9:30am BREAKFAST with SANTA / ELFPROV
50% off NO ADDITIONAL PURCHASE REQUIRED
Here Comes Santa Claus. Come to the Broadway Comedy Club, meet Santa, enjoy the Continental Breakfast (coffee, juice and carbs) and stay the for ELFprov, the interactive improvised comedy show from the north pole.
1:00pm SANTA’s SING ALONG ADVENTURE
50% off NO ADDITIONAL PURCHASE REQUIRED
Santa and Mrs. Claus fall into a wormhole that transports them to New York City. It is up to all the boys & girls, parents and the elves to help Santa and Mrs C get back to the North Pole in time to save Christmas.
3:00pm EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH Improv Comedy $5 tickets
No two shows are ever the same as the cast of EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH creates original songs and scenes based on audience suggestion and participation.
9:00pm, 11:00pm BROADWAY COMEDY CLUB Times Square
Broadway Comedy Club presents a lineup full of Top Headliners. These are the best comedians from New York City with special guests from all across the country. You’ve seen them on MTV, HBO, The Tonight Show, Comedy Central, The Daily Show, Last Comic Standing and more!
Meghan Walsh
Jordan Fisher Tonight Show
Russ Meneve (Comedy Central, Tonight Show, Conan, HBO)
Chips Cooney America’s Got Talent
8:30pm / 10:30pm / 12:30am GREENWICH VILLAGE COMEDY CLUB
Greenwich Village Comedy Club brings you the best comedians in the NYC every night, plus special guests from across the country and around the world. Come see our top headliners this Saturday night! You’ve seen them on Late Night TV, Laughs, Last Comic Standing and Comedy Central and more.
MC Lawrence DeLoach CBS
Jim McCue Sirisu Sirius XM Radio,
Kenice Mobley Sirius XM Radio
Anthony Kapfer Hulu
Eric Numannn AXS
Mike Britt Netflix Comedy Central
Good old fashioned relationship skit and sitcom parody by LMAO
This sketch is based on an old joke about marriage.
LIVE FROM TIMES SQUARE NYC
LIVE from TIMES SQUARE Click Here for calendar of Improv Comedy shows Click Here for calendar of Stand-Up Comedy shows
Broadway Comedy Club, 318 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019 – EMAIL US about group sales, private events, classes and more. Subscribe to this blog or follow us on facebook / twitter for discount offers, fun videos and more.
We offer public classes and private programs in Midtown Manhattan and Long Island as well as touring corporate events, schools (After School Programming), camps and community centers throughout the tri state area. Ask about corporate team building. Class already start? Want to join after online registration has ended? Want to bring a program to your community? Questions about classes etc? NO PROBLEM!!! EMAIL us to make arrangements eightimprov@gmail.com
UPCOMING CLASSES
MORNING IMPROV JAM
January 5, 12, 19, 26 $40/session, $120/Month
Join us for an adult playground as Walt Frasier presents a public version of his popular Corporate Team Building programs. Bring the office team or come to self enrich as we play a series of games that deliver laughs while building self confidence, public speaking and other skills that enhance acting performance as well as management/leadership, sales, service and team. Coffee & Donuts Served. Walt Frasier has hosted shows & workshops for teams from JP Morgan Chase, Bristol Meyer, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Master Card, American Express, NYC Schools (DOE VENDOR), Microsoft/BING, Twitter, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Home Depot, Enrst & Young, GM, KRAFT, UBS, UNILEAVER and 100s more smaller/local firms.
Want to see one of our professional shows? EMAIL US FOR FREE TICKETS available to all registered students. eightimprov@gmail.com
Improv and Stand-Up Comedy help students discover their best selves building self confidence, creative writing, critical thinking and public speaking. We offer weekly classes Winter, Spring and Fall, plus Summer Camps. We also have teachers at schools, camps and community centers on weekends and after school. Each session starts with Improvisation, playing games that are a ton of fun while teaching valuable life skills. These are the same games we play with corporate groups to develop better leaders, team building, sales, service etc. For our public sessions we include Stand-Up Comedy, taking stories of experience and observation, then crafting original comedy routines. Each session ends a performance showcase of original and improvised comedy skits. The classes and workshops integrate perfectly with cultural arts, language arts and character building/guidance programming.
