Happy Valley Comedy
The Provo Open Mic That Started Happy Valley Comedy
By Happy Valley Comedy ·
How an open mic in Provo brought Ryan Provstgaard into Utah stand-up and led to producing shows with Dennis High in Springville.
The room that started it
The first room that mattered to Happy Valley Comedy was the stand-up open mic at ImprovBroadway in Provo. Ryan Provstgaard came in as someone who loved stand-up and wanted to try it. What kept him coming back was the group of people he met. They were writing, getting onstage, and making time for each other after the show. Before there was a production company, there was a reason to keep showing up.
What an open mic makes possible
That experience changed how we think about what a comedy room can do. A mic gives someone a place to try a few minutes of material in front of a real audience. Over time, the people in that room become the ones you ask for feedback, invite onto a lineup, and call when you have an idea for a show. Ryan had worked in video and photography, and documenting comedians gave him another way to contribute. Producing shows grew out of the same impulse: if there were people he wanted to see on a lineup, he could help build one.
From Provo to producing shows
Ryan and Dennis High went on to produce shows in Springville, and our work in Provo included venues like The Hive Collaborative. Each room gave us a different audience and a different set of things to figure out. What could we do to help people hear about a show? How could we give local comics sets they could build on? Those questions are still part of the job when we produce a show or help another producer get the word out.
Making the first step easier
Provo is part of the story because it’s where Ryan found the people who made comedy feel like something he could take part in. Making that first step easier for the next person is still a big part of why we do this.