Carolines on Broadway Turns 40: How the Legendary Comedy Club Survived a Sleazy Times Square, Changing Tastes and COVID

variety.com:

Carolines on Broadway, the legendary comedy club in Times Square, taking the main stage can be a death-­defying propo­sition — and not just because the audience, likely several drinks in by the time the head­liner grabs the mic, expects to laugh uproariously and often.

More than the crowd, it’s the very layout of the space that gets comedians’ pulses racing: There’s a curious gap between the dais and the wall, meaning one wrong step and… “The first thing they said to me,” says comedian Jo Koy, “was ‘If you back up, just remember, you’re going to fall.'” And yet, many have risked­ taking the plunge, because it’s the venue that gave countless stand­up comics — Jerry Sein­feld, Rosie O’Donnell and Kevin Hart among them — their start. “Everything’s weirdly but perfectly placed,” Koy says. “You’re not going to get that anywhere else in the world.” The anything­-can-­happen ethos at Carolines, which cel­ebrates its 40th anniversary this year, is part of its charm.

Of course, the club’s co-­founder, Caroline Hirsch, could have eventually renovated the stage, but that would destroy the point: Performing in the Big Apple has never been for the faint of heart. “It’s the hardest place to do comedy,” Hirsch says. “You never know who is sitting in the audience; you have to bring your A­-game.” If anyone knows the ins and outs of New York’s comedy scene, it’s Hirsch.

A mainstay for decades, the 70-­year­-old is known for her ability to not only spot talent but nurture and ele­vate it. So Carolines is the prime venue for up-­and­-comers, as well as comedy lovers who want to ­see the next big thing before it becomes the next big thing.