Zanies Comedy Club

Zanies Comedy Club (also known simply as Zanies) is a comedy club chain founded by Rick Uchwat in November 1978. Its first location was in Chicago, Illinois and it is the third longest continually operating comedy club in the United States.

Uchwat was born in Austria in 1947. His father was imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II and was held in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp for a time. His family moved to the United States when he was four years old. He attended DePaul University and eventually joined the Marines during which time he served in Vietnam and was badly injured during the Tet Offensive. After a battle with lung cancer Uchwat died on May 12, 2011 at the age of 64.

Zanies' original club is located in Chicago's Old Town, where it was opened in a former strip club. The 100-seat club has become Chicago's oldest operating stand-up comedy venue. Bert Haas serves as the executive vice president.

One of the first performers at Zanies was comedian Larry Reeb. Zanies has played an influential part in the careers of many artists, including Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Roseanne Barr and Patti Vasquez. Additional talent includes: Craig Ferguson, Chelsea Handler, Gilbert Gottfried and Greg Proops.

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