Rising Montreal Star | Jamie Rabinovitch (Comedy Producer in NYC)
After graduating from McGill University, the rising Montreal star Jamie Rabinovitch moved to New York City to pursue a Masters in Creative Writing (Fiction) at The New School ’17. Rabinovitch currently produces stand-up comedy shows in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Her shows include All Kidding Aside – an all-female, themed comedy show, Casual Town – a comedy show held in a private Karaoke room at Sing Sing Ave A (featured in Timeout Magazine), and Tuesday nights at Old Man Hustle in the LES.
Rabinovitch recently produced Kelsey Caine’s Graduation Comedy Gala at Carolines on Broadway, which was featured in Timeout Magazine. She produced a 90 minute show called Sunday Scaries at The Delancey, and will be producing a 90 minute showcase at House of Wax on July 18th, 2018. Rabinovitch works with comedians with credits including Netflix, Hulu, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Conan on TBS, Jimmy Kimmel Live, NY Times contributors, New York Comedy Festival, Sirius XM, Just for Laughs, San Francisco Sketchfest, Vice, BET, Clusterfest and many more. This 24 year old is definitely someone to look out for in the future business of comedy.
Q. How did you get involved with comedy and why? How did you get into producing?
Before I moved to New York City, I worked for Just For Laughs—a comedy festival—in Montreal. I grew up reciting scripts from comedy movies (a trait which lead my doctor-lawyer-plastic-surgeon-Jewish parents to say, “if only you could memorize your school work as well as you memorize comedy”) and after witnessing the production of live comedy first hand at the festival, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it in some way.
I quit medical school, moved to New York, and dove right in — I was laughing in the audience at Caroline’s, Gotham, and Comedy Cellar, and performing at Pete’s Candy Store, House of Yes, and Muchmore’s. I fell in love with comedy clubs, with being surrounded by the shared laughs of the audience… but performing was NOT for me, and I wanted off stage, fast! My good friend, comedienne Kelsey Caine, suggested I start producing my own shows, and soon after, my bi-monthly show, “All Kidding Aside,” was born.
In addition to AKA, I produce a weekly show at Old Man Hustle (Tuesdays) and a weekly show called Casual Town at Sing Sing Ave A (Thursdays). I’ve had the opportunity to produce at Carolines on Broadway and The Delancey. I am currently producing a show that will take place on July 18th called Summertime Halloween Comedy Show at House of Wax hosted by Kelsey Caine (The New York Times) and Martin Urbano (Jimmy Kimmel Live) featuring performances by Christi Chiello (Comedy Central, Just For Laughs), Sydnee Washington (Conan on TBS), Molly Austin (Clusterfest, Carolines on Broadway Breakout Artist), Marie Faustin (Just For Laughs, Clusterfest), & Free The Mind (Elite Daily).
Q. What goes into producing a show?
The first step in producing a new show is coming up with a vision, or underlying theme, for your event; next comes finding a venue. You have to pitch your show to the manager/owner of the space, and cross your fingers that they have an opening in their schedule: priority goes to anyone who can promise an audience of heavy drinkers! After your venue is secured, you can begin booking comedians, and last comes promoting it through social media, email blasts, flyers, Timeout, and any other popular publications people use to find events happening in the area. If the show is ticketed, you’ll have to manage ticket sales and the comics’ pay as well.
During the show you want to look after the following:
• Making sure you have enough seats
• Making sure the sound system is working well so that everyone can hear
• From time to time, an audience member will begin to interact with the comedians while they’re on stage. If it get to the point of excessive heckling and it disrupts the show, it is the producer’s role to approach that audience member so that the show can go on.
Q: What do you think is the future of comedy?(development etc.)
Women, LGBTQ+, and people of color is the future of comedy, and I’m excited about it. If in New York this Summer, click this link from the New York Times on Jamie Rabinovitch’s latest production: Summertime Halloween Comedy show!
Montreal offers diverse comedy in Montreal. There is something for everyone here.
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