Some argue that long-form is superior to short-form improv. Some argue that musical improv is superior to "I can act but I can't sing" improv. Some like it hot. If you want all of this, come to the doubleheader of "Get Your Story Straight" by Found in Translation and "Infinite Sundaes" by Second City's Music Improv House Ensemble on Sundays at 8pm at Donny's Skybox.
We don't like getting too far into "forms" or "structures" or "other important sounding words" regarding long-form improv, but Found in Translation's "Get Your Story Straight" is one of our favorites. After an audience suggestion, one improviser puts forth a (partially true?) monologue from which a number of scenes are created. However, in between these scenes other characters monologue their relation to the original monologist, giving unique perspectives on a singular theme. These same characters contribute from the backline during the main monologist's final speech, encapsulating the show (We promise that's the last we'll say monologist). This week, a pedicure-obsessed murderer, who happens to not know the difference between a pedicure and a manicure, was the offspring of the audience suggestion "pedicure," with various side tangents.
We personally think this structure is both interesting for giving multiple perspectives on a story, and, from a performing point of view, gives each improviser a chance to have the whole stage to him or herself (we hate being grammatically politically correct, too, just deal with it so we don't get sued by a he-she). However, the form is somewhat limiting. Only a few scenes really diverged from the pedicure murderer (aka Danny Boy), but these scenes were clearly much more free, enjoyable for the performers, and enjoyable to watch. From these sprang honest observations about relationships, our president, and how the latter could benefit from a picture of a pony riding a rainbow.
Though what relationship couldn't use a pony riding a rainbow?
The second act of the evening is "Infinite Sundaes," so called because they perform every Sunday at 8pm so check, check, check it out, y'all. While they are called Second City's house musical improv team, that does not mean that they improvise house music (We've all already seen "The System is Down.")
Short games held the attention of the audience through a rap battle (complete with guy who suggested both "Oprah for President" and "Oprah for Governor" as rap subjects), an improvised ballet, and various scenes with musical outbursts. However, much like with Found in Translation, Infinite Sundaes best moments came when they were most free. When serenading a French girl from the audience, four men sang "cherie, cherie, amore, marzipan." Clearly one of these men knows little to no French, but that both forces and allows him to be completely free and creative. This improvisation sans net was best
portrayed in the karaoke guessing game, where two improvisers had to sing while two more played charades. Trying to play charades in tune, and rhythm, and possibly even rhyming forced the improvisers to absolutely let go, resulting in the biggest laughs of the night. Both groups were at their best when it was most obvious they were both improvising and having fun.
So, if you like musical short-form comedy, the songs, scenes, and games change every week. If you like long-form singing-is-for-pansies comedy, throw out the suggestion "singing is for pansies." But if you're gonna be a dick about it, no one will give you a drawing of a pony riding a rainbow. -Chris Singel
Horatio Sanz and The Kings of Improv: Long Live the Kings!
The Bastion has seen a lot of improv. A lot. And just when our souls were being crushed by the weight of another long form show/roommate scene/group game -- a show like this comes along. The Kings of Improv restored our faith in not only the art form but in humanity itself. Where to begin? The show was like a rock concert.
We asked ourselves, “Why can’t every improv show be this good?” The answer slapped us with its dick on the cheek. Only Horatio Sanz could have compiled a cast list of this caliber, made up entirely of his own talented friends.
[We sent Horatio some questions for him to answer about the cast. He didn’t get a chance to do ‘em, so we will].
Give us one/a couple of words to describe:
a. Matt Walsh – Co-Host, Scene Editor, Move Maker
b. Andy Daly – Shy, Adorable, Game Player
c. Kevin Dorff - Smart, Handsome, Connection Man
d. Ed Furman – Dry and/or Wet as hell
e. TJ Jagodowski - Show Stealer
We realize that Horatio may not ever describe his friends this way… well, maybe he also thinks Dorff is handsome. Horatio knew TJ, Ed, Kevin, and Matt from iO, Annoyance, and Second City here in Chicago and we’re sure he met Andy through Matt at The Upright Citizens Brigade in NY. We wanted to ask him what qualified someone as a King of Improv and made them eligible for the show at the Lakeshore Theater. Again, another obvious answer: Be funny as fuck. From the opening raffle (they gave away what may have been Zack Galifianakis’ shirt that they found back stage) and following interviews conducted by Matt and Horatio to the closing scene, not a connection missed, call back dropped, or move was left unmade. Never before have sexual assault, murder, kidnapping, and ghost AIDs been so funny. It turns out ghosts can’t give humans AIDs, but humans can become carriers and pass it on to other ghosts. In Riyadh, foreigners are allowed one murder and two kidnappings. Also, calling Ed (Furman) is better than killing yourself.
It’s hard to review an improv show of this caliber without referencing the entire show. It’s a little tacky to re-tell jokes, especially ones created in a moment that will also never be seen again. You simply had to be there and you are rull sorry you missed it. Scenes were inspired by those audience interviews and it all tied together with a big silly fucking bow. It was HILARIOUS. Well, now we’re just rubbing it in. We can’t help it. We love it when our friends make it and return to share the wealth.
Before the show we ran into Horatio and Ed at the Melrose Diner and it made us happy. Two Chicago dudes eating at a local hole before their show like normal people. The entire cast even went for drinks together with the audience, family, and friends at Monsignor Murphy’s after. Ike Barinholtz was even there with his brother. Second City alums Claudia Wallace and Maria Corell were also there. It felt like we all had dinner like a normal family. Superb.
Upright Citizens Brigade-produced events will be in residence every Tuesday for an open run at the Lakeshore Theater. Go see every show you can.
HEY!
Here are some of the other questions we would have posed to Horatio (and OUR answers):
Do you have a favorite on stage moment from your time at Second City?
