I would say that most New Yorkers don’t enjoy getting harassed by old men. Generally, I feel the same - except that getting harassed by George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon may have been the most fun I’ve had in a long time. George and Gil, played by John Mulaney and Nick Kroll respectively, are the stars of Oh, Hello on Broadway, a new one-act comedy playing at the Lyceum Theatre.
For those not aware of the previous antics of George and Gil, the duo first appeared on Nick Kroll’s Kroll Show on Comedy Central in a skit entitled “Too Much Tuna”, in which these two stereotypical aging, Upper West Side New Yorkers acted pretty much just as you would expect them to. In the words of George: “I am neither a woman nor Jewish, yet I have reached the age where I am somehow both.” In short, the two would prank minor celebrities by giving them “an obscene amount of tuna salad” and record their reactions. Of course, the reactions of their guests were never quite as extreme as they hoped, which is exactly why it is so funny.
The characters were further expanded in an interview at 92Y (which I highly recommend), in which George reveals, to much laughter, that he went to “The University of the Ronkonkoma LIRR Stop” and taught at “SUNY Yonkers”.
In this show, the pair are staging a Broadway production in which they lose their rent controlled apartment and things spiral out of control from there. It’s a sort of Shakespearian play-within-a-play gone haywire. Now, I was fully expecting the show to cater to the certain sort of nonsensical comedic style that George and Gil specialize in (think Monty Python). What I was not expecting was that the show was clearly written by a pair of absolute Broadway nerds. In one of the longer skits, our heroes act out some of Broadway’s most famous tropes: the one-sided phone call, screaming at the audience, etc. As explained, the set itself is literally an amalgamation of other old Broadway set pieces found "in a weird warehouse in Secaucus, New Jersey". While I was ready to recommend the show to comedy nerds, I am happy to report that this show is must see for any Broadway nerds (and certainly those who fall into both camps).
As for the quality of the comedy delivered in the show, I can only say that it is an absolute laugh-riot. I make no exaggerations when I say that there were tears rolling down my cheeks at about the ten-minute mark and it just never subsided. The pacing is perfect in that they just about kill you, then give you a second to catch your breath and before you know if your face is sore from laughter again. I walked out of the show absolutely giddy. I will admit, this brand of comedy may not be for everyone. An hour and fifty minutes of what amounts to just about nonsense is not for everyone. However, the show caters to one more audience of people that will really appreciate the jokes: New Yorkers. Who else but a New Yorker would understand the phrase, “The Upper West Side is the coffee breath of neighborhoods.” The references in the show are deep and if you really are a New Yorker they will have you straight-up cackling.
All in all, Oh, Hello On Broadway is a major testament to the clever wit of John Mulaney and Nick Kroll. I would seriously recommend getting out to see it before its limited engagement ends. Aging white men have never been so entertaining and harassment has never been so fun.
Oh, Hello on Broadway is running a limited engagement at the Lyceum Theatre until January 8th.
