The follow-up, EVERYTHING HANDED TO YOU about identity and the availability of outlets in airports was even more acclaimed: selling out its entire Edinburgh run and garnering the second best reviews of any comedy show at the Festival. Its so hard to hate up close, Edelman says, but of course that isnt true for everyone. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, Josh Gondelmans colorful comedy mind shines bright in People Pleaser, Neal Brennan keeps a finger pointed inward with new show Unacceptable, V3 Weekend: NICE, a fest, Orlando Baxter, Serial Mom, The Oppenheimer announcement teaser counts down to annihilation. His engagement with being Jewish, and the value of empathy are other pertinent themes. So, what the hell is Nope all about anyway. You do your best not to stare.. A brisk, smart provocation of a monologue., - Among Edelmans many strengths as a writer and performer is an exceptional eye for the absurd. - The New Yorker. But then he spied an attractive woman he calls Chelsea, and decided to chat her up. Alex Edelman: Just For Ustickets are available on New York Theatre Guide now. He has a springy walk, a peppy, engaged stage presencepandering and solicitous, in his own wordsand a Muppet-ish physicality, with emphatic jellyfish hands that he likes to flop and flail, and big eyes that pop wide in astonishment or narrow in conspiratorial outrage when a beat needs holding. Alex Edelman won Best Newcomer at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe and now returns with his third solo show, Alex Edelman: Just for Us. When the membrane between person and persona can seem paper-thin, what do you want your audience to assume about you, or not? And yes, he knows thats absurd. you're going for a developed, polished play. Edelman likes to work in a riffy, observational vein that touches, mildly, on the surreal. The ultra-rich are buying them in record numbers. Stephen Sondheim's classic musical that intertwines the plots of classic fairy tales. 2022: Cherry Lane Theatre ends Feb 20. It was his role, she argued, to illuminate the terrifying present for audiences, and give hope to an even more terrifying futurein other words, to get political. These are not lifes winners, he says. Fair enough. Edelman was skeptical, but politics, of a sort, ended up finding him. Stoppard is writing about historical Nazis, while Edelman disparages the 21st-century bigots as Nerf Nazis: pathetic wannabes. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. No intermission. He twines the story of that prepandemic gathering, which began with the assembled racists grousing about the then-recent wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, with a recollection from his early childhood: the time his mother, seeking to comfort a bereaved friend, decided that their Orthodox Jewish family would host a Christmas celebration for her, complete with presents and a tree. Edelman has opened for comedians like Ricky Gervais, Jack Whitehall, Patton Oswalt, Gary Gulman and a handful of musicians like Beck and San Fermin. Buy Alex Edelman: Just For Us - 2022 tickets, VIDEO: Paulo Szot and Melanie La Barrie Are Shaking Up Shakespeare in & JULIET, VIDEO: German Cast of HAMILTON Performs 'Alexander Hamilton', VIDEO: Julia Lester on HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL the Series Season Three. Set an alert and we'll tell you when more tickets go on sale. The politics behind the creation of Harriet the Spy.. Since its premiere at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2018, where it garnered a Barry Award nomination for best show, Edelman has brought the show on award-winning runs at Londons Soho Theater and the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it earned the Herald Angel Award in addition to praise that led it to becoming the Fringes best reviewed comedy show in more than a decade. Unanimously well-received, the show was the second best reviewed effort at the Edinburgh Fringe, and sold out its entire run. You prefer real language rather than gutter expressions to express thoughts and feelings. Edelman performed an earlier iteration ofJust for Ustwo years ago at Brooklyn's Union Hall for one night. Edelman is very good on the weirdness of whiteness as an identity that is utterly revolting when proudly claimed yet impossible to willingly shirk. A show about traumatic stock photos and Generation Y, Millennial won an Edinburgh Comedy Award, the first American offering to do so since Arj Barkers 1997 