Q & A With Mr.Haas Executive VP of Zanies Chicago

RD: What made the owner choose this location?

Mr.Haas: The owner of this location my boss owns this building, he has been a resident of Old Town for 30 to 40 years, he's familiar with this area, he thought this would be a good location because its centrally located plus it's kind of comedy central because one block away you have Second City so you have the premier improvisational facility in the country and you have the premier stand up club in the country all within one block from each other.

RD: What are some famous faces that have appeared here at Zanies?

Mr.Haas: Ohhh, everybody, I could spend an entire hour. Jay Leno, Richard Lewis, Tim Allen, Dave Chappell, Lewis Black, Sarah Silverman, it goes on and on. If you name a comedian within the past 30 years they probably have been here.

RD: What direction do you see Zanies going towards in the future?

Mr.Haas: What Zanies does is that we specialize in stand up comedy and that's our format and that's what we've always try to stay true to. Unlike other clubs that tinker with their format, and this week there a variety club next week there doing musical acts. We do anything that's funny but always in the stand up thing, so we try and provide that consistency every week. That's what people comes to Zanies for they don't necessarily come to see a particular comedian they come because they know they're going to see a great show.

RD: Would you guys open another Zanies?

Mr.Haas: Well were always look for opportunities, but were here to stay.

RD: What does a normal night look like here at Zanies?

Mr.Haas: Well we usually do one show per night except for the weekends, two shows Sunday and Saturdays we show three shows. The shows run about 90 min. people come in and get here a half hour before the show.

RD: What is the admissions price?

Mr.Haas: Anywhere from 20-25 dollars.