Why did the chicken cross the road? Because he (or she) was looking for some laughs. Whereas East Lansing is lacking in comedy venues and improv groups are rare, if not nonexistent, neighbors in Lansing continue to bring in the big names.

The phone has been ringing off the hook at The Comedy Zone lately. Employees at the club have been taking ticket orders for the latest comic coming in for a show.

Ralphie May, the smooth-talking up-and-comer who made a name for himself on "Last Comic Standing" and competes with famous faces to lose weight on "Celebrity Fit Club," will be performing a show this weekend.

Lansing is not the big city, but big city acts do make their way here. Both Connxtions Comedy Club, 2900 N. East St. in Lansing, and The Comedy Zone, in the Frandor Shopping Center, draw their fair share of big names.

At Connxtions, the wall says it all. Upon first walking into the club, patrons are greeted by a wall of caricatures. Some of the paper is starting to yellow from age, but the autographs are timeless.

Everyone from radio personality J. Anthony Brown to sitcom star Damon Wayans has paid a visit to the club, located on the outskirts of town in an unassuming brick building, where it has been for more than 20 years. Pauly Shore and Louie Anderson have stopped by The Comedy Zone, a relative upstart that celebrates its second anniversary this summer.

Both clubs also serve as venues for comedians new to the scene, such as J. Scott Homan. Often billed as a "blue-collar comic" in the vein of Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy, Homan says he just tells what he knows from his experiences living below the Mason-Dixon Line.

"I'm just a guy from the South," he said. But dispensing Southern wit is well-received in the Midwest.

"I enjoyed it. I had a good time," said Homan, who performed at Connxtions early last month. He said the Lansing audience liked his jokes, and he would come back any time.

"It seems like a pretty lively area," he said.

Steve Tripp, manager of The Comedy Zone, said comedians come from all over, but some jokes may not win over audiences because of the region.

"We get some jokes that work in the North that don't in the South," he said.

Dwayne Gill, a house comedian at The Comedy Zone, said he's performed at venues in New York City, Chicago, Boston and Seattle - but there's no place like home.

"I think Lansing's pretty hip, to be honest," the Michigan native said. "You got the college and upwardly mobile adults that enjoy good entertainment."

Playing different regions has shown him what sections of the nation like certain comedy opposed to others, and how to approach those areas with jokes the audience will enjoy.

"You've got Midwest comics, coastal New York, East Coast and West Coast," he said. "East and West Coast - they have more TV-type comedy. They only have 6-7 minutes (for a routine)," he added.

"Now a Midwest comic is a worker," he said, saying they often put up to 45 minutes into an act. "I would put a Midwest comic against a New York comic."

Despite what regional differences might exist, they don't prevent clubs from booking acts.

"It gives us an opportunity to make Lansing much more cooler," Tripp said.

Tripp said comedy clubs in Lansing fit right in with the recent push for "Cool Cities" in Michigan by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

"To be able to bring another venue of entertainment into the community is a positive thing," he said.

Depending on the act, however, prices may vary. But most often, tickets for shows are only $8 at The Comedy Zone. "It's a cheap date," Tripp said.

The future of comedy in Lansing is only getting brighter, but at the same time, it's unpredictable, Tripp said.

"There was a down cycle in the late '80s and right after 9/11," he said. "It was a tough, tough time for America to laugh."

So far, though, business has been good.

"Every week our shows are getting bigger and better," he said.

And booking national acts to come to a not-so-big city has not been a problem, either. Lansing is a major Midwest destination for many comics, and local comics can also land opportunities to go on national tours.

Although Gill doesn't have any plans to become a professional comic, he still encourages patrons to come out and see people who could be the next big thing.

"If you want to enjoy a good evening of live entertainment, there's nothing like coming into a live comedy venue and laughing through the evening," Gill said.

"Live comedy is where it's at. You get a little bit of everything."

For more information about Connxtions Comedy Club and its shows, visit www.connxtionscomedyclub.com or call (517) 482-1467 for 24-hour information. For more information about The Comedy Zone, call (517) 324-4242.