Fallen Star
I was truly sorry to hear about the closing of the New York Catch A Rising Star last week, just as I was handing in my copy to Back Stage for this column. I don't know if you caught comedy and jazz reviewer Chip Defaa' s column on this in the New York Post‹but the reasons owner Rick Newman gave there for Catch' s closing made total sense to me as a former booker of a cabaret that also featured comedy. There wasn't any walk-in business near Catch, and I know that was a major concern of mine when the Duplex looked into buying the property a few years ago, back when I was still that club's booking manager. Many comedy clubs with great walk-in trade still have to have comics outside, "barking'' for their shows to survive. So having no walk-in business can be, of itself, a real killer. Newman is a talent manager and specials producer as well as a club owner, so having a location where the ceilings are too low for television tapings was also another minus.
The Post article quotes Newman as vowing to reopen in another location, and I know we'll all be out there cheering him on, just as we did when this Catch opened. The original NYC Catch, which closed in the early "90s, was a talent magnet for 20 years on the Upper East Side. The branches that are still open in New Jersey, Las Vegas, and Reno feature both headliners and hot new rising stars.
I'll especially miss this club because of its innovative variety bookings. The stage was great for one of my favorite mixes: live music with comedy. One of the regular weekly shows‹"The Big Bad Music Show''‹introduced audiences and myself to Jason Nash, whom I predict is going to be very big. The location allowed the Sklar Brothers to have a Friday weekly home for their high-energy party comedy. As I mentioned in a column last spring, Catch was also the first comedy club I knew of, other than the Duplex, to waive its two-drink minimum. Catch's doing that allowed a very funny team‹Price, Blieden and Nash‹to try to build its Monday-night audience without the usual sticker shock a comedy club bar tab can create.
More on Festivals
After I covered Frank Giresi's recent experiences in Montreal, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, preparing for its fifth-annual event this March, wanted to make sure I share with you the guidelines for its search for the funniest short films. Just as comedy clubs are already having industry auditions for Aspen, the American festival's film submission period has also begun‹continuing till Dec.1. The goal of the festival's film program is to create a venue for comedic film talent to showcase their material for a heavy industry audience. (Let me put it to you this way: If an avalanche hits the industry gathering that Aspen attracts during the festival, the only comedy we'll have left to rely on may be the elected folks in Washington.)
Shorts are the way many comics like Jeff Ross, and the team Slovin and Allen, add multimedia aspects to their shows. If you'd like to enter a short film for consideration, here are the eligibility requirements. Short films are defined as being less than 60 minutes. Entries may not have opened theatrically or been nationally broadcast before March 1999. Films must be submitted in English, and those films selected must be available in 16mm or 35mm "composite" condition with soundtrack and titles included. Films will also be accepted in (Thorn)" VHS videotape format. There's no submission fee, but you will need an official entry form. For more information or an entry form, visit the festival's website at www.uscaf.com, or call (213) 463-6646 ext.2203.
If you're a comic interested in being part of the film industry, but don't have a film to enter in the fest, let me remind you again how important it is to network in other areas of the entertainment business besides the comedy circles you're already in. Many film schools will be glad to take your pictures and resumes to pass on to their undergrad and graduate filmmakers; you'll also see ads for film casting in the pages of Back Stage. One of last year's Sundance winners was a student entry from New York University, and student films are hot right now. As you start getting experience in front of the camera, you'll also start meeting tomorrow's future directors and film stars. Maybe by next year you'll meet someone willing to film your idea as one of his/her school projects.
And More on Shorts
Continuing in a festive mode: If you'd like to submit a funny short to the Carolines Funny Shorts Film Festival for its next judging you'll be asked to submit a three- to 10-minute VHS tape. Call Carolines at (212) 757-4100 for more details. The evenings are produced by Maryann Pierro (the creator of the Comic Bible), in association with Louis Faranda, Carolines' entertainment director. They also produce sketch comedy competitions. I was one of the judges for their first competition, hosted by the brothers Sklar. The group that won, "The Jakes," was wonderful and I'm looking forward to seeing a full show of their material. Great energy, really professional‹and I loved the way music was used in the sketches (not always a strong point in New York Sketch comedy groups). The judging panel also included the very savvy Gina Savage, from Boston Comedy Club, and Scott Krantz, who books the Toyota Comedy Festival. The next show is on Oct. 20, at 7 pm. To submit a VHS sketch tape for your group, call the club for more details.
Around Town
Congratulations to Dangerfield's and the Rodman himself on 30 years of comedy on First Avenue. I was recently blown away there by edgy comic Ben Creed, and he's making a return appearance through Oct. 11. I highly recommend him.... Gotham Comedy Club is changing its showtimes. Starting Fri., Oct. 30, Friday showtimes‹like Saturdays'‹will be at 8:30 and 10:30 pm.... "Premium Bob" returns to New York with a brand-new show, called "Dobie McDobie," running Oct. 16 through Nov. 13 (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights, at 10 pm), at a new venue: the Flea, 41 White Street. q