Huntingto= n Beach Independent

Updated: Nov 01, 2007 - 19:43:25 = PDT

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CITY FOCUS:
Comedy booker moves on

Citing difference of vision with = new=20 ownership, Martini Blues=E2=80=99 Bill Word plans to = open up his own=20 club in town.

By Michael Alexander
Reader=20 Feedback - Currently 15=20 comment(s) Comments

When veteran comic Bill Word started = booking=20 comedy shows at Huntington Beach club Martini Blues in = 2001,=20 his largest bookings had been for coffee shops. Barely = a year=20 later, he was spearheading the now-renowned Orange = County=E2=80=99s=20 Funniest Person contest and packing his weeks with = stand-up=20 events of all kinds.

Almost six years later, = his tenure=20 at the club came to a close with the fifth annual = Funniest=20 Person contest finals, crowning Christopher Heard with = the=20 title over about 80 other contestants.

Citing a = difference of vision with new ownership, Word is = moving on and=20 planning to open his own club. Hopefully, he says, he = can open=20 it in Huntington Beach, where he nurtured a community = of=20 up-and-coming comics.

=E2=80=9CThe performances = there were=20 really at the top end, especially our last = show,=E2=80=9D he said.=20 =E2=80=9CThere was really high quality. That was my = choice =E2=80=94 I wanted=20 to go out on a high note. It was the perfect way to=20 go.=E2=80=9D

Word said a lot of his success = depended on real=20 estate. He started out booking Thursday shows to fill = a dead=20 night at the blues club, but with that night=E2=80=99s = success came=20 the closure of a club next door. As original owner = Bobby Cee=20 bought up nearby space and added it to the club, there = were=20 plenty of time slots to fill with whatever Word could = think=20 of.

Word found he had more room and more times = to=20 experiment with, so he tried ideas that were just a = pipe dream=20 before. One of them, the constantly- running Laffdown = contest,=20 was joined by the annual OC=E2=80=99s Funniest and = then the equally=20 ambitious California=E2=80=99s Funniest = Female.

=E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99m a firm=20 believer that the sky is the limit,=E2=80=9D he = said.

Unlike=20 most comedy clubs in Orange County, which are large = enough=20 venues that they tend to bring in national headliners, = Martini=20 Blues had the size and variety of events to allow = =E2=80=9Copen-mic=E2=80=9D=20 amateurs to earn their way to veteran status, he=20 said.

=E2=80=9CLooking at a beginning comic, = they=E2=80=99d start with=20 the open mic on Tuesdays,=E2=80=9D he said. = =E2=80=9COnce a year they go into=20 OC=E2=80=99s Funniest, and between contests they could = start working=20 the regular Saturday shows with a paid headliner and = advanced=20 beginners doing the opening acts. There was a line = where they=20 could move up in the food chain.=E2=80=9D

Along = with the=20 classes Word would offer his performers, the result = turned out=20 to be =E2=80=9Ca business plan as a development = club,=E2=80=9D he=20 said.

But that=E2=80=99s only an offshoot of = his favorite part=20 of the experience.

=E2=80=9CWhat I really = wanted and really=20 felt I did was build a community,=E2=80=9D Word said. = =E2=80=9CWe had a=20 support system. In this business, it=E2=80=99s usually = dog eat dog. My=20 whole thing is, there=E2=80=99s plenty of opportunity = to make people=20 laugh.=E2=80=9D

That=E2=80=99s why he thinks = Orange County is ideal for=20 that kind of community.

=E2=80=9CIn L.A. you = get that kind of=20 jaded entertainment crowd,=E2=80=9D he said. = =E2=80=9CEveryone=E2=80=99s burnt out.=20 They say, =E2=80=98I used to see Richard Pryor in the = =E2=80=9970s. What makes=20 you so worth seeing?=E2=80=99 It=E2=80=99s more = genuine here.=E2=80=9D

Reader = Feedback

There are No comments = posted.=20 comments on this story:

Roberta M. = wrote on=20 Nov 8, 2007 6:21 = PM:

" Bill had a great = vision that=20 continues on. I attended open mic nights with friends = over the=20 past couple years and saw whata supportive commuity it = was.=20 Which gave me the courage to get back up on stage and=20 participate. I'm sure Bill's new venture will be = equally great=20 and it's Martini Blues' loss, but Bill's gain. Look = forward to=20 getting on stage at his next venue. "

Leona wrote on = Nov 8, 2007 5:18 AM:

" Word up!! Some of = the best=20 times were had at Bill's shows. Some awesome talent = and=20 wonderful people. I'll never forget the comedian with = two=20 first names, Ed Frank. "

Ralph Vincent = wrote on=20 Nov 7, 2007 1:41 = PM:

" Bill Word. 2 words: = Class=20 Act. "

Barry = Dateninch wrote on=20 Nov 6, 2007 3:37 = PM:

" Bill Word's = productions were=20 always fun and well ran. Bill is a great man! = "

Cathe B wrote = on Nov 5, 2007 2:57 PM:

