Rick Newman Dies: Founder Of Influential Catch A Rising Star Comedy Club Was 81
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Rick Newman, the founder of New York City’s hugely influential Catch a Rising Star comedy club that provided a training ground for the stand-up comics who would change the landscape of entertainment in the 1970s, died Feb. 20 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 81.
His wife Krysi Newman told The Washington Post that he died of pancreatic cancer.
More from Deadline
Chris Chesser Dies: 'Major League', 'The Color Of War' Producer Was 74
Jansen Panettiere Dies: Actor, Brother Of Hayden Panettiere Was 28
Among the comics who began or developed their careers on the Rising Star’s Upper East Side stage are Jerry Seineld, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Richard Lewis, Andy Kaufman, Freddie Prinze, Robert Klein, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler. Larry David, Elayne Boosler, Rodney Dangerfield, Jay Leno, Joy Behar and Ray Romano.
One of the performers most associated with Catch a Rising Star was Richard Belzer, the longtime host of the club who died Feb. 19, just a day before Newman.
Newman, tweeted Billy Crystal, “gave me and so many our starts as stand ups.” Crystal wrote that Newman’s death was “devastating” coming so soon after Belzer’s. “2 pillars of my career gone.”
“You made Catch A Rising Star such a great hang while a generation of comedians were learning their craft,” Richard Lewis tweeted. “You were beloved.”
Newman opened the club in 1972, signaling the venue’s mission in its name: Catch a Rising Star would welcome the comedy newcomers that might have a tougher time getting booked at the more established Improv club across town.
Four years after its opening, the club hosted the launch of Seinfeld’s stand-up career. Kaufman would use the stage to develop his “Foreign Man” character that would evolve into Taxi‘s Latka Gravas, and David Brenner, already a popular comedian when the club opened, told The New York Times in 1982, “You can’t practice on The Tonight Show or in Vegas. Catch is a place where you can be bad, and that’s how you get to be good.”
Newman sold the business to partner Richard Fields in 1986, and the original Upper East Side location closed in 1993.
Newman is survived by wife Krysi Newman and two children.
In addition to Crystal and Lewis, other comics posted tributes to the club founder. Read them below.
RIP Rick Newman.
You made Catch A Rising Star such a great hang while a generation of comedians we’re learning their craft.
You were beloved. pic.twitter.com/R6mZejXGn1— Richard Lewis (@TheRichardLewis) February 21, 2023
#RickNewman owner of #CatchaRisingStar the comedy club has died. He gave me and so many our starts as stand ups. Devastating the day after #RichardBelzer the host at Catch,first to intro me as a comic in ‘74 & a great friend also passed. 2 pillars of my career gone.
Sad times.— Billy Crystal (@BillyCrystal) February 21, 2023
The best!!!! Thank you Rick Newman for the kind words, great shows and making us all better comics. You are a legendhttps://t.co/nvr9BlJduJ pic.twitter.com/ORJyXMYlX1
— Dave Attell (@attell) February 24, 2023
The End Of An Era. Catch A Rising Star Owner Rick Newman dies one day after the great Richard Belzer. Read a piece about 'Catch' on https://t.co/DnvjHSroXV or listen to the podcast on the site or at Apple on Spotify and @substack. Please follow and rate and you know…. thanks. pic.twitter.com/UyHfx1mOWW
— Mike Binder/ Subscribe to my substack (@MikeBinderjokes) February 24, 2023
Took a couple of days to process but can't stop thinking about the great Rick Newman, owner of Catch a Rising Star, who passed away this week. Newman's true talent was believing so much in your talent that you had no choice to believe it yourself. We'll miss you, buddy. pic.twitter.com/QyiyGMpsj2
— The Sklar Brothers (@SklarBrothers) February 23, 2023
I had the pleasure of meeting Rick Newman several times and he was so done to earth and sweet that I’d forget how major he was #RIP
— Jackie Hoffman (@JackieHoffman16) February 23, 2023
There’s something poetic about Rick Newman and Richard Belzer leaving us within days of each other. #RIPBelz #RIPRickNewman #CatchARisingStar https://t.co/sXxupIT8tD
— Alan Zweibel (@AlanZweibel) February 21, 2023
Best of Deadline
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.