Monday night was the opening performance of BK comedian, Gabe Leidman’s brand-new solo show, “No Answers,” at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade theater. For only five dollars, we got a star-studded show. Gabe wrote and starred in the show, which featured special appearances by L.L. Cool J, Madonna, The Jonas Brothers, Levi Johnston, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Lady Gaga, T.I., Jaime Lee Curtis, and Jorge Garcia from Lost. Gabe’s stage presence was one of immediate comfort with the crowd and he had them laughing right away, setting some ground rules regarding underpants. The premise of the “No Answers” show is a fun, snarky look at some of the aforementioned celebs, with Gabe asking them questions that they could not answer (as their “appearance” was only in a projected image on screen).
Gabe’s easy-breezy rapport with the audience isn’t always easy to come by (as the earlier group The Calgary Whalers may have noticed), but Gabe is not exactly a stranger to the NYC comedy scene. Gabe started at Columbia performing with various improv groups, was in shows on campus like The Varsity Show, and was an integral member of the video comedy/live performance art pranksters aptly named Prangstgrup. More recently, prior to this solo show, he has been performing with comedienne Jenny Slate and refers to their partnership as a “writing team, performing duo, and platonic life-partners.” They have been and continue to host a show every Wednesday night in Williamsburg with comedian Max Silvestri called Big Terrific, which I hear is always very entertaining and free.
The Upright Citizen’s Brigade has shows seven nights a week and also runs one of the largest and most respected improv schools in the country.
Upright Citizen’s Brigade New York
307 West 26th Street
If you have never been to see a show at UCB before, you should definitely check it out. It’s cheap (sometimes free!) and usually a pretty good time. To make a reservation, just visit their website:
newyork.ucbtheatre.com
-ev2bk
East Village to Brooklyn 