WEEKENDS in TIMES SQUARE NYC – Shaping Young Minds Since 2011
WINTER CLASSES 2019
January 5, 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23, March 2, SHOWCASE March 9.
Winter class has 2 weeks built in to accommodate our usual 8-week program for Multiple 3-day weekends, winter break and weather issues.
EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH NYC Improv Comedy 80% off
Hilarious interactive musical comedy! No two shows are ever the same as the cast of EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH creates original songs and sketches improvised based on audience suggestions and participation.
BROADWAY COMEDY CLUB Times Square 80% off
Broadway Comedy Club presents a lineup full of Top Headliners. These are the best comedians from New York City with special guests from all across the country. You’ve seen them on MTV, HBO, The Tonight Show, Comedy Central, The Daily Show, Last Comic Standing and more!
GREENWICH VILLAGE COMEDY CLUB Downtown 80% off
Greenwich Village Comedy Club brings you the best comedians in the NYC every night, plus special guests from across the country and around the world. Come see our top headliners this Saturday night! You’ve seen them on Late Night TV, Laughs, Last Comic Standing and Comedy Central and more.
BREAKFAST with SANTA / ELFPROV Dec 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 9:30am 50% off
NOW IN ITS 6TH YEAR, Santa welcomes all the boys and girls for a continental breakfast and interactive comedy show, ELFPROV.
Regularly priced $25-50 CLICK HERE for 50% off Tickets. VIP Tickets include better seats and extra treats, but every ticket includes time with Santa, Continental Breakfast, interactive show and sing along.
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Sing A Long and Elfprov
SANTA’s SING ALONG ADVENTURE Dec 1, 2, 8, 9, 16 1pm 50% off
Santa, Mrs Claus stumble into a wormhole that transports them to New York City. Come join them in a spectacular Christmas sing-a-long and help them find the way back to the North Pole in time to save Christmas. Show includes both original and holiday classics. Regularly priced $25-50 CLICK HERE for 50% off Tickets. VIP Tickets include better seats, extra treats & a Santa meet & greet
ADULT COMEDY CLASSES 50% off Drop in Classes
Join us for an adult playground as Walt Frasier presents his Improv Comedy Workshop, a public version of his popular Corporate Team Buildingprograms. Bring the office team or come to self enrich as we play a series of games that deliver laughs while building self confidence, public speaking and other skills that enhance acting performance as well as management/leadership, sales, service and team. Talk to teach about join our upcoming weekly sessions.
COMEDY CLASSES for KIDS & TEENS 50% Drop in classes
Improv and Stand-Up Comedy help students discover their best selves building self confidence, creative writing, critical thinking and public speaking. We offer weekly classes Winter, Spring and Fall, plus Summer Camps. We also have teachers at schools, camps and community centers on weekends and after school. Each session starts with Improvisation, playing games that are a ton of fun while teaching valuable life skills. These are the same games we play with corporate groups to develop better leaders, team building, sales, service etc. For our public sessions we include Stand-Up Comedy, taking stories of experience and observation, then crafting original comedy routines. Each session ends a performance showcase of original and improvised comedy skits. The classes and workshops integrate perfectly with cultural arts, language arts and character building/guidance programming. WINTER CLASSES 2019
EMAIL for dates & rates. CLICK HERE for downloadable/printable PDF A division of Improv Theater LLC NYC DOE VENDOR
ASK ABOUT K12 Shows & Workshops at our Times Square Theater
Since 2004, Improv 4 Kids has played over 6000 shows in Times Square, NYC and touring nationwide to K12 schools, community centers and family events. Workshops & Professional Development too!
ASSEMBLIES – WORKSHOPS – RESIDENCIES – AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING FAMILY EVENTS – FUNDRAISERS – PTA NIGHTS – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In addition to delivering much needed laughs, Improv Shows & Workshops teach a number of valuable skills. Pairing with cultural arts (music, theater), language arts (storytelling, public speaking, listening) and character building (self confidence, team, respect, eye contact) programs, we help build a better community of students and staff. (Ask about our professional development programming).
