Competition to find New York's funniest stand-up comic

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The search for New York's funniest stand-up comic got underway when this year's contestants gathered as a group on the red stairs in Times Square.

This marks the 15th anniversary of the competition, which is part of the New York Comedy Festival that begins a week from Friday.

The competition is open to any and all who want to make us laugh, and past winners have gone on to successful careers on the comedy circuit.

Each of these 10 comedians will get to perform a 10-minute set for a panel of comedy professionals at the Hard Rock Hotel.

The winner gets a cash prize and a big boost towards his or her goal of making a living while making people laugh.

The contest was the brainchild of impresario Caroline Hirsch who greeted the finalists and noted these could be the headliners of tomorrow.

The show featuring the group takes place Saturday afternoon November 11th, part of the comedy festival created by Hirsch back in 2004.

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