The Improv: An Oral History of the Comedy Club that Revolutionized Stand-Up

Budd Friedman, considered by many the father of the modern comedy club, was born in Norwich, Connecticut, moved to New York, fought in Korea, and returned to Manhattan, where he obtained a degree in advertising and marketing from New York University. He opened the Improvisation in 1963. The rest, as they say, is history.

Tripp Whetsell is a New York-based author, entertainment journalist and critic specializing in comedy, television, film, music and pop culture history. His work has appeared both in print and online.

Johnny Heller, a Golden Voice Lifetime Achievement Award winner, has recorded over 800 audiobooks spanning every genre. He is a four-time Audie Award winner, an AudioFile Best Voice, and the winner of over thirty Earphones Awards. AudioFile magazine named him one of the top fifty voices of the twentieth century.