Times Square Arts Center

So this Valentines Day (02/14/11) was the first V-day for my wife and I as a married couple. I wanted to do something special and memorable. So went to NYC and I got tickets to Cupid's Comedy Show and Dinner and upgraded to VIP seats, which was supposed to inlcude, a rose for my wife, a dinner each, 2 drinks, and a dessert to split. Thinking this was gonna be romantic I was pretty excited, until we got there... What I expected was a nice theater, with booth seating, like what you see when you watch comedy central and a decent dinner, pasta's and chicken, nothing too fancy, but classy. When we got to the theater, first thing I noticed, this isnt a nice place. Its a bit of a hole in the wall dump. Not at all what I expected to find in the middle of Times Square. There was people harrassing passer- bys to buy tickets to the show, kind of like how they do on the streets of Las Vegas for strip clubs. After a short wait we went inside, and they couldnt find my reservation, and had to see my receipt, no problem really just seemed odd they didnt have it ready to go. Than we went upstairs, and other than a few other out of towners, who looked just as worried as I felt, the majority of the people looked like those guys you see selling crack on NYC cop drama shows, and their obnoxious girlfriends. After another short wait, they called for VIP ticket holders, and we were shown to our seats, which was a tiny end table with two tiny bar stools about a foot from the stage, which meant looking up the whole time, and was pretty cramped. My wife got her rose, fine there. The show started, waitresses started going around for drink orders, and somehow ours disappeared and didnt even take our drink order until the 3rd act started, by which point most of the other people had already been served food and finished eating. Finally our drinks came and they took our food order. Oh and the food they were serving was, get this, chicken tenders, grilled cheese, and burgers... Ya im not kidding... REAL impressive V-day dinner... The fifth and headlining act started, waitress said they had a mix up and food would be out soon, and we ordered a 2nd round of drinks. Well the show ended, we never got the 2nd round of drinks, our food, or the dessert. We had to wait 20 minutes to speak to anyone, and was told nothing could be done to tonight but gave us a number to call the next day. Which I did while waiting on our flight home, and surprise surprise he's not in... I really doubt well ever get our money back... So anyways, there we are, middle of Times Square, on V-day, hungry, and not having a reservation anywhere it was impossible to get a table. Eventually we ended up waiting in line for 2 hours at Planet Hollywood, which had decent enough food, but you can eat at one anywhere, who goes to NYC and wants to eat at a chain restauraunt? I probably could have let the whole food issue slide, but to make it worse, the show itself was just plain terrible... Only 2 out of the 5 acts was bearable, with a few funny one liners. The second comic didnt get a single laugh at all. And as others have said, they did do a pretty good job of picking on the crowd, and singling people out, to me thats part of the show but I could see how that would offend some people. All in all I wasnt the least bit impressed, if your in town or from NYC and want a cheap laugh sure give it a shot. But if your from out of town, or trying to impress a date, i would NOT recommend this place. Spend the extra money and go to a broadway show. more

Recently I went to this place for NYE with a friend of mine. We decided to go here since this place had an open bar from 7pm-2am with the promise of going outside and watching the ball drop. We dont go to Times Square on NYE but we wanted to do something else that seemed exciting to do. Boy we were wrong!! We had got there for the 7pm opening but we had to wait on a line that snaked around the building with people on the crowded sidewalk passing by. As we waited to get inside, we were told that once we get in we cant go out again. This was a disappointment for us since we had been promised that we would have the option to go outside and watch the ball drop from the corner because of the proximity of the place. We were finally let inside after waiting for two and a half hours. Once inside, we were trying to make the best of the situation. The music in all the rooms stunk and one female bouncer was harassing my friend and I the whole night. When we complained to the manager, we were told he could not do anything so we decided to leave. As we were leaving, another bouncer, a male one, harassed my friend and pushed her to the ground. Other patrons including myself saw this and we all became irate. We left after that regretting the decision to go there. NEVER AGAIN will we ever step inside of this place!!! These bouncers and managers have no clue on how to run an event. more

Feel down or sad? just get there, sit back, relax and come back home as happy as you should be! more

Totally not a humorous experience. We were hoping for laughs and good times, but instead these uptight 'comedy' guys were rude when taking our reservation, seating us, and checking us out. I guess they have enough business. more

