WE ASKED Amber Gainey Meade, a vice president at Levity Live (which owns the Improv), to give us the lowdown.
What made you decide to open a comedy club in Milwaukee?
For us it was a bit of a no-brainer. The comedy scene is passionate and alive, with a lot of grass roots strength in the open mic world. Chicago has the reputation of Second City, and a lot of great stars were born out of that metro area. There’s no reason why Milwaukee can’t be that in 2021 and forward. All the ingredients are there.
Which acts are you most looking forward to?
Steve Byrne, who we’re opening with, is one of my favorites. Moses Storm is having a big moment right now. Then you’ve got the Tim Dillons and the Bob Sagets of the world, the guys that everybody knows. Tickets are flying o the shelves for them already.
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
Will you be offering time for lesser-known local comics?
This is maybe the most exciting part about the Improv. We’re an incubator and discovery station for exactly those comics. Our booking team is already organizing the launch of open mics and local showcases.
What can a first-time visitor expect from a night at the Improv?
We reached out to Bigshot Robot to do a mural in our lobby. We’re in conversation with local vendors about small gift items to give out, too. We’ll serve you a great meal and cocktails. You guys want to laugh, and we want you to laugh. Everybody wins.
Check out Melissa Villaseñor from “SNL” at the Improv Sept. 3–5. For tickets and information, go to improv.com/Milwaukee.
