Tommy Nicchi is extremely serious about the business of laughter, and
the proprietor of The Comedy Works attends to all the little details to
ensure that the people who come to his club will be carefree and ready
to let loose and enjoy.
"We came here for a laugh. We just needed one real bad" said patrons Patricia and Julie, "and we got just what we needed and then some."
They were there to give themselves some relief from the summer stress, and support live comedy in Saratoga Springs. The occasion was a Thursday "preview" show for hotel and hospitality workers to acquaint the industry with the Comedy Works' Saratoga Springs nightclub, which is located on the premises of Club 388 at 388 Broadway. An informal survey of these people after the show led me to believe that based on their experience (including the hilarious performances by weekend headliners Al Ducharme and Bernadette Pauley) they would be glad to recommend the Comedy Works to their guests. Let us echo the same, and amplify:
The room is plush and comfortable, with the long rows of tables laid out on the dance floor, leaving just enough room for the food and beverage servers. It really shows off the room well, and it appears that it is well-designed for a quickie conversion back to a dance club after the comedy shows. Note that paid customers to the Comedy Works get their cover charge waived if they want to stay and dance, so Club 388 potentially gets exposed to a new audience and perhaps a wider customer base. It couldn't hurt.
The staff seems to have their choreography down-pat. At these types of shows in particular, timing is everything not just to the comedians, but also the servers, bartenders and kitchen - particularly notable because food is run from upstairs neighbor Circus Café. You have to serve a lot of people in a compressed area of time, be attentive yet not intrusive enough to take away the audience's focus on stage. A delicate balance- it was obvious that the employee's here are not new to this situation; You can feel it- they know every nook and cranny of the comedy club situation, and navigate it with great, yet subtle style.
The Comedy Works intend to operate year-round at club 388 with shows on Friday and Saturday evenings. Currently, they have admissions (a cover charge per person added to your check in addition to a 2-drink minimum - dinner is optional) that are $15 advance/ $20 night of show; but that might vary somewhat depending on the act(s) involved. You can order tickets by phone at 1-877-JOKE-TIX and soon online ordering will be available at www.thecomedyworks.com .
The laughter, as always is 100% free; a priceless commodity in this day and age.
With an established anchor club in Albany for decades, as well as performance outlets in Bennington, VT, Pittsfield, MA, Chatham and Schoharie - this regional approach with a Saratoga venue will doubtlessly enable the Comedy Works to keep the level of performers very high, as evidenced by the upcoming schedule (see side box). The format also always includes a local host, who gets a brief moment in the sun to try their stuff out.
Mr. Nicchi has offers out to some pretty big names after Labor Day, so it appears that Saratoga Springs' funny bone will be working overtime in the fall.
They were there to give themselves some relief from the summer stress, and support live comedy in Saratoga Springs. The occasion was a Thursday "preview" show for hotel and hospitality workers to acquaint the industry with the Comedy Works' Saratoga Springs nightclub, which is located on the premises of Club 388 at 388 Broadway. An informal survey of these people after the show led me to believe that based on their experience (including the hilarious performances by weekend headliners Al Ducharme and Bernadette Pauley) they would be glad to recommend the Comedy Works to their guests. Let us echo the same, and amplify:
The room is plush and comfortable, with the long rows of tables laid out on the dance floor, leaving just enough room for the food and beverage servers. It really shows off the room well, and it appears that it is well-designed for a quickie conversion back to a dance club after the comedy shows. Note that paid customers to the Comedy Works get their cover charge waived if they want to stay and dance, so Club 388 potentially gets exposed to a new audience and perhaps a wider customer base. It couldn't hurt.
The staff seems to have their choreography down-pat. At these types of shows in particular, timing is everything not just to the comedians, but also the servers, bartenders and kitchen - particularly notable because food is run from upstairs neighbor Circus Café. You have to serve a lot of people in a compressed area of time, be attentive yet not intrusive enough to take away the audience's focus on stage. A delicate balance- it was obvious that the employee's here are not new to this situation; You can feel it- they know every nook and cranny of the comedy club situation, and navigate it with great, yet subtle style.
The Comedy Works intend to operate year-round at club 388 with shows on Friday and Saturday evenings. Currently, they have admissions (a cover charge per person added to your check in addition to a 2-drink minimum - dinner is optional) that are $15 advance/ $20 night of show; but that might vary somewhat depending on the act(s) involved. You can order tickets by phone at 1-877-JOKE-TIX and soon online ordering will be available at www.thecomedyworks.com .
The laughter, as always is 100% free; a priceless commodity in this day and age.
With an established anchor club in Albany for decades, as well as performance outlets in Bennington, VT, Pittsfield, MA, Chatham and Schoharie - this regional approach with a Saratoga venue will doubtlessly enable the Comedy Works to keep the level of performers very high, as evidenced by the upcoming schedule (see side box). The format also always includes a local host, who gets a brief moment in the sun to try their stuff out.
Mr. Nicchi has offers out to some pretty big names after Labor Day, so it appears that Saratoga Springs' funny bone will be working overtime in the fall.
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