Tag: comco

REVIEW: Battle Espresso Royale-Comco

Abby Z Leave a comment
The line to get into the show
The line to get into the show

I knew I was in the right place for yesterday’s Comco performance because of the gently rumbling din of voices in the distance. The line to get into the auditorium snaked around the corner and into the lobby, despite us having arrived over a half an hour early.  By the time my friend and I made it inside, there wasn’t a seat to be found. We ended up leaning against a wall for the entire performance while even more students packed into the aisles.  Even less-than-ideal “seats” couldn’t take away from how fun the performance was. I can’t remember a favorite skit or moment from the night, because I was laughing the entire time! At one point in the show I even shed a tear or two, it was genuinely that funny.

In the long run, the large crowd added to the excitement in the room.  Audience members were reacting to the jokes and shouting out suggestions with gusto.  For their part, the cast of Comco gave a wonderful performance, keeping the mood light and fun the entire hour and a half, bouncing off each other quick-wittedly, and recovering easily from the few jokes that fell flat.  For those who missed the performance, there is another one coming up December 9th, ready to give you that last jolt of energy right before finals!  To keep up with the latest updates from Comco, checkout their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Comedy.Company/ .

 

PREVIEW: Battle Espresso Royal- Comco

Abby Z Leave a comment

We could all take a cue from the age-old-adage “laughter is the best medicine.” After a long, long week14976815_10154609894388818_6795676064434312967_o of stresses and woes, loosen up and laugh for a bit with one of the University’s oldest and most well developed comedy groups, Comco, as they present Battle Espresso Royal. For those who have never attended an improv comedy show before, it’s a spontaneous, one-of-a-kind performance that features talented actors and comedians bouncing off one another with a quick wit and good comedic timing.

The show will be in Angell Hall Auditorium A starting at 8 PM Tomorrow, November 11th. Tickets are only $2 at the door, so for the price of a Starbuck’s (or Espresso Royale!) latte bring a friend or two and take some time to laugh together.

REVIEW: ComCo Presents: Edward Schlissel-Hands

camsterdam

ComCo’s show kicked off with a scripted mock trial of the most dangerous outlaw, Edward Schlissel-Hands, played by ComCo player, Sarah Sherman, who donned two oven mitts with printout pictures of UM President Mark Schlissel pasted on them. Each of the ComCo actors then took turns testifying to “the court” as to why Schlissel-Hands should be locked up. One great acting performance especially was done by Guy Madjar, who played a bartender who can identify any victim or criminal just from looking at a picture. Together, the ComCo actors started the night off with great silliness, bring laughter to the 450 person audience at Angell Hall’s Auditorium A, the largest and most hilarious fire-hazard known to Michigan.

While many of the best jokes are too dirty for this blog (and equally could not compare to seeing it live), ComCo not only excels in crude humor but also, in the art of setting up unfortunate scenarios that prove to be hilarious. In a game called “four square,” different scenes are assigned to players two at a time based on suggestions from the audience. One example was “Six Flags” which gave life to a story of a man and his son who are riding the most dangerous roller coaster that no one has ever survived before. Games like this one prove that the more absurd and silly, the more fun you can have.

My favorite game of the show is the finale: “I like my men like I like my ____,” which uses audience suggestions to fill in the blank and then explain in the tag line of the sentence. For example, “I like my men like I like my sandwich—covered in mayo.” Many responses used hilarious euphemisms in order to complete the sentence. Examples from last night included “I like my men like I like my hot sauce – of the Latin American variety” and “I like my men like I like my pencil sharpener – ….” I’ll let you imagine the rest…

Another crowd favorite was a segment called “Dating Game.” Imitating a show like the Bachelor, one player leaves the room, while the three “contestants” stay in the room and are given personalities from audience suggestions. Contestant 1 was a spatula, Contestant 2 was R. Kelly, and Contestant 3 had a fear of apostrophes. The Bachelor’s job was to try and guess what each of the Contestants were based on their answers to his questions. As tricky as it sounds, the Bachelor played by ComCo leader John Dennehy, guessed all of them correctly! Props goes to Kelsey, who played the apostrophe-phobe and entertained the audience with the line “I don’t like my men to be possessive.” Ahhh, such fun.

At the end of the show, it was revealed to us that some of the original founders of ComCo were in the audience. What an honor for them to see how their legacy has been carried on!! I recommend going to the next ComCo show on December 5, and every one after that!!! Free laughter, fun, and appreciation for those who can think up ridiculous material on the spot – a talent that most people can only dream of.

PREVIEW: ComCo Presents: Edward Schlissel-hands

camsterdam
Image via Comco’s FB page

 

With last year’s hit shows, “Infinity Scarf” and “My Big Fat Greek Yogurt,” University of Michigan’s oldest comedic improv group, ComCo, is sure to leave you with a six-pack abs from laughter. Prepare yourself for obscenities, awkward moments, and salacious references to world leaders, public officials, and celebrities. Audience participation is welcome! So come with your brain full of ideas to shout out! Think of anything and everything that “can fit on this stage,” as ComCo would say. If you need a good laugh, make sure to “cut” a little time out of your Friday and stop by! (Ooof, puns. That’s why I’m not in ComCo.)

What: ComCo Improv Show: Edward Schlisselhands

When: Friday, November 7 at 8:00 pm

Where: Auditorium A, Angell Hall

How Much?: $2

To keep updated on all of ComCo’s shows, like their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/Comedy.Company

 

 

 

REVIEW: ComCo

Gabriella

ComCo’s show last night featured nine ComCo players clad in ridiculously precious holiday sweaters to embody the winter/holidays/December spirit. With each player introducing themselves as “Carol” in the opening number only to sing a tune that mocked traditional Christmas caroling and music, the Carols brought great joy and laughter to the full house at Angel Hall’s Auditorium A.
While many of my favorite jokes are too dirty for me to repeat, ComCo not only excels in crude humor but simple humor anyone can laugh at. In a game called “four square” where different scenes are assigned to players two at a time based on suggestions from the audience, “sand” came to give life to a story of a man and woman growing sand in order to make a profit, and describing their frustrations when the sand wouldn’t grow. While trivial and somewhat elementary, the absurdist nature of much of the sketches and games makes the show lie on a high level of fun.
My favorite game the players do is “I like my men like I like my blank,” which uses audience suggestions to fill in the blank and then explain in the tag line of the sentence. For example, “I like my men like I like my sandwich—covered in mayo.” Many responses used hilarious euphemisms in order to complete the sentence.
Another crowd favorite was a segment where one player would be the hands for another player speaking. Somehow the two men, a foreign exchange student and his host father, ended up in the Arb looking for a Christmas tree to chop down for their home. This in itself was particularly funny considering cutting down a tree in the Arb would just be something someone would never do. The physical comedy this game lends itself to let the audience see the bodies of two people figuratively hopping and chopping on an imaginary tree. Quite comedic material here.
At the end of the show the ComCo players lovingly tossed an assortment of stuffed animals and plastic toys into the audience for their appreciation of attendance. I earned a toy Sully from Monsters, Inc. While this was the material reward for attending the show, I also earned the nonmaterial award of joy: a full 90 minutes of holiday laughter and cheer.
I recommend going to the next ComCo show and every one after that if you have not yet. It’s truly a great experience that’s all about making the audience feel good, and of course, laugh.