Comedy in the Moment:

The Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

15th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

14th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

13th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

12th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

9th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

8th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

7th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

 

7th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

 

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

 

Rating: Varies wildly from show to show, but ***½ for overall experience

 

There are two types of people in the world: Those who find Jiffy Pop as much fun to make as it is to eat; and those who prefer to skip the interim steps and buy their snacks pre-popped.

 

If you're in the former group, you'll probably enjoy improvisational comedy—which not only supplies laughs, but shows you the process performers take to get to them.

 

Many of the best improv comics in the country will be converging July 22-24, 2005 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (307 West 26th Street) for a continuous 3-day festival. (And I mean continuous—some of the most popular acts come on around 3:00 am.) Admission for the entire 50+ hour extravaganza is only $20—though, like a trendy nightclub, when the house is packed you must wait on line for people to leave until there's room to let you in.

 

The marathon is an annual UCB ritual to honor the memory of Del Close, who pioneered and championed improvisational comedy for over 30 years, tutoring such comedic icons as John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, John Candy, and Mike Myers.

 

Close led a colorful life. For example, according to his writing partner Kim Johnson, in the late 1950s the U.S. government conducted experiments with the sleeping mind for which Close was a paid participant. When he prematurely left the program, Close received a letter from the government stating "You owe us two more dreams." During the 1960s, Close roller-skated through the sewers of Chicago with a flashlight strapped to his head, shooting rats. And in 1999, Closes dying words were "I'm tired of being the funniest one in the room."

 

Hundreds of improv troupes apply each year to participate in the Del Close marathon—and the cream of the crop will be unleashed this weekend. (For a complete schedule, visit www.delclosemarathon.com.)

 

By definition, there's no telling what to expect from these impromptu performers. But to give you a taste, last year's festival offered such pithy observations as "Michelle Kwan's a really good skater, too bad she's Asian...;" gangs of celebrities, including multiple versions of Burt Reynolds, partying and periodically beating each other up; and some maniac pretending to be Tony Hawk slamming his body repeatedly between the back wall and a column at the foot of the stage, until it was impossible to not see the graceful arc of the nonexistent skateboard beneath him.

 

If one performer epitomized last year's marathon, however, it was the guy who abruptly stood on his head and then declared "I'm wearing the world as my hat." With that simple move and seven words, he transformed our entire planet—with all its governments, cultures, and conflicts—into his personal apparel. It was a demonstration that no matter how bad things get, we can always use imagination to empower us. And that's the true magic of improv.

 

The down side, of course, is that in between those transcendent moments on stage, there can be long lags when nothing genuinely interesting happens. In this way, improv comedy is much like life itself.

 

For that matter, it can be argued the purest form of improv is created not by professionals, but by everyday people under structured conditions. This is unquestionably the most popular and commercial form of improv—it's called reality television.

 

Small wonder that safe and predictable scripted TV fell victim to Richard Hatch dropping his shorts, Omarosa railing against falling plaster, and William Hung providing a rendition of "She Bangs" no one ever dreamed possible.

 

By the same token, if you've tired of retread sitcoms and Adam Sandler vehicles, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre awaits to give you the world—as long as you're willing to stand on your head.

 

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8th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

 

www.delclosemarathon.com

 

www.ucbtheatre.com

 

Rating: Varies wildly from show to show, but ***½ for overall experience

 

From 4:30 pm on Friday July 28, 2006 till 12:30 am on Monday July 31st, the world-famous Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre played host to a gathering of the best improv comedy groups in the country for around-the-clock performances of over 150 shows. A mere $20 bought entrée to the festivities at any time However, during peak hours it was necessary to wait on line until enough laughter-sated people left the packed theatre and created the room for new audience members to come in.

 

Day #1 highlights included Horatio Sanz (SNL) performing a screamingly funny impersonation of Dr. Phil expounding upon the details of celebrity private parts; Matt Besser (UCB, Crossballs) delivering a hilarious caricature of MySpace co-creator Tom Anderson as a screechy-voiced horror whose only hope of making friends is via the Web; a mob of comics filling the stage with different oddball versions of Andrew Dice Clay (although master comedienne Jackie Clarke ended up topping them all as an outraged Nora Dunn); and UCB co-founder Ian Roberts giving one of the most brilliant anecdotal one-man shows I've ever seen...improvised on the spot.

