Category Archives: Los Angeles

Why Do Talent Bookers Organize Showcases?

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Hey Dave – You’ve talked about showcasing in the last few newsletters. What’s the motivation for a talent booker to organize these showcases? What’s the benefit to the booker and the club? — MB

Hey MB – The simple answer is this: showcases exist to find talent.

Whether it’s a comedy club talent booker, casting director, television producer, event planner, or speaker bureau, they all have the same goal – to see performers in action before hiring them.

Yes, they watch videos. Everyone does.

But if you’re in a major entertainment market like Los Angeles or New York, there are far more opportunities to watch performers live. And live tells you things that a video never can.

Think about your favorite band. Watching them on YouTube is one experience. Seeing them perform in concert is something completely different. The same is true for comedians and speakers.

What Talent Bookers Are Really Looking For

When I worked for The Improv in Los Angeles and New York, I regularly received calls from casting directors looking for very specific performers. Sometimes it was for a sitcom, movie, documentary, commercial, or a one-time appearance on a late-night television show.

One of the most competitive showcases we hosted was for The Tonight Show.

The producers weren’t simply looking for funny comedians. They were looking for comics who were funny and experienced enough to handle the pressure of national television. They wanted performers who could walk on stage, deliver under the lights, and not freeze in front of the cameras.

If you had only five minutes of material and were hoping to hit the lottery, this wasn’t your audition.

Why Three Minutes Is Enough

Rather than spending weeks reviewing hundreds of submissions, producers could schedule one showcase and watch a carefully selected group of comedians perform live.

Most comics were given about three minutes.

That may sound short, but experienced talent bookers can learn a tremendous amount in three minutes. They can evaluate stage presence, confidence, originality, audience connection, professionalism, and, of course, whether the performer consistently gets laughs.

I used the same system as Talent Coordinator for A&E’s An Evening at the Improv.

After reviewing stacks of audition videos, I’d invite about ten comedians to perform at a Monday night showcase. Each comic did three minutes, so the entire showcase lasted only about half an hour.

There was never a quota for how many comics we’d book.

One week we might discover four or five performers ready for television. The following week, none.

That’s simply the nature of scouting talent.

A Real-World Example

One evening at the New York Improv, I received a call from The Today Show.

It was an election year, and the producers wanted a comedian who performed political material.

Instead of launching a nationwide search, I contacted ten comedians from our roster who specialized in political comedy and scheduled a showcase.

Each comic performed three minutes.

The producers came to the club, watched everyone in one evening, and selected the performer they wanted.

It saved them from reviewing hundreds of videos and scheduling countless auditions. They made one trip, saw everyone under identical conditions, and left with exactly what they needed.

That’s the real value of a showcase.

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Why Agents and Managers Love Showcases

Showcases aren’t just organized by talent bookers.

Agents and managers often book showcase time at clubs like The Improv and fill the lineup with comedians from their own roster.

Then they invite casting directors, producers, network executives, talent buyers—and in the case of managers, talent agents they hope will represent their clients.

Yes, organizing these events takes work.

But it’s far more efficient than emailing promotional packages, making dozens of phone calls, and trying to schedule individual meetings.

Everyone who matters is in the same room at the same time.

A successful showcase becomes part audition, part networking event, and part business meeting.

What’s the Benefit for the Club?

Hosting industry showcases brings prestige – and business.

Imagine owning a comedy club that’s regularly visited by producers from major television shows, film studios, streaming platforms, and talent agencies.

Where do ambitious comedians want to perform?

That club.

And when the best comedians want your stage, audiences follow.

That’s why clubs compete just as hard to host industry showcases as comedians compete to perform in them.

Showcases Aren’t Just for Comedians

The same principle applies to humorous speakers.

When I worked as an agent booking college entertainment through the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA), showcases were the primary way speakers and comedians landed college bookings.

At regional NACA conferences, colleges sent student activities representatives to watch live showcases over several days.

Comedians, motivational speakers, musicians, hypnotists, and other entertainers each performed approximately twenty-minute sets.

After seeing them live, the student delegates selected who they wanted to bring to their campuses during the upcoming school year.

