San Jose Improv
Encyclopedia
The San Jose Improv is a comedy
club
located in San Jose
, California
.
landowner (who was the namesake of Monterrey Jack cheese
). At that time, the theater was a popular showcase for stock companies and vaudeville
acts.
Its history includes an appearance by magician Harry Houdini
, and a stint as a vaudeville house. Also said to have performed on the same stage is none other than Charlie Chaplin
.
Today, it is home to the San Jose franchise of the famous Improv Comedy Club
chain.
The Jose Theater was declared a historical landmark on April 16, 1990.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
located in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
History
Formerly known as the Jose Theater, built in 1904, is the oldest theater in San Jose, located on Second Street, near San Fernando Street. Construction of the Jose was started in 1903, under the ownership of David Jacks, a MontereyMonterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
landowner (who was the namesake of Monterrey Jack cheese
Monterey Jack
Monterey Jack is an American semihard cheese made using cow's milk. It is commonly sold by itself, or mixed with Colby to make a marbled cheese known as Colby-Jack . Cheddar-Jack varieties are also available....
). At that time, the theater was a popular showcase for stock companies and vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
acts.
Its history includes an appearance by magician Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
, and a stint as a vaudeville house. Also said to have performed on the same stage is none other than Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
.
Today, it is home to the San Jose franchise of the famous Improv Comedy Club
The Improv
The Improv is a comedy club franchise. Originally, it was a single venue founded in 1963 by Budd Friedman and located in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City on West 44th near the SE corner of 9th Ave. A second location was opened in 1974 at 8162 Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax District...
chain.
The Jose Theater was declared a historical landmark on April 16, 1990.