If you’re looking for a good laugh, Michigan’s excellent comedy clubs have just the right medicine. Catching live comedy acts is a real treat in the Great Lake State, from both established and up-and-coming comics. So where do you go when you want to catch some good comedy? Here are the great places to try for a good laugh in Michigan!
Head to Hamtramck for a night at Planet Ant, featuring a taste of comedy that's unique even to the Detroit area, which is pretty much the de facto capital of comedy in Michigan. Planet Ant's specialty of the house is improv, and will feature an improv show every Monday. The good news is that Planet Ant isn't just about improvisational comedy, and will also offer scripted theatrical productions throughout the year for that extra dose of variety.
Ferndale classic Go Comedy Improv Theater also brings a touch of improvisational comedy to the Detroit area, in a show that's routinely ranked among the best comedy in the area. Featuring a series of different shows like “Alexander Hamilton: Fully Loaded” and “Date Night: An Improvised Romantic Comedy,” Go Comedy will deliver some exciting, hilarious thematic material all on the fly, which as anyone who's ever tried to do it knows is much harder than it looks.
Operating since 1979 in Royal Oak, Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle offers not only history but also some exciting modern options besides. Comedy Castle was one of the first venues to use the three-comic set of emcee/featured performer/headliner, and though it's changed locations six times, its current home seems to be its forever one. This is also the venue where Tim Allen got started, so for a slice of history, served up alongside great new comics and all the standard advantages of a bar and grill, you'll find it at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle.
Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase—as the name implies, found in Ann Arbor and offering stand-up comedy—may not offer the biggest names, but it will make up for the lack of star power with plenty of laugh power. Check out acts like Keith Alberstadt of National Lampoon's “Sports Minute or So,” or the upcoming Special Olympics Fundraiser event this May.
Head out to Grand Rapids for this comic slice of joy, located in the Big Old Building (BOB) downtown. Home to such major names as Kevin Nealon and Aries Spears, Dr. Grins works hard to find some of the biggest new names in comedy and bring them to the Grand Rapids area. Fair warning, though: there's a two-drink minimum, so do come prepared. Plus, since this is part of a much larger complex, there will be plenty else to see and do here even after a show has concluded.