The children of three comedy legends were on hand for the groundbreaking of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown on Saturday.
Melissa Rivers, daughter of the late Joan Rivers, along with Julian Ramis and Violet Stiel, children of the late Howard Ramis, and Kelly Carlin, daughter of the late George Carlin, were on hand to help the community celebrate its next step toward being the go-to destination for comedy in the country.
Journey Gunderson, executive director of the Comedy Center, told the crowd that – because Jamestown is the birthplace of Lucille Ball – they have experience in being stewards of comedy. He said now it’s time to preserve the legacy of comedians for years to come.
The groundbreaking was held in conjunction with the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. The headliner for the festival was Jerry Seinfeld, who played two sold out shows on Saturday.
Pictured, Kelly Carlin, Melissa Rivers, Violet Stiel & Julian Ramis. Photos provided by the National Comedy Center.