Laughter hours: Plaza’s Comedy Zone keeps stand-ups busy

Friday, July 15, 2005 | 8:38 a.m.

One doesn't think of Charlotte, N.C., as the Comedy Capital of the World it's better known for native son the Rev. Billy Graham and Graham's Evangelical Association.

But it is also headquarters for Heffron Talent International, one of the world's largest suppliers of comedians, if not the largest.

The agency has a roster of some 3,000 comics, routinely providing steady gigs for more than 600 stand-ups.

Heffron has divisions within its organization, providing comedians for Black Comedy Jam, Corporate Comedy, Comedy Concerts, College Comedy and Any Occasion Comedy.

And it is the humor behind more than 50 Comedy Zones, most of them in the Southeast. Several are in the Northeast. One is in the Bahamas.

Heffron is associated with only three clubs west of the Mississippi one each in Little Rock, Ark., Lafayette, La., and Las Vegas.

Most of the Comedy Zones are franchises owned by others who rely on Heffron to supply comedians from its bottomless well of entertainers.

"We're the McDonald's of comedy," quipped head booking agent Joel Pace, who has worked with Heffron for 15 years.

When someone receives a license to use the Comedy Zone name, Heffron helps the business get started and offers advice along the way.

"We're a full-service agency," Pace said. "We teach them how to be a comedy club. We hold their hand the whole way. We come out and train the people. Our advertising experts will help."

Hefforn owns seven clubs outright, one of them at the Plaza in Vegas.

The Vegas Comedy Zone opened in 2002, shortly before the Plaza was bought by Barrick Gaming. At first it was in the casino's showroom on the first floor, but the room was too large and had to be shared with others, so Heffron leased space on the third floor and converted into into an intimate club that isn't used by anyone else.

Heffron Talent has been around for more than 25 years. The agency, created by Brian Heffron, founded the Comedy Zone in 1984.

Comedy clubs were in their heyday, doing a booming business in large population centers but suffering in smaller cities that couldn't support the more traditional clubs where comedians performed for a week or more at a time.

By creating Comedy Zone affiliates throughout the region it was able to develop a circuit for its roster of comedians who could drive from club to club within a few hours and stay as long as the market would bear.

And the comedians are among the top talent in the country.

"The small venues just open up and let anyone get onstage," Pace said. "The clubs never succeed.

"But with us, because we are so large, we have buying power and are able to get the best talent each week, which is very important to be consistent and have the best show show every week."

Among the comics who have been booked over the years by Heffron at Comedy Zones are Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, Rosie O'Donnell and Rita Rudner.

"Almost every major headliner has worked for us at one time or another," Pace said.

Not all of them are all that well known, but Pace says they try to get names who have appeared on such shows as HBO's Showtime or Comedy Central.

"You may not recognize the names immediately, but when you go home and see them on TV, then you remember," Pace said.

At the Plaza's Comedy Zone last week the headliner was Mark Anthony (not the singer, who spells his name Marc). This week it is L.A. Hardy. Next week it will be Janet Williams and then Azeem.

Typically, the Heffron comedians spend a week at a venue, performing at 8 p.m. nightly. Admission is $21.95.

Dynamic duo

Vegas has two resident entertainers who perform shows at the Zone in the afternoon -- sleight-of-hand artist Collin Foster and impressionist Larry Jones.

Both have open-ended agreements. Admission to their shows is a one-drink minimum.

Before coming to the Plaza, Foster was at the Westin Casaurina. He has been in Vegas for 18 years, performing corporate events and at such venues as Caesars Palace. He also is a producer.

Jones was at Fitzgeralds for a couple of years, leaving in September 2003 to concentrate on corporate gigs.

He came to the Plaza in October.

"I sent Heffron Talent a tape to see if they could get me some corporate jobs," Jones said. "Four or five months later I followed up and they asked me if I would be interested in doing a show in a Vegas showroom -- I had no idea it was the Comedy Zone."

He jumped at the chance. He can do his act and not have to leave his Vegas home to tour.

Jones says he would like to perform in a ticketed show, rather than in one which has a one-drink minimum admission price, but otherwise he says it is an ideal situation.

"I like downtown," Jones said. "I have a pretty good following here from my years at Fitzgeralds."

Comics wanted

Pace says Heffron is always on the lookout for new talent.

"We go out to comedy contests and other events," he said. "But most will send us a promo package. We will watch the tape and decide what level they are -- whether they could work as an emcee, a featured performer or a headliner."

Some aspiring comics start out as emcees to get the experience of performing in front of an audience.

"They need stage time," Pace said.

The emcee jobs don't pay that well -- the headliners make the most, followed by featured comics.

"A lot of emcees will work a job like selling cars during the day, and then drive to an emcee job at night," Pace said.

Comedy comeback

Comedy clubs around the country are making a comeback.

"Comedy is hot again," Pace said.

He says Heffron Talent has a lot of different styles of comics.

"What we try for is adult humor without the vulgarity," he said.

But the agency doesn't look for anything more specific than that when hiring comedians.

"Funny is funny, no matter what kind of comedy," Pace said. "As long as the comic is able to keep the crowd under control, keep them laughing, you can't say one style is better than any other right now.

"But the best comedians will always rise to the top."