Barrett Foa to Join HYPROV Off-Broadway Beginning Tonight

Broadway and television star Barrett Foa ("NCIS: Los Angeles," Avenue Q) will join Hypnotist Extraordinaire Asad Mecci for the combined hypnosis and improvisational comedy hit HYPROV at the Daryl Roth Theatre (101 East 15th Street). Foa will fill in for Colin Mochrie for performances October 13 - 16. HYPROV will complete its limited off-Broadway engagement on October 30, following 60 performances and 10 preview performances.

Barrett Foa is best known as senior technical operator Eric Beale on all 12 seasons and 275+ episodes of the hit CBS crime drama/comedy "NCIS: Los Angeles." Foa also starred on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musicals Avenue Q (Princeton/Rod), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear), and Mamma Mia! (Ensemble).

While on hiatus from "NCIS: LA," Foa starred in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Angels in America: Parts 1 & 2 (Prior Walter) at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (St. Louis Theatre Circle Award nomination), in New York's one-man, multi-character hit off-Broadway comedy Buyer & Cellar (Alex/Barbra, etc.), was nominated for an LA Ovation Award for his portrayal of Oscar in Sweet Charity opposite Laura Bell Bundy, played Harold Hill in The Music Man at Connecticut Rep, and conceived his own solo show, Grin and Barrett at NYC's Feinstein's/54 Below and LA's Rockwell.

Foa's first role out of college was as Jesus in the 30th Anniversary off-Broadway revival of Godspell and he can be heard on the cast recording. Also off-Broadway, Foa originated the roles of Eddie in Adam Bock's The Drunken City at Playwrights Horizons, and Jamie in Tio Pepe by Matthew López at The Public. He has developed new work at New York Theatre Workshop, Roundabout, and Ars Nova.

Regional Theatre credits include Paper Mill Playhouse, Bay Street, Hartford Stage, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Shakespeare Theatre Co. in D.C, The Muny, Music Theatre of Wichita, and Pittsburgh CLO. Foa co-wrote, produced, and starred in the sold-out hit For the Record: John Hughes in LA and NYC.

TV guest stars include "Will & Grace" (2019), "Entourage" (2004) (recurring), "NCIS" (2003) (recurring), "Numb3rs" (2005), and "The Closer" (2005) opposite Kyra Sedgwick.

Born and raised in New York City, Foa graduated from The Dalton School in Manhattan, attended Interlochen Arts Camp for four summers, studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and received his BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from The University of Michigan. Foa was the on-air backstage host and social media correspondent for the 2013 and 2014 Tony Awards on CBS. He resides in both New York and Los Angeles. @BarrettFoa

Created by Improv and Comedy Legend Colin Mochrie ("Whose Line Is It Anyway?") and Hypnotist Extraordinaire Asad Mecci, HYPROV has been called "hilarious and fascinating'' by Time Out New York and "catnip for those who relish spontaneity and informality," by The Wall Street Journal. The New Yorker says, "say yes to HYPROV," now playing a limited engagement at the Daryl Roth Theatre (101 East 15th Street at Union Square East) through October 30. Tickets are available at www.hyprov.com

HYPROV is co-created by Jeff Andrews, directed by Stan Zimmerman ("Golden Girls," "Gilmore Girls"). Tony Award winner Bob Martin (The Prom, The Drowsy Chaperone) serves as creative consultant.

The 100-minute live show combines hypnosis and improv - two art forms that have mystified and entertained fans, skeptics and everyone in between worldwide - for a totally unique comedy experience that The Times of London declared "a celebration of the human imagination."

The evening begins with Mecci welcoming 20 volunteers on stage to be hypnotized. The four or five most receptive to hypnosis then join Mochrie to improvise the rest of the show, while fully under hypnosis. In the hands of two experts, and solely crafted from the volunteers' uninhibited, unconscious minds, each show is an entirely original and completely unforgettable theatrical experience.

Asad Mecci's jaw dropping comedy hypnosis performances have captivated audiences worldwide. Over his 20+ year career on stage, he has performed in front of millions of people live and millions more through mass media. Some of his stage credits include Just for Laughs Montreal and London, The Second City Toronto and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. You may have seen his talents on Entertainment Tonight, MTV, HGTV, and BBC and in publications such as the New York Times, Huffington post and the Chicago Tribune. In 2015, Asad co-created HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis with International Comedy Icon Colin Mochrie from "Whose Line is it, Anyway"? When not performing on stage, Asad works with major corporations as an expert consultant in the areas of motivation, advanced communication and stress management. He also coaches Olympic athletes in the area of mental strength and peak performance.

Stan Zimmerman's long career covers multiple mediums (TV, film and theatre). He's been nominated for two WGA Awards for Best Comedy Episodic Writing on the classic TV series - "The Golden Girls" and "Roseanne." Stan's also written and produced on "Gilmore Girls," co-created the Lifetime sitcom, "Rita Rocks" and wrote on both "Brady Bunch" movies. Stan has a BFA-Drama from NYU/Circle-in-the-Square and has directed such LA productions as the LatinX The Diary of Anne Frank, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, A Tuna Christmas, Gemini and his original plays -- Meet & Greet, Knife to the Heart and Have a Good One. TRW Plays recently published and licensed three of Stan's work -- Yes, Virginia; Silver Foxes and his suicide notes play, right before i go.

HYPROV (pronounced hip-rawv) was co-created by Mochrie and Mecci along with Mochrie's longtime manager, Jeff Andrews, in 2016 at Toronto's Second City. After working it out on stage, they took the show on the road to Just for Laughs London, Just for Laughs Montreal and the Edinburgh Fringe where it was received with rave reviews in 2016 and 2017. The duo set out on a 50-city tour in 2019 and has, to date, performed over 100 shows across the U.S. and Canada. Hyprov is based on a production originally created and produced by Colin Mochrie, Asad Mecci and Jeff Andrews.

Joining creative consultant Bob Martin on the creative team are Jo Winiarski (scenic design), Jeff Croiter (lighting design), Walter Trarbach (sound design), and music director John Hilsen. Rufus Wainwright, Grammy nominated Artist and one of the great male vocalists, songwriters and composers of his generation, has created original music for the production.

HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis is executive produced by Cody Lassen and produced by Sarah Power, Chaz Naor, Oui BeLeaf (NHR), Jörn Weisbrodt, Joan Tosoni, M.J. Power International Inc, Salah Bachir, Brad Blume, Matteo Golini, Esther Kim, Lorena Zvi Shiff, Marc Stern Family, Toufik Sarwa, The Descourouez Group, MKFD; in association with Bilo Investments LLC, Nancy Donohue, Kors Le Pere Theatricals, David Lipowicz, The Mecci Family, Zorbas Whittle Inc.

HYPROV: Improv Under Hypnosis plays through October 30, 2022 at the Daryl Roth Theatre (101 East 15th Street at Union Square East) with performances Wednesdays through Sundays at 7:00 pm with an additional show on Saturdays at 10:00 pm. The show runs 100 minutes and is recommended for ages 12+.

Tickets start at $55 and are available now.

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