About DOWNSTAGE
Downstage Entertainment is a talent booking, talent management, talent representation, and arts programming company based in New York. We provide the highest quality talent to theaters, performing arts centers, casinos, fairs/festivals, and corporate and private event buyers throughout the United States and internationally.
ABOUT OUR FOUNDER, Harlan Halper
In 2003, after 23 years in the personnel and executive search business, Harlan Halper turned his passion for comedy into a reality. After 3 years of planning, design and construction, Comix Comedy Nightclub opened in New York’s Meatpacking District. The Club’s Red Carpet Opening Night and weekend featured performances by some of the biggest names in comedy:
Sarah Silverman
Kathy Griffin
Cedric The Entertainer
David Spade
Triumph The Insult Comic Dog
Alex Borstein
Flight of the Conchords
Bill Engvall
Mo’Nique
Paul Rodriguez
Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts with Special Guest, Dan Aykroyd
and a special appearance by Ron White
Over the years, Comix was a haven for what became known as “alternative comedy” and provided numerous artists with their first NYC comedy club headline weekend including:
Craig Ferguson
John Oliver
Aziz Ansari
Donald Glover
Anjelah Johnson
Iliza Shlesinger
John Mulaney
Nick Kroll
Jo Koy
Craig Robinson
Chris Hardwick
Just to name a few.
Harlan oversaw a 14,000 sq ft space with a 350-seat capacity showroom, 50-seat lounge, and a full restaurant kitchen. He also expanded the brand to Foxwoods Casino and Resort in Connecticut in 2010.
After Comix closed in 2011, Harlan created Downstage Entertainment that booked, promoted, and presented live entertainment – including comedy, music, and stage productions - in theaters and performing arts centers around the country. In 2014 and 2015, Harlan served as Tour Manager for the Undateable Comedy Tour, a 17-city live performance tour to promote Seasons One and Two of NBC-TV’s sitcom, Undateable, co-created by Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Scrubs, Spin City, Cougar Town).
In 2016, after several years of booking and representing talent, Harlan was hired by Big3 Entertainment as the VP of Programming for both the Mahaffey Theater and Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, FL, . In that capacity, Harlan booked a full performing arts calendar of live events which included music, comedy, stage productions, dance, speakers, and specialty programming.
Harlan’s unique background as both a buyer and a seller of talent, former promoter and theater programmer has provided him with unparalleled perspective and insight into the business of live entertainment.
Today, Downstage Entertainment is a talent booking, talent management, talent representation, and arts programming company based in New York. It is proud to be working with a core roster of talent that it manages and represents for personal appearances, and it maintains close relationships with talent agencies and talent managers throughout the industry. It calls on those industry relationships consistently and books its own roster of talent to service the live entertainment requirements of its clients in the Casino, Theater, PAC, Fair/Festival, Club, and Event markets.
Harlan and the staff of Downstage Entertainment look forward to working with you to fulfill your entertainment needs!
