HBO’s ‘Night Of Too Many Stars’ Is A Beautiful Reminder Of How Comedy Can Bring Out The Very Best In People

During the final moments of HBO’s Night of Too Many Stars, host Jon Stewart referred to the star-studded benefit as “chaotic,” and he wasn’t wrong. Live from The Theater at Madison Square Garden, some of the biggest stars in comedy dropped by to help raise money and awareness for a variety of autism schools, programs, and services across the country.

The benefit had all the unpredictable disorder you’d expect from a live show of this magnitude, but as someone who attended the event, I can attest that the teleprompter snafus and production bungles only enhanced the inimitable energy that accompanies a live broadcast. And while the benefit certainty lived up to its name — as stars like Adam Sandler, Robert De Niro, Chris Rock, and Ben Stiller performed in various comedy bits —  everyone in attendance will agree that it was the inspiring vignettes that shared the stories of adults and children living with autism that left an indelible mark on attendees.

If you missed last night’s show, HBO has made it available to stream for free on YouTube.

Created by comedy writer Robert Smigel, Night of Too Many Stars helps raise money for NEXT for AUTISM, a non-profit that designs, launches, and supports innovative programs to improve the lives of people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Last night’s show was a welcomed respite from the recent rash of sexual misconduct scandals. For one night, the depressing news cycle took a backseat to a bunch of comedians coming together to make people laugh and raise money for a wonderful cause.

The night kicked off with a Daily Show reunion as Stewart was joined by Stephen Colbert and John Oliver as the three friends exchanged good-natured barbs with one another.

“Here we go. Harry Potter and the Half-Hour Lecture,” Colbert quipped, as Oliver prepared to go into a Last Week-esque 27-minute rant on prison recidivism rates.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Another judgement passed down from CBS’ old, old Sheldon,” Oliver retorted. But it was yet another former Daily Show correspondent, Samantha Bee, who had the last laugh.

The night was jam-packed with entertaining comedic moments — Stewart and two donors invading the Billy Joel concert, a musical number by Adam Sandler, a wayward teleprompter blocking Chris Rock’s telepathy — but it was the inspirational story of Carly Fleischmann that stood out.

At the age of two, Carly was diagnosed with severe autism and an oral motor condition that prevented her from speaking. At 14, Carly learned to communicate through typing and this insanely gifted individual went on to become the host of Speechless with Carly Fleischmann, the first ever non-verbal talk show.

Fleischmann, who’s interviewed stars like JamesVan Deer Beek, Grace Helbig, and Whitney Cummings on her talk program, was set to host a live version of her show by interviewing Stephen Colbert, and while the conversation didn’t go as planned, it was a real-time reminder of the importance of the night.

When the show returned from a pre-taped segment, Stewart explained what happened. Earlier in the night, golden confetti was shot onto the stage, and Carly has a thing for tearing paper, which resulted in the distraction.

“When you’re out here live and you’re doing it, man, I screwed that up a lot,” Stewart said. “I thought Carly was doing great, but it also shows you something really important, because she is a brilliant interviewer and really funny person but people with autism have challenges and obstacles to get through.”

Later in the evening, Colbert and Fleischmann reunited as Colbert reported that the distraction had nothing to do with her autism, while promising to continue the interview at a later date.

“I wanted you to know that Carly’s distraction had nothing to do with her autism and has everything to do with her OCD,” Colbert said. “And I really want to do this interview with Carly.”

Carly and all the other valiant individuals who shared their stories tonight truly redefine the word courage. The last few weeks have been flooded with negative, depressing stories, but Night of Too Many Stars is a much-needed reminder of all the good comedy can do.

To help fund a variety of autism programs, you can call 1-888-Too-Many or visit toomanystarshbo.com. You can also donate (for as little as $10) for a chance to win one of 17 incredible once-in-a-lifetime experiences by visiting omaze.com/stars.

Stream Night of Too Many Stars on HBO