Review: COMEDIANS EARNESTLY SIGNING MUSICAL THEATRE at 54 Below Is Both Earnest And Comical

On Friday, February 10th, a group of comedians got to show a very different side of themselves to an appreciative crowd at 54 Below. This was the second installation of Comedians Earnestly Signing Musical Theatre, the brainchild of former theater kids Zach Schiffman (@zachschiffman) and Reid Pope (@rpopegram). They started the series after realizing just how many comedians had dabbled in musical theater before deciding to pursue standup (one of the few performing arts with just as much competition as musical theater but even less money and a less clearly defined path to success, as the two noted in their opening patter). The entire night had a light-hearted tinge to it, even when the songs got serious. They were singing earnestly, as promised, but most of the performers had fun with it, too. Gara Lonning (@garararararara) and Emily Evans (@hotgaycelebrity) did a silly "Hot Honey Rag," going through all of the dance moves but injecting just the right amount of exaggeration into it. It looked like they were having a blast. Pope and Schiffman also organized a fun medley called the "Shimmy Awards" in which five singers competed against each other, with snippets of solos to showcase their talent and simple, yet effective, group choreography. The duo kept up a charming stream of hosting banter throughout the show, giving the event the intimate, unrehearsed feel of a comedy show, as if this was just something they threw together last minute, instead of a carefully orchestrated show.

The comedy in the numbers was subtle throughout, but the crowd ate it up - just a touch of hammy overacting from Chloe Trost (@chloe_troast) and Jamie Linn Watson (@jamie.linn.watson) made Moritz and Ilse's dramatic last conversation from Spring Awakening's "Don't Do Sadness / Blue Wind" turn ridiculous, drawing guffaws. Watson's painfully earnest and utterly exasperated rendering of the line "Then why don't you?" was hilarious.

The gem of the night might have been Sarah Coffey (@scoffeyx) singing "I'll Be Here" from Ordinary Days. She gave a Broadway caliber performance, with acting just as good as her voice, taking us with her on the character's journey, traversing a wide range of emotions. The hosts said Sarah's rendition moved them to tears during the sound check, and she delivered. She brought no bits to the stage, just a touching performance.

Comedians Earnestly Singing Musical Theatre was a splendid night with a cast that was truly diverse in every way.

For more information on 54 Below you can visit their website, and follow them on Twitter or Instagram at @54Below.

You can follow Zach Schiffman on Instagram at @zachschiffman and follow Reid Pope on Instagram at @rpopegram.

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