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Laughs are in the air this Summer at Catch! |
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Summer is our favorite time of year at Catch A Rising Star! Our Summer Comedy & Concert Series for 2014 has something for everyone, and if you live or vacation in New England or the Jersey Shore join us for countless laughs and smiles to complement your days in the Sun! Check this website often for our Summer lineups at Surflight Theatre and the JCC on LBI, Mattars Bar & Bistro in Allamuchy, the historic Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine, Ocean State Theatre and the Providence Downtown Marriott in Rhode Island as well as some new surprises! Shhhh!!
The stars come out at night at Catch!
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JERSEY CITY NATIVE LOCAL BIDDER OFFERS LOEWS LANDMARK THEATRE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE |
JERSEY CITY NATIVE LOCAL BIDDER OFFERS LOEWS LANDMARK THEATRE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Jersey City, New Jersey, May 1, 2014. …..Of the four bidders for the Operation of the Fully Restored Loews Landmark Theatre in Jersey City, none compare to Jersey City native Suzy Yengo, CEO of the Legendary Catch a Rising Star Comedy Clubs and Productions.
Shimmering Lights, Red Carpet Grand Openings, Huge Musical, Comedy and Variety acts, Broadway Quality Theatrical Presentations, a top educational program and most importantly a comprehensive community program enhancing the presence of the Indian, Filipino and other ethnic groups which make up the essence of Jersey City are all part of Yengo's vision to create a national thriving theatre. and exquisite Private Events and Weddings.
Yengo is thrilled to have the opportunity to put together a true Dream Team to operate the theatre she grew up seeing first run films at and then seeing it fall to decay, and restored by the loyal Friends of Loews.
Her vision for the theatre is to form the perfect union of talent and expertise, with herself as the Director of Programming, a seasoned Theatre Director, Expert Urban Development Director and Community Relations Director and key City and State representatives on the Board of Advisors and Trustees. Most importantly, she is willing and able to work with Mayor Fulop’s personal choices for Musical Bookings and the Friends of the Loews on community projects and leave the rest to those who know the business of running a prosperous community theatre with a national footprint.
There are big plans for entertainment. Comedy ranging from Kevin Hart, Joan Rivers, Ray Romano, Jerry Seinfeld, Lisa Lampanelli, Rosie O’Donnell, Wanda Sykes, Russell Peters and many others. Musical Acts to include nationally touring top shelf names.
“This revival should be the melting pot of opportunity for all the best forces to converge and create a thriving theatre addressing all of the objectives Jersey City has for the Loews. This must include the Friends of the Loews, and should include those who are the best in their field. One thing is for certain, no outside company without Jersey City roots and a dedication to the landmark Loews as an institution and structure and a thriving community theatre should be given the keys; their goals cannot possibly best serve our great city as they are self serving and naturally profit-centered for their own company. It would be like allowing an agent to also manage talent, decisions will be made first to benefit the agent and not the career of their clients. It’s a huge conflict of interest.”
Yengo, an Entertainment Attorney, earned her stripes at the world renowned Tavern on the Green and the Russian Tea Room where she was Director of Entertainment for 18 years working directly with its luminous owner, Warner LeRoy, who grew up on the set of the Wizard of Oz. She has produced shows for stars ranging from Michael Jackson to President Clinton. Suzy is an active member of the NY Friars Club, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Hudson County Bar Association, works actively with Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and formerly served on the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. She currently oversees all of the booking, operations and promotion of Catch a Rising Star internationally.
Catch a Rising Star Comedy Clubs and Productions have been a tradition since 1972 when the very first comedy club of its kind opened in New York City. At that point, Chris Rock says “Catch was College and the Improv was High School”.
