Police Academy sound effect generating wizard Michael Winslow is put on the spot, prompted to make some funny out of the icons for the Bastion, the Apiary, and the Coming. Will bees storm the castle? Only if you put on your special, shiny imagination hat!
Jonathan Messinger and Jeremy Sosenko promise that "evocative crap" will be transformed into comedy gold right before your very eyes at the latest Dollar Store show, which will be April 6 at 7 PM at the Hideout. Featured performers, intent on turning random trinkets into creative brilliance include Diana Slickman, Sarah Haskins, and James Kennedy. Admission fee? Dude, if you have to ask...
Check out the little documentary by Carey Rohrbacher about the Dollar Store shows:
Holsen Hones Pitching, Taking a Shot, Dennis Rodman?, More
Hans Holsen, who's getting to be a pro at this "pitching to the networks" thing, asks on his i.O. blog that you remember and revere the Seven Stock Sitcom Characters, including "The Ornery Dad, The Long-Suffering Wife, The Delinquent Son, The Comatose Daughter, The Hobgoblin, and The Talking Clothes Hanger that Sprinkles Sugar on Floor Mats." Everything really does boil down to a simple formula involving talking clothes hangers, doesn't it?
James Fritz is tired of the old Chicago pub crawl, especially the St. Paddy's Day variety. It's fun and all, but it so often ends with him being punched. "And because I'm a drunk retard and forgot my Harold training from six years ago and how comedy, apparently, like shots of Jameson, still comes in threes, I get sucker ball punched." Might as well do stand-up, if you're going to put yourself through that.
Second City's Seth Weitburg shares some thoughts on the dangers of overwriting the funny right out of a good sketch, the importance of editing, editing, editing, and why aspiring comedy writers should always keep a little notebook in their back pocket: "...If you have any interest in writing comedy, keep a notepad with you at all times. I like the little pocket ones from CVS or Walgreens. Any time you have a thought or an idea, or something strikes you as funny, compelling or interesting, write it down. When you go back to this pad days, weeks or months later, most of it will be nonsensical horse dung, but there will be nuggets of resounding clarity in there that you will thank the dead spirit of Robert Frost that you hung on to, because otherwise they would have been gone – mental driftwood in an ephemeral sea of passing thoughts."
Has Dennis Rodman been shopping at the Brown Elephant in Lakeview? Wearing a Michael Jordan jacket? Stranger things have happened.
Mike Palascak is still musing over his crush on Clarissa herself. Some things are forever.
The Scene's Jon and Molly explain explaining improv to the uninitiated. According to Jon, one condenses one's summary as the years go by: "If you’ve actually made all of these points in a single conversation, you’re probably a young improviser who’s really, really into improv. When you’ve been doing long-form improv for a few years, you don’t really want to talk about improv all the time. I myself just use a one sentence answer: it’s improvised comedic theater. If they want to know more, they’ll ask; and then I’ll give another vague answer, because I’ve already decided I don’t like this person and want them to go away so I can get back to doing this crossword puzzle."
i.O.'s Bill Arnett addresses the very popular topic of gender disparity in comedy while tipping his hat to Madeline Kahn. Did he love her as Lili Von Shtupp as much as we did?
Please Say Hello to the New Kid on the Block: The Lakeshore Theater!
The 300-seat theater has been around for awhile, host to various theater productions and, more recently, music acts, but tonight sees the launch of the Lakeshore Theater's new comedy programming, with the first night of the Marijuana-Logues' current Chicago run. The theater is boasting an impressive schedule for the near future, including Julia Sweeney, Doug Stanhope, Mike Birbiglia, Maria Bamford and Scott Capurro.
As their release states:
The eclectic programming will reflect a broad spectrum of the comedy arts, differing in styles, substance and presentation and each with an original voice and diverse appeal. The common denominators for all works presented by The Lakeshore are an artistic integrity and a commitment to exploring and presenting comedy as a rich, expansive art form beyond conventional notions.
The season will kick-off with The Marijuana-Logues, tonight, 8 p.m., through April 1, and will feature Arj Barker, Tony Camin, and Doug Benson.
Photograph by Caroline Voagen Nelson, totally stolen from Time Out Chicago. Clink on that link to read more about the theater's new enterprise.
New viral content from the newest faces in Chicago's alt stand-up scene, and we are diggin' their techniques! "Bros gotta drink, and real bros drink Rolling Rock. Sometimes good beers and good buds are all you need and this commercial is proof of that." Starring: Dean Carlson, Bradley Fojas, Joe Kilgallon, Kienan King, Mike Lee, Brendan McGowan, Sean Rumrill, and Mike Stanley.
Jena Friedman's musical spoof of "American Girls" is taking shape. Here's the first promo, starring Mark Ratterman, Allison Bills, Jena Friedman, and Ruth Gamble:
Peeling The Onion, Second City on Colbert Chats, People Under the Stares Vids
The Second City has the Trib's ear on the matter of Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel's decision to warn other public servants away from a visit to the Colbert Report, where he fears they might be led to look foolish by silver-tongued verbal trickster Stephen Colbert. (To be fair, Colbert has charmed at least one elected representative into saying "I enjoy cocaine because it's a fun thing to do" on camera.)
