LEN JENKINS LIMBO TALES (1981)
Winner of the Obie Award. Produced with great success by the avant garde Westbeth Theatre Center, in New York City, where they enjoyed an extended run
Brilliantly inventive and evocative, the plays employ striking theatricality to probe into and illuminate the disjointed states of mind of two men who have been physically and spiritually divorced from reality
THE GAME SHOW - 1982
"Some television, some theatre, a little rock and roll and combined into something that, well, you're not likely to forget..." - Villager
A live game show based on the news of the week with comedy, music, dancing and satire. Two celebrity player personalities play with two players picked from the audience for prizes and a chance to enter THE HALL OF MONTE!
THE LIFE (1991)
Broadway/Off-Broadway
In 1991, Cy Coleman and Ira Gasman came to Westbeth Theatre Center to develop a new project. THE LIFE went into performance less than a year later. With music composed by the Tony, Emmy and Grammy award-winning composer Cy Coleman, THE LIFE moved to Broadway in 1997.
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH - 1996
There had never been a show like HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH when John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask developed it at the Westbeth Theatre Center in early 1997. From there it moved on to an Obie award-winning, Drama Desk and Grammy award nominated Off-Broadway run, and then to win the Audience and the Best Director awards for the film version at Cannes.
SANDRA BERNARD I¹M STILL HERE…DAMN IT 1997
After earning a reputation as the bad girl of comedy, Sandra Bernhard was ready to take the theatre world by storm in 1997. Armed with only her wit and attitude, I'M STILL HERE DAMMIT, played a sold-out run at Westbeth Theatre Center before moving to Broadway.
RAY DAVIES: 20th Century Man - 1995-97
Off-Broadway
"These songs, written in his late-60?s style, showed that Mr. Davies powers as a lyricist have hardly waned and that his voice was still capable of hitting the sweet high notes that can turn detailed observations into perfect pop."- NY Times
20TH CENTURY MAN: AN EVENING WITH RAY DAVIES was a musical event that was intimate, honest and captivating. At times nostalgic, at other times insightful, Mr. Davies offered new ways of listening to his songs letting the audience share the story behind the music.
EDDIE IZZARD DRESSED TO KILL - 1998
"The most popular, and exportable, British comedian since the heyday of Monty Python."- New York Times
Following up on the 1998 Emmy Award-winning success of DRESS TO KILL and the nine city sold out CIRCLE tour in 2000, WestBeth produced SEXIE in the fall of 2003, selling out sixteen cities across North America. Eddie's hilarious, insightful and boundary-breaking comedy has made him one of the most sought after performers in the world today.
ELLIOT SMITH - 1999
Town Hall, NYC
The Oscar nominated composer of "Good Will Hunting" had been performing at the WestBeth for years in the CMJ Music Festival when he did his solo show there in 1999. Later that year, WestBeth Theatre Center also produced Elliott to sold out crowds at Town Hall. Before his death in 2003, Elliott went on to become the recording industry's hottest Indie-rocker, with songs featured in such blockbuster movies as "Keeping the Faith," "American Beauty" and "The Royal Tenenbaums."
The Umbilical Brothers - THWAK - (1999)
The Australian comedy duo, the Umbilical Brothers, made their New York debut at Off-Off Broadway's Westbeth Theatre Center with an evening of physical comedy and self-produced sound effects, Thwack, opened March 18.
The Brothers are writer/performers David Collins and Shane Dundas, whose past shows include Don't Explain and Heaven by Storm. The two have performed these pieces all over the world, including on London's West End and in Germany, South America, South Africa, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Canada. Awards given to the purveyors of "tightly choreographed mayhem, mime and live audio acrobatics" include five consecutive years worth of Australian Entertainment's MO Award for Best Comedy Group, the Critics Choice Award for comedy in 1995's Edinburgh Festival and the United Slapstick Award in Germany.
MARGARET CHO - I¹M THE ONE THAT I WANT - (1999)
"A witty, eminently likable one-woman show."- NY Times
Developed and presented at the Westbeth Theatre Center, Margaret Cho’s solo show, I'M THE ONE THAT I WANT, played to sold out audiences.
BRUCE VILANCH - ALMOST FAMOUS (2000)
Vilanch, the bleach-blond, thick-maned, muppet-like comedy writer who has become a celebrity for his appearances on "The Hollywood Squares" and elsewhere, made his Manhattan theatrical debut April 25 (with previews) and opened May 11 at the Westbeth. The show offers stories of Vilanch's brushes with the rich, famous and infamous of the Hollywood he makes his living in.
THE LOSER¹S LOUNGE - (2000 - 2002)
Off-Broadway
"If there has to be a tribute going on anywhere in the world, we don't want it in anybody's hands but Joe McGinty's. McGinty and his Loser's Lounge have made the musical tribute into an art form ?"- Time Out New York
A truly unique night of musical entertainment, THE LOSER'S LOUNGE made its home at the WestBeth Theatre Center from October 2000 until the theatre's closing in April 2002. In that time, they paid tribute to the Kinks, David Bowie, Neil Diamond, Roxy Music, and Harry Nilsson, garnering rave reviews and a following loyal and enthusiastic fans.
