Most comedy clubs in L.A. can book a lineup on any given night, but it’s the special venues that know how to treat comedians properly when they walk in the door. For Katie Cazorla, that starts with giving them respect.
“Comics should never have to pay for drinks when they’re performing,” Cazorla says. “If you perform and you get a tab, that’s bull—. You just provided the entertainment.”
Since 1999, Cazorla’s life in L.A. has included living out of her car, starring in a pair of reality series — “Nail Files” and “Second Wives Club” — being involved in animal rescue and becoming a Hollywood restaurateur, a Studio City wellness owner and a multi-hyphenate comic-writer-live producer. As owner of the new Kookaburra Lounge comedy venue, Cazorla is intent on maximizing comfort — of performers and audience members — above exorbitant club cover charges.
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” guest knew she wasn’t alone in her frustrations with traditional venues. Cazorla recalls one day posting a question on on Instagram, “’What are the top one or two things you cannot stand about comedy clubs?’ People were DM-ing me diaries’ worth of their experiences.”
The Kookaburra Lounge in Hollywood on April 18, 2024.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Kookaburra is opening May 2 at the Ovation Hollywood complex as part of the Netflix Is a Joke festival, and its owner aims to go beyond eliminating mandatory purchases for guests. Cazorla highlights a zero-tolerance policy for recording or disturbances, plus fair door splits for talent, reasonable drink prices, pro-female vendors and a diverse, female-friendly staff. Healthful food options mean nothing artificial; everything will be fresh-pressed, organic, vegan-ish and gluten free . Quiet finger food will eliminate silverware. Parking will be $3 with validation. (And talent valet will be comped).
Promises Cazorla, “Someone’s not laughing and breathing on you. You’re not hearing people eat tortilla chips in your face. There’s no clanking forks and knives. Your focus should be about the performance.”
Cazorla’s 2015 return to live comedy included producing “Funny Period” an all-female late-night show on Mondays at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. Post-COVID, her late-night “Wild Wednesdays” show at the Laugh Factory expanded its audience weekly. After she was left off the venue’s “Women of the Laugh Factory” show during 2022’s inaugural Netflix Is a Joke festival, “I was so disheartened and disappointed,” Cazorla says. “Now, this year my whole club is involved. And I get to bring ‘Wild Wednesdays’ back with a vengeance.”
Katie Cazorla is photographed at the Kookaburra Lounge in Hollywood on April 18, 2024.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Kookaburra’s festival lineup will also include well-known comedy shows “Long Time No See,” “Watch What Crappens,” “Late for Work,” plus sets from Rich Vos with Bonnie McFarlane, Christopher Titus, Ahmed Ahmed, Orny Adams, Luke Null, Adam Carolla, Murray Hill, Tony Woods, Mike Young and Leah Rudick.
The sale kicked off a three-year, $100-million transformation of Hollywood & Highland center into the Ovation — through which a million visitors pass monthly.
Cazorla found her fourth-floor space — the former site of the Grill on Hollywood — through LoopNet and met with the leasing agent. There was a catch, however: She had to present a sample show. The Hollywood Roosevelt lineup included Craig Robinson, Jack Assadourian Jr., Jonathan Kite and Jeff Dye. Cazorla bested L.A. night club Crazy Girls for the space.
Art Deco touches inform outdoor marquees, globed chandeliers, and vintage Audubon wallpaper is glinting with pink birds. Inside the main venue, which can seat nearly 200, are plush teal chairs, backed stools, two booths and three VIP couches, each sporting intimate tables and clean sight-lines.
Business consultant Eric Anderson, the veteran management expert known industry wide for working with the Comedy Store, Joe Rogan’s Comedy Mothership in Austin, Texas, and Dave Chappelle’s upcoming venue in Yellow Springs, Ohio, supplied a solid business plan and, according to Cazorla, “all the hard, nerdy stuff that will ensure the club is going to make money.”
The Kookaburra Lounge in Hollywood on April 18, 2024.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Old Hollywood’s glamorous nightclub era reemerges with an oversize rounded stage, an electric Roland baby grand piano and lighted birds flanking each side of the stage. Jazz trios will accompany show exits; audience members will be encouraged to relax around the horseshoe bar until last call.
Traditional comedy spots might hire door guys, bartenders or servers who also seek stage time. Kookaburra staff members will be no-performing service professionals. Cazorla says, “It’s in the handbook: You cannot solicit to the comics. You cannot take photos with them. You cannot give them your number.”
In contrast to Laugh Factory nights when Cazorla says her microphone didn’t even work properly, things will be different at her venue. Her husband, Walter Afanasieff, a record producer of such songs as “My Heart Will Go On” and writer of Mariah Carey’s holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” oversaw the design of Kookaburra’s JBL-Harman setup. Lighting and sound alone claimed a fifth of the $1-million budget, Cazorla said.
In addition to the comedy shows, Cazorla is planning all-age variety matinees and Sunday jazz nights. A new, 50-seat daytime patio dining area with a kitchen that provides cafe fare.
A second custom Kookaburra space nods to Prohibition-era speakeasies. Via a very real storage closet, a hidden door holding cleaning products slides open to a comics-only green room and bar. Inside, performers will find soundproof walls, one-way glass, a lineup countdown clock, an ADA-compliant mobility lift and colorful-hued pieces from artist Kii Arens. Flashing Kookaburra’s special bird-shaped key chain at the secure back door anytime during business hours will grant regular performers entry plus half-price drinks.
“And it’s safe to leave your purse, instead of having to take it onstage with you,” Cazorla promises.
The Kookaburra Lounge in Hollywood on April 18, 2024.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Future plans include a crossover with Playboy’s Rare Hare whiskey to revive the club night “Playboy After Dark,” and marketing collaborations with Starline Tours, a double-decker tour bus company next to the club.
Until then, Cazorla is preparing for its first official shows starting May 2, including Christopher Titus, Ahmed Ahmed & Friends, “Watch What Crappens,” Orny Adams and more in conjunction with the Netflix Is a Joke festival, which is set for May 1-12 at venues all over L.A.
And, after a long wait from the city, Kookaburra’s doors are finally ready to open. Nearing the finish line, Cazorla remains unfazed. Given the obstacles already overcome to start her new club, opening in time for a massive festival is just another item on the list to tackle. Oh, and there’s that last-minute reality docuseries that will be filming the club-opening process. “Anybody thinks they can just move out here and do comedy, or they’re funny and a big fish in their hometown, then they move out here, and it’s like a reality check. This really spotlights the truth and shows how hard it is,” Cazorla says with a shrug. “And that’s it. Everything else has already been thought of.”