The Second City's Andrew Alexander and Kelly Leonard offer these clearheaded thoughts on the matter: "...In the matter of 'The Colbert Report,' we believe Rahm is wrong. Sure, Colbert can make people in power look foolish. But guess what? We like that. It's something we can relate to. It's human. Too often the public is forced to watch its elected officials drone on like robots for fear of a slip of the tongue or a comment misconstrued."
The Onion is blasting a new video venture all over that internet thingee we keep hearing so much about. They plan to run a newscast quality news parody program online, and encourage fans to post their favorite videos all over YouTube and anywhere else, without fear of the parent network yanking clips (as has happened with Colbert Report and Daily Show clips online). I don't know, does anyone really think this internet-and-comedy thing is going to last? We're kind of getting bored with it already.
The folks behind the People Under The Stares monthly comedy showcase are posting videos from the shows - the latest are clips from Morgan Murphy, Mike Bridenstine, Dan Mintz, Hannibal, and show host Rian Murphy. Check them out. Here's Morgan Murphy at her performance on January 30 at the Hideout:
Dear Readers of the Greater Chicagoland Area! Please note the following communique, for it is your chance to GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. Our good friends at the Lakeshore Theater are offering a PAIR of tickets to the Off-Broadway revue, the Marijuana-Logues, starring Arj Barker, Tony Camin, and Doug Benson:
"To submit your name for your chance to win, email promotions@LakeshoreTheater.com with "Bastion MJL Giveaway" in the subject line for your chance to win a pair of Marijuana-Logues tickets from your friends at Lakeshore Theater. The show runs from March 28 to April 1."
Stay tuned for more info on the theater and its recent restructuring -- LOTS of fun stuff happening over there.
Acceptable TV to Premiere in 7 Hours, 37 Minutes, 9 Seconds, wait, 8, 7...
Acceptable.TV, the brainchild of Jack Black, is premiering on VH1 tonight, and follows the Channel 101 methodology -- create, submit, watch, vote. Writer and cast member (and Chicago ex-pat) Ryan Ridley chatted with us briefly about the show: "The show is basically a sketch comedy show, except the all the "sketches" are done in the style of little TV shows (cops shows/reality shows/family dramas/etc). Each week, five of the sketches are shown in an episode, and then the viewing audience is able to vote on their two favorites. Those two come back with second installments the next week against three new sketches. Another aspect of the show is anyone can make a two and a half minute show and upload it to the website where the internet audience vote for their favorite. The number one show is then showcased on the TV show next to our five."
Sufficed to say, we think this is pretty durn cool. The democratization of television combined with our love for all things short, silly, and digital -- socially AND spiritually rewarding, no? And Dan Harmon's blog is wonderfully snarky, too.
TONIGHT, 10 P.M., CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS! Or just TiVo it. Or watch it on the Internet later.
Dispatch from a Desk at i.O. -- Studying with Michael McCarthy
F.O.B. and comedian Christopher Burns is currently in studies at i.O., where he's learning how to Make it Big in comedy writing from local hero Michael McCarthy. We asked Chris to relay to us some info about the 24-weeks-long class, ostensibly for you, dear reader, but let's be honest: this undergrad degree in journalism with a minor in creative writing is going nowhere fast, and we need to step it up a notch. If Mike can't teach us, it can't be learned.
"The focus of the first eight weeks is on talk shows. Basically the Leno, Letterman, Conan type but we also discuss and can write ideas for Colbert, the Daily Show, Bill Maher (which McCarthy seems to really like). The first thing we talked about in week one was two-liners. Reading a news article, and then creating a joke about it in two lines, set-up and punch line. That was our assignment after week one, read the front page of the Chicago Tribune, and write a joke a day about a story on that page. After week two (unfortunately I missed the second class do to a family emergency), he wanted more personal two-liners. Putting "I" into the joke, and telling the two-liner as if you were saying it to your friend at a coffeeshop, so that he could hear what we really found funny about the story and so it came from our point of view. Also this week, he wanted us to develop a two-liner into a monologue. A commentary monologue, where you are just commenting on the news piece from your point of view. And then a CHARACTER monologue, which is commenting on a news piece from the point of view of a character. People did George Bush, a truck driver, the effeminate black guy from the movie Mannequin (seriously), etc.
Next week, our assignment is desk pieces, those little segments in between the monologue and when the guests come out, where the hosts basically make something out of nothing. Low budget funny stuff that takes a few minutes. For example, Letterman's Top 10 list, Conan's "in the year 2000", Leno's small town news stories. This week we are to come up with six each for three separate talk shows. I'm excited for this one.
Anyway, McCarthy is really knowledgeable, and seems, so far, to care about the students and that we move on from this class with material that we can submit to management companies, shows, etc. He's worked for SNL, Whose line is It Anyway?, the Drew Carey Show, Sesame Street. He's written a bunch of screenplays, too. I think for me, the best part of the class is that it is really focusing my writing, and getting to spend three hours a week with someone who has done what I want to do one day. Hearing about his writing process, how he goes about it and hearing about his experiences in the industry have been interesting. He literally writes eight hours a day (with 15 minute breaks every 45 minutes) and that is what it takes.
His breakdown of the talk show formula into these segments is great. I mean, when he's breaking them down, you're like "duh", but having someone break it down and force you to write ideas for each segment and say, "Your job at a talk show would be to write this segment, like this," it just gives you a greater understanding of the formula, why it works, and which great ideas you have that could work within that formula.
