• Holy City Zoo • 1974-1993 •
Early History of the HCZ
Holy City Zoo was created as a place for fresh new talent to gain experience and exposure before an appreciative audience. Bob Steger warmly invites you to listen to different entertainers each night of the week in an atmosphere of elegant funk. Including Open Mike on Mondays to audition new talent.
History of the HCZ (from the Wine List)
The comedy shows at the Holy City Zoo were started in spring 1975 by Darryl Victor Dubin as a fill-in between the sets of a belly-dancer performing on Wednesday nights. Shortly afterwards, the Holy City Zoo started featuring comedy every Sunday night. Tony DePaul, a local comedian, took over production and under his direction, the comedy shows were expanded to seven nights a week. In June 1980, John Cantu took over production of the stand-up shows. In January 1981, the San Francisco Council on Entertainment nominated the Holy City Z00 for the Cabaret Gold "Outstanding Caberet" Award. As the longest running club in Northern California, the Holy City Zoo has been responsible for the development of more major comedy acts than just about any other club in the country.
via Internet Archive's Wayback Machine • by John Cantu • 2001
Editor’s Note: This introduction is merely the beginning of John’s prolific writing about the origins of the Holy City Zoo. The original website has been archived and accessible to read his 50+ chapters about those early days, along with his insights into how comedy saasage is made.
Backstage Secrets and True Confessions of a San Francisco Comedy Club Producer • by John Cantu ©HumorMall.com
From 1975 till 1981, John Cantu was the original MC and producer of the first Sunday night all-comedy shows. Before the Sunday comedy shows started, the bar shared Wednesday nights with Zania, the belly dancer.
He stayed intimately involved with the club through its evolution into a full-scale comedy club, presenting comedy shows seven nights a week, 365 days a year. By 1979, he was manager/producer. A short year later, co-owner and full producer of the nightly shows. He left in 1981, but continued to teach and coach comedians, produce shows at a variety of other ventures in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Holy City Zoo closed for the final time in 1993.
It has since become legendary in comedy circles for the talent that either started there or developed their persona there during the fifteen-year San Francisco Comedy Renaissance (1975-1990). This includes well established nationally known comics, as well as San Francisco favorites such as:
The Amazing Jonathan, Buzz Belmondo, Rob Becker (Defending the Caveman), A. Whitney Brown, Larry “Bubbles” Brown, Dana Carvey, Margaret Cho, Gil Christener, Marty “Party Hearty” Cohen, Evan Davis, Tony DePaul, Nora Dunn, Will Durst, David Feldman, Dr. Gonzo, Jake Johannsen, Mark McCollum, Kevin Meaney, Mark Miller, Mark Pitta, Paula Poundstone, Michael Pritchard, Bill Rafferty, Rick Reynolds, Bob Sarlatte, Rob Schneider, Steve Kravitz, Bobby Slayton, Carrie Snow, Barry Sobel, Fran Solimita, and Robin Williams, to name a few
Comedians who dropped into the Zoo either to do a guest set or to simply check out the club when they were passing through San Francisco include:
Ellen Degeneres, Bob Dubac, Whoopi Goldberg, Larry Hovis, Eric Idle, Denny Johnston, Jay Leno, Jackie Mason, Dennis Miller, Diane Nichols, Kevin Pollack, Freddie Roman, Lenny Schultz, Margaret Smith. And a host of others.
November 1974 classified listing
for the sale of the Holy City Zoo
• Reviews • Pull Quotes • Blurbs •
“The town’s best buy in comedy is unquestionably the show at the Holy City Zoo, a snug little club at 408 Clement St. There’s no cover, no admission, and the price of a drink gets you an hour or more of live entertainment by an assortment of stand-up comics.”
~ SF Sunday Examiner & Chronicle
~Stanley Echelbaum
Laugh-In Auditions • 1977
The town’s best buy in comedy is unquestionably the show at the Holy City Zoo, a snug little club at 408 Clement St. There's no cover, no admission, and the price of a drink gets you an hour or more of live entertainment by an assortment of stand-up comics. The really big raid on the Zoo was by producer George Schlatter for his new “Laugh-In” company. Schlatter came from Los Angeles in search of talent and signed four Zoo regulars.
~ SF Sunday Examiner & Chronicle • Stanley Eichelbaum
Laugh-in •
A series of six hour-long specials which aired (primarily) on a monthly basis. The mixture of skits taped with and without an audience, plus animated scenes and overlays, proved to be a nightmare to edit. Further compounding troubles, the crew was heavily at odds with the NBC censors. As soon as the finale aired, producer George Schlatter remarked to the press that it had been such a hassle that he had no intention of producing further episodes. Producer George Schlatter relaunched the series without creators and hosts Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, who later won a 4.6 million dollar lawsuit against Schlatter for continuing the show without their permission. ~ IMDB Trivia
Quick Takes
zoo Crew
Open Mikes
A gathering of cut-ups pose outside the Zoo c.1979. Likely an afternoon improv class, most of the identities are illusive. Those recognizable are Pat Daniels, Teresa Roberts, Jason Christoble (Zoo owner at the time), Carol Roberts, Chris Frieber and a very pregnant Joann Bolan. Help identify the remaining mystery men and women and send it along to the AMUSEum!
Sons of the Sunset
FLipside
An early in-house improv and sketch group included Lorenzo Matawaren (aka Buzz Belmondo), May Lee Davis, (later Monica Piper) Jose Simon, Kathy Keeley and an upended upstart named Robin Williams. Their name likely reflected the predominant San Francisco neighborhood the members lived in.
