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buckeyeborn079
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Get down and dirty this Fall with Bad to the Bone, where the mischievous and conniving Shadowbox cast delivers an evening of sketch comedy & live music that unveils their dark, rebellious side. Be sure to come early and order food and drinks from Shadowbox's bistro-style menu, served by the actors before the show and during intermission!
The fun begins Thursday, September 3rd, and runs every weekend until November 14. For tickets call (614) 265 - ROCK or visit www.shadowboxcabaret.com
colinpperkins
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I certainly don't want to pick a fight - but is Shadowbox still doing the same exact group of stock, cliche characters they have been doing for years? Hillbillies, nerds, etc.
If so, why?
creesto
Grandview Heights
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colinpperkins wrote >>
I certainly don't want to pick a fight - but is Shadowbox still doing the same exact group of stock, cliche characters they have been doing for years? Hillbillies, nerds, etc.
If so, why?
I have no doubt that that is EXACTLY the case. Innovation is long dead there; the head of the writing team even brags about nailing down the formula for writing sketch comedy. Sbox used the try to piss off 20% of their audience each night. Creativity is dead there BUT they have one of the best cover bands you will ever hear.
jmak
Upper Linden
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colinpperkins wrote >>
I certainly don't want to pick a fight - but is Shadowbox still doing the same exact group of stock, cliche characters they have been doing for years? Hillbillies, nerds, etc.
If so, why?
First of all, asking legitimate questions is never “picking a fight.” :)
Yes, we do have recurring stock characters. Why? The same reason SNL, Kids in the Hall, Chappelle, and MadTV does - the audience seems to like them. However, we write between 25 and 30 new sketches every year and for each show, we make sure sketches with “recurring characters” make up half or less of the total sketches in the show. We have also obtained video screens in order to do sketches “outside the box” (so to speak.) In addition to this, we have written and produced two new musicals in the past two years. If the sketch comedy isn’t your thing, I hope you’ll have a chance to check out one of our musicals.
Jimmy Mak
Head Writer, Shadowbox
jmak
Upper Linden
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buckeyeborn079
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jmak wrote >>
creesto wrote >> they have one of the best cover bands you will ever hear.
I completely agree with you! :)
....and so do some other people! Check out these links to the first round of reviews on our new show:
[url=http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/09/03/shadowbox_review.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101][/url]
[url=http://columbus.metromix.com/events/theater_review/review-shadowboxs-bad-to/1441299/content]null
And yes Colin, to answer your email, I do work for Shadowbox :) And after working and playing with this company for eight years, I have been many of these recurring characters in the 2,500+ live performances I've done.
While I believe that comedy should be dangerous at times, it should also speak to our connection to one another. I think recurring characters help sketch comedians do that. People laugh because these archetypes remind them of that guy at work, their mother-in-law, or themselves. It makes them feel good to see how ridiculous they can be and how life sometimes shouldn't be taken so seriously. In these times, that is what the people want and that is why we are successful. And as jmak pointed out, many other troupes know this too.
Brandon Anderson
Actor/Singer, Shadowbox
catnfiddle
Grandview
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I was in the audience last week and was impressed even more than usual! The music was probably the best it's been in the two years I've been attending shows, with "Megalomaniac" being my personal favorite. The comedy was solid with one exception in the second act, but I was told it was being rewritten so I won't hold it against them. Standing out this time was J.T. Walker, who can be my Wolfman any time (a female member of my family was admiring of his dancing skills and commented that he must take yoga for added flexibility). Honestly, I went for a discount admission last week but would probably pay full price to see it again.
Shannon
Grandview/UA
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I'll be hitting the Shadowbox for my first time tomorrow night. I am very much looking forward to it!
colinpperkins
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jmak wrote:
Yes, we do have recurring stock characters. Why? The same reason SNL, Kids in the Hall, Chappelle, and MadTV does - the audience seems to like them.
I disagree somewhat with that. Sure, part of the reason that we see recurring characters on SNL is because they are popular - but the main reason is that these are operating on extremely tight production schedules and are churning out new material nearly every week. I don't think that that is the case with Shadowbox, right?
Plus, I would argue that the use of recurring characters, whether on SNL or not, is rather lazy and uncreative - and I believe a lot of viewers would agree. A big portion of the audience might like it if you went up on stage and made farting noises for an hour, but does that make it worthwhile?
On top of that, if you are going to use recurring characters, shouldn't they be slightly more interesting than a gag based on two extremely flat hillbilly characters that don't offer anything more than the fact that they have a lot of kids and name them redneckish names.