Horatio used to do this funeral scene when he was on the ETC. He’d break and everyone would laugh and this 6 minute scene would turn in to a 15 minute one.
It seemed like you were constantly laughing your mustache off at SNL, was that job really that much fun?
Yes, yes, we bet it rully was.
Do you consider Cuba Gooding Jr. a friend?
No.
Anything else you'd like to tell us?
I’m newly svelte and working it. You want me and you know it.
Well, yes we do.
Thank you Horatio Sanz and the Kings of Improv for one of the best nights we’ve had in a long time. Come home and play as much as you can and we’ll come and watch.
pH Productions, a Chicago-based improv and comedy theater company, is celebrating of 5 years of performance with a big pH Birthday Bash Monday, November 14 at 7:00 pm at the Lakeshore Theater.
They promise "a huge night of pH comedy, live music, and a silent auction with fantastic prizes," as well as performances of some of pH’s most popular original shows, such as pHrenzy, pHamily the Musical and Women on Top.
How serious is pH Productions about their art? Pretty serious. They have a mission statement, yo. "Established in 2002, pH Productions is a performance ensemble dedicated to educating and exposing non-traditional audiences to live theater. pH's original comedic productions continually test the boundaries of form, humor and audience participation to provide the highest quality entertainment."
The party is Monday, November 12, from 7:00 to 11:00 pm at the Lakeshore Theater, 3175 North Broadway. Admission is free, although (especially given pH's non-profit status), the generous of spirit are welcome to make a donation.
Okay, so we caved. But we still support our WGA brothers and sisters. Now back to your regularly scheduled revolution.
A week ago last Friday the Bastion got the chance to check out two shows by pH productions. The first was pHamily at 11 pm, a totally improved musical. Geez, it was fun. The cast took lots and lots of suggestions, and the audience, loosened up from the spirits they brought in, roared out their preferences. Each cast member was uniquely funny, and no one castmember dominated the show. It’s just a shame that the musical we saw, about Amanda Dangle, her occult father, and her well-troll boyfriend, will never be performed again. The Bastion stomped down on her friends foot really hard in a fit of laughter- once audience members are injuring each other you know the show’s funny. The show’s cast was Brad Norman, Tristan Tanner, Molly Hall, Jason Geis, and Vinnie Lacey. Admission was 10 dollars.
At the end of pHamily, we got the wonderful surprise that everyone who had come for pHamily could stay for free for pHrenzy at 12:30. It must be the case that everyone in the city has heard about pHrenzy already, because the theatre quickly became packed. The format of pHrenzy is that 8 improvisers do 8 rounds of short scenes with a secret rule they will be judged on. For the first four scenes a castmember is kicked out of the show for violating the secret rule, but for the last four the audience gets to vote on who leaves. The winner gets a trophy, and lots of admiration. There was much less audience participation asked for in this show than in pHamily, but the audience still clapped and hollered through the whole show. It was difficult to single out improvisers to kick out of the show because each one was exceptionally funny and skilled. But when you’re drunk and someone hands you the keys to the fate of an improviser, you do what you got to do. The “Vote ‘em out!” aspect gave the theatre the energy of a pro-wrestling event.
You can find college students packed into bars all across the country, but late night BYOB improv shows are a uniquely Chicago phenomenon. The friends the Bastion brought couldn’t be characterized as improv junkies, but nonetheless swore they had found their new Friday night spot.
-Carrie Callahan
Chicago improv improv group DuckButter, which features Nick Murawski, Ryan Heywood, Jason Lord and Justin Franzen has been selected to perform in the Denver Improv Fest next weekend (Oct. 12-14) in, yes, Denver, CO. Duck butter performs regularly at the Improv Chop Shop at Ginger's Ale house on Monday nights.
Allow us to turn our attention today towards the unsung heroes of urban living. Those managers of the first profession, offering valuable protective services and backhanded bitchslaps. We speak, of course, of The Pimp. And how would such a noble creature perform improvisational comedy? Why, through Pimprov, of course!
But of course, let us not forget the opening act. "Obsessed" began the evening with a series of improvised scenes. Delving into the political landscape, the undertones of an impotent man with a disenfranchised wife due to George W. Bush rang true in our political landscape. Further societal inquiry attacked sexy crime scene shows. A hint, dear reader: Exhibit B was Boobies!
Yet the meat of the show was the pimps themselves. Daddy Jenkins, Hollis (Pronounced "Ho Lease"), Pimpin' Poochie, and Grand Finale (a.k.a. Count Mackula), after some "pimp posing," performed various "pimp scenes," improvised scenes as only a pimp can do. One audience suggestion led into investment advisor Mr. T, a masseuse inmate, and,
as The Bastion affectionately refers to her, Grandma Whoopass. These pimps are so committed, one pimp actually acted like it hurt when Grandma Whoopass hit him with that chair!
However, the most captivating part of the show was the audience interaction. Pimp Daddy Al was at first the usual timid, white grandfather taken from the audience at a show called Pimprov (I guess the elderly will go anywhere their Hoverounds take them!). Fortunately, after some pimp-coaching, Pimp Daddy Al pimprovised his way out of a paper bag and into some dance moves. This is, of course, all before the highlight of the night, in which each pimp grabs a hoe and gets his money/suggestions from that hoochie throughout an improvised scene. Wonderful audience participation kept everyone enthralled, and truly proved that pimprovisin' ain't easy. Or maybe summa dem bitches was just dum.
We jest! Neither we nor the fine upstanding members of Pimprov (and fellow members of the Dean Koontz Book Club, as pictured), truly condone objectifying women. For that just cause, after every show the Pimprovisers have a collection for a women's shelter. The night we attended, these outstanding citizens raised $90 for the Between Friends Battered Women's Shelter.
