With the turn of the new Millennium, new powerful voices emerged such as Joe Rogan, Joey Diaz, Bobby Lee, Steve Ranazzisi, Sebastian Maniscalco, John Caparulo, Whitney Cummings and Chris D’Elia. During this time, Mitzi was selecting and supervising a whole new generation of stand-up comedians to perform at the Comedy Store.

The Comedy Club signage was covered, for the evening, by signs reading "Ciro's", denoting the venue's prior identity. By 1976, The Comedy Store was well established as the “Mecca of Comedy.” Each comedian sharing the same dream to be personally chosen by Mitzi from all the hopefuls who showed up every Open Mike night. The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. That philosophy continues today. It is with great sadness and very heavy hearts that we report the passing of Mitzi Shore, the legendary Godmother of the world famous Comedy Store. We will all miss her dearly. Mitzi was an extraordinary businesswoman and decades ahead of her time who cultivated and celebrated the artistry of stand-up comedy. We love you forever Brody", "Showtime(R) Documentary Films Announces Docu-Series About the Legendary Comedy Store", An Interview with Sammy Shore, Comedy Store Founder, June 2011, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Comedy_Store&oldid=977411529, Nightclubs in Los Angeles County, California, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 September 2020, at 17:53. The Store was founded April 7, 1972, on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood by comedian Sammy Shore, his wife Mitzi and comedy writer Rudy DeLuca.

Mitzi Shore argued that the club was and had always been a showcase and training ground for young comedians and was not about profits. It is the home of The Comedy Store, the greatest stand-up comedy club in the world. Still true to this day, comedians developed at The Comedy Store are easily distinguished from their contemporaries, as a Comedy Store comedian expresses through his or her act a genuineness and level of honesty concerning who they really are as individuals (or in some cases, like Andy Kaufman or Andrew “Dice” Clay, they exhibit a carefully honed multi-dimensional persona that is often near impossible to recognize as a character creation). This was the Comedy Store’s Artist’s Colony period, an era heralded today in comedy histories, documentaries, biographies and television shows. Born and raised in Wisconsin, she married into the world of stand-up comedy in the 1950s when she met Sammy Shore while she … For newcomers starting a career in comedy, The Comedy Store was a one stop shop to watch all the greats on stage. [11], This article is about the comedy club located in the United States. The history of the young comedians coming to Los Angeles in the 1970s and performing at the club is told in the book I'm Dying Up Here by William Knoedelseder. Polished jokes weren’t enough (and still aren’t). Today, the tradition continues with Comedy Store Paid Regulars viewing themselves as modern philosophers, brave enough to challenge authority and hold a funhouse mirror to show us perspectives we had never considered, but now can’t forget.

We are now open as a restaurant with extended service in our private parking lot. The Original Room, as the name suggests, was originally The Comedy Store’s single stage as the portion of the building which now houses the Main Room was rented to other establishments until Mitzi purchased the entire building on Sunset in July of 1976 and created the multi-stage venue which The Comedy Store is today. In the event of a sell out ticketholders who arrive 30 minutes after show start may lose their seats to the standby line. Joke writing, crowd work, drums, baseball. Over time, those selected by Mitzi ultimately became known as “Paid Regulars.” Once Mitzi deemed a comedian worthy of being selected, that individual’s name became enshrined on the outside walls of The Comedy Store building on Sunset. For newcomers starting a career in comedy, The Comedy Store was a one stop shop to watch all the greats on stage. On any given night, Ciro’s was frequented by powerhouse celebrities of the time. 430.5k Followers, 1,017 Following, 12.2k Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from World Famous Comedy Store (@thecomedystore) Mitzi Shore (née Saidel; July 25, 1930 – April 11, 2018) was an American The Comedy Store would become entirely Mitzi’s to own and operate as the result of her divorce settlement with Sammy in 1974.

The soiree was so grand that Sunset Boulevard was temporarily blocked by police to allow Hollywood royalty to arrive in their limos unmolested by photographers and reporters. The Comedy Store was opened in April 1972 by comedians Sammy Shore (1927–2019), and Rudy De Luca.

The Comedy Store is open for outside dining and entertaining Weekly events, including a new OUTDOOR STAGE!! Mitzi possessed a special quality of being keenly able to spot raw talent and of the importance of nurturing and understanding the needs of creative artists. Those who were undistinguished from the rest of the crowd were not selected to develop on Mitzi’s stages. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip.