EDDIE IZZARD CIRCLE – (2000)
"The most popular, and exportable, British comedian since the heyday of Monty Python."- New York Times
Following up on the 1998 Emmy Award-winning success of DRESS TO KILL and the nine city sold out CIRCLE tour in 2000, WestBeth produced SEXIE in the fall of 2003, selling out sixteen cities across North America. Eddie's hilarious, insightful and boundary-breaking comedy has made him one of the most sought after performers in the world today.
BBC AMERICA - DEAD FUNNY COMEDY SERIES featuring Bill Bailey and The League of Gentlemen - (2001)
Individually, they are Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. Together, they are the hottest comedy troupe to come out of the UK since the Pythons. The League of Gentlemen first brought their unique brand of sketch comedy to this side of the pond in May of 2000.
BILL BAILEY: BEWILDERNESS - 2002
"A treat for the funny-bone, brain and ear!"- NY Times
On the heels of his sold-out, ten-week West End run and his massive sold-out fifty-two date tour of the UK, acclaimed British comedian Bill Bailey brought his hugely popular show, PART TROLL, to UCLA in 2006. A unique blend of off-the-wall comedy and music, PART TROLL was British comedy at its best a brilliant collage of musical parodies, anecdotes and off-the-wall surrealism. WestBeth previously produced Bill's show BEWILDERNESS Off-Broadway in 2002 to critical acclaim.
AMY SEDARIS, STEPHEN COLBERT, PAUL DINELLO – WIGFIELD 2003
WIGFIELD was an hysterically funny, totally twisted piece of theater based on the book of the same title. In a gut-busting night of humor, Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert brought the citizens of WIGFEIELD off the page and onto the stage. Part reading, part ensemble play, the WIGFIELD tour sold out in nine major US markets during the spring/summer of 2003.
KIKI AND HERB: COUP DE THEATRE - 2003
"Slashingly funny!" -The New Yorker
This riotous and poignant musical, which completed an extended engagement at the Cherry Lane Theatre in 2003, featured the fictitious duo, Kiki and Herb, reminiscing over their fifty year career as a politically charged lounge act.
EDDIE IZZARD - SEXIE - 2003
"The most popular, and exportable, British comedian since the heyday of Monty Python."- New York Times
Following up on the 1998 Emmy Award-winning success of DRESS TO KILL and the nine city sold out CIRCLE tour in 2000, WestBeth produced SEXIE in the fall of 2003, selling out sixteen cities across North America. Eddie's hilarious, insightful and boundary-breaking comedy has made him one of the most sought after performers in the world today.
COLIN HAY: MAN AT WORK - 2003
The front man for the 1980?s band Men At Work brought his acclaimed one-man show of story-telling and music to the Village Theatre in May 2004. The show, titled MAN @ WORK, was a hilarious and poignant telling of his rise to fame and subsequent decline
DYLAN MORAN: MONSTER - 2004
"As perfect an evening as I can recall!"- London Times
After taking New York by storm in 2004, the ?Oscar Wilde of stand-up?, made his West Coast debut in 2005 with his audacious, critically-acclaimed show, MONSTER, unleashing his hilariously wicked tongue on drunks, politics and everything in between. The star and driving force behind British TV?s hit show, BLACK BOOKS, Dylan can also be seen in his own one-hour comedy special airing on BBC America and in the hit film SHAUN OF THE DEAD.
TOMMY TIERNAN: CRACKED - 2004
"A terrific storyteller watching a comic like this makes one wish American standups had Tiernan's talent!" Variety
Following the critically-acclaimed, WestBeth-produced, Los Angeles and New York runs, Irish phenomenon Tommy Tiernan made his Chicago debut in 2006 with his stand-up show, LOOSE. Hilarious, wild, fearless, and smart, Tommy's ferocious style of comedy has brought him international acclaim. His previous show, CRACKED, played New York in 2004 to sold-out houses.
DAVE GORMAN¹S GOOGLEWHACK! ADVENTURE - 2004
"Hilarious...in a word, 'Googlewhack!' wins!"- NY POST
Winner of the HBO US Comedy Festival Jury Award, DAVE GORMAN'S GOOGLEWHACK! ADVENTURE took audiences on a riotous journey to the wildest places on the world wide web in 2004-2005. His 2001 docu-comedy, ARE YOU DAVE GORMAN told the story of his search for 52 people also named Dave Gorman.
THE HOLLOW MEN - 2004
Off-Broadway
"The future of sketch comedy!"- Time Out
The natural successors to Monty Python and Kids In The Hall, this hilarious foursome takes sketch comedy to places it?s never dared to go. WestBeth produced their show Off-Broadway in 2004 & 2005
BILLY CONNOLLY TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG - 2005
The UK press, churchmen, politicians and conservative thinkers everywhere may criticize his language and subject matter but there can be no disputing that Billy has brought more pleasure and laughter to more people than any other living person.