When people hear the name Catch a Rising Star, they immediately associate it with the best entertainers in the world who rose from the ranks of rising stars on its very stage. Catch has an impressive roster of alumni who credit Catch with launching their careers, among them Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Rosie O’Donnell, Bill Maher, Richard Belzer, Ray Romano, Jon Lovitz, Jon Stewart, Robert Klein, Jim Carrey, Ellen Degeneres, David Chapelle, Whoopie Goldberg, Kevin James, Tim Allen, Andy Kaufman, Bob Saget, Marc Maron and…….Pat Benetar!
Catch is internationally known trademark and brand, recognized for over 41 years as launching careers of America’s most popular and beloved television and film stars, top comedians, comic actors, musicians, directors and writers. Two major network specials have featured the commercial successes of Catch. Catch is also a female owned/minority company which is said to have preference in Jersey City Bids.
Because of its extensive history and existing footprint in the entertainment industry, Catch a Rising Star has acute buying power for entertainers and is known best for taking great care and respect in handling of entertainers and their presentation and management experience where the bottom line is always viewed comprehensively to achieve maximum profits and top quality presentation of national entertainment stars.
Catch currently has clubs in Reno, Nevada, Providence Rhode Island, Princeton New Jersey and presents regularly at many theaters including The Surflight Theater on Long Beach Island, New Jersey; the Suffolk Theatre in Riverhead, New York and the Leavitt Theatre in Ogunquit, Maine as well as the Meadowlands, Iplay America, Cape May Convention Center and many other locations.
In addition to her career in entertainment law and management, Ms Yengo has experience including a fellowship at the Dramatists Guild, Development Associate at the New York Zoological Society and holds a certification in Fundraising Management from New York University and holds a degree in Producing for Commercial Theater from the Commercial Theater Institute.
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 Congratulations to our Reno club on being voted ‘Best Comedy Club in Reno’ by Reno News & Review!
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How David Brenner Helped Launch the Success of the Legendary Comedy Club Catch a Rising Star |
by Jeryl Brunner
David Brenner was already a wildly successful comedian and Tonight Show
veteran when he walked into a relatively unknown New York club, Catch a
Rising Star, on a Saturday night in 1973. Rick Newman, the club’s owner
and founder, was floored by the famous visitor. “At that point, David
had been on The Tonight Show many times and was very respected,” says Newman, who now an owner of Stage 72 Theater in New York City. “He wasn’t your father’s comedian. He was your comedian. And he was hot.”
Brenner
quietly sat at a table, just watching the show with the rest of the
packed audience. Newman walked over to his table and said, “How about
getting up?” but Brenner replied, “No, not yet. Let me watch.” About 90
minutes into the show, Brenner finally called Newman over and declared,
“I’ll get up. I’ll do some material.”
The moment that David
Brenner went on stage, the audience went nuts. As the comedians would
say, he killed. His act was flawless, and Brenner soon became a regular
performer at the club. Word quickly spread that that David Brenner had
gotten up on stage at Catch a Rising Star. Suddenly comedians showed up
to check out the club. Then the talent scouts followed, especially those
booking comics for The Tonight Show.
Catch a Rising Star
gained some serious cred. Brenner’s presence drew a steady stream of
performers to come in and hone their chops. The club became a launching
pad for fresh talents like Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Richard
Belzer, Richard Lewis, Andy Kaufman, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Bill
Maher, Susie Essman, Elayne Boosler, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Adam
Sandler, Ray Romano, Joy Behar, Jay Leno, Freddie Prinze, Pat Benatar,
and many, many others. As Seinfeld once said, “You walked into that club
and it smelled like show business.”
Newman
developed a special bond and friendship with Brenner that lasted until
Brenner’s death last Saturday. “David opened up the floodgates and
helped create what Catch a Rising Star became,” he says of his friend.
“I always saw David as a true craftsman and so smart. He loved being a
comedian. He was so proud of his vast index card file of jokes which he
broke down by topics. He had hundreds and hundreds of jokes. And he was
one of the first comedians who recorded his act so he could listen to
see what changes he had to make and how it worked. He learned from how
he sounded live.”
