Man 1 Bank 0, Patrick Combs' comic one-man show about a banking disaster, will make its New York debut as part of the Lamb's Theatre's Summer Smorgasbord. The show began performances at the Lamb's Theatre (130 West 44th Street, between 6th Ave & Broadway) on July 12th and will run through July 30th.Written and directed by Combs, Man 1 Bank 0 recounts the "amazing-but-true story of how he deposited a $95,093.35 junk-mail check marked 'non-negotiable' – hoping to spread a little banking cheer to tellers - and how it erupted into a staggering and funny David vs Goliath-like adventure that continues today," according to a press article. "What happens after the bank cashes the ridiculous check? To name only a few things: angry banking officers threatening "jail time" and "death"; the nation's leading authority on banking coming out of retirement; astonishing legal twists; and worldwide media attention from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Good Morning America, David Letterman and Jay Leno"Man 1 Bank 0 played sold out runs at HBO's 2004 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival held in Aspen, at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston (where it garnered "Critic's Choice"), in Winnipeg, and at the Comedy Central Stage in Los Angeles. The show won "Best of Fest" at the San Francisco Fringe where it was awarded "Best Solo Comedy," and was an official selection of the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, where it won the Just For Laughs prize for Best Comedy.
Combs formerly appeared on "Real TV" and "Hard Copy," where he was the star of humorous hidden camera segments. He also has appeared on many national shows including Good Morning America and The Late Show. As a solo performer, he has toured continuously for fourteen years, entertaining audiences in theaters including the Comedy Central Stage in Hollywood, the Herald Theatre at the Aoeta Centre in Auckland, the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Exit Theatre in San Francisco, and the American Theatre in Charleston.Three off-beat comedies are currently playing in repertory with Man 1, Bank 0: Ciao by Mark St, Germain, directed by Gabriel Barre, starring three-time Emmy Award winner Wayne Brady; The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players and My Fake IDs, written and performed by Margaret Gallo Copeland and directed by Robert Ross Parker. Single tickets are to the shows are $15-$30, and are available at Telecharge.com, (212) 239-6200. For more information (and to view the Summer Smorgasbord's repertory schedule), visit www.lambstheatre.org.
