UPDATE: Boston Comedy Hall of Fame

On December 15, the City of Boston will honor comedian Steven Wright will be honored as the first inductee into the Boston Comedy Hall of Fame.

"It was a unanimous choice," says City Councilor John Tobin of the City's decision to make Wright the inaugural honoree. “He showed another path for Boston comedians, outside of the clubs. When he appeared on the Tonight show with Carson, it was like climbing Mt. Everest. He’s got so much universal respect from people.”

Wright is known as one of the founding fathers of the local comedy scene, and one of the biggest names in national comedy to come out of Boston. Sprung from the depths of Cambridge’s artistically fruitful Ding Ho Comedy Club in the late 1970s/early 1980s, Wright shot to notoriety with his crisp and twisted wryness and lethargic wit.

Tobin hopes that the Hall of Fame will endure, reflecting decades of comedic talent that was cultivated here in Boston.

The induction itself will be more show than ceremony; a collection of Wright’s comedic peers, including Steve Sweeney, Mike Donovan, and Tony V., are scheduled to perform, with Wright himself headlining. All proceeds will, under a nonprofit umbrella of Stage Source, go towards helping comedians in need.

“There are a lot of comedians out there who are living without health insurance, regardless of the state law,” Tobin says. “They can’t afford it.  In a lot of cases, when a comedian gets really sick, the first ones that step up to help them are their colleagues.”

The show will take place at Showcase Live in Foxboro.  Ticket details and show times to follow.

UPDATE:  Though City Councilor Tobin conceived of and is executing the development of The Boston Comedy Hall of Fame, he is doing so independently of the City of Boston, in conjuncture with Stage Source.  Though Steven Wright is confirmed to appear at the event, he is NOT confirmed to headline as a performer.