“Daily Show” Comedians John Oliver, Rory Albanese, Elliott Kalan and Adam Lowitt Return from Spirit Lifting USO Tour to Middle East
Arlington, VA (PRWEB) August 27, 2013 -- The USO deployed comedians John Oliver, Rory Albanese, Elliott Kalan and Adam Lowitt of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” to the Middle East as part of a two-country, morale boosting USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour August 16-24. Having drawn crowds, laughter and much-needed comic relief to servicemen and women stationed on the frontlines, the group spent a week performing stand-up and visiting with troops. This was the group’s first-ever USO tour. In August 2011, Stewart participated in his first USO tour and accompanied Admiral Mike Mullen on his tenth and final USO tour overseas as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
DETAILS:
• In total, the group visited multiple military locations and lifted the spirits of hundreds of troops.
• British-born writer/correspondent Oliver is the guest host of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” An integral part of the show since 2006, Oliver is taking over Stewart’s chair from June 10 to September 3 while Stewart takes an extended hiatus to direct his first film, “Rosewater.” Oliver launched his own Comedy Central stand-up showcase, “John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show,” in 2010 as well as actively writes for and stars in a weekly podcast called “The Bugle: Audio Newspaper for a Visual World.”
• Albanese is a multi-Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer and Writer for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” He has been a key part of The Daily Show since 1999, including Co-Authoring "Earth The Book" with Jon Stewart and “The Daily Show” writers. Outside “The Daily Show,” Rory is an accomplished stand-up comedian; he has toured the country with Lewis Black as well as on his own, was a featured performer on “John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show” on Comedy Central and starred in his own Comedy Central half hour special in 2010. He spends his free time keeping the streets of New York City safe by employing the lost art of ‘Vigilante Justice’.
• New Jersey native Kalan is an Emmy award winning writer for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” as well as the co-host of a podcast called “The Flop House.” When not on the set, Kalan writes for various magazines and Marvel Comics.
• Lowitt is a four-time Emmy award winning co-executive producer for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” He performs regularly around the U.S. and, in 2012, was selected to perform at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal as part of their New Faces Showcase. Lowitt was also a part of “John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show” on Comedy Central.
QUOTES:
Attributed to John Oliver:
"Doing stand-up overseas for the USO is something I've wanted to do for a long time, and this was a very personal trip for me. My wife is a former Army Combat medic, who deployed to Iraq, so I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for all those who serve. It's a true honor to have traveled with the USO to entertain the troops.”
Attributed to Rory Albanese:
“I could not be happier to have entertained the troops. Doing a USO comedy tour has always been a dream of mine because I truly appreciate what these men and women do for all of us. Without them, guys like me wouldn't be able to do what we love, plus I heard Afghanistan is beautiful this time of year.”
Attributed to Elliott Kalan:
"It's an honor meeting America's servicemen and women as they perform work so vital to our nation and way too difficult for someone as uncoordinated as me to ever accomplish. Despite being in a combat zone, I never felt safer than I did with the USO, surrounded by America's brightest and toughest. If I've given the troops we've met even a fraction of the inspiration, pride and joy they've given me, then I'll feel I've finally used my comedy powers for good."
Attributed to Adam Lowitt:
“There was nothing I enjoyed more in life than making people laugh. That was until I went out on this USO tour. The only thing that beats making people laugh is making troops laugh and helping them to take their minds off of the day-to-day combat stress and forget where they are for a second. Being able to do that for even one service member makes this entire trip worth it.”
MULTI-MEDIA:
Tour Photos: http://bit.ly/17YglIb
USO Fact Sheet: http://bit.ly/Y3YoUi
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About the USO
The USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.
In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, Clear Channel, The Coca-Cola Company, Grand Canyon University, jcpenney, Jeep, Kangaroo Express, Kroger, Lowe’s, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation and TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.
Twitter Pitch: @IamJohnOliver, @RoryAlbanese, @ElliottKalan and @AdamLowitt return from @the_USO tour to SWA
Oname Thompson, USO, http://www.uso.org, +1 (703) 386-1170, [email protected]
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