Friars Club, Entertainment organization in Manhattan, United States.
The Friars Club is a private association for comedy and entertainment professionals in Manhattan, housed in an English Renaissance-style mansion on 55th Street. The multistory building features several event spaces, a ground-floor bar, and private dining areas where members gather for networking meetings and dinners.
The association grew out of a 1904 gathering of theater agents who wanted to stop counterfeit ticket schemes. During the 1950s, members introduced the now widespread tradition of comedy roasts, where entertainers humorously critique fellow performers.
The name comes from the tradition of wandering friars who traveled the countryside in medieval times, gathering in communal groups. Members meet regularly for dinner in wood-paneled rooms where comedy performers and entertainment professionals exchange their latest stories and projects.
Access is limited to members and their guests, so visitors need an invitation to enter. The building sits centrally in Midtown, just a few blocks from major hotels and theaters.
Until 1988, only men could join, but after a constitutional change, singer Liza Minnelli became one of the first female members. The roasts held in the banquet hall were often secretly recorded and later circulated as bootleg tapes among fans.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
