Monday, January 26, 2009

Keeping Warm With Three Legged Race


By Alex Joyce
Contributing Writer and Stand-up comedian

Chilly winter Fridays at the Apollo Theatre on Lincoln may seem rough, but non-stop laughs and some smart and funny sketches will keep you warm and toasty. Three Legged Race’s “Awkward Turtle” show makes it feel like a day at the beach. Definitely a top quality sketch comedy show in an intimate room for an affordable price.

I had seen Three Legged Race perform improv before at Johnny O’Hagan’s Irish Pub. They had all the tools and were quick on their feet then, so I expected them to bring the funny at a sketch show.

They didn’t disappoint.

Fourteen sketches, all got laughs. This is a show that had something for everyone ’s sense of humor.

This is a show with sketches about perverted muppets, amateur burglars, singing German men with mustaches, and a eulogy at a cat funeral. What more could you ask for?

All of the performers bring something to the table. Each of them complimenting the other making the show go smoothly and keeping the audience laughing. Their personalities easily lend themselves to a large cast of memorable characters, and a wide array of accents and personas make an appearance.

I have been to many bad sketch shows. Lots of them. But what's painfully obvious at a bad sketch show is how close it is to being a good one. There are one or two elements not clicking and it drags the whole show down. Not this show.

Three Legged Race have great writing, superb timing, interesting characters, and leave you wanting more. They truly commit to every character and the audience loves them for it. When there is a sketch about Bromance you can’t really half ass it. It came as no surprise they nailed it. A theatrical highlight for me.

The premises alone for the sketches make the show stand out. These aren’t your run of the mill, crazy cabbie, inappropriate co-worker type sketches. Extreme Homeless Makeover, and Tickle Bear stand out as very funny and bizarre enough for you to think about later and wonder “Jesus, how do they come up with this stuff?”

They are out of their minds. It’s a hilarious show that will feed anyone’s comedic appetite. It’s also an educational show; you will learn 17 uses for puke that I’m sure you never thought of.

This is a show that could easily be in a bigger venue in the near future. So, head down to the Apollo through Feb. 27, check these people out and support live comedy.

Alex Joyce hosts an open mic Thursday nights at Johnny O'Hagan's Irish Pub at 9 p.m.

Like this review? Want to see more? Be sure to check out Comedy Corner Magazine this summer. The reason you learned to read.

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