A new comedy club is opening in Indianapolis in March, and it’s coming with a bang. Helium Comedy Club, situated in the heart of downtown on Georgia Street, will feature Jay Pharoah from “Saturday Night Live” and “White Famous” on Showtime during its opening weekend March 8-10.
The club will open at a time when Indianapolis’ comedy scene is taking a hit. Morty’s Comedy Club has announced it will close, and Crackers in Broad Ripple closed last year. Marc Grossman, Helium’s owner, said the city simply doesn’t have a top-tier comedy club right now. Grossman wants Helium, which will feature Black comedians, to take that spot.
“You can expect something that you haven’t seen before,” he said. “You’re going to see a beautiful club with the best talent that Indy has ever seen in a comedy club.”
Those are lofty expectations, but the ingredients may be there. Grossman said he doesn’t think local comedians have been “supported or mentored” the way they should have. And with Helium set to offer comedy classes and open mic nights — which are good opportunities for amateurs to sharpen their skills and gain exposure — the club could groom its own talent. Plus, there’s not a lot of competition right now. The only other comedy club open in town is Crackers’ downtown location.
Grossman also noted that the new club could end up enjoying the support of Indianapolis’ Black community, since it’s been his experience in the comedy business that Black people will show up to support Black comedians.
The Pennsylvania-based comedy club chain has four other clubs across the country, including one in St. Louis, where an Indianapolis local who does well could travel to do a show. Grossman is urging early patrons of the club to be patient as the new staff learns on the run, but he believes Helium has the potential to be one of the nicest comedy clubs in the country.
HELIUM COMEDY CLUB
Indianapolis’ newest comedy club will feature Jay Pharoah from “Saturday Night Live” and “White Famous” on Showtime during its opening weekend.
March 8-9: Two shows at 7:30 and 10:15 p.m.
March 10: One show at 7 p.m.
Where: 10 W. Georgia St.
Tickets: indianapolis.heliumcomedy.com
Upcoming shows
Bruce Bruce, March 15–17
D.L. Hughley, May 17–19
Lavell Crawford, June 27–30
Jay Pharoah