 

Day #2 featured a mock wake for wonderful UCB co-founder Matt Walsh (currently starring in Comedy Central's Dog Bites Man); shows from such stellar comedic talents as Paul Scheer (Best Week Ever, Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story) and Jason Mantzoukas (We Used to Go Out); and a version of Gene Rayburns' old TV show Match Game '76 packed with such pseudo guest stars as Charles Nelson Reilly, Bill Cosby, Mr. Spock, John Wayne Gacy, and Flipper (and which turned into chaos when Gacy tried to strangle Flipper...).

 

Day #3 concluded with such delights as a MySpace show, in which Paul Scheer and his gang visited an audience member's Web page and then performed improv skits about it; a bitter-sweet monologue from the brilliant Michael Delaney about his constantly-feuding grandparents and the upside of hate; and (for an extra fee) three hours of improvisations by the male founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade—Matt Walsh, Matt Besser, and Ian Roberts—on subjects ranging from memories of Del Close to how to evade someone trying to hand you a screenplay.

 

The festival was also a showcase for scores of improv groups from New York, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., etc. I was able to catch only a fraction of these, but among either my favorites or audience favorites were The Swarm, The Stepfathers, Wicked F*ckin' Queeyah, Scheer-McBrayer, Bassprov, Baby Wants Candy, No Posers, Mother: The Soundtrack, Bro'in Out, Code Duello: Hamilton & Burr, I Eat Pandas, and Emanciprov!

 

As comic Owen Burke put it, "This marathon is like Christmas in July." For those who love comedy, it was a magical weekend.

 

If you missed it, the next one isn't until July 2007. However, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre hosts terrific comedy shows—at a cost of just $5 or $8 per ticket—virtually every night throughout the year. The theatre is located at 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue). For a schedule of its upcoming shows, please click here.

 

To read my preview of last year's Del Close extravaganza, please click here.

For more info on the 2006 marathon, please visit www.delclosemarathon.com.

 

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Comedy in the Moment: 9th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

 

 

One of the most magical events in NYC, the annual Del Close Improv Marathon ran continuously from Friday July 27th, 2007 at 4:30 pm until after midnight on Sunday, July 29th. Groups from all around the US and Canada—New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Phoenix, Austin, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Ontario, Toronto—performed more than 150 shows, typically in 30 minute blocks, for over 50 hours.

 

As in past years, tickets were a mere $20 for the entire weekend—an incredible bargain. Paul Scheer remarked last year the appropriate charge would be around $600, and he mostly wasn't kidding.

 

As usual, the down side was way more patrons than available space, causing long waits to get into the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre at 307 West 26th Street, which seats about 150. However, the congestion was somewhat eased by the rental of the two additional venues just a couple of blocks from UCBT: The Hudson Guild Theatre at 441 West 26th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues), which seats 99; and the Fashion Institute of Technology Kate Murphy Amphitheatre at corner West 27th Street & 7th Avenue, which seats 280.

 

Friday was a fabulous opening night, with dynamic and hilarious shows from brilliant improv troupes. Some highlights:

 

 

Death by Roo Roo and The Stepfathers

 

 

 

 

 

Jackie Clarke, Jason Mantzoukas, Billy Merritt, and Michael Delaney

As for individuals, Jackie Clarke, Jason Mantzoukas, Billy Merritt, Michael Delaney, Chris Gethard, Bobby Moynihan, John Gemberling, Lennon Parham, Neil Reynolds, Matt Tucker, and Brett Gelman (playing "Andrew Dice Hitler") were among the stars who shined especially brightly; but there were dozens of wonderful performers.

 

 

The guys of the Upright Citizens Brigade: Matt Walsh, Matt Besser, and Ian Roberts

There were also frequent appearances from such comedy celebs as UCB's Matt Besser (playing both shrill-voiced MySpace Tom and affable Jimmy Stewart to perfection); UCB's Ian Roberts (as an unforgettable cunning retarded person), UCB's Matt Walsh (acting as an easy-going pedophile), SNL's Horatio Sanz (portraying a brother of Dr. Phil with a robotic beard), Human Giant's Paul Scheer (as a prosecutor of evil), and The Daily Show's Rob Riggle (carrying a baseball bat with a top that pops off to display a disturbing sexual device).