Women's Night
December 1979
On a cold Wednesday evening in late December, 4 women of a freshly-formed improv troupe stormed onto the small stage at the Holy City Zoo as MCs or hostesses… opening act… and cheerleaders of the very first Women's Night. Pat Daniels, Susan Healy, Teresa Roberts and Terry Sand opened the show with improvisational sketches to warm up the audience for 15 minutes in preparation for the handful of women they would graciously introduce throughout the evening. There were less than a half dozen comediennes in the line-up that night, likely every woman doing stand-up in the Bay area. All the women that night seized the opportunity for stage time in front of a live audience, whether it was a ground-breaking magnanimous gesture by the Holy City Zoo or a way to cash in on the novelty of women performers, ~JrH
Selfies
At the destination
Then freelance writer, Craig Vetter wrote an article on the "Zoo" that was published in the March 1979 issue of Playboy magazine. ("You've Gotta Have Heart").Across the country a couple of dozen bar owners read about this new concept of live entertainment happening in San Francisco: Stand-up comedy. By starting an open mike. You imbued your club with a concept that was at that time new, fresh, and exciting and best of all with an open mike YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY ANY ONE. You got live entertainer who performed for free. ~ John Cantu
Along with bar owners, many comics site the Playboy article as their first awareness of the Zoo's business plan. It functioned as a beacon to draw them westward toward this hole in the wall to jumpstart their comedy careers.
Pictured: Paul Giles and the Playboy article proudly displayed by the Zoo management.
Jose & Robin
Buddies
Jose Simon workshopped with Robin Williams in the early North Beach gathering places like The Intersection, Spaghetti Factory and Savoy Tivoli. They improvised together when Robin would drop in to play with Papaya Juice at the Zoo. Their friendship thrived throughout Jose's stewardship of Comedy Day and Robin's generousity to keep it afloat. When the Zoo became the hot bed of no-holds barred and late-night creativity for stand-ups and improvisers, the migration to Clement Street became the last stop before last call.
Capacity Crowds
Fire Marshall
The tiny footprint of the wood paneled room relegated seating to accommodate 59 (later 74) audience members. A small mezzanine booth was usually filled. Unfortunately, the balcony (initially dubbed the John Wilkes Booth, and later favored as the Spice Rack by Paula Poundstone) overlooking the stage was 'reserved' for comics to cheer on or heckle those on stage. It also served as an anteroom for the low-ceilinged office space where comics got paid or negotiated their bookings. At peak hours, you could join a contingency of patrons and comics in an ebb and flow of the SRO entry to the club.
Best & Worst Comedians
Open Mikes
Birthdays were co-opted to celebrate George Washington, Ronald Reagan, Susan B. Anthony, Jules Verne, Robinson Caruso, along with a night of Aquarian comics who qualified. Anchovie Daquiri hosted Open Mikes with no apologies for the spectrum of funny likely to show up. A Women's Night, a Rebuttal to Randy Newman and a Hyperactive Weekend hosted by Steven Pearl who also feted Groundhog's Day showcasing his own 'wall shadows'.
Beer & Wine
FLipside
The House Wines … and Champagne! menu featuring selections from the Gallo Wine Cellars and Carlo Rossi Vineyards. Charming that the descriptions offered meal pairings with Poultry, Seafood, Meats and Spicy Foods… although the Zoo only offered a bowl of nuts for nourishment.
Ha Ha A Go Go
October 1984
After his success booking Cobb's Pub, Tom Sawyer remodeled, renamed and re-opened the club as the Ha-Ha-a-Go-Go. The beer-soaked floorboards were covered with an upscale checkerboard look. Despite the grumbling, and inevitable jokes about the new moniker, the comics flocked to the fancy clubhouse to play once again.
DIY PROMOTION
GUEST LECTURERS
Clown teaches dunces the proper way to spell Comedy.
SHERIFF • SHARKEY • LUCAS
1981 • The funny started with the flyer.
ANNUAL BIRTHDAYS
Situated next door to the The Last Day Saloon, musician pals could be pressed into service to provide variety
New York Nite
Theme nights were created around the origins and flyers were crafted by comics with cartoonist skills.
ROBIN STEELE
Graphic designer and hand-letterer extraordinaire created one off posters along with calendars that upped the Zoo's game
Even Better…
Hear how a small clubhouse influenced the city of San Francisco and inspired a new wave of comedians that helped shape modern standup. Featuring interviews with Greg Behrendt, Larry “Bubbles” Brown, Margaret Cho, Debi and Will Durst, Dana Gould, Kevin Pollak, Mark Pitta, Paula Poundstone, and Bobby Slayton.
Comedian and professor Wayne Federman has spent his life studying the art and history of standup comedy. Join him and fellow student, Andrew Steven, as they look back at some of standup’s most interesting moments, places, and people.
Book: THE HISTORY OF STAND-UP: FROM MARK TWAIN TO DAVE CHAPPELLE • 2021
Today’s top stand-up comedians sell out arenas, generate millions of dollars, tour the world, and help shape our social discourse. So, how did this all happen? The History of Stand-Up chronicles the evolution of this American art form – from its earliest pre-vaudeville practitioners like Artemus Ward and Mark Twain to present-day comedians of HBO and Netflix.
Drawing on his acclaimed History of Stand-up podcast and popular university lectures, veteran comedian and adjunct USC professor Wayne Federman guides us on this fascinating journey.