Me and two of my friends went to Times Square Comedy over Valentine's Day weekend for a few reasons. A girl came up to us on the streets asking us if we wanted to take part in a special deal for a hair salon, and we weren't interested. After a long conversation with her, (we were bored and didn't have anything else to do but talk), she ended up giving us 3 free tickets to the Times Square Comedy show, telling us that it was good for any night at any time. We told her that we may do it that night, and she made a very convincing phone call, booking our ""reservations"" for 9:30 that night. We thought, well we are in New York, why not go see a comedy show? After all, it's free! A night of comedy after a day in the city sounds kind of fun. Well, we entered the place without a problem, and it seemed pretty sketch. They didn't ask us for our names, obviously meaning that the ""reservations"" were not required. We entered a very sketchy bar area, and then were taken into a room that was packed with people. We sat against the wall, and were asked our drink order. Not being of age, we ordered cokes and water. We were told that it was a 2 drink MINIMUM and that we were required to buy the drinks. The comedians started, and the host was funny. However, the first comedian seemed to mimic her jokes IDENTICALLY. Also, every single one of his jokes was played off the audience. He couldn't make a single joke without us. The third comedian managed to start the same way, making the same jokes about the audience's ethnicity. But the 2nd comedian was actually very funny and made a few memorable jokes. By the time the third comedian came out, it was 11 o'clock and we were ready to get out of there. The waitress came back and made us order a 2nd drink, but we kindly asked her for our check because we wanted to leave. She made us wait for about 30 more minutes, and finally gave us the check. Our check was for $45, when all we ordered was 6 cokes. They charged an 18% gratuity, and when we gave our waitress $50, she didn't even try to give us our 5 dollars change. This was ridiculous, because the service was terrible. If I were to have given a tip, it would have been maybe a 2% instead of 18%. After we FINALLY paid the ridiculously overpriced bill, we were given an exit ticket, then lead down a series of stairs to finally leave. I guess for not being charged for the tickets, it was okay. But honestly, it was the biggest ripoff ever. Don't go to Times Square Comedy. Seriously, you will regret it! Pros: kinda funny? Cons: price more

Only about 1/2 of the comedians were actually funny, and one of them was REALLY TERRIBLE. The worst part of it though was the HORRIBLE service. Our waitress disappeared forever, and never even came back around to us for our second required drink (although I guess this did save me about $28 for two drinks). Then she never came back to pick up our check, and this wasn't only us, it was about half our section. We were all told to remain in our seats to pay the server, but had to get up and move into the next room eventually because they began seating for the next show. We were waiting to pay with our credit card and asked the barstaff if they could please ring us up because we were MORE than ready to leave (we had been waiting about 20 mins or more at this point), but were told no one could ring our check but our server since we were paying by credit card. The guys behind us never even got their bill from the server and were waiting to pay as well, but the other people working there couldn't find their checks because our server who had disappeared had them. We all asked to see a manager, but of course conveniently the manager was not available. There seemed to be no one in charge there, just a bunch of incompetent waitstaff and several bouncers who would not let you leave without an ""exit"" ticket that you could only get when you paid your bill. I can understand them not wanting people to walk out without paying, but this was ridiculous - talk about horrible customer service. One guy tried to offer us all free tickets to another show, but when you are a traveler leaving the next day that doesn't mean anything, nor would I ever want to go back there anyways! They should have let us go without paying for the mandatory 18% gratuity that certainly was not deserved or at least offered us a complimentary drink while they sorted out the mess (as it was, this was on valentines day and we were supposed to receive complimentary champagne with that show, but did not even get that). Finally the server appeared and rang us out, but not after ruining our evening and wasting about 40 mins of our time. NEVER GO HERE. We went to a show the night before at HA!, the comedians were much funnier and the service was up to par! Pros: 1/2 price tix; a few of the comedians were funny Cons: HORRIBLE service; $$$ drinks more

The title says it all. The comedy was amazing. Especially David The VOice Stein and Freddy SHeffield. They will be big time. That is my prediction Pros: GREAT COMEDY more

THEY HAVE GOOD COMEDIANS THE TIMES THAT I HAVE ATTENDED. IT ALWAYS DEPENDS WHAT NIGHTS YOU GO. THERE WILL BE SOME BORING COMICS BUT THAT COMES WITH ANY SHOW WITH THERE ALWAYS BEING THAT ONE BAD PERSON. OTHER THAN THAT ITS PRETTY GOOD SPOT...YOU WILL LAUGH AND HOPEFULLY THE HOST IS FUNNY WHICH MOST COMEDY CLUBS IN NEW YORK HAVE GREAT HOST....YES YOU DO HAVE TO BUY DRINKS BUT HEY..MAKE IT EASY ON URSELF AND BUY SODA...A DRINK IS STILL A DRINK..YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY ALCOHOL..BUY AN APPLE JUICE OR PINAPPLE...SAVE SOME MONEY AND HAVE A GOOD TIME..I'D GO AGAIN Pros: GOOD COMEDIANS Cons: 2 DRINK MINIMUM more

So we got a great price on the tickets but the fine print stated 2 drink minimum. Found after we purchased the tickets. we went anyway and was charged a 18% service charge then after I found I was charged an additional 20% For 4 people it cost us over $100.00 for just the drinks and most were non-alcoholic cokes Pros: OK Comediens Cons: unmentioned prices for the 2 drink minimums more

Long story short, I have never been to a comedy show in my life and this first experience has set the standard for me, I even got picked on 3 times by the comedians preforming, be their! You won't regret it!!!! more

The Times Square Arts Center sells tickets to unsuspecting New Yorkers and tourists, through various sales people in and around Times Square. The tickets vary in price, and the sales people drop the prices by dramatic amounts, once one looks uninterested. They do mention that there's a two-drink minimum, with alcoholic drinks going for around $7 to $10, and non-alcoholic ones for $5. Pros: Lots of food for little money Cons: Unfunny, revolting comedy more

