MORE COMEDY : Bruce Baum Hosts Fullerton Club Debut

Bucking reports that the comedy boom of the ‘80s is over, Fullerton got a new full-time comedy club this week.

In its opening week, Bruce Baum’s Comedy Crib features comic Bill Kirchenbauer, a veteran of several regular TV roles, with the club’s namesake and part-owner acting as emcee. Baum, a comic who created the novelty hit song “Marty Feldman Eyes,” joins the cast of the ABC show “America’s Funniest People” this season.

“I guess I’ll be tossing out the first joke,” said Baum in a telephone interview before Wednesday’s opening of the new club. Although Baum will not be heavily involved in the day-to-day operation of the club, he has taken a hand in shaping its design and overall booking philosophy.

“I want to see to it that we have the best talent available,” Baum said. “I wanted to make sure that anything I put my name on was a top-notch club with top-notch talent.”

In addition to Kirchenbauer, who headlines through Sunday, established headliners include George Lopez (Sept. 15 through 20), Rick Overton (Sept. 22 through 27) and John Mendoza (Oct. 6 through 11).

The club is in Fullerton Metro Center, a shopping center on the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Orangethorpe Avenue.

The club, in a brand new building, seats 300 and has a bar and lounge separate from the performance area. In addition to drinks, the club serves sandwiches and appetizers.

Bruce Baum’s Comedy Crib is the second full-time comedy club in North Orange County, joining the Brea Improv.

Other county comedy venues include the Irvine Improv, the Laff Stop in Newport Beach and Comedy Land in Huntington Beach.

“Our intention is not to compete (with the Brea Improv), but to make comedy more of a choice for an evening’s entertainment in that area,” Baum said.

He acknowledged that when he was first approached about the club, he questioned the timing. “Most of the clubs are down right now,” Baum said, but he added that the club’s other partners are confident the club will do well in Fullerton despite the lingering recession.

“Usually in bad times, comedy takes off pretty well,” Baum said, “not that we sit around hoping for bad times.”

Who: Bill Kirchenbauer, Terry Mulroy and Bruce Baum.

When: Thursday, Sept. 10, and Sunday, Sept. 13, at 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 and 12, at 8:30 and 10:45 p.m.

Where: Bruce Baum’s Comedy Crib, 126 W. Orangethorpe Ave., Fullerton.

Whereabouts: From the Riverside (91) Freeway, take Harbor Boulevard north and turn left on Orangethorpe. Turn left into the first driveway at the Fullerton Metro Center.

Wherewithal: $8 Thursday and Sunday, $10 Friday and Saturday.

Where to Call: (714) 870-4400.