I am a very, very big fan of sketch comedy. And I know I'm being overly idealistic in saying this but I guess I feel like comedy should be slightly more pointed than just playing stock characters. I would expect to see the hillbilly or valley girl or jock or nerd in a high school skits show. I know that Shadowbox is a business and needs to pay the bills - and that lowest common denominator humor can get that done - but it just seems like kind of a wasted opportunity.
jmak
Upper Linden
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colinpperkins wrote >>
jmak wrote:
Yes, we do have recurring stock characters. Why? The same reason SNL, Kids in the Hall, Chappelle, and MadTV does - the audience seems to like them.
I disagree somewhat with that. Sure, part of the reason that we see recurring characters on SNL is because they are popular - but the main reason is that these are operating on extremely tight production schedules and are churning out new material nearly every week. I don't think that that is the case with Shadowbox, right?
Plus, I would argue that the use of recurring characters, whether on SNL or not, is rather lazy and uncreative - and I believe a lot of viewers would agree. A big portion of the audience might like it if you went up on stage and made farting noises for an hour, but does that make it worthwhile?
On top of that, if you are going to use recurring characters, shouldn't they be slightly more interesting than a gag based on two extremely flat hillbilly characters that don't offer anything more than the fact that they have a lot of kids and name them redneckish names.
I am a very, very big fan of sketch comedy. And I know I'm being overly idealistic in saying this but I guess I feel like comedy should be slightly more pointed than just playing stock characters. I would expect to see the hillbilly or valley girl or jock or nerd in a high school skits show. I know that Shadowbox is a business and needs to pay the bills - and that lowest common denominator humor can get that done - but it just seems like kind of a wasted opportunity.
I disagree somewhat with your disagreeing somewhat with that. We have a number of people in our audience ask us to bring back characters and some even get mad when we do a show without their 'favorites' in them. Writing sketches with recurring characters in them is actually a very difficult task because we always try to give more history, different environments, and new situations to make the new sketch even funnier than the last one. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we don't but we always give it our best shot.
Although farting noises for an hour? You might have something there ... :)
catnfiddle
Grandview
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I plead guilty on loving many of the recurring characters. Long live Vinnie the Gooch! No, I'm not just saying that because Vinnie's creator Jimmy is on this forum.
Mazda77
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colinpperkins wrote >>
jmak wrote:
Yes, we do have recurring stock characters. Why? The same reason SNL, Kids in the Hall, Chappelle, and MadTV does - the audience seems to like them.
I disagree somewhat with that. Sure, part of the reason that we see recurring characters on SNL is because they are popular - but the main reason is that these are operating on extremely tight production schedules and are churning out new material nearly every week. I don't think that that is the case with Shadowbox, right?
Plus, I would argue that the use of recurring characters, whether on SNL or not, is rather lazy and uncreative - and I believe a lot of viewers would agree. A big portion of the audience might like it if you went up on stage and made farting noises for an hour, but does that make it worthwhile?
On top of that, if you are going to use recurring characters, shouldn't they be slightly more interesting than a gag based on two extremely flat hillbilly characters that don't offer anything more than the fact that they have a lot of kids and name them redneckish names.
I am a very, very big fan of sketch comedy. And I know I'm being overly idealistic in saying this but I guess I feel like comedy should be slightly more pointed than just playing stock characters. I would expect to see the hillbilly or valley girl or jock or nerd in a high school skits show. I know that Shadowbox is a business and needs to pay the bills - and that lowest common denominator humor can get that done - but it just seems like kind of a wasted opportunity.
I would agree that SNL is putting out a new show every week and production is tight. But why compare Shadowbox with a TV show? I think we need to look at exactly what the troupe does on a whole to be fair. The people you see on that stage are actors, singers, musicians, dancers, wait staff, cooks and that's just on show nights. Every other day is devoted to running the business from administrative to costume design, writing, marketing, tech and so much more. I'm pretty sure on SNL everyone has their on job and not much crossover. The talented group at Shadowbox lives and breathes the company and that's why it is so successful and that's why we as patrons fill the seats at every show!!!!
colinpperkins
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I would agree that SNL is putting out a new show every week and production is tight. But why compare Shadowbox with a TV show?
JMac made that comparison. So I was just continuing the line of conversation he created. I don't doubt that the staff at Shadowbox wears many hats - that's the case with most small businesses. Maybe that's an argument for having their performers spend less time waiting tables and more time writing new, original material.
Mazda77
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I was referring to the point of being on a tight schedule as a excuse for SNL to have recurring characters.And that the work they do at Shadowbox puts them on a tight schedule even if they show lasts weeks. I would love to see them have more creative time but don't think at this time that can be afforded. Do you plan to see the musical Woodstock back to the Garden that JMac wrote himself? Just think we shouldn't disregard the talents they possess as a whole.
savinmoon
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This is for Mr. Colin P Perkins.
