Interview: Nora Burns, Mike Albo & David Ilku Talk 25 Years of UNITARD at Joe's Pub
The group celebrates their 25th anniversary with a nearly sold-out show 4/30 at Joe's Pub, followed by ABOVE THE FRUITED PLAIN on 5/27 and 6/13 at Red Eye NY
Comedy Group Unitard (Mike Albo, Nora Burns, and David Ilku) is set to celebrate their 25th anniversary with an April 30 performance at Joe’s Pub (as of right now, there are just five tickets left).
Come see fan favorites, famous flops, pre-code cancel culture and current cutting-edge comic takes, hear tall tales and tantalizing testimonials, origin stories and celebrity scandals from the folks who’ve been around since before Gen Z was waiting in line for raw cookie dough.
Read a conversation with the group about the past 25 years and what’s coming up next for the group.
What are you looking forward to about your upcoming show at Joe’s Pub?
Nora Burns: It’s been fun going back through the archives and seeing past cultural references (Paris Hilton, Donald Rumsfeld) and stuff we were doing then that’s still relevant today (a sketch about picking a president through a reality show, enabling Harvey Weinstein) and stuff we probably couldn’t do today (gay Latinos, Richard Simmons with signers) but probably will anyway.
Mike Albo: We were thinking of doing “greatest hits” from our 25 years of sketches and characters but then thought – let’s try to pull out some deep cuts and reconsider them — and think about how comedy works, and what stays funny and relevant past its references...
David Ilku: Doing any show at Joe's Pub is always exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. The room is very glamorous and special. You can always feel a sense of excitement from the audience. We have such a large amount of material after 25 years, it’s like choosing from all these different spices in the kitchen and making a delicious meal.
How does it feel to be celebrating 25 years together?
NB: A little overwhelming how fast time flies, crazy to see how young we were, but also how much we’ve been through together, as a group and a country, from flip phones to fascism, Brittany to nonbinary.
MA: Somewhere along the way I became an elder statesman of downtown comedy. I just thought that would come with the ability to pay my rent.
DI: Grateful and happy that I have a group of kooks to work with, and that the theory of “If you build it, they will come" actually worked for us.
Do you have a personal favorite highlight from your time with Unitard over the years? What are some of your favorite things to come out of the group, artistically or in your personal life?
NB: I love working with people who share the same sensibility and sense of humor. I love seeing the crazy pieces and characters they come up with, I’ve laughed so hard at so many of their pieces. Mike and David Are also so supportive of any work I do outside the group, but I love knowing I have Unitard to always come back to, hopefully for another 25 years.
MA: Writing and conceiving sketches with David and Nora has personally, selfishly, benefitted me as a writer. When we began, I don’t think I had any idea how to write a comedy sketch, but over the years I learned how to do it, and I am so grateful for their enthusiasm.
DI: I always love when we get to perform together out of town. It feels like a working vacation. I prefer to write with someone else, rather than alone. I have been greatly influenced and inspired by Mike and Nora's writing and performances. Is there going to be a question, where I get to bitch and complain?
Your Joe’s Pub show is almost sold out. Are you planning to perform in NYC again sometime soon?
Yes, we’re going to be doing our latest show, “Above the Fruited Plain,” at Red Eye in Hell's Kitchen on May 27th and June 13th. Tickets at redeyetickets.com
Do you have any other projects you’d like to tell us about?
NB: A colonoscopy.
DI: I’m getting a facelift and going to be putting my will together.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
DI: When do we get paid? We’re still here!
Photo credit: Noah Fecks
Learn more about the group at www.unitardcomedy.com
Tickets to the April 30 show are available on Joe’s Pub’s website here.
Find tickets to the Red Eye NY show here
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