If you wanted college bookings, you had to be seen.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re pursuing comedy clubs, television, corporate events, or speaking engagements, showcases remain one of the most efficient ways for buyers to discover talent.

For talent bookers, it’s an organized way to evaluate performers.

For clubs, it’s an opportunity to build reputation and attract top acts.

And for comedians and speakers, it’s a chance to perform in front of the people who can actually hire you.

When you’re ready, there are few opportunities more valuable than getting on the right showcase stage.

Thanks for reading and as always – keep laughing!!

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Why Three Minutes Is More Than Enough

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Hey Dave – You’ve written about how important it is to stay within the amount of time you’ve been given on stage. My question is: Why are showcases so short? In most cases, I don’t think you have enough time to prove how good you really are. – S.K.

Hey S.K. – First, for anyone new to comedy or professional speaking, a showcase is simply another word for an audition.

A successful showcase can lead to paid work, television appearances, club bookings, corporate gigs, or even representation from an agent or manager.

Why do we call it a showcase instead of an audition? I’m not sure. Maybe it sounds more professional and less intimidating. Either way, the goal is the same: someone is deciding whether or not to hire you.

I’ve been involved in showcases for comedy clubs, television shows, corporate events, and college programs. Here’s a behind-the-scenes truth about the business:

The people doing the hiring want to make the best use of their time.

Talent bookers, agents, managers, and event planners don’t want to spend an entire evening watching one performer. It makes far more sense to watch several performers in a single session.

They also don’t want to sit through 10-, 20-, or 30-minute sets when they already know within the first few minutes that a performer isn’t what they’re looking for.

That’s why showcases feature multiple acts doing short sets.

For example, when I was auditioning comedians for A&E’s An Evening at the Improv, I scheduled showcases on Monday nights at The Improv in Los Angeles. We’d see ten comedians perform three-minute sets in about 35 minutes. The extra time was built in for introductions and transitions.

If everyone respected the clock, Mission Showcase was accomplished.

In just over half an hour, ten comedians had an opportunity to book a television appearance.

And it wasn’t just me in the room.

Talent scouts from The Tonight Show, HBO, MTV, and other networks knew these Monday-night showcases were happening. Everyone could evaluate a lot of talent in a short amount of time.

Of course, some comedians complained that three minutes wasn’t enough time to show what they could do.

They were wrong.

Three minutes is plenty of time for an experienced talent booker to know whether a performer is ready.

If you couldn’t convince me within three minutes that you belonged on An Evening at the Improv, then you weren’t ready for that particular show.

The same was true for the other bookers in the room.

Think about it: If a comedian can’t hold attention for three minutes during a showcase, why would a television producer trust that comic with three minutes of airtime?

Even if the performer somehow became hilarious in minute six, television viewers would already be changing channels.

The same principle applies to shows like America’s Got Talent, American Idol, and The Voice. Before contestants ever appear on television, thousands audition in front of producers and judges for only a few minutes—or sometimes less.

If they don’t make an impression quickly, they don’t move on.

The lesson?

Bring your A-game immediately.

A showcase isn’t the place to ease into your act and “warm up.” You don’t have time. Start strong and make every second count.

It’s also your opportunity to demonstrate professionalism.

When you respect your time limit, you’re showing industry people that you understand schedules, production needs, and the realities of the business. You’re proving that you’ll be easy to work with.

And there’s another reason time limits matter:

Your fellow performers.

Whether a showcase is held in front of a live audience or just a panel of judges, people can only absorb so many short performances before fatigue sets in.

That’s why showcases are designed to move quickly.

Sure, someone like Dave Chappelle can perform for two hours and leave audiences wanting more. He’s earned that ability through decades of experience and a mountain of material.

But if you’re already operating at Dave Chappelle’s level, you probably aren’t showcasing.

One way showcases stay fair is by preventing judges and audiences from becoming burned out before the later performers take the stage.

And that brings me to a story.

In my comedy workshops, ten aspiring comedians perform five-minute sets during our graduation show. That’s 50 minutes of comedy, plus an emcee opening the show and introducing each performer.

