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About Willamette week. (Portland, Or.) 1974-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2015)
PERFORMANCE FEB. 25–MARCH 3 The World Goes ’Round Tigard’s Broadway Rose Theatre presents a musical revue of songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb, who contributed tunes to Cabaret and Chicago , and crafted the theme song to Martin Scorsese’s New York, New York . Broadway Rose New Stage Theatre, 12850 SW Grant Ave., Tigard, 620-5262. 7:30 pm Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 pm Saturdays-Sundays through March 1. $30-$42. COMEDY & VARIETY Bam! The Brody folks present a new improv show, in which the per- formers begin the show blind- folded—and thus unable to see how the stage is set or how they’re being costumed. Once the blind- folds come off , the ad-libbing begins. REBECCA JACOBSON. Brody Theater, 16 NW Broadway, 224-2227. 9:30 pm Saturdays through Feb. 28. $8. Baron Vaughn Comedian Baron Vaughn has made a serious impression at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival over the years—he’s got a super-lively stage presence and a slightly absurdist way of framing totally mundane things (“I bet when you fi rst started walking, giants that looked like you came out and took pictures”). He hits Portland as part of standup showcase Funny Over Everything. REBECCA JACOBSON. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 281-4215. 8 pm Friday, Feb. 27. $10. Control Yourself: A Showcase of Funny JoAnn Schinderle—a Midwest transplant with a high-energy, engaging style—hosts a free, twice-monthly standup show- case, followed by an open mic at 10 pm. Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta St., 284-7665. 9 pm every fi rst and third Sunday. Free. 21+. Curious Comedy Open Mic Curious hosts a weekly open-mic night. Sign-ups begin at 7:15, and comics get three minutes of stage time apiece. Curious Comedy, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. 8 pm every Sunday. Free. Curious Comedy Showdown Comedians Katie Brien and Hutch Harris (you might also know the latter from a little band called the Thermals) produce a twice-monthly standup show- case, this time featuring sets from Bri Pruett, Chase Brockett, Kirsten Kuppenbender and David Mascorro. Analog Cafe, 720 SE Hawthorne Blvd. 8 pm Thursday, Feb. 26. Donation. Earthquake Hurricane An army of impressive Portland comedians—Curtis Cook, Alex Falcone, Bri Pruett and Anthony Lopez—host a weekly standup showcase with some of the fun- niest people you’ll ever see in the basement of a bike shop. Kickstand Comedy Space, 1969 NE 42nd Ave., 937-219-1334. 8:30 pm every Wednesday. $5 suggested. Funny Humans vs. the Wheel If you go to enough shows around town, you start to memorize comedians’ sets. Think of this weekly show, hosted by silly duo Adam Pasi and David Mascorro, as an antidote to all that repeti- tion: Comedians start out with a planned set, but halfway through, they have to spin a wheel to determine what comes next— crowd work, one-liners, maybe even a heckle battle. Bar of the Gods, 4801 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 232-2037. 9 pm every Sunday. Free. 21+. Helium Open Mic Generally regarded the best open- mic night in town, Helium’s sign- ups fi ll quickly. Show up between 6 and 7 pm to snag some stage time. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669. 8 pm every Tuesday. Free with a two-item minimum. 21+. It’s Gonna Be Okay Hosted by the ever-chipper Barbara Holm, this twice-monthly showcase is a prime spot to catch Portland’s top comics, as well as the occasional out-of-towner. The cozy basement room is almost always packed (especially impres- sive for a Monday night), and Holm often tosses out prizes—plastic dinosaur fi gurines, comic books— to audience members. Also: free skeeball afterward. EastBurn, 1800 E Burnside St., 236-2876. 8:30 pm every fi rst and third Monday. Free. 21+. Minority Retort A standup show produced by Jeremy Eli and Jason Lamb that gives the spotlight to comedians of color. Tonight’s lineup includes Nathan Brannon, Katie Nguyen, Crystal Davis, Anthony Lopez and David Mascorro. Curious Comedy, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. 9:30 pm every fourth Friday. $7. Naked Comedy Open Mic The Brody hosts a thrice-weekly open-mic night. Comics get four- minute standup slots and can sign up online. Brody Theater, 16 NW Broadway, 224-2227. 9:30 pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Free with one-item minimum purchase. Open Court Team-based, long-form improv open to audience members and performers of all stripes. Curious Comedy, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. 7:30 pm every Thursday. $5. Random Acts of Comedy Curious Comedy puts on a free- wheeling show that brings together sketch, standup and improv. Curious Comedy, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. 9:30 pm every Saturday. $7-$10. Rob Delaney Comedy Central has proclaimed him the funniest man on Twitter (“Doughnuts are gay bagels”), but Delaney is pretty funny live, too, with plenty of pathos alongside the outlandish bits. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. 8 pm Sunday, March 1. $25. Taylor Williamson Young standup comedian Taylor Williamson may not have won America’s Got Talent , but he did develop the fl irtiest relationship with Heidi Klum in the show’s history. He hits Helium for a three- night run. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669. 8 pm Thursday and 7:30 and 10 pm Friday-Saturday, Feb. 26-28. $15-$30. 21+. You Are Here The Brody ensemble puts on a weekly improv showcase, generally featuring a ton of audience par- ticipation. Brody Theater, 16 NW Broadway, 224-2227. 8 pm every Friday. $9-$12. DANCE Alonzo King LINES Ballet Dance presenter White Bird kicked off its fi rst round of “Barney” cre- ative prizes in 2013, awarded as a grant that recognizes innova- tive choreographers from around the world. The fi rst winner? British choreographer Alonzo King, known for tingeing his classic- ballet techniques with splashes of contemporary technique. He returns to Portland for the fi rst PAT R I C K W E I S H A M P E L / B L A N K E Y E .T V Curious Comedy’s improvisers duke it out, in hopes of winning audience votes and advancing to the next round of competition. Curious Comedy, 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 477-9477. 7:30 pm every Friday and Saturday. $12-$15. Down to Funny OTHER DESERT CITIES 34 Willamette Week FEBRUARY 25, 2015 wweek.com