The Jat Leno Comedy and Magic Club, located in Hermosa Beach, California, is a renowned entertainment venue known for its diverse lineup of comedy and magic acts. Named after the legendary comedian Jay Leno, the club has been a favorite destination for comedy lovers since its founding in 1978. The Jat Leno Comedy and Magic Club has gained a reputation for showcasing top-notch talent, attracting both established performers and up-and-coming comedians. The club's stage has seen the likes of well-known names such as Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, and Ellen DeGeneres, among others. This esteemed lineup of performers has helped cement the club's status as a must-visit destination for comedy enthusiasts. In addition to comedy acts, the club also features regular magic shows, creating a diverse experience for visitors.
In addition to comedy acts, the club also features regular magic shows, creating a diverse experience for visitors. The magic performances are often awe-inspiring, captivating audiences with mind-bending illusions and tricks. The combination of comedy and magic creates a unique atmosphere that sets the Jat Leno Comedy and Magic Club apart from other comedy clubs in the area.
A Laughing Matter : Entertainment: ‘Tonight Show’ host Jay Leno tries out new material at a club in Hermosa Beach to stay fresh interacting with a small audience.
With his tape recorder capturing the audience’s every reaction, Jay Leno peered at index cards and reeled off a few of his newest jokes Sunday at The Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach:
Washington Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon says that she wants to bring gambling to the nation’s capital. I think most people would be happy to see them gambling with their own money for a change.
How about the kid who shared the bed with Michael Jackson? Did you see him on the news? He said there was nothing unusual. He said if you don’t believe him, just ask the llama.
AdvertisementA roar, then some groans.
These were potential monologue jokes for this week’s “The Tonight Show.” As he does most Sunday nights, Leno was testing new material before a $15-a-seat audience at the tiny Comedy and Magic Club.
The Monday debut of “Late Show With David Letterman,” Leno’s toughest rival for the late-night talk-show throne, was just 24 hours away. And yet Leno still drove the 15 miles from Beverly Hills to Hermosa Beach in his black 4 x 4 pickup, parked in front of the club, and got on stage before a crowd of 250 patrons.
Such South Bay appearances, Leno says, serve a crucial purpose: to help him stay in tune with Joe Audience Member. That, he says, has become increasingly important as his late-night star has risen.
“These are people you would get in ‘The Tonight Show’ audience,” Leno said just before taking the stage for Sunday’s hourlong show in Hermosa Beach. “The further you get away from the center of Hollywood, the better chance you have of getting a wider range of opinion. It’s not that different, like suddenly I’m doing the act in Spanish. But it’s just that I think you have more real people.”
Sunday’s crowd included a building contractor, a registered nurse, a high school teacher and an aerospace worker, and several audience members became the target of Leno’s jokes. Aiming a jab about layoffs at the aerospace worker, Leno quipped to the Rockwell employee: “So now you can pull right up to the front door when you drive in to work.”
Leno says he seeks out such audiences because they often respond differently to certain jokes than big-city residents. In Hollywood or New York, he points out, “if you said some incredibly mean thing about Michael Jackson regarding the current story, I think people would laugh.”
Advertisement“Those are sarcastic places,” Leno said. “When you get away from those cities and you get out a bit more to where real people are, they might laugh and think it’s real funny, or they might go OOOOOOOhhh. It’s just a little more sense of fair play the farther away you get from urban centers.”
When The Comedy and Magic Club opened in 1978, it was one of only a handful of such clubs across the country. It attracted the likes of Leno, Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld and Michael Keaton. (Letterman’s signature, circa 1978, is on the cinder-block wall of the club’s drab waiting room along with the message: “I love brightly colored walls.”)
Even when he became permanent host of “The Tonight Show,” Leno never had second thoughts about continuing his Sunday night shows.
“I need it more, actually,” he said. “Here, you kind of go through the paper on Sunday and find the things, the subjects over the weekend and see if people know what you are talking about.”