The audience begins the evening fresh and excited. By keeping the sets short and focused, energy stays high throughout the night.

A few years ago, the first comedian in the lineup had a strong five-minute set. We had worked hard on it together, and he was prepared.

The problem?

He never looked up.

I was in the back of the room, ready to signal when his time was almost up. But he kept staring at the front tables and never once looked toward the sound booth.

His five minutes ended.

And he kept talking.

The prepared material ran out. Then came the rambling.

Suddenly, the audience wasn’t laughing anymore.

People started looking at menus, chatting among themselves, and ordering drinks. They mentally checked out.

By the time he finally left the stage, the comedian who followed him had to work twice as hard just to regain the audience’s attention.

The damage had been done.

After the show, he came over and asked how he did.

The truth?

“You did ten freaking minutes.”

Okay, maybe I said it with a little more diplomacy than that (not really – I never use the word “freaking”).

But I explained how going long had affected the entire show—not just him, but every performer who followed.

The irony was that his first five minutes were excellent.

The extra five minutes erased much of the goodwill he had earned.

Fortunately, he learned the lesson. He’s still performing today, and talent bookers continue to hire him.

Which brings us back to your original question.

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Why are showcases so short?

Because experienced talent buyers don’t need a lot of time to evaluate talent. They’re looking for professionalism, stage presence, confidence, originality, and the ability to connect with an audience.

A strong performer can demonstrate all of that very quickly.

So whether you’re doing a showcase, audition, open mic, or paid gig, remember this:

Respect the clock.

Time on stage can be your greatest ally—or a ticking time bomb.

And as every comedian knows, nobody likes to bomb.

Thanks for reading and as always – keep laughing!!

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Getting Past Gatekeepers

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Hi Dave – No, I’m not a comic. However, I’m a WGA screenwriter with a total focus on comedy screenplays. Can you tell me how to contact comedians’ agents about casting specific roles without running into blockades? I mean the blockades typically set up by the gatekeepers of those agents. Best – HK

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Hey HK – The bigger the comedians (think celebrity) they represent, the bigger the agency blockade will be. When you make a call without prior personal contact or a great reference, plan some extra time on the phone for holding, transfers and a final request to leave a voice message and “Someone will get back with you.”

Does anyone really know who that “someone” is? I doubt it because they rarely call back without prior contact or reference. And unless you left a voice message with a great pitch (offer) that includes the opportunity for a lot of potential $$$’s (yeah, I’m jaded) you’ll spend a long time looking at your phone waiting for that return call.

Cold calling agents is usually a losing game.

That’s not cynicism. That’s how the business works.

But there is a reliable path forward — and it’s the same one that comedians use to get booked, discovered, and cast:

Be seen. Be present. Be part of the scene.

Come on in!

When I worked as a talent coordinator at the Improv clubs in Los Angeles and New York, I watched industry relationships form every night. Comics performed. Agents, managers, producers, and writers watched. After the show, everyone gathered, talked, and connected. Opportunities didn’t come from cold outreach — they came from proximity and familiarity.

Producers frequently contacted the clubs looking for specific “types” for TV and film roles. That’s why you sometimes see several comedians with similar looks or personas performing short sets in a row. They’re not just performing — they’re showcasing.

And once someone is seen in the right context, access changes instantly. Conversations happen. Meetings follow. Gatekeepers step aside.

Here’s the practical takeaway for writers looking to cast comedians:

Don’t start with the agent. Start with the comedian.

Go to the clubs. Watch performers live. Identify who truly fits your project — not just who’s famous. Introduce yourself professionally after the show. Be respectful. Be clear. Be human.

If a comedian is interested, they can open the door to their agent with one phone call. That personal connection does more than any cold pitch ever will.

Is networking easy?

No. The entertainment industry runs on relationships, persistence, and yes — a bit of schmoozing. There’s a reason “Let’s do lunch” became standard vocabulary.

But if it didn’t work, nobody would keep doing it.

For established names, access is automatic. For everyone else, access is earned through visibility and connection.

Be part of the scene.

That’s how you get seen.

And once you’re seen, you have a chance to be heard.

Thanks for reading and as always – keep laughing!!

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