After three decades of touring the USA, this was Billy Connolly’s first concert filmed in America. It was filmed in New York’s Town Hall.
THE FAMILY GUY LIVE - 2005
Off-Broadway/Los Angeles
In April 2005, 20th Century Fox and Just For Laughs asked WestBeth to executive produce a live presentation of the hit cartoon, THE FAMILY GUY. A staged-reading/Q&A featuring the actors and writers behind the drawings, the event premiered at The Wiltern in Los Angeles and played in New York at Town Hall.
LEWIS BLACK: NOTHING¹S SACRED - 2005
Irreverent, cantankerous and explosively funny, Lewis Black has performed his dead-on social and political comedy throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. WestBeth produced his sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and NY City Center in 2004, 2005 and 2007.
MIKE MYERS - GURU PITKA - 2005
In 2005, Mike Myers came to WestBeth with an idea for a new character he wanted to develop. WestBeth produced the live workshop GURU PITKA later that year. The production gave the man behind Austin Powers the opportunity to play his latest creation, an Indian spiritual leader, in front of a live, captivated audience.
GRAHAM NORTON - KNOW ALL - 2005
Off-Broadway/National Tour
Ecstatic about the WestBeth-produced, sold-out national tour of GRAHAM NORTON: RED-HANDED in 2003, Graham returned to New York in 2005 with his show, KNOW ALL. The British television star poked fun at current events and celebrity gossip (and occasionally calling into an adult sex line) while playing to sold-out houses.
DEMETRI MARTIN - THESE ARE JOKES - 2005
Deadpan, alt-comedy sensation, Demetri Martin, took to the stage in late 2005- early 2006 with his show THESE ARE JOKES, playing to sold-out houses in New York and Chicago.
TOMMY TIERNAN: LOOSE - 2006
"A terrific storyteller watching a comic like this makes one wish American standups had Tiernan's talent!" Variety
Following the critically-acclaimed, WestBeth-produced, LA and NYC runs, Irish phenomenon Tommy Tiernan made his Chicago debut in 2006 with his stand-up show, LOOSE. Hilarious, wild, fearless, and smart, Tommy's ferocious style of comedy has brought him international acclaim. His previous show, CRACKED, played New York in 2004 to sold-out houses.
BILL BAILEY: PART TROLL - 2006
"A treat for the funny-bone, brain and ear!"- NY Times
On the heels of his sold-out, ten-week West End run and his massive sold-out fifty-two date tour of the UK, acclaimed British comedian Bill Bailey brought his hugely popular show, PART TROLL, to UCLA in 2006. A unique blend of off-the-wall comedy and music, PART TROLL was British comedy at its best a brilliant collage of musical parodies, anecdotes and off-the-wall surrealism. WestBeth previously produced Bill's show BEWILDERNESS Off-Broadway in 2002 to critical acclaim.
MARGARET CHO'S A SENSUOUS WOMAN - 2007
Margaret Cho brought her new variety show The Sensuous Woman to the Zipper Theater. The Sensuous Woman featureed an impressive line-up of the country's most renowned burlesque performers along with hilarious stand-up and sketch comedy from emerging and established artists. Featured performers included emerging transgendered comic Ian Harvie, the ingenious burlesque performer Selene Luna, comic actor Liam Sullivan, New York downtown favorite Miss Dirty Martini, Los Angeles belly dance and burlesque sensation Princess Farhana, and sketch comedians Diana Yanez and Kurt Hall of the Gay Mafia Comedy Troupe of West Hollywood, all presided over by the incomparable Margaret Cho.
It was a sexy and seductive evening of entertainment with a finale that had everyone talking!
LEWIS BLACK - RED, WHITE AND SCREWED - 2007
Irreverent, cantankerous and explosively funny, Lewis Black has performed his dead-on social and political comedy throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. WestBeth produced his sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and NY City Center in 2004, 2005 and 2007.
ERIC IDLE'S WHAT ABOUT DICK? - 2007
What About Dick? played to SOLD OUT crowds at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in LA, Nov 10th and 11th, 2007.
Only once in a lifetime you see a cast like this -- Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Eric Idle, Eddie Izzard, Jane Leeves, Emily Mortimer, Jim Piddock, and Tracy Ullman -- well twice actually in this case since there were only two performances. But if you missed both occasions then you can tell your grandchildren you weren't there either of the days they did that thing you missed. The music was by Idle's Spamalot partner John Du Prez and the sound effects artist was Tony Palermo.
