Something’s Funny About the Ice House

Most people would find it difficult to operate a business from an alley, let alone an alley off a one-way street. But Bob Fisher, owner of the Ice House comedy club in Pasadena, is laughing away the skeptics. Not only is the Ice House thriving in its alley location (where an ice factory actually operated at one time), but it’s celebrating its 28th year there.

The only ice to be found at the former ice plant now is in the beverages. Many of the hottest acts on the comedy circuit have kept the crowds laughing, and some of the most familiar names in comedy got their start at the club or worked there regularly: Steve Martin, Elaine Boosler, Paul Rodriguez, Robin Williams. . . . Elaine Tallas-Cardone, who books some acts, says one reason for the Ice House’s popularity is that the talent is screened by Fisher, a funny man himself who occasionally emcees the show.

Nostalgia for Miller

George Miller, a comedian who appears frequently on the David Letterman show and regularly on NBC’s “Comedy Club,” started his comedy career at the Ice House in the ‘60s, when it was known more for its folk music. “It’s very nostalgic for me to play the Ice House,” Miller said after a recent appearance. “This is where I got my start.”

Comedian Kevin Jordan, a former Los Angeles police officer, spoke enthusiastically of the club after a recent show: “This is the club to work. If you’re good enough to work here, you’re good enough to work anywhere.”

There are few bad seats in the intimate 200-seat showroom, none more than 25 feet from the stage. The brick interior reflects the sound well--so well that Lily Tomlin, Bob Newhart and the Smothers Brothers all have recorded there.

Comedians who work the progressive shows appear Tuesday through Saturday: one show Tuesdays through Thursdays at 8:30 p.m., Fridays at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 p.m.

Novices on Sunday

Mondays feature seasoned performers, “comics who want to work on new material, need a video or want to practice for a television appearance,” said Tallas-Cardone, who books this latest addition to the comedy week lineup and says it’s becoming a popular night. Sunday nights at 7, novice comedians get a chance to perform for an audience that sees the show at a discount.

For those who don’t want to rush, preferred seating is reserved for dinner guests at Comics, the club’s dining room.

After the show, keep the adrenaline flowing by stopping at Footsies, the nightclub half of the Ice House building, offering a full bar, live music, dance floor and the Celebrity Shoe Collection. There usually is no cover charge for Ice House guests.

Ice House, 24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena, (818) 577-1894. Reservations required. Open 6:30 p.m. for dinner Sunday-Friday; 5:30 p.m. Saturdays. Admission: Sunday, $4.50; Monday-Thursday, $6.50; Fridays and Saturdays, $8.50.