To support the work of such classy gentleman, or to get your giggles on for guys in pimp costumes, check out their show. It's tomorrow night, Saturday, September 29th, Donny's Skybox, 9pm. And you best have yo' pimp's money this time, beeyotch!
The Bastion checked out The Chicago Improv Rebellion at iO this past Monday. CIR features tunes from house band Death By Thunder, and improv from the team Hodge Podge, with a different headlining guest each week. Here are the vitals: 5 dollars if you’re a civilian, 0 dollars if you are an iO student, starts at 10:30, in the cabaret, every Monday. PBR was on special for $ 2.50 and there was vodka lemonade for $3.
Here’s why PBR was on special: CIR is all about mixing punk music with improv comedy. Death by Thunder opened the show with archetypal pop-punk- they covered both the Ramones and Green Day, and played an original composition with an extremely rude title about Karl Rove.
Then the improv team Hodge Podge created a Harold off of the suggestion of “soup.” They were good at keeping the scenes moving quickly and created some very funny characters. (Hodge Podge's Warren blogged a little about Chicago Improv Rebellion here.)
Pimprov closed out the evening with meta-improv: they improvised two characters self-consciously performing improv. Hearing a pimp brag about his ho-leasing abilities and then critique his castmember’s performance with a Del Close maxim was pretty delicious.
The headlining improv team changes every week, so if you made a habit of going to CIR you would get a quick and easy course in Chicago’s improv scene. And you could listen to the Ramones and swill PBR on a Monday night like the carefree punk kids you wanted to be back in high school. Time to live the dream!
Can a baby really be ten years old? This one is. Baby Wants Candy, founded in 1997, has performed improvised musicals to sold-out crowds from Singapore to Edinburgh, and is moving to the Apollo Theater Main Stage ( 2540 N. Lincoln Ave) for late night shows beginning TONIGHT, Friday, September 14th, at 10:30 PM.
The late night Baby Wants Candy shows will include a stand-up comedian opening the show and several special guests sitting in with both the (full, live) band and the cast. Each month Baby Wants Candy will also tantalize their audience with contests, starting with a chance to win a grand prize of two round trip tickets to New York City, two tickets to see the taping of the Colbert Report, and two tickets to see Baby Wants Candy NYC (that's right, BWC in NYC!).
Baby Wants Candy has featured several notable performers, including Rachel Dratch and Seth Meyers of "Saturday Night Live," and Stephnie Weir and Nicole Parker of "MadTV."
Sounds like the Chicago Tribune is as enamored of those damn dirty apes as we are. Nina Metz describes the Thursday night "Impress These Apes" shows as "daffy and spot-on." Metz goes further, naming Hollywood Ape as her favorite judge. "But it is Hollywood Ape (Tyler Lansdown), as a faux-cool L.A. hipster, who offers the sharpest observations. If you're going to do a music video literal to the lyrics, he informed one competitor, the song should be about sex."
Elsewhere in the Blewt-iverse, "Don't Spit the Water" will be performing in the beautiful Metropolis Theater in Arlington Heights on Saturday nights at 10pm, beginning September 22nd, and ending November 10th.
And, DSTW is launching a spinoff into North Carolina's Dirty South Improv Theater, where DSTW will take on a southern accent. (Well, not literally.)
Have you been getting your share of hot monkey action? We have, and it continues to be awesome. The second season of Impress These Apes, that is.
Every week the beleaguered human contestants step up to a new creative challenge, and impress the audience (if not the apes) every time. Music videos? From the Sex Pistols to Amy Grant, they did them with style. Stand-up with puppets? Break out the felt and googly eyes. Pairs dancing? That's this Thursday night, and we can't wait. Be there at i.O. at 8 for the fun.
(Incidentally, last year's winner, Jamie Buell, is staging his show "Dignity Waits" at the Playground every Monday through October 1.)
In the meantime, here are some video highlights from the last few weeks.
Jenny Staben, week one, letting you know exactly what kind of Jenny she is:
Erin Pallesen, week two, doing his best squinty, masculine, glass-walking Bruce Willis impression:
Also that week, Brady Novak and unprepared scene partner Ken Barnard re-enact a powerful, moving, spit-and-grunt filled scene from Brokeback Mountain:
Week three (the music video challenge) inspired Kristen Studard to break out the studs and leather:
Second City News: Pajama Man Continue to "Stop Not Going”, "Barack" in WaPo, Sonic SC in Sun-Times
The Second City has brought the Pajama Men back to Second City. The award-winning duo is playing their show "Stop Not Going" at the Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street through August 19. They were a big hit at the Steppenwolf Garage Theatre last year, and Shenoah Allen and Mark Chavez are back again to weave their sketch, character-driven comedy, and improv into their new show. The Pajama Men have been much praised by the Chicago Tribune.
In other Second City news, the Washington Post blog has mentioned "Between Barack and a Hard Place." Chris Cizzilla notes: "Among the sketches: A woman named 'Sillary Tinton' trying to find a hired gun to assassinate Obama. In it, each of the actors proclaimed, 'I am Barack Obama,' before detailing Obama's appeal to every segment of the population. There was even a love ditty for former Vice President Al Gore that included the line, 'I'd like to walk in your carbon footprint.' Classic."
Also, the Sun-Times just published a bit about the Second City performers and/or alum who are involved in the Sonic commercials. A favorite commercial? "a Sonic Island Fire Burger execution in which (T.J.) Jagadowski is going on about how he didn't realize the burger would be so spicy, while (Pete) Grosz expresses amazement at that revelation, given the burger's fiery name. The two actors go back and forth, until Jagadowski brings the banter to an amusing conclusion by remarking on his comic partner's annoyingly repetitive head movements."
Impress These Apes is back for season two. We conducted a terrifying but necessary interview with Hollywood Ape and got some scoop on the new season of simian terror, human oppression, and, oh yeah, lots and lots of laughs.
