After a successful year-and-a-half run of shows at The Brick Theater in Williamsburg, The Brooklyn Comedy Collective (BCC) is moving its programming to a new home at Cantina Royal starting Nov 1, 2019, with an expanded line-up of shows running Tues-Sunday nights.
Since its debut in March, 2018 at the Brick Theater, the BCC produced over 600 shows featuring fearless and irreverent comedy from both up-and-coming and top comedic talent. On a typical night at the BCC, patrons can experience fresh material from the likes of Chris Gethard (The Chris Gethard Show), Larry Owens (A Strange Loop), Bowen Yang (SNL), Gary Richardson (SNL), Aparna Nancherla (Netflix's The Standups), and many more. Patrons have come to expect boundary-pushing comedy, such as entering to find the entire space transformed into a comedy escape-room or following Connor O'Malley (Joe Pera Talks With You) as he leads the audience outside the theater, only to depart and livestream the rest of the show in a stretch limousine. While alternative comedy has always existed in underground basements and bars across Brooklyn, the BCC gives comics the platform of a loyal audience base and the added benefit of compensation for performers. In a comedy scene where improvisers and performers are rarely paid for their live work, The BCC pays its performers a significant portion of the box office, distinguishing it as a playground where experimentation and ingenuity is valued.
The BCC will be taking over Cantina Royal's 1500 sq ft back-room space and building a theatrical stage and upgraded lighting and sound plot. Whereas the BCC was limited to programming late-night options at The Brick Theater around their existing show schedule, the BCC will be able to offer many additional primetime as well as late-night slots on Tues-Sunday nights at Cantina Royal. Cantina Royal serves up Executive Chef Julio MM's unique vision of Mexican Cuisine, inspired by traditional Cantinas in Mexico City, in an eclectic industrial yet cozy restaurant and bar which will be fully accessible to patrons at the BCC before, during, and after BCC shows.
The BCC has also become a thriving training center for aspiring comedians, with over 1,000 enrollments in workshops and classes since its inception. In addition to teaching improvisational comedy, the BCC developed a stand-up comedy curriculum, as well as electives in Drag Comedy, Creating Solo Shows, Writing for Late Night, Creating Sketch Comedy Thru Improv, Creating Comedy Songs, and more. The BCC's next session of classes run late Oct-early Dec and came be viewed online, along with instructor bios, at: www.brooklyncc.com/classes. Testimonials from students can be read at www.brooklyncc.com/testimonials.
The BCC's final line-up of shows at the Brick Theater can be viewed at: www.brooklyncc.com/shows.
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