An unscripted, audience-inspired, family-friendly improv show is coming to the Poway Center for the Performing Arts.
“Broadway’s Next Hit Musical: The Phony Awards” can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17.
“It is set up like the Tony Awards or Oscars, with an opening monologue (by the emcee) who will bring up the presenters of the nominated songs,” said Rob Schiffmann, the show’s co-artistic director, co-producer and one of the performers.
“The audience will have made up the titles and between each song the emcee will comment on the next presenter and relate to the crowd throughout,” he said. “There will be a lot of audience interaction with the emcee.”
The show was created in 2012 and many in the cast have been with it for several years in addition to original cast such as himself, Schiffmann said. The cast is based in New York.
“The show has been changed over time and we also created new versions,” he said.
This is the first time the show is being presented as part of Poway OnStage’s season.
The four performers will be ed on stage by the emcee and a pianist. Going before an audience without a plan could be intimidating, but Schiffmann said that is not the case with this cast because they rehearse their improv skills a lot.
“It sounds complicated, but in reality, because you are in the moment, you are just following your fellow actors in what they are doing,” he said. “You say yes to each other.”
He compared improv to being on a sports team playing a game. There the athletes use their skills to respond to each other and their opponents.
“We learn a lot of skills, how melodies work and songs tend to be structured,” he said. “We know how lyrics tend to unfold and connect to the melodies.
“There is also storytelling, the narrative structure, so we can be in the moment because of our common language — we can tell a story reflectively or make up a song and dance due to this common language and understanding each other.”
Schiffmann said when they rehearse, they practice making up songs, telling stories and employing the skills that it takes to do improv successfully.
Most of their audiences are “pretty ready to go” on the journey with them, he said.
“It’s the (emcee’s) job to really warm up the crowd, getting them ready … and open to feeling comfortable with an interactive show,” Schiffmann said. “We never make the audience look bad. In comedy they can be made fun of, but that is mostly in stand-up. … We do fun things, but are never teasing.”
Schiffmann said performing improv came naturally to him, recalling how as a young child in his first school play where he had the role of host, he made up his lines instead of saying those given to him.
He also came from an artistic family — his father and step-father were dancers and his mother a pianist.
“I had a lot of … to live the life of an artist,” he said.
In addition to being a professional actor and improviser, he is also a musician who is a two-time MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award winner. He also won the 2011 INNY (Improvisation News) Award for “Best Improv Coach.”
Schiffmann has been featured on The Today Show, performed on The CBS Early Show and released two albums of his original songs with his song-writing partner for their acoustic-pop band The Hillary Step. He is the band’s main writer, lead singer, guitarist, bass player, keyboardist and music director.
He said he wanted to reassure attendees that the show will be family-friendly.
“Come in ready to play,” he said. “It will be a playful, fun night and the kids will love it. You do not know what will happen that night and neither do we.”
Tickets are $45-$61 for adults; $40-$53 for seniors (65-plus), active military and students (ages 13-21); and $27-$35 for youths (12 and under). Buy at powayonstage.org, at the PA box office, 15498 Espola Road or call 858-748-0505.
Prior to the show, attendees can attend the Red Carpet Party at 6:30 p.m. in the PA lobby. There will be a “happy half hour,” opportunity drawings, a best-dressed contest for favorite Broadway musical character or Broadway glam, and red carpet interviews.
