When one door closes, another opens. Eventually. In May, the Palm Beach Improv, a linchpin for standup comedy for some 22 years, shuttered its longtime venue at the Square in West Palm Beach, sacrificed at the altar of more high-rise housing.
But thanks to a just-announced partnership with the Kravis Center, the Improv brand will return to the downtown environs with four comedy tours beginning in December.
Jeff Ross, aka the “Roastmaster General” and a maestro of crowd work, kicks off the series Dec. 8-9. Energetic social commenter Carlos Mencia follows with his “No Hate No Fear” tour Dec. 29-30, with all shows taking place at the Kravis’ intimate Rinker Playhouse.
On Jan. 19-20, deadpan “SNL” Weekend Update alum Kevin Nealon will take to the mic. Observational comic Preacher Lawson, a finalist on “America’s Got Talent,” will close out this initial series on Feb. 9-10. These two performances will be at Persson Hall, an even cozier venue on the Kravis campus.
We like this new arrangement for a number of reasons, from the ideal location with its own free parking garage to the comfortable, mostly theater-style seating with unobstructed views. But the best part? No two-drink minimum, and with that, no pesky servers interrupting the comedians to refill drink orders. We’ll drink to that!
Tickets are currently in a donor priority period but will go on sale Friday to the general public. For more information, call 561/832-7469 or visit kravis.org.
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