Monday, March 8, 2010

Lee Markham, Charles Murray & Walt Frasier Guest Star in LMAO

LMAO
https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/718535/prm/walter101


Contact: Walt Frasier
Tel: 212-568-6560
Cell Phone: 646-271-5781
Email: companymanager@lmao-nyc.com

LMAO ANNOUNCES NEW GUEST STARS

Laughing My A$$ Off adds veteran Broadway and Off Broadway Performers.

Monday March 7, 2010 – New York, NY. Running off-broadway since Thanksgiving of 2009, EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH presents the interactive Improv Musical Comedy Show, LMAO. This march, heavy hitter guest stars join cast. Now Through April 10th at the MIDTOWN THEATER (163 West 46th Street, Times Square), Lee Markham, Charles Murray and Walt Frasier will head up the cast every Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Tickets, ranging $20-65, are available online at www.lmao-nyc.com or by calling 866-811-4111.

Lee Markham is joining the ranks after playing Luke for the final year of ALTAR BOYZ off Broadway. A crowd favorite of the Altarholics, Lee is also is a popular Improv performer in town having starred with EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH, his first gig in New York.

Fresh out of High School, Charles Murray made his Broadway debut in the original cast of Dreamgirls, a show he would live with for 5 years in New York and on the road. In addition to numerous other Broadway and Off broadway shows, Mr Murray is a recording artist and playwright, compared to Tyler Perry meets Broadway.

A founding member of EIGHT IS NEVER ENOUGH, Walt Frasier is proud to head up the cast of LMAO as Emcee and pianist. A stage veteran of off-Broadway and touring Broadway shows, Mr Frasier credits his Improv Comedy work for landing gigs on Late Night with David Letterman, commercials and projects for MTV, VH1, NICK and WE networks.

More info at http://www.lmao-nyc.com/cast2.html.

Want to get the kids on stage? Check out Improv 4 Kids. Every Saturday at 3pm, the cast of LMAO performs shows for the whole family – a must for any wannabe theater, TV or FILM stars.

Now thru Labor Day, LMAO (www.lmao-nyc.com) runs off-Broadway the Midtown Theater (163 West 46th Street, NY NY 10036) in the heart of Times Square. Check website for upcoming schedules.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Thank you officer for the 4am wake up call!!!

Are you up still? Yet? I am. It's 4am....


Got home around 10:30pm. Laurice and I had a great production meeting. We are very inspired to see marketing expenses pay off for the first time EVER. We recently joined the ranks of BEST OF OFF BROADWAY http://www.bestofoffbroadway.com/. Skeptical we were suckered into paying for email blast. At least that was my first thought. We just check the ticketing manager tonight and found a number of tickets sold for the next 4 months. Amazing turn of events. We also had a discussion about not being able to please everybody. Our show is loved by many but not by all. We had a regular at the show tonight. Fourth time in two months. There was a group of 10 18yos from long island that had a blast. A family of 8 from CT. Groups of 2-7 from all over the wold (most Brit spin offs). We actually had two amazing shows today. This morning's crowd was smaller but even more appreciative. But there was a discussion with one individual. I won't go into details but it was depressing.



So just as I was about to pass out around 1am, HECKLER came on. Not being a big Jamie Kennedy fan, I kept thinking, of all people to do a film on the subject, he must be an expert. But I was intrigued. I am always intrigued at the need for some individuals to tear down. They live for it. They gain some morsel of happiness in others pain. I recently started reading the weekly EW column by Stephen King, thinking, this must be one of the first critical article/series written by a successful creator. One that truly understands the demands on a creator. And he, as a result, does not bash anyone, but rather delights in the growth of artists. His critique is respectable.



YADADA... Jamie Kennedy lined up a who's who of actors, comics and critics. I hate to say it, I agree with many of the critics that JK is one of the worst of the comics he paraded, being a big fan of most of the others. One critic actually said, getting laughs is not enough in comedy. Not the goal of comedy. Not the true test of "funny".



Every comic has been the victim of the heckler. But the most important message at the end of the piece, for every heckler, for every hater, there is a room of fans that love your work. And one has to just move on and focus on the work. I would say for every show ever produced there is a hater in the crowd and one that thinks your latest performance is the greatest artistic endeavor EVER!!! They are both wrong... in the others eyes. To each his own .... BUT the need to shove ones narrow misguided negative view of the world and hence the individual you choose to lash out on, lays waste to creativity.



But going even deeper.... I have now performed nearly 3000 shows in the past 10 years. I play an integral part of production behind the scenes and on stage. I am the principal host of the show and deal with the crowds intimately. I often help market the shows to Times Square crowds. You will often see me pull a PC (inside joke) and rip tickets. In other words, I know my audiences better than most. I am an optimist but it is clear.... Some people are just miserable F*&@s.... Nothing I do will change that. There are those that will be miserable no matter what I or you or anyone else does.Back in the day, you had to perform oral sex to be a "professional" critic, how else can a no talent hack get a job writing dribble. These days, losers can blog in there stank undies (Hate to say that is my current state) regarding any and all subjects. And too often the nuber of haters, while truly in the minority (maybe 10%) are overwhelmingly the majority of internet bloggers, yelpers etc. We get weekly emails thanking us for the show. But no one goes on Yelp etc. But who does, THE HATER. And most often the hated the experience NOT THE SHOW because they were surprised that the drinks they bought, consumed and now intoxicated from actually require money. Mommy only gives you so much right.... A very talented lawyer friend once told me.... If you argue with an Ahole, you will quickly become the ahole... Well news flash.... Comics get paid to be an Ahole.... You were born that way....



Wait a minute, back to the original reason for the post. A police officer woke me up at 4am this morning. At first I cringed at the thought that a menace to society known by many comics and actors was up to his old tricks. The door was knocking violently. "ITS THE POLICE" Oh crap what did Mr T do now? (Not referring to the A-TEAM vet)



Apparently there is a fun run in the neighborhood this morning. This officer was actually going around door to door to warn us about the cars being towed. We were so tired after a great day of theater, we did not even notice the signs. The streets were lined with cars. I moved mine just in time. I watched as dozens of others were towed away. It is now nearly 5am. i still hear crews towning and setting up. SO THANK YOU. Seriously. If I at all came off rude, I humbly apologize.... You SAVED ME a lot of anguish this morning. I truly leave this rant with a smile knowing one person cares out there!!! You have a tough job and I Effed up by leaving the car in the towaway zone.

The true moral of the story, CAPITAL F to critics and A-holes AND you never know when the cops will wake you up at 4am, so remember to wear something below the waste when going to bed.


SORRY FOR THAT IMAGE BEFORE BREAKFAST