Touring Company, hosted by Walt Frasier (15 years of Improv Comedy, International theater credits, TV: Letterman Show, Nickelodeon, Blue Bloods CBS, Royal Pains USA, Lilyhammer NETFLIX), includes professional talent from stage & screen with years of K12 experience.
EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH delivers hilarious interactive musical theater improvised based on audience suggestions and participation. Every five minutes the show MC interactacts with students as for their favorite vacation spot, toy, weekend activity. This inspires an original skit or song. Many scene involve audience volunteers on stage more closely steering the comedy direction. RUNTIME: 30-75 minutes.
IMPROV COMEDY WORKSHOPS
The focus is on fun so students do not even realize they are learning valuable life skills – creativity (writing and critical thinking), community (respect, team communications) and leadership (public speaking, self confidence, listening, focus, eye contact). Each workshop is a series of games. We warm-up as we simply pass the energy around a circle with silly sounds. We then work together as a team to tell stories and create theatrical scenes. The #1 rule is “YES AND…”. We accept everything our team offers, as well as who they are. We suspend judgment. We simply listen and respond in the moment. We use these same games to help major corporations develop team, leadership, sales and service skills (JP Morgan Chase, Enrst & Young, Louis Vuitton, BING/Microsoft, Twitter). RUNTIME: 30-120 minutes long.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Our professional development programs serve to purposes. 1) Corporate Style team building and leadership training. Improv workshops help teacher become better teachers – increasing self confidence and communication skills. 2) Learning to teach Improv games in the classroom helps build a better community of students. Studies show laughter in the classroom raises test scores. Laughter also decreases stress and blood pressure while building trust. As we instruct corporate teams, try using these games to break the ice and get students ready for a big test, lecture or discussion. Use Improv to role play history, literary characters or even a human model of the solar system (As suggested by our NYC school science teachers).
RESIDENCIES, DISTRICT BLOCK BOOKING
Get the best session rates by booking a series of shows & workshops together. Pairing professional development with student shows & workshops maximizes the impact on the entire community.
$800 ONE SHOW
$1200 TWO SHOWS back to back
$2000 *DAY of SHOWS/WORKSHOPS
$7500 *WEEK of SHOWS/WORKSHOPS
*day/week of shows/workshops can be two schools/day.
WHY IMPROV COMEDY
Humor and creativity work in similar ways, says humor guru William Fry, M.D., of Stanford University–by creating relationships between two disconnected items, you engage the whole brain.
“Laughter is the best medicine,” is an old saying that may be more true that we ever realized before. Studies at John Hopkins, Stanford and other universities have established that laughter in the class room increases test scores by increasing alertness, memory, and creativity. Laughter helps lower blood presser and stress hormones. Laughter helps break downs walls of insecurity and resentment, replacing with strong bonds of trust.
FROM http://www.laughteryogaamerica.com/services/laughter-education-733.php In children social play is critical to the development of social skills and emotional intelligence. Restricted play results in deficient social skills which can lead to life-long physical, mental, emotional and social problems. Laughter promotes childlike playful behavior. New research shows that playful adults continue to learn social skills and improve their emotional intelligence. Learning requires that one lower what linguists call the “affective barrier.” You can’t be uptight and learn much. You have to ease up and laugh to create.
How many Bar/Bat Mitzvahs will you attend in the next year alone? We have been part of a growing trend to do something different for special birthday celebrations.
Improv comedy presents a high impact and low cost option for your Bar / Bat Mitzvah plans. Improv is the perfect event for any theatrical preteen about to cross over.
EMAIL us to get more info on how to make your event uniquely special.
Every event we do is unique but basically falls into one of the following categories…
Short show for kids & teens while the adults enjoy cocktail hour
Short workshop while adults enjoy cocktail hour
Short show for ALL as a bridge between meal and dancing
MAIN EVENT where the show is the thing turning any room into a comedy club/theater.
Doing the entire event at the Comedy Club in Times Square as a theme event.