“David was very supportive of young comedians,” he continues. “If they were getting ready to do their first Tonight Show,
he spent time encouraging them. He shared how to prepare, how to stay
calm, and what to expect. He explained how key it was to take a beat
during laughter and not step on your own jokes… Often David and Bill
Cosby took the time at the end of the night to have kind of
mini-seminars with any comics who wanted to stay around and ask
questions about the business. David was happy for any comedian who
worked hard and became successful.”
“When a comedian had their first appearance on The Tonight Show
and didn’t do as well as they should have, David used to get upset. Not
for himself, but for the comedian who he didn’t think prepared well
enough. He knew that you can’t blow that opportunity,” Newman says.
Brenner did know, firsthand. Curiously, he first got into comedy as a
lark while he was taking a year off from being a TV documentary
writer/producer and director. As he shared in an interview with me this
past November, he never thought that comedy would become his profession.
“I had been funny since I was two years old. I just wanted to do any TV
show to prove that I had done stand-up comedy for a year. I didn’t care
what the TV show was,” he explained.
But then the producers of The Tonight Show
saw him perform at what Brenner described as “the wrong place at the
wrong time,” and rejected him. That’s when Brenner’s determination
really kicked in. “They used to have Tonight Show auditions in
New York every night on Wednesdays,” he told me. “I wore my one suit and
made believe I was a manager, or an agent. I watched what jokes made
those people from The Tonight Show laugh. And after a month of
this, I had an idea of the kind of humor they wanted, so I wrote a [set]
of that kind of humor. I auditioned, right before Christmas, 1970. On
January 7, 1971, an agent called and said The Tonight Show
wanted me the next night. He asked me if I was ready and I said, ‘Yes.
Okay. I’ll do it.’ And on January 8, I did it. When I got back to my
little one-room apartment in Manhattan, I had over $10,000 worth of job
offers from the first appearance. Johnny wanted me back the next week.”
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About Catch A Rising Star |
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 Catch A Rising Star Comedy Clubs have been a tradition since 1972 when it opened its first club in New York City. Catch has an impressive roster of alumni: among them, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Rosie O’Donnell, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Maher, Richard Belzer, Ray Romano, Jon Lovitz, Chris Rock, Bob Saget and Robert Wuhl.
Our commitment to tomorrow's comedy stars has remained the same over our history, and continues today from four locations in Reno, NV, Providence, RI, Princeton, NJ, and Monticello, NY.
Mission Statement
Catch A Rising Star is a nationally known trademark and forum, recognized for over thirty-five years for launching the careers of some of America’s most popular and beloved television and film stars, top comedians, comic actors, musicians, directors, producers and writers.
There are only a few brand names that are so synonymous with comedy that when you hear them you immediately think of quality entertainment, talented artists, and funny star makers, i.e., Second City, National Lampoon, Saturday Night Live and Catch A Rising Star. “Catch” as it is affectionately called in the entertainment industry, first opened its comedy club doors in New York City in 1972.
“Catch” is the only comedy club that has ever had two major network television specials produced about it. “Catch A Rising Star’s 10th Anniversary” on HBO and “Catch A Rising Star’s 25th Anniversary” on CBS. Both shows were commercial successes, packed with illustrious alumni of talent.
Catch A Rising Star has a well-established reputation, long-term relationships with talent, managers, agents, producers and network executives. The inherent synergy of these business initiatives help to create the finest comedy shows at “Catch.”
Catch A Rising Star’s reputation and commitment to excellence has made us a leader in the industry. The managing partners of Catch A Rising Star are each recognized for their extensive experience in entertainment and finance and are individuals considered to be the finest professionals in the industry. With this team’s emphasis on the development of the Catch A Rising Star trademark, nationally and internationally, Catch A Rising Star will continue to celebrate the esteem title of “the premier comedy & music club in the nation.”
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Catch A Rising Star is
