ROBIN’S SHOW RECOMMENDATION: Kids ‘N Comedy “The Moms & Dads” Show
Kids ‘N Comedy, New York’s leading presenter of young comic talent, presented their “MOMS AND DADS” show on Sunday, May 19th at their home base at Gotham Comedy Club in NYC.
It was described as……”We love our parents. Even though they’re totally embarrassing. We love them even though they ground us, and nag us, and tell people that we used to wet the bed. We love them even though they dance at weddings, and wear baseball caps incorrectly, and frequently reference television shows and movies that nobody has watched in 40 years. That’s why we’re making this Kids ‘N Comedy show about them. We love you guys. “
Kids ‘N Comedy shows feature exclusive material and contains new writing by its young comedians that is created expressly for the varied topics of each performance. Kids ‘N Comedy’ at the Gotham Comedy Club features talented teens and ‘tweens from the tri-state area. Each comic performs his/her own material, which is screened to be free of profanity and abrasive or crude “low” humor. They do, however, venture into edgy comic terrain: politics, getting old, even death.
Photo by Lee Wexler
The show featured 8 kids from the troupe, including Charlie Bardey, Valerie Bodurtha, Conor Carroll, Ryan Drum, Leo Frampton, Rachel Kaly, Zach Rosenfeld, and Lee Wolfowitz. In a nutshell, the show was a treat! Lots of laughs from some very talented kids who took to the stage with poise and wit….and there was an element of excitement, given the notion that we might be watching some future big name comics in the making. The performers ranged in age from 14 to 18, some of whom are going off to college in the fall, so this was their final bittersweet performance with the troupe. A personal favorite of mine was Ryan Drum, who presented a riotous routine highlighting how he’s a master texter and a less than stellar in-person communicator, particularly with members of the opposite sex who catch his eye.
Bodurtha played the banjo and mocked how one of the Madagascar movies is actually set in Europe….making no sense given the title Madagascar.
Connor, just 14, joked about his dad paid more attention to his pants than his kids (you had to be there)….along with what he learned from Silence of the Lambs….that anyone that nice may be a cannibal or something else inside.
Frampton has ADHD and talked, in both an inspiring and humorous manner, about how he’s affected by it and that high school isn’t great, but you’ll get through it….find something you love!
Kaly, who discussed her OCD, also talked about how infant games like Peak-a-Boo that parents commonly play with their kids can actually lead to fear of abandonment. It was funny as she described it.
Rosenfeld focused much on his laughable take on a family cruise to Alaska …..foe example, how a life vest when light up can signal a shark, and when you blow the vest whistle, you’re letting the shark know that his dinner is ready.
Bardey discussed life in NYC compared to other places, including how you can get mugged on a daily basis, jay walk, etc. His bit about his less than impressive high school graduation attire was quite humorous…describing it as a headless pancho, with skull cap and square on top of it, complete with a little tail.
Wolfowitz discsussed his out of the box game and reality show concepts…i.e. “Extreme Makeover Ugly Baby” …game show idea “Where’s Kanye West?” and “How the Hell Did You Get into My House?” featuring contestants who have five minutes to rob the home of an elderly war veteran before he takes justice into his own hands.
The theses of each comic were quite diverse, and it was both entertaining and interesting to witness what is on their minds at their age In addition to the comedy troupe, kids from the audience were invited up to briefly participate, tell a joke, etc..
Host of the show is David Smithyman, the talented, engaging, king of the deadpan stare Australian-bred comedian who is the Producer and Senior Instructor of Kids ‘N Comedy. Smithyman’s book, “Young, Funny and Unbalanced: a Stand-Up Comedy Guide for Teens,” was awarded a Silver Award by Literary Classics, and he is a runner up for NBC Universal’s Stand Up for Diversit
KIDS ‘N COMEDY “PRO” SHOWS RUN OCTOBER THROUGH MAY EACH YEAR.
To read about comedy class opportunities with Kids ‘N Comedy, visit: www.kidsncomedy.com/classes.htm
Or Camp Kids ‘N Comedy information: www.kidsncomedy.com/camp.htm
Tickets $15 plus a one item minimum (food or drink.) There is a kids’ menu for kids under 12.
Reservations required: online ticketing is available at www.kidsncomedy.com or 212-877-6115.
Kids ‘N Comedy websites: www.kidsncomedy.com, www.facebook.com/kidsncomedy, www.myspace.com/kidsncomedy
Length of Show: 1 hours, 45 minutes
Audience appropriate ages 9-18 and their families.
BACKGROUND ON KIDS ‘N COMEDY
Kids ‘N Comedy originated in 1996 as a talent show for kids at a The West End Gate restaurant on the Upper West Side that was owned at the time by Associate Director Stu Morden, Art D’Lugoff and Manny Roth (Cafe Wha). The talent of the kids caught the attention of BBC-TV, which filmed a documentary about them, which resulted in more media attention. Demand spiked among kids wishing to perform, and this prompted Artistic Director Jo Ann Grossman and her husband Stu Morden to establish Kids ‘N Comedy to serve these budding comics, through classes, an intensive summer comedy camp, both taught by a rotating staff of professional comedians and for the kids, professional gigs. Their performance series started at The Knitting Factory in 1996 and moved to Caroline’s in 1998 and to Gotham Comedy Club in 2000. The founders point out that there’s a ten year ramp-up to a comedy career and stage time is essential to becoming a good performer. Before there was Kids ‘N Comedy, getting that stage time was nearly impossible, since comedy clubs are primarily bars and therefore off-limits to teens.
Beside their regular shows at Gotham Comedy Club, Kids ‘N Comedy performers have appeared at a variety of benefits and charity events, including events: Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation (it brightens the lives of seriously ill children and their families) and the Toyota Comedy Festival.