I went to see some karaoke singing with friends last Thursday, and a couple of the performers blew my mind. So, since it's a comedy place, I went back last night, Saturday. The performers at the 11:30 show were not comics, though they got the very polite audience to listen. Hardly any laughs or punchlines, and almost all the material was aobut race, which I find to be a very boring and tiresome comedy topic. I hope they can keep their day jobs. Honestly, the worst comedy show I've ever seen, (even amateur open mikes have a sprinkiling of talent) and I've been seeing them for two decades. Pros: Great rooms. I'd go there for a function or event. Cons: Fire the guy who booked this show. more

OK, check this out. We were in Times Square. I know, I hate the neighborhood too! But my kids were dying to see Lillte Mermaid. A buddy said, go to the 1/2 price ticket place. Great. He never said Little Mermaid was not avail. So this guy was standing there. Thought he was a scalper. Turns out he has comedy tickets. ""YO bro, got the kids, catch you next time"" ... long story short, he had $10 tickets to a family comedy show. My kids got on stage and the whole show was interactive. We never had such a great time with the family. The kids were dancing in their seats with to the music and laughed uncontrolably at this guy pretending to do sign language, but just falling all over the place. My wife and I got nervous when a comic from Stern came up but he was great for the kids too. I wonder what he did on stern. The kids had some burgers, my wife and I had some drinks. I guess we spent a lot less than if we went to Little Mermaid and a dinner. I still will avoid Times Square and other touristy areas (I still have never been to the Empire State Building) but, this is a show worth checking out. Pros: The kids loved it Cons: I hate the neighborhood more

I saw this show over the weekend and thought it was hilarious. The comics were funny and the improv was the best! I have seen a lot of sketch and improv including shows in Chicago, LA and Vegas including Second City, Groundlings and UCB and these guys were some of the funniest and most talented people I have ever seen. The crowd was rowdy and the performers really played to the late night audience. There was no hesitation and everybody in the cast was on top of their game. The big guy that is the host IS THE SHOW. My friends and I had a great time as did most of the crowd that night and I would recommend checking it out. Pros: Lots of fun, great entertainment Cons: Long lines outside, Make reservations or buy in advance more

I have been there twice now. There's a host, plus four comics for only a $20 dollar admission per person. Each one was funnier than the last both times. At the end of both nights my face hurt from laughing so much. The ticket price and the two drink minimum does not even come close to what the show is worth. GO THERE! Pros: hilarious show Cons: slow service more

July 8th 2006 Took my wife for our wedding anniversary out for a night of laughs at the Laugh Factory. Going out to a comedy club is like going to a sporting event. Your team can win or lose and depending on the outcome of the game will determine if you had a good time. Well, I was hoping that we were going to get a good set of comedians and the host was good and the first comedian was so-so at best, but then came up a little Puerto Rican lady that was funny. Then a comic name Kennedy who brought the house down and Roz from Last Comic Standing did some justice and closed the show with a lots of laughs. The Laugh Factory is in the heart of NYC at 42nd Street, so be prepared to pay premium to park your car; ouch! Two drinks minimum is pretty much standard at any comedy club, I had two Long Ice Tea, yes pricy, but they were the best I ever had, the two drinks numb me from head to toe, I could have gotten a root-canal after those two drinks. The bottom line, the Laugh Factory atmosphere is fantastic and we got lucky, because that evening the comedians slam a homerun. MGM Pros: Great night out on the town. more

The Wendy Williams Comedy Experience - Highly Recommended I would definately bring an out-of-towner here, especially someone who's afraid of the ""Big Bad City"". Get a funny slice of the Big Apple, a taste of the gritty city. Approx $60 per person if you eat there, $40 for admission and mandatory 2 drinks. Pros: Location Cons: Expensive, Website more

I took my girlfriend for her Birthday. We had a great time, the comics were great . Absolutely unique and fresh performances, I have been to other comedy joints that were dry, this was especially a dynamic and unique all-star lineup. The drinks were good and the service was friendly, Overall i would highly recomend for a casual night out , first date, or birthday. Tickets online were quick and easy to get Pros: cheap, fun, classy more

My husband and I just went to NY for his birthday. We love stand up comedy but were really let down by this place. We don't usually mind a bit of profanity and toilet humour but this was ridiculous. Not to mention that alot of the comedians used jokes taken from other famous acts. The drinks were ridiculously priced and we were disgusted by the way some of the comedians attacked guests in the audience personally. Very unprofessional and not what we were hoping for at all. Don't bother going! more

I'm a regular when it comes to comedy clubs. I've seen shows in Cali, New Jersey,New York, Vegas ,even Australia and the Laugh Factory was hands down the best. The atmosphere is great, but it can get crowded some nights. Definitely check out Wendy Williams on Wednesday. It's worth every penny. It's a must for out of towners who want a real New York experience. Pros: atmosphere, great drinks, great comedians Cons: long lines sometimes, come early more