Comedy will return to Broadway and a former vegan heavy metal dive once lined up to become a piano bar will have new life this spring.
Comedy/Bar, part of a long-running stand-up comedy presence at Broadway’s Jai Thai gone nomad after the Thai joint’s closure, is set to take over the former Highline space above Broadway just north of John.
CHS reported here in December on plans for the Comedy on Broadway organizer to take over the shuttered Jai Thai space, a deal that fell through over cost issues.
Seattle comedy veteran Dane Hesseldahl is now shaping his club for the Highline space with plans for an opening in late March to early April.
Hesseldahl says he was working with a real estate agent to find a space that would work after the old Jai Thai fell through and the Highline space popped up. At 4,500 square feet, Hesseldahl thought it would be outside of what he could afford.
“After some time I got into the space, took a look at the state of it and I could make the financials work and I could afford that much space,” Hesseldahl said.
Now that’s funny (Image: CHS)
The old Highline almost got snapped up last year for another entertainment venture. CHS reported here on the plans for a Broadway piano bar in the space that came to a quick crescendo and went pianissimo. The Highline itself shuttered during the pandemic when one of the bar’s owners announced he was taking over the Georgetown Liquor Company. The Highline opened in May of 2010, filling the space left empty by the exit of the notorious Miami-beach themed Club Lagoon and its rooftop Lamborghini.
The new comedy club’s downstairs neighbors will be the axe-tossing bar Blade and Timber which opened in 2019 after the building’s $6.35 million acquisition and overhaul. Castle, by the way, now calls E Pike home.
Meanwhile, Club Comedy established itself on Capitol Hill last year on 15th Ave E.
The new Broadway venue will have speakeasy vibes with show posters and comedy appropriate decor. Hesseldahl is planning a busy schedule with the club open six days a week. And there will be liquor license to help loosen up the crowd and help the punchlines land.
“We’ll bring back the famous Tuesday and Friday open mics; we’ll bring back the Saturday shows—we’re hoping to get back a lot of the shows we had at Jai Thai,” Hesseldahl said. “I also want to figure out ways so it can be open in the afternoon — weekend afternoons — to provide a space for people to play games or run improv classes, and utilize that space.”
When live comedy isn’t taking place, Hesseldahl said he will showcase comedy specials from local comedians on video.
In the meantime, he’s planning a funny grand opening.
“We’ll throw a big party,” Hesseldahl said. “We’ll have a big comedy showcase. We’ll bring in somebody amazing, and we’ll throw a heck of a party.”
Comedy/Bar is set to open at 210 Broadway E this spring. To check out upcoming Comedy on Broadway shows across the city and keep track of progress at Club/Comedy follow @comedybarseattle.
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