"Improv is improv, isn't it?" a friend remarked when he learned I was about to review yet another improvisational comedy last week.
"That's like saying all wines are alike, or all hamburgers," I replied. "It all depends on the ingredients and how well they're put together."
And the ingredients last Tuesday night at Tipping Point Theatre's twice-monthly "Improv at the Point" were mighty tasty indeed.
Similar in format to the television series "Whose Line is it Anyway?" the always amiable Dave Davies hosted the evening with three of Metro Detroit's longtime favorite improvisers and one bright, up-and-comer, all of whom kept the audience amused on April Fool's Day. But there were no fools present; only a slick troupe of performers who were at the top of their game pretty much the entire night. (The host and cast may change with each performance.)
The format is simple: The host solicits suggestions from the audience to help set-up approximately a dozen different skits. Although many in the audience were hesitant as they entered the theater – most refused to sit in the front row because they were afraid of being dragged on stage – Davies' charm and warmth quickly put everyone at ease. So once the show started and the comfort levels increased, the host encountered little resistance from the small, but eager crowd.
Not every skit was a winner, of course. But Quintin Hicks, David Herbst, Mikey Wilson and Tim Hayden hit home runs far more often than not.
In "A Thousand and One," the four plus Davies made up jokes based on suggestions from the audience that completed the following opening line: "A thousand and one (blanks) walk into a bar." Hookers, improv actors and clowns got the most laughs.
Hicks showed his versatility throughout the night with a wide array of voices, faces and personalities. Watching him struggle to figure out who he murdered, how and where based on clues police interrogators Herbst and Wilson fed him was especially fun. (It took quick intervention by Davies to resolve the crime, however.)
Later, Herbst outshined everyone in a game that required every line to end in a question. And Wilson excelled at playing young kids.
One skit, "The Three-Headed Doctor Know-It-All," was mercifully and quickly axed. And the mini-musical about a pet rat and a neighborhood bar in Hamtramck was probably funnier to those of us who appreciated the inside joke. (I sure did laugh, though.)
So what sets apart this improv show from the legions of others around town, you might be asking yourself?
Good question. And not much, to be honest; these same five (excellent) improvisers can be seen at many – if not all – of the other improv spots in Metro Detroit.
But here's the bottom line: It's a cool, intimate space in a cool downtown – and if you love to laugh, Tipping Point Theatre is providing you with an excellent and affordable night on the town two Tuesdays of every month. And all of us can use a good laugh these days!
REVIEW:
'Improv at the Point'
Every first and third Tuesday of the month at the Tipping Point Theatre, 361 E. Cady St., Northville. Tickets: $8. For information: 248-347-0003 or http://www.tippingpointtheatre.org
