Lost Your Sense of Humor? Drop the Remote and Catch a Rising Star
Perhaps your day looks something like this: wake up, make coffee, shower, grab a quick bite, kiss your spouse, fight the traffic, slay dragons at work or at the grocery store or on the tennis court, squeeze in a workout at the gym, drop off the dry cleaning, and then somewhere in the frenzy, get the kids to and from camp, soccer, a music lesson, swim team practice, a play date, or all of the above.
At the end of the day, you might drop your tired bones on the couch, grab a soda or a glass of wine and pick up the remote to see how Raymond (who everybody loves) or George Lopez, or any number of great comedians in reruns like Roseanne and Bret Butler are holding up with their versions of life in the suburbs.
What if, for a real change of pace, you went and saw live comedy? One of West Windsor’s best-kept secrets is guaranteed to make you laugh – and give you a (casual) night out (for less than you think), just about 10 minutes from your house. At Catch a Rising Star, the comedy club at the Hyatt Regency on Route 1, you can see the up- and-coming Raymond’s (yes, Ray Romano got his start at Catch a Rising Star), George’s, and Roseanne’s live on stage (there’s even a smoke-free shows Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:30 p.m.).
Tucked away on the ground floor of the hotel, the club, which opened in 1987, is so unobtrusive it’s almost miss-able. There are no signs outside the hotel alerting you to its presence, and none when you walk inside the lobby either. You’ve got to be in the know to know that it’s there. Walk through the Hyatt’s garden-setting bars, down the stairs past the great pools of carp, and you’ll walk right into Catch a Rising Star.
Once inside, you’ll feel like you could be in a nightclub anywhere – New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles. The 185-seat house is surprisingly intimate, and there is not a bad view of the stage anywhere in the room. The caliber of the headliners booked for “”Catch,”” as the club is nicknamed, are top-notch seasoned professionals, many of whom have appeared on Comedy Central, David Letterman, and Jay Leno. This is as far from your local “”open mic”” night as you can get.
“”Catch a Rising Star is the place where a lot of today’s top comedians got their start – Jim Carrey, Rosie O’Donnell, Billy Crystal, Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Ray Romano,”” says president and chief operating officer Lynn Garlock-Wright in a phone interview from her office in Las Vegas, reeling off a list of comedy’s Who’s Who, names of the biggies who have played to audiences at one of the chain’s four comedy clubs including Las Vegas, Reno, and Albuquerque, in addition to Princeton. (The flagship New York Catch a Rising Star is due to reopen soon, according to Garlock-Wright.)
The line-up at the Princeton “”Catch,”” features two top comedians, Wednesday through Saturday, and the headliner changes each week. Each show is an hour and a half long. House emcee Steve Trevelise of WIP AM 610 and 105.7-The Hawk keeps things flowing with topical New Jersey observations and comedy before and between sets.
As an alternative to the usual dinner and a movie, the club offers a great opportunity to catch the next big TV star in the making, or simply get away from your to-do list with an easy, affordable night out (just $15), while you relax and get a few good laughs. Although “”comedians will use profanity, it’s not vulgar,”” Garlock-Wright says. “”The real professionals don’t need to do that. They don’t have to get gross to make people laugh.””
If you are planning a date night with your spouse and a few other couples or a birthday or anniversary celebration, manager Bailey Saul suggests taking advantage of the club’s group rates available in advance for parties of 10 or more. Saul also says the hotel offers dinner and overnight packages for out-of-town guests or local couples who want to get away without driving anywhere.
Life is stressful enough these days with all we’ve got on our plate, let alone what is going on in the world around us. Comics have a way of putting these things in perspective and lightening them up. “”It’s a cliche,”” says Garlock-Wright, “”but laughter really IS the best medicine.”” Here’s something to add to your to-do list: a night out at Catch a Rising Star.
-Deb Cooperman
Catch a Rising Star, Hyatt Regency Princeton, at Route 1 and 102 Carnegie Center. Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30 and 11 p.m. Smoke-free shows Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 p.m. All shows: $15. Reservations required. Call 609-987-8018 or visit www.catcharisingstar.com.
