Carolines on Broadway is a venue for stand-up comedy situated at

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, on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

between 49th and 50th Streets, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City.

History

Caroline Hirsch Caroline Hirsch is the founder and owner of the New York comedy club Carolines on Broadway and the New York Comedy Festival. She is recognized for her ability to spot rising comedic talent including Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Reubens. Early life ...

opened Carolines as a

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...

in the

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neighborhood in 1981 with two friends. Hirsch advocated to make it a comedy club and booked Jay Leno as its first performer. In 1983,

Paul Reubens Paul Reubens (; born Rubenfeld; August 27, 1952) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and children's entertainer. He is known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s, an ...

performed at the club, helping the club grow in popularity. In 1987, Carolines moved to

South Street Seaport The South Street Seaport is a historic area in the New York City borough of Manhattan, centered where Fulton Street meets the East River, and adjacent to the Financial District, in Lower Manhattan. The Seaport is a designated historic district ...

where it became established as the country's top comedy venue. It also served as home to the A&E series, “Caroline's Comedy Hour,” which ran for six years and won a

CableACE award The CableACE Award (earlier known as the ACE Awards; ACE was an acronym for "Award for Cable Excellence") is a defunct award that was given by what was then the National Cable Television Association from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in Am ...

for "Best Stand-Up Comedy Series." In 1992, the club moved to its current location on Broadway inside

. Carolines celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2003 with a gala comedy concert at Carnegie Hall that featured performances by many comedians who previously performed at the club. Attendees include

Richard Belzer Richard Jay Belzer (born August 4, 1944) is a retired American actor, stand-up comedian, and author. He is best known for his role as BPD Detective, NYPD Detective/Sergeant, and DA Investigator John Munch, whom he has portrayed as a regular cas ...

Lewis Black Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, or any other cultural trends. He hosted the Comedy Central series '' Lewi ...

Mario Cantone Mario Cantone (born December 9, 1959) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and singer with numerous appearances on Comedy Central including ''Chappelle's Show''. He also played Anthony Marentino in ''Sex and the City'' and Terri in ''Men In T ...

Rich Vos Rich Vos is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor. Since 2011, he has been the co-host of the podcast ''My Wife Hates Me'' with his wife, comedian Bonnie McFarlane. Early life Vos was raised in a Jewish family who lived in an "all blac ...

Judy Gold Judy Gold (born November 15, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, podcaster, television writer, author and producer. She won two Daytime Emmy Awards for her work as a writer and producer on ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show''. Life and care ...

Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous r ...

, David Alan Grier,

Denis Leary Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song "Asshole") and throu ...

Kevin Meaney Kevin Gerard Meaney (April 23, 1956 – October 21, 2016) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Early life Meaney graduated from Valhalla High School in Westchester County, New York, and attended State University of New York at Mor ...

, Paul Mooney,

Colin Quinn Colin Edward Quinn (born June 6, 1959) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Quinn first gained widespread attention for his work as a cast member and writer for the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 2 ...

Caroline Rhea Caroline Gilchrist Rhea (; born April 13, 1964) is a Canadian actress and stand-up comedian, who is best known for her role as Hilda Spellman on the ABC series ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch''. She has performed numerous comedy specials, including t ...

, Jeffrey Ross, and, in a surprise appearance, Jon Stewart. The club closed temporarily in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported by federal aid for live performance venues, it reopened in May 2021. On December 6, 2022, the club's owner announced that due to an imminent substantial rent increase by its landlord, the

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, the club would be closing at the end of the year with December 31st as the last show.

References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.carolines.com/ Comedy clubs in Manhattan Times Square 1981 establishments in New York City