On October 18th, 2007, I saw Whose Live Anyway? for the first time, and I saw it in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. For your enlightenment, I have dug out my original review that I had written up from that night. Granted, this was written a few years ago and thus is a bit dated, but I think it can still go to show just how brilliant the show – and the performers – are, and how the games work. Thus, I present to you, my review and writeup from that fateful night when I first saw WLA…
Though a little late than the slated time, at last, the lights dimmed, and a cheer erupted from the anxious crowd. Our voices rose even louder in a chorus of yells of glee as the oh-so-fabulous Greg Proops entered the stage from the left wing. He beamed, waving at the crowd and acknowledging our cries of enthusiasm. My voice was particularly loud as I looked him over, head to toe, and noted that he was without suit and tie this time, instead in blue jeans and a collared top with a blue print pattern.
Greg immediately launched into stand-up, as only he can. I’m not one who cares too much for stand-up, but I LOVE Greg’s. I’d seen him three nights ago back in the beginning of September at the Tempe Improv, and his performances blew me away and practically left me rolling on the floor with rabid laughter. There is something about the way Greg speaks that shines of intellect, with wit and a heavy doze of sarcasm thrown in. He has a way with words, using analogies, metaphors, adjectives, and alliterations to create a very baroque-like speech. He is articulate, but there’s something more to what he says… it’s how he says it. Using precise timing along with body language and facial expressions, he is a true master of stand-up and sweeps me away for the ride.
Even though I’d heard everything he’d said before, I still laughed, I still loved it. His opening bit, per usual, was concerning that which is the Arizonian weather. Other bits included his mockery of Idaho Senator Larry Craig and his ‘roaming for gay sex in public airport restrooms’. There is a noise Greg makes when he does that bit, a noise of ‘the gay Craig call’ that I am in love with. Every time I hear it, whether in person or on his CD, the laughter is upon me. I only wish I could simulate the call into word, but my weak attempt of “kurr koo kooou!” does not even begin to do it justice.
The stand-up, unfortunately, was short-lived – only about ten minutes long, being just enough to loosen and warm up the audience. Microphone in hand, upbeat music being played on a piano in the right back corner (the composer’s name escapes me, but apparently he was a part of Second City), Greg introduced his fellow improvers – Jeff, Chip, and, of course… Ryan Lee Stiles. Naturally, the crowd went wild when the 6’6” blonde man strode into the light. We hooted and clapped and cheered as loudly as our lungs allowed, and the men before us beamed and waved. Just when you thought they would begin the first game, they took a bow, shouted, “Goodnight everyone, that’s our show!” and pretended to exit. “Ah, what the hell – let’s do an encore!” echoed back a moment later, and they returned as we chuckled to their little joke.
Greg proceeded to instruct the audience on how do to suggestion-giving. “Ok, this section over here…” he began, standing in front of the left-side crowd, “if I was to ask you what was something that you’d commonly find in Scottsdale, you’d say…”
“IMPLANTS!!” a voice shouted out.
To say the least, that got a HUGE laugh, and became a running gag for the night.
And now… let the games begin!
They started off with Freeze, a game which featured all four performers. The game was highlighted when an unsteady Greg fell forward on top of a ground-sprawled Chip, right between his legs in the most suggestive, dirty way possible. Ryan, of course, yelled freeze, leaving poor Chip and Greg laughing so hard that tears formed in the corners of their eyes. Other funny bits included ‘Ryan the Russell Terrier’ and ’golf ball washings are for golf balls’.
You’ll have to forgive me, as the exact sequencing of the games I do not accurately recall (with this memory, I’m surprised I’ve retained this much!). I believe that New Choice came next. Chip came over to the edge of the stage and pointed directly at me.
“Hello, you there!” he called out as the others crowded around him. “What do you do as a profession?”
Immediately my mind flashed ‘nothing’, as I’m a full-time graphic design student at Arizona State University. However, I am a professional freelance web designer, so that’s what I replied with.
“Oh, web design!” They all ‘ooohed’ and laughed, and Ryan arched his eyebrows and pretended to be clicking photographs of me. “Do you have a hobby?” Chip continued.
Again, my initial thought was web design, but I’d just said that, so instead I mentioned another enjoyable pastime of mine. “Archery!”
“Archery? Very cool!” They bobbed their heads in agreement, clearly liking this suggestion very much.
Ryan started the scene as a lone archer, Chip doing some sound effects on the sideline. We laughed with mirth at a loud “MOOO!” echoed from Chip after Ryan released his ‘arrow’. His second ‘arrow’ had a delayed reaction, then sounded like it hit a metal pole. Ryan’s character then became upset, and Greg entered the scene with a ‘crossbow’. As much as I love archery, it was all too fun to see both of my favorite improvers playing as archers. I mused to myself how very funny it would be to see Greg and Ryan doing real archery, and whether or not they’d be any good, haha.
The scene progressed, and Greg said to Ryan at one point, “There’s… something that I… have… to tell you…”
Ryan: *Gasp!* What… what is it?
Greg: I’m not… really… an archer…
Ryan: 0.0
Greg: I’m actually… a web designer!!
Me: *SPORFLE*
I also think in the scene that Ryan’s character turned out to be a man who was impersonating a woman who was really a man.
