Manchester’s Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall is starting a summer of new offerings on a humorous note, with the opening Wednesday of the Funny Bone Comedy Club and Restaurant.
The live comedy venue and eatery is on the lower level, near the Blue Turtle, a restaurant and game room combination that opened in January.
The Funny Bone chain started in 1982 and has 15 locations throughout the U.S., according to a company background. The Buckland Hills mall restaurant features a 350-seat theater “in the half round” with raised platforms and banquet seating, and offers seven shows per week, Wednesday through Sunday.
The opening act last week was John Joseph with Johnny B, who have played venues ranging from New York’s Radio City Music Hall and Foxwoods in Connecticut, to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, according to the Funny Bone’s listings.
The show incorporates comedy, music, and theater, according to the listing.
Through the rest of May, acts set to appear include Jamie Kennedy, who appeared in Wes Craven’s “Scream” and “Scream 2,” among other Hollywood roles; Guy Torry, who has had roles in several major feature films including “Life” and “Pearl Harbor,” Brett Butler, known for her “Grace Under Fire,” show.
Summer Sizzling
According to mall Marketing Director Lynn M. Gray, the Funny Bone’s opening is just the start of an entire summer of new arrivals at Buckland.
The Desert Moon Fresh Mexican Grille, in fact, opened on April 19, on the upper level across from the food court. The chain has 18 locations, “with several more planned within the next couple of years,” Gray said.
On the apparel side of the business, Forever XXI , a part of the California-based Forever 21 group, will open sometime this summer in the Center Court area near the fountain, she said.
Forever 21 now operates 355 locations nationwide with the brands Forever 21, Forever XXI, For Love 21, and Gadzooks, Gray said.
Also set to open over the course of the summer is Sunsights by Solstice, a sunglasses and accessories shop on the upper level near Ruby Tuesday, a Cuppy’s Coffee & More shop nearby, and 90’s Nails & Spa in Center Court near the fountain, she said.
In addition, this summer also will see the opening of a Coach handbag and accessories store in the Center Court area near the fountain, Gray said. There are more than 300 Coach stores in the United States, with more expected to open this year, she said.
