Desperately Seeking Susan, Mike Meyers' So I Married An Axe Murderer, Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, and Nora Ephron's Mixed Nuts. He was the voice of the DJ, K-Billy in Reservoir Dogs and starred with John Cleese and Jack Palance in New Line's animated film, The Swan Princess as the voice of Speed, the turtle. Steve also appeared as a sitcom actor in MGM's Speechless with Harry Shearer, and as a Mountie in the MGM release Canadian Bacon, opposite the late John Candy and many others. He is a regular guest on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Steven Wright continues touring the U.S., Canada and overseas.