YELP INSIDER TIP FROM DOREEN (AKA AZN PERSUASION): This show is now in Santa Monica at MI Westside…read moreComedy. I give the venue and the 10pm Saturday night Improv Show 4 stars. I give 12 Shiny Nickels 1 star. ***** MI Westside Comedy is in the alley between 3rd street and 4th street south of Arizona directly behind the big Santa Monica Parking structure on 4th. If on 3rd street, go into the food court that has the McDonald's, Candy Baron, Subway and walk thru to the alley in the back. This place is small, has a small bar, but if you go on a good night, like the Saturday 10pm improv show it's pretty good and worth it just for the comedy. I went to the 11pm show 12 Shiny Nickels, but caught the tail end of the 10pm show. If you pay for the 10pm show, they let you stay for free for the 11pm show hoping the lead in will have audiences stay, which should say something right there... 12 Shiny Nickels is described as, "Each show features twelve of the best standup comedians in a row doing their best five minutes of material. We have rotating lineup over 80 comics with a new lineup every week." The night I went was not great. If anything, most of the comics were unfocused, new, and got off the stage before their 5 min were up. I now question the phrase, "the best standup comedians" as what they are best of isn't qualified... My Boo said he would go back, I would not.

Just when I thought I had seen all the comedy shows in LA, I found out about the 12 Shiny Nickels…read moreShow at the Gardner Stages. Your ten dollar admission includes an hour of standup comedy, twelve comics, and... (hope you're sitting down for this)... ALL THE FREE BEER YOU CAN DRINK. Holy moly! I don't know how they can charge so little but I'm there! Decided to check it out because Andy Dick was suppose to be there taping for his new reality show (gotta love watching a train-wreck). The doors open at 10:30pm and the show starts tentatively at 11pm. We arrived a few minutes before 10:30 and were the only people there for awhile. Next time, I'd come closer to 11. It's a little bit of an adventure getting to the theatre, it's located right behind Toi on Sunset Blvd. You go down an alley on Gardner street that looks like something out of Gothom City. A nice man is there to give you a wristband and take your $10/online reservations. You then go down some TREACHEROUS ridiculously steep stairs. Keep in mind, NOT an excellent place to wear your stilettos... Also, quite challenging after drinking boat loads of Tecate. At first, I was a little skeptical about the unlimited free beer but lemme tell you, they are not kidding! There is a bar stocked with canned beer (Pabst, Miller, Tecate, etc.) and you can get up and have as much as you want before and during the show. The show was very entertaining, although it was a little disappointing that Andy Dick didn't show. They were nice enough to let us know he wasn't going to come and offered us refunds before the show started. Not some of the best comedians I've seen but hey, what do you want for $10 and free booze? Halfway through the show they gave away free prizes to people who ordered their tickets in advance... I got a VHS copy of Men In Black 2!! Way better than the guy before me that got an at-home-pregnancy-test kit! Whoo hoo! Really nice people run this show, definitely will be back with more of my beer guzzl'n, comedy love'n friends.

Since the summer of 2023, I began rotating through 4 different improv classes in 4 Orange County…read morecities every month -- both structured courses and one-night drop-ins. Are there reasons why Advantage Improv's 5-week workshop is world-class? Yes and... let us count the ways: 1) Co-founders/Lead Trainers Lee Godden and Bob Doll are consummate professionals. They consistently demonstrate mastery, poise and all-inclusive respect for their students. They effortlessly ensure everyone gets ample practice throughout each class while reinforcing core learnings. 2) Advantage Improv's focus is on applicable, transferable skills across virtually every aspect of life where you need to communicate -- and they keep it PG-13 for business applications. 3) You can get a bona fide Advantage Improv Applied Improvisational Professional (AIAIP) certification for completing their coursework. 4) They help you improve your communication skills across public speaking, active listening, creativity, innovation, problem-solving and collaboration. 5) It's hella fun. Is this for you? Of course it is. Just go, be in the moment and have a GREAT time.

I signed up for this class to help with my fear of public speaking. I went in with zero…read moreexpectations because other methods I tried only marginally helped. With each class I felt more and more confident (or I had less and less anxiety!). Led and Bob are fantastic instructors and improv partners. They make everyone feel comfortable and welcome, encouraging us to get out of heads and stop overthinking things. (This is perfect for type A planners!) The best part of this class is laughter therapy it provides! I signed up for another session and can't wait to get back in it and make a fool of myself again! I love that I have stopped caring about trying to be perfect and started letting myself go with the flow!

These guys are sharp, witty and the shows are at a decent time (8:45pm, Thursday night). Tickets…read moreare probably the best in OC ($5 and sometimes discounted down to $3!) and it's a great place to take a date. Shows usually end around 10ish. Been going for a while and always have a good time.

Unfairly hysterical... the proverbial "bee's knees," if you will. Most improv shows occur at some…read moreunholy hour of the night, but Improvinitus performs at 8:45 in the evening on the third Thursday of the month, allowing one to get home and to bed at a reasonable hour (assuming the adrenaline from laughing so hard doesn't keep you awake). They manage to be simultaneously riotous and clean, so this is a show that anyone can enjoy. Much cheaper than a movie and definitely funnier!

This experience made my friends bachelorette party so amazing! Our teacher was so patient with us…read moreand all of our paintings were so pretty! We would definitely come back here for events!

