Comedian Mark Normand Rushed Offstage, Audience Evacuated During Stand-up Show

At a comedy show, an unusual incident leading to the stand-up being escorted off stage and the whole audience being part of an emergency evacuation wasn't what it seemed. Comedian Mark Normand appeared at the New York Comedy Club on Wednesday, but things didn't go according to plan.

According to a video taken from the performance, an unknown man can be seen getting on stage with Normand, which appeared to confuse him. As Normand looked desperately towards security, the man was escorted from the stage without any resistance.

Anyone know what happened here? pic.twitter.com/wdwk9lpyXc

— Blind Mike (@BlindMike_) January 25, 2024

That would appear to be the end of it, except Normand also found himself rushed off the stage shortly after. Having looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights, Normand apologized for "going Mitch McConnell," a reference to the Senate minority leader who clammed up twice when journalists questioned him.

However, a group of men who appeared to be security guards took Normand's microphone and escorted him off the stage before he could resume his set. Following this, the audience looked confused and somewhat alarmed in the video.

A woman walked on stage and says: "Everything's fine, we just had a momentary interruption." Her reaction was a bit stunned, and she was soon joined by a man who introduced himself as a producer on the show. He told the audience: "We just need everyone to get out. Nice and slow, everything's fine."

After the incident, the New York Comedy Club wrote on its Instagram story: "Still trying to figure out what happened tonight. If you saw this, let us know!" Meanwhile, Normand posted on his Instagram story, "Some s— went down tonight. My team is still trying to put together the details. Sorry to the fans."

Ultimately, they were all fooled by what happened that night because, later, the comedy club admitted it was all staged. In a statement on their Instagram page, the New York Comedy Club apologized for causing the panic and noted that some filming was taking place. 

"We've received a handful of inquiries regarding a viral clip of our club being evacuated last night," the message read. "First and foremost, nobody was harmed or injured. The disruption was part of a filming by @Hi_Hi, the producers that rented out our venue for the night." To those who were escorted out, a free show is being offered. "So, since this took on a bit of a wild narrative, if you were in attendance for this taping, we'd love to host you for an ACTUAL show for FREE."

Normand has appeared on both The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He is also the co-host of podcasts Tuesdays with Stories as well as We Might Be Drunk.