The second eight weeks we build a portfolio for SNL and the eight weeks after that is a spec script.
Also something interesting McCarthy told us yesterday: Conan has been doing the "In the Year 2000" bit since at least 1989, when he and Bob Odenkirk were doing it in their sketch show somewhere on Lincoln Ave., and he's still freaking doing it on his show!"
Revenge of the '80s, Hitting the Pipe, Touring Tales, More
--Second City musical director Ruby Streak's podcast recently featured Jean Villepique, who shared details about her recent appearance on The Office. That podcast can be directly accessed here.
--Don Hall alerts us that "Animal House" star Tom Hulce ("the cute one") now looks like a genetic hybrid of Santa Claus and your crazy uncle. How did that happen, when '80's movie fixture Daryl Hannah looks exactly the same?
--Renee Gauthier has been indulging in a little '80s nostalgia lately, and it's not all about "The Karate Kid." No, this time, she's waxing poetic about "Family Ties." She'd also like to officially petition the universe for a "Small Wonder" reunion, because really, don't we all want to know how weird that little stiff kid actor who played the robot turned out to be?
--Did you know that spitting on a CTA bus driver will get you arrested? The CTA Tattler knows. They've also been collecting amusing Chicago public transportation stories for several years now, which is great, because only on Chicago's rolling, pee-smelling theater of human tragedy and comedy can you hear things like this: "So he like hands me the aspirin he just bought and then he buys his own pack of aspirin. And he like turns to me and says, 'You gotta piece man.' And I said, 'Yeah sure, you can come out in back and smoke some weed with me.' And the guy says, 'I was hopin' you had some crack.' You know that band Staind? I'm the guitarist from Staind.' And I'm thinking, yeah they were playing here that night. So I told him to wait and I would go get my buddy, who like, had a pipe and happened to have some crack on him."
--Second City's TourCo kids, including Seth Weitberg, all have their own way of remembering their show's running order. "For some reason seeing whole words written out is really jarring to me when I’m flipping that paper around during a show, so this slowly emerged. Everyone has their own way of getting to the same place, though, but usually sticks to that routine once it’s set." They've been having some fun on the road, despite little inconveniences like accidentally being locked in the green room.
--Chicago author Claire Zulkey continues to flirt with the dark side (AKA comedy) with some of her writing, including a recent interview with the Go Fug Yourself girls, who have been responsible for more fashion-related zings than you can find in seven hundred viewings of Mean Girls. According to Fug girl Jessica: "I think it's no secret that we really don't like formal shorts. I feel like, if you look cute in shorts, you will look CUTER in a skirt, so why not look as cute as possible?" Claire also recently wrote a funny article about Amazon Wish Lists of the Rich and Famous for Radar magazine. Can you believe Kimora Lee Simmons has the nerve to ask anyone to buy her anything?
--Chemically Imbalanced Comedy softly says 'raise' and stacks twice the bet in the center in an all-day poker tournament this Sunday; part of the proceeds will go to benefit CIC. Visit Chicago Poker Live to sign up.
--Metromix is running a special on i.O.'s TV Show this Friday, and Allison Bills was kind enough to give us all the deets on the show: "We do a completely different network every week that we take a bunch of pot-shots at and make fun of their programming. Last week, for the Learning Channel, I played a 6th grader who had won my school science bowl, so I'd been picked to teach a studio audience how to make natural disasters in a bottle. It ended with a recreating of Hurricane Katrina -- I made an audience member hold the "levee" on top of a Diet Coke bottle then asked the audience what level Katrina was. When they said '4', I said that I'd better use 4 Mentos..." Sufficed to say, everyone took a Coca-Cola bath that evening all in the name of learning...
--Tonight is the final night for Cork Lounge Open Mic, a short-lived but fiercely loved room that is sure to see quite a hurrah tonight and will reopen under a new roof shortly. But will it have the same energy as the old room? More importantly, will there be ventilation or at least windows in the new room? We'll discover the answers to these soon.
--Last but not least on this bright Tuesday morning, the Promise Keepers have announced that it'll be a wrap for them after a six-month run at i.O., with their last show tomorrow night at 10 p.m. in the Del Close Theater. The Chicago Reader once said of the group, "Art-house improv . . . With their quasi-mystical "Japanese" aesthetic, minimalist pacing and blocking, and character-driven humor, the expert Promise Keepers mold the paradigmatic Harold to their sophisticated sensibilities . . . Kinky and seductively offbeat." The Promise Keepers are Tim Baltz, Katy Fullan, Ben Johnson, Holly Laurent, and Chris Lee.
We were alerted earlier today via Facebook notification that it's stand-up comedian Dean Carlson's birthday. This threw us for a loop, as we had just assumed he was an immortal, never-aging creature. It seems like it's been years since we've had to stop ourselves from inviting him out for post-show drinks, even though he's been playing in bars for just as long now. Yes, it's Dean's 21st birthday today. An emerging face in the scene, burgeoning filmmaker, current co-producer of Thunder Comedy, and voracious chicken wing eater, Dean will be starring in tonight's Birds Nest showcase for a good ol' drunken comedy roast. Come on out at 10 p.m. to buy the boy a drink and laugh with a melange of performers.
