Holy City Zoo

Last updated

The Holy City Zoo, which called itself "the comedian's clubhouse", [1] was a small but influential comedy club in San Francisco that operated from the mid-1970s [2] to the mid-1990s. [3]

Contents

Description

The Holy City Zoo was located at 408 Clement Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in San Francisco's Richmond District. It was a tiny dark cavern that had a maximum occupancy of 78. The bar sold beer, wine and soft drinks. There was a small stage set against the back wall. A few stairs stage left led to a small balcony known as "The John Wilkes Booth."

History

The club got its name from a sign the first owner, Robert Steger, picked up for free at a going-out-of-business sale at the local zoo in Holy City, California. He had stopped there to buy redwood tables and chairs for the club. [4]

During that era, the Holy City Zoo primarily functioned as a folk music club. The initiation of comedy at the venue occurred when Jim Giovanni, an impressionist, took the stage on an open mic night around 1971. Prior to Giovanni's appearance, the Holy City Zoo had no established comedy scene. He remained a fixture at the location, performing comedy nightly for nearly three years. Subsequently, other comedians searching for a stage discovered the Zoo and gradually displaced the folk music performances.

In 1975, Peter Reines purchased the business from Steger. Initially, the Zoo continued to host folk music five nights a week and remained closed on Sundays. San Francisco comedian Tony DePaul approached Reines with the idea of introducing stand-up comedy as an additional form of entertainment. Many comedians were already putting on shows in the basement of a church and were seeking a more nightclub-like setting. Sundays were designated as "open mic" nights, quickly gaining popularity. Over time, comedy expanded to all seven nights of the week. With comedian Tony DePaul's strong promotion and emceeing skills, the Zoo achieved recognition at the national and international levels. John Cantu became the club's first official comedy producer and club manager, occasionally spending the night on the stage after closing. [5]

Open-mike nights continually ran one or two nights a week throughout the club's existence. Anyone could sign up for a five-minute set, including some comedians who went on to be stars.

It continued as a full-time comedy club for nearly 20 years. The Zoo was a "clubhouse" of sorts for comedians; it was the destination for many after a gig to hang out, gossip, drink, complain about the business, and perhaps catch a glimpse of some big-time headliner working on new material (most notably, Robin Williams, [6] "who used the club as his neighborhood rehearsal space" [3] ). Television producer George Schlatter first saw Williams when he performed at Holy City, and remarked of him "...because people could not believe what they were seeing. It was character after character and that unbelievable machine-gun delivery". [7] Rob Schneider could often be spotted hovering outside the club waiting to go onstage because he was underage. Due to a changing neighborhood and the lack of a full liquor license, the club was never financially solvent, and changed ownership many times. Among the various people who owned or co-owned the Zoo were Steger, Reines, Cantu, Jason Cristoble, Tom Sawyer, talent manager Bob Fisher, comedian Jim Samuels, and, at the end, Gilda and George Forrester (parents of the Zoo's last manager, Tracy Forrester) and Will and Debi Durst (who retained the rights to the "Holy City Zoo" trademark). [8] [9] [10]

The Zoo went out of business at least once in the 1980s, reopening briefly as the Ha-Ha-A-Go-Go (under Tom Sawyer). In 1988, several comedians from the club had been recorded for the making of a George Schlatter-produced two-hour TV special The Comedy Club Special, hosted by Dudley Moore. [11] The Holy City Zoo finally closed for good in 1994 and became a karaoke bar. In the later years, Holy City Zoo had been co-owned by Bob Fisher and Jim Samuels, the latter being the 1982 winner of the San Francisco International Comedy Competition. The final closing of the Zoo was a 24-hour "farewell marathon" hosted by Jeremy S. Kramer and ran from midnight August 29 to midnight August 30. Robin Williams said of the club's demise "like someone pulling the life support on your aunt. It's depressing. The Zoo was the womb". [3]

On January 18, 1996, the club was temporarily revived as the non-profit "The New Zoo" for weekly open-mic nights on Thursdays at its original location (now called Seaport Tavern). Co-owner Jim Samuels died in 1990 at age 41 [12] so only co-owner Bob Fisher was present and promoting the new revival. [3]

On April 20, 2011, Bay Area comedy troupe Sylvan Productions began hosting a weekly Wednesday night stand up open mic, and regular Saturday feature showcases at Dirty Trix Saloon, bringing comedy back to the historical location. [13] [14]

List of past performers

The following is a partial list of comedians and other performers who either got their start or had performances at the Holy City Zoo:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Williams</span> American actor and comedian (1951–2014)

Robin McLaurin Williams was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedies alike, Williams is regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time. He received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, five Grammy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Williams was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Improv</span> Comedy club franchise