ESCAPE FROM BELLEVUE - 2006
“CHECK YOUR STRAITJACKET AT THE DOOR AND GET READY TO ROCK!” -The New York Times
Born on the smoke filled stages of countless bars comes a wild ride of rock and roll, booze and vicious freaks. ESCAPE FROM BELLEVUE is the hilarious true story of one of New York's most infamous rockers as told by the escapee himself, Chris Campion. Featuring the indie rock and power pop finesse of the Knockout Drops, ESCAPE FROM BELLEVUE, played a three month run at the Village Theatre in NYC in the summer of 2007
RUTLEMANIA - 2008
The concert has been devised and directed by Eric Idle. The music and lyrics by are Neil Innes. RUTLEMANIA is produced by WestBeth Entertainment. These performances are part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of The Rutles.
Eric Idle said, “Finally -- nostalgia for things that never existed – with Mersey Boys, real girls, singing and dancing, and exotic tea drinking! I am sure this is soon to be a major lawsuit - and I suggest you hurry and buy a ticket so you can see it before it stops.”
The Rutles were first immortalized on screen by semi-legendary Monty Python alum Eric Idle, and Saturday Night Live Lorne Michaels in the 1978 Classic mockumentary “All You Need is Cash” (available on DVD from Broadway Video) and re-immortalized in the sequel, “Can’t Buy Me Lunch.” These ground-breaking films began an entire genre of mockumentary film making.
EDDIE IZZARD STRIPPED -2008
"EDDIE IZZARD IS UNDOUBTEDLY SEDUCTIVE, He is Miraculous, Deliriously, Dizzyingly, Exhaustingly, CATCH YOUR BREATH FUNNY" - The New York Times
Eddie is in the middle of the largest comedy tour of his career. His new one man show, fittingly titled STRIPPED, is traversing North America from April to August, Boston to LA, with performances in 34 cities.
LEWIS BLACK LET THEM EAT CAKE - 2008
Award winning Comedian Lewis Black is back in New York with his unique take on politics in America, expressing what the rest of us can't say in polite company.
Lewis Black has sold out every engagement he’s done in New York!
WRITE AID - 2008
Write Aid was presented by WestBeth Entertainment, members of the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America. It featured Eddie Izzard, Lewis Black, Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman, and Tenacious D with Jack Black and Kyle Gass.
All proceeds of the benefit went to the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which provided "crisis assistance" for entertainment industry workers during the Writers Guild Strike.
Friday, December 14 at 8 p. m. @ Royce Hall at UCLA
Lewis Black - Dual Citizenship Tour of Canada - 2009
"Best know for his weekly rant on The Daily Show with Jon Steward. Black takes on stupidity in society and tackles political issues with pointed barbs - and pointed fingers." Canada.com
The New York Times said "His take-no-prisoners humor keeps his audiences in stitches with an irreverent brand of humor that stings the psyche as it tickles the funny-bone."
"An entire evening with this guy mgiht prove to be exhausting, but in the sense of leaving you sore from laughing" S.D. Weekly
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000 - CINEMATIC TITANIC - 2009
‘1 of the Years 5 BEST COMEDY SHOWS’ - Chicago Examiner
From the people who brought you Mystery Science Theater 3000 comes a whole new movie-riffing experience: CINEMATIC TITANIC. Starring the creator and original cast from MST3K, Cinematic Titanic continues the tradition of riffing on ‘the horribly great’, and the just plain ‘cheesy’ movies from the past, with a different each night!
“Consistently and unfailingly funny!”- Washington Post
“The original MST3K gang doing what they do best – verbally ripping apart films that never should have been made in the first place!”- Time Out Chicago
JOHN LEGUIZAMO WORK IN PROGRESS - 2009
"Yo, wat up? Wat’s crackin? Me that’s what. I’m retooling, reworking, redoing a brand new show. Help, me help you get some anti recession. And anti depression hilarity.
Come on down and be a part of history in the making. Watch me trip up and mess up and you can twitter it to your friends, " I saw john f*&#k up. Ha! ha!" I'm not mad atcha. No haters allowed. Nor hating allowed.Help me come up with a title for my new show.
Come on down and represent. Watch me put down. Cause you know I can." -- John L.
THE FELLAS LIVE! - 2009
“A triple bill of comedy royalty!”– Jade Wright, The Liverpool Echo
Ardal O’Hanlon, Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan, are set to perform their critically acclaimed stage event the The Fellas Live! in a limited U.S. tour – 7 performances ONLY – June 5 – 13. Presented by WestBeth Entertainment and Mick Perrin for Just for Laughs, this special limited engagement lands in five cultural hotbeds of comedy: Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City.
After selling out 10,000 seats at the Liverpool Echo Arena, Ardal O’Hanlon, Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan, reunite onstage as the The Fellas Live!, as the trio takes to the states hitting celebrated performance venues in select cities this Summer. These unstoppable comedy legends share the bill as each “fella” makes a triumphant return to the U.S. stage.
