Kate Flannery / © NBC Universal
Vicki Arkoff asks Kate Flannery (The Office) to recommend the funniest comedy clubs in Los Angeles – and a chance to find Larry Charles and Ben Stiller at work.
Mixing humour and alcohol is just another day on the job for Kate Flannery, the red-head improv queen best know as inappropriate drunk, Meredith Palmer, in television’s funniest sitcom “The Office.” Since the show films in Hollywood (sorry, Scranton) – where Flannery has hit the comedy stages for years – it’s only natural that the Improv Olympic veteran knows best when it comes to finding the funny in sunny L.A.
Flannery also hits the L.A. comedy stages every week as lame lounge singer Kassie Chew in her long-running comedy act “The Lampshades.” (Co-starring Scot Robinson (“Anchorman”) as her schmaltzy partner Hori Pismo.
THE ACE OF CLUBS: There’s no shortage of two-drink minimum comedy joints in Hollywood, Pasadena, and the Westside. “Generally, you always see a good show at The Improv,” says Flannery, “but I like M Bar. It always has interesting stuff.” Every night is a different underground-comedy show ranging from Bob “Mr. Show” Odenkirk’s sarcastic sketches “Next!; to Beth Lapides’ legendary biweekly “Uncabaret” with guest performers such as David Cross, Julia Sweeney and Larry Charles; and “The Other Network,” an on-going film festival of the best un-aired TV shows ever made, introduced by the show’s creators (Ben Stiller, Jack Black, etc.). It’s the kind of place where major comic writers drop in to try out new scripts or routines without any fanfare. “They’ll just call me up and ask to use the stage,” says manager Joe Reynolds, “so it’s normal for us to have big names perform here with no notice and no advertising.”
THEATER REVIEWS: Instead of the standard stand-up night out, Flannery recommends three theaters offering alternative and conceptual comedy. “There’s a lot of stuff that goes on at The Steve Allen Theater,” she says. “A great one is the Rudy Casoni Variety Show on the first Wednesday of the month. He portrays this guy who’s Sinatra’s bastard son, with a live band and all these acts. It’s really funny, it’s really filthy, and it’s just a great night out.” And then there’s the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre which has shows seven nights a week. Flannery’s favorite is the semi-regular “Comedy Death-Ray” show “featuring alternative stand-ups like Louie CK, Matt Besser and Patton Oswald.”
But iOWest, formerly known as Improv Olympic, is Flannery’s favorite comedy theater. “And I’m not just saying that because I do a show there.” She stars as lame lounge singer Kassie Chew in her long-running comedy act “The Lampshades” with Scot Robinson (“Anchorman”) as her schmaltzy partner Hori Pismo. As in the clam. “We’re a dying lounge act,” she smiles. “But there are a lot of other fun shows there. Neil Flynn from ‘Scrubs’ does a show there with David Koechner and three other guys. It’s called Beer Shark Mice, it’s all improvised, and it’s on the last Saturday of the month.”
LAUGHING AT THEIR EXPENSE: “As for my favorite place in L.A. that is unintentionally funny, there’s always The Dresden Room.” That’s the place made famous in films like “Swingers” thanks to the nightly lounge act, Marty and Elayne, a ‘70s throwback still rocking the house with cover tunes as they accompany each other on bass and electric piano. “Marty and Elayne are great,” Flannery says, insisting that any similarities between them and The Lampshades is purely intentional. “They are the real deal. They are the last of the great lounge acts. They both look like they’re wearing champion figure skating outfit shirts. That match. Elayne plays the piano and the synthesizer at the same time, and Marty plays either the drums or the standup bass. And I don’t know if he has a perm, but he might as well.”
“There’s also a place called the Grand Star Jazz Palace in Chinatown. There is a jazz trio there and,” she adds, “the Chinese owner of the place always sings the same song which sounds like ‘Fry Me to the Moon’ because of his accent. And he and the band always mess up the song at the same time. Also, they give away free hot dogs every Friday and Saturday night after 11p.m. for no particular reason. I have no idea why. Come for the jazz, stay for the hot dogs!”
The Dresden 1760 N. Vermont, Hollywood. (323) 665 4294. The Dresden Room lounge, adjacent to the continental restaurant, is where the timeless Marty & Elayne www.martyandelayne.com swing every Monday – Saturday, 9 p.m.-1:15 a.m.
www.thedresden.com
The Improv 8162 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 651-2583 L.A.’s location set the standard for this stalwart comedy club chain. Presents stand-up showcases, open mic nights, the usual funny stuff.
http://www.symfonee.com/Improv/hollywood/home/index.aspx
IO West 6366 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 962-7560. Improv school by day (alumni include Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, “Office” mates Flannery and Angela Kinsey, and half the SNL stars), improv club by night. Seven days a week.
www.iowest.com
Grand Star Jazz Palace 945 N. Broadway, Los Angeles (213) 626-2285. Open since 1941, it now features hip-hop and jazz groups, and $7 umbrella drinks served by a former Miss Hong Kong. Music starts at 9:30 p.m.
www.grandstarjazzclub.com
M Bar and Restaurant 1253 N. Vine Street, Hollywood (323) 856-0036. Nicer than usual comedy club with full menu, eclectic bookings, and weekly surprises. Cover: Free to $15 plus $10 for food.
www.mbarhollywood.com
Steve Allen Theater 4773 Hollywood Blvd. (two blocks west of Vermont), (323) 666-4268. Alternative comedy including shows by lots of TV comics including members of Kids in the Hall. Tickets just $5-10.
www.steveallentheatre.com
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood. (323) 908-8702. Tickets range from free to $8, with just $1 for soft drinks, making this a cheap laugh.
www.ucbtheatre.com
