Magnet Theater Presents Their Improv Comedy Shows

By: Jan. 31, 2012
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Magnet Theater hosts a variety of performances and special events by the best of New York's improv masters and visiting international artists on Mondays through Sundays in February at 254 W. 29th Street, ground floor (between 7th and 8th Avenues), NYC. A detailed schedule and description of each night's line-up can be found at www.magnettheater.com.

Ticket prices vary; reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (212) 244-8824.

Featured shows in upcoming months:

COCK OF THE WALK, Sunday, February 5 at 6:30pm; Tickets $5
Athos Cakiades' one man show c*ckOF THE WALK aims to explore marginal portraits of masculinity as in a Roman poet, a college dean, a frat bother, two inmates, and your average rooster. Remember, in the vast ocean that is the collective male psyche there's bound to be a lot of pollution. It's only natural that the fringes where humans "vacation" will have a higher concentration of urine. In a comedic economy where the top of one's intelligence is most revered, Athos requests that you understand that there's a lot of pleasure to be had at the bottom. Written and performed by Athos Cakiades. Directed by Kelly Haran.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: A GLBTQ EVENT,
Monday, February 13 at 10pm; Tickets $5
A few of your favorite friends of Dorothy come out and come together for a night of comedy on the Magnet Theater stage. Every show hosts a rotating cast of improv all-stars and fresh faces to keep an eye on, from all over NYC. It's fabulous. It's fierce! It's improv! Hosted by Andrew Fafoutakis.

UGH! A MAGNET VALENTINE'S DAY SPECTACULAR,
Tuesday, February 14th at 7pm; Tickets $5
Have you ever been in love? Have you ever stumbled your way toward a first kiss? Have you ever thrown up? If you answered yes to one of these questions, then you are hereby ordered to see UGH! A MAGNET VALENTINE'S DAY SPECTACULAR. Storytellers Kelly Buttermore and Robert Weinstein spin tales of romance gone crazy and the undignified shenanigans swirling in love's wake. You'll definitely laugh. You might cry. And you'll walk away from the evening feeling more than a little hopeful.

CHORAL RAGE, Saturdays, February 4, 11, 18, 25 at 9pm; Tickets $7
Belonging to one of the Magnet Theater's maiden voyage Musical Megawatt Teams, CHORAL RAGE creates an out of this world musical journey into the depths of your imagination. Through their masterful harmonies and comedic colloquy, they create an entire musical based on your suggestion.

THE DIRECTOR SERIES,
Thursdays, February 2, 9, 16, 23 at 10pm; Tickets $7/all night
Veteran improviser and actor Ed Herbstman directs an all-star cast of improvisers in "The Movie" form, originally developed by The Family in Chicago.

GAUSAS & MEGALOU, Fridays, February 3, 24 at 8:30pm; Tickets $7
Veteran improviser Christina Gausas joins duo MegaLou (Megan Gray and Louis Kornfeld). MegaLou combines 14 years of dating with 6 years of friendship with Gausas for a night of improvised unity.

CITIZEN MODELS, Friday, February 10 & Tuesday, February 28 at 7pm; Tickets $10
Three cowboys settle their scores the old fashioned way. An old Broadway star finally attempts her long-anticipated comeback. And, in a blatantly self-referential sketch, a young comedian tries to convince his friend to come see his show. These sketches and more, in the classic Citizen Models style-- funny and good. CITIZEN MODELS is fast-paced, smart, theatrical sketch comedy that could almost be classified as "Performance Art." You'll have to see it for yourself to know what that means, but you'll probably agree. Written, directed, produced, and performed by Anne Fidler, Kevin Young, Paul Travisano, and Tyler Foltz.

Additional upcoming shows at Magnet Theater:

MEGAWATT every Wednesday at 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, and 10:00pm; Tickets $7/all night
High-powered improv from Magnet's own Super Groups. Our resident ensembles gather to dazzle audiences with various forms of improv comedy. The forms are constantly evolving, and no two shows are the same. Come see what your favorites are up to this week.

The MADE-UP MUSICAL sings and dances its way onto the Magnet Theater stage with a one-of-a-kind musical comedy every week. After an interview with an audience member, the cast weaves together a full one-act musical, complete with all the songs, trappings and melodrama an audience expects from our friends on Broadway. Featuring John O'Donnell, Tara Copeland, Jessica Allen, Morgan Phillips, Michael Martin, and Leah Gotcsik with music provided by Frank Spitznagel.

THEORY OF EVERYTHING every Saturday at 7:30pm; Tickets $7
Three Magnet instructors wrestle with the gods and let them win in this fully improvised show about anything and everything. Featuring Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft.

TRIKE every Saturday at 10:30pm; Tickets $7
TRIKE is a two-person improvisational joy ride built upon bold characters and seamless transitions. TRIKE never stops to consider its direction but rather gracefully plummets down the staircase of discovery, landing momentarily in a quiet relationship here, a fiery exchange there or a boisterous abstraction somewhere in between. Featuring Peter McNerney and Nick Kanellis. 

Magnet Theater arrived to further define Chelsea's "comedy corridor" in March of 2005. Founders Armando Diaz, Ed Herbstman, and Alex Marino came together with the common goal of teaching improvisation and sketch writing, while developing and presenting fantastic comedy shows and other diverse entertainments and art. Magnet Theater's founders studied under long-form Chicago improv guru Del Close at ImprovOlympic and have since helped to shape the New York comedy scene dramatically through teaching, performing and presenting comical theatrics individually and together.

Magnet Theater offers a full schedule of classes for all levels of experience with new classes forming regularly. All classes are based on The Magnet Theater Core Curriculum, which provides students with a solid foundation in improv fundamentals coupled with ample performance opportunities. For more information about classes at Magnet Theater or to register, visit www.magnettheater.com.

Magnet Theater hosts performances every night from 6:30pm to midnight at 254 W. 29th Street, ground floor (between 7th and 8th Avenues), NYC. Show times and descriptions can be found at www.magnettheater.com. Seating is general admission and ticket prices vary. Reservations are recommended, and can be made by calling (212) 244-8824. Lobby opens 30 minutes prior to each show. Beer and wine are for sale (Brooklyn Lager, Blue Moon, Stella, Red Stripe, Pabst, Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio, Monjardin Chardonnay, Tilia Malbec Syrah, and Glamour Puss Pinot Noir). No drink minimum. Wheelchair-accessible. Air-conditioned.

For more information, visit www.magnettheater.com.



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