 

 

Saturday featured a few improv stars at their very best, and others who were deliciously absurd. Some highlights:

 

 

Paul Scheer and Jack McBrayer

 

 

 

Flipper, C, C + C Improv Factory, and Brett Gelman

 

 

Sunday at UCBT featured an unbroken block of stellar talent for the last eight hours of the marathon...climaxing in three spectacular ASSSSCAT 3000s. Specifically:

 

 

Baby Wants Candy, and a young Respecto Montalban

 


 

 

There are actually many lovely moments than hundreds of people will cherish from this marathon.

 

I should mention that I focused on covering the events at UCBT. There were superb shows at the Hudson Guild Theatre that I simply never had a chance to catch.

 

I also missed most of the shows at FIT, which played host to some of the biggest stars of the festival:

 

 

 

 

The Swarm, Horatio Sanz, Rob Riggle, and Joe Bill of Bassprov

 

The truth is, this marathon was so crammed with talent and imagination and wonderful people that you could've skipped all the shows I saw and still enjoyed a rich and exhilarating experience.

 

Huge kudos go to Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh, UCBT-NY Artistic Director Anthony King, UCBT-LA Artistic Director Seth Morris, and everyone else who helped create this wonderful cultural event.

 

This year's marathon is over; but the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre continues to play host to superb shows—improv, sketch, stand-up, and more—virtually every night. You can read the schedule for UCBT-NY by clicking here. And please visit HyReviews.com daily to check out my picks of the best comedy in NYC...which you can jump to right now by clicking here.

 

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Comedy in the Moment: 12th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

 

One of the most magical events in NYC, the annual Del Close Improv Marathon ran continuously from 4:30 pm on Friday July 30th until 9:30ish pm on Sunday August 2nd. Groups from all around the US and Canada—New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Austin, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Montreal, and more—performd over 150 shows, typically in 30 minute blocks, for 55+ hours. Tickets were a mere $25 for the entire weekend—an incredible bargain. Paul Scheer said several  years ago the appropriate charge would be around $600, and he mostly wasn't kidding. As in past years, the only down side was way more patrons than available space, causing long waits to get into the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre at 307 West 26th Street, which seats about 150. However, the congestion was somewhat eased by three additional venues just a couple of blocks from UCBT: The Hudson Guild Theatre at 441 West 26th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues), which seats 99; Urban Stages at 259 West 30th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues), which seats 74; and the Fashion Institute of Technology Kate Murphy Amphitheatre at corner West 27th Street & 7th Avenue, which seats 280.

I had to skip the 10th and 11th editions of the Marathon because they conflicted with FringeNYC. That wasn't the case this year, for which I was grateful; this is one of the finest comedy events in the country, and not to be missed.

 

  

Matt Walsh (Upright Citizens Brigade) and Blaine Swen (The Improvised Shakespeare Company)

Highlights from the 12 hours I spent at the festival on Friday included:

The Improvised Shakespeare Company taking the suggestion "hope" to craft a play about royal serial killing, unending senseless war, and the highest body count of the Marathon...for which the audience rewarded the troupe with a standing ovation.

ISC's founder Blaine Swen demonstrating he can do anything by performing a one-man improvised musical with an inventiveness, skillfulness, and depth that was breathtaking...and garnered the only other standing ovation of the Marathon.

The wonderful Bobby Moynihan (cast member of Saturday Night Live) tap-dancing on a talk show hosted by the also wonderful Horatio Sanz.

Many of the finest improvisors at UCBT—led by rising star John Gemberling—wearing nothing but diapers to perform as whiny babies.

Another group of top NYC improvisors pretending to be Bostonians who continually cursed the Yankees, drank beer, and sprayed copious amounts of beer on the audience.

Several shows that didn't pan out but tickled us with their concepts, including Jane Austen-era improvisors, hillbilly improvisors, and a small army of Jay Leno impersonator improvisors.

The guys of the Upright Citizens Brigade—Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh—announcing that they and Artistic Director Anthony King will be opening a new NYC theatre in January 2011 named UCB-EAST—on 3rd Street off Avenue A (where the Two Boots indie film theater used to be)—and that its focus will be on stand-up to complement the Chelsea theatre's focus on improv.

 

Jon Daly epitomizing the playfully surreal nature of Saturday's DCM
as his character Sappity Tappity, the drunken green tree

Highlights from the 12 hours I spent at the festival on Saturday included:

The legendary guys of the Upright Citizens Brigade—Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh—challenging their young audience to test the trio's knowledge of hip modern terms...and culminating in their persuading a young woman to make a bet with them she was bound to lose and then forcing her to "lip synch" to a song via her belly button.

