The Improv   

When entrepreneur Budd Friedman opened the original Improv comedy club in New York City in 1963 he couldn't have known the impact his franchises would have on the world of stand up. Following his Big Apple success, Friedman went west in 1974 and opened the Hollywood Improv on Melrose, giving such laugh legends as Jay Leno, Rodney Dangerfield, Robin Williams and Andy Kaufman a place to play in Tinseltown. In the early 1980s A&E launched its 'An Evening at the Improv' specials, making the club's signature red brick wall synonymous with the biggest names in comedy. Since then franchises have opened across the country, from Miami to San Francisco, making the Improv the Cadillac of comedy clubs in a crowded field. Unlike most of its imitators, the Improv offers a full-service restaurant for pre-show dining, with diners given seating priority when the big room opens its doors (usually 30 minutes prior to the show). With reasonable cover charges ($10-$15 most nights) and a two-item minimum per person, audiences can get up close and personal with some of the funniest folks in show biz for a reasonable fee. Drew Carey and Ryan Stiles hold court most Thursday nights with 'Totally Improv,' inviting their 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' comic compadres to share the stage. On any given night you'll see a host of talented up-and-comers, a number of road-tested veterans, and maybe even some mega-stars trying out new material or simply flexing their funny bones to stay in comic shape.