Improv Resource Center - Forums
The City
At The Broadway Comedy Club
What is The City?
The City is a new Improv and Sketch comedy theater dedicated to reaching new levels of achievement in art and audience appreciation.
The City will be making its official debut in August at The Broadway Comedy Club.
Why “The City”?
The Second City, arguably the world’s most famous Improv and Sketch theater, took its name from a 1952 New Yorker magazine article which claimed Chicago was the second city to New York.
If Chicago is The second city to New York and we’re in New York, why not call ourselves “The City”. Pompous? Yes. But that’s the great part of being New Yorkers: we have every right to be!
Where is The City?
The City is located at 318 West 53rd Street (between 8th and 9th) within The Broadway Comedy Club. Our main room has 75 seats and we also have 60 seat and 200 seat theaters available within the same building. There is also an extra 100 seat room available on East 24th street at The New York Comedy Club which is the sister club to Broadway.
Why have a new Improv/Sketch theater in an already existing stand up comedy venue?
The City will have all the resources of The Broadway Comedy Club at its disposal with a creative director and booker who fully understands the arts of sketch and improv comedy and the needs of its performers.
We will also offer something no other improv/sketch theater in NYC can…
Ok, that sounds exciting, what is it?
Just as The Second City in Chicago has free Improv sets after its main stage shows, The City will also have free Improv sets after its professional stand up comedy shows.
At the end of BCC’s Stand Up show, the MC will invite the audience (usually between 50-200 people) to stick around for a free bonus performance.
Some nights it will be a fully improvised set featuring some of the best improvisers in the city handpicked and directed by the artistic director (me), while other nights I will book sketch comedy groups and improv ensembles who are part of The City family.
This is an opportunity for your group or ensemble to reach a whole new audience of comedy fans from around the world. The best part is you don’t have to bring any of them!
Are there any other amazing opportunities at The City?
In addition to the Improv and Sketch sets for a real live (you don’t have to bring them) comedy crowd, I’ve also hooked up the following things:
1. You can book and perform shows very, very regularly.
2. I will hire improvisers from The City family for paid teaching-artist work that will take place in the tri-state area. In addition I will hire performers from The City as cast members for my Improv School assembly programs, which teach students life lessons through the art of Improv. These jobs generally pay $100- $200 per gig and gigs are usually no more than 2 hours.
3. As an Improviser or Sketch comedian you will never be charged for any show at The Broadway Comedy Club. You will also never be charged a 2-drink minimum.
4. Improvisers and Sketch comedians will be privy to half-priced drinks and food, so basically you can come and see free comedy and eat and drink for cheap. We also have a really nice waiting room/café in the club, so you can just hang even if you’re not looking to see a show that night.
5. I will be looking to hire a support staff that includes Improv teachers to train in my theories of Improv (inspired by Del Close’s theories, The Second City and The Annoyance). These classes will be another opportunity for Improvisers and Sketch comedians to get paid for their knowledge and talent.
6. As I book 20+ stand up comedy shows a week at BCC, Sketch and Improv performers looking to break into the stand up world now have an easy way to do so.
How can I be one of the first groups or performers to be part of The City family?
You can book your Improv or Sketch group into The City by contacting me at Aaron@theworldnyc.com or by calling 646-242-6652. If you’re not currently attached to a group you can also contact me, I’ve got some ideas. All groups are welcome even if you’re already performing at another theater.
Who Is Aaron Haber and why is he opening an Improv/Sketch Theater?
My name is Aaron Haber and I’ve been studying and performing Improv since 4th grade (no fooling). While I had Improv experience early on, I really consider my Improv training and experience to have started when I moved to Chicago after college.
There I studied and graduated from The Second City, where I trained with Michael Gelman. I also studied at The Annoyance Theater where I trained with Mick Napier, Susan Messing, Joe Bill and Mark Sutton. Last, but not least, I studied at The Improv Olympic where I trained with Charna Halpern and Del Close.
I trained at and completed all three schools of Chicago Improv thought concurrently. This allowed me to compare and contrast all the different lessons and styles of each of these three main schools. It helped me develop the theories I’ve been teaching to Improvisers, students and even corporations over the last ten years or so. My classes and lessons have helped many Improvisers improve their craft. Even more importantly, these classes have helped many children around the country break out of their shells and conquer their shyness.
I went on to direct and produce five years worth of both short and long-form Improv shows, creating several new forms along the way. I also co-wrote and directed several sketch comedy shows. After some conflicts with my former artistic homes, (buy me a beer and I’ll tell you the stories) I found myself drawn back to NYC where I stopped performing Improv for a while and started concentrating on stand up comedy (I just taped my first TV set last month).
This brought me to The Broadway Comedy Club where I opened a room called The World. The World is currently home to 40 up-and-coming stand up comedians who have the opportunity to perform up to 25 times a week (not to mention perform in the same shows as guys like Jim Gaffigan and Judah Friedlander).
As Improv and Sketch are my first loves, it wasn’t long before I approached the owner of The Broadway Comedy Club about letting me create a new place for Improvisers and Sketch comedians to come and perform. The City will be a place where performers will feel respected, welcomed and have amazing opportunities.
I have a great respect for the founders of The UCB, The P.I.T. and The Magnet, some of whom I know from my Chicago days. I see The City as a compliment to these already existing excellent Improv and Sketch theaters in NYC. All performers and staff from these great theaters will always be welcomed at The City.
I invite all of you to stop by the club and let me buy you a drink and give you a tour. I think you’ll find that The City at The Broadway Comedy Club is truly a great place for your group to call home.
Sincerely,
Aaron Haber
Founder/Artistic Director
The City
At The Broadway Comedy Club
646-242-6652
Aaron@theworldnyc.com
At The Broadway Comedy Club
What is The City?
