Orlando Improv is now Funny Bone

The Pointe Orlando comedy venue that has made itself the hub of the Orlando comedy scene has a new name. As of Jan. 5, Orlando Improv Comedy Club is now Funny Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant. 

Vice President Todd Leinenbach of Cleveland-based Funny Bone Comedy Clubs said the venue, which always has been operated by his company but for years licensed the Improv name, was ripe for change. 

“With today's economy and inflation, paying for something that we don't think brings a lot of value anymore — it's all about the acts. That's the value, right?” 

Funny Bone, which has run clubs nationwide for decades under Funny Bone and Improv branding, has converted four of its venues from Improv to Funny Bone in recent months. 

The money that would have gone toward continued licensing for Orlando’s venue instead was invested back into the building. 

“We remodeled the bar area, which used to be called Fat Fish Blue, and put in a new HVAC system. We spent about $150,000 on the updates, and I just spent $20,000 on new carpet plus new flooring for the green room,” Leinenbach said. 

In addition to well-known national acts, the main stage occasionally supports local comedy showcases.

Orlando comedian Rauce Padgett has won the coveted Orlando Weekly title "Best Local Comedian."

Orlando comedian Jarri Knows is one of the area's beloved comedians and frequents stages throughout the region. He also produces comedy shows.

Local comedians Kam Patterson and Lisa Rod-Davis in the green room at Orlando Improv

Kam Patterson got his start on Orlando comedy stages and is now touring nationally.

Local comedian Jersey the Haitian Sensation awaiting his headlining show at Orlando Improv

The bar stage has shows a few nights per week, including a Thursday open mic, where Robin Love performed on Jan. 4.

General Manager Krista Spanick and the club's comedy class instructor Carmen Vallone at one of the venue's community-focused events

Orlando comedian Ken Miller won Steve Harvey’s Comedy Spotlight and is a leader in the local scene.

Funny Bone Orlando is managed by Krista Spanick, who has been with the company since it opened a club on Church Street in 2002. She started as a server, then moved around to different roles to learn all aspects of the business. 

She was tapped to open new clubs throughout the country, too. When Orlando Improv moved from Church Street to International Drive in July 2010, Spanick was at the helm.

Leinenbach described the company’s Orlando theater as one of its best for discovering and mentoring local talent, thanks in part to comedy classes taught by Carmen Vallone. 

Vallone said he often can spot people with a gift for comedy early on. 

“Some people just instinctively know how to make people laugh. Rey Reyes and Issac Knox are good examples of that,” he said. “But then there are some people who once they learn some joke structures — which is something I emphasize in the classes — they take it and run with it and end up becoming very funny.” 

Orlando Improv is owned by the company that founded Funny Bone in Pennsylvania. Now the Orlando comedy club has the name, too.

The square footage of the venue is 15,000, divided between a main theater that seats 350 and a bar area with capacity for 300. The bar has a full-size stage and often hosts comedy shows at the same time shows are running on the main stage.  

On Thursday nights, Vallone hosts an open mic on the bar stage, where local comedians try new jokes and work on their sets and audiences get a good overview of what the local scene has to offer. 

This story was originally published in Orlando Business Journal. Click HERE for more.

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