Olympia Development announced today that the new Detroit House of Comedy will open this summer in the City Theatre space inside Hockeytown Café in The District Detroit.
Once home to an outpost of the noted Second City franchise, the venue at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Montcalm Street will be Detroit’s only permanent comedy club.
The Detroit House of Comedy will be run by co-owners John Tobin and Rick Bronson and will host stand-up, improv, and podcasts from established local, regional, and national headliners, as well as up-and-comers with a focus on supporting comedians from Detroit and throughout Michigan.
“I’ve had a long-time affection for Detroit and a deep respect for its people,” Tobin says. “We are really looking forward to providing top-quality and wide-ranging entertainment for hard-working Detroiters and the city’s many visitors.
“Stand-up comedy and its many off shoots bring joy and laughter to people by looking at life through diverse voices with different points of view. Comedians are always challenging the status quo and the absurd, and we feel that people, particularly today, are really looking for that kind of entertainment.”
The Detroit House of Comedy is patterned after Laugh Boston, which rose to the forefront of the Boston comedy scene in recent years and the Plano House of Comedy in Texas. In addition to Laugh Boston, Tobin owns Nick’s Comedy Stop and a production company, John Tobin Presents. Bronson owns multiple House of Comedy locations in the U.S. and Canada. The two have more than 60 years of comedy and entertainment experience.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Detroit House of Comedy and their premier brand of entertainment to The District Detroit,” says Stefan Stration, vice president of development at Olympia Development. “We know there is a huge market need for comedy in the city, and their highly interactive format combined with a roster of national headliners creates an ongoing must-see experience.”
The 300-seat Detroit House of Comedy is expected to host multiple shows per week.
