Eddie Izzard by Nick J. Webb, used under Creative Commons.

As I’ve mentioned previously, 826LA is my favorite non-profit organization. There may not be any profit, but it still takes a lot of money to do all the great work they do. Thus, there are occasional fund-raisers and benefits. 826 benefits are always win-win situations, though, because while they get the money, you get top-notch entertainment for a relative bargain price.

There are a couple of great 826LA benefits happening this week, starting with a very special show tonight at the EchoPlex featuring the spectacularly funny Eddie Izzard! This show was just announced, and as of this writing some tickets are still available for only $20 (plus a reasonable, non-TicketBastard service charge.) Race to get them at TicketWeb HERE. Izzard’s L.A. shows have historically sold out very quickly (with higher ticket prices,) so don’t wait.

On Friday night, M Bar Supper Club in Hollywood is the place to be for “Behind the Smoggy Veil: Tinseltown Tales.” This evening of comedy features (among others) Taylor Negron, and is hosted by my old friend, the very funny Sarah Taylor. Given the title, I’m going to guess it will be an evening of funny stories about life in Hollywood. This promises to be a great show as well, so call the number at the link above and make a table reservation now.

One week. Two benefits for 826LA. Two evenings full of laughter. You’re welcome.

The PA holds cue cards for "Keanu" while "Pappas" looks on.

The longest running theater show in Los Angeles celebrated its two year anniversary on Saturday at the Dragonfly in Hollywood. Point Break LIVE! has been extremely successful, and with good reason. It is one of the most entertaining theater pieces in my memory; even better than Cats. (Okay, granted: most shows are better than Cats. Point Break LIVE! is exceptionally good, though.)

Point Break LIVE! is an absurdist stage adaptation of the classic 1991 movie starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. The twist to this show is that at every performance the role of “Keanu” is performed by a member of the audience (hence, the cue cards.) Because the show has been running for two years, I’m certain there are dozens of reviews more eloquent than mine just on the other side of a Google search. This is not so much a review as an unabashed endorsement.

Buy tickets. See this show. Now! I’m already planning to see it again with other friends.

Point Break LIVE! is a spectacular interactive theater show with comedy, stunts, special-ish effects, hot half-naked surfer dudes…everything you could want in a big budget action movie, but on a seriously diminished budget. There are so many delightful surprises in this show, I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling any of the fun. I will include this, though, from the Point Break LIVE! ticketing site:

“This show is not for the squeamish, uptight, faint of heart, or the easily offended. Theater snobs probably won’t get it. If you are looking for a traditional theater experience – STAY THE F**K AWAY FROM THIS SHOW.”

MetBlogs readers don’t fit any of those categories, so you should all enjoy it immensely. Point Break LIVE! runs Saturday evenings at the Dragonfly in Hollywood. Get tickets here.

PRO TIP: When you collect your tickets at the box office, you’ll be offered a “survival kit” for a buck. Take it. It may be the best dollar you’ll ever spend. Seriously.

Sure it’s a cliché, but Mondays generally suck. Just ask that cartoon cat Garfield or Office Space’s Peter Gibbons. If you do end up with a “case of the Mondays” tomorrow, I can suggest a cure. Laughter is supposedly the best medicine and The DingBat Show delivers. Four talented clowns promise to entertain you with their absurd, silly, and often quite bawdy show. Yes, I said clowns. Get over it and prepare to have an evening of fun that you will want to tell all of your friends about.

I can’t make any promises about what you will see, but the two shows I’ve been to have included, among other hilarity, burlesque performers, puppets, ping pong balls, and a potty-mouthed mother. The L.A. Weekly describes past events as, “Killer clowns have infiltrated Silver Lake, but these bozos are not to be feared — unless of course you’re scared to die laughing.” Unless you hate fun, I highly recommend taking a break from your usual routine.