If your child loves theater and/or comedy Improv is a must. Unlike stand-up comedy, Improv is all about community never making jokes at the expense of another. Improv will always deliver the laughs without ever delivering that disapproving email from that over sensitive “friend”.
September 2019 Event in Reading PA where entire hotel ball room was turned into a comedy club with low cost curtains and fake brick panel dressing a portable stage. (We do not have photos of these shows and workshops to protect client privacy)
The cast improvised songs and scenes on the spot based on audience suggestions and participation.
Our Improv shows have played 100 of Bar/Bat mitzvahs, Teen Nights, Fundraisers and other temple events. We have worked closely with YACHAD, various Yeshiva schools and other organizations over the years. We know the rules for orthodox and conservative events as needed.
We have played high end country club events and hosted casual lunch and show events at our own comedy club. The talent pool includes artists from Broadway tours, off-Broadway, TV and Film.
The cast shows plays 100s of shows every year at K12 schools and corporate events, equally appealing to a wide variety of audience ages and demographic.
It is our contention that few other programs will leave a larger impact on your guests’ experience with a such a small impact on your budget.
EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH (AKA Improv 4 Teens / Improv 4 Kids) is a popular destination student groups from around the world. The troupe plays 300+ shows / year at their Times Square theater or touring schools. STUDENT GROUP INFO SHEET
*We work with top local pizzerias to give that NY PIZZA experience. We can also cater a variety of cuisines to meet most tastes and budgets.
DAYTIME PROGRAMMING
9am-5pm Monday-Friday popular options for NYC area school field trips
$600 Flat up to 50 students plus 5 adult chaperones $12/Additional guest $1200 up to 150ppl inclusive of chaperones
Add Pizza Lunch $8pp
WORKSHOP PROGRAM
Perfect for theater arts students, Improv workshops are a must for any performer and teach valuable life skills – creativity (writing, critical thinking), community (team, listening, focus, eye contact) and leadership (self confidence, public speaking).
$300/teacher up to 2 hours recommended for 10-20 students
Add a 45-60 minute workshop to any show – group sale or private event – for just $5/student
Bring this show and/or workshop program to your school, camp, community center!
EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH is perfect for school assemblies, teen nights, after school programming, fundraisers and more.
We know, We know… but we have also already had our first booking request for summer camp shows. So if you are one of those that likes to plan ahead here are some cool options for your summer 2019. We also see a lot of vacation camp groups during December, Winter and Spring Break vacation weeks.
EMAIL for information about summer camps program, group sales to public shows, booking a student group field trip to our NYC club, bringing a show and/or workshop to your school, camp or community centers.
Improv 4 Kids / Improv 4 Teens hosts field trips at our Times Square theater and tours Schools, Camps, Community Centers and private events nationwide.
We host public shows every week, year round at the Broadway Comedy Club (318 West 53rd Street, NY NY 10019), that are fun for all ages. CLICK HERE for calendar of shows. Tickets usually go on sales 2-3 months in advanced.
Improv, Stand-Up, Sketch comedy writing and performance for kids & teens
Almost weekly we host classes for kids & teens and will be presenting 8 weeks of summer camps where kids & teens learn Improv and Stand-Up Comedy. NEW In 2019 we will be including more sketch comedy writing and performance.
FIELD TRIPS
We also host, almost daily, groups from schools, camps and community centers for shows and workshops.
We will add a show to the public calendar for groups as small as 10 or more. We can add private shows starting at $600 for up to 50ppl. We can add a workshop and/or pizza lunch to the package.
TOURING NATIONWIDE
Bring this show to your school, camps or community center. We perform both private and public shows at school assemblies, summer camps, libraries, PTA nights, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Fundraisers and more.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Include Improv YES AND in your staff training. Teach your teachers to be better speakers, listeners and leaders .
BLUES has been a major part of EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH Improv shows from the very early days. Now our big finish, we used to use it as a middle climactic moment, ending with a rap style.
This is a great way for pianists/guitarists to play along and learn the music and/or players to practice when the musician is not available.
