Tony D’Andrea was on stage at the third Tuesday Comedy series in the Crystal Bay Club.

D’Andrea’s white hair stuck up at all angles like cotton pulled from a ball as he stood onstage and bellowed about “no respect” in a perfect Rodney Dangerfield impression.

After pretty much solidifying itself as the music venue on the North Shore, the Crystal Bay Club has taken on another genre, comedy.

As of now, shows are scheduled every other Tuesday in the Crown Room. A host, headliner and feature act perform to a comfortably set Crown Room that has been transformed into a comedy club.

“It’s a natural in the Crown Room,” said the show’s promoter Wayne Wright. “It’s a great setting that compliments the quality of the comedy.”

According to Wright, the addition of comedy was just something that he and CBC Marketing Director Bill Wood thought would be a great addition to the North Tahoe entertainment scene.

“It’s a real positive, it makes people happy,” Wright said of the shows.

The events themselves boast comics from all across the country. Last Tuesday show was hosted by Adam Stone, with an appearance from Kinsie Damon and headlined by D’Andrea. The feature comic was Mickey Joseph out of San Francisco who, from Catholic school to fat guys in spandex and everything in between had the audience in stitches.

Wright said he is constantly trying to improve the shows, but in the end it is just an attempt to provide quality entertainment at a reasonable price.

At $10 for a nearly two hour show, the comedy nights are fairly unbeatable.

With not a whole lot of great evening activities for the dating crowd on the North Shore, the comfortable setting in the Crown Room during comedy nights provides an excellent option for a midweek date.

But aside from price or setting, comedy is one of the oldest and most effective forms of entertainment.

As your eyes well up so you can’t see from laughing so hard and you think you might pass out due to lack of oxygen, everything else just sort of fades away.

“It’s an opportunity to get out and get your mind off the troubles of the world,” Wright said.

Next Comedy Night scheduled for April 3

April 3 marks the date of the third installment of Tahoe Comedy North sponsored by Healthy Alternative Distributors. The Crown Room will once again be transformed into the North Shore’s comedy central as comedians Ed Regine, Rick D’Elia and Adam Stone hit the stage at 8 p.m.

Ed “The Machine” Regine
In January 1985, at a small club in Providence, RI, Ed Regine made his open-mic debut. Within four months he booked his first paid gig; and by the end of the year he was headlining choice clubs and colleges all over New England.
In the nineties Ed’s career moved into television and film. His national debut was on America’s Funniest People, which led to spots on MTV, Evening at the IMPROV, and 3 New Year’s Eve Specials from Disneyworld. He’s opened for Jackie Mason, Natalie Cole, and the Beach Boys.

In 2000, Ed moved to LA to further his film and TV career. Ed has appeared on Mad TV, The Practice, NYPD Blue and Last Comic Standing. He’s also logged in 7 appearances on the the Tonight Show with Jay Leno! Ed’s landed movie roles in many films including Code of Ethics, The Mouse, and Celtic Pride with Dan Aykroyd.

The Boston Herald dubbed Ed, “a non-stop joke machine”- and Ed has proven them right on the money!

Rick D’Elia
Rick tells jokes. Rick writes. Rick goofs around on the guitar and drums and has one of the worst singing voices in the history of mankind. Sadly, that is no joke. Rick misses Boston. Rick would probably like LA more if he spoke Spanish, had a personal chef, or perpetually drove 30 mph below the speed limit in the fast lane. Rick wrote a book with another comic friend, Andy Wasif. If you love baseball and HATE the Yankees, you’ll dig “How to Talk to a Yankee Fan!” Former Sox legend, Bill “Spaceman” Lee inked the foreword and Boston Globe icon, Dan Shaughnessy gave it a ringing endorsement. Rick also recently co-wrote, directed, and produced a TV pilot loosely based on the book called SFU. Rick wrote this.

The details:
Tahoe Comedy North
Headliner: Ed Regine
Featured: Rick D’Elia
MC: Adam Stone
Location: Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room
Date: Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Time: Doors 7 p.m., Show at 8 p.m.
Cost: $10 Advance, $15 Day of Show

Photos by Keith Sheffield/Tahoe World
Top to bottom: Tony D'Andrea, Kinsie Damon and Mickey Joseph.