Thanks to Comedy Central and feature films like The Big Sick, everyone today gets a little taste of the professional comedy scene from the comfort of their living rooms. Frank Pellegrino got a little bit more then most, when in 2013 he was asked to organize a comedy show as a fundraiser for Masonic Lodge #1154 in Yorktown.
“After the success of the show, a friend asked if we could produce a show ourselves, and NoMa Comedy Productions was created,” says Pellegrino. “NoMa,” here, standing for “North of Manhattan.”
“We held our first two shows at Lucy’s Bar & Kitchen in Pleasantville, followed by more shows in Mount Pleasant, Harrison, Tuckahoe, Yonkers, and eventually we began producing shows in New York City, and then organized the Yonkers Comedy Festival.”
Opportunity presented itself when a friend in the scene became the new general manager at Lucy’s. “He gave me a green light to really pursue this dream of mine to have a successful comedy venue in Westchester.” Teaming up with partners Rich DeLayo and Tom Grossi, a new business was born.
More than one hundred shows and two-hundred-plus acts later, the back room at Lucy’s, now officially dubbed “Lucy’s Laugh Lounge” is a bona fide comedy club, with a new stage and backdrop, new lighting and sound equipment, and a full lineup that includes both a retinue of regulars and free open-mic nights for anyone looking to share the limelight or try out some new material. There are even showcases to perform in front of local producers and booking agents, starting up on March 14.
But if you’re not quite ready to put up your five minutes just yet, have no fear. Pellegrino is in the process of setting up a series of regular comedy classes, perfect for budding comics.
“I’m thinking a ‘Comedy 101’ to start off,” Pellegrino says. “Four or five weeks of that and the next four or five weeks might be an improv, the next four or weeks might be a ‘Comedy 201,’ [and] just keeping it going.” Keep and eye on the Lucy’s Laugh Lounge calendar for a start date some time in April or May of this year.
With the addition of its extra equipment and a portable stage, NoMa even functions as a full entertainment company, utilizing its network of talent and provided booking and ticketing services. Tickets, bookings, and a calendar of upcoming shows can all be found online.
As a special bonus to Westchester Magazine readers, Pellegrino is celebrating the Lucy’s Laugh Lounge soft opening by raffling off four tickets apiece for any regular show to two lucky jocularity fans. To enter, simply publicly re-share this story’s post from our official Facebook or Twitter pages by March 9.
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Lucy’s Laugh Lounge
446 Bedford Rd., Pleasantville
