Everyone talks about the ‘good old days’ when times were simpler. Take a look at this picture from yesteryear and see if you can spot places, people and scenes you recognise.
Coconuts Comedy Club (1990s)
Coconuts Comedy Club. There’s a name to conjure with.
At least 30 years ago, the original Holiday Inn on Seven Mile Beach (now the location of The Ritz-Carlton) was home to the hottest – and only – stand-up comedy club on the island.
Coconuts was a chain of clubs originating in Florida, at a time when stand-up was hot, hot, hot, particularly in the US. Its location in Cayman was no exception. Open at least five nights a week, with two new international comedians every seven days, it regularly sold out with a waiting list out the door.
Even though it was branded as Coconuts, the name of the room was Wreck of the Ten Sails, featuring a nautical mural along the back wall, complete with wooden ship’s wheel mounted on the faux deck. A number of the people painted on the wall as buccaneers were actually well-known local characters, including Eric Bergstrom, a tourism pioneer and Cayman’s Department of Tourism’s first director.
I was a host of the club for quite a while. I was nervous with no experience but loved the spotlight, so I was determined to give it a try. I’m telling you – stand-up comedy is one of the hardest performance genres out there. It took me a while before I became comfortable… where I could wear heels without my legs shaking.
So many talented people went through that club who went on to impressive careers. Eddie Brill went on to be the warm-up act for David Letterman and booked comedians for his late show. Louis Ramey has been all over television, including ‘Last Comic Standing’ and ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’. Dennis Regan was a writer on ‘The King of Queens’ and Tommy Blaze had regular appearances in Vegas and on TV shows including ‘Friends’.
After the club evenings, the audience would often head out to the beach bar for a beverage. It was the perfect setting for a nightcap. If they were lucky, they’d catch Barefoot Man and his band before the end of their final set.
I don’t even know why the club closed in the end. They used to run karaoke and live music in the same room, but that might have been on different nights. Did Coconuts close before the hotel did or was it all at the same time? My memory of how it ended is foggy, but I’ll never forget how much fun it was when it was an island hotspot and the laughs were plentiful.
If you have some old photos that you’d like to submit, we’d love to see them to consider them for publication. Be sure to include the credit for the image and any information you have about it. Email to [email protected].
Related Videos