When and where is the Apes 2 kickoff?
We begin the torture of contestants on Thursday August 2nd, upstairs at the Improv Olympic, at 8:00 p.m. It will run every Thursday for 2 months.
What's new, exciting, and banana-scented about season two?
Well, we had to learn a new dance for the opening, it was choreographed by the lovely, but non-simian Erica Reid Gerdes. There are tons of new challenges, and a new bonus point system that will change the face of ape-judged talent shows. It is truly groundbreaking for talent shows administered by apes.
For the uninitiated, what exactly happened at the end of last season, and why do you need to come back again? Wasn't all of that "fate of the planet and all of humankind" stuff settled then?
Well, the fact is, we never left. At the end of last season, our Time Machine broke. Now we must harness the talent of the new batch of contestants to try and power that mofo up. Humankind is still in some serious shit. The plot of Impress these Apes is very important, I'm glad, dear interviewer, that you are aware of its intricacies.
Are you going to torture the human contestants with new tasks this time around? What will they be forced to do for your superior simian amusement?
This year we have 87% new tasks! They will stretch the "talent" of our contestants to the breaking point. Also, did I mention the new bonus point system, a system that has yet to be seen in any talent based competition-type show (that involves apes.)?
What do you and the other apes do for fun in between shows?
What do we do for fun...hmm...well, for the last two weeks, I've been traveling around to grade schools spoiling Harry Potter. I pose as an actor doing a one man show about Mark Twain, and then right when I get to the part about Twain's friendship with Financier Henry Huttleston Rogers (about 30 minutes into the show) I rip off my wig and throw down my pipe and yell some crazy-ass spoiler from book 7....You wouldn't believe the look on these kids' faces when they realize that the last 10 years of their literary lives have been ripped asunder by a hyper intelligent ape. As for the other guys, in their spare time, Apehab yachts and Barry Shirley makes his own jeans.
How smart are you exactly? Can your intelligence really be measured by traditional human IQ scores?
Yes, dummy, nice question. Humans evolved from apes, so the same test works for both.
I know you're not actually one of them, but what's the deal with those red-assed baboon things at the zoo? Really, they're kind of weird. what's with them?
Those apes are the kind of monkeys that you can take home from the bar, but you can't take home to mom. Believe me, as a famous ape actor, I've intercoursed all types of apes, and these are the most unsavory of the lot.
Are you ever going to let Scoresboard off his leash and let him find a new mate?
HAHA, that's ripe. Recently we reanimated his former love and allowed him a conjugal, then midway through the conjugal we de-animated her, his face was priceless!! We are gonna try and get the video up on YouTube, it is just too funny.
The Bastion Gets Renee Gauthier to Dish on Posh Spice
Renee Gauthier gave us some details on the episode of "Twentysomething Toddler" that we featured last week.
"That sketch was written by Josh Spector and we were able to improvise on the loose script. The dad is Nate Craig and I am obviously playing the mom. Adam Hunter is the son. The series will be following Adam in normal life situations with parents who always treat him like he's four years old. I had a great time shooting this sketch, it was a lot of fun!"
Also, tune into NBC on Monday, July 16, to see Renee work her tail off as a personal assistant to the Poshest Spice Girl of all in the hour-long reality special "Victoria Beckham: Coming to America," then check back here with the Bastion to read our exclusive, post-Beckham interview about what it's really like to be the left arm and shopping bag holder of the one and only Victoria "richer than you can dream of" Beckham.
Any show that starts out with the Safety Dance followed by Beat It (complete with dancing by the director), is all right by us. pH productions' Jerkology opened at the Stage Left theater last night, and since the Bastion loves jerks, we were there.
Highlights from the show included an over-the-top discussion based around the old Sally Sells Sea Shells by the Sea Shore tongue twister (we preferred Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers, but Sally was quite impressive), how to handle finding out your friend is adopted (hi Josh!), and lots of short transition sketch bits ending with someone saying something jerky over their cell phone - to their grandmother, friend with cancer, or wanna-be mother. While we really loved the sketch involving plenty of near-vomiting, it reminded us a bit too much of Waiters who are Nauseated by Food from the Dana Carvey show.
The show runs through the end of July, Thursday nights at 11:00 PM (don't worry, the show's only an hour, so you can make it to work on time the next day if you don't over-imbibe due to the theater's BYOB policy).
AIRBORNE!, The Washington Generals, Cook County Social Club at i.O.
Sure, we’ve all got options for a Friday night: chicken or pasta, a movie or a movie based on a book. But if you’re looking for something different check out the i.O.’s Cabaret stage every Friday at 8 and take in the improv stylings of two i.O. student teams and the full on prowess of Cook County Social Club. Lucky for you, the Bastion took its own advice and spent this past Friday at the Cabaret along with a packed house of comedy voyeurs to see AIRBORNE!, The Washington Generals and Cook County Social Club.
AIRBORNE!, um, landed on stage right at 8 and took the audience through 30 minutes of occult practices, movie set intrigue and the confusing world of slot jockeys. Sure there were hits and misses, but AIRBORNE!’s energy and solid cooperative approach kept the audience happy and the night moving right along.
A second 9-member student team, The Washington Generals, joined AIRBORNE! and the two groups combined their powers to bring to life the dreams of one audience member brave enough to tell them about his day: Adam, the carpenter’s apprentice who lives in Lakeview with his girlfriend and her friend, we salute you. Good luck selling that motorcycle.
The Washington Generals then took all the comedic energy built up at that point and powered through a set highlighted by a high school prom night proposition and a father son chastity dance off.
