LEWISTON — The Franco Center will present the first in a series of five nights of stand-up comedy on Friday, Jan. 10, with a lineup that features headliner

and warm-up sets by Kyle Crawford and Dennis Fogg. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

After trying out the idea of a comedy series last season with three shows, the Franco Center says the series went well enough to warrant an expansion to five nights this season. It is dedicating one night per month to stand-up comedy from now through May.

Nardizzi, who hails from Boston, is one of the most sought-after comedians on the northeastern U.S. comedy circuit. He has appeared numerous times on the national cable show hosted by his fellow Bostonian, “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” He’s a regular at Boston’s Comedy Connection, a past winner of the Boston Comedy Festival Competition, and has appeared on Comedy Central and XM Satellite Radio’s comedy channel.

Appearing with Nardizzi are New Hampshire’s Kyle Crawford, a finalist in the Granite State’s “Last Comic Standing” competition and a guest on Comcast’s “Comedy Open Mic,” and Maine comedian Dennis Fogg, who owns and operates Uncle Andy’s Diner in South Portland when he’s not doing stand-up in clubs throughout New England.

The Franco Center’s comedy series is not to be confused with appearances there by comedian Bob Marley, who will perform two shows on the same night on Saturday, April 12. Tickets for those shows are $25 and are on sale now.

Marley’s two shows are separate on the Franco Center’s calendar from the comedy series because Marley’s shows are self-produced and taking place in the venue’s upstairs Performance Hall, whereas the comedy series features comedians hired by the Franco Center and taking place in the smaller Heritage Hall downstairs.

Tickets for all Franco Center shows can be purchased at www.francocenter.org or by calling 207-689-2000. They may also be purchased at the box office, 46 Cedar St., between noon and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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