Veteran comic Jimmy Shubert highlight a strong bill at the Palm Beach Improv on Tuesday. (Photo by Chuck King / Applause Break)
Jay Guy, shown here performing at the Palm Beach Improv, is helping to create the open mics at the new Dania Improv (Photo by Chuck King / Applause Break)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Temperatures that normally send South Floridians into hibernation couldn’t deter fans from Tuesday’s closing performance of The Departed Tour headlined by Jimmy Shubert.
A crowd estimated at more than 200 braved temperatures that fell into the 40s – hey, we are talking about the Sunshine State – and jammed the Palm Beach Improv to see Shubert cap an impressive run through South Florida.
“I thought Jimmy killed in there,” said David Sadman, who hosted and promoted the show. “We had a great audience. They were very receptive. They were ready to come and laugh.”
In the week leading up to Thanksgiving Shubert played two Boca Raton shows and two more shows at Fort Myers’ Laugh In.
Over the weekend he headlined another Boca Raton show, at the Boca Raton Black Box, as well as one at the Lake Park Block Box.
Tuesday’s show, a rescheduling of an original date prior to Thanksgiving, saw Shubert perform for what was easily the largest crowd of the run.
“Good crowd for a Tuesday,” Shubert said. “It was nice to perform in front of people again. Real people, live people. No Zoom shows. Real audience members.”
Fans praised the performance.
“It was great,” said George Anagnostakis. “It was just really funny, man. Jimmy was great. Nadeem was great. Sadman, everyone.”
APPLAUSE BREAK-DOWN
VENUE: Palm Beach Improv (Dec. 8, 2020)
LINEUP:
David Sadman (Host)
Jay Guy (Guest)
Nadeem Awad (Feature)
Jimmy Shubert (Headliner)
SHOW HIGHLIGHT: There’s no doubt fans turned out to see Shubert, whose list of credits is impressive. But a large portion of the room also looked forward to seeing Awad, the hometown comic. He didn’t disappoint. His timely bit detailing how his Muslim family spent Christmas’ past had the audience rolling, drawing the first of three applause breaks during a 20-minute set. “Crowd was amazing – all my friends, locals,” Awad said. “Some of them have never seen me [perform]. Some of them haven’t seen me in four years. They’re the best people I know.”
BE OUR GUEST: A familiar face at the Improv, Guy delivered a smooth, relaxed set that engaged the audience throughout. His bit about visiting his grandfather in these COVID times proved relatable, and the crowd responded. “For a Tuesday night, unbelievable,” Guy said. “Epic. Epic was the word. Crazy.” …Sadman, whose Sadman Comedy Productions promoted the show, enjoyed one of his best sets as some late-arrivers entered.
WORKING THE ROOM: The crowd embraced all four comics, but by the end of the night some had nuzzled a little too much liquid cheer as well. After Sadman set the tone for hecklers early in the night by telling one, “that’s why I’m up here and you’re down there,” most were attentive and bemused the rest of the way. However, some upfront became a bit loud in the show’s closing minutes, especially as the night’s tab arrived, prompting Shubert to react. Following the show, many in the audience walked next door to Copper Blues, where they shared drinks with the comics.
THE COMICS’ TABLE: Awad and Sadman are performing again Thursday at the Biergarten. Richie Minervini is headlining that show. …Local comics Steve Lamm, Zach Bugarin, Dan Long and Minda, as well as Kristi McHugh, all attended the show.
ONE LINER: “I just love making people laugh. It’s good to be out and be able to entertain people again.” – Shubert
