comedy clubs
Comedy Clubs in Minnesota
January 31, 2012 | 
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Minneapolis Comedy Clubs are a great option for social outings, whether it is a group of people or a couple’s night out. This article may be especially helpful for those that like a few good laughs as a form of entertainment, and have an appreciation for the fun environment of a comedy club. This article will delve into the comedy scene in Minneapolis and help you take away some ideas for the comedy options that play a large role in the entertainment and nightlife of Minneapolis. Many top name acts make their way from the East coast to West Coast, and famous comedians make frequent appearances at some of the Minneapolis comedy clubs.
Minnesota comedy acts have also had a chance to perform at a comedy club in Bloomington, called the Joke Joint, where comedy is finally taking off, after a year of building the venue. Comedy acts perform three to four nights a week, and most shows don’t exceed $15, which makes it an affordable night out. Some of the local comedians, like Wayne Burfeind or Diane Ford have performed among a long list of local Bloomington comics.
Stand-up comedian fans can also expect to see some National comedy acts make their way into the Bloomington, and the Twin Cities area. For free entertainment in the Minneapolis/Twin cities area, there is free comedy offered at Acme Comedy Company, which is one of the best Minneapolis comedy clubs. They offer a local mic night weekly, so you can try your hand at stand-up comedy, if you think you have a talent for it. Acme Comedy Club has been also known as Sticks Restaurant by some of the locals, but they are better known for comedy than they are their food.
Minnesota comedy has become a form of entertainment that is popular with the 25-40 year old target audience, and is making a comeback as that crowd has gotten burnt out with Karaoke nights and Texas Hold’em games, as a form of entertainment. In the hectic and stressful everyday grind, comedy clubs can be a refreshing source of entertainment that can make you feel better and allow you to have a good time with friends. Jokes that make fun of everyday life are popular stand-up comedian material that most of the audience can relate to and take a humorous view of.
Comedy Sports Twin Cities is one of Minneapolis comedy clubs that have a funny, clean improvised and completely interactive comedy show that is suited for the whole family. This Minnesota comedy experience is where two teams of actors compete for the biggest laughs and a referee calls fouls and takes the audience’s suggestions. Their slogan is “Fun enough for a bachelor party and clean enough for your Grandma”. They offer shows on Thursday and Friday nights at 8:00pm, and offer two shows on Saturday night at 8:00pm and 10:30 pm, with student discounts with a valid student I.D.
Comedy doesn’t just come in stand-up comedian shows. There are musical comedies and theatrical comedy experiences that include Vaudeville acts and dinner theater shows. The Brave New Workshop is hosting several shows a week, and this week’s event is “How to Make Love Like A Minnesotan II: Love Is In Bloomington”. This is one of the Minneapolis comedy clubs that have theatrical offerings, but other Minnesota comedy venues might include the Plymouth Playhouse in Plymouth, Minnesota or the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, where they have a variety of shows that often include comedy, for example.
Comedy is making a comeback as a popular form of entertainment, and the Twin Cities area boasts the 2nd largest number of theaters in the United States. That leaves a lot of venues for different acts, and there are plenty of local talents that moonlight as stand-up comedians. No matter what time of year, there are comedy shows going on somewhere in Minnesota, although most likely on weekends.
This article has highlighted some of the more established venues and information can be found readily on the Internet. We hope that you have learned about some new comedy entertainment choices and piqued your interest into learning more about how comedy fits into the nightlife of the Twin Cities area. Be sure to visit one of the Minneapolis comedy clubs we have mentioned, or any of the other Minnesota venues that are near your area to enjoy a break from everyday life or maybe just get a laugh or two out of it.
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Tags: Frequent Appearances, National Comedy, Texas Hold Em Games | 
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Stand-up Comedy in Las Vegas
Headliners play Vegas on an irregular schedule but usually at the same venue.
Jerry Seinfeld-Caesars
Jay Leno-Mirage
Dana Carvey-Orleans
Ray Romano-Mirage
Howie Mandel-MGM
David Spade-Venetian
The box office prices for big name comedy acts start from about $49 to a high end of $150 for Seinfeld. When scalped, prices have recently been around 2 to 2.5X the box office price. For example, the highest Dana Carvey box office ticket is $115 with scalpers offering in the low-mid $200 range.