The DingBat Show is tomorrow night, Monday, August 10th at El Cid in Silver Lake. Doors are at 7pm, show starts at 8pm. El Cid it located at 4212 Sunset Blvd. and can be contacted at (323) 668-0318.

Looking for a brutal relationship comedy? Well, you’re going to have to travel to Rantoul, IL to get it.

Actually you can get it right here at the Lillian Theater, if you’re seeing the new play RANTOUL AND DIE. Brought to you by the writer and producer of tv’s Two and a Half Men, this play really raises the bar on 99-seat theater in LA.

(Being from Chicago, I’m more than acquainted with Rantoul: It’s where you pee when you’re traveling from Chicago down to the lower parts of the state for the universities. But this play has nothing to do with that; it’s set there and boy do you ever get the feel for it. Job security means the local DQ fer chrissakes.)

Without divulging too much, they’re calling this “a romantic comedy wrapped in razor wire” and it can be brutal at times. But it’s also tightly written and beautifully (and intensely) acted. Cynthia Ettinger is utterly amazing.

It’s a short run and tickets are cheap, so there’s no excuse to miss this.

LA Times infoblurb is here. Kenneth Jones Playbill online is here.

The LA Comedy Festival has been presenting sketch, improv, standup and film since April 30, but is wrapping up this coming week, ending on May 17.

I am personally excited about the awesome performance tonight of two Asian American comedy groups– OPM Comedy and 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors (plus Matt Knudsen) in the same block at the ACME Comedy Theatre at 7:00pm. This 75 minute show shared is by all 3 acts, and both OPM and 18MMW have promised all new material for the performance.

OPM brings “FISTS OF FUNNY,” an all-new ass-kicking melee of sketch comedy featuring the Economy, Kim Jong-Il, a tribute to the late, great Bruce Lee… and more. (My buddies Ewan Chung and Randall Park are in this, along with Lanny Joon, Charles Kim, John Lopez, Lee Sherman, Jae Suh, Rodney To, and Dave Wilder.) If you can’t make this show, you can still catch OPM at the LA Comedy Fest on May 15 and 16, as well.

True to their style of poking fun at hot topics, 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors presents the World Premiere of “AVATAR: The RACE BENDER,” (see Moye’s previous 8Asians post: White-Washing Avatar: The Last Airbender?) which also includes a sketch about Korean cannibalism (you’ll have to go to find out what that’s about!). Starring funny men Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Peter J. Wong, and Greg Watanabe, this is your last chance to see 18MMW at the LA Comedy Fest.

Also up before the festival is over:
Those Girls, Mark Daviau, Big Game Hunters, The Josh and Tamra Show, The Sarah Cornell Show, Slave Leia, Lou Santini, The Knights of Comedy, Sex Ed with Sex “Ed” Vincent (w/Paul Brittain), Carla Collins, Improperetta, The Waterbrains, Lisa Robinson, Stephen/Scott, Elvis in East Peoria (a film by Eric Burdett — L.A. premiere feature documentary), Versailles (a short film by David Hunt starring Fred Willard, David Hunt, Eve Gordon with Q & A to follow), Kerri Lendo, The Riot Act, Nestor Rodriguez, SketchComedyShow.com, BADA BING!, Ron & Edie: 85 Years of Laughs, LA Women, BAM, Teenager of the Year, 25th Century Heroes, Ryan James’ Ponies, Freedom Snatch, Geoff Lott, Michael Cornacchia

Los Angeles Comedy Festival
RSVP: Call 323-463-2942

Tickets are $10 online, $12 at the door
OR for five times the fun — purchase the 5 Show Pass, and select any FIVE shows (including ACME shows) for just $40 – a savings of $10!

Photo by gaelenh used under Creative Commons.

I’ve said it before, and it continues to be true: One of the best parts of living in L.A. is that every night of the week there is something to do that will be fun, interesting, and perhaps more than a little unusual. Case in point, last night’s performance of “Cartoon Dump!” at the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood.

