Mitzi Shore, the founder and owner of the famed Comedy Store, passed away recently at the age of 87. She was known as an extraordinary businesswoman who was far beyond her time in terms of cultivating and celebrating the very intricate art of stand-up comedy. If you haven’t made the connection yet she was also a loving mother to four children, one of those being none other than Pauly Shore. She was also adored by the comedians who came to know her and in some ways to depend on her business to create thriving careers of their own. This is a woman that has left behind a truly magnificent legacy and helped to change the landscape of comedy as many people knew it. It goes without saying that she’ll be dearly missed. The Comedy Store was closed for a day to honor her passing, as many comedians that can recall who Mitzi was and how she affected their lives no doubt took the time to remember her.
Shore’s club was founded in Los Angeles in 1972 and during her time she managed to influence such acts as Robin Williams, Jay Leno, Chevy Chase, Jim Carrey, Richard Pryor, and Chris Rock. Just think of the many different comedians that must have come through this place, standing up on stage trying to do their best to not blow a chance that might be the one that gets them noticed. Likely as not several of them didn’t get picked up straight from The Comedy Club but Shore’s contribution to their career by allowing them a voice in her business was no doubt a positive step forward for every last one of them. She initially co-founded the club with her husband at the time, but when they divorced she took over all interests and became the sole owner of this legendary venue.
Unfortunately there was a bit of a dark side to the club since Shore didn’t always pay the talent, insisting instead that the club be used to provide the needed training so that they could hone their craft. After a strike in 1979 and a suicide came as a result however she ended up paying the comedians per set. After this she decided to change the club up and started showcasing female comics in the Belly room upstairs. At one point she even opened Comedy Stores in Westwood, Universal City, La Jolla, Las Vegas, and Honolulu. The Comedy Store became a widely known name and a destination for many comedians that wanted to get paid and get more exposure that could lead to bigger fame.
Unfortunately Shore finally lost in her longstanding battle with Parkinson’s Disease, though the report says she died of an unknown neurological disorder. Any way it’s said however the world has lost another talented individual that took something that was originally just an idea and created a legacy that has lived on now for decades. The comics that have passed through her door have all gone on to bigger and better things for the most part, but thankfully she’s never been forgotten.
Rest in peace ma’am.
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