Famous comedians often “pop-in” to comedy clubs to do short sets when they are either working on new material or preparing for a big show. This is one of the great aspects of going to see live comedy. At any point, the greats like Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Dave Chappelle, Sarah Silverman, or Jim Gaffigan could show up and you had no idea they were going to be there. It’s exciting.
Often times, these comedians tell the club before hand that they will be coming in but they do not want to be “billed”. Meaning they don’t want anyone to know they are coming. As a fan, this is frustrating because who wouldn’t want to see Chris Rock in an intimate setting with only 200 people. You feel like you missed out if you didn’t go. It also seems counter intuitive for the clubs business. If they announce Chris Rock is in a line-up, they would be sold out in a heart beat.
I had trouble understanding this concept somewhat, but more so the “suprise guest” concept that is often used. Just tell us who is going to be there. I don’t want to pay for a surprise. If it’s a surprise…just don’t say anything.
Luckily, Doug Benson gave me a clear explanation on all of this…via Twitter…because his shows this weekend at the Improv have several unbilled, “suprise guests” that he, nor the Improv can speak of…and comedy nerds like me keep asking. Doug said that comedians don’t want to be billed because they are working on new material and don’t want the pressure of having people pay specifically to see them bring their A game. They don’t want people to be disappointed, if they get material that is still being “worked out”. Additionally, if someone goes to that show and is disappointed, it affects the comedian’s future box office returns when they headline their own show…word of mouth is powerful.
That makes sense to me. Essentially, comedians are dealing with what we all are dealing with in life…maintaining expectations. It’s possibly the single most import aspect of success or failure….at anything.
Maybe one day comedy goers at the clubs will appreciate the process of crafting a joke and creating new material, so they can understand how this whole thing works. Until then, I get the unbilled comedian now. “Suprise guest” still kind of pisses me off though. It creates an expectation. Seems somewhat ironic to me.
Anyway…go see Doug Benson at the Improv this weekend. He’s great. Don’t expect any surprise guests. If someone does come…then it’s just gravy. Just trying to maintain your expectations.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
“surprise guest” is stupid. Just a dumb way to sell tickets. I feel the same way as you – I wouldn’t pay for the surprise. And what if you’re not a fan of that surprise to begin with? then, you’re pissed even more.
But I think, too, with the unbilling of comics there are some cases where let’s say Chris Rock is performing at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. He is under contract. He still needs to put up his stuff somewhere to work it out. So he goes into the Improv to work on this new material without billing himself so the booker at the Kodak doesn’t sue him. Because who wouldn’t rather pay to see Rock at the Improv?
But I think those are rare cases.
Also, many comics flake, so clubs get fearful about adding them to the bill. It’s still lame though; the clubs should either not book them or announce them at the show. All this lends support to the idea of having good shows, and let the show’s reputation attract crowds (i.e. Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge, Jay Davis Comedy, Comedy Juice).