About Us:
Al Martin’s name is synonymous with comedy in New York City, and is responsible for launching the careers of many top comedians working today. Martin’s first venture in the comedy club business was in 1988 when he established the New York Comedy Club out of a need to help and showcase talented comedians. An accomplished comedian himself, Al was a National Headliner with numerous television credits such as The Joan Rivers Show, Geraldo and Evening At The Improv. Al was always more than just a comedian; he was an activist for the comedy community serving as Vice President of the Professional Comedians Association, and was instrumental in the organization dedicated to bringing health insurance and improving working conditions for comics. Although performing was a love for Martin he found his niche as a comedy club owner. He soon found himself helping his fellow comedians that he had once worked beside. Sarah Silverman, Lisa Lampanelli, Brett Butler, Tracy Morgan and Wanda Sykes are just a few comedians who have graced his stages over the years. New York Comedy Club became the first comedy club with two showrooms in 1997. Al was one of the first club owners to embrace diversity in the comedy world by establishing the first Latino Comedy Night at New York Comedy Club. He’s also facilitated and welcomed to his stage shows featuring gay, urban and Asian communities. In 2000 Martin opened New York Comedy Club in Boca Raton, which he ran successfully until late 2006. With the success of two clubs Al decided to expand his brand and in 2003 opened Broadway Comedy Club, located in the heart of Times Square. Martin again took a risk in opening Broadway Comedy, the only bi- level entertainment complex with three showrooms in NYC, serving over 600 comedy lovers from around the world nightly. In 2005 he partnered with Barry Katz, executive producer of NBC’s Last Comic Standing to run Boston Comedy Club, giving Martin the bragging rights to being the first person to run three comedy clubs in New York City. In the Summer of 2012 Martin expanded his comedy ventures into Greenwich Village, in New York City with the opening of Greenwich Village Comedy Club, from day one the club has been filled every night with a lively downtown crowd and top comedians making them laugh! Martin’s clubs attract comedy fans from around the world including some of the biggest celebrities from Jay-Z & Beyonce, Andre Aggasi, Jimmy Fallon, Montel Williams, and Harry Connick Jr. On stage or behind the scenes, Al Martin will go down in history as the King of New York Comedy. Martin is a brilliant thinker and innovator of his time, and has made New York City the World’s Capital of Comedy.
