The NETFLIX IS A JOKE festival continued its takeover of Los Angeles with one of its biggest events yet. Thursday night saw Netflix take over the iconic Hollywood Bowl for “Night of Too Many Stars” – a benefit supporting NEXT for Autism. Originally founded by Robert and Michelle Smigel, the event gathers major comedians and celebrities for a night of comedy, music, and wildly fun auctions, all benefiting the charity.
This year, there was no shortage of comics who are having a major moment right now, alongside legendary comedians who never go out of style. The night opened with The Really White Stripes — a gloriously ridiculous band consisting of Conan O’Brien on vocals and guitar, Jon Stewart on drums, and Jimmy Kimmel on sax. Love on the Spectrum breakout star Abbey Romeo even joined Conan for a duet that instantly won over the crowd.
Stewart served as host as the 17,000 attendees were treated to rapid-fire mini-sets from the likes of Ali Wong, Nikki Glaser, Bill Burr, John Mulaney, and Leanne Morgan — arguably the MVP of the evening.
In between the comedy, there were a series of charity auctions where celebrities presented experiences, and the audience watched wealthy attendees casually throw down anywhere from $14,000 to $100,000 for a good cause.
One winning bid gave two women the chance to have Noah Wyle, dressed as his alter ego from The Pitt, perform a “medical exam” onstage. Of course, the exam mostly consisted of him barely touching them because, well… HR departments exist. Still, they seemed thrilled to spend eighteen grand for charity and a few unforgettable minutes onstage with Noah Wyle.
Other auction highlights included a The Simpsons package where the winner and four family members would be animated into an episode of the legendary show, plus a day at a Los Angeles Dodgers game with Jason Bateman.
Additional highlights included a gameified wrestling match between Steve Carell and CM Punk, Sarah Silverman discussing her heavily promoted “Prenuvo” body scan, Ron Funches talking about how he found out he was diagnosed with autism after appearing on NBC’s The Traitors, and Adam Sandler closing out the night with a string of silly songs that sent the crowd home happy.
The one sour note of the evening was Matt Rife’s homophobic material about a Thai masseur he believed was attracted to him. Cue the collective eye roll. Somewhere, an old vaudeville cane was begging to make a comeback.
Still, the overall night was hilarious, energetic, and genuinely heartwarming — packed with huge talent all rallying around an important cause. And while “Night of Too Many Stars” has been around for more than two decades, bringing it to the Hollywood Bowl gave the event an even bigger sense of occasion, letting thousands experience the fun together under the stars.
Up next for Netflix is A Joke:
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Hollywood Palladium — Dave Chappelle — May 8–10, various evening shows
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YouTube Theater — Bad Friends Live with Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee — May 8, 7:00 PM
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Dolby Theatre — “Hasan Hates Ronny | Ronny Hates Hasan” with Hasan Minhaj and Ronny Chieng — May 8 & 9, 7:00 PM
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The Crow — Jennifer Coolidge comedy/drag variety show — May 9, 8:00 PM
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The Wiltern — “Handsome Live” with Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin — May 9, 7:00 PM
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The Montalbán Theatre — “This Better Be Funny” featuring David Letterman and Martin Short — May 9, 7:00 PM
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Intuit Dome — Kill Tony Live — May 9, 7:00 PM
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Hollywood Bowl — Shane Gillis — May 10, 7:30 PM
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