show. Impressions, the ways that we size one another up, are important to Edelmans show, and to Edelman. With a dreidel on top. Comedian Alex Edelman learned that lesson firsthand a few years back when he infiltrated a meeting of white nationalists in Queens. Copyright ShowScore Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement. I thought to myself, with no irony: You never know, he says, and widens his eyes at his own idiocy. Alex Edelman in his solo show, Just for Us, which is back up at the Cherry Lane Theater in Manhattan. VIDEO: Betsy Wolfe and Stark Sands Get Ready to Bring & JULIET to Broadway, INTO THE WOODS Extends Broadway Run by 8 Weeks, VIDEO: Watch Alex Newell & Cast of THE LAST SUPPER Sing 'Raise a Glass'. But who would we be without them to define ourselves against? Edelman has made numerous TV appearances in the US, Australia, and the UK.He has been featured at JFL as a New Face, appeared on CONAN multiple times, and is a staple on those Comedians You Should Know type lists. Ive done a bunch of radio. Essentially, he had constructed a digital terrarium of anti-Semites that he could monitor as they excreted their poison all over the platform. GetAlex Edelman: Just For Ustickets on New York Theatre Guide now. If I was raised secular, I think Id consider myself bisexual, he confesses, at one point. VIDEO: Ms. Guidance- Episode 5 | How to Succeed in Jenny Without Really Trying, VIDEO: Get A First Look At Tommy Bracco, Sarah Bowden & More in Pittsburgh CLO's A CHORUS LINE, VIDEO: Kate Reinders Teases a New Season of HSMTMTS, Photo/Video: Rosie O'Donnell & More in A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN Series, VIDEO: Corbin Bleu on 'Coming Home' to HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL the Series, Lineup Announced for the 18th Annual San Francisco Comedy Festival, Initial Line Up Announced For 2019 San Francisco Comedy Festival, Tickets On Sale This Sunday, BWW Review: ALEX EDELMAN: JUST FOR US, Pleasance Courtyard. Follow Raven Snook on Twitter:@ravensnookFollow Time Out Theater on Twitter:@TimeOutTheaterKeep up with the latest news and reviews on ourTime Out Theater Facebook page. The show ends with a well-earned, and very funny, minor victory in the never-ending struggle against those who want us gone. 2022 Cond Nast. You can watch SNS here. Luxury ships attract outrage and political scrutiny. Its about whiteness, the privileges that accompany it and the hierarchy that as he saw growing up in Boston rates Mayflower-descendant types as an aspirational American ideal. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The return of this brisk, smart provocation of a monologue is a cheering development, all the more so because its a belly-laugh funny show. Edleman deftly interweaves disparate tales about his Israeli Olympian brother, an unkosher Christmas, Jared Kushner and religion-based vaccine hesitancy into a portrait of the entertainer as a young Jewish man in a polarized society. But did I mention this is a comedy act? TIX HERE. His album UNTIL NOW - released in July of 2020 - was warmly received by critics and audiences alike, and was named one of the years best by NPRs Bullseye. On a narrow, curving street in the West Village of Manhattan, a sign of hope: A production that went dark just before Christmas, as the Omicron variant descended on the city, has opened back up at the Cherry Lane Theater. Baldwin & Co. mull Villages future, N.Y.U., Bronxite monkeypox count increases to above 13% of NYC cases reported. Edelman performed an earlier iteration of, Keep up with the latest news and reviews on our. In Edinburgh, it earned a Herald Angel Award, a nomination for Best Show, and superlative praise that made it the best reviewed comedy show at the Festival in a decade. Thats the unresolved question that kept ringing in my ears. A brisk, smart provocation of a monologue, its about race and identity in American culture, and about the tantalizing impulse to reach across the chasm to the hard-core bigots among us. But when a production goes into pandemic hibernation, its easy to worry that it wont emerge again. If you want to support a diverse story by an emerging writer. Edelman wants his act to be accessible to anyone, and, presumably, anywhere; hes been performing a version of it since the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He is a troublesome Jew and the head writer and executive producer of SATURDAY NIGHT SEDER, a star studded 70-minute special, posted on YouTube, that has so far