The Improv is a comedy club franchise. It was founded as a single venue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City in 1963, and expanded into a chain of venues in the late 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Poundstone</span> American stand-up comedian

Paula Poundstone is an American stand-up comedian, author, actress, interviewer, and commentator. Beginning in the late 1980s, she performed a series of one-hour HBO comedy specials. She provided backstage commentary during the 1992 presidential election on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She is the host of the podcast Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, which is the successor to the National Public Radio program Live from the Poundstone Institute. She is a frequent panelist on NPR's weekly news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me, and was a recurring guest on the network's A Prairie Home Companion variety program during Garrison Keillor's years as host.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of San Francisco</span>

The culture of San Francisco is major and diverse in terms of arts, music, cuisine, festivals, museums, and architecture but also is influenced heavily by Mexican culture due to its large Hispanic population, and its history as part of Spanish America and Mexico. San Francisco's diversity of cultures along with its eccentricities are so great that they have greatly influenced the country and the world at large over the years. In 2012, Bloomberg Businessweek voted San Francisco as America's Best City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Zoo</span> Zoo in San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Zoo is a 100-acre (40 ha) zoo located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco, California, between Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean along the Great Highway. In October 2024, A SF city report described the zoo as ‘unsafe for visitors and animals,’ The zoo's main entrance is to the west, on the ocean side. The SF Zoo is owned by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, and managed by the San Francisco Zoological Society, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. under a public-private partnership since 1993, receives $4.2 million annually from the city. As of 2016, the zoo housed more than one thousand individual animals, representing more than 250 species. It is noted as the birthplace of Koko the gorilla, and, from 1974 to 2016, the home of Elly, the oldest black rhinoceros in North America.

Will Durst is an American political satirist. He has been likened to Mort Sahl and Will Rogers.

Warren Thomas was an American comedian. His greatest fame came during the late 1980s and early 1990s when he was a major figure in the San Francisco comedy scene and began appearing on HBO comedy specials. He had the nick name 'Warranty'. He won the San Francisco International Comedy Competition in 1987. Thomas was cited as the funniest comedian alive by Greg Proops. Because of its speed, rhythm and flow, his comedy was often compared to jazz music. Warren mentored Jamie Foxx and worked with Dave Chappelle. His television appearances included Comedy Central's Comics Come Home special, The Dennis Miller Show, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Premium Blend. He was a writer on In Living Color and Air America Radio, and he was a frequent guest on Rocky Sullivan's "Satire for Sanity" show. He also was working on a project with Jamie Foxx.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punch Line San Francisco</span> Comedy club in San Francisco

Punch Line San Francisco is a comedy club located at 444 Battery St in San Francisco's Financial District. It has a sister club in Sacramento, California, and is also associated with Cobb's Comedy Club, now in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. It is San Francisco's oldest running comedy club.

The club was originally a restaurant during the day and the backstage hangout for The Old Waldorf nightclub next door at night.

Larry "Bubbles" Brown is a San Francisco based, deadpan, self-deprecating comedian and actor. He is a regular at the San Francisco Punch Line, Rooster T. Feathers, and The Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley. His debut album, "It's Gotta Get Better", was released on March 3, 2020, by You Lucky Dog Productions and FastLayne Comedy; exactly 39 years after his first open mic set at the Holy City Zoo.

The Boarding House was a music and comedy nightclub, located at 960 Bush Street in San Francisco, California, opened by David Allen in 1971 and closed in the early 1980s. Many comedians launched their career at The Boarding House including Robin Williams. Steve Martin's first three albums were recorded there, Let's Get Small, A Wild and Crazy Guy, and Comedy Is Not Pretty!, in whole or in part. Ellen DeGeneres and Jay Leno have said they first met at The Boarding House.

Bob Ayres is an American entertainment industry executive, known among other things as the Founder of the former San Francisco comedy club The Other Café, and for his involvement in San Francisco Bay Area projects such as The Other Cafe Comedy Showcase, The TED conference, "The Next Twenty Years series", and Comedic Ventures. Bob is now the Licensee/Executive Producer of TEDxMarin, one of the longest running TEDx's in the country.