While the student teams worked to polish their timing and sharpen their improv teeth on the meaty flesh of a live audience, Cook County Social Club hit the stage already shiny and gorged on the praise of the improv masses. The tight four member team had the audience reeling through a hilarious journey that began at an abusive and poorly planned Memorial Day picnic and moved on quickly to the sadistic and charming offices of Doctors Mancuso and Feinberg, paddleboats, a naked frat girl pyramid and the even more seedy, if less disturbing, world of WWII sailors on leave. What movie based on a book could possibly compare?
Cook County Social Club headline every Friday night, so go catch them and enjoy two different student teams each week starting at 8.
It seems that the The New York Timesagrees with us that the old paths to comedy opportunities are being increasingly abandoned in favor of that zippy and irresistible internet thing: "For comedians who aspire to break into television, it’s no longer necessary to spend years cracking one-liners at stand-up clubs in hopes of landing an HBO special or a sidekick role on a network sitcom. With clever material, an act that mixes live skits and multimedia, and, especially, some savvy use of the Internet, members of a young comedy troupe can suddenly find themselves starring in their own cable series."
The Bastion's recent conversation with Maria Bamford about her phat and creatively flexible deal with Super Deluxe, as well as Chicago examples of online self-promotion (i.e. Blerds) turning into more and more IRL opportunities has us thinking about this even more.
We've been talking with Jon DeWalt of Chicago's ThoseGuysFilms.com, who are also taking maximum advantage of the viral video phenomenon and are putting out original content as frequently as possible. According to Jon, "We have a ton of online outlets. It isn't like in ye olde times in the days of The Lonely Island (three years ago) anymore where your website was it, and everyone flocked to see if you have a new video out. Now there are so many video websites that the playing field and viewing population is really divided. So we try to get to as many as we can - we are on Super Deluxe and Funny or Die - these are the two video-sites I most enjoy being a part of and we have gotten the most views from. We are also on MySpace which is good for fan feedback, and average for views, and we are also on iFilm and YouTube which have not gotten us a lot of views at all. AOL featured one of our shorts, 'L'attraction,' off of iFilm and it got a lot of hits from that, but otherwise iFilm hasn't brought us anything. YouTube is tough because if you get one popular video you will be set on fire, but that is not likely because every douchebag in the world is uploading his drinking videos and every confused twenty year old girl is uploading her bikini dancing videos and it's like okay, where is the real comedy? That's why we like Super Deluxe and Funny or Die - it focuses the audience."
Jon went on to explain: "We get some pretty good traffic, we have been in some magazines and featured on Super Deluxe and AOL and some other things. Like I said it is weird because one video will get thousands of views in a day; like today we just uploaded 'Musical Makeover Montage' and it has over 2,700 hits in less than a day on Funny or Die - that same video and same amount of time on YouTube? Nine hits. But what I do like is that the overall sum of views and feedback and people who are enjoying our work gets a little bigger with each video, it has been snowballing for over two years now, and it keeps adding on slowly but surely. That is uplifting."
The Bastion has also been chatting with the charming and funny masterminds behind "Ask Anything With Beth and Val," aptly named Beth and Val, two more comedians taking advantage of those series of tubes to get their material in front of a wider audience. Valerie Hurt and Beth Dover are two self-described "theater dorks turned laugh whores" based in LA who do improv and sketch. Beth trained at Second City in LA and is writing for the National Lampoon Lemmings tour, while Val studied with the Groundlings and does a fake home shopping show on VH1 called the Home Purchasing Club.
Some of Beth's MySpace videos caught the eye of CJ Arabia, who works for dotcomedy.com, and the pair were invited to contribute to dotcomedy.com, which was looking for funny fresh female talent. Beth and Val learned iMovie and started using a Mac laptop, shooting and putting up their stuff, which is in question and answer format with an eye toward pop culture and current events.
They don't get a ton of money for their efforts but they have a lot of fun entertaining questions from viewers, ranging from "If a guy shaves his balls, does that make him gay?" to "Have you ever touched anything and then regretted it?" all the way over to "If Anne Heche was crazy at some point, doesn't that mean she still could be?"
Beth and Val's self-loading video about the viewer comments that came their way after being featured on "What Would Tyler Durden Do" can be seen here.
Something's developing at Second City. Part of Second City's Directing Program, "Recent Developments" features a fun cast of six actors, working toward creating a sketch comedy revue. Each week they improvise scenes based on ideas they've come up with, and shape them into entertaining sketches with the help of audience feedback. Not all of the sketches were hard-hitters, but there is a lot of potential for greatness. A couple of scenes went over very well, including one about a family's unwieldy interaction with their mini-van's GPS system. The entire cast is very talented, and Joshua Hanson has great timing and gives those on-the-money, honest reactions that have the audience rolling. Musical director, Sean Sykes, gives impressive underscoring to the scenes, setting the mood but not distracting from the piece. It will be exciting to check back on this group when they have their run in Donny's Skybox this summer, and see what director Mike McKeown does to bring it all together.
"Recent Developments" has its last run this Thursday at 10:30 pm in Donny's Skybox at Second City and features James Asmus, Vanessa Bayer, Christy Bonstell, Joshua Hanson, Tim Heurlin and Wendy Mateo.
