Festive Crack-Ups!

Well, we're doing it again.  Some thoughts:

• The variety show format is very much alive and well in Los Angeles!  There are a number of shows out there spreading the love, and I hope to spotlight them in the coming weeks.  It's a great format.  First, this town is chock-a-block with variety artists of all stripes:  magicians, burlesquers, contortionists, jugglers--the list is endless.  That's part of the reason why Mr. Snapper & Mr. Buddy are so cavalier about booking a "Craigslist Wildcard" sight unseen.  We know that we will draw talent.  Second, the risk the audience takes in attending a variety show is pretty small.  Even if there are one or two bum acts on the bill (and there rarely are!) it's over quick and you're onto the next act.  Finally, a smart producer can do some really fun stuff with framing the evening.  I like what Bella Luna is doing at Red Light Revue with her continuing storyline.
• The artists Phillip and I ask to join us are game.  Our process is very improvisational at the beginning and so we cannot put a show together without active involvement from everyone.  At the beginning of the first rehearsal for each show I'm nervous that our guest artists are going to walk out, convinced of our unprofessionalism.  Invariably, they jump into it with us, and help us craft a show that is way better than I could imagine at the outset. 
• Always be on the lookout for something awesome.  Phillip discovered FanFueled recently, and we're using them as our online ticketer.  They have a bunch of bells and whistles we're looking forward to exploring, including a neat little incentive for ticket buyers to promote your show.  Go check them out.
• We are having fun with our promotional efforts, and I believe it is accurately capturing the madcap fun we have with the show itself.  The "Press Releases and Branding" class I attended with New York's Mayor of Burlesque, Jonny Porkpie has altered the way I view such things.  Read the press release below and see if you don't agree:  We're having fun.   

Our quarterly excursion into insanity (or rather, our quarterly presentation of how insane Phil and I truly are) is happening this coming Sunday night!  We handcraft each show for our audience, and we would be thrilled if you'd join us.

Press release follows:

RUMPUS REVUE RESCHEDULED - RELIEVED REPORTERS RECEIVE RELEASE

Local Neo-Vaudevillians Postpone Blockbuster Show in order to Release Press Release

HOLLYWOOD -- Regional celebrities Mr. Snapper and Mr. Buddy (they originate from a very small region) proudly and brazenly announce the rescheduling of their next variety showcase, THE MR. SNAPPER AND MR. BUDDY RUMPUS REVUE IN: "FESTIVE CRACK-UPS". This paganesque cacophony of sight, sound, and half-naked women was previously scheduled for April 15th, but will now be found thrilling audiences at the historic Theatre Asylum on April 29th, mere blocks from where Buster Keaton’s movie studio once stood!

"The time is ripe to really shake things up in Hollywood," said Mr. Snapper, balancing a piano bench on his chin. "This is a jaded town; a cynical town. You have to give the suckers something they've never seen before. So we are rescheduling our show. Bam! Suck on that, Hollywood!" Mr. Buddy, his silent partner, looks up from his hookah and nods in blissful, unknowing agreement. His hookah smoke smells of cinnamon and hashish. Mr. Buddy blows a series of oddly shaped smoke signals and passes out. Mr. Snapper interprets, "Ah. Also, we forgot to put out a press release the first time. Our mistake." At this point in the interview, the piano bench falls violently to Mr. Snapper's face, knocking him to the ground. "One more thing," Snapper struggles to say as blood pools on the floor, "it's BYOB."

Mr. Snapper and Mr.Buddy invite you to resurrect frivolity and join them for an evening of song, variety, half-naked women and hubba hubba! Snapper, a ukulele playing songster, and his silent foil, Buddy, are your hosts, making a barely capable attempt at maintaining order as the libidinous passions of a group of ragtag performers rage wildly out of control! Jacob Smith returns as the irrepressible Pistachio the Mime. Burlesque from Red Snapper, the balloon art shenanigans of Rob the Balloon Guy, the musical magic of Elizabeth Luttinger, and the trombone musings of Sean Pawling round out the evening. There will also be special appearances by the Los Angeles Light Orchestra and the Craigslist Wildcard (literally whatever variety act answers the ad on Craigslist first). ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY, April 29th at 8:30 pm at Theatre Asylum in Hollywood. Tickets are $12 at the door, or $10 if purchased in advance online at tickets.snapperbuddy.com. Visit www.snapperbuddy.com for more information.

The Mr. Snapper & Mr. Buddy Rumpus Revue in: "Festive Crack-Ups" - watch more funny videos