Several weeks after the record-setting 50-hour stand-up comedy show at the Comic Strip Live in New York City, readers and comedians still have questions for me about it. So why not address that now. Especially since I just saw William Stephenson over the weekend hosting for Greg Proops at Comix, and Stephenson put forth a herculean effort himself by hosting the world record show (even if he did take two naps while comics were onstage). So. Yes. Answers. First off, yes, I was there for the entire 50 hours and stayed awake for at least 49 hours and 55 minutes (there were two moments during the second night-turns-to-morning when my eyelids closed, and I shook myself awake, then had to get up and walk around). Stephenson took two naps of 20-minutes each on a mattress in the club’s basement but otherwise was there for the duration. A few other club staffers hung around for the duration. If you really want to know, I didn’t change my clothes, but did have toothpaste, a toothbrush and deodorant to keep my vital parts from going bad. I also didn’t leave my blogging perch for the first seven hours and 15 minutes of the marathon before getting up for the bathroom or anything really, because I wanted to at least equal whatever silly record Dane Cook or Dave Chappelle had for staying onstage at one time. Red Bull was a sponsor of the event, and according to my notes, I drank seven in the first 24 hours of the marathon, spaced out fairly well (I think?), but things took a turn during that point around hour 36 when my eyes were failing me, at which point I began running around and chugging two, maybe three Red Bulls in a row. Not a good idea. After I calmed down and my body remembered how to function properly, it was mostly willpower and adrenaline to the finale.
Which also reminds me…after the jump, I’ve got a video I hadn’t posted before showing me and Stephenson on the sidewalk minutes after the big finale. Also, for the curious, since I did stay for the entire show and document it and all, I’ve got a complete timeline of comedians who took part in the record-setting show. Enjoy!
William Stephenson and I really should not be awake, nor in front of my video camera for this:
Here, then, was your lineup for the World Record 50-hour stand-up comedy show, June 3-5, 2008, at Comic Strip Live in New York City:
June 3, 8:30 p.m., William Stephenson
8:48 p.m., Gregg Rogell
9:12 p.m., Joe Matarese
9:33 p.m., Wali Collins
9:58 p.m., Chuck Nice
10:30 p.m., Judy Gold
10:56 p.m., Jeff Ross
11:48 p.m., Judah Friedlander
June 4, 12:14 a.m., Jim David
12:38 a.m., Dean Edwards
1:01 a.m., Kevin Brennan
1:25 a.m., Al Ducharme
1:51 a.m., Pat Dixon
2:18 a.m., Marina Franklin
2:42 a.m., Jon Fisch
3:05 a.m., Bernadette Pauley
3:28 a.m., Mike P. Burton
3:50 a.m., Dave Attell
4:16 a.m., Ricardo Aleman
4:39 a.m., Kevin Downey Jr.
5:02 a.m., Brian McFadden
5:24 a.m., Rachel Feinstein
5:46 a.m., Paul Mecurio
6:11 a.m., Tim Young
6:35 a.m., Jason Andors
7 a.m., Barry Weintraub
7:23 a.m., Tom Shillue
7:46 a.m., Lee Camp
8:09 a.m., Tom Ryan
8:33 a.m., Ted Alexandro
8:56 a.m., Jon Fisch
9:18 a.m., Kevin Flynn
9:41 a.m., Marina Franklin
10:04 a.m., Sherry Davey
10:26 a.m., Pete Dominick
10:48 a.m., Gina Brillon
11:10 a.m., Karen Bergreen
11:51 a.m., Dan Ahdoot
12:32 p.m., Tina Giorgi
12:55 p.m., Al Ducharme
1:18 p.m., Vinnie Brand
2:05 p.m., Christian Finnegan
2:48 p.m., Kevin Brennan
3:33 p.m., Joe DeRosa
4:04 p.m., Buddy Bolton
4:46 p.m., Marion Grodin
5:10 p.m., Bill Santiago
5:34 p.m., Karith Foster
6:19 p.m., Steven Scott
6:46 p.m., Becky Donohue
7:11 p.m., Paul Mecurio
7:37 p.m., Lisa Landry
8 p.m., Ray Ellin
8:36 p.m., Tim Young
8:58 p.m., Gary Gulman
9:22 p.m., Marina Franklin
9:46 p.m., Wali Collins
10:09 p.m., Mike Birbiglia
10:49 p.m., Jeffrey Ross
11:39 p.m., Rob Magnotti
June 5, 12:01 a.m., Chuck Nice
12:27 a.m., Ben Bailey
12:52 a.m., Sherrod Small
1:16 a.m., Tony Rock
1:40 a.m., Laurie Kilmartin
2:06 a.m., Tom Van Horn
2:28 a.m., Christian Finnegan
2:50 a.m., Mike DeStefano
3:17 a.m., Tom E.
3:43 a.m., Tom Ryan
4:06 a.m., Mike Vecchione
4:31 a.m., Erik Rivera
4:54 a.m., Jay Oakerson
5:19 a.m., Brian McFadden
5:44 a.m., Gina Brillon
6:08 a.m., Ryan Hamilton
6:32 a.m., Ray Ellin
6:55 a.m., Moody McCarthy
7:27 a.m., Al Ducharme
7:53 a.m., Tom Shillue
8:24 a.m., Carmen Lynch
8:48 a.m., Pat Dixon
9:16 a.m., Lee Camp
9:37 a.m., Dan Ahdoot
9:58 a.m., Bernadette Pauley
10:20 a.m., Ruperto Vanderpool
10:48 a.m., Tommy Savitt
11:05 a.m., Eric Deskin
11:30 a.m., Vinnie Brand
12:14 p.m., Tina Giorgi
12:39 p.m., Dan Naturman
1:01 p.m., Karen Bergreen
1:24 p.m., Tom Ryan
1:45 p.m., Erik Rivera
2:07 p.m., Gary Gulman
2:29 p.m., Marc Theobald
3:12 p.m., Mike Vecchione
3:37 p.m., Tom Van Horn
4 p.m., DF Sweedler
4:23 p.m., Angelo Lozada
4:45 p.m., Bernadette Pauley
5:08 p.m., Robert Kelly
5:40 p.m., Bill Santiago
6:05 p.m., Kerri Louise
6:28 p.m., Steven Scott
6:53 p.m., Cory Kahaney
7:16 p.m., Jim David
7:42 p.m., Erik Rivera
8:05 p.m., Eddie Brill
8:33 p.m., Christian Finnegan
8:59 p.m., Lisa Landry
9:31 p.m., Ted Alexandro
9:54 p.m., Rich Vos
10:12 p.m., Judah Friedlander
bonus comedian Greg Giraldo followed the ceremonial presentation from the Guinness World Record folks and the show finally ended at 10:50 p.m., June 5