Review: A Celebration of the Unremarkable at The New Movement Theater [Comedy]

Published June 11, 2010 at 2:15 p.m.

The shows live elements are all broken up by video segments...Video in live shows, especially sketch comedy (which this piece comes close to being) is a risky choice...Sometimes it works, but often it fails...Using a good deal of video requires finesse...You don't want all the laughs or the connections to come directly from the video pieces...Otherwise, you run the risk of leaving the audience wondering if they should have stayed home to watch the sketches on YouTube...It tends to work best when the videos segue into the comedy, hint at the themes of the show and provide the set-up to the funny which is then delivered live...While A Celebration of the Unremarkable makes good use of video, it works because it follows these guidelines...The videos lead into the next live element, and while they're often quite funny, they don't feel like they're stealing the show.

Some might argue that a comedian's role is simply to entertain...For others, it's also the ability to push boundaries, or to comment on the human condition with humor...Trew manages to succeed at all of these in his show...The audience gains insight into why a white high school kid in Louisiana decides to start rapping...We see how someone puts their ego on the line when they go on television, and gain a glimpse into the psyche of someone wanting to read and hear what others are saying about them, almost obsessively. Trew's sense of humor, his presentation and his material definitely push the boundaries of normal stand-up and sketch comedy...He's on the alternative comedy fringes in many ways, as demonstrated in this show...He's taking big risks in doing things differently, and while not every Bad Girls Club fan gets it, he's raking in the laughs at The New Movement Theater nonetheless.

A Celebration of the Unremarkable takes place June 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 8:00 pm at The New Movement Theater at 1819 Rosewood Ave. (the corner of Rosewood and Chicon).

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