– with everlasting love The Comedy Store family. She leaves behind an indelible mark and legacy and has helped change the face of comedy. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Comedy Store Comedian’s Assistance Fund c/o the Motion Picture and Television Fund. We will all miss her dearly. No refunds. You get news and offers from The Comedy Store. © 2009 - 2020 The Comedy Store - Hollywood. This tradition continues today. She alleged that comedians came to the club and could work on their material in front of casting agents and other talent scouts who would possibly hire them as professionals if they were good enough. The comedians at the club became unhappy when the club was expanded several times and it was perceived that Shore's profits were quite substantial. It started because Sammy needed a place to work out when he wasn’t on the road. The Comedy Store is one woman’s dream in a three-showroom palace. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Comedy Store Comedian’s Assistance Fund c/o the Motion Picture and Television Fund. The event was attended by many dozens of Hollywood glitterati, including Elizabeth Taylor, Sammy Davis Jr., Cher, Bob Fosse, Johnny Carson, Goldie Hawn, Cesar Romero, Priscilla Presley and other stars, past and present. In 1974, The Comedy Store hosted the wedding reception of newlyweds Liza Minnelli and Jack Haley, Jr.. © 2009 - 2020 The Comedy Store - La Jolla. Sammy was the longtime opening act for Elvis Pressley. Shore also paid the rest of her staff, including waitresses and bartenders. Those who were undistinguished from the rest of the crowd were not selected to develop on Mitzi’s stages. In the 1940s and 50s, Ciro’s was the hangout for movie people and was one of “the” places to be seen. She was also a loving mother not only to her own four children but to the myriad of comedians who adored her. For the comedy club with the same name located in London, England, see, Peter H. Shore, Trustee of the Mitzi S. Shore Trust, "What Comedy Store Owner Mitzi Shore Meant to Yakov Smirnoff, Chris D'Elia, and Comedy in L.A.", https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-chaos-joe-rogan-tom-segura-bert-kreischer-sam-tripoli-more-tickets-80800118329, "Thank you Brody for sharing your Comedy and positive energy with us for so many years. The Store was founded April 7, 1972, on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood by comedian Sammy Shore, his wife Mitzi and comedy writer Rudy DeLuca. This group of future stars included Robin Williams, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Garry Shandling, Paul Mooney, Jimmie “J.J.” Walker, Andy Kaufman, and Michael Keaton. The Store was founded April 7, 1972, on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood by comedian Sammy Shore, his wife Mitzi and comedy writer Rudy DeLuca. In the 1940s and 50s, Ciro’s was the hangout for movie people and was one of “the” places to be seen. "[5] Lubetkin hoped that his suicide would resolve the labor dispute. Those bestowed with the title of “Paid Regulars” treat the designation with reverence. As luck would have it, the Comedy Store was born the same month that Johnny Carson moved the Tonight Show from New York to Los Angeles and a flood of comics immediately followed Johnny out West, hoping to get their shot on his show. In the 80’s and 90’s The Store rocked with explosive new voices like Howie Mandel, Louie Anderson, Jim Carey, Arsenio Hall, Sam Kinson, Sandra Bernhard, Bill Hicks, along with a housewife brave enough to appear at an Open Mic known as Roseanne, and an explosive talent with multiple character personas known as Whoopie. All Rights Reserved. You made late nights so much fun, pushing boundaries, being different, and never doing the same show twice. Mitzi possessed a special quality of being keenly able to spot raw talent and of the importance of nurturing and understanding the needs of creative artists. Mitzi was an extraordinary businesswoman and decades ahead of her time who cultivated and celebrated the artistry of stand-up comedy. Beginning in 1979, The Comedy Store served for many years as the host location for the annual HBO Young Comedians specials. Unique multi-cultural voices consisting of generations of Paid Regulars such as Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, Ali Wong, Yakov Smirnoff, Bobby Lee, Jeff Ross, Iliza Schlesinger, Bill Burr, Theo Von, and Marc Maron, to name just a handful, appear on our stages examining themes common to us all, will make you laugh and think. These chosen few were allowed to use The Comedy Store stages to develop an act, learn from those who came before them, showcase for the industry, and build a career. It seemed as if every new sitcom star of the era could trace their career roots to The Comedy Store. Also in 1979, stand-up comedians formed a short-lived labor union and demanded to be paid for their appearances at The Comedy Store. In the event of a sell out ticketholders who arrive 30 minutes after show start may lose their seats to the standby line.

In the beginning, since Sammy was frequently on the road, his wife, Mitzi assumed the nightly operations of the club and selected and scheduled the comedians that performed there. She immediately renovated and expanded the club to include a 450-seat main room.[2]. [3] The comedians involved formed a union called Comedians for Compensation and fought for pay where they had received none before. The Original Room, as the name suggests, was originally The Comedy Store’s single stage as the portion of the building which now houses the Main Room was rented to other establishments until Mitzi purchased the entire building on Sunset in July of 1976 and created the multi-stage venue which The Comedy Store is today.