Jeniece hosted a paint and sip event I did for my corporate team at Art + Soul…read more The process was incredibly smooth and easy -- we set up the event over email, she sent over a link for checkout, and we were good to go. She was incredibly flexible with scheduling and working with me on the event planning. The location was easy to get to in Newport and the studio itself had the perfect amount of space for my group of 7 people. Be aware that you will have to pay for parking, but it's relatively inexpensive and done via app. During the event itself, Jeniece was patient and made jokes which we were very grateful for given that many of us hadn't painted or attempted visual art since high school. She provided the final product options and we voted on which we'd all complete. She was very attentive in the lesson -- she both demonstrated and walked around the class to see how we were progressing. She was incredibly positive with her feedback. I would recommend Jeniece and Art + Soul to anyone doing a work team event. Her flexibility and positivity were exactly what we needed!

I am so grateful I was able to start my acting journey here. The community at ASOOC is incredibly…read morespecial and the friendships I've made here will last me a lifetime! Everyone is so incredibly supportive.. it was a place that I felt free and SAFE to explore and learn and grow as an actor. If you're hesitating, please take the leap of faith to try this studio, I know that you wont regret it!

"Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there,…read moreplease keep your dreams alive." - Ke Huy Quan, 2023 Oscar Winner for Best Supporting Actor When I was child in the 1970s, I loved watching television and the stories that the actors would convey over the screen. I loved how shows captured my attention with their laughter, escapism, or storyline. So, after 50 years of denying my dream and retiring from a 30+ year career, I started taking classes at the Actor's Studio of Orange County (ASoOC) in 2023 and studying the Seven Pillars Acting Technique. The Seven Pillars Acting Technique is a comprehensive acting technique that teaches you how to analyze scripts and how to "live truthfully under imaginary circumstances" because acting is so much more than just memorizing lines! Yet, the techniques are only words on paper. At ASoOC, I learned how to behave, speak, and feel as the character from all the wonderful instructors who brought the words and techniques to life! All working actors themselves, the instructors taught, encouraged, nurtured, and gently pushed/challenged/stretched us from the very first class of Living Truthfully to the very last graduating Showcase. All the while, they created a community where fellow students/actors encouraged, rather than competed with, each other. Lastly, students also learned the "business side" of acting, such as preparing their resumes, shooting their headshots, creating a biography, figuring out their casting types, etc. The business side (I needed to provide a biography) immediately came into play once I graduated! By nature, I am an introvert; yet, as I went through the classes at the ASoOC, I found myself emerging from myself and stepping up to the challenges of the given script (a shoutout to Victoria M. for nudging me!). Having recently graduated from the program, I am now making people laugh, allowing them to escape, or capturing their attention with the storyline. ASoOC is a wonderful community to learn the art of acting! Please keep your dreams alive!

The Gourmet Detective was a fun and enjoyable evening the entire cast was fun and entertaining…read more The show was very interactive and you never knew what to expect from one moment to the next, the made you feel like you were part of the mystery. The Actors were not only entertainers, they served us our food and drinks throughout the evening. My wife and I selected the Steak and I wasn't really expecting much, but I have to say the Steak was a perfect temperature and Cheesecake was Great! This Gourmet Detective is the perfect way to celebrate any special occasion, or just for an entertaining evening out on the town with that special someone! Thank you everyone for a wonderful evening.

The Gourmet Detective is where you will find the REAL DEAL murder mystery show. The actors are…read moreprofessionals and if you like it, their improv with you is GREAT! ***They just moved to a new location in OC (they also have a location in Riverside) so make sure you are going to the right place. There is a lounge bar area for you to relax with a drink if you like before it all starts. You get assigned to a table (all the seats in the house are great because the performers go all around the room.) The three course dinner happens between the three act show. Funny, funny, funny plot where someone dies and it's up to you to figure out who did it. Play along to have the most fun! ...and don't forget to pay attention. The performers are your servers! After you fall in love with them ...go get your photo with them for memories after the show! Fun for all! Worth a try!

What an amazing studio! Apart from having a fantastic set up (welcoming lobby, a recording booth…read moreroom, multiple spaces for acting workshops, audition taping, and character work...), it has 2 incredible teachers, who are both experts on the current landscape of the film industry, and deeply care about your progress and journey as an actor. I learned more than I have about screen acting from my 6 months here, than I did in some of my university courses, for which my major was acting. Not all acting schools are always transparent about maneuvering through the business side of film, but Allie and Adrian were the best guides I could have asked for! They helped me find my agent and take leaps in my career that have been absolute game changers. I would DEFINITELY recommend, for anyone interested in acting, for all ranges of skill!

Allie was great coach for my son's voice over auditions. He enjoys working with her and produced…read moresome great tapes. We would recommend her!

We absolutely LOVE this little theater!! We've been to several plays here over the years and none…read moreof them have ever disappointed!! I want to say that the theater holds maybe 75-100 people...? Comfy seats and every seat is a great view. Prices are great, our last show was $39 each. The actors are fun and you can tell they absolutely love doing what they do. They are there to make everyone happy including themselves and their fellow castmates. There is a bar with drinks and snacks, we've even seen shirts for sale! We are considering purchasing a "B Season Pass" so we don't miss out on the shows this coming year, some sell out fast! I hate to even give a great review because I don't want people to buy up all the seats from under us, but yet I want to also give this theater a huge and happy round of applause for being FANTASTIC!! We will see you again soon! Cheers!

We have been coming to shows at the Maverick for years. My…read morewife bought us tickets to their incredible "Night of the Living Dead" play. It was the best surprise- I had no idea until we arrived. The Maverick puts on this play every year and it is outstanding. Their seasons always bring unique, quirky shows. From King Kong to Rocky Horror to Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. There is always something cool happening. Brian, the owner, is dedicated to theater and is a friendly, welcoming guy. The staff and actors are wonderful as well. Probably our favorite local theater.