Greg then pulled up a woman sitting in the front row wearing a prominently pink and yellow skirt and top. I would guess that she was in the 60’s, and we quickly came to find that she was Miss Senior Arizona. Greg questioned her for tidbits about her life, and, upon receiving a good handful of information, Chip and Jeff proceeded to sing to her in the style of opera. They did exceedingly well, their diaphragms working in overtime. But what really made it amusing was that the woman interacted right along with them. Instead of sitting and blushing like the typical audience member, she ‘acted’ right along with them, holding her head up high and pretending to be an opera singer as well. At one point, she leant her own voice to the scene, opening her mouth and letting loose a high-resonating note that would practically match that of Julie Andrews’. Jeff and Chip exchanged glances of impressed shock as we, the audience, applauded her while laughing ourselves silly at this rather sudden brilliant interjection. In the background, Greg and Ryan were practically sliding off of their stools.
Sentences included Ryan and Jeff. A little whicker basket was passed around and the first few rows dropped small slips of paper into its entity. The very first sentence used just so happened to be mine! Ryan read it off: “Dance naked under the moonlight!” Any Jeff fan girl would be overly happy as Jeff immediately ripped off his blazer, revealing very muscular forearms, and began to dance and sway his hips while undoing his belt and toying rather sexily with the zipper.
Unfortunately, the remainder of the sentences were rather poor, the majority of them being politically inclined and making for a far blander scene. Each but was something along the lines of “Who would you rather vote for – a black man or a white woman?” and “Should we allow a black guy into the White House?”. To say the least, they called it quits with that game after not too long.
Moving People was a blast. A girl somewhere behind me and Ilana were chosen to move Greg and Chip respectively. They did a fairly good job, too – far better than most audience members shown on Whose Line. The scene was that they were college kids at the ‘It’s Too Damn Hot Festival’ looking for beers, sweating, and getting sun tans. Moving People is always so enjoyable to watch, because the improvers always make sarcastic, snarky remarks concerning what way they are being moved. At one point, Ilana laid Chip down on the ground, and the gal moving Greg walked him directly in front of the relaxed Chip. She began to, for some reason, bend Greg’s front half backwards, as if he was doing the limbo. Poor Greg got a rather alarmed expression on his face and seemed to mouth ‘ow!’ as he continued to be moved backwards. He had to mention that, “My spine seems to be bending in positions it wasn’t made to go!” for her to get the idea and right him again. At the same time, Ilana sat Chip up, and thus Chip’s face was about one inch away from Greg’s crotch, practically touching it. Both improvers looked a bit like ‘Hel-lo!’ and Greg was quickly moved backwards, much to Proops’ and Esten’s relief.
Though I’m not personally fond of the singing games, Greatest Hits was, like the rest of the show, enjoyable. For the life of me, I cannot remember the premise of the songs, but I do recall that one of them was sung in country style. Jeff and Chip were giving it all, dancing across the stage and belting out whatever came across their minds. Their performances on Whose Line do not prove justice as to how good these two men can really sing. They truly amazed me with their vocal and harmonizing talent as their Adam’s apples bobbed crazily as they fought to reach impossible notes.
Aside from the singing, there was a very amusing moment when Ryan forgot Greg’s character’s name and just called him ‘Greg’. It led off onto a random spew of giggles and teasings about their names. Ryan, laughing to himself and shaking his head, eventually got up and said, “I’m going to go get some meth”, leaving a very quizzical-expressioned Greg to finish the scene.
Jeopardy was also played – yet another game unheard of on Whose Line (and absent from Green Screen too, I do believe – correct me if I’m wrong). For those who do not know Jeopardy, Ryan acted as the game show host Alex Trebek, and the other three were all the contestants with various personalities. Greg was a liberal arts major from ASU (*grin*), Chip was some guy who I had no clue of the reference to, and Jeff was, if I remember right, Keith Moon. Ryan would ask the audience a question (as if selecting a category), such as “type of spice” and then picked one of the selections yelled out (in this case, I think it was ‘cilantro’). Then one of the boys would make a buzzer sound and, if selected, would come up with a witty question that fitted the answer. It’s a clever, fast-paced game that is all about word manipulation and puns. It’s interesting to see who can come up with what the quickest, but it’s not one of my personal favorites, as I just don’t find it quite as funny as some of the other games. Though, that being said, they all did fairly well, even though they did skip a few questions by saying “Pass?” in the form of a question.
Sound effects came next, played by Jeff and Ryan. A younger girl and a man were picked to do the effects, and they were rather pathetic, the girl in particular. The scene was two gladiators getting ready for a fight, but they turned out to be Velcro-adorned fighters with toothpick swords and kittens and a revved-up car for horses. While we laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it all, and laughed even harder at the sly, sarcastic remarks commenting on the sound effects, the game seemed a little short-lived. It ended with Ryan ‘tying up his horses’ which, of course, was made to sound like someone electronically locking their car with a clicker.
Change was played as well, but I am completely drawing a blank as to who played it, or what the scene even was. I would like to say that Greg and Jeff played the scene, and Ryan called out for the changes (such as “Shakespeare”, “porn”, “you can only speak with three words at a time”, “substituting letters”, etc.).
They “ended” the show with Change, and came forward, locking hands for a group bow. We, of course, gave the guys a standing ovation. I practically hollered myself hoarse as we cheered and applauded these sexy, hilarious, talented men.
Cheerily, they left the stage – and were back again for an encore – Storytelling.
They pulled Sharon back up to assist them once more, which I thought wasn’t right. Maybe it’s just me, but I thought it would have been nicer to pull up someone new who hadn’t already been up there that night. But again, she did a really good job, and with Ryan as the conductor, they told the story of a lovesick, horny dragon wanting a mate, who wore fiery red lipstick and nail polish, and had magical kissing lips that causes whoever he was kissing to deliver a high note – proved, naturally, by Sharon, who closed the scene, as well as the show.
Once more, they took a bow, and once more, we very verbally gave them our thanks and enthusiasm as a rather appreciative audience.