The Purple Onion was a celebrated cellar club in the North Beach area of San Francisco, California, located at 140 Columbus Avenue. With an intimate, 80-person setting, the club was a popular influence in local music and entertainment during the Beat era of the 1950s and 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Marsh</span> American theater company in San Francisco, California

The Marsh Theater is an American theater company that specializes in developing new performance, founded in 1989. It has two venue locations, at 1062 Valencia Street in the Mission District of San Francisco, California; and 2120 Allston Way in Berkeley, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobb's Comedy Club</span> Comedy venue in San Francisco

Cobb's Comedy Club is a stand-up comedy venue in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. It was founded in 1982, and has had many top comedians on its stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moshe Kasher</span> American comedian and writer (born 1979)

Mark Moshe Kasher is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor based in the Los Angeles area. He is the author of the 2012 memoir Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16. In 2009, iTunes named Kasher "Best New Comic" and his comedy album Everyone You Know Is Going to Die, and Then You Are! was ranked one of the top 20 comedy albums on iTunes that same year. He was also named "Comic to Watch in 2010" by Punchline Magazine.

Carrie Snow is an American stand-up comedian, writer, author, and host from Merced, California. She is best known for writing for the television series Roseanne, and acting on the show. Snow was also featured in the documentaries The Aristocrats and Wisecracks.

Daniel James Dion is an American photographer and comedy producer. He is best known for his location portraiture of comedians, and was the house photographer of the legendary San Francisco venue The Fillmore for twenty years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco City FC</span> Soccer club

San Francisco City Football Club (SFCFC) is a supporter-owned soccer club in San Francisco, California, that competes in USL League Two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Utah (San Francisco, California)</span> Historic building in San Francisco

The Hotel Utah is a historic mixed-use building known as a saloon bar, live music venue, and residential hotel, built in 1908 and located in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It is known for its diverse open mic nights, which have historically attracted some people who have later become famous. It is also known as The Utah Inn, The Hotel Utah Saloon, and simply The Utah.

References

  1. ↑ "S.F. arts that escaped quake now pay price at box office". The Milwaukee Journal . January 28, 1990. Retrieved April 18, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ Kathy McKay, "Rebirth of S.F. Comedy at the Zoo", Los Angeles Times , January 22, 1978 (pay site).
  3. 1 2 3 4 Whiting, Sam. "January 18, 1996". sfgate.com. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Article: Get-Ahead Tips for Speakers, Comedians, Humorists". Archived from the original on 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
  5. ↑ "John Cantu -- passionate voice for comics in S.F." 14 May 2003.
  6. ↑ Echavaria, Vince (12 August 2014). "San Francisco had close ties to career of Robin Williams". The San Francisco Examiner.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (August 12, 2014). "Robin Williams: 'Comedy Cyclone' Burst Out of 1970s L.A. Club Scene". variety.com. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  8. ↑ Sam Whiting, "Will Durst runs twice as fast in place", San Francisco Chronicle , November 26, 2012.
  9. ↑ Peter Hartlaub, "SF comedy legends: From Bobcat to the Holy City Zoo", SFGate.com , October 13, 2011.
  10. ↑ The Deborah Durst, Will Durst, George Forrester and Gilda Forrester Partnership owns the U.S. trademark registration for HOLY CITY ZOO. U.S. Trademark reg. no. 1,948,950, January 16, 1996. Accessed December 6, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Olympic basketball finals live tonight". The Item . September 29, 1988. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  12. ↑ Winn, Steven (June 8, 2006). "AIDS at 25". sfgate. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Sylvan Productions – Just another WordPress site". www.sylvanproductions.com.
  14. ↑ "Log In or Sign Up to View". www.facebook.com.
  15. ↑ "Body failing and mind on fire, The Amazing Johnathan reflects on his gloriously unhinged legacy". lasvegasweekly.com. January 15, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  16. ↑ "Open mike:Stand up comedians live for the thrill". sfgate.com. March 2, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  17. ↑ Thompson, Ruth (July 25, 1981). "Rafferty's success is the 'Real' thing". The Telegraph (Nashua) . Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  18. ↑ Gordon Downs, "Dead Unicorns and Jerry Seinfeld: 15 Questions with Bobby Slayton" Archived 2019-11-03 at the Wayback Machine , SanDiego.com, June 7, 2011. (Describing his first stand-up after moving to San Francisco: "It was the Holy City Zoo. That was a pretty legendary little club.")
  19. ↑ Murdoch, Mary Ann (March 13, 1988). "Snow on the beach". Ocala Star-Banner . Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  20. ↑ Jones, Vanessa E. (February 23, 2004). "Aisha Tyler travels 'different' road". Boston Globe . Retrieved April 18, 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  21. ↑ https://www.goodtimes.sc/take-my-aarp-card-please/ [ bare URL ]
  22. ↑ https://youtube.com/KAxklsHPWnk [ bare URL ]
  23. ↑ https://youtube.com/KAxklsHPWnk [ bare URL ]

37°47′00″N122°27′50″W / 37.78321°N 122.46384°W / 37.78321; -122.46384

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.