Lucy-Desi Center for Comedy Offering New Audio Guide Tours Starting in August

JAMESTOWN, NY – The Lucy Desi Center for Comedy is excited to announce that new audio guide tours will be launching in its dual museum attraction during Lucy Fest, August 1st-5th.

The new audio guide tours, which will be narrated by Lucie Arnaz, were made possible thanks to a grant from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, matching funds from the Lucy Desi Center, and the generous collaborative production efforts of Desilu, Too and exhibit designer David Weiss.

“I wrote a grant to the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, matched it with an investment of our own, and commissioned renowned exhibit producer David Weiss,” said Journey Gunderson, executive director of the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy. “He visited and said, 'It's got to be Lucie.' [Arnaz] and author Elisabeth Edwards got involved and brought the story together in a way that made it exponentially more special and insightful."

In addition to narrating the audio tour guides, Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, will be the musical host at a showcase of some of the hottest rising comedians, including Tammy Pescatelli, on Friday, August 3rd at this year’s festival. Coincidentally, Arnaz's father, Desi Arnaz, was the first-ever to be both host and musical guest of Saturday Night Live in 1976.

"This gem of an attraction and the fans who visit it from all over the world were deserving of an update to the experience,” Gunderson said.

Tickets are now on sale at www.LucyComedyFest.com.

Production and installation of the new audio tour has been overseen by David Weiss, whose credits include the world-touring "Harry Potter" and "Chronicles of Narnia" exhibitions, "Jurassic Park: Singapore," and NASA's "Space: A Journey to Our Future" among other educational, immersive and entertaining experiences in museums, theme parks and destinations world-wide. Weiss frequently works with Jack Rouse Associates, one of the most well-known exhibit design studios in the world.

The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum and Desilu Studios are open 7 days a week, Monday - Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-4pm.

Museum Meet and Greet Reception with Lucie Arnaz

For a tax-deductible donation of $100, fans and supporters can enjoy the unique opportunity to attend a reception with Lucie Arnaz held in the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum immediately following the Friday, Aug. 3 evening show. The Lucy Desi Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. The reception will begin at 10:30pm at 10 W 3rd St, and tickets are available at 716.484.0800 or www.LucyComedyFest.com.

Be a Part of Festival History

The Lucy Desi Center will be capturing memories from the past 20 years of festivals as part of its developing festivals exhibit and archival process. Were you one of the 916 Lucy Ricardos in the Guinness World Record set on Lucille Ball's 100th birthday? Have you been attending festivals in Jamestown since the beginning? Did you meet Doris Singleton, or laugh with Ellen DeGeneres? A video recording set and interviewer will be set up and booked by appointment during the five days of the festival in Jamestown August 1-5.

To be included, email a brief summary of your festival participation (include years attended and keep under 250 words) to Info@Lucy-Desi.com with "Festival History" in the Subject line. Include best contact phone number, full name, and days you will be in town during the Festival.

About The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, or “Lucy Fest,” embodies Ball’s vision for her hometown legacy: a celebration of the comedic arts held annually on the weekend closest to her birth date, August 6th. This year’s festival runs August 1st-5th and features performances by Paula Poundstone, Lucie Arnaz, Story Pirates, Billy Gardell from CBS’s Mike & Molly, and much more. Visit www.LucyComedyFest.com for more information and tickets.

This year also features the debut of comedic workshops in the areas of improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up. Registration for youth and adults is now open and space is limited to 15 spots per class. Call JCC’s Carnahan Center at (716)338-1005 to enroll today, and visit www.Lucy-Desi.com for more information. Accommodations are available.

According to an economic impact study conducted by Buffalo firm Paradigm Economics and commissioned by the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy and the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, the 2011 five-day festival saw 13,000 in attendance and had a direct impact of $3.6 million on Chautauqua County.

The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is the first pillar in a four-pillar Legacy of Laughter vision for the organization, including a comedic arts education program, comedy film festival and the establishment of the first national comedy museum and hall of fame.

The mission of the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is to preserve the legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and enrich the world through the healing powers of love and laughter through its commitment to the development of the comedic arts.

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