Stand-up finds venues in South County, San Benito
Comedy fans can stay in their own backyard to catch a few laughs
at local venues that are bringing comedians from around the greater
Bay Area to town.
Stand-up finds venues in South County, San Benito
Comedy fans can stay in their own backyard to catch a few laughs at local venues that are bringing comedians from around the greater Bay Area to town.
Recently, the Morgan Hill Playhouse, Leal Vineyards in Hollister and Chips N Salsa in Gilroy have all been transformed into comedy nightclubs from time to time.
San Jose resident Wesley Hoffman had been performing stand-up comedy for two years when a friend who works for the city of Morgan Hill suggested putting together a comedy show. Hoffman went to work gathering fellow comedians to perform in the South County city. Hosting a show for the first time, Hoffman wasn’t sure what he was in for.
“Getting the actual comedians for the show was easy,” he said. “But then setting up for the show and right before each show was more than I expected.”
The venue – a former church that has been converted to a theater – has been worked into a joke by some of the comics.
“The only downside so far is that we haven’t been able to serve beer,” Hoffman said. “A lot of people like to drink beer during shows and I tried to get a hold of some breweries, but they never got back to me.”
Despite the lack of alcohol, Hoffman said more and more guests are showing up each week.
“They [the audience] seemed to be enjoying it,” he said. “I’m glad to be able to say I hosted my own room on my resume. It’s a whole different level from just going to a show and doing a set.”
Each week, Hoffman opens the show with a bit of his own material and then introduces the six comedians as they take the stage. He found different comedians for each Thursday night show so guests can expect a different show every night. Most of the comedians are from the San Jose area, though one night several comedians were from San Francisco.
“They all carpooled down together,” he said. “If they haven’t done a venue before, they are pretty interested in trying it out.”
Another unique comedy venue is Leal Vineyards in Hollister. The winery hosted its first stand-up comedy night one and a half years ago.
“It was kind of a cool inside connection,” said Dan Payne, the national sales and marketing director for the Vineyard.
Chris Walker’s [the tasting room and wine club manager] husband knew Michael Mancini, who is a stand-up comedian from Santa Cruz.
“We had him out here in February 2005,” Payne said. “It just went over so well, we decided to network with Mike and get some of his friends out.”
So far in 2006, Leal Vineyards has hosted three comedy nights. They held their most recent event June 3 at their outdoor event facility Lavanda with Mancini as the headliner.
“It’s something kind of outside the box that you wouldn’t think would go with a winery, but there is a calling for it,” he said. “It’s something different to do besides going out to dinner or a bar or nightclub. You can enjoy the show and have a premium glass of wine at a winery.”
Though they don’t have any shows scheduled for the summer since their facilities are booked for weddings, Payne said the shows will return in the fall.
“We’ve had good success with it,” he said. “We get a pretty good turnout with 200-300 people or so.”
Chips N Salsa also has an upcoming comedy show at their downtown Gilroy restaurant. Manny Maldonado will headline an upcoming show at the restaurant and bar.
Upcoming shows:
Thursday, June 22, 2006 – Stand-Up Comedy Showcase at The Playhouse in Morgan Hill. 17090 Monterey St., Morgan Hill, 8 p.m., $10, not recommended for ages under 16.
Thursday, June 29, 2006 – Stand-Up Comedy Showcase at The Playhouse in Morgan Hill. 17090 Monterey St., Morgan Hill, 8 p.m., $10, not recommended for ages under 16.
Friday, June 30 – Stand-up Comedy Night featuring Manny Maldonado with Kirk McHenry. Chips N Salsa. 7400 Monterey Rd, Gilroy, 9 p.m., $15, ages 21 and over.
