100 Years of Boston Comedy

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 from 5:30-6:30 pm.

100 Years of Boston Comedy
with Nick Zaino

Join the Athol Public Library at 568 Main Street, Athol, on Wednesday, March 25 from 5:30-6:30p.m., when we welcome Nick Zaino for 100 Years of Boston Comedy!

The history of Boston comedy is a slide presentation with videos of Boston comedians. Veteran arts journalist Nick Zaino explores Boston’s long history of comedy, from vaudeville to YouTube, highlighting some of the personalities that have defined laughter in America for 100 years using audio and video clips.

Eva Tanguay found her calling as the Queen of Vaudeville in Holyoke. Fred Allen found inspiration at the Boston Public Library to start his vaudeville career. Jay Leno, Denis Leary, Paula Poundstone, Steven Wright, Janeane Garofalo, Conan O’Brien, Eugene Mirman, Mike Birbglia, Bo Burnham, Chris Fleming, Sam Jay, Ziwe-all are part of the fabric of Boston comedy lore.

Nick A. Zaino III is a freelance art journalist, and creator of Boston Comedy Radio, podcaster, and musician. For 28 years, he has covered comedy for publications from the Buffalo News to the Los Angeles Times. In 1998, he started writing about the Boston scene for the Boston Phoenix and Stuff@Night Magazine, and took up the beat for the Boston Globe in 2001. The 100 Years of Boston Comedy lecture series is the basis for the book he is writing, the first comprehensive history of live comedy in New England.

This library program is supported by the Athol Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Free and open to the public. Registration required!

You can register online with our library calendar: 100 Years of Boston Comedy.

You will receive an email confirmation, and an email reminder of the event 24 hours before the program. Questions? Please call the library at 978-249-9515.

Posted: to Athol Library News on Wed, Mar 11, 2026
Updated: Wed, Mar 11, 2026