Nate Bargatze outside the National Comedy Center in Jamestown
The National Comedy Center has announced that Nate Bargatze has joined its Advisory Board of Directors.
Bargatze, who recently performed in Jamestown in August as part of the Comedy Center’s annual Comedy Fest, has been breaking records and selling out shows worldwide. He will help to guide the Center’s non-profit mission to present the vital story of comedy, providing education on the comedic arts in the form of contextualization of its bodies of work and preserving its heritage for future generations.
Nate Bargatze’s addition to the advisory board follows the 2022 addition of Amy Poehler, who was welcomed to the board by Pete Docter following the passings of founding advisory board members George Shapiro and Carl Reiner.
Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said, “The story of comedy is vast, and Nate has demonstrated a commitment to our mission to preserve that vital story. He is influencing the comedy of the present and setting precedent with his accomplishments and dedication to the craft, while being equally dedicated to honoring the legacies of the long line of artists who came before him.”
Bargatze said, “I’ve immersed myself in the exhibits for hours each time I’ve explored the National Comedy Center in Jamestown. It’s the only place that truly celebrates the essence of what we do. For an artist, it’s a tribute to this thing we work so hard at, and for the average visitor, it pulls back the curtain on what elevates it to being an art. The experience is just awesome.”
Bargatze recently contributed artifacts to the Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation at the National Comedy Center by donating the cue cards from the viral Saturday Night Live sketch “Washington’s Dream,” which aired when he first hosted the show in October 2023 and is now one of the most-viewed SNL sketches of all time.
Bargatze’s hosting debut on Saturday Night Live earned rave reviews and drew one of highest television audiences of the season. He will be hosting SNL once again this Saturday, October 5th as the second host of the show’s historic 50th season. In December, Bargatze’s first primetime special will premiere on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
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