I'm getting tired of writing about people dying so I'll be as brief as I can about Mitzi Shore, who has passed away at the age of 87. This obit well recounts the facts of her life and how a divorce gave her ownership of what turned out to be the most important franchise ever in the world of stand-up comedy.
The list of funny people who benefited from performing at the Comedy Store is endless, though nowhere near as endless as the list of those who got onto her stages, tried to emulate the success stories of that profession and wound up selling insurance for a living. Unless you saw an Open Mike (Try-Out) Night at the Store, you have no idea how unfunny some people who think they're hilarious can be.
Mitzi culled from those auditioners the <1% who showed some talent — which I never thought was as difficult to discern as some insisted — and gave them a showcase and a shot. Many who parlayed their shot into stardom will tell you that they owed much of it to her. As a writer for a few of those guys during the Golden Era at the store, I was in a position to observe without having to kiss up to Mitzi for good time slots and I'll give her this: She was really, really good at running the business side of that business and it made her very wealthy.
One of these days, when more time has passed since her passing, I may be in the mood to write about the flip side of that. It has to do with how in show business, some people will give you a great break and even though they profit from it too, they expect you to keep paying them back forever for it. For now, let's just thank her for helping out the careers of a lot of people we know, love and laugh at.