Last week Los Angeles Penn alumni gathered in Hollywood to celebrate some great emerging Penn talent.
The night was filled with some dirty good comedy from host DJ Lubel (C'05) and great original music, improv, inspiring monologues, some over the top characters, a belting rendition of The National Anthem, and of course, a must-see musical(!) bit from the Bloomers alumni about what it means NOT to be Jewish at Penn. (hysterical!)
After the jump, check out some photos and videos from the night!
And congrats to Jeni Sue Birnbaum (C'08), Aimee Musil (C'06), Allison Karic (C'09), and EJ Baker (C'09) for putting together a spectacular event!
Showing posts with label Improv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Improv. Show all posts
Monday, September 26, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
A couple of weeks ago, we covered the brilliant musical mind of Tom Christensen (W'03, Mask and Wig) as he competed in a national musical improv competition.
After a total of 216 improvisors entered into the Improv tournament, Tom, on behalf of "North Dakota" (the only one-man team) won four heated battles and then the championship!
After the jump, watch his fantastic opening number, "Voting is Easy," from the winning show.
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Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Over the past 4+ years, I've covered lots of alumni performing improv.
There is one particular style of improv that has really caught my eye, or I should say ear: the musical improv.
After the jump, watch how Tom Christensen's (W'03, Mask and Wig) mind works as he spins the suggested phrase "You go get her boy" into a one-man musical about: a boy who crushes on a girl, a dorky chemistry teacher, jealous friends ruling the school, a frank conversation between a mother and son, and "popular girls".
And don't blame if you find yourself humming the tune to his featured "I'm not a date rapist" song all day.
Seriously, watch how his mind works.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Like many SNL castmates, Vanessa comes from doing Chicago's Second City. Per her bio on the Second City website,
"The Cleveland native was director of Bloomers sketch group at the University of Pennsylvania and has interned at Late Night With Conan O'Brien and Sesame Street. Vanessa now performs in Chicago with iO Theater's Revolver, the puppet show FELT, Annoyance's Splatter Theater and Lil Talent Show and does stand-up at Zanies. Many thanks to her sassy family and friends for teaching her that laughter truly is the best medicine."
By the looks of her Blue Shield of California parody commercial above, Vanessa will have no problem fitting into SNL and giving Kristin Wiig a run for her money! Good luck Vanessa! (thanks to Abby Barba (C'03) for the tip!)
Congrats to the Bloomers, but let's not forget some notable Mask and Wig alumni in some classic film and TV HERE
More DT stories on Penn alumni on TV HERE
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Thursday, August 5, 2010
Recently, comic, producer and casting director Lesley Wolff (C'93, Bloomers), appeared on the Laughing Matters Panel at the SAG Foundation and was dishing out advice about what actors and comics should do with what they send to casting directors.
After the jump watch this clip where Lesley talks about a big trap actors and comics often fall into when sending their reels.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
David Koff (C'91, Mask and Wig, Friars, DP) has been producing a show in Los Angeles so unique that it has attracted the talent of such actors as John Larroquette, Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Dean Cain, as well as "Kids in the Hall" actors Mark McKinney, Kevin McDonald, Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald to name a few...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Last summer I attended a performance from Jonah Platt's (C'08, Off the Beat) One Night Stand Musical troupe. (he's the one in the white t-shirt, tie and hat above)
Not only was I blown away at how talented these kids were, but how quick they were to create an hour long musical based on a few words the audience suggested.
They are now back in LA this summer doing 5 weeks of shows before they head to NYC for the New York Musical Theater Festival this fall.
Check out their website for more information: http://www.onenightstandmusical.com/And if you live in LA, get tickets HERE to see their show!
Thu, Jul 23 - Sat, Aug 22
Thurs, Fri 8 pm
Sat 8 pm and 9:30 pm
HALF-Off Advance Purchase:
Use Promo Code: musical
Get a taste of the talent here with these recent clips of Jonah and the ONS company below:
"Carpe Diem"
Carpe Diem (the show is called "Riding Weekend")-- it's only the 2nd scene of the show. After watching "the saddest news program on tv," two friends Dave and Roger decide they want to start living their lives to the fullest.
"Pot It In The Box"
The above show is called "the night that changed my life" -- my character, Billy, a young boy, has been pushed throughout the musical by his father and neighbor to grow up and become responsible, but all he wants to do is stay young and imagine things and play with his imaginary friend Peter. In the show's climactic scene, Maturity comes to Billy one night and tells him that if he wants to be mature enough to be with the girl from next door, whom he loves, then he needs to put Peter away for good, and "pop it in the box." (this was also the name of the audience-suggested song title that we had to sing).
