The Favourite has become one of the most talked-about films of late 2018 and early 2019, receiving no less than five nominations at the Golden Globes (including a win for Olivia Colman as Best Actress — Motion Picture Comedy or Musical). Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the film stars Emma Stone (Maniac) and Rachel Weisz (My Cousin Rachel) as two cousins competing to be the “favourite” of Queen Anne (Colman) in 18th century Britain. The Favourite is showing this week at the State Theatre as well as at Ann Arbor’s Quality 16.
Tag: Comedy
REVIEW: Pls Hire Us
Exam season is a cruelly bittersweet time. It is the blissful end to a long and arduous semester, a promise of a well-deserved break at the other end. During it all, though, the nights spent replacing sleep with study start stacking up, and the days fill with delirium. Personally, as I walked into Studio A for this show, I was rocking barely an hour of sleep in the past 36, as I’d been writing papers and preparing for an exam with such intensity that I was unable to fall asleep after I’d finished. Until my inevitable crash later that night, I would have to accept that I’d need to settle for the next best thing after sleep: laughter.
Unsurprisingly, quite a few other students were in the same boat; the place was packed. There was a list up front like the ones at exclusive clubs in the movies, but only those knew the performers were on it. I walked over to the back of the line. Luckily, I’d come early enough that I was let in before all the chairs had been filled.
As soon as the night of comedy sketches began, all of the day’s jittery exhaustion drained out of me. I was glad to find that the sketches were unrelated to each other, like in Saturday Night Live. Each scene was its own self-contained story, and despite their brevity, characters were developed, and the plot had enough detail to keep it interesting. Although the entire cast performed well, I did have a favorite; Emma Puglia really stood out to me. Her stage presence was amazing, following her even through the digital sketches, and her use of different comedic voices and tones helped her to be an invaluable part of the cast.
I don’t think a single member of the peanut gallery walked out of that room before having let out an embarrassingly ugly guffaw and/or wiped away a few tears from laughing so hard. It takes a truly talented group of people to write, perform, and produce something that can wash away the grime of exhaustion from a room full of students in the middle of their exam season. During that precious, golden time I had in Studio A, I could forget about the oceanography test I had suffered through just hours before, the paper I’d thrown together at 3:00 AM, the Wolverscreams session I’d missed while taking a nap. For that gift, I am so, so grateful.
REVIEW: The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon was a wonderful production, put on by Broadway in Detroit at the Fisher Theatre. It is undeniable that the stage was almost glowing throughout the entire show. The bright lights and set decor were a defining part of the experience, giving it the livelihood that such a musical, with compelling identities and enthusiastic characters, deserves. The vibrant colors of the costumes further complemented these strong production aspects, while also playing well into building the separate identities of the characters. The animated performances of the cast were obviously doing the heavy-lifting. Between the identifiable characters, the strong choreography, or the catchy, witty tunes, the cast managed to bring life to the entire show.
For people who are unfamiliar with the show, here it is: two 19-year-old mormon missionaries, Elder Price and Elder Young, are sent out to Uganda for their first two year mission, and it’s not what they expected. Price had hoped to be sent to Orlando Florida, and follower Young just wanted to be Price’s sidekick – but instead he ends up converting many Ugandans on his own terms. Through their adventures with religion, culture, and interaction, the show expresses satire, and sometimes even deeper emotion.
My favorite parts of the show would have to be the songs “Baptize Me” and “Joseph Smith, American Moses” and the choreography. In the former, Elder Young goes through the process of baptizing Nabulungi, which is full of sexual implications. I think I loved this one because Young is such a charismatic character – he brings many laughs to the show, while also forcing the audience to empathize with him because of his low self-esteem. In the latter, the villagers put on a show for the Mormon missionaries, which is entertaining thanks to the juxtaposition between the Ugandans and the Americans reaction. The choreography is a major part of the show, paying tribute to all different genres and parts of musical history. Such complexity and variety from song to song is refreshing, fun, and completely classic. I guess it’d be foolish to expect anything but hyper-theatricality, even if it is a show focused on Mormons in Uganda.
The only issue I had with the show was, well, the show. I knew that it was somewhat controversial, but generally hailed as a brilliant production. However, as I sat through the first act, it took me some time to warm up to the jokes and feel comfortable with them. This is not because I don’t like or am not used to comedy – I love it. And beyond that, find it to be an extremely effective means, specifically when battling confusing identities, ones that are often stereotyped or oppressed. Comedy is awesome. But for some reason, the portrayal of the Ugandans, an imperative part of the show, was not cutting it for me. And despite having thought and read about the story, I still cannot put my finger on what exactly turned me off. It could be due to the current climate our world is in – one where outlandish, seemingly ridiculous ideas that appeared and functioned as jokes are finding their footing in societies that are supposed to be increasingly “progressive” and “forward-moving.” It could be a variety of reasons, objective or subjective. I’m toying with ideas here, still trying to understand why I didn’t love my matinee musical experience quite as much as I hoped that I would. Instead I’ve been left as a slightly confused google-searcher and review-hunter.
However, I saw that by the second act, as a whole, the Ugandans were more humanized and credible. They knew that everything Young was spewing to them, about kissing frogs to cure AIDS and yatta yatta, was metaphors. And by the end of the show, we’re on a positive note again, just as hopeful as Elder Price was at the beginning when he hoped to be sent to Orlando, acknowledging the importance of religion and beliefs to many people, no matter their differences. All in all, I’d say The Book of Mormon is a put-together production worth seeing, and one worth taking a more critical look at, too.
