Entertainment
JB Smoove ‘Psyched’ to Perform at Garden of Laughs Benefit
In this Feb. 13, 2015 file photo, actor-comedian J.B. Smoove appears during an interview in New York. Smoove will appear at the Garden of Laughs at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, March 28, an event benefiting the Garden of Dreams Foundation. (AP Photo/John Carucci)
JOHN CARUCCI, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — JB Smoove says he’s “psyched” to be performing this weekend at the Garden of Laughs benefit at Madison Square Garden.
The actor-comedian sees his participation as the perfect confluence of opportunities: He’ll be supporting a great cause, playing in his home city and making a connection with a live audience.
“That immediate response, it’s like a high,” Smoove said in an interview.
He added: “I don’t think anything beats direct contact with people and that immediate response.”
Smoove is one of six comedians set to take the stage Saturday night. He’ll be joined by Dane Cook, Lewis Black, Bill Burr, Billy Gardell and John Oliver. He refers to the lineup as “an ice cream parlor of comedian flavors.”
“I haven’t figured out what flavor I am, yet. Maybe I’m butterscotch or even mocha,” Smoove joked Tuesday.
“Sopranos” star Steve Schirripa hosts the show, which benefits the Garden of Dreams Foundation. The organization works with all areas of the Madison Square Garden Co. — including the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers, the New York Liberty, MSG Entertainment and MSG Networks — to brighten the lives of children facing obstacles.
Smoove, known for his role as Leon Black, Larry David’s sidekick in the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” began his career as a standup comedian. He also was a writer on “Saturday Night Live.” Now he’s the host of the MSG network talk show “Four Courses with JB Smoove,” which just completed its third season.
That means he has the extra responsibility of representing MSG when he takes the stage.
“I have to be supportive of Madison Square Garden and their interest in the plight of children,” he said. “Their interest is my interest. … I’m part of the team. I’m the power forward. It’s time to pass me the ball, so pass me the ball.”
He compared the diversity of comics in Saturday’s show to boxers.
“There’s the slugger, the fundamental boxer, the speed guy, the southpaw. … We all have our own world that we’re going to pull people into for that 10 minutes,” he said.
But when pressed for a favorite, he had his own reason for choosing one.
“I love Lewis Black, and not because I’m black,” Smoove said.
Then he joked, “Yeah, it has something to do with it in some weird way.”
___
Online:
http://www.gardenofdreamsfoundation.org
___
Follow John Carucci at http://www.twitter.com/jacarucci
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026
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Black History
Jackie Wright Champions Bay Area Stories, Filmmakers and Cultural Institutions
As an award-winning communications professional, Wright has worked with corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, artists, and community organizations. In 2026, she expanded that work by launching an introductory public relations class for small businesses and nonprofits, offering practical tools for gaining visibility, shaping messages and building productive relationships with the media.
Jackie Wright has spent more than two decades helping people, organizations and communities understand the power of a well-told story.
As founder and president of Wright Enterprises, a San Francisco-based strategic communications and public affairs firm, Wright has built a career spanning journalism, public relations, media relations, crisis communications, community engagement and multimedia storytelling.
As an award-winning communications professional, Wright has worked with corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, artists, and community organizations. In 2026, she expanded that work by launching an introductory public relations class for small businesses and nonprofits, offering practical tools for gaining visibility, shaping messages and building productive relationships with the media.
Wright’s commitment to storytelling is also deeply personal. She wrote and co-directed the 15-minute documentary, “Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor,” which chronicles the story of her parents, Specialist Five (S5 Wyley Wright Jr. and Ouida Fay McClendon Wright. Her father, a U.S. Army helicopter crew chief, died in Vietnam in 1964 while serving as an honor guard during a visit by then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Decades later, Wright and her siblings had their father exhumed from a segregated cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida, and their mother moved from her burial place in Georgia so the couple could be reunited at Arlington National Cemetery in 2014.
The family journey later took Wright and her sister to Vietnam, where they discovered the former military compound that had been named in honor of their father and another fallen soldier. The documentary, centered on love, war, family, racial understanding, and remembrance, earned festival recognition at screenings.
“It was quite an honor to learn about my family’s history and share it on film,” said Wright.
That filmmaking experience complements Wright’s longstanding advocacy for independent cinema. She has served as a media partner and brand ambassador for Bay Area film festivals, including the San Francisco Black Film Festival, Oakland International Film Festival, and the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa.
“It’s important to help filmmakers and underrepresented stories reach broader audiences,” said Wright.
Whether promoting a neighborhood organization, championing an independent filmmaker or preserving her own family history, Wright has remained consistent. Through Wright Enterprises, she has turned communications into both a profession and a form of community service, telling stories that might otherwise go unheard.
“Our stories are an integral part of our history, and our history is not only American history, but worldwide,” she said.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of August 26 – September 1, 2026
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