6 HEADLINERS : NEWPORTER PLANS COMIC MARATHON

On Monday, one day after runners compete in the 26-mile Los Angeles Marathon, the Newporter Resort will play host to another marathon that should be less grueling and more entertaining for viewers: the hotel’s first “Comedy Marathon,� featuring six top L.A. comics.

The Newporter has been presenting free comedy shows on Monday nights since October. The chief difference between the “Comedy Marathon� and those shows centers around the caliber and number of comedians performing.

“We usually have three comics and a singer,� explained booker Joan Fagan, noting that typically only one of the three comedians is at the headliner level. “This time, we’ll have six comics. And they’re all headliners.�

Among those headliners, Marc Price probably has the most recognizable face. He’s a regular on NBC’s “Family Ties�--the country’s second-most watched TV program--playing Skippy Handleman, the Keatons’ lovably nerdy neighbor. Price has other credits in TV and film, including the lead role in Dino De Laurentis’ recent movie “Trick or Treat.�

Price has been performing stand-up comedy for 10 years (a long time for someone who just turned 19), works regularly at the Los Angeles Improv and has appeared at several comedy clubs across the country.

The other “Comedy Marathon� comedians include:

- Irv Burton, an actor-comedian who has worked in television, stage and film. In September, Burton won the Funniest Person in the Valley contest at the L.A. Cabaret, a comedy club in Encino.

- Rick Right, who for many years was half of the comedy duo Rick & Ruby. He went solo in 1985 and is now a regular at the Comedy Store, specializing in spoofs of rock songs and rock stars. His TV credits include Pee Wee Herman’s HBO special and “Mork & Mindy.�

- Jeff Wayne, also a regular at the Comedy Store, has worked extensively on the road and headlines at the Sands in Las Vegas.

- Hugh Fink, a regular at the Improv.

- Joey Kamen, a veteran regular at the Comedy Store.

Fagan, who’s an actress-comedienne, will emcee the “Marathon.� It will take place in Duke’s, the hotel’s entertainment lounge. Show time is 8:30 p.m., and admission is free. The Newporter Resort is at 1107 Jamboree Road, Newport Beach. For more information, call the hotel at (714) 644-1700.