Now more than ever, humor has kept many of us sane. Kyle Lane and Sahar Chavoshi of The Comedy Bar fill us in on how the club’s new location brings Chicagoans together for a good laugh again.
How has your business changed in the last 4 months? Navigating 2020 has definitely been a challenge, but it has presented us with an opportunity to consolidate our operations. As a result of the pandemic, our flagship club in chicago has moved to a new location right off the Magnificent Mile above our partners, Gino’s East, at their original location. The new and improved venue is built for comedy and has both indoor and outdoor stages! We are extremely excited for the next chapter and very grateful for the opportunities we've had thus far.
What are you most proud of in 2020? When everything shut down in March, it was hard to watch how badly the entertainment industry was affected, especially in the comedy community, but seeing the way stand up has prevailed this year has been almost poetic. comedians are putting on shows in parks, on their front porches, even on the back of trucks! in spite of all the challenges we’ve faced this year, stand up comedy has found a way to survive and thrive. watching the comedians we work with, and the audiences that appreciate them, still come out and come together makes us proud to be part of the community and this city.
What changes do you predict for chicago in 2021? This year has been insane! seeing how well the comedy community has adjusted tells us that comedy is going to make a big comeback. We've all experienced this shared trauma and have all coped differently. Having gone through this experience together will connect us even more as a city and reflecting on it through comedy will be a healing light at the end of a dark tunnel. The greatest comedy comes from the greatest darkness and the show must always go on… because we could all use a laugh right about now.
How do you plan to pivot in the coming months to adapt to the current climate in chicago? It was always a goal of ours to invest more into our digital platforms in 2020 and the current climate has absolutely proven the importance and value of putting out quality online content. During the months we were closed, platforms like instagram and youtube allowed us to continue sharing stand up clips from archived live shows, as well as produce a weekly livestream talk show featuring our comedians. The pandemic is far from over, so we plan to continue producing comedy for our audiences, whether it's online content or live shows. Since we're in such unpredictable times, the best place for updates (and a good laugh) is our instagram page. @thecomedybar
What makes chicago special to you in spite of the challenges? This city has been through so much sh*t, it’s unbelievable. but chicagoans are survivors and we’ve always persevered in spite of the adversity that has been thrown at us. Whether it be brutal winters or literally having our city burnt to a crisp, Chicago carries the scars but always rebuilds into something new. we suck it up and get to work because that’s just the kind of people we are. anyone who visits Chicago, or lives here, can just feel a difference in this city. It is special. It's in the people and we get to witness it at the club when people from all over share a laugh together.
Photography by: Photography credit: Photography credit is Gerber + Scarpelli Weddings
Shot on Location at Burdeen’s Waldorf Boutiques
