LI's Eddie Murphy among stars in comedy benefit
Roosevelt-raised Eddie Murphy will contribute some of his material to the Feeding America Comedy Festival livestream benefit. Credit: Invision / AP / Evan Agostini
Long Island-raised comedy icons Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal will be among the host of comedians contributing prerecorded comedy segments to a livestream fundraiser for the hunger-relief organization Feeding America.
Co-produced by the comedy studio Funny or Die and the production company Entertainment Studios, the three-hour Feeding America Comedy Festival will stream May 9 at 8 p.m. on the Allen Media Group cable networks Comedy.TV and The Weather Channel, and on the free streaming service Local Now.
Among what Entertainment Studios said Wednesday would be "dozens" of contributing performers are Murphy and Crystal, Louie Anderson, Margaret Cho, Bill Engvall, Billy Gardell, Brad Garrett, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Jamie Kennedy, Jon Lovitz, Howie Mandel, Marc Maron, Tim Meadows, Caroline Rhea, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Kenan Thompson and Marlon Wayans.
"The coronavirus pandemic and the economic downturn it has created is shining a light on the fragile nature of people's household budgets," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, a nationwide network of 200 food banks, in a statement. "Millions more of our neighbors are turning to food banks for help."
Allen Media Group head Byron Allen concurred and noted the need for everyone to find something to laugh at right now. "Laughter is often the best medicine," he said, "and we are extremely motivated to bring attention to issues of food insecurity, and to assist in providing meals to families across the country who are financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic."