--Pimprov primps for a double header on Saturday March 24, when they'll play a 7 p.m. show at Touch of the Past nightclub at 947 Mannheim Road in Bellwood, and then at 10 p.m. at the Cornservatory at 4210 North Lincoln. Pimprov playa Marz Timms, who also puts the smack down on stand-up, will also be performing the title role in Chemically Imbalanced Comedy's production of Noah Haidle's "Mr. Marmalade." Lest you think this sounds like children's theater, listen to this: "Mr. Marmalade is the story of a four-year-old girl whose imaginary friend Mr. Marmalade does not have much time for her. Not to mention he beats up his personal assistant, has a cocaine addiction, and a penchant for pornography. Larry, her only real friend, is the youngest suicide attempt in the history of New Jersey. It's a savage dark comedy about what it takes to grow up in these difficult times."
--Second City mainstage alum Claudia Michelle Wallace is directing "Presidential Race Riot," the new spring show for Second City Outreach and Diversity. The show is a "hip comedy revue featuring original material, Second City classic scenes and improv with an urban multicultural twist," and opens Saturday April 7 at 9 p.m. in Donny's Skybox.
--We got word that Def Jam Mobile is going to be taping over at Jokes and Notes this Wednesday, and will be bringing in 10 to 20 national comics, according to their calendar. Not a bad deal for $10!
Jonathan Mangum is a very busy comedic actor who lives in Los Angeles (where he bumps into lots of Second City alum) and visits his wife's hometown of Chicago here and there to enjoy Garrett's popcorn and beef sandwiches at Portillos. He shot en episode of ER here, has been seen on Comedy Central, and recently shot a scene in "The Bucket List" with Jack Nicholson. In this interview he describes how he and the cast of the Drew Carey show once kicked the cast and crew of ER's collective ass in a game of Medal of Honor. Just another day at the office.
Are we crazy, or did we see you hacking up a lung in a cough syrup commercial, then trying to sell us insurance, and then singing the praises of Verizon Wireless? Are you trying to take over television itself?
You are crazy, and yes I was hacking in a cough syrup commercial and the rest. I’m not trying to take over tv. I have. Seriously though, commercials are great. They’re a big part of my bread and butter. I’ve done over 100 since I moved to L.A. in 1995.
Did you start doing comedy in college, or how did you get started with that? What experiences have taught you the most valuable lessons about comedy (and what are those lessons)?
I got started while I was going to college, but not in college. I started with a improv theatre called SAK Theatre Comedy Lab in Orlando, FL. There I Met Wayne Brady and some other great performers. Eventually we all moved to L.A. and formed the Houseful of Honkeys.
As far as experiences, Fail Fail Fail and Fail again! Keep Failing. Embrace it. Do every single live performance you can do. The improv books are okay, but there’s nothing like doing it until you’re sick of it.
You've done a ton of television shows - you were a regular on The Drew Carey Show, and have appeared on Reno 911, Roseanne, Married...With Children, and even Clarissa Explains It All. Which sets were the most fun to hang around? Which one had the best craft services table?
Drew Carey for sure. Because the office setting of the last two seasons was an internet company, we set up eight computers that were used as props. However, they were all working computers with Medal of Honor loaded on them. We had death matches all day long. The filming of the show was a by-product of the gaming. We even took on some cast and crew from ER in a Medal of Honor bout. We kicked their dramatic lil asses. Best food? Also Drew Carey. I can’t describe to you the mind numbing set up. I got fat.
Your MySpace seems to indicate that you have 95,314 friends. That's a lot of birthday cards to send every year. How do you keep up?
I personally send a card and gift to each friend. In fact, that is all I have time for. That’s 261 birthdays per day.
You did Comic Relief 2006 in New Orleans a few months back. What was that like?
Loved it. I grew up in Mobile, AL which is 3 hours away from N.O. When I used to visit, I would either step in vomit or poo, every time (no joke). The city was filthy I feel bad for all the good folks affected by the hurricane, but a side effect was the clearing of the negative parts. The city was clean for once. The food and the architecture are amazing. The best part was Emeril cooked a dinner for us at his restaurant. It was unbelievable.
Did we read that you shot a scene with Jack Nicholson for the upcoming The Bucket List? What's it like to act opposite such a formidable screen presence?
Amazing. He was very nice to me. I was also surprised to see that acting in a scene with Jack, although a great honor, is no different than doing a commercial or any thing else. It’s always just the lights, the crew, the camera. Anything else is just in your mind.
What are you up to these days, and are there new comedy and acting challenges you'd like to tackle in the near future?
I’m writing a lot with Wayne Brady. I also did a guest spot on FOX news’ comedy show, “The Half Hour News Hour”. It is a right wing version of the Daily Show. A lot of people I know were amazed that I would do a bit on a right wing comedy show. I told them I am a comedian. No target is safe or should be. As far as the future, I’d just like to keep doing what I’m doing. It’s a lot of fun!
Hypothetical Awards, the Outer Limits, Boobs, Unsubstantiated Death Rumors, More
CJ Sullivan wouldn't accept an award even if you did want to give him one, and he suspects that human insecurities are the very fuel of art. Recalling Sally Field's infamous Oscar winning speech ("You like me, you really like me!"), he says "It was a fantastic moment in insecurity history in the great cocoon of false support. What she really meant was: 'I hate me, I really, really hate me!!!' It is what these wonderful award shows are all about, they are integral in the perpetuation of the arts."
kevINda are coming down from their Aspen buzz by getting new boobies. Well, one of them is, anyway. Oh, and they were interviewed on Plum TV, hit the VH1 afterparty, and were mentioned in the Hollywood Reporter after their Aspen performance. We don't know what to congratulate them on first!