PREVIEW: Pls Hire Us–Comedy Sketch Show
As we all know, exam season is a rough time to be alive. The work seems endless, the career goals start looking a little blurry, and dropping out feels like a more and more attractive option with each failed practice quiz.
It’s time to take a little break. The SAC 403 class will be performing a comedy act at North Quad Studio A, with the frighteningly relatable title “Pls Hire Us.” Showtimes are Wednesday, December 12th at 5 and 8 PM, as well as Thursday, December 13th at 10 PM.
Come on out to celebrate surviving your first round of exams with an entertaining show. It’s free, but seats are first come, first served, so arrive a few minutes early.
REVIEW: Keith Alberstadt
It’s not difficult to make me laugh. In fact, anyone who knows me will inform you I laugh at my own jokes far more often (and loudly) than the average person.
However, when I came to the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase this past Thursday, I was not in the best of moods. My friend wasn’t able to make it at the last minute, which would have been fine if I had known the seat I was assigned was at one of the little two-person tables directly at the foot of the stage, (where I would no doubt be at risk of having to participate in the show) with a place card that read “Reserved–Pinchak, 2.” The gaping hole next to me was especially conspicuous as every other seat was filled.
Despite the awkwardness of the seating arrangement, I was looking forward to Keith’s performance. As he began, I scootched my seat back toward the stage and listened in.
It’s hard to say what makes a person funny. It’s not often just the content; the same jokes told by different comedians have a different effect on people. While some fall flat, others are absolutely hilarious. Comedy is quite similar to theater in the way that stage presence plays a key role in its success. A comic’s ability to interact with their audience, use the space the stage provides, and work with timing in their set can make all the difference.
Keith Alberstadt seems to do all of this with ease. He made very direct eye contact with everyone in the audience, formed quick-paced dialogues with us, and moved all around the stage. In a lot of ways, he reminded me of the great Jim Carrey, one of my favorite actors. He’s known for his comedies like The Mask and the Ace Ventura movies, though he’s done solid work in dramas like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. A lot of his success comes from one unique characteristic: his “rubber” face. The facial expressions he can make are nothing short of astounding, and have contributed quite a lot to the characters he’s played. Alberstadt has this feature too: the wide mouth seems to stretch infinitely, eyebrows able to shift and slide to convey dozens of different emotions. He could imitate an old man or a newborn goat with striking accuracy. He is officially in my book of truly talented comedians.
Keith is currently on tour across the United States. More information on future shows can be found on keithcomedy.com, and aacomedy.com is your source for upcoming Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase events.
REVIEW: Whose Live Anyway?
I could barely contain my excitement as I sat in the Michigan Theater, processing that I was in the same room as Ryan Stiles and Jeff Davis, comedic legends who I have grown to love after watching them on Whose Line Is It Anyway, one of my favorite tv shows of all time. After spending months looking forward to this event, Whose Live was finally happening, and it did not disappoint.
Jeff Davis, Greg Proops, and Ryan Stiles were just as funny live as they are on Whose Line, proving that the television show really is improv comedy driven by audience suggestions. While Joel Murray is not a regular on the tv show, his comedic timing and improv was up to par with the rest of the more established improv comedians.
Classic improv games such as “Options” and “New Choice” were played, resulting in an interesting Dr. Seuss nihilism scene. Celebrity Jeopardy was also clever, with responses such as “What comes after Hamil-nine” in response to “Hamilton” and “What do you call a drunk grizzly” in response to “Beer.”
Music was present throughout the entire night, completely improvised by the musical director Bob Derkach, who was also musical director for Second City Toronto for 25 years. Jeff Davis sang a song for Stephanie, an avid fan of the show who was asked onstage at a previous show. He tried to serenade her in the style of Diana Ross but her love for Cathy, her partner, won out over her love for Jeff. The greatest hits infomercial about hairdressers resulted in wonderful duos by Jeff and Ryan in the style of country western, folk, and rock.
Audience participation was crucial, as always, to an improv show. In addition to all the suggestions shouted out as prompts for scenes, there was more direct participation in certain games. Ryan and Greg acted out the soap opera, “The Secrets of Saginaw”, with scripted lines written by audience members. The four comedians reenacted the first date of Karen and her partner of 17 years with a very similar name. The Polish and Macedonian couple kept the comedians honest in their improved reenactment by honking a horn when they got something wrong and ringing a bell when they got it right. Many truths were humorously exaggerated as their story played out onstage. “Sound Effects” was a game with two volunteers who provided the sound effects for Jeff and Joel, who were steel miners. Finally, for the encore, they invited Cathy, Stephanie’s partner, onto the stage. Ryan conducted a story of Cathy’s sick horse by pointing to each of the comedians and Cathy to continue the story, which ended in a injured and dead horse and zero sympathy from Cathy.
Many jokes were made about Saginaw and the Lions, probably because there are many jokes that can be made there. Stabs were also made at Canada, and Columbus, Ohio was booed, making this a true Ann Arbor show. The comedians also walked away enlightened about Michigan culture. Greg Proops learned the correct way to use his hands as a map of Michigan and about the delicious reputation of Zingerman’s. I couldn’t control the hearty and genuine laughter that escaped from my mouth, and getting to see Whose Live was definitely something I’ve always dreamed of and finally got to experience.
