In a week where Stephen Colbert has been all over the news for a shocking cancellation, it was also announced he’s celebrating another show of his getting the axe.
The “Late Show” host — whose CBS program is now slated to end in May 2026 due to “financial reasons” — is teaming up with his fellow, former “Strangers With Candy” cast members Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the cancellation of their subversive, after-school-special skewering 1999-2000 Comedy Central series at New York City’s Town Hall on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Over its 30-episode, three season and a movie run, Sedaris, Colbert and Dinello’s oft-hilarious, boundary-pushing sitcom followed Jerri Blank (Sedaris) a 46-year-old high school freshman who used to be a “boozer, a user and a loser” and her ironically dramatized, highly-moralized foibles at Flatpoint High. Colbert plays closeted history teacher Chuck Noblet; a few classrooms away, Dinello portrayed his paramour, an art teacher named Geoffrey Jellineck.
This one-off reunion is part of the 2025 New York Comedy Festival. Other headliners at the 10-day, five-borough, 200+ comedian event running Nov. 7-16 include stand-ups Louis CK, Hannah Berner, Pete Holmes, Margaret Cho and Chris Fleming along with popular podcasters The Basement Yard among others.
Festival founder and owner Caroline Hirsch described this year’s crop as “a dynamic mix of global headliners and rising voices that reflect where comedy is right now and where it’s headed. We’re proud to continue to bring New York City the very best of the best.”
For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about Stephen Colbert’s “Strangers With Candy” show and the 2025 New York Comedy Festival below.
If you want to see Colbert back in the saddle with his pals — who got their start with the wonderfully ridiculous sketch show “Exit 57” — tickets for the “Strangers With Candy” Town Hall reunion can be found here:
| Town Hall sections |
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| Balcony |
| Orchestra |
A complete calendar of all announced New York Comedy Festival events including venues, dates and links to buy tickets can be found below.
| Headliners and venues |
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| Ryan Long 7 p.m. at The Venue at Hard Rock Hotel |
| Nurse John’s ‘The Short Staffed Tour’ 8 p.m. at the Beacon Theatre |
| Ryan Long 9:45 p.m. at The Venue at Hard Rock Hotel |
| Headliners and venues |
|---|
| A Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Cancellation of “Strangers with Candy” with Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris 7 p.m. at Town Hall |
| Ryan Long 7 p.m. at The Venue at Hard Rock Hotel |
| Trevor Wallace’s ‘The Alpha Beta Male’ 7 p.m. at the Beacon Theatre |
| Hannah Berner’s ‘None of My Business Tour’ 8 p.m. at Carnegie Hall |
| Ryan Long 9:45 p.m. at The Venue at Hard Rock Hotel |
| Headliners and venues |
|---|
| Ismo’s ‘Woo Hoo! World Tour’ 7 p.m. at Town Hall |
| Headliners and venues |
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| Yohay Sponder’s ‘Self Loving Jew’ 7 p.m. at Town Hall |
| Morgan Jay’s ‘The Goofy Guy Tour’ 7 p.m. at the Beacon Theatre |
| The Basement Yard’s ‘From the Basement to the World’ 8 p.m. at Madison Square Garden |
| Morgan Jay’s ‘The Goofy Guy Tour’ 10 p.m. at the Beacon Theatre |
| Headliners and venues |
|---|
| Michael Blackson’s ‘America is Fkd Comedy Tour’ 7 p.m. at The Venue at Hard Rock Hotel |
| Pete Holmes’ ‘The PETE HERE NOW Tour’ 7 p.m. at Town Hall |
| Louis C.K.’s ‘Ridiculous’ 7:30 p.m. at the Beacon Theatre |
| Michael Blackson’s ‘America is Fkd Comedy Tour’ 9:45 p.m. at The Venue at Hard Rock Hotel |
| Headliners and venues |
|---|
| Alex Edelman’s ‘What Are You Going To Do’ 6 p.m. at Carnegie Hall |
| Michael Blackson’s ‘America is Fkd Comedy Tour’ 7 p.m. at The Venue at Hard Rock Hotel |
| Margaret Cho’s ‘Choligarchy’ 7 p.m. at Town Hall |
| Louis C.K.’s ‘Ridiculous’ 7:30 p.m. at the Beacon Theatre |
| Chris Fleming 8:45 p.m. at Carnegie Hall |
| Michael Blackson’s ‘America is Fkd Comedy Tour’ 7 p.m. at The Venue at Hard Rock Hotel |
More NY Comedy Festival shows will be announced at a later date.
All three seasons of the groundbreaking, boundary-pushing series — which really has to be seen to be believed — can be found on Amazon Prime.
Fans can purchase individual episodes or buy seasons in whole.
We recommend opting for the latter; they’re well worth the purchase. Especially the Colbert showcase “To Be Young, Gifted and Blank.”
We’re happy to report there are many, many comedians coming to New York outside of Nov. 7-16 this year.
Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss these next few months.
• Steve Martin and Martin Short
Who else is on the road? Take a look at our list of the 107 biggest comedians on tour in 2024 to find the show for you.