Many of the country’s top comics find that the demands of national acclaim leave them little time to keep frequent dates at nightclubs such as The Comedy and Magic Club. Leno, however, says that too much time away from club audiences can leave a comedian stale.
“When you hang out with people who have done it for 20 years like yourself, you find out that the conversation tends to be toward golf and investments,” Leno said. “The fire isn’t there.
“You come here and you meet young people who would do what you do for free or would kill people just for a chance to do what you do, and you realize, ‘I better stay on the stick here, I can’t afford to take a day off or a night off.’ You’ve got to stay fresh and you’ve got to keep it moving.”
Leno’s appearances have been at least as helpful to The Comedy and Magic Club as they have been to Jay Leno.
Comedy clubs across the country have closed in recent years, in part because of a proliferation of such clubs and of stand-up comedy TV shows, says club co-owner Mike Lacey.
Lacey says his club might be closed by now if it were not for appearances by big-name comedians like Leno, Kevin Nealon of “Saturday Night Live” and Harry Anderson of the upcoming sitcom “Dave’s World.”
Lacey wouldn’t say how much the comedians receive for performing, but added that the pay is “nothing like what they would be paid” at much larger places like Caesars Palace. Thankfully for him, he said, top comedians find his club useful.
“It’s a way of staying current,” Lacey said. “A live audience in a small room gives you that kind of response. The Marx Brothers used to try out every bit (on stage.) Before they did anything on film, each sketch was worked out in clubs. Jay is the same way.”
Lacey says he has resisted turning to raunchy comedy fare, as some other clubs have, to drum up business. That, he fears, would scare away audiences and top comics alike.
Leno, along with comedian Jim Edwards and “Tonight Show” writer Jimmy Brogan, all performed Sunday in Hermosa with none of the vulgarities of shock comics found on the Sunset Strip or Melrose Avenue.
“If you follow three comics that have been doing a gynecologist act, it’s tough to get into talking about your folks,” Leno said. “Here, it will never be X, it might be R once and a while. But never where people go, ‘Oh, geez, what was that?’ ”
Still, some club-goers came for the novelty of seeing the late-night host live and in person, a bit more spontaneous than on TV.
“He doesn’t have to watch what he says as much as on national TV,” said Monica Paluch, 25, an accountant from Hermosa Beach. “He can be free, he’s not going to be sued, he’s not going to be criticized. And his hair’s not straight in place, he kind of flops it around.”
Leno also uses the club to hone his nightclub act, which he performs about 75 times a year in college auditoriums, sports arenas and dinner theaters across the country. The performances allow him to interact more with audience members and do longer, more freewheeling routines. Often, he will fly in Sunday afternoon from a weekend in Las Vegas or on the East Coast and then still make it to the club.
“My wife and I always laugh because it’s a bit like ‘The Danny Thomas Show,’ ” he said. “Tonight, when I come in, I’ll say, ‘Honey, I’m back from the club . . . I’m breaking in a new act.’ It’s the standard joke.”
In reality, he goes home to prepare for a week’s worth of jokes, along with Brogan and other comics who will stop by. The team works until at least 3 a.m., selecting three or four jokes used at The Comedy and Magic Club for “The Tonight Show.” (Many more gags, beyond those told at the club, are written during the night or later in the week).
One gag he tried on Sunday, after he called CNN to confirm the story, concerned the closing of a Sizzler restaurant in Washington state because of a food poisoning outbreak.
Other jabs were a bit more risque.
Big news, Jack Nicholson may star in a movie about the life of J. Edgar Hoover. Boy, you thought he wore a lot of makeup playing the Joker.
Laughs, then a few groans.
If you don’t believe him, just ask the llama.
At the end of his act, Leno said goodby to the audience, left the stage and sped home.
On “The Tonight Show” Monday night, there was no mention of llamas or J. Edgar Hoover. But the studio audience applauded the one about the Sizzler.
