A lone spotlight illuminates the stage where a microphone and wooden stool stand still, patiently awaiting the first comedian of the night.

Audience members settle into their seats with eager anticipation, while servers weave through the tables, expertly balancing drinks as Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” blasts through the speakers.

As the first comedian takes the stage, warm laughter spreads through the room, a welcome contrast to the biting December chill outside.

On the first Tuesday of every month, Lexington’s Comedy Off Broadway hosts their open mic night where professional and aspiring comedians alike share the stage, united by their passion for making people laugh. 

A variety of comedians, both local and traveling, took to the stage on Tuesday, Dec. 3, resulting in a show that lasted approximately 90 minutes.

Theresa Ray, a manager who has been with Comedy Off Broadway for 24 years, described a typical open mic night to consist of about 20-25 comedians, each given about three minutes to perform. 

As a manager, Ray is responsible for keeping the show on schedule and ensuring everything runs smoothly. She said she enjoys the role for its blend of social interaction and entertainment.

“When you come in, you’re escaping. It’s like going to see a movie. You just forget for a little bit and enjoy it,” Ray said. 

Founded in 1987, Comedy Off Broadway has long been a venue where aspiring stand-up comedians can begin their careers. 

Madison Pohl started as a server for the club in 2016 and is now a performer and host for open mic nights. 

Pohl attributes his growth as a comedian to the club and the performers who take the stage there.

“What a lot of people don’t know about stand-up comedy, is that a lot of the most famous people in the world that do stand-up will come to clubs like this every weekend. So, we get to work with some of the biggest comedians in the world,” Pohl said. 

According to Pohl, the profession of stand-up comedian is not for the faint of heart and requires both passion and persistence. 

“You really just need to have a passion for it. You have to be perfectly fine with making no money for a long time,” Pohl said. “You have to really like doing it and you have to be attention-seeking. You have to be a little bit narcissistic I think.” 

Pohl’s stand-up career has not been without its challenges. When he first began, he battled nerves that only improved with time and practice. He said he began performing anywhere and everywhere that would take him from bars to backyards to Christmas parties.

“A lot of (the) time you’re doing comedy for people that don’t necessarily want to hear comedy. And that’s the toughest one, is when you’re not in front of a comedy audience, you’re in front of two people eating dinner at a restaurant or a bar and they had no idea you were coming,” Pohl said. “But you have to be OK with bombing. You have to be OK with, you know, not getting laughs, to get better and fight through that.”

Another comedian, AJ Montez, works as a bartender at the club and occasionally co-hosts with Pohl. Comedy has been a lifelong passion for Montez, who has been performing since 2006.

“In third grade, we were talking about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I said I wanted to be a comic. And so, every time I go up, I’m living my dream,” Montez said. 

An integral part of stand-up comedy, perhaps the most important part according to Montez, is stage presence.

Each comedian who took the stage brought a distinct presence of their own. Some were loud and energetic, others more reserved. Some improvised and engaged with the crowd, while others stuck strictly to their scripted material.

“As far as stage presence, it’s finding your voice,” Montez said. “Once you find your voice as a comic, you’re in it. So many comics, they’ll have the jokes, they write the jokes, but they don’t have the presence. So just putting that together, it’s kind of like Voltron*. You gotta have all these pieces and put them together and become a comic.” 

* Voltron is an animated TV series featuring large robots who are made of multiple different complex pieces.

As for Montez’s comedic style, he tends to favor crowd work and feeds off of audience participation. According to Pohl, this seems to be the direction stand-up comedy is heading.

“The landscape of comedy is changing,” Pohl said. “With social media, there’s a lot of people who literally have no material, they get on stage, and they just start talking to the crowd. And you know, if you’re really sharp and really quick, then you can make something funny just by talking to a stranger in the crowd.” 

No matter the method used to deliver a punchline, one thing became clear from open mic night: joy and laughter are universal.

People of all ages, genders, races and backgrounds stepped into the spotlight with the intent to bring joy to a group of strangers. Drawing from their life experiences, comedians told jokes about everything from the challenges of parenthood, the holidays, dating and even the impending apocalypse.

Comedy Off Broadway hosts different comedians every week, typically Thursday through Saturday. More information about upcoming shows can be found on their website. 

If one thing is certain about comedy, it is that laughter has the power to bring people together.

“Comedy is on a level to everybody. Everybody wants to laugh, so you’ll meet people from all walks of life,” Montez said.  

Whether a lifelong entertainer like Montez or an aspiring one, open mic night offers people the perfect opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and into the spotlight.