Hilarious Downtown Burbank Saloon

So OK. Maybe when you’re thinking about going out for a good time somewhere in Los Angeles--you know, someplace special--living it up in Burbank doesn’t always occur to you. But there are lots of reasons for dropping by the Village Saloon at 4201 W. Olive St., just across the road from Burbank Studios.

During the day, you might want to stop in for lunch or a cold beer, to watch a football game or pass the time with Mike, the amiable day bartender.

There’s no telling who you might run into there. Along with stagehands from the construction crews at the studios, a number of movie personalities also find the bar’s homey atmosphere to their liking and drop by when they’ve finished on the set. The interior is wood-paneled, has a high ceiling and a spacious dining area.

But football, drinking, decor and stargazing are not the best reasons for going to the Village Saloon.

Stand-up Comedy

The most important thing right now is a fully equipped stage, on which Wednesdays through Saturdays the Saloon showcases young stand-up comedians. And, for the time being, at least, you can enjoy them free of cover charge.

Owner Eddie Ruggieri bought the bar two years ago in December, after his first place, Luigi’s, an Italian restaurant on Riverside Drive in Burbank, closed. He remembers Luigi’s fondly, and a young woman named Vanna White who worked there as a waitress in 1981-82 (“A real great girl,” Eddie says). The Rhode Island-born Italian-American had nurtured dreams of owning his own bar since coming out to Southern California in 1958 to work as a construction worker--and sometime bartender--in Beverly Hills.

And the Village Saloon was just the place. Though he still works as a crane operator, he has found the time to have the interior redecorated and the stage and PA system brought up to scratch. In so doing, Ruggieri succeeded in creating a fresh, intimate, acoustically excellent room for enjoying comedy.

Spotting the Potential

The Village Saloon has hosted musicians and other entertainers since Eddie took it over. But it took comedy producer Jo Ann Maher to recognize the room’s potential for stand-up acts. Maher became interested in promoting comedians in 1979 when she managed a place called the Comedy Cave under the old Osco’s Disco, and since then has booked rooms both here and in Las Vegas, from the Comedy Store and the Improv to the Dunes.

A petite, vivacious woman who cares about the artists she represents, Maher talked the sometimes crusty Ruggieri into letting her try out comedy in the saloon and, five weeks ago, started signing up the talent.

On Wednesday evenings, beginning about 8 p.m., Maher starts signing up the comics, both known and unknown, to audition for the Friday and Saturday shows. It can be an interesting evening just to see how good and original some of these aspiring stars are.

Vocal Gymnastics

Last week a young comedian named Tommy Davidson practically brought the house down with his vocal gymnastics, wry but gentle social satire and pop-star imitations. Wendy Kamenoff, fresh from New York and obviously relishing her second chance to take the stage at the Village Saloon, had the audience chuckling about male/female relationships in the late ‘80s, and the bawdy barbershop quartet, “976-SING,” had the room whooping and clapping to their irreverent ditties.

Thursdays and Fridays, the participants are selectively organized into a polished show for Saturday night, with an emcee elected to keep things going--last Thursday the host was a very funny young man named Rich Estivo--and a well-known stand-up to headline for the evening.

Tonight’s lineup includes popular entertainers Robert Schimmel and Gerry Bednob. Bednob, who has been opening the room the last four weeks, has headlined with the likes of Joan Rivers in Las Vegas. Others on the menu for tonight are Mark Halloran, Tim Jones, Tommy Davidson, Howard Dean, Sandy Wolshin, Judy Grant, Brad Stein, Don Hepner and Tamara Nerby.

So for a special night out, drop in the Village Saloon around 8.

The Village Saloon, 4201 W. Olive Ave., Burbank. Hours: 8 a.m.-2 a.m., seven days a week; (818) 846-2342.