The City is a new Improv and Sketch comedy theater dedicated to reaching new levels of achievement in art and audience appreciation.
The City will be making its official debut in August at The Broadway Comedy Club.
Why “The City”?
The Second City, arguably the world’s most famous Improv and Sketch theater, took its name from a 1952 New Yorker magazine article which claimed Chicago was the second city to New York.
If Chicago is The second city to New York and we’re in New York, why not call ourselves “The City”. Pompous? Yes. But that’s the great part of being New Yorkers: we have every right to be!
Where is The City?
The City is located at 318 West 53rd Street (between 8th and 9th) within The Broadway Comedy Club. Our main room has 75 seats and we also have 60 seat and 200 seat theaters available within the same building. There is also an extra 100 seat room available on East 24th street at The New York Comedy Club which is the sister club to Broadway.
Why have a new Improv/Sketch theater in an already existing stand up comedy venue?
The City will have all the resources of The Broadway Comedy Club at its disposal with a creative director and booker who fully understands the arts of sketch and improv comedy and the needs of its performers.
We will also offer something no other improv/sketch theater in NYC can…
Ok, that sounds exciting, what is it?
Just as The Second City in Chicago has free Improv sets after its main stage shows, The City will also have free Improv sets after its professional stand up comedy shows.
At the end of BCC’s Stand Up show, the MC will invite the audience (usually between 50-200 people) to stick around for a free bonus performance.
Some nights it will be a fully improvised set featuring some of the best improvisers in the city handpicked and directed by the artistic director (me), while other nights I will book sketch comedy groups and improv ensembles who are part of The City family.
This is an opportunity for your group or ensemble to reach a whole new audience of comedy fans from around the world. The best part is you don’t have to bring any of them!
Are there any other amazing opportunities at The City?
In addition to the Improv and Sketch sets for a real live (you don’t have to bring them) comedy crowd, I’ve also hooked up the following things:
1. You can book and perform shows very, very regularly.
2. I will hire improvisers from The City family for paid teaching-artist work that will take place in the tri-state area. In addition I will hire performers from The City as cast members for my Improv School assembly programs, which teach students life lessons through the art of Improv. These jobs generally pay $100- $200 per gig and gigs are usually no more than 2 hours.
3. As an Improviser or Sketch comedian you will never be charged for any show at The Broadway Comedy Club. You will also never be charged a 2-drink minimum.
4. Improvisers and Sketch comedians will be privy to half-priced drinks and food, so basically you can come and see free comedy and eat and drink for cheap. We also have a really nice waiting room/café in the club, so you can just hang even if you’re not looking to see a show that night.
5. I will be looking to hire a support staff that includes Improv teachers to train in my theories of Improv (inspired by Del Close’s theories, The Second City and The Annoyance). These classes will be another opportunity for Improvisers and Sketch comedians to get paid for their knowledge and talent.
6. As I book 20+ stand up comedy shows a week at BCC, Sketch and Improv performers looking to break into the stand up world now have an easy way to do so.
How can I be one of the first groups or performers to be part of The City family?
You can book your Improv or Sketch group into The City by contacting me at Aaron@theworldnyc.com or by calling 646-242-6652. If you’re not currently attached to a group you can also contact me, I’ve got some ideas. All groups are welcome even if you’re already performing at another theater.
Who Is Aaron Haber and why is he opening an Improv/Sketch Theater?
My name is Aaron Haber and I’ve been studying and performing Improv since 4th grade (no fooling). While I had Improv experience early on, I really consider my Improv training and experience to have started when I moved to Chicago after college.
There I studied and graduated from The Second City, where I trained with Michael Gelman. I also studied at The Annoyance Theater where I trained with Mick Napier, Susan Messing, Joe Bill and Mark Sutton. Last, but not least, I studied at The Improv Olympic where I trained with Charna Halpern and Del Close.
I trained at and completed all three schools of Chicago Improv thought concurrently. This allowed me to compare and contrast all the different lessons and styles of each of these three main schools. It helped me develop the theories I’ve been teaching to Improvisers, students and even corporations over the last ten years or so. My classes and lessons have helped many Improvisers improve their craft. Even more importantly, these classes have helped many children around the country break out of their shells and conquer their shyness.
I went on to direct and produce five years worth of both short and long-form Improv shows, creating several new forms along the way. I also co-wrote and directed several sketch comedy shows. After some conflicts with my former artistic homes, (buy me a beer and I’ll tell you the stories) I found myself drawn back to NYC where I stopped performing Improv for a while and started concentrating on stand up comedy (I just taped my first TV set last month).
This brought me to The Broadway Comedy Club where I opened a room called The World. The World is currently home to 40 up-and-coming stand up comedians who have the opportunity to perform up to 25 times a week (not to mention perform in the same shows as guys like Jim Gaffigan and Judah Friedlander).
As Improv and Sketch are my first loves, it wasn’t long before I approached the owner of The Broadway Comedy Club about letting me create a new place for Improvisers and Sketch comedians to come and perform. The City will be a place where performers will feel respected, welcomed and have amazing opportunities.
I have a great respect for the founders of The UCB, The P.I.T. and The Magnet, some of whom I know from my Chicago days. I see The City as a compliment to these already existing excellent Improv and Sketch theaters in NYC. All performers and staff from these great theaters will always be welcomed at The City.
I invite all of you to stop by the club and let me buy you a drink and give you a tour. I think you’ll find that The City at The Broadway Comedy Club is truly a great place for your group to call home.
Sincerely,
Aaron Haber
Founder/Artistic Director
The City
At The Broadway Comedy Club
646-242-6652
Aaron@theworldnyc.com