Over the last decade and a half, "King of Comedy" Cedric the Entertainer and Chicago funnyman Damon Williams have shared stages at clubs and arenas on several occasions.

But on Wednesday, the comedians find themselves in the awkward position of performing at different area venues on the same night. Cedric will perform a pair of New Year's Eve shows at Hammond's Horseshoe Casino and Williams will host his annual "New Year's Eve Comedy Bash" at Merrillville‘s Star Plaza Theatre.

"Damon's a good friend of mine and we've done many good shows together," Cedric said. "I know he's glad to be out there and making that good New Year's Eve money, but we're going to be having a good time there during the holiday."

"It's kind of ironic to me that we're rivals this year and that there's this overlap," Williams said. "It's awful timing that we're competing this year.

We've had such a good time together. He‘s a class act."

Earlier this month, the Jefferson City, Missouri-born, Los Angeles-based Cedric had a starring role in the Chess Records biopic "Cadillac Records" which made its premiere nationwide on the big screen.

Costarring with Beyonce Knowles, Adrian Brody and Mos Def, Cedric plays blues pioneer Willie Dixon, who penned and produced staples such as "Little Red Rooster," "I Just Wanna Make Love to You" and "Hoochie Coochie Man."

Despite Chicago as the film's primary backdrop, Cedric, whose film credits include "Ice Age," "Johnson Family Vacation" and this year's "Madagascar 2" filmed his "Cadillac" scenes primarily in New Jersey.

"It was an honor for me to play (Dixon)," he said. "He was ahead of his time. He was one of the early guys who was able to retain his publishing and make some money off it and implemented the suits against the people who stole his music and didn't pay for it. I thought he was a great character to play."

Recently, Cedric took a break from film and stage to make his Broadway debut.

He appeared alongside John Leguizamo and Haley Joel Osment as the criminal minded Donny Dubrow in a revival of David Mamet's award-winning "American Buffalo."

While the play was met with mixed reviews and ran for only a week last month, Cedric said his Broadway experience was rewarding nevertheless.

"It rejuvenated me at this stage in my career, to have to work so hard to get something done," he said. "In Hollywood, you have a movie idea, you ride it, you pitch it, you talk about it, (the process) just takes so long. In New York, it's like 'Hey. let's do it now.' It made me excited about and hyped about making people laugh and entertaining folks all over again."

In 2009, Cedric will make his directorial debut for the comedy "Chicago Pulaski Jones," which tells the tale of a famous dancer who makes his way to Hollywood seeking to avenge the death of his uncle.

The movie, also produced by Cedric, was penned by and stars Chicago-bred actor Kel Mitchell, best known as one half of the late '90s Nickelodeon kids comedy "Keenan and Kel." Cedric also has a costarring role in the film alongside a handful of newcomers.

"I had been working with the movie so closely (as a director) and I knew how I wanted the comedy to feel, so I got behind the lens," Cedric said of his directorial debut. "It was interesting to be able to get performances out of these young actors that they didn't know that they had in them. The movie is funny and unique and I'm really excited about it."

Yet Cedric, like many of his peers, was devastated when fellow "King of Comedy" Bernie Mac passed away this summer from complications from pneumonia. Cedric was one of approximately 7,000 attendees at the Chicago-reared Mac's funeral, which was held Aug. 16 at the House of Hope Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side.

"He had a point of view that was so honest and original and truthful, and there will definitely be many comics who emulate Bernie in the future," he said. "On film, he was able to bring characters to life that were probably small roles and able to get all those nice, memorable jewels out of each role. And that's a testament to his sense of humor and his comedy and his personality.

"He was one of the great ones," he added. "He was a good friend, and it was a great loss."

Williams, who shared stages with the "Kings" in the past, also remembers Mac fondly.

"Bernie was one of the pioneers for the current wave of black comedy," he said.

He showed that you can make the transition from the mic to film and television and still be yourself. Bernie was Bernie in just about everything he did -- one of the things I took from him was to just be true to yourself, and then the people will come if they like what you do."

This year finds Williams hosting his tenth annual New Year‘s Eve "Bash" at Star Plaza Theatre, a tradition he traces back to a joint performance with Cedric.

In the mid-'90s, both comics were sharing the stage on a local bill with veteran comedienne Marsha Warfield, who Williams said walked off stage during her routine. It was at that show where he first met Star Plaza Theatre president Charlie Blum, who green lighted Williams' annual shows and also gave him the Star Plaza stage as the warm-up act for the likes of the Temptations and, earlier this month, Anita Baker.

"It's one of the greatest venues in the Midwest," Williams said of the theater.

"There's not a bad seat there."

For this year's "Bash," Williams is bringing Jay Lamont, who has appeared on shows such as BET's "Comicview" and "Showtime at the Apollo," Rudy Rush, who can currently be heard on radio great Tom Joyner's syndicated show, Atlanta-based comic Rod "Rodman" Thompson, who toured with Cedric earlier in the decade and Gary "G Thang" Johnson, who was seen on the big screen earlier this year in the spoof "Disaster Movie."

"It's a very eclectic lineup this year," Williams said. "It's going to be a great time."

Williams currently hosts a comedy show the first Friday of every month at the Diamond Center in Gary and the "Funny First Saturdays" showcase at the Hilton Chicago.

Additionally, in February, he is scheduled to hit the road on a 10-city tour with J. Anthony Brown, another Joyner radio show regular, George Wilburn from syndicated radio host Michael Baisden's show and Windy City comedienne Adele Givens.