Courtesy of Caroline Hirsch
NEED TO KNOW
Caroline Hirsch opened up Caroline's comedy club in the early '80s
Hirsch now talks to PEOPLE about some of the famous faces who graced the stage at her club before finally closing its doors in 2022
Jay Leno, Paul Reubens, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, and more were among the stars who did stand-up at Caroline's
For more than 40 years, anyone trying to make it as a stand-up comedian in New York graced the stage at Caroline's comedy club— a rite of passage that helped boost the careers of people likeJay Leno,Paul ReubensandJoy Behar, to name a few.
The woman behind the comedy club? Caroline Hirsch, a former fashion buyer for Gimbels department store who decided to open the comedy club in 1981.
"I watched Johnny Carson a lot, went to see George Carlin at 16 years old and was hooked," Hirsch, now in her early 70s, tells PEOPLE of falling in love with comedy. "It opened up a whole new realm for me."
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Long before they were household names, stars such asJerry Seinfeld,Adam Sandler,Colin Quinn,Sandra Bernhard,Garry ShandlingandBilly Crystalwere climbing onto Hirsch's stage — and it wasn't long before fans were lined up around the block to catch their favorite performer, or get a glimpse of the many celebs who always popped in.
"I think it was around 1986, Sam Kinison was headlining the club, and he was good friends withRobin Williams," Hirsch recalls.
"Robin was a real friend of the club," she continues. "Whenever he was in town and needed to do an interview, he'd call and ask if he could do it at the club, or he'd just drop by. One time, he was doing some work across the street and came over in the early evening and stood at the host podium greeting guests. You can imagine their faces when they saw it was Robin Williams who was seating them."
Courtesy of Caroline Hirsch
Hirsch says she often worked with Seinfeld, who was "exactly the same as he is now — exact same humor."
"Now he's just in more expensive suits," she quips.
She also frequently worked with Leno, who would come in from Los Angeles for two-week runs withhis wife, Mavis.
"Jay got the call to audition forThe Tonight Showwhile he was performing at Caroline's," she recalls. "And Billy Crystal — Dick Ebersol from NBC saw him at Caroline's, and then put him onSNL. That was the rebirth of Billy's career."
She didn't just cross paths with comics. For a while, a still unknownIdris Elbaworked as a doorman at Caroline's, and was even on the job when he got the call telling him he'd been cast inThe Wire,Hirsch reveals.
"His whole life exploded after that," she shares.
Bryan Bedder/Getty for New York Comedy Festival/Courtesy of Caroline Hirsch
Plenty of the comics she knew and worked with ended up in showbiz as writers, creating hit shows. "Michael Patrick King was a stand-up, who then became a writer and producer for our showCaroline's Comedy Hour. He, of course, went on to produce and directSex and the City."
She says one of the wildest nights in memory was when Reubens performed as Pee-wee Herman.
"Andy Warhol showed up with a big entourage to see him," she recalls. "It was like, 'Okay, we've made it — the curator of pop culture is at Caroline's.' Next thing you know, Robert Plant is stopping by after headlining at the Meadowlands." She saysPee-Wee's Playhousewas created after an exec caught Reubens onstage at Caroline's.
Courtesy of Caroline Hirsch
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For nearly two decades, she juggled running the comedy club while also handling the annual New York Comedy Festival, which she founded in 2004. In 2022, however, after 40 years, Hirsch decided to close the club's doors.
"My lease was coming up, things were changing in Times Square, and I didn't like what I was seeing," she says. "Plus, the comedy festival was just getting bigger and bigger."
Courtesy of Caroline Hirsch
She says the festival brings her back to the early days at the club.
"I get to work with the emerging talent again, and then I get to work with all the greats who graduated from Caroline's," she says.
She's also a dedicated philanthropist, having co-createdStand Up for Heroes19 years ago, and remains deeply involved in the Scleroderma Research Foundation, a charity connected to her late friend,Bob Saget.
Courtesy of Caroline Hirsch
So, after four decades of shaping comedy, does she ever think about stepping back?
"No," she says without hesitation, noting there are always things in the works, including potential TV shows based on the club.
"I always have ideas," she says. "But timing is everything. I'm usually a little ahead of the curve — and then I wait for everyone else to catch up!"
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