A Boston comedy hotspot reborn
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A classic Boston comedy club is reopening with a new look, new name and a revived mission to bring laughs to the Theater District.
Why it matters: Lil Chuck, which opens tomorrow in the basement of the historic Charles Playhouse, marks a return to the venue's roots as a comedy cellar that once hosted the likes of Robin Williams, George Carlin, Denis Leary, Jay Leno and Steven Wright.
Inside: The newly refurbished 199-seat club is operated by local comedy veterans John Tobin and Norm Laviolette, in partnership with theatrical group Broadway In Boston. They plan to blend stand-up performances with theatrical comedy productions.
- The Charles Playhouse basement venue was the Comedy Connection in the heyday of the Boston comedy scene starting in 1978.
- The long-running comedy play "Shear Madness" used the space for over 40 years before closing in 2020.
What they're saying: "You couldn't make a better room for stand-up and theatrics, and the fact that it's the birthplace of Boston comedy makes it that much more special," Tobin told MassLive.
The team plans three nights of live entertainment a week on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
- Beyond stand-up, the first shows to take the stage are decidedly raunchy affairs.
- "Shit-faced Shakespeare" features actors trying to remember the Bard's soliloquies while pounding drinks from the bar.
- "Dirty Disney" aims to subvert audiences' memories of family-friendly classics into something the kids probably shouldn't stay up for.
Flashback: The building was originally built as a church in 1839 before becoming one of Boston's first synagogues in 1864.