The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is another comedy club that not only hosts comedy shows, but also runs improv classes, so there is that added benefit for a comedian joining up. Classes are run in many time-slots and for many different topics. When comedians are known to belong to a well-respected club, they are more likely to be taken seriously - even though they really want everyone to laugh.
The Gotham Club in New York is considered by many to be one of the best. Many great comedians have worked at the Gothams; so if you'd like to join the ranks of the best - like Roseanne, Dave Chapelle and others, see if you can get a gig on their free mic night. As an amateur, you'll get the chance to hone your talent and when you start to rise to the top you'll get better gigs.
While the Gotham is in New York, there is also the Comedy Connection in Boston that many consider to be even better than Gotham's. At least it offers its customers reserved seating, but of more interest to a comedian is their star line-up of such comedian greats as Chris Rock, Rosie O'Donnell, Margaret Cho and many others.
The House of Comedy at Niagara Falls hosts open mic nights all the time and any aspiring comedian needs to get his act on one of them to be recognized. If you want to try it out, you can email Tony at info@thehouseofcomedy.com. House of Comedy also shows at Hamilton.
Comedy Clubs abound and you only have to go online or look in the phone book to find them. Once you become affiliated with a club, there are many benefits and just being around where the pros are will make you feel like a pro and start to act more like one. After all, being funny is serious business. There are also online clubs that you can join to ask questions and find information about the comedy business.
Top Comedians You Can Learn From
No matter what your career choice is, if there is a role model to learn from you will be helped in a way that is superior to all others. To see how someone else does things is the easiest and best way to learn because humans are natural imitators. If you want to teach your kids something, you show them how. If you want to be a great surgeon, ultimately you learn by watching the great surgeons operate.
It's the same with comedy. There are many great comedians out there from whom we can learn something. But it's not only their manner and styles that we can learn by watching. It's their life lessons. Jim Carrey teaches us that we can choose the source of our comedy.
He admits to being bitter and cynical as a stand-up - and everyone could see that he was like that. But he chose to make people laugh with his amazing face rather than his cynicism. Some comedians use their pessimism to make people laugh. Carrey could have done the same but he chose not to. So we know that we can also choose our comedy source - and the most obvious source is not always the best.
Woody Allen's' approach was to be himself - slightly unpolished and nave. He taught us that if you are yourself, that is better than trying to fake it as someone else. He showed that naturalness has a better chance of succeeding than covering ourselves in a thin veneer of fake sophistication. Of course, some sophisticates are genuine and that's okay too.
Bill Cosby can teach the new comedian many things, but perhaps the most important is that cruelty is not necessary for humor and that clean jokes can make you famous and popular; you don't have to tell dirty jokes for success. You don't necessarily need props, but you do need flow and cohesion.
If you can't relate to any of the above, try Chris Rock. At least you'll learn that rocks most likely come back to hit the person who throws them. It you like to make taunting comments, remember that it is easier to make people cry than to make them laugh, and comedians do the latter.
Matt McDonald can teach us that to be a successful comedian we need to use a part of our own personality and crank it up - exaggerate it. If we try and be who we are not, then the fakeness will show through to the audience. But that parts of our stage persona can conflict with each other and that will be okay. It may even be good.