Stop That Show, 3033 Moves to Sundays, Feverberry Mountain Extended
If you are tired of traditional sketch shows or your regular improv shows in Chicago then you are invited to take a trip up north to the Annoyance Theater. All of their shows are very unique and "Stop That Show" keeps that trend going by providing a very different and extremely fun show. Most impressive about this show is that they deliver a very wacky tongue-in-cheek type of comedy, but with such polish and attention to detail. The transitions from scene to scene are very smooth and funny in themselves and the show is technically sound thanks to the Mr. Clay Goodpasture in the light booth. Julie Nichols excels as the musical director, composing over twelve original songs and playing over eight instruments! The music is as fun as the show, which is about a small town that has a theater problem. The solution? Fight fire with fire and put on a show to stop all shows! The real fun happens in act two when the townspeople start putting on a show for every single problem they have. The cast is extremely talented and visibly having a fun time playing with each other; some stand outs include Dan Jessup as The Mayor (whose physicalities, songs and commitment are worth the price of admission alone), Chris Witaske as The Preagician (who is just plain fun to watch, and super over the top. Simply put, hilarious.), and Emily Candini as Darla (Emily is always great at bringing emotion and energy to her characters, in this show she gets to really amp it up). Dunbar Dicks puts all of this together in his directorial debut at The Annoyance and he does a fantastic job. The very last scene of the show is some of the most wonderfully chaotic and absurd comedy this writer has seen all year. "Stop That Show" runs Thursday nights at 8 pm at The Annoyance Theater and is a $15 ticket.
Over at The iO Theater, 3033 is doing some of the best improv in Chicago right now. 3033 is made up of Bill Arnett, Alex Fendrich, Rush Howell, Danny Mora and Andy St.Clair. Everyone in the cast except for Rush was a member of People of Earth, one of the most influential and original iO teams of the past decade. So the fact that these guys are getting back together in a longform improv show should be enough to get you to the theater - but let's add Rush Howell. All you need to know about Rush is this: bar none, he is the funniest person in Chicago right now. All these ingredients make for an incredibly fun show every week, sometimes it is even brilliant. 3033 doesn't do a set form every night, instead they improvise the show structure and rules as they perform which is pretty awesome to watch. 3033 plays on Thursdays at 11pm at iO through May, and moves to Sundays at 10:15 pm starting June 10. It is only $5 (free for iO students/performers) and on a double bill with Stubs (Dina Facklis and Brad Morris).
Finally we would like to congratulate the cast of Feverberry Mountain for getting an extension on their run at iO! They will now be playing every Thursday night at 8 pm through June 7, which means you have three chances left to go see them. Feverberry Mountain is a very tight ensemble that knows each other extremely well which leads to a very cohesive and smart improv show. The cast is made up of Weston C. Haney, John Langen, Gina Nicewonger and Jeff Rukes. It is $10 or free for iO students/performers.
You on Comedy Central, The Movie and Topaz at iO, New Video Wednesday
--Comedy Central's Open Mic Fight is looking for submissions from Chicago stand-up comedians. Send them a seven to ten minute video clip and walk away with a whole bunch of awesome prizes, including a chance to perform on Comedy Central, and $10,000 cash. You have until June 5, so get to it!
--Last Tuesday we sent stand-up Darius Kennedy across the imaginary divide between stand-up and improv in Chicago. He checked out some improv shows at iO - "Our Feature Presentation in 'The Movie'" and "Topaz." He had a good time, and the space-time rift between improv and stand-up was not breached, therefore preserving the existence of the universe for at least another week. Here's what Darius told us:
"It was my first visit to iO. I walked into the Cabaret, and was greeted by the music of Urge Overkill's 'Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon.' I was also welcomed by their huge bar, and a wide and open performance area."
"In the first show, 'The Movie,' the performers seemed new and energized. You could tell who among them was seasoned, and who were the eager newbies, fresher to the scene. They worked in tons of hilarious references like diabetic bears, chicken-stealing ho's, men-on-men mirror action, and one-armed women. Mmm Mmm tasty comedy! 'The Movie' was entertaining and kept the audience's attention, but dragged on at times due to inconsistant relationships among the characters. All in all, the performance was enjoyable, and made me chuckle like a school girl at times."
"Up next was 'Topaz.' These guys are a ball of fun. With their excellent choice of costume (three guys in 70's style denim jumpsuits) and their noticeable appendage bulges, they seemed experienced and in control, and knew how to continue and develop the on-stage relationships to keep the show rolling. These guys filled the roles necessary to keep the audience in tune with the big picture as it evolved."
--And today's new videos. First up is a new offering from ThoseGuysFilms.com, "Musical Makeover Montage":
Also, for your viewing pleasure, "Canned Laughter," starring Chicagoan-turned-New Yorker Joselyn Hughes:
Does Improv Work on TV?, MADtv at Second City Tomorrow Night, Edge Comedy
Can the wild animal that is improv make it in the heavily structured tv environment? Some say "maybe not." Improv elite including Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh made a good go of it with "ASSSSCAT: Improv" on Bravo not long ago, and even called on very special special guests like Tina Fey, Andy Richter, Rachel Dratch and Horatio Sanz but even the best of improv, it seems, suffers on television precisely because of the lack of immediacy that a live performance provides. Even though the popularity of the Drew Carey-hosted "Whose Line Is It Anyway," which ran from 1998 to 2004, broadened interest in improv, spoiled a wider audience's expectation of what improv "really is," according to some.
Nevertheless, NBC and a couple of talented Second City main stage vets are putting their all into network improv these days with "Thank God You're Here," an adaptation of an Australian improv tv show of the same name. How is the show going? According to Chicagoist: "There’s no denying that the show would be a thousand times more enjoyable if the core cast (including Nyima Funk and Maribeth Monroe from Second City) improvised with the guests instead of trying to hit certain beats and spit out fabricated lines...we actually laughed out loud a few times." But Dan Kois of Slate goes so far as to say the show isn't really improv at all: "...the supporting performers in the show clearly have seen a script, or at least a list of setups, gags, and plot points to stick to. Which means 'Thank God You're Here' isn't improv, not in any true sense."
