Today, we’d like to introduce you to David (Sadman) Sadaka.
Hi David, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was a teenager when I first watched Rodney Dangerfield’s Special with Dom Irrera. I became addicted to Dom’s comedy and a lifelong fan. At 35 years old, with a wife and 3 children, I took a comedy class at Uncle Funny’s in Ft. Lauderdale. It was the beginning of my comedy journey. It would be years later that my children could be old enough, so I could commit to going out every night to do open mics. By then, I had 5 children in my late 40’s.
I eventually partnered up with another comedian, Nadeem Awad, to produce comedy shows in South Florida venues and beyond. Eventually, we decided to open a boutique comedy spot of our own in Boca Raton, Sadman Comedy Cafe, to have great weekend and weekday shows and be able to control the entire experience to be a pure standup comedy show. We created a 50-seat room that was influenced by the New York City clubs in Greenwich Village, where we believe the best comedy in the world exists.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing great is always smooth. Every new comedian has to make sacrifices and commit to grinding for usually no pay for a good amount of time when they start. Producing the shows is an added dimension of the stress of being responsible to others, such as the venue, the audience, and the other performers.
It is a lot of work, and I still need to find time to improve my own performance. Coordinating all the parties involved while continually marketing for an audience to come is a full-time job. The payoff is usually great. Not financially, but the feeling of having a great show is like no other.
That is why comedians do this. Opening up our own comedy club has been the most satisfying part of the journey so far. It is no simple task. Way more unforeseen things than I would have expected. But staying committed and feeding off of the satisfaction of one great show at a time is what keeps me going!
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Sadman Comedy Cafe, Boca Raton?
Sadman Comedy Cafe, Boca Raton, is a boutique comedy club with 50 seats that allows the comedian and the audience to have an intimate time together. We are fortunate to have relationships with some of the best nationally touring comedians in the country, as well as the best comedians in the state of Florida who perform at our place regularly, and many consider it their home club.
It is a classic NYC-style comedy club environment. We have isolated the space and set the room up in such a way as to reduce all distractions. The comedian can be clearly seen and heard, which makes the message more impactful. The audience connects with the performer, and the performer gains confidence and becomes more passionate about his/her message.
This, in turn, strengthens the connection from the audience members. It has a snowball effect, and the overall result is standup comedy the way it’s supposed to be. As a comedian, I feel it when I am on that stage, and everyone who performs there says the same thing. It is like having people in your living room, gathered around you to hear your story. If you are a fan of standup comedy, it doesn’t get any better.
We serve beer, wine, hard seltzers, wine-based cocktails, soft drinks, coffees, teas, and a modest menu of handheld foods. Shows are ticketed on Eventbrite and a 2 drink minimum is standard for most shows. On Tuesdays, we have open mic night for the comedy community with no cover charge for entry, with a 2-drink minimum for audience members and 1 drink minimum for performers.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Comedy is a team sport. I have a partner, Nadeem Awad, who is arguably the most talented young standup comedian coming out of South Florida right now. He has incredible stage presence and likability that cannot be taught. He writes about everyday issues and is not afraid of targeting himself as a topic of humor. He also knows how to get people excited to attend shows and social gatherings.
My wife, Stephanie, and 5 children have been amazing at supporting me and helping out at the club when needed. I couldn’t do it without them and my entire family and extended family of friends who go out of their way to attend shows in support of what we do. I am blessed… much love!
The other team player(s) is the entire South Florida comedy community. We are very fortunate to be part of a group of very committed professional performers who take their craft seriously. A very undercelebrated group, comparatively to some of the other national comedy hot spots, our community has grown since COVID-19.
Many accomplished comedians from New York, L.A., and everywhere else in the country gravitated to Florida in 2019 to live and work in freedom. Comedians, like racehorses and Ferraris, need to run laps all the time. Comedians are also some of the most overthinkers in society, so isolation is not a good place for them.
Florida became a natural fit for them after COVID, and we couldn’t love having them more. It is important to note that during COVID, Florida never completely shut down. We had 2 weeks to flatten the curve, and then Nadeem and I started producing shows anywhere people would gather, including driveways in community cul-de-sacs. We also got back indoors sooner than anyplace else I could think of.
We had many willing South Florida comedians and countless comedy warriors who reached out and offered to travel to Florida to perform on our shows that they had all heard about. It’s funny because today, I sometimes hear comedians from out of state talk about how they were doing shows during Covid. But, I didn’t see anything in my searches on social media or anywhere on the internet during that time for any other shows.
Some states weren’t indoors for over a year. We never missed a beat in Florida. Maybe that’s why so many comedians and people in general continue flocking to Florida now. So, props to our Governor DeSantis and local government for setting us apart and allowing us to thrive during a very dark time in our history.
Pricing:
- $25 – $45 Tickets
Contact Info:
- Website: SadmanComedyCafe.com
- Instagram: @SadmanCoemdyCafeBoca
- Facebook: @Sadman Comedy Cafe Boca
- Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/sadman-comedy-cafe-boca-raton-74684999873
Image Credits
Zach Bugarin