ERIC IDLE AN EVENING WITHOUT MONTY PYTHON - 2009
Celebrating Forty Years of Monty Python
Starring David Walliams, Jane Leeves, Alan Tudyk, Rick Holmes and Jim Piddock
Script by Monty Python
Graham Chapman John Cleese Terry Gilliam Eric Idle Michael Palin And Terry Jones
Musical Direction: John Du Prez
Script Edited by Eric Idle
Directed by Eric Idle and B.T. McNichol
EDDIE IZZARD THE BIG INTIMACY TOUR, STRIPPED TOO - 2010
First he was 'Dressed To Kill'; then 'Sexy' for the world to see! Now Eddie Izzard is back on stage in his latest one man show: 'Stripped Too - The Big Intimacy Tour'.
The New York Times calls Eddie Izzard "Miraculous, delirious, catch your breath funny!" and the New York Post says he's "Irreverent, wicked ... a comic genius!"
Eddie Izzard - Stripped Canadian Tour - 2010
This spring, comedian and actor Eddie Izzard, adored by fans and critics alike for his lightning quick wit and surreal humor, will bring his largest comedy tour of his career, ‘STRIPPED’, to Canada. His first extensive tour of Canada, you don’t miss your chance to see what The New York Times calls, "The most brilliant stand-up comedian of his generation.”
Izzard’s comedy concerts have evolved from cult-followings to cultural events as his last tour, ‘SEXIE’, was seen live by more than 100,000 people as the tour sold-out in 15 cities in a matter of days, including a five night engagement at New York's City Center and six nights at The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.
BILLY CONNOLLY LIVE! in seattle and chicago - 2010
Uncensored, uncut and unpredictable, internationally-renowned comedian/actor Billy Connolly will expose audiences to his hilarious, oxygen-depriving new show Billy Connolly Live!
Making a rare appearance in Chicago and Seattle, for the first time in over a decade, Connolly is considered “Britain’s greatest living comedian.” Critics have hailed him as “a genius,” “a comic legend,” “brilliantly funny” and “a superstar.” His comedy has been referred to as “priceless, non-stop laughter verging on tears” and “a must see night of comedy – he’s fantastic, charming, rude and above all – hilarious.”
Billy Connolly - The Man Live Canada Tour - 2010
Unless you were fly fishing in Hudson Bay or stopping by the Arctic Circle for a family trip snapshot, then you haven’t seen Billy Connolly on Canadian soil since his smash hit Too Old To Die Young tour in 2006. The new tour called The Man Live will be rolling across Canada this November, kicking off the tour with three nights at Toronto’s hallowed Massey Hall.
Billy Connolly is a legendary comedian from Glasgow whose finger is placed firmly on the pulse, at all times. While it is the nature of comedy to insult and offend, there are few who can master the art of the “f-bomb” with such grace and charm. Considering his ability to crush box office records across the globe, it would be a shame to miss the opportunity to experience his performance that inevitably evokes gut-wrenching laughter. His incorrigible style and wit has perched him high atop the comedic hierarchy.
LEWIS BLACK IN GOD WE RUST - 2010
NY City Center New York
JOHN LEGUIZAMO DIARY OF A MADMAN - 2010
STUFFED AND UNSTRUNG in NYC - 2010
DYLAN MORAN LIVE! - 2010
DYLAN MORAN’S stand up shows have sold out across the world. From New York and LA through Europe and onto Australasia MONSTER I, MONSTER II and LIKE TOTALLY have cemented this unkempt wordsmith’s reputation as one of the foremost comics of his generation. Likened to DAVE ALLEN and labeled ‘The Oscar Wilde of Comedy’ DYLAN is unpredictable, bizarre, elegiac, often cruel but above all painfully funny. MORAN sees through the joys and disappointments of human existence with the sensibility and intense perception of a man teetering on the edge. He chews life up and spits it out stamping it into the pavement as he goes. ‘He’s one of a kind”. The Daily Telegraph
JOHN LEGUIZAMO – KLASS KLOWN - 2010
This autobiographically based piece recounted stories and characters from Leguizamo's adolescence in New York to the outrageous theatre scene of the '80s to anecdotes about major movies and roles opposite Hollywood's biggest stars.
CHRISTOPHER TITUS NEVERLUTION - 2011
Edgier and more fearless than ever, comedian Christopher Titus debuts his brand new one-man show, Neverlution,
After taking on family, Armageddon and, most recently, divorce, Christopher Titus is taking on society's complacence and offers solutions that only he could come up with. Interweaving his personal experiences, Titus calls for a revolution against technology, politics, racism, child worship and the prescription drug companies, a revolution he argues we will never have because we are fat, lazy and scared. In Neverlution, Christopher Titus promises to fix the world's problems, one hilarious rant at a time.
EDDIE IZZARD STRIPPED TO THE BOWL - 2011
"British performer Eddie Izzard became not only the first solo comedy act to appear at the Hollywood Bowl, but he also raised the performance bar all the way to where the Bowl ends and the night sky begins.
