In 1922 and 1927, groundbreaking comedian Will Rogers took The Town Hall stage to lend his voice to political campaigns. Widely considered one of the most influential entertainers and humorists in American history, Rogers was a social critic, rancher, cowboy and Guiness World Record lasso roper. Professor and author of Will Rogers: A Biography  Ben Yagoda will join The Town Hall for a discussion of one of the United State’s most important humorists: the vaudevillian, film actor and writer Will Rogers.

Besides Will Rogers: A Biography, Ben Yagoda’s books include About Town: The New Yorker and the World It Made; Memoir: A History; and The B Side: The death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song. He is currently a Guggenheim Fellow, working on a book about O. Henry’s years in New York. Yagoda lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

The Town Hall Laughs: A Series about the History of Comedy at The Town Hall

Over the course of the last century, The Town Hall has been home to groundbreaking live events that have cemented the hall as a historical landmark. The Town Hall’s legacy as a comedy venue is buried under the legacy of America’s Town Meeting of the Air and the hall’s historic concerts such as the debuts of Isaac Stern and Nina Simone. During this special July series, Century of Story and Song will celebrate four important events in the hall’s comedy history. Join The Town Hall this July to learn about Redd Foxx, Will Rogers, Dick Gregory and Nichols and May.