“Comedy in Buffalo Grove” ?

Every so often, I find myself missing living in “Old Town”, where I could mosey down to Zanies and laugh my A_ _ off, almost any night of the week. I miss the comedy clubs and of course, this past 18 months we have been in a ditch when it comes to comedy. Sure, we could get shows on “zoom”, but we all know that laughter is something that needs to be shared and every comic loves the loud laugher that brings others into his or her fold. Saturday night, Jane and I attended a comedy night at The Continental, a restaurant in Buffalo Grove.

Pete is a wonderful restaurant owner. His menu is delightful and he is “spot-on” with making sure that his Jewish population gets the flavors they deserve ( and want). Over the past few years he has worked with Mark Klaber ( Klaber Productions) in bringing comedy to his place, using his banquet room as the venue. I would think that over time he would invest in a better sound system and some lighting so that the performers feel that they are in a “club”, not the same room where yesterday’s “shiva” took place. He has not, and to be honest, I think it hurts the show(s) they try to put on.

“Stand-Up Comedy” is not easy. The comics have 10-15 minutes to get into your heads, captivate you and make you laugh. They need to have some eye contact with the audience and need to have a somewhat relaxed group. Before Covid, they did shows here with dinner included. This allowed for the diners ( aka the audience) to relax, maybe have a few drinks and get all the gab out of their system. Last night, most came in minutes before showtime and while many of them did dine in the adjacent restaurant ( 10% off if you showed your ticket), I am not so sure they were ready for a show.

Last night’s show was billed as the “Nobodies…Funny Tour” and featured four women comics from varied backgrounds.

The leader of the pack ( who also became the emcee) was the lovely Jessica Winther. Jessica, a very sexy woman ( more actress appearing than comic) got off to a rough start as the audience was still getting their included glass of wine, and many were still rearranging the furniture. They wanted their chair placed a certain way or they wanted to change tables. Not exactly how a comic wants to start the set. Part of her set was far to bright for the crowd and it may be that a Jewish crowd didn’t get her act ( divorcee with kids, dating).

Teri S followed her. A deligthful young lady with a wicked tongue. These ladies were untamed for sure and some of her humor was definitely NOT Buffalo Grove.

Jane and I sat at the table with the performers and the third performer was MIA until it was her turn. The lady, Eugenia Kuzmina ( the Russian comic) came on as a different personality and to be honest, lost many of the audience members who were trying to figure out what she was talking about. The evening was saved by Christine Peake ( a British import) who was able to transition quickly after seeing who she had to play to. She made the evening for many and while the show was not as delightful as I had hoped for, I found that the gift of laughter that theses ladies ( sans the Russian) made for a nice Saturday night out.

If you get a chance to see Ms Peake, Teri S or Ms Winther, either together or on their own, go for it. Jessica became stronger as the evening progressed during her emcee duties. It is hard sometimes to get back in the swing but under the circumstances they had to work with, I would say they made the evening a delight for those who bothered to listen ( or could hear). Klaber picked three out of four winners. Now he needs to either get the proper atmosphere or find another venue.

A-Mark Klaber Production