PARTIAL LIST OF ARTISTS / SHOWS BOOKED
Irma Thomas, Blind Boys of Alabama, and the Preservation Hall Quintet
The Isley Brothers
Jackson Browne
Jamey Johnson
Jason Bishop
Jason Mraz
Jay Leno
Jeff Foxworthy & Larry The Cable Guy
Jefferson Starship
Jethro Tull with Ian Anderson
Jim Gaffigan
Jo Koy
Joe Rogan
Joe Walsh
John Mellencamp
John Mulaney
John Oliver
Jon Stewart
Kansas
Kathy Griffin
KD lang
Kevin Hart
Kevin James
Kingston Trio
La La Land: In Concert
Lee Rocker: The Stray Cat
Legendary Ladies of Motown (Mary Wilson & Martha Reeves)
Lewis Black
Lily Tomlin
Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie
Lyle Lovett
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Maddie + Tae
Markiplier
Marlon Wayans
Marshall Tucker Band
Mary J. Blige
Masters of Illusion
The Mavericks
Maxwell
Michael Carbonaro
Dr. Michio Kaku
The Midtown Men
Million Dollar Quartet
Mnozil Brass
Moody Blues
Motown The Musical
Mummenschantz
Musical Thrones: A Parody
The No Apologies Comedy Tour (Mark Riccadonna, Aaron Berg & Tom Cotter)
The Offend Everyone Comedy Tour (Aaron Berg & Luis J. Gomez)
Pet Shop Boys
Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular
The Platters
Poison/Tesla
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater
Primus
Psychedelic Furs
Queens of the Stone Age
Rascal Flatts
The Rides
Righteous Brothers
The Romantics
Ron White
Sammy Hagar/Collective Soul
Santana
Saturday Night Fever
Scorpions/Megadeth
Scott Stapp
Sebastian Maniscalco
Shawn Wayans
The Silhouettes
Steve Martin/Martin Short and the Steep Canyon Rangers
Storm Large
Take 6 + Manhattan Transfer
Tango Fire
Tao Drum Heart
The Ten Tenors – Home For The Holidays
Terry Fator
Tesla
Toby Keith
Todd Rundgren
Tommy Tiernan
Tony Bennett
Tracy Morgan
Trevor Noah
The Tubes
The Undateable Comedy Tour (Rick Glassman, Ron Funches, Brent Morin & Chris D’Elia)
Wild Kratts Live
ZZ Top
.38 Special
94.1 WiLD FM’s Shut Up & Laugh: Jay Pharoah, Gary Owen, and DL Hughley
94.1 WiLD FM’s Shut Up & Laugh: Hannibal Buress, DeRay Davis, and Bruce Bruce
94.1 WiLD FM’s Shut Up & Laugh: Michael Che, Jo Koy, and Mike Epps
94.1 WiLD FM’s Shut Up & Laugh: Jerrod Carmichael, Tiffany Haddish, Pete Davidson, and Chris D’Elia
94.1 WiLD FM’s Shut Up & Laugh: Robert Kelly, Carlos Mencia, and Jo Koy
98 Degrees
A Flock of Seagulls
A Night of Janis Joplin
ABBA Mania
Adam Lambert
Alan Jackson
Alice Cooper
American Rhapsody: The Gershwin Songbook
Animaniacs LIVE!
Anjelah Johnson
Arturo Sandoval
The Association
An Evening with Audra McDonald
Australian Bee Gees
Artie Lange
Aziz Ansari
B-52s/Culture Club/Adam Ant
Bad Company
BalletBoyz
Barenaked Ladies
Bell Biv Devoe, SWV, & En Vogue
Benise
Bill Burr
Bill Engvall
Bill Maher
Bill Nye
Billy Gardell
Blondie
Blue Oyster Cult
Bob Eubank’s Hollywood’s Greatest Game Shows
Bob Woodward
Bonnie Raitt
Boston
Branford Marsalis Quartet
Bret Michaels/Dokken/Warrant
Brian Setzer Orchestra
Bruce Hornsby
Bryan Adams
Bumper Jacksons
CATAPULT
Cedric The Entertainer
Celtic Woman
Chicago
Chris & Paul Show
Chris Hardwick
Chris Isaak
Chris Rock
Cirque Dreams Holidaze
Cirque Eloize: Saloon
Classic Albums Live: Hotel California
Classic Albums Live: Breakfast In America
The Coasters
Colin Hay (from Men At Work)
Colin Mochrie (from Whose Live Anyway?) Presents HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis
Craig Ferguson
Criss Angel
Cyndi Lauper
Daily Show Writers Comedy Tour
Dan + Shay
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
David Clayton-Thomas
Defending The Caveman
Dennis Miller
Diana Krall
Donald Glover
The Drifters
Dwight Yoakam
Earth, Wind & Fire
Elvis Costello
English Beat
Family Guy Live with Seth MacFarlane & Alex Borstein
The Floyd Experience
Flo Rida & Macy Kate
G3 – Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, and Phil Collen
Garrison Keillor
Gary Allan
George Lopez
Goo Goo Dolls
Harry Connick, Jr.
Heart
Huey Lewis and The News