By John Katsilometes (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Brad Garrett’s jokes about being banished to the basement of the MGM Grand and “wedged between the pretzel place and house of magnets” will cease in November.
Garrett’s days of inhabiting the Underground food and retail walkway are over. He’s moving his eponymous comedy club to the promenade leading to MGM Grand Garden Arena. A build-out is scheduled to begin, soon, for BGCC in the old China Tang space. The grand opening is set for Nov. 27, with Garrett appearing with club vets Butch Bradley and Trixx.
The new room sits on the restaurant row just off the main casino, across from Craftsteak and Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House. China Tang closed in February 2020, after operating for two years.
Comedy is but one of the genres being presented at the new venue. Garrett has long envisioned music leading to the stand-up performances. He’ll have that at the new club.
“The venue has a wonderful lounge and bar that will feature blues, jazz and standards during the afternoons, happy hour and a pre-show,” Garrett says. “The main restaurant will be turned into our showroom.”
Garrett plans a nine-show-per-week schedule, with two shows Fridays and Saturdays. Rob Schneider will headline two shows nightly during New Year’s Eve week. The New York-based, seven-piece show band Sammy Miller and the Congregation is booked at the lounge.
Garrett opened at MGM Grand’s Underground in March 2012. “Now at least my ears won’t pop when I go below sea level to work,” he says.
Garrett operated and headlined at his namesake club at the Tropicana for 18 months ending in December 2011. That venue now is the Laugh Factory.
Garrett is in town this week, hosting at 8 p.m. through Sunday. Josh Sneed is the headliner, with Jeff Scheen featured. Of the new venue, Garrett says, “I’m pumped.”
