| Today’s deal is all about wisecrackers, wit and a million laughs. What do you get when you cross chest bones with a wristwatch and a chip in your windshield A ribcracking time. Not very funny, we know. But remember, laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack. Seriously, we don’t boast of possessing comic genius, but we most certainly can point you in the direction of a delightful deal that will tickle your funny bone. The Comedy Bar serves up healthy doses of yummy treats such as salads, burgers, sandwiches and daily specials, while its gutbusting repertoire from hilarious acts dishes out edgy live standup, improve and sketch comedy. If your sense of humor has been warped by stress, depression, lack of interpersonal relationships or self esteem, laughter is the best medicine. Don’t hesitate to get a good measure of this remedy in the laid back atmosphere of this laugh house in the West End. The comedy therapy sessions dispensed at 945 Bloor St. W. has made it the “best alternative comedy club” in Toronto, as voted by NOW Magazine. Click that hilarious BUY button and feel the doldrums lift off. Click BUY – Bust A Gut REVIEWS Here are just a few of the many reasons why people keep going back to the Comedy Bar for their laughs, with Yelp.ca users giving it a two thumbs up and being voted Best Alternative Comedy Club in Toronto by NOW Magazine: Many of the city’s betterknown comedy venues are so stuck in the past, there might as well be a fake brickwall backdrop in front of the ubiquitous wooden stool. Are you with me, people Which makes this ambitious brainchild of Sketchersons guy Gary Rideout Jr. such a refreshing change. Housed in a narrowish basement (at 945 Bloor West), the laidback place feels like a terrific party you’ve just happened upon. The acts include a mix of some of the edgiest standup, sketch and character work around anywhere. Rideout’s working on creating an online channel to be run out of the place. YouTube and Hulu, look out. Oh, and the bar also comes stocked with some decent snack food, doing away with a trip to the corner store for that midshow sugar buzz. — NOW Magazine FeatureThe Comedy Bar at Bloor and Ossington is finally having its grand opening this weekend. Even though it&039;s been up and running for about five months, owners Gary Rideout Jr. and James Elksnitis think the venue is now completed at last, and ready to be promoted as such. Torontoist has been there on a handful of occasions over the past few months, and one of the interesting things about these visits—aside from the comedy—was seeing it progress through its renovation and development. We have never exclaimed hey They have a ceiling now with such sincerity before. The most significant part of the opening, however, is the impact it will have on the city’s comedy scene. The venue is different from other local bars—be it Yuk Yuk’s or Absolute Comedy—in that they are not just promoting standup. Rideout, as a member of the sketch troupe The Sketchersons, is trying to have all facets of comedy there, promoting it more as a sketch and improv theatre. Toronto has a lot of alternative acts that don’t necessarily fit on a standard standup bill, and now Rideout says they have a place to call home. Comedy Bar is about being a great place to play, he said. It might not be for everyone, but those who like it will think it&039;s theirs. It all came about after the closing of the Poor Alex Theatre in the Annex. When we lost that venue, bars would have comedy nights, you know, on the slower nights when they didn’t have a band, explained Rideout. He felt that the shows were more about selling beer than anything else, a common plight for comedians. As a result, many performers have started to consider Comedy Bar their venue of choice. On our initial visit, Miguel Rivas from the alternative sketch troupe Frenzy took us aside, and excitedly asked us whether this was our first time there. With a glint in his eye akin to Santa Claus&039;s, he proceeded to give us a tour of the place—still very much under construction at the time—with eager anticipation and enthusiasm. Despite being somewhat underwhelmed with comments like and this is where the bathroom will be, we recognized that the possibilities were endless. The final venue consists not only of a stage, but also a lounge area for networking and socializing, a rehearsal studio, and an onsite green screen for comedians wanting to expand their online portfolio. The construction has made everyone feel like it’s their bar. They’ve seen it grow, Rideout said. With the amount of upandcoming performers that regularly attend the shows or just hang out in the lounge, Comedy Bar will be remembered in the same way that the Rivoli has been for their contribution to the city’s comedy scene in the &039;80s. It’s already well on its way, getting Best Alternative Comedy Club in NOW’s Best of T.O. feature. — Torontoist.com ReviewI was once a standup comedy virgin til my friend brought me to one of those StandUp Showdown things and I found myself laughing til I cried, even though I didn&039;t really understand what was going on. I also don&039;t get Improv. It&039;s hit or miss for me. I sometimes feel really awkward when people are doing that sort of thing. When I&039;m feeling awkward, I like to slump down in my chair and the chairs at Comedy Bar are REALLY uncomfortable. But that is my only complaint. Comedy Bar is the place to be I&039;m glad this place exists because without this sweet refuge of comedy, I&039;d solely be surrounded by the sounds of frenemies complaining and gossiping. Why complain when you can just yuk That is my motto. Also, if you don&039;t understand what&039;s happening on stage at Comedy Bar, fake laughing also turns into real laughing, FYI. — Jennifer L., Yelp.ca Reviewer $20 for 2 Tickets to the Comedy Bar Including Dinner for Two ($45 Value) |
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