Watch: Melissa Rivers Previews Tribute to her Mom Joan at NY Comedy Festival

Melissa Rivers says she is touched by all the female comedians who are expected to take the stage for an upcoming tribute to her mother, Joan Rivers.

The live comedy show at the Apollo Theater will kick off the annual New York Comedy Festival and includes many of comedy's big names, who have stood on the shoulders of Joan Rivers, a trailblazer in the comedy world until her death in 2014.

"We have tons of amazing people participating, starting with Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, Michele Butteau, Rachel Brosnahan, Matteo Lane," Rivers told the AO in a recent interview. "It's going to be an amazing night and to have especially these women comedians be a part of it is the true testament. To have Tiffany there and Nikki there. I mean, they're really--It's lovely."

Rivers says her mother never complained about how hard it must have been to compete with male comics in the 70s, 80s, and 90's when so few women were in the game.

"She didn't want to be the best female comic. She wanted to be the best comic. So I think only once in my life, maybe twice, I ever remember her saying 'it would have been easier if I were a man.' But that was not something that was harped upon," Rivers said.

"If you're going to break through the glass ceiling like women like she did and (journalist) Barbara Walters did, you can't be having those kinds of thoughts. Your thoughts have to be constantly forward. ...what someone once said to me was they broke down they kicked down the doors that everyone else has walked through."

Joan was dedicated to a charity called God's Love We Deliver, which is helping put on the tribute show. The organization delivers food and advises on nutrition to people with life altering illnesses.

"I think that's what really spoke to her was, don't just give the money, give your time. And that's always been a big theme. And she was there delivering meals every Thanksgiving. I went with her...-- Cooper (Joan's grandson) went with her. It was a big thing," Rivers remembered.

"It wasn't just show up and shake hands and take a picture. It was do the work. And also, because of who she was, you also saw that the people had a moment of fun. She would make them laugh."

When asked what to expect of the evening, Rivers says laughs are priority one.

"All I can tell you is going to be a night of a lot of laughing. That's what she would want. We don't need boo hoo and sentiment. She always said that making someone like someone laugh is like giving them a mini vacation. And Lord knows we all need that vacation."

The tribute to Joan Rivers will be November 7th at the Apollo Theater and tickets are on sale now.