Last weekend my husband and I were treated to two tickets to see one of our favorite comedians, David Spade, perform at the new Irvine Improv in the Irvine Spectrum shopping center.
The show happened to fall on my parents 45th wedding anniversary, so we invited them to join us and had the BEST NIGHT EVER!
I had been hearing lots of good buzz about the new Irvine Improv and its fab new location attached to a super cool Umami Burger (the biggest in OC) across from the Edwards IMAX movie theater in the Spectrum.
The New Irvine Improv
The new Irvine Improv is a beautiful, state-of-the-art 500+ seat theater.
To celebrate the grand opening, world class comedy acts including comedians like Ralphie May, David Alan Grier, Jon Lovitz, Carlos Mencia and (my FAVORITE) Jay Mohr can be found on their upcoming calendar.
Irvine Spectrum Umami Burger
The Irvine Spectrum Umami Burger is a spacious, colorful, indoor/outdoor restaurant which also serves the Irvine Improv guests for dinner.
A word about Umami Burger. If you a carnivore and haven’t tried one, well, their burgers are simply out-of-this-world. Put it on your must-try OC list. The burgers are fresh and mouth-watering delicious.
And, take it from me, also order the Tempura Onion Rings. Best ones I have had in my life.
Our Evening at the Irvine Improv
David Spade was performing at the 7:00pm show, and we arrived at 5:30pm with a dinner reservation.
We were able to order off of the Improv’s Umami Burger menu and found service to be extremely efficient and friendly (thank you super server Mike!)
I was surprised we got to see two different comedy warm-up acts before David Spade came on; both of which were hilarious and highly entertaining.
Between the opening acts and David Spade, my cheeks hurt from laughing. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time and it felt SO good.
Irvine Improv Tickets
If there is a comedian you really want to see, best to buy tickets online ahead of time as shows do sell out. However, walk up tickets are also sold. Box office opens at noon.
I found the prices to be very reasonably priced for the talent. For example, Jay Mohr is $30/ticket (so was David Spade) with a two-drink minimum (pssstttttt…..the Mango Tango martini was delish).
Groups of 10+ can reserve a section ahead of time. Check the website for details.
On Friday and Saturday nights, Kiyan the magician can be found making the rounds doing some magic tricks towards the end of dinner.
He also performs a longer set for their Family Fun Magic Show held every about other month. This show features kid-friendly jokes and magic along with a yummy kids’ menu.
I love this saying on the new Irvine Improv building. Life can get so busy and serious sometimes.
Going with your friends or significant other on a date night at the Irvine Improv is such a nice break from the same ‘ole dinner out and like they say, laughter really is the best medicine.
I was still feeling the laughter after-glow all the way home (that, or maybe it was the Mango Tango martini)? In either case, it was one of the most fun nights out I have had in a long time.