Comedy Club prepares to open its doors in Rochester

Joshua Guptel stands on stage at his soon-to-be-opened comedy club in downtown Rochester. The image on the stage is that of his son, for whom the club is named. (Rochester Voice photo)

ROCHESTER - Joshua Guptel performed comedy for the first time after convincing a Connecticut bar owner to let him and a friend take the stage for the gate money.

"We just went into the bar and said we're comedians, I mean who would make that up?" Guptel said puffing on a cigar inside what will be New Hampshire's only comedy club when it opens next month. "I made $400 that night, and I'm thinking this is pretty good."

That was in January 2009. Three and a half years later Guptel left his longtime job working in the Boy and Girls Clubs of America and began working full time as a comic.

His dream of running his own comedy club now nearly at fruition, he spends most of his time these days fashioning a former Chinese restaurant on Union Street into what will be Curlies Comedy Club, billed as a unique comedy venue that incudes Food, Drinks and Laughs.

Joshua Guptel has been doing comedy since 2009. (Courtesy photoJ

Guptel, a Dover High graduate who played football and track for the Green Wave and still holds state records in several track events, said he performs comedy the way he used to run the 100 meters.

"I get up there on the stage and I'm moving around and sweating," he said. "I work hard to be funny. I may not always be a '10' but I'm never less than an '8.' That's how I did so well in track. I work my ass off."

But it won't be just Guptel performing at Curlies. Guptel, who has worked with many noted comedians like Lenny Clark and Juston McKinney, said he'll have headliners from New York and all over New England performing at Curlies.

"New Hampshire and Maine are riddled with good comedians," he said.

"We'll have plenty to choose from."

And Curlies Comedy Club will be a very special venue, he said, with seating for about 50 keeping it very intimate.

He said every Friday and Saturday Curlies will have a top comic headliner as well as an opening act, with Guptel doing a routine first and emceeing the rest of the show.

Friday will be a very special night, he said, with Curlies offering local nonprofits the chance to get the gate for tickets sold.

"They can sell the tickets, and keep the money," he said, adding it was his way of paying it forward.

Other nights will feature different themes, like a Match Game format on Thursday and family trivia on Sunday.

Guptel said Wednesday nights will be set aside for teaching young people the art of comedy, something he began doing while working at the Boys and Girls Clubs.

While this will be his first foray into running a comedy club, he has managed several comedy venues in the past including Veronica Laughs in Raymond.

Tickets for the nighttime comedy shows will range from $10-$15.

The club's first night open will be Friday, Oct. 27.

Once it opens Guptel said it will be one of only two comedy clubs operating in New England, the other being the Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington, Vt.