Why Comedy Clubs Matter: Thoughts on the Closing of Carolines on Broadway

After 40 years of presenting the most famous and promising comedians on the planet, the legendary club, Carolines on Broadway is closing on Jan 1.

In a world with “too many <comedians> and not enough mics,” the loss of an iconic stage is always a blow to the comedy community as a whole. And Carolines will always be special to me because, in 2019, the club named me to their Breakout Artist Series. That recognition meant a lot to my career, but it’s not the main reason this iconic room holds a dear place in my heart.

Carolines matters to me personally because one Saturday in October 2004 — even before I committed full-time to a comedy career — I went to see a friend’s show there. I was alone, so the hostess seated me with my buddy’s wife and her friends. Also at our table, a few seats down from me was a striking brunette who — at the moment I write this — is sleeping in the master bedroom of the cozy home we share with our 11-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son.

Carolines contributed to my professional life, but did even more for me personally.

That’s right, though she swears she doesn’t remember meeting me that day, my wife Stacey and I began our relationship with a chance encounter…