According to the UCB announcement, the two-level space will house "a fully-accessible 130-seat theater with a spacious bar and lounge." (Haven't seen this liquor-license application just yet.) The social media post states that "performances will kick off this fall."
Insiders alleged that UCBers were leaving the defaming comments back in 2009 about people who wear cargo shorts and sandals ... people who also like comedy troupes like UCB!
This marks a dual homecoming of sorts for the comedy brand.
The UCB's East Village outpost, UCBeast, wrapped up its eight-plus year run on Avenue A and Third Street in February 2019. At the time, UCB officials blamed the "extreme costs" of operating in the space as a factor in its closing. UCB then presented three nights of programing at SubCulture, a 130-seat venue on Bleecker Street.
Eventually the whole empire — where Kate McKinnon, Donald Glover, Aubrey Plaza, and Broad City's Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, among many others — got their start, shut down. Amid ongoing financial difficulties made worse by the start of the pandemic, UCB closed all its remaining NYC locations in April 2020... and then in Los Angeles in December 2020.
A comeback was underway starting in March 2022 when longtime talent manager Jimmy Miller and former CEO/Owner of The Onion Mike McAvoy reportedly bought the brand.
As for its EV history...the venue on Avenue A and Third Street opened in September 2011 ... after so much drama (Hot Chicks Room! New Jack Cornballs!) for a comedy club.
Fourteen years later, will there still be outrage over cargo-short-wearing cornballs clogging the sidewalks for comedy shows? (We hope so!)
Meanwhile, here's background via Deadline about how the UCB came to be...
The esteemed comedy theater, which was launched in 1999 in New York by Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh, came at a time when the foursome were exploding with their hit Comedy Central sketch series, Upright Citizens Brigade, which ran for three seasons from 1998-2000. While the four separately burned their own comedy paths in showbiz after the Comedy Central show, UCB Theatre and school became its own animal, quickly becoming an incubator for film and TV comedic talent, with a Los Angeles theater and improv/sketch writing school opening in 2005...
The new UCB space has been various gyms through the years, most recently IG-Fit, which closed at the end of 2022 without any warning to members.
I haven’t been to UCB but that seems like a good location. That block of 14th feels somewhat orphaned — not really connected to the neighborhoods on either side. Lots of shops and restaurants seems to come and go. Perhaps UCB can help create more “there” there.
ReplyDeleteI remember an old time store there. Sort of a pharmacy with a lot of potions?
ReplyDeletecool to have them back
ReplyDeleteYes, @anonymous at 7:58 AM I think it was called Meyers or something like that, and it was one of my favorite stores. Back in the 70's they sold lipstick from the 1950's and carried such a great line of old school cosmetics. I still miss it!
ReplyDeleteSo happy
ReplyDeletethis is fantastic location
it was a shame that UCB which started in NYC currently only has theater in LA
congrats UCB
cannot wait! excited for this :)
ReplyDelete