raised $3.5 million for the CDC Foundation (COVID-19) Emergency Response Fund. Edelman began this set explaining that only briefly did they consider canceling but the show must and did go on, happily for those who got to laugh for 75 minutes. Cherry Lane Theatre(Off Broadway). Scheduled originally to have a December run extended into January, Omicron forced the act into a pause. Outstanding Solo Performance (Drama Desk Awards) for Alex Edelman and Outstanding Solo Performance (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Alex Edelman. Which is a sharply relevant observation in the midst of this ideologically polarized public health crisis. In its premiere run at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, it was nominated for a Barry Award for Best Show. Despite the incendiary issues lurking at the edges of his tale. There is lots of shouting, false ending and massive themes dropped in but then not dealt with. He opens with a bit about Koko the Gorilla and Robin Williams, then follows it up with one about horses and step counts. The ambience is more support group than hate group, if you leave aside the fact that the attendees are griping about Prince Harrys marriage to Meghan Markle, the scourge of reverse racism, and, of course, the Jews. While Edelman is unsurprisingly excited to bring it home to the states in this capacity, Birbiglia has some praise of his own that highlights his excitement for the shows NYC run. The show was adapted into an hour-long special as part of the Live at the BBC series. The Desperate Lives Inside Ukraines Dead Cities. And to be collaborating on it with Mike Birbiglia, a creative force Ive admired for so long, in the city where I incubated as a comic? Its directed by Adam Brace, presented by the amazing Mike Birbiglia, and produced by the wonderful Mike Lavoie, Carlee Briglia, and Joe Birbiglia. One day, a tweet caught his eye. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Partly, this is because hes too Jewish for the secular circles he runs in; he went to yeshiva, still regularly attends synagogue, and, to fellow-comedians, seems a beard away from being a rabbi. Its the work Im most proud of. He thanked the audience for coming. Running time: 1hr 15mins. The Jewish comedian tells of the time he infiltrated a meeting of white supremacists. The follow-up to Millennial, this show was about family, Jewish identity and the scarcity of plug sockets in airports. Edelman responded to the haters, but the haters were fruitful and multiplied. The NYCFC launch ad for Manchester City FC. Williamstown Theater Festival - Tickets here! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! Edelmanhe brandishes his real name, David Yosef Shimon ben Elazar Reuven Alex Halevi Edelman, at the audience like a fistful of snakescontrasts himself with his observant father, who doesnt understand why, out of this veritable charm bracelet of kosher monikers, his son would pick the only one that could pass as trayf. Santa is eating a Purim triangular pastry hamantaschen placed where the third eye is located. Edelman commands the stage, a few stools scattered around to change perspective, as he carries the audience through multiple threads of a narrativegrowing up Modern Orthodox and attending a yeshiva in Boston, his brother, an Israeli winter team Olympian, and infiltrating a white supremacist meeting in Queens (and a mental flirtation with one of its members). There is more stuff forthcoming guys. So has Edelman, but hes sustained by those things, too. Or is he just interested in indiscriminately ingratiating himself with diehard discriminatorsa survival tactic nobly disguised as empathy? But that's why we use social media, comedian Alex Edelman suggests: to see bad opinions from safely behind our own screens, where we can feel self-righteous for disagreeing without ever having to truly Read more, Alex Edelman: Just For Us CAST AND CREATIVE, Alex Edelman: Just For Us Performance Dates & Times, Alex Edelman: Just For Us Next performances, Alex Edelman on why you should see 'Just For Us' this summer, 'Alex Edelman: Just for Us' review fighting the haters with comedy and gusto. . TV writing:Hes recently completed a writing stint on the forthcoming Jenji Kohan-produced TEENAGE BOUNTY HUNTERS for Netflix. Were in a small, crowded room in Manhattan; as he admits, You cant even get sixteen Nazis together in this city without a Jew being in the middle of it.. 2020: Lucille Lortel Theater (New York), UK tour. Mounds of snow amidst