By Gail Siegel, WSU Performing Arts
PULLMAN, Wash. – Hailed as “twisted and uproarious” by Entertainment Weekly, the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Touring Company brings its hip and hilarious brand of improv to Washington State University’s Jones Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27.
A team of America’s top improvisational comedians will create a 90-minute show based on a single audience suggestion. The group is hand-picked from the groundbreaking UCB theater that was cofounded by Amy Poehler and that has produced many “Saturday Night Live” and “Daily Show” stars.
Tickets cost $20 for adults, $16 for seniors (ages 60 and up) and $10 for students and youth. Discounts on adult/senior prices are available for groups of eight or more.
Reserved seating tickets are available in advance at TicketsWest outlets, including online at http://www.ticketswest.com
/events/wsu-performing-arts/10391/, by phone at 800-325-SEAT (7328) and in person at Beasley Coliseum, open weekdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Same-day tickets will be available at the Daggy Hall box office beginning two hours before the performance.
The show is presented by WSU Performing Arts (http://performingarts.wsu.edu/).
The UCB theaters and training centers in New York and Los Angeles were established by Poehler, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh, who produced their own “Upright Citizens Brigade” sketch on the Comedy Central TV channel 1998-2000. The UCB Touring Company (http://www.ucbtourco.com/) showcases the best comedians from these theaters, which have been described by one critic as “the new millennium’s comedy equivalent of Motown in the ’60s.”
“I think UCB is the premier supplier of comedy actors with chops,” late-night TV comedy host Conan O’Brien has said. “They are doing the type of manic, original, inventive stuff I’m always interested in.”
UCB has been home to some of the biggest stars in comedy today, including “Saturday Night Live” stars Poehler, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Moynihan, Horatio Sanz and Sasheer Zamata and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” correspondents Rob Corddry, Ed Helms and Rob Riggle.
UCB alumni have also starred in scripted shows like “The Office,” “30 Rock” and “Parks and Recreation;” have occupied the writing rooms and offices of “The Colbert Report,” “The Daily Show” and “MAD TV;” and have appeared in the freshest comedies of the past decade, including “Bridesmaids” and “The Hangover.”
Contact:
Gail Siegel, WSU Performing Arts, 509-335-8522, gsiegel@wsu.edu