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Improv on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles

The Improv is a comedy club franchise. Originally, it was one comedy club, founded in 1963 in New York City by Budd Friedman.^[1] A second location was opened in 1974 at 8162 Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles, California. The LA Improv was the original site for the A&E Network television series An Evening at the Improv, which ran from 1982 until 1996. Other locations have opened since then, such as in Tampa, Florida,^[2] Fort Lauderdale, Florida,^[2] Atlantic City,^[3] and Louisville, Kentucky.^[2] Levity Entertainment Group is the largest shareholder of The Improv comedy clubs.^[4]

The Improv was the place to see Richard Pryor, Robert Klein, Steve Landesberg, Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, Jay Leno, and others when they were just starting out. Dustin Hoffman played piano there. On any given night in the later 1970s, one could see Gilbert Gottfried, Joe Piscopo, Bruce Mahler, Mark Schiff, Larry David, and many others. Often famous comedians would walk in to "work out" before appearances on The Tonight Show. It was not unusual to find celebrities in the audience.

Nearly every big name in comedy has played The Improv, including Milton Berle, Drew Carey, George Carlin, Chevy Chase, Bill Cosby, Billy Crystal, Rodney Dangerfield, Jeff Dunham, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Freddie Prinze, Joan Rivers, and Jerry Seinfeld. Even Liza Minnelli appeared at The Improv.

New and upcoming performers such as Dante, Dane Cook and Pablo Francisco have performed there as well. Comedy Central's Dave Attell frequents Improv locations in Tampa and Hollywood. Comics Lewis Black, Mike Birbiglia, Louis CK and Jimmy Fallon have performed at the Improv in Louisville, Kentucky.^[2]

Comedian Eddie Murphy was a regular at The Comic Strip in New York City, but in California performed at the Improv when he was only 15 years old,^{[citation needed]} Jeremy Ruder at 18, and Jim Carrey at 19. Actresses Karen Black and Debra Winger worked there as waitresses before getting their big breaks as movie stars.^{[citation needed]}

The Improv has a bar and a restaurant named Hell's Kitchen that features Italian entrees named for comedy stars, such as Billy Crystal's Gnocchi Alla Bolognese and Tim Allen's Eggplant Parmigiana.

[edit] Locations

Improv locations, past and present, include:

• New York City, New York^[2]
• Hollywood, California^[1]
• Brea, California^[1]
• Irvine, California^[1]
• Ontario, California^[1]
• San Diego, California^[1]
• San Francisco, California^[1]
• San Jose, California^[2]
• Denver, Colorado^[2]
• Washington, DC^[1]
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida^[2]
• Miami, Florida^[1]
• Orlando, Florida^[2]
• Palm Beach, Florida^[2]
• Tampa, Florida^[2]
• Chicago, Illinois^[2]
• Baltimore, Maryland^[1]
• Lake Tahoe, Nevada^[2]
• Las Vegas, Nevada^[1]
• Reno, Nevada^[1]
• Cleveland, Ohio^[1]
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania^[1]
• Addison, Texas (Dallas area)^[1]
• Arlington, Texas^[2]
• Houston, Texas^[2]
• Tempe, Arizona^[2]
• Kansas City, Missouri^[2]
• Atlantic City, New Jersey^[3]
• Louisville, Kentucky^[3]
• London, England^[1]

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Improv in Louisville, Kentucky
• Interview with Chris Albrecht

[edit] References