Josh Falcone – General Assignment Reporter
The John Lyman Center for Performing Arts has an eclectic mix of performers slated to appear this fall including: numerous comedians, the annual Jazz Series, a cake boss, and a famed ghost hunter.
The Lyman Center will kick off the semester on Sept. 11 with the “Laugh Out Loud College Comedy Night” featuring Thomas Dale. Dale is one of the fastest rising comedians on the scene, and can be found headlining many of the most prestigious comedy clubs in New York City. Dale is also regularly performing and on the hit E! television show “Chelsea Lately.” The Long Island native is also a writer on the show. Dale was also featured on the VH1 specials “100 Sexiest Celebrities” and “100 Greatest Child Stars,” riffing on the various celebrities that made the lists.
The Fall Jazz Series kicks off on Sept. 27 with Marion Meadows. Meadows, a soprano and tenor saxophonist, will bring his smooth jazz sounds to the Lyman Center and will be joined by Cindy Bradley, a trumpeter who has mesmerized audiences across the nation with her rhythmic playing.
On Sept. 28, the multi-talented Drew Carey will take the Lyman Center stage. Carey is both an actor as well as a producer, who hit it big with two successful TV shows, “The Drew Carey Show” and “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” before replacing Bob Barker on the CBS game show “The Price Is Right” in 2007. Before his success on television, Carey began his long career in the stand-up comedy game in 1986, and now he is back to where it started performing stand-up comedy across the country.
The Plastic Cup Boyz who were featured on Kevin Hart’s “Let Me Explain” tour will be performing at the Lyman Center on Oct. 12. The Plastic Cup Boyz are made up of Na’im Lynn, Will “Spank” Horton and LaVar Walker. Lynn was featured on “Comedy Central Presents,” and was a panelist on the FuelTV show “Master Debaters with Jay Mohr.” Horton was a cast member of the hit MTV show “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out.” Walker has a popular YouTube video impersonating hip hop star T.I., which has amassed over 1.6 million views.
Oct. 25 finds Stephen Lynch bringing his mix of comedy and musical chops to the Lyman Center. Lynch found his big break when he recorded a special for Comedy Central in 2000. The special went on to become one of the highest rated in the series. Lynch was also nominated for a Tony award in 2006 for his performance in the hit Broadway show “The Wedding Singer.”
Boney James will be performing on Oct. 26 at the Lyman Center. James, a three time Grammy nominated saxophonist, will be performing many choice cuts from his latest album “The Beat” in addition to his many fan favorites.
Oct. 30, the Lyman Center will welcome back Lorraine Warren, the world renowned clairvoyant. Warren will share stories of some of her and her late husband Ed’s greatest investigations and spiritual encounters, including their investigation that was chronicled in this summer’s hit film “The Conjuring.”
Buddy Valastro will be at the Lyman Center on Nov. 8. Valastro, star of the TV shows “The Cake Boss” and “Next Great Baker,” will be demonstrating numerous cake and cupcake decorating techniques, along with sharing stories about his successful bakery, his family and his television shows. Valastro will also answer some audience questions.
Acoustic Alchemy will be performing at the Lyman Center on Nov. 16. Acoustic Alchemy blends rock, folk and jazz to create a unique performance. The band’s unique goal is to not be reliant on one specific genre.
Bill Burr will take the Lyman Center stage on Nov. 23. Burr hosts a podcast “The Monday Morning Podcast” and was featured in the hit television show “Breaking Bad.” Last year, Burr released a comedy special “Bill Burr: You People Are All The Same” on the web and was a part of the Comedy Central’s “A Night of a Thousand Stars.”
The Fall Jazz Series concludes on Dec. 7 with Najee & Alex Bugnon. The two old friends will bring their suave sound to the Lyman Center along with a selection of holiday classics.