wind and cold did not keep an audience away from Just For Us. He got a sunburn.In 2015, he travelled to Berlin and Moscow with Eddie Izzard to perform two shows to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.Beyond comedy: He writes regularly for outlets like THE ATLANTIC and THE BELIEVER, has written and produced documentaries for the US State Department and ESPNs 30 FOR 30 series, and spent more than a decade working as a speechwriter for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox. Try another? More than 1 million people watched the initial stream, which was hosted by Jason Alexander with participants that included Nick Kroll, Josh Groban, Rachel Brosnahan, Idina Menzel, Debra Messing and Bette Midler. Gripping storyline; not 4 the faint of , Don't see it if What could go wrong? Edelman ends Just for Us on a deliciously funny high: by recounting his petty, perfect act of vengeance against the white supremacists. I mean, theres a lot of stuff. It's a mentorship play. Tix below. They were determined, and it was a good day for levity. NEW RUN begins June 13. I think in comedy, if you can be hilarious thats great, Birbiglia said in a statement. Edelman is Ashkenazi, a Jew of Eastern or Central European origin. Its been nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama Desk Award, Best Show in Melbourne, Best Show in Edinburgh, and won a Herald Angel Award. Youre probably looking for Peer Group or Special Relationships or the original Millennial., Live Booking / Agent: Danielle Esparza, WME DEsparza@wmeagency.comManagement: Dave Rath, Independent Artists dave@independentartistsmedia.comCopywriting Work: Marco Williamson, ETA etacademyllc@gmail.com. He grew up Modern Orthodox in this really racist part of Boston called Boston; Jewishness is central to his life, and to his sense of self, but it hasnt always been central to his act. You're into new works, by emerging artists. Edleman deftly interweaves disparate tales about his Israeli Olympian brother, an unkosher Christmas, Jared Kushner and religion-based vaccine hesitancy into a portrait of the entertainer as a young Jewish man in a polarized society. A radio show that he made in England attracted attention, on Twitter, from a couple of anti-Semitic trolls. After a string of anti-Semitic abuse is directed at Edelmanonline, he decides to covertly attend a gathering of White Nationalists in New York City and comes face to face with the alt-right abusers. An embellishment? At a stoplight, you idle under a billboard, and what towers above you is a portrait of your boyfriends face. Two teenage missionaries are sent to Africa to spread the word of Jesus Christ. Outside the theater, which is at the bend of Commerce Street, is a colorful quasi-psychedelic portrait of Edelman. Barry Award for Best Show (Melbourne) - Nominee, Critics Pick! His third show, JUST FOR US which centers on a meeting of neo-Nazis that Edelman attended in New York has cemented his reputation as a writer-performer of impressive ambition and technical skill. A reporters relationship with Kurt Cobain, before and after the singers death. Edelmans third solo show, Just For Us, takes the audience through hilarious anecdotes from his life his Olympian brother AJ, an unconventional holiday season, and a gorilla that can do sign language but at its center is an astonishing and frighteningly relevant story. Such as the white supremacists who, Edelman tells us, tweeted a public invitation to a meeting they were having in Queens though when he took them up on it, he went as an infiltrator. See it if In case you havent yet heard about it from its past two NYC runs (or its Melbourne or Scotland engagements, or U.K. tour),Alex EdelmansJust For Usis about how he received anti-Semitic hate from white supremacists on Twitter and, as a totally natural next step, went to a nearby neo-Nazi meeting to see what their deal really was. The comedian Alex Edelman is thirty-three but looks younger. Partly, its because hes not Jewish enough. The comedy show then went on to run in the UK atLondons Soho Theater and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, earning aHerald Angel Award there after rave reviews. Its peppered with relevant imagery (eg. your looking for work that's not in development or if your uncomfortable w/ urban language, See it if The return of Just for Us, then, is a cheering development, all the more so because its a belly-laugh funny show. [Note: This production hasmovedto theGreenwichHouse Theatre for its latest extension.]