Students and alum of the Second City Training Center can call 312-475-3564 to make reservations for a MADtv panel event tomorrow night, April 27, from 5-6 PM at 1608 North Wells. "Meet and hear from cast members of FOX's hit sketch comedy show MADtv at this free event for students and alumni of The Second City Training Center. Panelists include Ike Barinholtz, Crista Flanigan, Arden Myrin, Nicole Parker, Jordan Peele and possibly more. Topics will range from the process of creating and producing their shows, differences between writing and performing sketch for stage and television, working with guest stars, as well as a chance for audience members to ask questions. Patrick Brennan will host and moderate." Hm. "Possibly more." Does that mean that visiting MADtv performers are having too much fun in and around the Chicago Improv Festival this week? We hope so.
Edge Comedy is putting up its "Best of New Faces" show at SEVENS @ The Chicago Center for the Performing Arts (777 N. Green Street) tomorrow, Friday the 27th, at 8 PM. The new faces show will feature Cindy Cornelson, Brendan McGowan, Aaron Eikenberry, and more. The 8 PM "Best of Edge Comedy" show on Saturday the 28th (at the same location) has lined up Hannibal, Cameron Esposito, Fay Canale, Dustin White, Jeff Hansen, and others. Both shows are hosted by Edge producer Dave Odd.
Chicago Improv Festival Beginning Soon, Second City Vets on NBC, Blerds in LA
Catch legendary Chicago improvisers Susan Messing (pictured at right) and Mark Sutton on "Chicago Tonight" on WTTW at 7:00 p.m., discussing the Chicago Improv Festival, which kicks off all over the damn city on April 23, delighting Chicago with special celebrity guests and international improv through the 29th.
Chicagoist is also warning us that Oprah will be hosting the cast of NBC's Thank God You're Here, which features two Second City veterans, Maribeth Monroe and Nyima Funk. Tune in if you dare.
Our marginally cooler, slightly better-tanned California brothers at The Coming are touting The Blerds' swing through the Golden State. The Blerds show is at the Improv in Irvine and features special guest Doug Benson. The following night, the Blerds will be tearing it up again at at the UCB.
Blerds on Front Page of MySpace, Forever 21, Chicks Are or Are Not Funny
Pat Brice and Mike Bridenstine's mugs are plastered on the front of MySpace's main page today, as the Blerds video "Rent Or Own" was chosen as a featured video on the megapopular site. MySpace: not just for pre-adolescent hookups anymore, now it's a powerful marketing tool for musicians and comedians alike.
This little accomplishment is another addition to what seems to be an ever-growing list for the group. The Blerds site will be celebrating its one-year anniversary at the end of April, with what we're sure will be the party to end all parties, so stay tuned for details real soon!
Hey! Wanna feel old? The three youngest team members at i.O. - born in 19-fricking-85 - are joining forces to create Forever 21, consisting of Bastion contributor Mackenzie Condon, Jon DeWalt of Callous and thoseguyfilms.com, and Lauren Lapkus, recently of The Darned, MISSfits, Big Yellow Bus, and Impress These Apes. Fork out a mere $5 to see them in the Del Close Theater at i.O. tomorrow at 8 p.m. before Mackenzie wusses out and heads to New York for law school. (Really, it's sad to see people dropping out of comedy for something as chancy as law. What will she have to fall back on?)
Also, there's a bit of fuss across the internet today in the wake of a Washington Post story called "Beaten to the Punchline," in which the trials and tribulations of the modern itinerant female stand-up are dissected and analyzed. Maria Bamford points out the common hiring practice of no more than one female comic per lineup, except for special cases of quasi-token "theme nights," like the ones specially crafted to highlight black or Latino comic talent. Lisa Lampanelli logs in with thoughts about the challenges of life on the road as well as her style's appeal to men, provocatively suggesting that "Men respond to my kind of (crude) comedy. If a guy wants to hear a yapping bitch, he'll just stay home with his wife."
New York comic and blogger Carolyn Castiglia vents about the article a bit herself. She's actually a bit tired of receiving links to every article about "women in comedy," thinks the media may be rubbing female comics' noses in something already as plain as day, and wonders if there are any topics that are strictly the domain of the woman comedian. "Is marriage a female topic? No. Jim Gaffigan is married. Louis CK is married. Chris Rock is married. Brian Posehn is married. Is dating a female topic? No. Zach Galifianakis talks about having a broken heart on stage. Are children (gulp!) a female topic? Ah, let's hope not, considering that most of the married male comics I mentioned not only have kids but talk about them in their acts. So what the expletive is it then, huh? Is it that our pathetically sad little American culture still just wants our 'yapping bitches' to shut the expletive up?"
Apes, the Mix, Tuesday Riot, ChUC, Chicago Comedy Awards
The Bastion has been up to its usual tricks, hitting Impress These Apes followed by the open mic at the Mix on Monday, and Thomas and TJ's Tuesday Riot followed by Chicago Underground Comedy last night. Yeah, we might need a night off.
The Impress These Apes talent this week was short film, and the hapless human contestants, try though they might, may not be able to fend off the eventual destruction of humanity and the planet itself. (Also, is it just us, or is Professor Scoresboard more openly hostile to his banana-mashing captors as time goes on? Not that we blame him, what with the constant humiliation of that organ grinder monkey suit they make him wear.) Some of the films were pretty chuckleworthy, and we all got free popcorn, so it all evens out in the end. Oh, and next week's show, which is the grand finale, will not be at the Playground, but rather, the Lakeshore Theater, at Broadway and Belmont. Be there to see the grand prize winner pocket a life-changing $250, and, you know, witness the end of homo sapiens.
The Mix open mic was mellow, as usual, with a steady stream of comics rotating through the room, and little glitches like the spotlight burning out, requiring the comedians to stand, Hannibal Lecter-like, directly under a stage light. We chatted with the usual suspects, including Robert Buscemi, Hannibal, Andy Ross, Jena Friedman, and Bill Cruz, and caught a few minutes by Jack Calhoun and Jared Logan as Brady Novak hosted what the nerdier among us secretly hoped would have been a straight-up President's Day show. What? Michael Palascak pulled off a clothesline of Presidential jokes. Some people appreciated the effort.