Allison Bills has been spending some quality time in Las Vegas but isn't fooled by the glitz: "Extravagance can be so appealing at the same time as being disgusting." But she did have fun witnessing the demolition of the Stardust, which was done in typical spectacular Vegas style. They don't just blow up buildings, they blow up buildings while setting off fireworks, and make promotional videos about it.
Let the actors end the scene! Charna Halpern's admonishment to stage crews working on improv shows: Don't cut the lights too soon. "Watch the piece, not the clock."
David Angelo has some words of advice to NASA on regaining public favor after the recent astronaut love triangle/cross-country trip in adult diapers debacle: "1) Declassify some UFO stuff. Everyone would think that to be awesome. 2) New logo. Get someone who does a lot of artwork for bad metal bands. 3) New uniforms. Something a bit more formfitting. Colors can’t hurt! 4) A new spaceship. The space shuttle was cool the way Epcot Center was once cool. 1981 called, and she wants her Rick Springfield lunchbox back."
Despite (possibly self-perpetuated) rumors to the contrary, Mike Burns is not dead. Not. Dead.
i.O.'s Rachael Mason to Mayor Daley: The Mayan Doomsday will prevent Chicago from enjoying the 2016 Olympics. Her message to Barack Obama: Love. You. Special memo to the state of Texas: Warming to you. Quickly.
Drag and Films (But Not Together), The Old College Try, More
--The "Kings" have moved venue, over to the Playground Tuesday nights for the duration of March and all of April. Catch them before troupe member and Bastion contributor Mackenzie Condon moves back to NYC to continue her studies. Boooo!!
--Tonight and tomorrow will be the premiere screening of the new video series, Dis-Lodged, over at the Lincoln Lodge. The inaugural film features Sean Flannery and his night of carousing that we joined in on a little while ago. We hear we even make a cameo appearance. Eep!
--The second night of the Edge Comedy Contest is tomorrow, 10:30 p.m. at Kitty Moon. There are still plenty o' slots available to get fame and riches!
--This week, we were lucky enough to get invited to the midterm performance of Witch City, an improv troupe out of Columbia College. Spotted in the crowd was Sheldon Patinkin, one of the founders of Second City and current chair of the Theatre Department at Columbia, and Sketchfest producer Brian Posen. The troupe's final will be at Donny's Skybox May 7, and we're stoked. If their midterm is any indication, their final will be riotous. We give A+s all around!
--Pablo Francisco, Damon Wayans, and Dave Chappelle's favorite target of Rick James beatdowns Charlie Murphy are heading to the Improv in the next few weeks.
--Time Out reported that the gals of the sketch group Ragdolls enjoyed their time in Aspen at the US Comedy Arts Festival, mixing comedy with a few slippery runs down the slopes. Wish we could have been there. Maybe next year?
The Chicago Comedy Series, a mix of sketch, improv, and stand-up, will be running the last Wednesday of every month at the Apollo Studio Theater. Past acts have included The Cupid Players and Triplette. The March 28 show features host Jared Logan, the stand-up magic of Kumail, sketch from Jet and Holly, and improv with Warhammer and Duchess.
Jake Kasdan's The TV Set opens April 20 in Evanston, starring David Duchovny, Sigourney Weaver, Justine Bateman, and Chicago comedy alum (and UCB founder) Matt Besser. The movie is described as "A hair-raising comedy of art and compromise, THE TV SET follows a idealistic writer (Duchovny) as he tries to navigate his TV pilot down the mine-laden path from script through production to the madness of prime-time scheduling – all while trying to stay true to his vision. Along the way he has to juggle the agendas of a headstrong network president (Weaver), volatile young stars, a pregnant wife and an ever-optimistic personal manager."
Those damned dirty apes are apparently not happy with the first round of torturing humans and are coming back for more. "Impress These Apes will indeed run again, this time with a $500 prize. It will run on Tuesday nights in August and September. And it will be hopping venues over to the Improv Olympic, in the Del Close Theater. This time, the Apes are stuck in the present, trying to collect enough talent-power to power their time machine back to the future. Game Show Host and Scoresboard will return. The show will be updated a bit based on lessons learned, and have an exciting new bonus point system." A great flickr set of the finale (including apes photo at right), by Brandi Ediss, can be gawked at here.
Auteur Robert Buscemi is currently on a one-month stint in L.A., and likes to harass us periodically with stories about all of the amazing things he's seeing and doing, and doesn't cease in reminding us how much we miss all of our friends there and how very long and cold the Chicago winters truly are.
"Hanging with an extended network of Chicagoans, including Kyle Kinane, Matt Braunger, TJ Miller, and Nate Craig. Former Chicago guy Mike O'Connell blew me right out of the water at the Improv the other night. He headlined a particularly hot show. People went nuts. He's a barefoot one-man lunatic army. I was in awe.