" It's exciting the = see Bill=20 venturing to something bigger! He's certainly earned = to right=20 to run and own a club-- and more so, deserved the = kudos to=20 book anyone he wants. I'm sure we'll be sharing = several name=20 comics from time to time from our club in Vegas to his = in OC!=20 "

Elaine van = Beek wrote on=20 Nov 5, 2007 12:50 = PM:

" As a part time = comic, Bill=20 Word treats you all as special and professional! I = can't thank=20 Bill enough for being so good to me and all comics. My = people=20 love coming to his show! Martini Blues will be sorry = but you=20 will continue to build GREATNESS!! "

Tom Collins = wrote on=20 Nov 5, 2007 8:22 = AM:

" It's been over 15 = years since=20 Bill and I lobbied, begged, and pleaded for 5 minutes = of open=20 mic time at local venues. He saw the dark side of the = comedy=20 business and sought to inject it with some honesty and = integry, and he succeeded! The comedy world is a = better,=20 friendlier place as a result of his efforts. Thank You = Bill,=20 good luck with your future ventures. "

Charlene Ward = wrote on=20 Nov 4, 2007 10:42 = PM:

" Bill, thank you for = all the=20 stage time and support over the years! Martini Blues = was a=20 great place to perform but I look forward to seeing = you in a=20 place that is truly your own. You are truly a class = act in=20 your support and encouragement to new talent and = female comics=20 in particular. See you at the Laff Down this Thursday! = "

Norma Jean = wrote on=20 Nov 4, 2007 9:54 = AM:

" Bill Word is an = extremely=20 kind and giving man. It was HE who gave me my first = appearance=20 on a stage and I'll never forget it. Martini Blues was = that=20 place, and now, I have no chance to go back and = perform there,=20 which makes me very sad. I am proud to say that Bill = has=20 taught me a lot and I feel honored to be part of his=20 "community" that he has spend years building. I love = ya Bill=20 Word!! Norma Jean "

Norma Jean = wrote on=20 Nov 4, 2007 9:52 = AM:

" Bill Word is an = extremely=20 kind and giving man. It was HE who gave me my first = appearance=20 on a stage and I'll never forget it. Martini Blues was = that=20 place, and now, I have no chance to go back and = perform there,=20 which makes me very sad. At the same time, there are = changes=20 which none of us can control so we move on. I am proud = to say=20 that Bill has taught me a lot and I feel honored to be = part of=20 his "community" that he has spend years building. I = love ya=20 Bill Word!! Norma Jean "

Dave Schwensen author = of "How=20 To Be A Working Comic" wrote on Nov 2, 2007 9:06 PM:

" An experienced = comedian makes=20 stand-up look easy. What audiences may not understand = are the=20 years of hard work that go into developing the = material and on=20 stage delivery. Bill Word earned a solid reputation in = the=20 business for giving new comedians a place to = experience the=20 highs and lows on their long road to making it "look = easy."=20 Martini Blues was just a stop on his journey. It won't = be=20 missed for long because his next step - a new club - = will be=20 the comedy stop everyone in Orange County will be = looking for.=20 "

Deborah R. = wrote on=20 Nov 2, 2007 7:15 = PM:

" Best wishes to you = Bill on=20 your new venture! Your ability to creatively envision = and=20 successfully manifest is truly reflected in your many = years=20 with comedy. Deborah R. (eh) "

John Grace = wrote on=20 Nov 2, 2007 12:22 = PM:

" I loved Word's = shows at=20 Martini Blues. He started shortly after Bobby Cee = opened the=20 club as I recall. Its was great to finally have a = solid Blues=20 Club in the neighborhood and having comedy there was a = real=20 bonus. We'll all miss Bobby and his friendly cheerful = manner=20 as well as he and his wife's support of amateur talent = with=20 their karioke nights and Word's open mic comedy shows. = The=20 support for live performers is essential to their = existance=20 and the incubation of amateur performers is such a = common=20 sense part of that. We'll miss all of you. "

Jesus T. wrote = on Nov 2, 2007 9:04 AM:

" God bless Bill for = the=20 opportunity bill has given me and other up and coming=20 comedians.One could only hope to have such a = successful career=20 like Bill did. (very well Written Article!) = "

Trish wrote on = Nov 2, 2007 1:48 AM:

" Bill Word, you are = fabulous!=20 I'm so very thankful for all the opportunities that = you gave=20 me at Martini Blues and I'm looking forward to your = new club.=20 Thank you for helping comics and thank you for being = such a=20 professional to work with. cheers, trish "

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CITY FOCUS:
Comedy booker moves on

Citing difference of vision with = new=20 ownership, Martini Blues=E2=80=99 Bill Word plans to = open up his own=20 club in town.

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CITY FOCUS:Comedy booker moves on

Citing difference of vision with = new=20 ownership, Martini Blues=E2=80=99 Bill Word plans to = open up his own=20 club in town.

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There are No comments = posted.=20 comments on this story:

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CITY FOCUS:
Comedy booker moves on