Last night's Thomas and TJ's Tuesday Riot actually didn't feature TJ Miller, as he's off in L.A. chasing down some tv-related pilot opportunities of some sort. (We got a one-line e-mail on that one. Hey, we can't get the full scoop all the time!) But Thomas Middleditch and his guest improviser did their best with a tiny audience who (ahem) supplied the performers with the hackiest of audience suggestions to work with. (Sorry to tell you, loud and possibly drunk dude in back row, but improvisers have heard things like "dildo" and "poo" yelled out from the darkness of the audience since the dawn of time. Seriously.) Brendan McGowan, Mike Holmes, and Prescott Tolk took the stage for the stand-up portion of the show, which, again, was not an ideal situation for them, in terms of the number of audience members and the non-clubby set-up of the Del Close Theater, but we have high hopes for this show turning into something pretty great if it is able to build up a loyal following.
Chicago Underground Comedy was good fun last night. Chicago comedy photog and megafan Katie Moore was led onstage and treated to a big blazing birthday cake and a singalong, although she was awfully quick to duck the spotlight and leap offstage. (The cake, in case you're wondering, was white, with chocolate icing - quite tasty.) Mike Bridenstine hosted, and featured comics included the delightful Cameron Esposito, who revealed that she and her sister, like a lot of Catholic kids, grew up transfiguring various household snack items into the holy host for playtime games of Mass. (We went for smashed Wonder Bread ourselves, but apparently Better Cheddars and Nilla Wafers will also do in a pinch.) Also onstage at ChUC were Daryl Amandes (of the Adventure Club and Scribble), Ricky Carmona, David Angelo, and Sean Flannery. Also there to enjoy a laugh (and yoink some cake) were Bradley Fojas, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Lauren Bishop and Hannah Gansen.
While at ChUC we were glad to offer congratulations to producer and comic Tony Sam, who nabbed the Mark Sinclair Memorial Award for Most Innovative Comedian at last week's Chicago Comedy Awards, which were hosted by Ken Bernard at the Lincoln Lodge. We have to think that award was apt. Have you seen anyone else whang more comedy out of a ukelele than Tony Sam? No, you haven't. Other winners included Best Comedian Jared Logan, Most Improved Comedian Becky Garcia, and Comic's Choice C.J. Sullivan. It was mentioned that perhaps Ken, though he did a wonderful job as host, should be replaced next year so he can be eligible for a big shiny prize as well.
(Tony Sam picture courtesy of Krystle Gemnich. Krystle's photos from the Chicago Comedy Awards here, and yet another great set from Katie Moore here.)
"Sandy Takes a Break" Gets a Break, My Slushy Valentine, Don Hall Reviews Teatro Bastardo
Chris Lee and Ben Seeder, the creative minds behind the character-driven sketch show Sandy Takes a Break, have been invited to take their show to Comedy Central Stage in Los Angeles on March 15, and will be staging a special performance on Friday, March 2nd, 10:30PM @ iO before shoving off for Californ-eye-aye.
The Bastion splashed its way through puddles of melted black snow last Wednesday to catch the special Valentine's edition of the Spectacular Show and was rewarded with freshly-iced cupcakes, courtesy of comic and show producer Cameron Esposito, who regaled the audience with tales of painful long-distance breakups and a series of poems including "Shall I Compare Thee to the Movie The Fifth Element?" and "Shall I Compare Thee to the Movie Terminator Two?"
Gorilla Tango is a nice intimate setting for a comedy show, with a mic-less stage off to one corner. Performers included Chris Sanders, who read from a purported couple of love letters between two of his ancestors, one full of love and longing, one a "you left your musket at my place, please come and get it" brush-off. Darius Kennedy got a few chuckles by reading a poem based on a conversation he overheard, called "Pick Up Your Kids," featuring arguments mixed with promises of reservations at Ponderosa and Sybaris. Robert Buscemi and Hannibal wrapped up the show, and sweet treats and BYOB bevvies were enjoyed by all.
Longtime curmudgeon and fervent believer in the power of theater Don Hall has logged in with his thoughts about the dangers of sketch and improv performers spreading themselves too thin with too many side projects, and offers a review of Teatro Bastardo's "Life is a Joke," directed by Joe Janes, giving props where props are due, and concluding with "This group has talent and with Joe at their helm has real potential. Now they need to lose some of their 'side projects' and focus in on the work they do together. Given an actual six months of intense rehearsal, these cats could blow minds."
Some argue that long-form is superior to short-form improv. Some argue that musical improv is superior to "I can act but I can't sing" improv. Some like it hot. If you want all of this, come to the doubleheader of "Get Your Story Straight" by Found in Translation and "Infinite Sundaes" by Second City's Music Improv House Ensemble on Sundays at 8pm at Donny's Skybox.
A week ago last Friday the Bastion got the chance to check out two shows by 
At the end of pHamily, we got the wonderful surprise that everyone who had come for pHamily could stay for free for 
Chicago improv improv group 
Greetings and salutations dearest readers,
The Bastion checked out 
Can a baby really be ten years old? This one is. 
Sounds like the Chicago Tribune is as enamored of those damn dirty apes as we are. Nina Metz describes the Thursday night "
Have you been getting your share of hot monkey action? We have, and it continues to be awesome. The second season of 
The Second City has brought the 
Also, the 
For the uninitiated, what exactly happened at the end of last season, and why do you need to come back again? Wasn't all of that "fate of the planet and all of humankind" stuff settled then?
Also, tune into NBC on Monday, July 16, to see Renee work her tail off as a personal assistant to the Poshest Spice Girl of all in the hour-long reality special "
Any show that starts out with the Safety Dance followed by Beat It (complete with dancing by the director), is all right by us. 
