Dayton-area comics featured at new museum
National Comedy Center exhibits will have you in stitches.
What three things do Dave Chapelle, Jonathan Winters, Nancy Cartwright and Mike Peters have in common? 1) They all keep us laughing. 2) They all have Dayton connections.
3) They’re all featured in the new National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y.
Time was when $50 million was no laughing matter. It is now! The new state-ofthe-art museum, which will mark its first anniversary next month, cost $50 million and has been named a 2019 “USA Today” Best New Attraction. It earned a 5 out of 5 rating from Trip Advisor. Conde Nast Traveler labeled it “one of the best museums in the country.”
It’s the nation’s first cultural institution dedicated to the art form of comedy and it’s only a five-hour drive from Dayton. Whether you enjoy stand-up, late-night TV monologues, sitcoms or funny films, you’re certain to have a good time.
What strikes your funny bone?
Upon entering the 37,000-square-foot museum, you’ll stop at a lobby kiosk that helps personalize your experience by creating your personalized humor profile. After being given a list of comics and asked to pick your favorites, you’ll do the same with your
favorite shows. Do you like Carl Reiner, John Mulaney, Dick Van Dyke, Sebastian Maniscalco? How do you feel about “Caddyshack” or “Animal House?” Your answers will determine whether you prefer political humor, satire or slapstick.
Based on your individual responses, the machine will create a Laugh Band, a wristband that activates exhibits throughout the museum tailored to your specific tastes.
Dayton connections!
Look for two folks with Dayton connections in the “Honors and Distinctions” section. Dayton Daily News cartoonist Mike Peters is honored for winning a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. Some of his work is also on display in the “Written and Drawn Comedy,” where one of his cartoons is hanging from the ceiling. Rubber-faced comedian Jonathan Winters is honored there as well.
You’ll hear Nancy Cartwright’s voice as Bart Simpson in clips from “The Simpsons” and Yellow Springs resident Dave Chapelle can be found in a couple of different museum locations, including the Blue Room.
Exhibits that will have you in stitches:
■ Take a comic prop off the Prop Stars shelf and place it on the digital screen table in front of you and you’ll be treated to historic clips in which that particular prop is featured. Think banana peel, pie-inthe-face, rubber chicken.
■ Make your funniest face and it will be captured on screen.
■ In the Act the Part exhibit, you can step into iconic scenes with folks like Lucille Ball.
■ In the Laugh Battles exhibit, visitors face off against each other to see who can get the most laughs. Facial recognition powered by Microsoft AI is used to determine who laughs, and the exhibit helps suggest jokes that should make your opponent laugh based on their personalized sense of humor.
■ Make a Meme then share it on social media.
■ Your accurate guesses in the Hall of Moguls will gradually turn the molded face — of a famous writer, director or producer — into one that’s recognizable. It’s weird and cool!
■ In the costume area, you’ll be introduced to a wide variety of original costumes and props including Jerry Seinfeld’s puffy shirt, Charlie Chaplin’s cane, Jack Benny’s tuxedo, Archie Bunker’s jacket and Harpo Marx’s trench coat. On display is the motorcycle driven by Dan Aykroyd to the SNL studios and the baby carrier worn by Zach Galifianakis in “The Hangover.”
■ In the Hologram Theatre, watch comedy legends like Jim Gaffigan talk about their career in 3-D.
■ You’ll trace the history of comedy and learn about various types of comedy ranging from vaudeville to the latest viral memes. You can try your hand at cartooning or comedy writing.
■ Look through the large TV camera and you can visit Late Night TV sets — Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno. Turn the dial and you’ll see some of their signature bits.
■ Look inside one of comedy’s greatest minds, George Carlin. Donated by daughter Kelly Carlin, this exhibit discusses Carlin’s creative use of words, process, and career journey by using more than 1,000 artifacts.
■ At the Comedy Continuum, guests interact with a large interactive wall that explores connections and influences between some of your favorite comedians.
■ In Comedy Karaoke, guests get a taste of what it’s like to take the stage and perform a standup routine in front of an audience. Before performing, visitors learn tips on delivery and timing that will help guide their performance, as originally performed by comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Ali Wong, Gaffigan or Paula Poundstone.
■ A camera will capture your face as you enter the Blue Room, where you’re greeted by a slew of the raunchiest words you can imagine. Your wristband indicates whether you’re old enough to explore this lower level where you’ll meet Lenny Bruce, Carlin and Chapelle. The completely uncensored experience focuses on freedom of speech and features some of the most controversial comedy of all time.
As you leave the museum, you’ll view a re-cap of your personal sense of humor and a joke box that spits out a “Joke to Go” card for you to take home. Don’t be surprised to receive an email that summarizes some of the fun you’ve enjoyed, as well as photos that have been taken of you at the museum.
You’ll want to allow at least three or four hours at this amazing museum. There’s a snack bar when it’s time for a break and a gift shop with comedyrelated items.
Why Jamestown?
If you’re wondering why this comedy museum is located in Jamestown, N.Y., it’s thanks to Lucille Ball, who envisioned a museum devoted to comedy in her hometown. A few blocks away is an older and more traditional museum that’s a tribute to the First Couple of Comedy and explores the life stories of both Ball and Desi Arnez.
By 1962, the couple’s Desilu Productions had become the largest independent television production company in the United States, producing legendary series including “I Love Lucy,” “Star Trek,” “Mission Impossible” and “The Untouchables,” as well as serving as the studio home for “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” The Andy Griffith Show, “The Jack Benny Program,” “The Danny Thomas Show,” “My Three Sons” and many more.
The museum features original costumes, gowns, props, exact re-creations of the ” I Love Lucy” television studio sets, and even Ball’s car.