Irvine Improv to Celebrate With 5 Comic Favorites

If you’re a serious comedy fan, mark your calendar for Monday; if you already have plans, you might want to consider clearing your calendar.

What’s the big deal about Monday?

To celebrate its second anniversary, the Irvine Improvisation has assembled possibly the strongest lineup of stand-up talent ever to grace a local stage: Allan Havey, Ritch Shydner, Ellen DeGeneres, George Wallace and Pat Hazell.

There’s no question that comedy experts would suggest that among this quintet is one of the best club comedians around, but the field is so strong that those same observers would have considerable difficulty agreeing on which one it is. Here’s a short bio on each, in probable order of appearance.

The show will be emceed by Hazell, an enormously likable and versatile performer--a skillful magician, juggler and monologuist. Those who have attended Southern California club shows by Jerry Seinfeld in the last few years have probably seen this multi-talented lad because Seinfeld has often asked that Hazell share the bill with him.

DeGeneres should be familiar to frequent viewers of television--she’s appeared on all the key TV stand-up showcases--and will become even more so this fall, when she makes her debut as a regular on the Fox Network sitcom “Open House,” a revamped version of “Duet.” As a comedian, DeGeneres is eminently refreshing and original. When reciting bits, her throwaway lines and asides are funnier than many comics’ actual routines.

Wallace is one of those delightfully sneaky, deceptive comics. Whether performing on “The Tonight Show” or in a club, he’s so low-key and informal that you’re a little surprised when you realize that he can be hilarious at will and consistently brings the house down. His act covers a hodgepodge of topics, including his firm policy against becoming friends with anyone in Los Angeles because he fears they’ll inevitably ask him for a ride to the airport.

Shydner already has a number of acting roles under his belt--he was a regular on the Fox snitcom “Married . . . With Children” and has appeared in such films as “Beverly Hills Cop II” and “Roxanne”--and is seeking to land more, partly by writing a screenplay with a meaty part for himself. Not surprisingly, his script is a romantic comedy: As a stand-up, he specializes in dissecting the differences between the sexes and how those differences contribute to the trials and tribulations of romantic relationships.

Havey has also been moving toward acting, but for him, it’s a full-circle move, having studied theater in college. His most recent movie credit was David (“Wish You Were Here,” “Mona Lisa”) Leland’s “Checking Out,” in which he was the best thing in the problematic film. He usually enjoys ribbing the people and life style of Irvine, which ties in neatly to his routine on Baby Boomers, including his classic piece on a day in the life of those pursuing the stressful, hurried yup-scale existence. Havey will continue to appear at the Improv through Sunday.

The Improv is at 4255 Campus Drive, Irvine. Show time Monday is 8:30 p.m. Tickets, $10, go on sale at 7:30 p.m. Information: (714) 854-5455.