Monday, September 29, 2008

This weeks Top 8 at Eight!


Here is this weeks Top 8 at Eight. Some of this footage was taken from our roadtrip to MD, VA and then to Pittsburg PA. On Wednesday we departed for Gaithersburg and headed to do 2 shows in VA. From there we went straight to PA. The following morning we did 2 shows in PA. Between the shows we began filming the first of the headlines. This weeks Top 8 Headlines includes the debates, 700 Billion Dollar Bailout and more. Tune in every Sunday night at 8 on youtube to watch the Top 8.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Eight is NEVER Enough Midwest Mini-Tour!

Eight is NEVER Enough is heading West this Fall!

2008 MIDWEST Mini-Tour: To purchase Tickets Visit our Website: http://www.eightimprov.biz/omaha2008.html

With tour stops in MI, WI & NE!

Nov 6, 7 & 9
The Theatre at Maple Ridge, Omaha

Nov 13
Gerold Opera House, Weyawega WI

Nov 14
Reniassance School for the Performing Arts

Nov 3
Farmington Hills, MI

More dates TBA!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Top 8 at Eight

We have a new webseries that will be released weekly. It's called the Top 8 at Eight. We basically take our favorite top 8 headlines of the week and do funky things with them. These videos are PG-13 but not as riske' as anything in the Absent Minded Comedy area. Some of the content may not be suitable for anyone under the age of 13 as many of todays current headlines have to do with off beat topics.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

So what is the difference between all the shows?

So.... we basically have three shows that we produce and perform. They are all similar in structure and on paper but contrast greatly in style, material and content. The main focus for this blog is for "Eight is NEVER Enough". That show is our main attraction and the most flexible. To break down the shows is as follows:

Eight is NEVER Enough - Improv and musical comedy for all ages. This is the public show, off broadway show and comedy club show. The humor is universal and geared toward a wide audience. The show is PG-PG-13. There is no bad language/cursing. When the actors violate this code they are pegged in the head with what we call the "gutter ball" - it's a dodge ball the audience members throw at an actors head if he/she says or does something inappropriate. It ends up working out wonderfully because honestly - it's fun to watch somebody get hit in the head with a ball. Not sure why. Either way it's great.

Improv 4 KIDS - Improv and musical comedy for ages 12 and under. This show is similar to EIGHT in structure but actually has different skits and for the most part different subject matter. We tend to have more music in these shows and they run about 10-15 minutes shorter. There is LOTS of audience volunteers. More so than in the EIGHT shows and I would even say the skits are shorter. Many of the suggestions we get from kids incorporate current pop culture. I've lost track on how many times we have done improvised blues or other song styles about Spongebob, Jonas Brothers and Miley Cirus. It's all about what the kids want so .. well there you go.

Absent Minded Comedy - The name says it all. Seriously. It is completely uncensored. There is a similar structure to EIGHT but much of the content contains swearing, sexual humor and pretty much anything else that could possibly be offensive. Also, the improv skits are different. We found that the improvs which didn't work in the EIGHT shows worked really well in an edgy environment. I would even go so far as to say these shows are experimental and avaunt guard-ish. We also book more comics on this show so the audience is getting an equal combination of improv and stand up. It works out really well. Besides, you never know whats going to happen but I can guarantee it's going to be an experience.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Not a kids show

Just wanted to take some time to define what "Eight is NEVER Enough" is exactly. First of all improvisation and stand up comedy are like apples and oranges. Let me just start by saying both are entertaining and both are equally funny. It really depends on an individuals tastes and sense of humor to decide which of the two they prefer. Stand up comedy is one person standing with a mike telling jokes and talking about funny situations. Improv comedy, or at least the way WE do it is when the performers make up unplanned skits, stories, songs and situations without a script and with the help of the audience. The audience and the performers must work together to great great comedy and theatre. Stand up on the other hand does not necessarily include audience participation. Some stand up comics do use crowd interaction but the majority of comics come on stage having prepared and tweaked a specific amount of material and comedy observations based on their personal experiences.

I am not sure why people confuse the two but it seems to be an ongoing problem when we are performing at a club that offers both. There has been much confusion over whether our show is a "kids" show and the stand up is the "adult" show. For one thing I think it is safe to say that we are neither. Our show is a theatrical comedy show designed for all ages. We created this show with the goal of making it accessible to all audiences: High brow, low brow and everything in the middle. When we started running 7 shows every week we decided that we wanted to cover all the basis. The show is tailored to the people that are sitting in the seats during the performance. We have done shows for colleges. In those shows the comedy and humor was geared to college kids. We have performed for Middle school and elementary school audiences - those show are geared toward young audience humor. We have performed at corporate events for fortune 500 companies (Morgan Stanley, General Motors and American Express to name a few) - those shows are going to be more adult type humor. This is the way improv works. It is based on the audience and therefore will be customized to their liking. It is a win win situation on both ends. Every show is different. Not just for the audience but for the performers too. I will never get tired of it because to me it will always be a challenge and it will always be fresh and never get stale. This is what attracts many actors to this wonderful art form.

So I think it is safe to say that we are not a kids show. Will the kids love the show? YES. Will adults love the show? YES. Can you feel safe bringing anyone to the show? ABSOLUTELY. Will there be kids in the audience? MAYBE. Will it still be funny? EVEN MORE SO. I don't have kids should I even bother? UNLESS KIDS IN THE AUDIENCE STOPPED YOU FROM GOING TO SEE IRON MAN, HULK AND DARK KNIGHT THEN YOU SHOULD COME SEE HOW FUNNY THE SHOW IS. With over 2000 public performances plus another 500 private events it's probably worth checking out.