# Event Details - **Event Name**: Grace Overbeke FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 27 Aug, 2026 at 06:00 pm – Thu, 27 Aug, 2026 at 07:00 pm - **Event Description**: Grace Overbeke will discuss her book about commedienne Jean CarrollAbout this EventAugust 27 | In-Store | 6:00 PMGrace Overbeke, First Lady of LaughsBefore Hacks or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, there was Jean Carroll, the first Jewish woman to become a stand-up comedy superstar! Join Grace Overbeke, author of , the critically-acclaimed biography of this lost legend, in a conversation about Jean Carroll and the birth of stand-up comedy. Grace will be in conversation with Rabbi Brian Immerman. Followed by a book-signing.Paid tickets include a paperback copy of the book at a 10% discount.Grace Kessler Overbeke is Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre at Columbia College, Chicago.Doors and minibar open at 5:30PMGetting here: We are located at 1620 Orrington Avenue, in downtown Evanston, just one block east of the Davis Street Metra and CTA public transit stops. There is metered street parking as well as numerous parking garages nearby.^^^^About the book: First Lady of Laughs tells the story of Jean Carroll, the first Jewish woman to become a star in the field we now call stand-up comedy. Though rarely mentioned among the pantheon of early stand-up comics such as Henny Youngman and Lenny Bruce, Jean Carroll rivaled or even outshone the male counterparts of her heyday, playing more major theaters than any other comedian of her period. In addition to releasing a hit comedy album, Girl in a Hot Steam Bath, and briefly starring in her own sitcom on ABC, she also made twenty-nine appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.Carroll made enduring changes to the genre of stand-up comedy, carving space for women and modeling a new form of Jewish femininity with her glamorous, acculturated, but still recognizably Jewish persona. She innovated a newly conversational, intimate style of stand-up, which is now recognized in comics like Joan Rivers, Sarah Silverman, and Tiffany Haddish. When Carroll was ninety-five she was honored at the Friars Club in New York City, where celebrities like Joy Behar and Lily Tomlin praised her influence on their craft. But her celebrated career began as an impoverished immigrant child, scrounging for talent show prize money to support her family.Drawing on archival footage, press clippings, and Jean Carroll's personal scrapbook, First Lady of Laughs restores Jean Carroll's remarkable story to its rightful place in the lineage of comedy history and Jewish American performance. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/evanston/grace-overbeke-first-lady-of-laughs/100001997617379356 - **Event Categories**: comedy, entertainment, art, fine-arts, literary-art - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 1 hour - Location: Bookends & Beginnings - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 27, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Evanston - **state**: IL - **country**: United States - **location**: Bookends & Beginnings - **lat**: 42.0475628 - **long**: -87.68133399999999 - **full address**: Bookends & Beginnings, 1620 Orrington Avenue, Evanston, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Grace Overbeke FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/8b9dd5ab37d3424774fa280abc777886526dc3b7db4c599a25f68b851be6420d-rimg-w1200-h600-dcc83838-gmir.jpg?v=1786693565 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Grace Overbeke FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS being held? - **A:** Grace Overbeke FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS takes place on Thu, 27 Aug, 2026 at 06:00 pm to Thu, 27 Aug, 2026 at 07:00 pm at Bookends & Beginnings, 1620 Orrington Avenue, Evanston, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Grace Overbeke FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS? - **A:** Grace Overbeke FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS is organized by Bookends & Beginnings. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Grace Overbeke FIRST LADY OF LAUGHS is ideal for comedy fans, stand-up enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a dedicated session of curated laughs, professional acts, and sharp wit from seasoned performers. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Evanston, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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