. A new musical based on the young adult novel by bestselling author Jodi Picoult and her daughter. Edelman, who goes in as a fish dangerously out of water, finds that he is, in fact, in his element; hes a compulsive talker who has never met a crowd of people that he doesnt want to win over, even if that crowd might prefer that he not exist. The aesthetic splendor of The Simpsons.. After a string of anti-Semitic abuse is directed at Edelman online, he decides to covertly attend a gathering of White Nationalists in New York City and comes face to face with the alt-right abusers. He is the creator of PEER GROUP a show about the Millennial generation on BBC Radio 4 and his hour-long special, LIVE AT THE BBC, is available on Netflix in some countries. Tickets here! is more focused on comedy than catharsis. Its a genuine dream come true.. It reopened January 24. You don't care for shows that include smoking. Edelman, too, was curious about his whiteness, so off he went, on the subway, to gain some insight by infiltrating a group of white supremacists. Beyond thrilled this is happening. The Siblings Play (Cherry Lane Mentor Project), Intense, Edgy, Ambitious, Relevant, A good start but needs more work, Excruciating, Intense, 50% yelling, 40% the f word, Gen x only, Ambitious, Edgy, Intense, Relevant, Great singing, Intense, Edgy, Disappointing, Dizzying, Overrated. More philosophically, the show pokes and prods at empathy and morality, and the ways that othering whole categories of people makes it easy to dehumanize them. This illustration cleverly reflects what the performance is about. But he does this without pulling any punchlines: The laughs are plentiful. As a friend points out to him, the essence of white privilege is being able to walk into a room full of wannabe neo-Nazis confident that you will emerge unscathed. Another leg of UK tour and a US tour will occur whenever live entertainment again becomes possible. They don't succumb, of course, but theatergoers do. The white supremacists at the meeting, it turns out, seemed to have no problem with hating him. I sat down feeling like an outsider, but thats how I feel in every room, Edelman tells us. Review: Just for Us Reaches Across the Chasm, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/24/theater/just-for-us-review.html. . You enjoy excruciatingly loud yelling, the f word being used in nearly every sentence, a play that makes you feel like you need to shower ! Dj vu! Is the dreidel detail true? Others? Audiences can expect another outstanding year of programming and fun as SF Sketchfest will host major comedy stars and the best up-and-coming acts from around the world for non-stop entertainment including sketch, stand-up, alternative comedy, music, improv, films, tributes, live podcasts, storytelling, family shows, workshops, panels and more. Its about a meeting of White Nationalists I attended. Alex Edelman: Just For Us has had 21 productions including West End which opened in 2011, West End which opened in 2011, West End which opened in 2021, West End which opened in 2021, West End which opened in 2021, West End which opened in 2021, West End which opened in 2022, Off-Broadway which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022, West End which opened in 2022 and West End which opened in 2022. Prior to that, he served as a staff writer on THE GREAT INDOORS for CBS.Besides his narrative stuff, Edelman has written for countless awards shows, including the BRITs and the BAFTAs. Which rankled, because part of him wanted them to like him. By Alex Edelman. Anyone can read what you share. That promise is kept inJust for Us, in which his account of reactionary repartee serves as a framing device for a deeper dive into questions of identity and the limits of empathy. Alex Edelman: Just For Usis a comedy show that begins like any other stand-up special: with Edelman telling assorted funny stories from his life. The so-called disso queen, whose former clients range from Kim Kardashian to Johnny Depp, reflects on the state of our unions. Those are the people that the us in Just for Us refers to, a revelation that is presented as a shock, though its no surprise at all. Not kid-friendly. Despite the incendiary issues lurking at the edges of his tale,Just for Usis more focused on comedy than catharsis. Its not hard to ridicule a bunch of bigots; nor, more than half a century after Springtime for Hitler, is the exercise particularly scandalous or groundbreaking, even if it remains surpassingly gratifying when done well. A favorite at international Fringe festivals, Edelman is known for being sharp-witted but rarely political; his fright night with the alt-right was ostensibly inspired by a barrage of anti-Semitic tweetsand a colleague who nagged him to take a stand in his stand-upbut surely also by the promise of hilarious potential material in store. 