Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
278
Arthur Miller, Neil Simon, Joyce Carol Oates, and more. For nearly a decade, the group
has per formed simultaneously for vie wing and listening audiences in its radio theater
series. Tickets are usually around $35; a full per formance schedule can be found online
at www.latw.org.
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COMEDY
L.A.'s comedy clubs hav e launched the car eers of many comics who ar e now household
names. In addition to the clubs belo w, check out the alternativ e comedy featured Mon-
day nights at
Largo
at the Cor onet
(see “M ostly Rock,” p. 263), 432 N. F airfax Ave.,
Los Angeles (
&
323/852-1073
).
Acme Comedy Theater
The Acme players provide a barrage of laughs with their
improv and sketch comedy acts—a veritable grab bag of funnies.
135 N. La Brea Ave., Hol-
lywood.
&
323/525-0202.
www.acmecomedy.com. Cover $8-$15.
Comedy Store
You can't go wrong here: New comics develop their material, and
established ones wor k out their kinks at this landmar k owned by Mitzi Shore (Pauly's
mom). The
Best of the Comedy S tore Room,
which seats 400, featur es pr ofessional
stand-ups continuously on F riday and S aturday nights. S everal comedians ar e always
featured, each doing about a 15-minute stint. The talent is always first-rate and includes
comics who regularly appear on
The
Tonight Show
and other shows. The
Original Room
features a doz en or so comedians back-to-back nightly . Sunday night is amateur night:
Anyone with enough guts can take the stage for 3 minutes—Lord only knows what you'll
get.
8433 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.
&
323/650-6268.
www.comedystore.com. Cover $10-
$20, plus 2 drink minimum.
Groundling Theater
L.A.'s answer to Chicago's Second City has been around for
more than 25 y ears, yet it r emains the most inno vative and funny gr oup in to wn. The
skits change ev ery year or so, but they take ne w improvisational twists ev ery night and
the satire is often sav age. The Groundlings were the springboar d to fame for P ee-Wee
Herman, Elvira, and former
Saturday Night Live
stars Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman, and Julia
“It's Pat” Sweeney. Phone for showtimes and reservations.
7307 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles.
&
323/934-4747.
www.groundlings.com. Tickets $11-$21.
The Improv
A showcase for top stand-ups since 1975, the I mprov offers something
different each night. Although it used to hav e a fairly active music schedule, the place is
now mostly doing what it does best—sho wcasing comedy. Owner B udd F reedman's
buddies—like Jay Leno, Billy Crystal, and Robin Williams—hone their skills here more
often than y ou would expect. B ut even if the comedians on the bill ar e all unkno wns,
they won 't be for long. S hows ar e at 8pm S unday and Thursday, and at 8:30 and
10:30pm Friday and S aturday.
8162 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood.
&
323/651-2583.
www.
improvclubs.com. Tickets $5-$12, plus 2 drink minimum.
Laugh Factory
Yes, this is where Michael Richards made his infamous racist com-
ments toward two black men who w ere heckling him (and wher e Mr. Richards is no
longer w elcome). I n fact, just about ev ery comedian y ou've seen on TV—living or
dead—has been a r egular at the Laugh F actory: Rodney Dangerfield, Dave Chappelle,
Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Jim Carrey, Jerry Seinfeld, and others. The best night to
attend is the F riday All S tar Comedy sho w, because y ou never know when a celebrity
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