Arts Center Might Offer More Stand-Up

If you’re a comedy fan who prefers a theater setting rather than a club, the Orange County Performing Arts Center could become the place for you.

With Saturday’s concert by Elayne Boosler, the Orange County Performing Arts Center is producing its first comedy show.

Though a few other comics (Bob Hope, Jay Leno, Red Skelton) have performed at the center, they have all been sponsored by other organizations.

But whether the center continues to use stand-up performers to fill one-night vacancies remains to be seen.

“That will depend on how well we do,” said Tom Tomlinson, the center’s director. “But as we look at the things we do, if there’s a market for it, we’d like to expose our audience to it.”

Besides Boosler, the center is also looking to bring in Billy Crystal, Ellen Degeneres and Tim Allen. But between the performers’ schedules and the center’s crowded calendar, the date went to Boosler, whose schedule dovetailed with the center’s, Tomlinson said.