By Amy J. Parrent
The original comedy "Missed Connections: The Movie (Live on Stage)" features Tom Novik, Jessica Loria, Sean Robinson, James Cerini, Kevin Lytle, Jason Valentini and Nuverre Naami. Photo: Heather Sejnowski
Go Comedy! continues on Thursdays with an assortment of scripted experiences with more on-the-edge improv.
Despite its billing as a filmmaking experience, the early evening show "Missed Connections: The Movie (Live on Stage)" is mostly a series of live vignettes (yes, there's a term someone could do an entire sketch about).
This troupe, a former mainstay of "The Sunday Buffet" show now promoted to nighttime, includes James Cerini, Jessica Loria, Kevin Lytle, Nuverre Naami, Tom Novik, Sean Robinson and Jason Valentini, with direction by Gary Lehman.
The hour-plus ranges from bits on a fixed Bingo game to a bizarre salsa lesson, as well as an interview that gives new meaning to the phrase "hot job market."
There are restaurant themes: A slap-happy night at an Applebee's, and – one of the best sketches – a Japanese chef who knows just what the customer needs.
Meanwhile, a man and a woman are spicing up the bedroom with roleplaying, the basis for videos interspersed through the evening. With his wife having nervously blurted out an interest in U.S. history, the husband attempts to launch sexy times dressed up as famous presidents. It does not go well. ("Nobody wants to f*** Nixon.")
One of the ensemble's standouts is Jason Valentini, convincing in a mix of roles, from various Dads to a man you definitely don't want answering the door on your trick-or-treat outing. Let's just say he went way overboard on creating his costume.
Valentini commits fully to the guy who's gone mad for Halloween, leading one theatre-goer to comment afterward, "If I wasn't afraid of clowns before, I am now."
The show takes a fling at tying the disparate bits together at evening's end. Some of the sketches are a bit rough around the edges, lacking either a clear strong premise or enough punch to carry it through. And Loria and Naami could sometimes project a bit more. But although parts lack polish, the cast works well as a group, pushing out energy and enthusiasm.
Each week, a different improv troupe will open the evening. On opening night it was the three-man crew called Javelin (Gary Lehman, Bob Wieck and James Quesada). First up was a trio of doctors – or were they kids playing doctor? – with a fascination for certain medical terms: "sternum, septum – all the 'ums.'" Then they jumped to "exotic Greektown" where two girls were picking up a guy whom they begged to "say something in Greekish."
And just to reinforce that this is indeed Michigan-based improv, we returned to the doctors, now dumping on the Spartans of MSU, singing about its med school to the tune of "Hail to the Victors." A different improv team
Throw in "Missed Connections" earlier references to local sights and businesses, and it's a reminder that no matter what school colors you bleed, part of the appeal of taking in Go Comedy! on a thirsty Thursday is that local flavor.
REVIEW:
'Missed Connections: The Movie (Live on Stage)'
Go Comedy! Improv Theater
261 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale
8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6
90 minutes
$10
248-327-0575
http://www.gocomedy.net