"Then just tonight (Sunday), SpitFire's Renee Gauthier did extremely well at the famous Comedy Store, closing out a really, really freaking strong bill really, really, really well. They ate her up. And--get this--just before Renee, Kids in the Halls's Scott Thompson did a guest set. He was really funny, of course, and marched right up to Renee after her set to ask about her and get her contact info. He was the world's nicest guy, and Renee and I chatted with him in the room and outside for like 15 mintues. Renee's a huge Kids fan. Take it from me--Gauthier brought that room home, and a lot of good comics noticed.
It seems that lately, we are seeing a record amount of new rooms, new runs, and new groups forming. Perhaps this isn't so. Perhaps we've been under heavy blankets on our futon-that-doubles-as-a-bed. No matter, we need to get some things straight on our Haven't Been Yet But SWEAR We'll Get There Soon calendar:
Being fans of Paul Thomas' sketch and stand-up, we're looking forward to checking his one-man show Late Bloomer, and need to hurry, as there are only three more dates: Fridays, until March 23, 10 p.m., The Playground.
There's even LESS time than that to catch Doppelganger: Tales from the Zoetrope, as it's running tonight and next Friday, and then... scene. 10:30 p.m., the Apollo Theater.
Bringing us to this: is the Apollo Theater becoming an all-comedy venue? It sure seems like it, what with the newest stand-up showcase in the city, the Blu Mic, being staged every Thursday (and Friday, starting March 23) in that room. In addition, the Chicago Comedy Series is hosted the last Wednesday of every month, and features comedy from across the board: stand-up, improv, sketch, and more. Yes, MORE. Lest we forget, Baby Wants Candy, who moved into the theater in November, is now performing Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Add in every single night of the week where there is some kind of humor performance being staged, whether it be over at Second City, i.O. or varioustheaterspaces, or underground, in bars and coffeeshops across the city, and we really don't understand how we're supposed to get anything done with all of this awesome stuff to check out. Seriously guys.
Pitching NBC, Second City TourCo Blog, New iO Blogs, More
Second City's Seth Weitberg has kicked off a new blog, "Easy Writer: Tales from the Road." What's it all about? Well, it's "a chronicle of life on the road with The Second City Touring Company as we bounce from place to place, trying to bring comedy to the masses." It's a cool read. Here's the current issue.
Here's Jeb Cadwell's attempted rundown of almost four hundred stand-up performances in only ten months. Did he hold a notecard at that show at Pressure last June? Did he actually put Thyme Café out of business? Only he knows for sure.
iO has put together a few new blogs, including a great one by instructor and performer Hans Holsen, who lately is opening up to the blogiverse about the wild and wonderful process of pitching to NBC, ABC, CBS, Comedy Central and The Golf Channel. If you flip through the channels and see new tv shows called "Brothers of Gnats" and "Drunk ‘N’ High," you'll know things went well for Hans.
Also newly blogging at iO is Bill Saveley, who currently entertains with theories about Roswell, UFO's, and people who mysteriously died in ways that seemed connected to former President Bill Clinton. (If next week his blog is suddenly gone, send a carefully written letter to Hillary.) Then there's Barry Hite, who lately has touched on the loss of Molly Ivans and the ridiculousness of haute couture.
Meanwhile, improv newbie Angela Manginelli, also at iO, muses about the puzzle pieces that make up the group mind: "As a younger improviser I feel it is especially important to remind myself that everything I do on stage has an effect on the overall picture, no matter how 'small' of a role it is."
--After we heard about this latest stand-up comedy contest, we wondered, "So, can only comedians compete?" Because seriously? That $3,500 grand prize could be USED around here, no joke. Such word comes from Edge Comedy, that will begin preliminary rounds this Friday at Kitty Moon, and proceed every Friday and Saturday until April 21. More info on dates, times, places, and most importantly, MONEY, can be found at Edge Comedy.
--It was announced yesterday that three more actors have been cast in TJ's show (yes, we're calling it "TJ's show"): Fred Goss, Jerry O'Connell and Jerry Minor. I think it's now okay to say we are officially giddy with excitement. (!!!)
--Speaking of exciting, Kyle Kinane's "Embarrassing Music Downloads" Blerds video made the front page of MySpace comedy. You can see that very vid below, or better yet, see the boys live tonight at the Empty Bottle, along with a screening of ALL NEW videos by filmmaker Jordan Vogt-Roberts.
--Speaking of TJ and Jordan, they have a show at UCB L.A. next Thursday. We've already alerted the troops.
--And don't forget! This Saturday is the 100th show of Don't Spit the Water!, everyone's favorite wacky game show! Knowing the general craziness a night at Don't Spit induces, we're absolutely mad with anticipation for the 100th show anniversary.
--Our friends at Chicagoist landed an interview with Scott Adsit, currently of 30 Rock fame and pioneering Second City alum. Check it out!
--Speaking of improvisors/sketchers: you've been quiet lately. Is there something on your mind? You can tell us. Drop us a line at editors@thebastion.org. We miss you. Come home now.
