Just for laughs
Local comedians will cast out their best shtick during grand opening shows Sept. 9 to 11 at the Flappers Comedy Club.
The grand opening evening shows will be emceed by Samuel J. Comroe.
Comroe plays up his Tourette’s syndrome that, he said, inspires lots of laughs from the audience.
“In the beginning, I didn’t do too much on Tourette’s syndrome, but I was told by Barbara [Holliday, the club’s owner] and other comedians to take advantage of it,” he said. “It separated me from others and provided me uphill success from there. I really embraced it.”
One bit he does at the opening of his segment usually always gets a laugh.
“I have Tourette’s,” he tells the audience. “You don’t know what it’s like when a haircut becomes a life or death situation. I don’t want Super Cuts to be the last thing I see.”
Comroe will also be hosting and producing the Flappers University College Nights at 10 p.m. on Wednesdays. To help draw a younger crowd, college students get in for half price when they show their student ID.
Another regular performer at the comedy club is Michael Rayner, a veteran children’s entertainer who prides himself on anticipating what his audience likes.
“I know the attention span of the 5- to 11-year-olds,” he quipped.
To that end, he has been placed in charge of creating and hosting the “Two Milk Minimum” kids and families show at 11:30 a.m. every Saturday in the Yoo-hoo Room, which will have its grand opening on Sept. 11. He also books talent for adult shows in that room from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
Rayner has appeared on TV shows like “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and “30 Seconds to Fame” and others. When not performing, Rayner has been a writer/producer for Nickelodeon TV, GSN, E!, The Spark Factory and UCP productions.
“I do lots of shows for families around the country for churches and festivals and at the Burbank libraries and libraries around Los Angeles,” he said. “I’ll be booking the comedy jugglers and guest magicians for the ‘Two Milk Minimum’ shows.”
But the shows won’t be just for laughs. Rayner plans to add a little sophistication by bringing in special guests like filmmaker Cory Edwards who directed the 2005 blockbuster animated film “Hoodwinked.”
“I thought it would be fun to bring in cool talent to the kids shows, like people in the entertainment industry youngsters never get to see because they are on the late night talk shows,” Rayner said. “There are no talk shows where kids see people who create the things they like.”
Rayner has also been placed in charge of enrollment for the Flappers University, which offers classes for those hoping to follow a career in comedy. A couple weeks after the comedy club opens, classes will start that are designed to help beginners become more comfortable on stage and allow those who have a routine to work on it on stage, he said.
The grand opening shows on Sept. 9 and the “Two Milk Minimum” show on Sept. 11 are fundraisers for the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank. The club has a comedy club where the youngsters write and perform their own comedy material, said Shanna Warren, chief executive officer. After a board member saw the Flappers Comedy Club was coming to Burbank, club officials thought it would be great to partner with them, Warren said.
“I called the club and asked if they would be willing to work with us if we could get our parents and supporters out to the club,” she said. “Barbara [Holliday] got back to me because she’s really involved in giving back to the community…she is really excited to work with us. We just need a lot of people to come out and support the opening events.”
Infobox
What: Flappers Comedy Club and Restaurant
When: Grand opening Sept. 9, 10 and 11
Where: 102 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank
Cost: $25 opening night; weekday shows $10 to $12 ($2 discount with online advance purchase) weekend shows $17 ($2 discount with online advance purchase)
Contact: (818) 845-9721 or visit https://www.FlappersComedy.com.