If you notice I have included FOUR potential ways to play the blues on piano. There are 100s more. Have fun and experiment until you feel you have found YOUR way to rock out. In general I like to rock out the 4th verse a bit. I pull back for the fifth verse as often the players as our players may not be as IN THE MIC as their solo verses. I then rock out on the fifth chorus and bring us to a big finish.
When in doubt, LISTEN. Give your singers what THEY need to succeed. I like to get funky but sometimes that throws less experienced singers.
CLAP!!!! CLAP on TWO!!! This is a hip style. NEVER clap on one.
SINGING THE BLUES
Four players each take a verse, coming together for the chorus, where we simply sing the title of the blues, established by the MC based on audience suggestion.
With each VERSE the player establishes a AABB rhyme scheme. Line one sets up a rhyme with line two. Line three sets up a rhyme with line four.
LINE ONE
LINE TWO rhymes with LINE ONE
LINE THREE (does NOT rhyme with line one or two)
LINE FOUR rhymes with LINE TWO
For the FIFTH verse, each player takes ONE line. PLAYER 1 sets up a rhyme for PLAYER 2. PLAYER 3 sets up a rhyme for PLAYER 4.
To best sing the blues, let the bass have its moment. Squeeze each line into the space AFTER the down beat and before the bass comes back in on the back end of beat 3 of the next bar.
This gives you a nice breathe and chance to focus the next line, while delivering great style.
12 BAR BLUES
The “12-bar blues” is a chord structure that is the basis for 1000s of songs of the past 100 years. Almost every Chuck Berry song is a rocked out version of the blues. Our Blues Improv game is a variation of this form. We double the first line form four bars to eight. This is a traditional form used by many blues artists. THe chorus is the second two lines.
For those that do not know music theory I will keep this as plain as possible. Above you will see the chord pattern for a typical blues in E. The three main chords in the key of E are E (the ONE – I – chord), A (the FOUR – IV – chord) and B (the FIVE – V – chord)
You will notice in the above patterns I have added a 7. When playing the blues we almost NEVER play a simple triad – or the notes E G# B in the E chord. We almost ALWAYS add at least the 7th note, in this case a D natural (In the Key of E major, we usually play D#). The 7th note adds that extra gritty quality that never quite feels resolved.
WALKING BASE
What do you do with the left hand while playing piano?
If you notice the sheet music for the key of F I am demonstrating a more typical honky-tonk base pattern.
Above is a walking base in G. A walking base can be just about any set of notes that help keep the beat and help establish the tone of the chord. We usually play some version of the base triad with a few passing tones that add color to the sound.
This emulates an upright base in blues/jazz, later adopted by boogie and rock a billy – early rock n roll.
Just when you fall into a pattern, find a way to break it up. Jump an octave. Add some rhythm.
Learn to play a walking bass in every key. (Including C#)
THE BASS KEEPS THE BEAT
Traditionally in blues and jazz, the bass player keeps the beat, NOT the drummer. The bass holds the one and drives the beat.
The drummer subdivides the beat, adding syncopation. Usually driving a strong 2 and 4 with the hi hat but not necessarily a must.
While playing the IMPROV GAME, trust the one. The first beat of each measure is almost more implied than hit hard as in most western musical forms.
REMEMBER Clap on two to maintain the beat.
SILENCE IS POWERFUL
As in story telling and acting, silence is a powerful force in music. It is jarring when rocking out. When all STOP in the middle of a song, if even for half a beat, the audience feels it.
Play with silent moments when improvising your melodies and words and bass lines. TRUST those moments and they will deliver artistically.
BLUES SCALE
Here we have the blues in D. Note the chords. The ONE chord is now D7. The FOUR chord is now G7. The FIVE chord is now A7. If you notice we play the same blues scale above regardless of the chords. This is the beauty of improvising the blues. ANY of the notes in the D blues scale work at any time.
Expanding upon that notion of Improving music, similar to Improvising Comedy/Theater, you cannot possibly play a wrong note. EVERY mistake is a gift. In jazz/blues we say, repeat a mistake and becomes a riff.
What makes the blues scale stand out is the flat 3 (F) and 7 (C) of the scale. In the key of C we would play Eb and Bb at most times. A flat 3 usually leads to minor chord. But in the blues it causes dissonance – edgy sound that wants to be resolves, except in blues we never quite completely resolve matters. We are singing the blues, not sunshine and flowers and rainbows here.