The reports are rolling in now that everyone is back and intact from the whirlwind of the Aspen Comedy Festival. The Apiary gave our boy TJ Miller a shout-out yesterday; we'll be excited to catch up with him in person when he finally comes back to Chicago after L.A./Aspen/L.A.. Time Out has been keeping track of the festival, with a daily blog and commentary from the Ragdolls. Pete Grosz kept everyone awares of his shenanigans in Misled's MySpace blog. We here at the Bastion were lucky enough to get first person reports from KevINda:
"Aspen was so rock star. The Chi was well represented by kevINda, Brendan Hunt, TJ Miller, Misled and the Ragdolls. HBO spent money like a major cable network. They hooked us up with a lunch buffet everyday. I'm thinking "buffet" as in Old Country. Yeah, right. The first day it was lobster and portobella bisque. Ridoncalous! We met and hung out with some cool folks: Gregg and Evan Spiridellis of JibJab Media, Katt Williams (who came up to kevINda to introduce himself because he had "heard" about us -- WHAT!?), Jamie Kennedy, Lavell Crawford, Nilaja Sun (who's bringing her one-woman show "No Child" to Chicago's Lookingglass in the fall) and Phil LaMarr. I had to resist the temptation to scream, "Does my garage have a sign over it that says dead nigga storage?" We were in the airport at the time. Didn't seem appropriate. Plus, LaMarr has done a lot of other things since "Pulp Fiction." (I only add this last sentence for those who didn't get the garage reference.) Anyway, Kevin and I felt like rock stars the entire time."
And Chicago ex-pat Kyle Kinane, who we're just going to go ahead and claim as our own even if L.A. has him now, had a few things to say as well:
"My sets were good. White millionaires don't necessarily relate to jokes about loneliness, but it was fun regardless.
Every show i saw had standout moments. The feel of the whole fest was comics vs. the richest six percent of the country. That being said, the bookers did a great job of picking out intelligent, provoking comics (myself excluded) and sketch groups.
Biggest personal laughs are awarded to Lavell Crawford and the videos from the Summer of Tears sketch group.
Also, the film "Color Me Kubrick" will become the indy-nerd hit of the year, so get on it quick, hipster numbnuts.
Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, and John Landis on the same stage together. Rickles is DNA of good comedy. Newhart is the skin. John Landis needs to learn to keep his mouth shut when on the stage with the both of them."
Writer Ben Bass has been keeping Schadenfreude up-to-date on all of his Aspen shenanigans of the past week, and after some pleading and groveling, gave us here at the Bastion an exclusive update:
"Stephen Colbert received the first-ever Person of the Year award with tongue firmly in cheek: "What an honor for me. And for you to give it to me. This is my first man of the year award, the first of many, I hope, including from you. I hope this doesn't take me out of the running for 2008." Moderator Jeff Greenfield asked Colbert whether he ever brought his patented blow-dried blowhard character home to his wife and family. Colbert: "Oh my God, no. That guy is a tool!"
Mustachioed comedian Kirk Fox talked about the late night life in Aspen. At a bar the night before, he told an overflow audience, "This well-dressed guy came up to me and said, 'I'm gay; I'm single; I'm worth fifty million dollars; I have a home in Aspen, and also New York and Los Angeles; and I would love to sleep with you tonight.' And I said, you had me at 'I'm gay.' " After the laughter died down, he added, "No, actually, my mustache is gay but I'm not."
Every year, standups here get a lot of mileage out of Aspen itself: the high-altitude thin air, the absence of racial minorities around town, and the general "rich white people" sensibility. Rising Australian comic Tim Minchin walked offstage a few times to grab variously flavored oxygen canisters, and observed, "In the U.S., they let you have guns, but in Australia we get oxygen."
In Brendan Hunt's one-man show, "Five Years in Amsterdam," he rattled off his take on the sexual habits of women of various nationalities, as evidenced by those he'd bedded during his days as a Boom Chicago comedy star. He said of a German girlfriend, "She sneered when she ejaculated... if girls do that."
Don Rickles was shocked by a surprise guest appearance from his best friend, Bob Newhart, to present him with an award. "This guy hates to fly," Rickles said of Newhart. "I'm going to have to do his laundry or something to pay for this one."
Newhart told how, late in life, after losing her husband, his mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease. At one point she asked whether her husband were still alive. Told he was not, she asked, "Did I kill him?" Newhart concluded, "This is why people go into comedy: their families."
Bronx-bred standup Mike DeStefano's very funny act is loud, coarse and aggressive in the vein of, say, Nick DiPaolo. He voiced his disbelief at being asked for a resume from an industry type: "Are you kidding? I get up here and swear at people. That's my resume." He later observed, "Don't you hate it when white people act black? You know, like Oprah?"
Absurdist standup comedy legend Steven Wright banged out a very well-received one-hour set at the Wheeler Opera House. His first line was, "When I was born, the first thing I said was 'Quote,' and when I'm about to die, the last thing I say will be 'Unquote.' "
Comedian Andy Borowitz moderated a spirited, entertaining panel discussion with some of the nation's top gossip bloggers, from websites like Gawker, Defamer, Vanity Fair and TMZ. Discussing the competition for celebrity scandal scoops, TMZ managing editor Harvey Levin mentioned, "We broke Mel Gibson." Borowitz shot back, "Do you mean physically?" Levin described his frantic late-night attempt to assemble the necessary cash to purchase the hotly pursued Michael Richards meltdown tape: "We had to go from ATM to ATM. It was like a bad movie, two Jews at a gas station ATM in LA at one in the morning." Borowitz: "And then Mel Gibson drove by..."
