Who here likes to laugh? I can’t see you, but I’m imagining several, at least five, hands eagerly raised in the air right now. Fabulous! I’m just like you, my friends — I love to laugh. And let me tell you, I got to laugh big time at “Ben Schwartz & Friends” on Saturday, Sept. 23.
You may know Ben Schwartz from various silly things –– Jean-Ralphio in “Parks and Recreation,” perhaps? Sonic, in “Sonic the Hedgehog?” Or maybe even his very own Netflix comedy special, “Middleditch and Schwartz,” with Thomas Middleditch? I digress. Schwartz’s show was packed with great feats before he even stepped foot on stage. Most notably, “Ben Schwartz & Friends” made history as the very first long-form improv show to headline Radio City Music Hall. Then, to top it off, Schwartz sold out the venue, filling all 6,013 seats. Schwartz began the show with a heartfelt ode to this achievement, speaking about his history in improv, and it was enough to make a grown man cry (the grown man being me).
“New York City, I am home!” Schwartz exclaimed, running out on stage, prompting a roaring round of applause. Schwartz was born and raised in New York, beginning his improv career at the Upright Citizens Brigade, an improv and sketch comedy group founded in Chicago in 1990, which later moved to a theater in Chelsea in 1999. While in the Brigade, he created the very show we saw that day, formerly (and confusingly) titled “Snowpants” in 2005. While the name eventually changed for clarity, the show has remained the same –– Schwartz and his invited friends taking the stage to create an entirely made-up, laugh-till-you-cry show. Schwartz was radiating with excitement and emotion as he reminisced on his journey, concluding the show’s introduction with an acknowledgment of the achievement for himself and long-form improv comedy as a whole: “This is an enormous, enormous step from small little black box theaters, to the greatest venue in all of New York City.” (Cue, me crying).
Schwartz then introduced the comedians joining him that evening: Colton Dunn (“Superstore”), Jessica McKenna (“Party Over Here”) and Drew Tarver (“The Other Two”). Then, the antics began. If you have never been to a long-form improv show nor watched Schwartz’s Netflix comedy special, the show went as follows: the performers interview audience members, then use what they have gathered to inspire the plot of a one-act play. In Schwartz’s words, it’s “a show that exists in this building for you 6,000 people, and then it disappears forever.” That evening, Schwartz asked the audience for their best “New York story.” The comics fielded a number of tales –– some hilarious ones, some duds –– before they had enough to get to work. While I would love to reveal everything that happened, I don’t think I can. For one, the performance was recorded, so it might be released for global enjoyment in the future, and I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. Second, the show was insane. It’s hard to pinpoint what happened. But, what I will tell you is that the performance involved “Boss Baby,” lightsabers and 1,000 rats. I think that says enough.
Despite its hour-and-a-half length, the show did not feel nearly long enough. Turns out, it’s really easy to lose track of time when you’re in hysterics. The made-up nature of the show leaves you at the edge of your seat, filled with intrigue about where the plot could possibly go next. That, paired with the masterful comedic timing and delivery Schwartz and Friends employed, created the perfect conditions for losing all concept of time. It was like one big, comedic bubble –– existing one moment and gone the next.
The evening of Sept. 23 was truly a one-of-a-kind night –– not only for the unique show that was conjured but also for the history that was made. As Schwartz mentioned in his speech, the show headlining Radio City opens the door for many new and exciting possibilities for improv. Through “Ben Schwartz & Friends,” improv and long-form improv gained more traction, reaching a larger audience and giving way to more shows and groups potentially performing in large, popular venues like Radio City. While Schwartz’s tour is nowhere near this area anymore, there are many improv shows in the city to experience, including our very own “Stranded in Pittsburgh” at Fordham.
So, I implore you, go see an improv show. It’s some of the most fun you will ever have. And, if Ben Schwartz ever comes to an area near you, please go see him. You will laugh until you think you can’t anymore, but then, impossibly, keep on laughing.