Cartoon Dump! is a parody of a children’s television variety show which centers around some of the worst cartoons ever aired. The show was created by Frank Conniff (formerly of Mystery Science Theater 3000) and animation historian Jerry Beck. In addition to the really bad cartoons, there are songs, comedy, puppets, and (at least last night) a juggler.

Follow me past the jump for more about Cartoon Dump! (more…)

The Second City, legendary comedy theatre company, will present “The Best of Second City,” an hour-long sketch comedy revue that will benefit Hollywood Media + Arts. The event is co-sponsored by Nike Sportswear.

Scheduled to perform in this show are Larry Joe Campbell (“According to Jim”), Frank Caeti (MADtv) and Nyima Funk Funk (MTV’s “Wild N’ Out” and “Thank God You’re Here”) and Rebecca Allen.

One Night Only!
The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre
1615 Vine Street
Monday, December 15 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $40 and are available in advance at www.etix.com. All proceeds benefit Hollywood Media +Arts. For box office information, call 323/464-8542.

And yes this is a fundraiser, but if $40 is too steep, tickets are 1/2 off if purchased through goldstar.com. You have to be a goldstar member to purchase tickets through the site, but membership is free.

And if you’re all Facebooked up, check it out this way.

In addition to the art walk downtown tonight nothing else that’s going on downtown tonight, the arts district historic core is having a “Downtown Comedy Walk to Solve Middle East Problems”–an evening of 15 comedians straight from major comedy clubs, television and radio plus an Oscar winning short film. All free! And all at the beautiful Los Angeles movie palace!

Our pal Brady Westwater, unofficial mayor of all things cool in Downtown, says this: “The evening starts at 8pm with a screening of the West Bank Story, a Oscar-winning and seriously FUNNY musical comedy short film about two warring falafel stands on the West Bank. A Q&A with actor Joey Naber who stars as Ahmed follows. This along is worth the price of admission which is – of course – FREE!

Then there is the comedy show from 8:30pm to 10pm featuring American, Iranian and Israeli stand-up comedians who will collectively solve all the problems of the Middle East – in just one evening!. And you get your money back if you’re not satisfied!

Parking is only block away at Pershing Square – $6.60 after 5 PM – or at local garages for $5 or $6 but make certain your garage stays open past 10:30 PM! 5th and Hill Subway stop is also only one block away.”

Get all the info here: I for one am very glad someone is finally doing something about that annoying Middle East problem.

hat tip to frazgo & Brady “Awesome” Westwater for this info.

I’ve been hipped to a special Ninja-prov performance that is part of the final night of the LA Improv Festival tomorrow, Saturday 6/7/08.

The Ninja from askaninja.com will be telling stories from his life and then the talented cast of improvisers will use that as inspiration in an improv format known as the Armando.

Show is at 8pm at IOWest on Hollywood.

Click here for more info and tickets.

–

updated to reflect that the show is tomorrow 6/7/08.

Many moons ago, when I was in my early twenties, I got “discovered” while pumping gas. A slimy guy in a three piece suit told me I had “spunk,” asked if I’d ever done any “acting,” gave me his card, and told me to call him when I was “ready.” Man, I wish I still had that card. In any case, it was my dog who got discovered yesterday, while we were taking a walk in the neighborhood. A trio of Funny or Die filmmakers were shooting a sketch that involved a dog. Seeing as how they didn’t actually have a dog, JP Manoux, the man behind the camera, politely asked if he could borrow mine.

Suddenly I was a stage mother blinded by ambition.

“Of course!” I said, all but throwing Ganymede’s leash at actors Brooke Lenzi and Charlie Weirauch.

Here’s Ganymede’s official debut. I think you’ll all agree that he’s a born star. Oh, and that the sketch, filmed on Spaulding in Miracle Mile and called “Amazing,” is pretty darn funny.

Because I haven’t already linked to it enough times, you can watch it here.