Adam Rifkin grew up in Chicago and has been making a name for himself (and his pseudonyms) in Hollywood for quite some time now. He wrote "Mousehunt" and "Small Soldiers" and is indulging his inner child with work on "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" and "Underdog", as well as the forthcoming comedy "Homo Erectus", in which Rifkin himself plays "A philosophical caveman (who) yearns for more out of life than sticks, stones and raw meat." (Favorite lines from the trailer: "Really, it's about time we start thinking out of the box here, people." "What the hell is a box?") Just one perk of starring in one's own movie: being able to cast "Legally Blonde" beauty Ali Larter as your love interest. We were huge fans of the cartoon Underdog growing up. What can you tell us about writing the live-action film version, which will be out this August?
Unlike the cartoon show from the 60's, the live action Underdog feature is not set in a universe of talking dogs. Instead it's set in contemporary Washington D.C. and basically follows the exploits of a very ordinary dog who is bestowed with extraordinary powers after being bitten by a radioactive flea. Before I even started thinking about a story line, the image of a real dog wearing a baggy superhero suit doing Matrix style martial arts on someone just struck me as being funny. That image was my inspiration for the film.
What's the difference between an Adam Rifkin project and a Rif Coogan project?
When I was young, some other filmmakers and I had a great time cutting our teeth on some low-budget B-movies. Rif Coogan was my nom de plume for a couple of those early flicks. They were a blast because the expectations were so low. If a special effect didn't work right of a performance was wooden we would just laugh. Conversely, when I'm making a movie that's meaningful to me, I sweat every detail and obsess over every shadow, every word spoken, every edit. Both kinds of movies are fun but for entirely different reasons. One day I'd love to make another Rif Coogan movie. Tell us about your experiences with public access television. Is it the golden ticket to superstardom that everyone says it is?
This little tidbit of erroneous information somehow made its way onto IMDB and I'm not entirely sure how. (Editor's note: stupid IMDB.) When I was about 15 a friend of mine had a little Chicago cable access show and I did happen to appear on it a couple of times as Chef Otto, but that's really it. It was a fun thing to do on a couple of afternoons after high school but I don't believe it paved any sort of pathway to my current Hollywood experiences. In my opinion, cable access as a concept never fully lived up to its intended potential. People never really bothered. YouTube has finally taken over where cable access once dreamed of going but never quite got to.
In your experience, how much of being creative and doing things like making movies is a business proposition and how much is "the fun part?"
They're not mutually exclusive. Just because making movies is in large part business doesn't mean that the business side can't be fun just like the creative side. If it's called show business, and you've gotta deal with equal parts show, and equal parts business, it's best to find a happy medium with both.
A lot of your work has been aimed at young audiences: "Small Soldiers," "Mousehunt," this summer's "Underdog," and the forthcoming "He Man and Masters of the Universe." Do you find it easy as a writer and director to open a line to a part of your childhood self, and create things you know kids will enjoy?
I have a problem with maturity so accessing my juvenile side has never been that far of a reach.
You and partner Steve Bing put up a million bucks of your own money to cast two unknowns, Vinny Argiro and Donnie Montemarano, in "Night at the Golden Eagle." (Bing also put up about $80 million of his own money for 2004's Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks, and directed by Robert Zemeckis.) That's putting your money where your mouth is. Can you tell us a little about that choice?
Nobody in their right mind was gonna finance a dark drama with a downer ending, starring two 60 year old non-actors. It was a script I was passionate about making and if nobody else was gonna pony up, I figured the only way to get it made was for me to write the check myself. Once I told Steve of my plan he agreed to go in 50/50. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice and put your money where your mouth is. I still haven't recouped all of my cash, but I wouldn't change the fact that I did it. We're all really proud of the film.
We heard your new film "Homo Erectus" was well-received at the Slamdance Film Festival a few weeks ago. What can you tell us about the movie, and when can we see it?
Homo Erectus is a comedy set in prehistoric times and I play Ishbo, a philosophical caveman who believes that we as a species have the ability to evolve way beyond sticks and stones to great heights. The only problem is, the rest of my tribe think that I'm an idiot and that all my forward thinking ideas are the ravings of a loon. Ali Larter plays the object of my affection but she's in love with my big, dumb brother played by Hayes MacArthur. David Carradine plays my dad and Tom Arnold plays the first gay caveman. The film was a big hit up at Slamdance and we're anticipating a theatrical release later this year. Be on the lookout!
Couple announcements for this bleary grey day:
--Casting call THIS SATURDAY for SheLarious, an Oxygen Original Series:
SEEKING:
• Women 21 and over
• Most creative women in America
• Undiscovered funny ladies whose talents may include:
o Performance art
o Improv
o Sketch comedy writing and/or performance
o Eccentric, dynamic, and creative personalities a must!
o Stand-up comedy
o Must be extremely funny
DETAILS:
WHO: Funny Women (21 yrs and older)
WHAT: OPEN CALL for SheLarious
WHERE: Claire Simon Casting, 3752 N. Fremont, Ste. 202 Chicago 60613
WHEN: Saturday, March 3
--The line-ups for the DC Comedy Fest have been announced, and hoo-BOY is Northside Chicago representin'! As a matter of fact, the Bastion bought their plane tix yesterday, so we are geared up and ready to take over the capital of America! Congrats to everyone from Chicago who will be strutting their stuff up the promenade in April.