Learn to play this scale in every key. Practice it the way a classical cat might practice their major/minor scales.
CHORD THEORY
Learning to play the blues means learning more about chords. We talked about the 7 chord above. Let’s go a little deeper.
EVERY NOTE can be justified in your improv melodies because EVERY note can be justified as a member of the chord or a melodic passing tone. To make your blues more interesting play with the chord structure. Modern music often will one chord on top of another. A D chord above a C chord is actually a C 9 #11 13 chord. OK perhaps I skipped ahead.
Learn to play all the different chords starting from every note. You should be able to play a G dim 7 chord (G Bb Db Fb) at beck and call.
Once you learn these chords and a few basic patterns you will be able to jam on 1000s of songs and look like a pro with just a few tricks.
WHEN IN DOUBT LEARN FROM THE KIDS…
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A DIVISION OF IMPROV THEATER LLC
Artistic Director, Walt Frasier
212-568-6560
IRISH JIG is a fun way to open, close or raise the energy mid show. This is to serve as a tutorial for pianists and guitarists and singers/players in the cast of EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH (AKA LMAO Off Broadway, Improv 4 Kids etc) – as well as students, fans and anyone looking to enhance their skills in musical improv games.
Below I have demo videos and sheet music for Key of F (My prerferred key for piano) and Key of D (my preferred key for guitar). Many of my colleagues will play in E or G as well. Either way the chord pattern is the same.
Play along. Feel free to change the actual bass line and realization of the chords but this represents a recommended shape for notes and rhythm. Forgive me as I dumb down the following for musicians without formal training in music reading and writing. But I want ALL to find success from this blog and this musical form.
STYLE of PLAY JIG is a very bouncy form of music designed to inspire lively folk dance. Keep your playing light – Especially for verse. Try playing a simply bass line on the beat, with light chords on the off beats, with a swing feel. I do like a BIG chord at the end of each chorus/verse leading into next section.
Music Theory/Composition/Improv 101
In general (in this musical form) we put the root of the chord in the bass on the first beat of the bar – in other words play a F for the F Chord at the beginning of each bar.
Try to never play the chord in root position in the right hand (meaning DON’T play the note F with your thumb.
RULES MEANT TO BE BROKEN
When in doubt, if it sounds good, ignore the rules. HAVE FUN and experiment with how you play jig and other styles.
PLAYING THE GAME
Use the clips above to sing along and improvise the song style when you do not have a musician. Each verse is split between all four players. Actual melody and verse can be improvised. Use the melody in this video as a guide only. Remember with singing comedy – the words and are more important than the notes. When in doubt, speak sing like Colin from WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY.
The most important part of a jig is how each player adds their part of the verse and the rhyme scheme (ABCB ABCB for each verse).
CHORUS x2
A – PLAYER 1 starts the verse
B – PLAYER 2 sets up a rhyme for PLAYER 4
C – PLAYER 3 forwards the story
B – PLAYER 4 rhymes with PLAYER 2
A – PLAYER 1 forwards the story
B – PLAYER 2 sets up a rhyme for PLAYER 4
C – PLAYER 3 forwards the story
B – PLAYER 4 rhymes with PLAYER 2
VERSE TWO and beyond
Each verse has the same structure but the players shift their roles.
PLAYER 2 starts verse 2
PLAYER 3 starts verse 3
PLAYER 4 starts verse 4
For VERSE 2, PLAYER 3 sets up PLAYER 1 for the rhyme, etc
ADD THE DANCE?
We call this game an Irish Jig because many of our audiences would not want us singing a drinking song. BUT if you notice in our videos from live shows, we are gesturing as if we have steins of beer. This gesture gives the songs a bit more flavor visually. Remember in your pantomime, if you pump your arms to violently, you will spill your beverage, which is considered a sin among us Irish. So keep the energy internal, mostly!
At the end we like to add a little jig dance as we sing the final chorus, then wrap up with the hello dolly arms and pose.
New York Improv Theater 
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