The Improvised Shakespeare Company turning a rather innocent suggestion about "horse flies in the river" into a tale of multiple drowned babies, filicide, and dual regicide...and as on Friday, garnering an impassioned standing ovation.

Death by Roo Roo making a strong argument for being the finest improv troupe based in NYC, as its genius members showed us what it might be like to work for a haunted house—complete with recruiting zombies, ghouls, ravens, and guys with Atkinson's Disease.

Paul Scheer dazzling audiences with his brilliance and charm, first in an improv about a dad with uncanny powers, and then as host of a raucous 1970s game show.

The aforementioned Match Game '76, which featured a small army of celebrities including Chris Gethard as an inbred deviant from Deliverance, Matt Besser as the Indian crying over littering, Eugene Cordero as a very gay George Takei, John Gemberling as Larry Flynt tossing his colostomy bag at people to express displeasure, Michael Delaney neatly evoking Truman Capote, and Ben Rodgers perfect as Lt. Columbo...culminating in them all repeatedly raping the male contestant.

Matt Besser hosting a "panel of experts" including Rob Lathan as an unrepentant Mel Gibson, Kate McKinnon as an emotionally disconnected hooker, and Jon Daly as a drunken green tree named Sappity Tappity.

Comedy dynamo Shannon O'Neill as a serial killer/baby eater interviewing audience members and then drawing deeply disturbing profiles of them (e.g., "Here, this is you shitting in your own mouth").

One of the quickest & funniest comics alive, Doug Benson, hosting his stand-up/improv show The Benson Interruption with guests Todd Barry, Paul Scheer, and Morgan Murphy...and consistently killing. Look for Doug's show in the Fall on Comedy Central (six episodes, hopefully with many more to come).

Eugene Cordero hilariously narrating a show by calling out every improv device as it occurred: "Aw shit, we got the location set up!" "Delivered the premise in one line, goddamn!" "Oh, there it is homies, we know the game!" "Good object work, that looked like a real dick!" "Swinging door, that's Level 2 shit!" "Sweep edit! Next scene, motherfuckers!!"

There were other comedy events happening that weekend, but they paled in comparison.

For further details on the awe, mystery, and hilarity of The 12th Annual Del Close Marathon, please click here; and for video highlights, please click here and here and here.

 

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Comedy in the Moment: 13th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

 

One of the most magical events in NYC, the annual Del Close Improv Marathon will run continuously from 4:30 pm on Friday August 12th until 9:30ish pm on Sunday August 14th. Improv troupes from all around the US and Canada—New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Austin, Miami, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit, Phoenix, Raleigh, Toronto, Vancouver, and more—will perform over 150 shows, typically in 30 minute blocks, for 55+ hours. Tickets will be $25 for the entire weekend—an incredible bargain. Paul Scheer said several  years ago the appropriate charge would be around $600, and he mostly wasn't kidding.

As in past years, the only down side is way more patrons than available space, which will cause long waits to get into the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre at 307 West 26th Street, which seats about 150. However, the congestion will be somewhat eased by three additional venues just a couple of blocks from UCBT: The Hudson Guild Theatre at 441 West 26th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues), which seats 99; Urban Stages at 259 West 30th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues), which seats 74; and the Fashion Institute of Technology Kate Murphy Amphitheatre at corner West 27th Street & 7th Avenue, which seats 280.

I had to skip the 10th and 11th editions of the Marathon because they conflicted with FringeNYC; and I'll have to skip it this year for the same reason. Do I think it makes sense for UCB to ignore the largest theatre festival in America—and the fifth largest annual cultural event of any kind in NYC—by scheduling DCM on FringeNYC's opening weekend? No, I do not. But if you don't care about the Fringe—or you do, but care about improv more—DCM is one of the finest comedy events in the country, and absolutely worth experiencing.

Please note that there'll be a flurry of special shows at UCBT in the week preceding the Marathon, including performances by renowned Upright Citizens Brigade founders Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh. I will be attending those shows, and recommend you do too. Click the links in this paragraph to make your reservations ASAP, though; all these events are sure to sell out.

Finally, be sure to catch Jeffrey Sweet's You Only Shoot the Ones You Love at the Fringe. His one-man show includes his memories of being friends with Del Close. For complete FringeNYC pre-fest coverage, please click here.

