You’ll laugh. You’ll wear a funny hat. You’ll drink champagne. And if you’re really lucky, you will kiss the person next to you.

Start the New Year with a laugh at the Backdoor Comedy Club, located at 8250 N. Central Expressway (inside the Doubletree Hotel), just seven minutes from downtown Dallas. Selected “Best Comedy Club” by D Magazine and Dallas Observer, The Backdoor presents a New Year’s Eve comedy extravaganza. Back by popular demand is headliner Paul Varghese fresh from Comedy Central’s fall series “Gabriel Iglesias Presents Standup Revolution” and Showtime’s, “Russell Peters Presents.”

Also appearing is Aaron Aryanpur from The Great American Comedy Festival and Maxim Magazine’s “Real Men of Comedy Tour;” Emmy award-winning and recent Observer Mastermind finalist, comedienne/filmmaker Linda Stogner and other Backdoor favorites.

The comedy club will provide two shows that evening, an early show starting at 8 p.m. and the late show at 10:30 p.m.

Headliner Paul Varghese is one of the hottest young comics in the country. He is favorite on the college circuit, and this fall, was a stand out on the new Comedy Central series “Gabriel Iglesias Presents: Standup Revolution.” He has appeared on Showtime’s “Russell Peters Presents,” at the “Just for Laughs” Montreal Comedy Festival; and in 2007, he made his Comedy Central debut with his appearance on Live at Gotham.

He was also featured on NBC’s Last Comic Standing 4 and has performed at the premiere comedy clubs around the country. Paul frequently headlines sold out shows at the Addison, Arlington and Houston Improv’s.

Comedy Central has called Aaron Aryanpur “likable, well-written and fresh.” A popular comedian in comedy clubs, theaters and universities around the country, he was invited to perform at 2009’s Great American Comedy Festival. Voted as one of Maxim Magazine/Bud Light’s “Real Men of Comedy,” he has also performed with The “Axis of Evil Comedy Tour.”

A finalist in this year’s prestigious Dallas Observer Mastermind Awards, Emmy award winner Linda Stogner headlines the “Four Funny Females Comedy Tour,” currently in its fifth season. She appeared in the 2009 “LOL Comedy Special” on the American Life Network, was a performer on “Joan River’s Funniest Women Comedy Special” on CBS and was a finalist in the Las Vegas Comedy Festival.

She has also appeared on the national PBS series, “Life 360,” in her award winning short film, “Adopted.” Other Backdoor favorites scheduled to perform include Jan Norton, from the indie film “Losing Faith,” and Johnny Elbow from NBC’s “Last Comic Standing 4.”

Tickets for the early show are $27 per person and tickets for the late show are $43 per person. The celebrants at the second show will receive the comedy show, a free pass to a future show, party favors, a champagne toast at midnight with the New Year’s Eve countdown and dancing after the show. Tickets can be purchased in advance by phone at anytime through December, or at the club on show nights, Thursday, Friday and Saturday after 8:30 p.m. To purchase tickets or to find out more information, please call 214-328-4444.