There is usually an additional handling or service charge that varies from a few dollars to over $10. Sometimes the LET (Live Entertainment Tax) is not included. For a Fire Marshal rated capacity of under 7,500 LET will add 10% to the price. It is 5% for over 7,500. Most venues are under 7,500.
Vegas’ Top resident stand-ups:
Carrot Top-Luxor
Rita Rudner-Harrah’s
Vinnie Favorito-Flamingo
George Wallace-Flamingo
Amazing Jonathan-Planet Hollywood
Louie Anderson-Excalibur
Ticket prices start from $39.95 for the 2 Flamingo based comics up to VIP tickets for Louie Anderson that top out at $79. These acts are often discounted substantially or are comped to active gamblers. There are 2 seat filling organizations in Vegas that help fill out crowds and if you know a Vegas local, they may bring you as a guest.
Although most of these comedians have toured or done enough national TV to be recognized, Vinnie Favoritio a Don Rickles like comedian is a true undiscovered gem with a quick wit. Carrot Top is the prop comic with a tight show and excellent verbal humor that you may not expect that places him at the top of the list.
Top Vegas Impressionists are:
Gordie Brown-Golden Nugget
Terry Fator-Hilton
Although impressionists have very high levels of talent, their acts can have generation gaps where their humor appeals to either older or younger audience members at times. Terry Fator is the ventriloquist who won America’s Got Talent and Gordie Brown was the opening act for Celine Dion’s tour.
Gordie Brown pricing starts at $43.95 to $99.95 with Fator’s pricing in his new venue at Mirage from $59 to $129.
Comedy Clubs:
Bonkerz-Palace Station
Comedy Stop-Tropicana
The Improv-Harrah’s
LA Comedy Club-4 Queens
Riviera Comedy Club-Riviera
Quality of comedy varies with the lineup of acts. There will be at least 2 comics and rarely 4 with some of them still developing so you can see some great comics on their best nights or some not-so-great comedians on their less-than best night. It depends.
Ticket prices are reasonable at under $40 with frequent discounts to the under $20 range available from half price ticket booths to coupons in flyers or promo magazines. Often the best value, the comedy clubs are unfortunately also hit or miss.
Comedy Club Booking – What to Remember
Finding the right place to perform can be difficult. There are a lot of comedy clubs out there that are looking for entertainers to work for them. As a comedian, surely you would want to work on a place that has an audience appropriate for your acts or somewhere that will provide you with your needs as an entertainer. You should therefore be aware of how comedy club booking works.
The art of comedy club booking should be mastered or at the least, be made familiar by comedians and entertainers. Why? As mentioned, you would want to perform on a club that can cater to your needs as an entertainer, and where your acts are suitable for the type of audience and crowd that the club entertains. That would make your life easier, right?
What are the things that you must remember regarding comedy club booking? First of all, when choosing a club that you will be performing on, see what kind of people are the target audience of the club. Again, performing for an audience that is suitable for your type of humor and acts will put you in ease and will make you feel comfortable while performing. At the same time, you would feel better to perform for an audience who are comfortable themselves.
Next, check the clubs surroundings. Similar with how the clubs atmosphere, the surroundings will have a great effect on how you perform. Entertainers like you may need space for their acts, props, and equipments. If, for example, you will need equipments other than a microphone, you would like to check first if the club has such resources. But if you believe that challenges like lack of materials and space may bring out the best in you, then go and try what club you want.
Never forget about how much you will be paid. Will your efforts and talent be well compensated or will you be underpaid? No matter what kind of comedian you are, or how long you have been performing, try to be ambitious with your pay, but not too ambitious, okay?
An option is that you could ask help from a comedy club booking agency. How exactly will that help you? These companies will boost your career as a comedian. They know exactly where you are most fitted to perform, and they can offer you opportunities that have great benefits. These booking agencies have numerous relations and contacts in which you could work for.
So there you have it. Tips regarding comedy club booking have been given. As a comedian, these things will help you a lot. So, good luck on your hunt for that perfect, or at the least almost perfect, club to perform on.