Embodying myriad human characters and animals as diverse as a speechless giraffe, a journaling giant squid and a squirrel that survived Noah’s ark (“it was a nightmare, man, like ‘Ghost Ship,’ without the gold”), Izzard had no problem filling the Bowl, with his sly wisdom and, more important, cascades of laughter. Though his timing flagged a bit after the intermission, he quickly found his footing and finished to roaring crowds. After one brief encore, he slipped quietly backstage without taking a victory lap. But then again, he didn’t need to" - LA Times
Hailed as one of the foremost stand-ups of his generation, comic genius Eddie Izzard will bring his deliriously, dizzyingly, exhaustively, catch-your-breath funny show to the Bowl.
"L.A. has ridiculous amounts of sunshine — coming from London and from Europe that's completely different. And there's great bits of L.A. that I love to go to. But you have to drive to them. I'm very happy to do stuff in L.A., 'cause I used to be a street performer in London and now to play the Hollywood Bowl, that's great.
"And to play the Hollywood Bowl is like the American dream." - Eddie Izzard
JOHN LEGUIZAMO GHETTO KLOWN ON BROADWAY - 2011
Lyceum Theatre
Conceived and performed by Emmy and Obie Award winner John Leguizamo and directed by Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens.
“Ghetto Klown” is the next chapter in John Leguizamo’s popular personal and professional story. It is his fifth one-man play, his third on Broadway, and follows in the uninhibited tradition of his Mambo Mouth, Spic-O-Rama, Freak, and Sexaholix…a Love Story. In Leguizamo’s trademark style, the piece explodes with energy, heating up the stage with vivid accounts of the colorful characters who have populated his life. He takes audiences from his adolescent memories in Queens to the early days of his acting career and on to the sets of major motion pictures and his roles opposite some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Leguizamo explains, “Ghetto Klown” is all the things I say to my therapist and my manager, but would never want the general public to know. It’s cheaper than a lawsuit and I get to take a bow at the end. It’s like Wikileaks but with no international manhunt. Yet.”
“Ghetto Klown” was showcased in earlier incarnations in cities including Philadelphia, New Haven, Santa Fe, Louisville, La Jolla, Berkeley, Toronto, and at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival
Henson Alternative’s STUFFED AND UNSTRUNG in San Francisco & tour the US - 2011
What happens when Henson puppeteers are unleashed? You get a new breed of intelligent nonsense with six talented, hilarious, expert puppeteers improvising songs and sketches based on your suggestions! With a motley group of characters brought to life by the world renowned puppeteers of The Jim Henson Company, this is not your average night of improv and it is definitely not for children. But all others are welcome to enjoy the uninhibited anarchy of live puppet performance as never seen before.
SHAUN MAJUMDER This tour has 22 cities - THE ROAD TO MAJUMDER MANOR - 2011
One of Canada’s favorite comedians, Gemini Award winning Actor / Comedian Majumder is fresh off shooting ABC’s show, Detroit 1-8-7, and hurrying home to jump on stage. Majumder has risen as one of this nation’s brightest stars with beloved characters like Raj Binder - the uber-sweaty, much cherished in your face interviewer. On stage he delivers his slice of life commentary in a clever, drenched in wit satirical style.
ERIC IDLE¹S WHAT ABOUT DICK!- 2012 The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles
Eric Idle's New Comedy About an Old Problem
Starring: Russell Brand, Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Eric Idle, Eddie Izzard, Jane Leeves, Jim Piddock, Tracey Ullman and Sophie Winkleman
'With eight new songs from Eric Idle and John Du Prez, the Grammy-award winning duo who brought you SPAMALOT
The performance of What About Dick? was videotaped and is available for digital download from www.whataboutdick.com
Idle calls it a nice hybrid... It’s got elements of a musical – we have songs – and it’s got elements of a play, but it’s not a play that you have to take completely seriously because it’s a sort of send-up. It has bits of stand-up and improv and these hilarious actors playing multiple roles and doing impersonations. I was laughing so hard there were tears running down my cheek.”
Described by Idle as “Oscar Wilde on acid, or like Downton Abbey, only even funnier,” Dick? begins with the birth of a sex toy invented in Shagistan in 1898, tells the story of the decline of the British Empire as seen through the eyes of a Piano, as well as the story of young Dick, his two cousins and their dipsomaniac Aunt Maggie, who all live together in Kensington in a large, rambling, Edwardian novel. There’s Reverend Whoopsie, a private Dick, the incomprehensible Scottish Inspector McGuffin and the case of the Houndsditch Mutilator. What else do you need to know for six bucks?
SIMON AMSTELL - NUMB- 2012 - 2013
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With a hit BBC TV series, Grandma's House and his second critically-acclaimed international theater tour, no one is more successful at being awkward than award-winning comedian Simon Amstell. Skewering his insecurities with a sharp wit and hopeful optimism, Amstell confronts the anxieties of modern life that have left him Numb.
Since April, Simon has been touring Numb through theaters in Australia and the UK to rave reviews and sold-out houses.
