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In 1982, the L.A. Improv became the original site for the A&E Network television series An Evening at the Improv, running from 1982 until 1996, and was produced by Larry O'Daly, created by O'Daly and Barbara Hosie-O'Daly, with Budd Friedman as a warm-up host.
Many of today’s most celebrated and contemporary artists were first introduced on Improv stages, including Gabe Iglesias, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Handler, Craig Robinson, Taylor Tomlinson, and Bert Kreischer.
An Oral History of the Improv by Comedy Trade School (Interview starts at 2:00) Budd Friedman, founder of The Improv Comedy Club and co-author Tripp Whetsell of “The Improv: An Oral History of the Comedy Club that Revolutionized Stand-Up” walk us down memory lane recalling for many of us the joy and laughter of nights at The Improv.
Mar 13, 2024 · Budd Friedman, a former advertising executive, opened the Improv in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen as a simple coffee house. Broadway performers found it a welcome spot to unwind after shows. But as comedians began to take the stage, Friedman shifted focus, giving birth to a comedy institution. A Who’s-Who of Comedy Legends.
Later shortened to the Improv, its first seedy West 44th Street location initially attracted the likes of Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Albert Finney, and Jason Robards, as well as a couple of then-unknowns named Dustin Hoffman and Bette Midler.
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- Budd Friedman
Dec 7, 2013 · We hear about the early influence of Robert Klein on a generation of New York comics, the eccentricities of Andy Kaufman, glimpses of Richard Pryor’s lesser-known “Live and Smokin” special filmed at the Improv, plus a grainy clip of Bette Midler performing live at the Improv in 1985.
People also ask
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Budd Friedman and Tripp Whetsell have put together the history of The Improv which gave birth to many of our comedy genius in the past and present. Told from Budd’s point of view, the history of The Improv is detailed from its grass roots beginning into the recognisable name that it is today.