Making a Monologue Performing at The Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach on Sunday, Jay Leno tried out new material. Some of the jokes went over so well they made it into his “Tonight Show” monologue on Monday:
(Secretary of the Interior) Bruce Babbitt wants to set aside 6.2 million acres of land in the desert Southwest to protect the desert tortoise. Do tortoises really need 6.2 million acres? I mean . . . it took one all summer just to get across my back yard.
Baseball player Nolan Ryan said he would like to be governor of Texas some day. That would be nice. Come to think of it, we should have a politician grabbing his own crotch for a change.
Up in Washington state, another Sizzler has been shut down because of that e coli bacteria, the one that gives food poisoning. . . . I’m watching this on the news. The health inspector shut down the restaurant, but they show the manager putting a sign on the door that said, ‘Closed, but please visit one of our restaurants nearby.’ Are people really going to drive up and say ‘Oh honey, we got here too late to get poisoned at that Sizzler. Let’s go to one up the street.’ ”
Some other gags in Leno’s routine Sunday got a cool response--and didn’t make the monologue:
(Sheik Omar Abdul Rahman), the blind cleric, has pleaded innocent to charges of terrorism. And his followers have vowed revenge on America. Now doesn’t that undermine your defense, really, when you’re . . . well, apparently not.
The Molson folks are producing ice beer, which is even better because it has ice crystals in it. Why don’t you just put regular beer in the freezer?
Some sad news. The Mets have just released Vince Coleman. They wanted to keep him, but they were afraid he might celebrate.
Sunday’s crowd included a building contractor, a registered nurse, a high school teacher and an aerospace worker, and several audience members became the target of Leno’s jokes. Aiming a jab about layoffs at the aerospace worker, Leno quipped to the Rockwell employee: “So now you can pull right up to the front door when you drive in to work.”
The club's intimate setting and cozy ambiance contribute to its popularity. With a seating capacity of around 300, the club offers an up-close and personal experience for guests. The cozy atmosphere enhances the interaction between performers and the audience, creating a lively and engaging experience. Furthermore, the Jat Leno Comedy and Magic Club has become a prominent venue for comedy specials and television tapings. The club's stage has been featured in popular TV shows, including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson." These appearances have helped increase the club's visibility and attract even more talented performers to its stage. Overall, the Jat Leno Comedy and Magic Club has earned its reputation as a premier entertainment spot. Its history, lineup of performers, and cozy setting make it a favorite among comedy and magic fans alike. Whether you are a long-time comedy enthusiast or simply looking for a fun night out, the Jat Leno Comedy and Magic Club promises an unforgettable experience filled with laughter, entertainment, and wonder..
Reviews for "The Comedy Magic of Jat Leno: An Evening of Entertainment at the Club"
1. Sarah - 2 stars
I had high expectations for "Jat Leno Comedy and Magic Club," but unfortunately, I was left disappointed. The comedians did not live up to the hype, and their jokes fell flat. The magic tricks were predictable and lacked creativity. On top of that, the service was subpar, with rude staff members who seemed uninterested in providing a pleasant experience. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this club to anyone looking for a night of quality comedy and magic.
2. Mike - 1 star
I had the misfortune of attending a show at "Jat Leno Comedy and Magic Club," and it was the worst comedy club experience I've ever had. The comedians were not funny at all, and their jokes were offensive and crass. The magic acts were unimpressive and seemed outdated. The atmosphere was uncomfortable, with uncomfortable seating and poor ventilation. I would strongly advise against wasting your time and money on this club.
3. Jessica - 2 stars
The "Jat Leno Comedy and Magic Club" did not live up to my expectations. The comedians were unoriginal and relied too heavily on tired stereotypes for their material. The magic acts were underwhelming, lacking any real sense of wonder. The club itself was crowded, making it difficult to enjoy the show. Overall, I was disappointed with the lackluster performances and wouldn't choose to return to this club for future entertainment.