A beautifully articulate storyteller, Simon premiered Numb as an intimate BBC TV special on December 31, 2012. Simon’s five-week run of Numb last summer in New York City played to rave reviews and sold-out houses leading The New York Times to compare him to, “a young Woody Allen.” The NYC run followed a three month tour through theaters in the UK and Australia.
Simon premiered his first hour-long TV special, Do Nothing, on BBC America in October 2012. Recorded at Vicar Street, Dublin, Do Nothing captures Simon at his intimate, painfully honest best. “Pin point timing... highly literate and charming... an endearing mixture of offhand candour and sharp wit,” raved critics.
“The real deal. Where philosophy collides with anxiety: where Heidegger meets Woody Allen." - The Guardian
"One of the most elegant, articulate, sensitive and endearing proponents of 'Soul Comedy’ that there is.” – The Scotsman
“Simon Amstell is fast and funny in mind and mouth and is very dangerous in a fist fight if his fists are holding very big knives.” – Eddie Izzard
MARC SALEM¹S MIND OVER MANHATTAN - 2012
World-renowned mentalist Marc Salem will take you on a captivating and surprising journey through the possibilities of the human mind when he returns to New York with a new show “Marc Salem - Mind Over Manhattan.” Produced by Metropolitan Talent and WestBeth Entertainment, “Mind over Manhattan” will delight audiences of all ages with a series of mesmerizing and mystifying mind games.
Using psychological techniques, a sharp eye for human nature, a quick wit and more than 20 years of studying the human mind, Salem creates an astounding, mystifying and often hilarious show having prompted New York critics to hail his sold-out engagement at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre.
Billy Connolly - The Man Live in New York and San Francisco - 2012
His tours in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand sold out within hours, and he last played the US six years ago, enjoying a hit New York engagement in 2006. Hailed as the UK’s most influential comedian of all time, voted best comedian of all time by the UK’s Channel 4, and included as one of the Huffington Post’s favorite UK comedians.
“Bladder-challenging tour de force” Evening Standard (London)
"A SUPERSTAR!" N.Y. Times
"DON'T MISS HIM! Where do hot young comics get their inspiration, they look to legends like Billy Connolly" TimeOut NY
DYLAN MORAN YEAH YEAH 2012 - 2013
Moran’s perspective is unashamedly unique. He observes life through the tinted hue of a glass of fine full-bodied red wine and then paints what he sees onto a deliciously cruel and rich life canvas. Blisteringly funny, and painfully accurate, this is like looking at a Canaletto painting whilst someone simultaneously punches you in the stomach and tickles you breath-less. Called “the Oscar Wilde of Comedy,” by the London Evening News, Moran is universally considered one of the foremost comics of his generation.
Dark, dry and relentlessly sharp, Yeah, Yeah is Dylan Moran’s critically-acclaimed roller coaster ride of emotion, hilarity, poignancy and joy as he deliberates life, love and disappointment with remarkable observation. Dylan toured Yeah, Yeah to sold-out theaters in the UK and Australia and in September, Dylan toured the show through Switzerland, Holland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Latvia and Russia, becoming the first professional English-speaking comedian to perform in Russia.
Regarded internationally as the premier comedian of his generation, Dylan Moran is a comedic force on stage and screen. Dylan received a BAFTA Award for his Channel 4 sitcom, Black Books, and starred in the hugely popular films Shaun of the Dead, Run Fatboy Run and Notting Hill.
For more on Dylan Moran visit www.DylanMoran.com and follow Dylan on Twitter - @TheDylanMoran
‘He’s biting, sarcastic and side-splittingly hilarious!’ – SF Bay Guardian
‘An Original! He transforms the mundane into madcap!’ - NY Times
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TREVOR NOAH - BORN A CRIME- 2013
WestBeth Entertainment presents groundbreaking South African comedian, Trevor Noah, in Born A Crime, a four week run at 45 Bleecker in New York City.
Born a mixed-race child under Apartheid in South Africa, Born A Crime is Trevor Noah’s search for identity in a world obsessed with labels. An eloquent comedic storyteller, Noah challenges the status quo through his unique perspective, breaking down cultural flaws on all sides and finding our mutual connections with laughter.
Trevor Noah is a comedian from South Africa who has achieved international acclaim. Releasing five hour-long stand-up specials he’s sold more DVDs than any other standup on that continent; fans recite his performances verbatim, share his clips globally, and have joined him in legions on Facebook and Twitter. Noah has hosted numerous television shows in South Africa, including the country’s music, television and film awards, the South African Comedy Festival, and two seasons of his own late night talk show. He is also the subject of the award-winning film Township to the Stage which tells the story of his remarkable career in post-apartheid South Africa.
For more on Trevor Noah visit www.TrevorNoah.com where you can find links to his Twitter, Facebook and Youtube pages.