'The Siblings Play' is part of the19th season of Cherry Lane's Mentor Project, which pairs new writers with seasoned dramatists for a season of play development. All rights reserved. For Mars, Leon, and Marie, what defines family is survival. Performance schedules for all shows are subject to change. Thats precisely how I feel about Alex Edelmans new show Just For Us. You like to see people argue for 90-mins (no intermission) Like Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf; if supporting a new playwright's work is you! A meeting was taking place, in Queens, for people curious to explore their #whiteness. Quite an achievement to singularly hold an audience and keep them laughing for 75 minutes. Once in the theater, they were invited to move forward, filling a little more than half of Cherry Lane Theatre to catch comedian Alex Edelmans one-man show. He tours both nationally and internationally and is one of the founders of Jerusalems Off the Wall Comedy Club. Produced by fellow Massachusetts native and the unofficial godfather of wildly successful one-man shows, Mike Birbiglia, Edelmans latest creative endeavor touches on a myriad of topics in and around his own life, including his Olympian brother AJ, an unconventional holiday season, and a gorilla that can do sign language, all the while further employing his dangerously sharp comedic wit to chronicle his experiences while covertly attending a White Nationalist gathering in New York City. When asked, Has he performed for Chassidic audiences? He responds, Chassidic audiences have, generally, been absolutely wonderful. I will send you the very occasional update to let you know when Im in your country or city or neighborhood or bushes outside your house. This Sports in America Docuseries for the US State Department. Edelman presents as a clean-cut people-pleaser, a grown man eager to prove to the world, as he says in his act, that hes a good boya moral aspiration that he explores to shrewd effect in the course of a tremendously entertaining seventy-five minutes. Then the noreaster threatened it again. Who owns Londons most mysterious mansion? He discusses his brother AJ, who's an Olympian; a gorilla that knows sign language; and an unusualholiday season he had. (Spoiler Alert): Don't see this play if you are uncomfortable with a theme of Brother/Sister incest; also there's flashing lights & smoking! Artwork, as always, done by the incredible Tristan Eaton. Under Adam Brace's well-calibrated direction, and employing just one mic and three stools, Edelman conjures a roomful of enemies he naively believes he can charm. My third solo show, Just For Us, has been running in NYC. The Village audience was hardy having braved wind and bitter cold and plowed mounds of snow during Saturdays noreaster. Tickets toAlex Edelman: Just For Usare available now. Don't see it if In his solo show at the SoHo Playhouse, the comedian delves into a world of neo-Nazi wannabes, to explore his whitenessand his Jewishness. The late, great Mitch Hedberg, bless him, certainly thought so, and, for a time, so did Edelman. There is some interesting staging & performances. But, because I was religious, I consider myself straight with some secrets. That joke is a surprise, a quick swipe of the knife, and, maybe because it feels so sharp to him, Edelman doesnt touch it again. All rights reserved. Edelman premieredJust For Usin 2018 at theMelbourne International Comedy Festival, where he earned a Barry Award nomination for Best Show. Cannily, confidently, he turns his brief encounter with this sad-sack anti-Semitic social club into a pretext to examine the much more richly unsettled topic of his own Jewishness. It may deserve a show of its own. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC. [Support The New Yorkers award-winning journalism. Just for UsThrough Feb. 19 at the Cherry Lane Theater, Manhattan; cherrylanetheatre.org. The show was adapted into a 30-minute special for BBC R4, produced by Arnab Chanda. Please tell your friends. The result is a hair-raising encounter that gives Just For Us its title and final, jaw-dropping twist.