The nation’s largest comedy club network is back at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts’ Tina McGuire Theatre. After a popular run last year, this hilarious collective returns to bring top-notch comedians for three more weekends of side-splitting laughter this season. Some of the hottest stand-up comedians of today—seen in specials on late night TV, Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, Netflix and Hulu—deliver witty one-liners, preposterous punchlines and hysterical anecdotes that audiences won’t forget.
Comedy Zone audience
“Wortham connected with The Comedy Zone team in the process of looking for acts that compliment the new Tina McGuire Theatre, which is an intimate venue with less than 100 seats,” says Wortham Center’s managing director Rae Geoffrey. “We particularly wanted to offer shows that explored a new genre and appealed to a wider demographic of audience members.”
The season opened with two nights of comedy in October. For six more evenings beginning in December, the Wortham Center brings new and ingenious comics to the stage for an unprecedented back-to-back laughter fest.
Each untamed evening features two hilarious comedians—an opening act and a headliner.
“The comedians we use are the best in the country with proven excellence throughout our network,” says East Coast Entertainment managing partner Brian Heffron. “These are the top touring acts.”
The lineup’s headliners are Joel Byars, master of observational humor, performing December 1 and 2; the fearlessly hilarious Lace Larrabee, taking the stage January 19 and 20; and New York comic Doug Smith, who starred in the Comedy Central mini-mock “Brooklyn Ball Barber,” which has since become its most viewed video of all time, appearing February 23 and 24. All shows are on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night.
Since 1986, The Comedy Zone has brought side-splitting laughter to communities all over the world—and now boasts a network of more than 3,000 comedians, 60 dedicated venues and its own worldwide touring production.
“We have always wanted to establish comedy in Asheville as it’s an underserved market for comedy and fits in perfectly for routing with our Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville and Cherokee locations,” says Heffron.
“Wortham Center is a great fit, allowing us to bring the best entertainment in the country, pair it with a beautiful first-class venue and throw in top-notch customer service.”
The Comedy Zone performances contain adult content and are for mature audiences only. Tickets start at $28 and are available at WorthamArts.org, as well as in person at the box office or by calling 828.257.4530.