EDDIE IZZARD– FORCE MAJEURE in canada - 2013
After selling out Madison Square Garden and also becoming the first stand-up comedian to play a solo show at the Hollywood Bowl, he has set off on the most extensive comedy tour ever, with Eddie globetrotting from Cardiff to Kathmandu, Moscow to Mumbai and now Halifax to Victoria on his Force Majeure World Tour! Just announced, as part of more than 25 countries throughout Europe, Africa, UK, Australia and New Zealand, India, Nepal, The Far East and The United States, Eddie will kick off the Canadian leg of his Force Majeure tour in Halifax, Nova Scotia on November 10th! Having spent time as a teenager in Canada, Eddie is excited to show his Canadian fans his Force Majeure!
“Inspired! Against a set that is part-Avengers, part-Austin Powers, Izzard proves that he’s still frivolous and fleet of foot – even in Cuban heels.” – Said London’s The Independent of Izzard’s Force Majeure.
Success around the world, both on stage and on screen, Eddie Izzard is never one to rest on his laurels. He keeps audiences on the edge of their seats with his bizarre tangential, absurd, and surreal comic narratives that find him espousing his views on Darth Vader, Greek Mythology, human sacrifice and chaos theory, and that’s just the start!
BILLY CONNOLLY – THE MAN LIVE - 2014
Legendary comedian, Billy Connolly, brings his tour, Billy Connolly: The Man Live, to Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland and Seattle in March.
Hailed as the UK’s most influential comedian of all time, voted best comedian of all time by the UK’s Channel 4, and included as one of the Huffington Post’s favorite UK comedians, Connolly will next be seen in The Hobbit: There and Back Again and What We Did On Our Holiday. He recently voiced the role of King Fergus in Disney Pixar’s hit animated film, Brave, and starred in Quartet directed by Dustin Hoffman.
Billy Connolly is a standup comedian, actor, musician, TV presenter and artist. Born and raised in Glasgow and after serving his apprenticeship as a welder, he became a professional performer in 1962, forming “The Humblebums” band with Gerry Rafferty, before pursuing a solo career as a comedian. Aside from starring in numerous films and TV series, Billy has toured worldwide continuously for the last 50 years, performing to an audience of over 10,000,000. Billy was awarded a CBE in 2003 and was given the Freedom of the City of Glasgow in 2010.
EDDIE IZZARD– FORCE MAJEURE world tour in america – part 1 - 2014
Eddie Izzard will bring his massive Force Majeure world tour to the U.S., visiting 32 cities through the spring with more dates to be announced later this year.
Force Majeure is the most extensive comedy tour ever; launched in March of 2013, the tour will take Izzard to 25 countries on five continents. From Cardiff to Kathmandu and Moscow to Mumbai, Force Majeure will play throughout Europe, Africa, Russia, the U.K., Canada, the U.S., India, Nepal, The Far East and Australia. Izzard recently completed runs in France performing entirely in French and in Berlin performing entirely in German.
One of the most acclaimed comedians of his generation, Izzard’s unique, tangential, absurd, and surreal comic narratives are lauded for their creativity and wit, earning him a New York Drama Desk Award and two Emmys for Dress to Kill, two British Comedy Awards for Top Stand-Up Comedian, and an Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement.
In the U.S., Izzard is the first solo stand-up comedian to perform at the Hollywood Bowl; has sold-out three consecutive nights at Radio City Music Hall and toured arenas throughout the U.S. including a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.
THE THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR - 2014
Created and written by Hollywood scribes Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a live show performed in the style of an old-time radio broadcast featuring some of the most mind-boggingly talented and respected performers of our time. What makes The Thrilling Adventure Hour so addictive, in part, is that Acker and Blacker have created original serial programs within their show. Performed monthly at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles – and the occasional out-of-town presentations – audience members are graced with episodes of shows like “Beyond Belief” and “The Adventures of Captain Laserbeam” and characters like Sparks Nevada, Croach the Tracker and Frank and Sadie Doyle (played by Paul F. Tompkins and Paget Brewster, photo by Matt Harbicht). But it’s not just the live sold-out shows in Los Angeles; the shows are recorded and presented as The Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast through Nerdist Industries, giving the show comedy cred throughout the world.
GHETTO KLOWN - 2014 Summerstage in Chicago
Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo, who has appeared in more than fifty films and was also seen on Nickelodeon series “The Brothers Garcia,” as well as on “ER” and “Miami Vice,” is also one of the nation’s most accomplished stage performers. “Ghetto Klown” is the next chapter in John Leguizamo’s popular personal and professional story. It is his fifth one-man play, his third on Broadway, and follows in the uninhibited tradition of his “Mambo Mouth,” “Spic-O-Rama,” “Freak,” and “Sexaholix … a Love Story.” In Leguizamo’s trademark style, the piece explodes with energy, heating up the stage with vivid accounts of the colorful characters that populate his life. He takes audiences from his adolescent memories in Queens to the early days of his acting career and on to the sets of major motion pictures. Leguizamo explains, “Ghetto Klown” is all the things I say to my therapist and my manager, but would never want the general public to know. It’s cheaper than a lawsuit and I get to take a bow at the end. It’s like Wiki leaks but with no international manhunt. Yet.”