The future of live comedy all over the country remains in question as the coronavirus quarantine forces clubs and theaters to remain closed, but at least one Los Angeles venue is getting a boost from late night. On Monday evening, Conan O’Brien debuted his show from Largo at the Coronet in West Hollywood, where he fondly recalls getting his first laughs doing improv in 1985. “I got my last laughs here in 1991,” he reminisces. “Then no laughs since. Bit of a drought.”
“I’m glad we’ve figured out a way to safely keep that theater going during this lockdown,” O’Brien said when the show announced the switch last week. To maintain the health of Conan’s staff, the Largo iteration of his show will be made using a barebones crew, with guests and even right-hand man Andy Richter stopping by via Zoom. Only one person will physically be in the audience: O’Brien’s assistant, fan favorite Sona Movsesian, and yes, she is wearing a mask, too. Conan’s first Largo guest tonight is the unflagging Will Ferrell, and no, he hasn’t gotten his hair cut while in quarantine, either.
