New York has long been an epicenter of standup comedy; Woody Allen, Joan Rivers, and George Carlin got their starts here, and countless comic legends have followed. But in 2017, when a spot on a late-night show or a turn at the Comedy Cellar no longer holds the promise of success, the many little fish of the New York standup world swim toward the Creek and the Cave, a digitally savvy and sprawling comedy complex that sits at the lip of Queens. It includes a Mexican restaurant at street level, which has churro ice-cream sandwiches and an abundance of beers on tap; a bare-bones theatre accessed under a bright marquee; and a basementlevel bar flanked by pinball machines, where comics rehearse their acts in lieu of conversation. On most Wednesdays,…
You're reading a preview of
The New Yorker (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 30, 2017