Last Friday I decided to lighten things up a bit and check out some more comedy. As luck would have it, I happened upon a very interesting, very comprehensive list of free events in the city, and comedy was on the menu in Central Park, compliments of Comedy Central.
So we headed up to the park after work, hoping to catch the show, but to my surprise, there was actually a massive line that had formed to get in! I had been under the mistaken impression that the performance would be on one of the big lawns and that space would be more or less unlimited, but the show was actually being held in a much smaller (though still quite expansive) amphitheater in the middle of the Park. The line moved quickly however, and we managed to get in right around the start of the show.
Comedy Central (Park)
To my great delight, I found that the show was actually being introduced by Dave Attell! In a word: Awesome!!! Dave Attell was fantastic with a quick round of opening jokes including some very dirty jokes, which he apologized for when he remembered that there might be families in the audience…but not really. Thank god for unabashed adult humor!
Of the acts that followed, all were pretty solid, save one poor woman who just couldn’t seem to get the crowd excited. The jokes weren’t bad, but somehow they weren’t getting through to the crowds funny bone, so she kind of struggled for a while. The other comics, and Dave Attell of course, had a good bead on what tickles a New Yorker’s fancy though, and the show went very well indeed.
The Space
The space was a little cramped, owing to it being a free, public comedy show featuring some very funny and talented comics, but I didn’t mind so much for the most part. The only time when this became a problem was when a group of about eight or nine highly inconsiderate people came and put down a blanket next to us (we were all laying out on some kind of turf) and proceeded to talk amongst themselves loudly through a good portion of the show. How unnerving.
The Bottom Line
It’s hard to go wrong with free in this city, and this was no exception. I was exceptional in that we got to see over two hours of what really was top notch comedy with little more sacrificed than about five minutes in line. I’d definitely recommend any free performance in the park with gusto. There’s really no reason not to go, so check it out.