Watching someone flop is an uncomfortable way to spend your evening. And when you hear "open mic," you have to assume that at least some part of your night will be spent looking away in sympathy. Whispering to your friends. Taking bathroom breaks. But a night at the New York Comedy Club in Boca Raton might change your mind – and the way you perceive "amateurs."

Walking into the New York Comedy Club, you are greeted with typical comedy club decor and atmosphere. Employees asking one another, "Have you heard this one?" Small black tables crowded around a stage of faux red brick, a marquee of upcoming acts and street lamps.

Outside the club are dozens of comics, friends of comics and club employees buzzing about everything from the Pope’s frail condition to zodiac signs.

A general sense of excitement and camaraderie commands the front porch before the show. Everyone knows everyone. And if they don’t yet, they make it a point to – shaking hands and exchanging stories in front of the glass doors.

The New York Comedy Club has made Piccadilly Square in Boca Raton its home for three years. The club was formerly known as Boca Nuts, and the location has been hosting national acts for nine years.

The club has seen famous comedians such as Artie Lange, Damon Wayans, Gilbert Gottfried, Pauley Shore and Brett Butler grace its stage. The weekend shows are dominated by accomplished comics and the people who love them. But what about the seemingly unknown Boca guy with the amazing one-liners? It isn't easy starting out. Just because grandma shot milk through her nose after that last joke at the dinner table doesn't mean you'll be pulling in crowds at the Improv.

Enter open mic night.

Open mic nights have always been a part of comedy club ritual.

"Anytime there's a comedy club, there's always people who think they are funny," said Rob LeBrun, general manager of the New York Comedy Club.

And those funny people want a chance to show off their stuff. Open mic allows the comic to practice material on an intimate crowd in a comedy club setting.

In order to create a crowd for the open mic night, each performer must bring five people to watch the show. The guests get in for free and are asked to purchase two items off the menu to keep the doors open.

On average, the night brings in 12 to 15 comics, and the resulting audience fills out approximately 100 seats in the club.

LeBrun, who has worked for the New York Comedy Club for a little over a year, was drawn to the club first, as an audience member and lover of comedy. He liked the atmosphere so much, he decided to become a part of it. He eventually wants to work for cable giant Comedy Central.

"It's a good idea to get on the ground floor – pay your dues as a comedy club manager," said LeBrun.

He's also a writer for twodrinkmin.com, a magazine devoted to stand-up comedy. Because of his position, he's able to get in-depth interviews from just about any comic who stops through town.

LeBrun says he does his best to give each amateur comic a chance – whether it’s giving them stage time during open mic, scheduling an MC rotation or giving pointers.

"I don't claim to be a comic, but I know a funny joke when I hear one. I'm surrounded by this every day,” he said.

Each performer gets 5 minutes of stage time. They can choose to use the full amount or say goodnight when they run out of material. It's not uncommon to see the comics pacing up and down the side aisle practicing or bringing a cheat sheet onto the stage.

"Nowadays, comedy is so much more laid back than it was in the '80s. People are going up there to have a good time," said LeBrun.

And a good time it is – for both performers and audience members. After the lights dim, the MC takes the stage. He warms up the crowd, then introduces comic after comic in rapid succession.

The talent on Thursday nights represent every age group, ethnicity and caliber of taste you imagine.

From senior citizens joking about impotence to teenagers mocking fathers, no one is safe from ridicule.

Eric Dennis, an FAU student and second-time performer at the New York Comedy Club, is the youngest comic to try his luck.

"Last time they all liked me. Rob [LeBrun] asked me to come back and practice a bit,” said Dennis.

Dennis described comedy as a dream of his – “Not really doing stand-up, but doing comedy.”

"I love it. I got nervous as hell the first time, but now I'm actually excited," he said.

Dave Dreisin has been performing at open mic night since October. He describes himself as antisocial and an introvert, yet he is by far, the most talkative comic both on and off the stage.

"I'm a maniac," Dreisin said.

He works at a Mexican restaurant in Dade County and also does voiceover work for foreign films. However he says the service industry isn't a dream of his, and the voiceover work pays next to nothing. He comes back to the New York Comedy Club every month to try his hand at stand-up.

"Some guy came up to me after the show and said, 'Boy, you looked comfortable up there.' I haven't been comfortable once."

Yet Dreisin continues to show up. Masochist? Maybe. Funny? Yes.

Steve Strowbridge is the ringleader. He's also the MC for the night.

"He's the daddy of all comics around here. He's the one to know," said LeBrun.

Even though he's modest about the title, he is responsible for the cohesive group. He maintains a Web site, www.comedysteve.com, with a list of every place in South Florida that hosts an open mic night. He also runs a mailing list to notify fellow comics about upcoming gigs and charity benefits.

Strowbridge, a South Florida native, started coming to the club in 1998 when it was Boca Nuts. He returned in 2003 and has been performing at the New York Comedy Club ever since.

He works as a network engineer at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. "That's what pays the bills," he said.

He is also a member of a local sketch comedy group called Something Different and is working on getting some out-of-town paid gigs doing feature work – which translates to "the middle act."

"What I like about comedy is that it's a hobby for me and I have fun with it," said Strowbridge. "My only goal is to continue to have fun with what I'm doing and to hopefully improve the strength of my act, and then whatever comes out of that, is cool."

All of the performers I meet Thursday put emphasis on the "community of comics" growing in both size and closeness in South Florida. There are more than 200 open mic comics in the tri-county region working the circuit right now, according to Strowbridge. His arsenal of amateurs brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, "strength in numbers."

Despite the growth, the way up isn't a walk in the park.

"Open mic is tough," said LeBrun. "A lot of people in the comedy industry have a certain stigma about open mic'ers where they think that because you're not known, you're not going to be known. A lot of people work really hard at it, get up there every week and try new material. People have to give them a chance."