 

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Comedy in the Moment: 14th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

The Del Close Marathon 14

 

The 14th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon ran continuously from 4:30 pm on Friday June 29, 2012 (with a press conference in UCB Chelsea given by Matt Besser, Matt Walsh, and Ian Roberts) until 10:00 pm on Sunday July 2, 2012 (with an ASSSCAT 3000 performed in front of over 700 audience members by Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh, and Matt Besser). Improv troupes from all around the US and internationally—New York, Albany, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Cambridge, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Fairfield, Austin, Miami, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit, Denver, Phoenix, Raleigh, Carrboro, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Helsinki, and more—performed over 150 shows, typically in 30 minute blocks, for nearly 60 hours. Tickets were $30 for the entire weekend—an incredible bargain. Paul Scheer said several  years ago the appropriate charge would be around $600, and he mostly wasn't kidding.

As in past years, the only down side was way more patrons than available space, which caused very long waits to get into the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre at 307 West 26th Street, which seats about 150. However, the congestion was somewhat eased by five additional venues just a few blocks from UCB Chelsea: The Hudson Guild Theatre at 441 West 26th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues), which seats 99; Urban Stages at 259 West 30th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues), which seats 74; the School of Visual Arts Auditoriums A and B at 333 West 23rd Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues); and the Fashion Institute of Technology Haft Auditorium at corner West 27th Street & 7th Avenue, which seats 700. In addition, there were shows at the new UCB East theatre at 153 3rd Street (between Avenues A and B), which seats 99. To view shows organized by venue, please click here. To view shows organized by time, please click here. For an easy-to-read schedule, please click here.

The DCM shows at the SVA and FIT auditoriums were an additional $15.90 to see—unless they didn't sell out, in which case those with marathon passes received a remaining seat or standing room free of charge on a first come, first serve basis.

I'm dead certain there were amazing things happening in each of the venues. Because the top talent tended to be booked for UCB Chelsea, though, I went with the odds and mostly stuck to the main showcase. That said, what follows are some of the most memorable moments and shows I personally encountered during this epic improv festival.

 

Friday Highlights

Saturday Highlights

Sunday Highlights

 

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Highlights of the 15th Annual Del Close Marathon

The Del Close Marathon 15

One of the most magical events in NYC, the 15th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon ran continuously from 4:30 pm on Friday June 28th until roughly 1:00 am on Monday July 1st, 2013. Improv groups from all around the US and Canada—and a few places further away—performed a mind-bending 420 shows, typically in 15- or 30-minute blocks, for 56+ hours. Tickets were $30 for the entire weekend—an incredible bargain. Paul Scheer once said the appropriate charge is around $600, and he mostly wasn't kidding.

As in past years, the only down side was way more patrons than available space, causing long waits to get into UCB Chelsea (307 West 26th Street), which seats about 150. However, the congestion was somewhat eased by six additional venues. The ones near UCB Chelsea were The Hudson Guild Theatre (441 West 26th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues), which seats 99; the large Silas Theatre and small Beatrice Theatre at the School of Visual Arts (333 West 23rd Street); and the Fashion Institute of Technology Haft Auditorium (227 West 27th Street, corner of Seventh Avenue). In addition, there were shows at UCB East (153 3rd Street, between Avenues A and B), which seats 99, and Theatre 80 (80 St. Marks Place, between First and Second Avenues), which seats 161. To view shows organized by venue, please click here. To view shows organized by time, please click here. To view shows organized by performer, please click here. For an easy-to-read schedule, please click here.

The DCM shows at the SVA and FIT auditoriums were an additional $15-$20—unless they didn't sell out, in which case those with a marathon pass received remaining seats free of charge on a first come, first serve basis.

DCM is always pure comedy magic. And there's so much going on that it's impossible to cover more than a small fraction of it.

That said, the following are among my favorite moments attending only the UCB Chelsea theatre, and on a restricted schedule—I was unavoidably working the same weekend; plus my recent knee surgery made standing for hours so painful that I nearly passed out by Sunday (but that's fine; comedy and pain have always gone together...).

 

Friday DCM 15 Highlights

 

Saturday DCM 15 Highlights

Sunday DCM 15 Highlights

 

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15th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

14th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

13th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

12th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

9th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

8th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

7th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon

 

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