It seems painfully obvious that you are some kind of creative genius and you should be running Shadowbox. Of course, without knowing your credentials, I can only speculate that you must be someone of unparalleled imagination, writing skills, technical theater expertise, and business acumen.
We should all bow down to your awesome omniscience and acquiesce to your every demand. All artists in this fine city should immediately pledge their undying loyalty to you and heretofore exist only to please your every whim...
Seriously, man, you need to get a grip. Spreading venom about things you obviously have limited experience with is just plain ignorant. If you don't like the 'Box, find something else to do. Leave it alone. Leave these fine folks - who give everything of themselves to provide a welcome alternative entertainment in this classic midwest town - alone. Go join an evangelist church and plaster your car with pictures of aborted fetuses. Buy a rifle and go kill Bambi. Spend your free time drunk off your buttocks in one of the eight thousand bars Columbus has to offer.
Just stay away from anything artistic. Your energy is a creativity killer. Keep it to yourself and leave the artists alone.
Peace.
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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No need to get insulting.
People are allowed to have opinions.
Thanks,
Walker
colinpperkins
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savinmoon wrote:
This is for Mr. Colin P Perkins.
It seems painfully obvious that you are some kind of creative genius and you should be running Shadowbox. Of course, without knowing your credentials, I can only speculate that you must be someone of unparalleled imagination, writing skills, technical theater expertise, and business acumen.
We should all bow down to your awesome omniscience and acquiesce to your every demand. All artists in this fine city should immediately pledge their undying loyalty to you and heretofore exist only to please your every whim...
Seriously, man, you need to get a grip. Spreading venom about things you obviously have limited experience with is just plain ignorant. If you don't like the 'Box, find something else to do. Leave it alone. Leave these fine folks - who give everything of themselves to provide a welcome alternative entertainment in this classic midwest town - alone. Go join an evangelist church and plaster your car with pictures of aborted fetuses. Buy a rifle and go kill Bambi. Spend your free time drunk off your buttocks in one of the eight thousand bars Columbus has to offer.
Just stay away from anything artistic. Your energy is a creativity killer. Keep it to yourself and leave the artists alone.
Peace.
Yikes. That is a healthy amount of rage.
I would have to guess you have some sort of affiliation with the theatre. Of course, I don’t really know – and I don’t want to engage in the business of making wild, illogical assumptions about people. You seem to have that all locked down. I guess I won’t try to have a civil discussion with you on this subject.
I’ve done a lot of theatre and comedy performance – and know a lot of local actors and comedians – and I am far from the only person that feels this way about Shadowbox (if you haven’t noticed, none of the threads started in the past about Shadowbox’s new shows ever get any posts on them – because most people have bad things to say).
In spite of that, I never came out and attacked JMac or any of the other staff there – simply asked a question that JMac himself called “perfectly legitimate.” It’s not unfair or inappropriate to examine the “art” our community creates. It’s actually a pretty big disservice to our city if we don’t. And it’s not weird to want entertainment that offers a modicum of intelligence. If I don’t feel like poorly drawn cliché characters do that, then I must just be one of the weirdos that doesn’t think it’s interesting or progressive or funny to point out that there are hillbillies in the world. For that I really do need to apologize.
As far as the aborted fetus and Bambi remarks, I would no more try to argue with those comments than I would try to convince a drunken wino downtown that the empty tissue boxes on his feet aren't hover boots. I don’t get what prompts that type of illogical thought – and therefore can’t even respond.
jmak
Upper Linden
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Walker wrote >>
No need to get insulting.
People are allowed to have opinions.
Thanks,
Walker
I totally agree. I have no problem with colinpperkins and his opinions / thoughts about our sketch comedy. If he doesn't like it or thinks it's not creative, that's his opinion (one I happen to disagree with, but I'm a little biased) and I still hope he comes out to see one of our musicals.
savinmoon
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Insulting? Rage?
colinpperkins wrote "And it’s not weird to want entertainment that offers a modicum of intelligence. If I don’t feel like poorly drawn cliché characters do that, then I must just be one of the weirdos that doesn’t think it’s interesting or progressive or funny to point out that there are hillbillies in the world."
Wow. I stand by my earlier post. Hopefully colin will turn all this time and energy spent alienating potential future allies towards his own posted goal of forming a "different" comedy troupe.
Best of luck with that endeavor.
savinmoon
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Everyone should go see Shadowbox's new original musical "Woodstock: Back to the Garden".
Sundays only, for a limited time.
It's something you just have to experience.