Winter is no longer a laughing matter for the owner of Hopkins' Royal Comedy Theatre.
Michael Edlavitch has decided to shut down his three-year-old venue with an eye on moving his family to a warmer climate.
"I got tired of shoveling the back and the front of the place," said Edlavitch, a stand-up comic himself who often emceed evenings at his intimate space in the heart of the city's bustling downtown scene.
Edlavitch is convinced he can get an attractive price for the property.
"Hopkins is booming," he said.
The venue, which had a maximum capacity of 70 people, attracted some national headliners, including Todd Glass and Paige Weldon, but it specialized in comics based in the Twin Cities.
"We found that people liked local comedy," he said. "Our audience wanted jokes that they could relate to. We also found local women brought in more people."
Edlavitch said that if he stays in the Twin Cities, he may try to coordinate some stand-up nights with a local hotel. For now, he's focusing on saying goodbye to his Hopkins venue, which will present its final shows on April 26 and 27. For tickets visit, http://royalcomedy.com/
