Tony Shalhoub and NJ founders to headline New York Arab American Comedy Festival

When comedians took the stage at the first New York Arab American Comedy Festival in 2003, they skewered anti-Arab tropes, airport security and library book surveillance, using jokes to dispel hate that had bubbled up after 9/11.

Co-creators Maysoon Zayid and Dean Obeidallah are still tackling bigotry through comedy 20 years later, as they prepare for a powerhouse anniversary show Sunday at the Town Hall theater in Manhattan. The comedy veterans, both Bergen County natives, say laughter is a way to both heal and humanize.

“I think in this time where we are being dehumanized and we are being vilified, it's such an incredible opportunity for us to be us and to let the audience laugh with us,” said Zayid, of Cliffside Park, an actress, comedian and disability rights activist.

Over 20 years, the comedy festival has become a premiere destination for up-and-coming and established talent, uplifting diverse performers and building connections for comics who would go on to act, produce, win Emmys and Golden Globes and host news programs.

Sunday’s show will feature a roster of Arab American comics and a fireside chat with actor Tony Shalhoub, a Tony winner and five-time Emmy winner who has starred in “Monk” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” All proceeds will go to ANERA, a nonprofit delivering humanitarian relief to Gaza.

Tickets, starting at $37, are available online.

A need for 'cathartic relief'

The war in Gaza and hate at home has made it a challenging time for comedy, say the co-creators, who are both Palestinian American. They rescheduled three shows at Gotham Comedy Club in Manhattan from November to Feb. 29 to March 2. They kept their biggest night in New York on the schedule as a sign of resilience, said Obeidallah, a lawyer-turned comedian and host of “The Dean Obeidallah Show” on SiriusXM radio.

When they performed in the wake of the Iraq War, Trump’s Muslim immigration ban, Hurricane Sandy and COVID, they used comedy as a lens on society and a way to heal through laughter. They aim to do that again when they take the stage on Sunday.

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“We're hoping it is still going to bring cathartic relief,” said Obeidallah, who grew up in Lodi. “We're hoping people outside of our community, who want to come and just laugh at a really good comedy show, also come out.”

Over the years, comics at the festival have weaved in jokes about family, sexual expression, the immigrant experience and religion — themes that have resonated with audiences of diverse backgrounds. Sunday’s show will also include political jokes that made the festival stand out for 20 years.

For Zayid, that will mean jabs about President Joe Biden. Zayid campaigned for Biden, but since the war in Gaza, she said she has been iced out by Biden and his team.

“My other ex-boyfriends are so jealous of Joe Biden right now because he has taken over my standup comedy,” Zayid joked. “I don't even talk about them anymore. Oh yeah, Joe Biden, he totally tricked me. We were like arm in arm in the White House looking gorgeous in May and then October comes around and, you know, he totally ghosted me and turned my family into ghosts.”

Obeidallah will highlight some of his best jokes from 20 years performing at the festival.

“My jokes really go through the spectrum of right after 9/11,” he said. “The jokes were all about – ‘hey, we're just like you, don't beat us up.’ I mean literally that's one of the jokes. Then then over time, they became a little bit more pushing back against bigotry.”

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The 'Godfathers of Comedy' will be on stage

Looking back, the comedy festival’s legacy has exceeded even the expectations of its co-creators, who met on the standup circuit and planned their first show in the tense post-9/11 era. Back then, they printed and stapled their own programs and had to recruit for shows.

Now, comedians compete for slots at the festival. Sunday's lineup will include Laura Laham, Dave Merheje, Atheer Yacoub, Mohanad Elshieky and Nataly Aukar.

Today, Zayid has a recurring role on General Hospital and is known for her wildly popular TED Talk "I've got 99 Problems... Palsy is Just One.” She is collaborating with Scholastic on her debut comic book, "Shiny Misfits," to be released in April.

Obeidallah co-directed the award-winning “The Muslims are Coming!” comedy documentary and his show on SiriusXM's Progress channel airs five nights a week.

Over the years, festival alumni have included Shalhoub, Tony nominee Omar Metwally, media commentator and podcast host Pete Dominick, and Ramy Youssef and Mo Amer, who produce and star in their own television series.

It's a legacy that the duo from New Jersey, that Zayid dubs "the Arabic Regis and Kelly from back in they day," look at with immense pride.

"This is what we dreamt of," Zayid said. "We dreamt of dispelling these negative stereotypes and reminding Hollywood that we were godfathers of comedy, Danny Thomas, Jaime Farr and Tony Shalhoub who is going to be on our stage."

"Comedy is such an extraordinary form of nonviolent resistance and I think that laughter does heal," she added. "I think people need to laugh in these dark times. I really believe that. I don’t just say that to sell tickets."

The Town Hall Theatre show is part of a multi-city tour with funding from the Doris Duke Foundation, as part of their Building Bridges Program, which works to counter hate directed at Muslims through storytelling and multimedia initiatives. The tour began in Boston and wraps up at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in June. For a full schedule, visit arabcomedy.com.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Tony Shaloub headlining New York Arab American Comedy Festival