Check out other Penn comedians HERE
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Monday, December 15, 2008
While Fielding Edlow (C'95) is primarily a playwright, she recently collaborated on her first short The Long Nap (see above) with her director Adrian Fulle, in the writer's group, Safehouse, in Santa Monica. The short is about "a woman who wakes up from a 12 year relationship nap." Look out for Penn alum Jessie Schneiderman (C'05) performing in the film.Tomorrow night (9/16) at 9pm, her short one-act, "Sex and Tinsel in Denver", will be included with four other writers tomorrow 12/16 at 9pm, in the off-Broadway Naked Angels Reading Series in NYC.
Tuesdays at NineAlso, Fielding's full-length play, "Admissions" is being developed by Naked Angels in NYC as well. "Admissions" is about a family teetering on the brink when an inappropriate father and a self-obsessed mother accompany their disaffected daughter, sitting on the lid of Pandora's box, on a Vassar College campus tour.
National Comedy Theater
347 West 36th Street
between 8th and 9th Avenue
Hosted by T@9 NY's creative directors Stephanie Cannon and Joe Danisi.
Besides writing, Fielding also performs improv every Friday night at Ultimate Improv in Westwood at 9pm with her group, "The Board". More at Ultimateimprov.com.
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Friday, January 18, 2008
Last week I posted about "One Night Stand", the improv musical group that Jonah Platt (C'08, Off the Beat) started seven years ago.
With video camera in hand, I ventured down to see his show last Saturday night with Kiera Reilly (C'93) and we both had a fantastic time!
Jonah came out at the beginning of the show and asked the audience for a bunch of words which they then weaved into a FULL hour's musical performance! A full hour! With an accompanying pianist and an actual story arc! And all of this improv! They were making up songs and lyrics on the spot!
The words that were muttered from the audience from the show I saw included "Mental Hospital", "Geri Curls" and "Matzah Ball Soup". It was exciting sitting in the audience watching this talented troupe work together and weave an entertaining story on the fly before our very eyes. The story which resulted was about a woman admitted to a mental hospital and forced to take pills all day long.
Click here to watch their performance of "We All Take Pills"
(Jonah is the guy swinging his arms in the video)
The protagonist's one true love then gives up his transsexual(!) lover and goes after her. ...This resulted in a very funny scene in which Jonah and 2 fellow performers sang a cleverly improvised song comparing sexual preference to having both the lemonade and ice tea in an Arnold Palmer drink.
Click here to watch this funny "Arnold Palmer" scene
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Monday, January 7, 2008
Jonah Platt (C'08) is quite the renaissance man.
Not only can Jonah sing well, and not only is he the musical director of Off the Beat, but he started and sustained an improvised musical troupe "One Night Stand" for the past 7 years (with a show in Los Angeles this week!). Talk about being involved!
...Not a big surprise, considering he comes from an involved family of Penn alumni (his mother Julie Platt (C'79) is a University Trustee and his father Marc Platt (C'79, Glee Club) is a Hollywood executive and Broadway Producer).
Jonah tells me that at his shows the audience makes up the name of a musical ("Mongoose Diaries," "Thundercats in Love," "They Came From My Mother" and "Walk of Shame" are a few recent ones) and the troupe then makes up a cohesive hourlong musical right on the spot. Per Jonah, "We make up the music, the lyrics, the dances, the dialogue-- everything completely improvised with nothing pre-planned or rehearsed."
Check out this "Walk of Shame" clip from their performance at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Jonah is the one lying on the floor and sings at minute 3)
Jonah will be performing their group's international (60 min.) hit show, One Night Stand, at the Hudson Guild Theater in LA this week on January 10 (8pm), 11 (8pm) and 12 (8pm and 10 pm). (6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038). Running Time: 60 minutes, Tickets: $15.00. To make reservations (323) 960-5773.
(I'll be there at the Saturday 8 pm show)
Their group then performs at the Dirty South Improv Festival in Chapel Hill, NC in February, then back to Edinburgh Scotland for the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where they made their debut last summer.
Click here to learn more about how Jonah started this group and some of the big name backers to his show.
Check out the "One Night Stand" website
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Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Lesley Wolff (C'93, Bloomers) hosts her own stand up shows in Los Angeles. Combine funny, high energy, ambition and super nice and you get Lesley! She's a great person to know out in Los Angeles as she is involved in many aspects of the business.. from standup, to hosting, to producing, to casting, to teaching ....she does it all!
Check out clips from her show below!
For The Love of Comedy
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