TBS Just For Laughs Chicago, presented by State Farm^®,

To Celebrate 5^th Anniversary with Six Days of the

Funniest People on the Planet

Lineup for America’s Biggest Comedy Festival Includes

Bill Maher, Seth Meyers, Bob Newhart, David Cross, Nick Swardson,

John Hodgman, Artie Lange, Hannibal Buress, Al Madrigal,

Maria Bamford, Dylan Moran and Anjelah Johnson,

Plus the Stars of TBS’s Sullivan & Son, truTV’s Impractical Jokers,

And IFC’s The Whitest Kids U’ Know, with More Surprises To Be Announced Soon 

Tickets for June 11-16 Festival on Sale This Saturday, April 27, at 10:00 a.m. (CT)

Chicago, April 24, 2013 – TBS Just For Laughs Chicago presented by State Farm, is kicking off its 5^th Anniversary celebration with the first announcement of this year’s spectacular lineup, featuring many of comedy’s living legends, brightest stars and fastest-rising talent. Taking place Tuesday, June 11 to Sunday, June 16, this sprawling, six-day event will feature some of the funniest people on the planet performing at Chicago’s most iconic venues. Tickets for TBS Just For Laughs Chicago go on sale Saturday, April 27, at 10:00 am (CT).

Smart, subversive comedy will be on full display at The Chicago Theatre this summer, when Bill Maher serves up a hefty dose of his scathing sociopolitical commentary with his own show on June 16.  Fellow master satirist, SNL star and Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers, performs on June 14, with special guests – The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’s Al Madrigaland Chicago’s native son and former 30 Rock writer Hannibal Buress. Living legend Bob Newhart, one of the most important and influential voices in the history of American comedy, returns to his hometown for a must-see performance on June 15. And after slipping himself back into the cutoffs of Never Nude analrapist Dr. Tobias Fünke in the hugely anticipatedArrested Development reboot, the brilliant David Cross leads a cabal of his closest comedy comrades into the State Street landmark on June 13 for David Cross & His Super Duper Pals.

The Vic will play host to a trio of exclusive performances by some of the nation’s most popular comedians, led by two live performances by the stars of truTV’s hit hidden-camera showImpractical Jokers on June 15. Nick Swardson, the newest member of Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison family and co-star of the upcoming summer comedy Grown Ups 2, will electrify audiences with a rare performance on June 13. And insanely talented MADtv alum Anjelah Johnson, known for her characters such as online sensation Bon Qui Qui, will perform on June 12.

1. Park West will serve up an embarrassment of alt-comedy riches, starting with The Daily Show correspondent, podcast superstar and Bored To Death agitator John Hodgman on June 13 with his show John Hodgman, Performing as Celebrated Humorist John Hodgman in: JOHN HODGMAN TONIGHT! On June 15, Artie Lange from The Howard Stern Show fame will offer up his no-hold-barred comedy for two shows, while alt-comedy goddess and Comedians of Comedy star Maria Bamford will perform one solo show. “The greatest comedian, living or dead” as quoted by Paris’ Le Monde newspaper, Irish comic Dylan Moran, will ruminate on life, love and loss with his inimitable sardonic wit in his new one-man show Yeah, Yeah on June 14. And the stars of two hit TV shows will take the stage for exclusive performances, with Steve Byrne, Owen Benjamin, Ahmed Ahmed and Roy Wood Jr. of TBS’s popular sitcom Sullivan & Sonslated for June 14, and IFC’s sketch-comedy superstars Trevor Moore, Zach Creggar, Sam Brown, Timmy Williams and Darren Trumeter from the IFC smash The Whitest Kids U’ Knowscheduled to perform June 12.

Stay tuned for additional amazing lineup announcements in the coming weeks!

In 2009, Just For Laughs, the world’s biggest comedy brand, partnered with TBS, one of American television’s leading purveyors of comedy, to produce a comedy festival in Chicago, the nation’s cradle of comedy. Five years later, TBS Just For Laughs Chicago is America’s single largest comedy festival, showcasing the industry’s biggest stars and brightest emerging talents at some the city’s most iconic venues. Presented in collaboration with two of the nation’s largest independent promoters, Chicago-based JAM Productions and Outback Concerts, this annual event has established itself as an integral component of Chicago’s rich cultural heritage, and a must-see for thousands of comedy fans and industry executives alike. This year, State Farm will serve as the presenting sponsor of TBS Just For Laughs Chicago.

Connect with TBS Just For Laughs Chicago:

Website:  http://www.justforlaughschicago.com 

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/TBSveryfunny 

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/tbsveryfunny | #JFLChicago

Festival Venue and Ticket Information

The 2013 edition of TBS Just For Laughs Chicago will take place across 15 locations, including such high-profile Chicago venues as The Chicago Theatre, Park West, The Vic plus many more. Tickets for the announced shows go on sale Saturday, April 27, at 10:00 a.m. (CT). Additional shows and venues will be announced soon.

• Tickets for The Chicago Theatre will be available at The Chicago Theatre box office and all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (312) 902-1500 or (800) 745-3000.
• Tickets for The Vic Theatre and Park West will be available at etix.com or by phone at (800) 514-ETIX.

Tickets for most festival events will also be available at respective venue box offices.