Photo Courtesy of State Sen. Mike Gianaris
Sept. 22, 2020 By Christian Murray
This is no joke!
That’s the message that comedy club owners are telling Governor Andrew Cuomo who has kept them closed since the pandemic struck in March.
The owners and performers want the same treatment as other business that have been able to reopen at limited capacity. These include gyms, bowling alleys and restaurants.
State Sen. Mike Gianaris joined club owners and performers for a rally today outside the New York Comedy Club in the East Village to call on the state to allow them to reopen—albeit in a limited manner.
The club owners and performers have formed a coalition and launched a #SaveNYComedy campaign. They have put forward a plan that they say would allow them to reopen safely.
“I challenge anyone to explain why comedy clubs would be less safe to operate than restaurants or bowling alleys,” Gianaris said. “There is no good reason to keep them closed when these other establishments are open—all this does is further hurt our economic recovery.”
The coalition’s plans would allow venues to produce ticketed outdoor performances immediately for fewer than 50 people with tables kept six feet apart.
The club owners are baffled that they are unable to produce outside events currently– since public gatherings with fewer than 50 attendees are already allowed.
They also want to be treated like restaurants or bowling alleys.
Restaurants offering food and beverage service will be able to offer indoor service at 25 percent of their maximum occupancy starting Sept. 30. Alternatively, bowling alleys are permitted to operate at 50 percent occupancy without food and beverage service.
“We’re holding this rally to make NY State give live entertainment the same consideration given to other industries,” said Kambri Crews of QED Astoria.
“If people can attend ping pong tournaments in Bryant Park, we should be allowed to produce socially distanced outdoor comedy shows,” Crews added. “If bars are allowed to host indoor trivia nights, it shouldn’t suddenly become illegal because the trivia host starts telling jokes.”
Featured Events
22 Comments
This is my last comment to the SSP and the LIC post. the staff of the publication have decided to edit the comments of the people to what they view as appropriate or rather in line with their personnel & political views. so much for the “free Press”….lets see will the publish or edit this comment
So much for your grand conspiracy in the comments section of a website lol
I don’t post often to this stream but notice the posts seem to be one person who is has some type of narcissistic issue. You won’t be missed and would probably be happier posting Breit Bart Or infowars. Good riddance.
As predicted so short sighted of him and Cortez. they single handily ran amazons 25k jobs out of LIC and here he is crowing about opening clubs.
Finally something I can agree on with this
Politician. Still I’m not sure this will make up
For those 25000 high paying jobs he turned up his nose at and that’s no joke.
What’s the deal with Coronavirus?
I mean, can you get it if you live in Jackson Heights or Astoria?
Who knew Mexican beer was so nasty?
Thank you. I’ll be here all week, g’night!
Rimshot!
Pretty funny to hear Gianaris talking about our economy being hurt since no one has done more to injure it for decades than him. Remember Amazon?
Amazon? The site in Woodside or Maspeth?
you know, looking back, i think we should have taken amazon in LIC
until i hear those words, this man is nothing NOTHING to me!!!
It’s a shame to see Trump’s bungling of the pandemic hit us so hard, rip comedy
Lowest unemployment in history…450 miles of wall…greatest economy in US history…sometimes changing your meds helps…see you at Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation vote!! Bye Bye Roe V. Wade…Democrat genocide of children is over!!
NYS unemployment is 16%, national was 3.5% under Obama
Single worst day in the stock market in history.
$15 billion in new taxes for a border wall. Wasn’t Mexico supposed to pay for it?
Hurb
Trumper- Where in Russia are you? No great economy has ever seen so many retail outlets close down. No great economy has 10% unemployment. The Mexican boarder is 2,000 miles long. So with your calculation of 450 miles of wall built in 4 years that equates to 112.5 miles of wall built in a year that means we will have a complete wall in almost 18 years. The overwhelming majority of illegals just overstay visas according the state department. Are you for real?
we had a tiny little pandemic which triggered a shutdown of the economy(the most draconian shutdowns by dem governors) that is why we have retail outlets closing and 10% unemployment…you couldn’t possibly be that dense…450 miles built with the dems trying at every turn to block its construction…thank god the re-purposing of funds from other federal agencies to complete the wall will be ruled as constitutional when Amy Coney Barrett gets confirmed as the new SCOTUS member….see ya at the polls!!(and the new justices swearing in!!)
Trumper- Trump told you his followers to resist and “liberate” the safeguards put in place from the very pandemic you mention. Trump and all around him are constantly checked for the very virus Trump told you to go out and catch. According to your twisted logic Republican states that didn’t lockdown wouldn’t have an unemployment crisis but yet they do. You’re nothing but a follower who is being led by a cult leader who doesn’t care if his followers live or die. Just ask Herman Caine. Enjoy. It’s just Darwinism.
Buddy – There is no such a thing as a tiny little pandemic. 20 years to build a simple wall that was built in ancient times in less than half that time. Maybe Trump the chump should hire illegals to get the job done on time and under budget. Where have you been retail was a struggling sector well before the pandemic. Trump the con man has found himself one gullible pigeon in you.
Trump said he doesn’t need Democrats to pay for the wall. Two thirds of the border 1500 Miles. is in Republican controlled states of Texas and Arizona.?
@Moscow-There would be no pandemic if Trump didn’t treat the virus as a joke. Remember Trump dancing with the flag and calling the virus a hoax last March? “It is what it is” Go “liberate”. 7 million infected Americans and over 200,000 dead. Trump will go down in history as a treasonous mass murderer. This is what happens when you vote a reality TV show into office. You voted for this failure.
And a Trump lover is calling that “tiny.” How disrespectful.
450 miles of border wall built under Obama.
Trump hasn’t built any new wall, and pretended Mexico would make a “one-time payment” for it.
Instead, he’s taxing Americans in the middle of a market crash
Gianaris is a joke! Physique in Woodside closed and ballet studio also! I love it when he pretends to care while giving Cuomo unlimited power. And yes, with only 25% capacity and the weather growing colder, this will be another blow to the restaurant business. Let’s face it: people like Gianaris, Cuomo, DeBlasio and pals could not care less!