While the title should make for an adequate description, here goes: a place for reviews. About things. All kinds of things.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

A Moist Dream Come True

A Review: Cupcake




Cupcake: Justin Sund and Ethan Newberry


Welcome to Cupcake, the Seattle Improv show who's main goal is to offend. Or so they say.

On that note, their material certainly could offend some people. In the last few months, I have heard this improv show discuss finding Narnia inside of a vagina, Spider-Man firing off not webbing, but semen (from his wrists), and various jokes about Mexicans and Asians, and practically every other ethnic group out there.

Oh, and they like to kill improvised puppies on stage.

Cupcake is an improv show in Seattle, located just above 55th and the Ave. It's a show that starts at 12:30 at night. A midnight show... which means they can do practically whatever the hell they want to do.

It's a show created by two of Jet City Improv's cast: Justin Sund and Ethan Newberry.

And the show is hilarious.


Cupcake welcomes the audience, usually by offending them


They usually start the show with a choregraphed dance, followed by greeting the audience. Their claim is that they are hear to bring your moist "cupcake" dreams come true, while offending you.

Of course, they don't necessarily try to offend. It's more of a offend with absolute ridiculousness and wit. Case in point: Zombie Jesus, in which Jesus rises from the dead as a zombie and they try various approaches to kill him.

Offensive, possibly. But ridiculously so. And maybe that's why it's so damn funny.

But the humor isn't all about being offensive. It isn't all about being able to swear on stage... to say, "fuck, shit, bitch, cunt, TAINT!" (go to a show, you'll understand). Because that, by itself, isn't all that funny.

It's Justin and Ethan. It's Justin and Ethan playing off of each other... or playing with each other. It's hard to say sometimes. But in the end, it comes down to on-stage chemistry.

A week ago, Ethan was away for his brother's wedding. That left Justin to do Cupcake on his own. He brought on a few guest improvers, all from Jet City Improv. All great improvers... but on Cupcake, something was just... well... missing.


The guest cast: "Dougie", "Doctor Malicious", "Mentally Retarded Sarah", and "Hotatello"


To be honest, Cupcake was flat that week. There were only one or two really good set of jokes. The rest... it just didn't vibe. Not even with the hardcore Cupcake audience members who are always there. Myself included. Each character just didn't seem to fit what the Cupcake audience has come to know and love.

They did the same. They swore. They were offensive. But... they weren't as funny.


Doctor Malicious stares down the audience.


The same was true nearly a month ago, when Justin was out of town and Ethan had to do a show with a guest member. While it was funny, it lacked the same feel that the Justin-Ethan Cupcake combo had.

If you don't mind being offended a little, and you can stay awake 'til around 1:30 - 2 in the morning... check out Cupcake on Saturdays.


Cupcake: Offensiveness at its funniest.