The Midnight Show
Encyclopedia
The Midnight Show is a Los Angeles
-based sketch comedy
group which performs monthly at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Founded in 2008, the show owes its notoriety not only to production of several viral internet videos on Funny or Die
and YouTube
(including "Twilight ... with Cheeseburgers," "Car Ad with Andy Richter
," "More Drunk Orson Welles Outtakes," "Immortal Dog" and "Slider," starring Dax Shepard
), but also to the fact that the show has functioned as a feeder of talent to the cast and writing staff of Saturday Night Live
. The show contains both live and pre-filmed sketch material, guided by a celebrity host. Past hosts have included Andy Richter
, Dax Shepard
, Fred Willard
, Jerry O'Connell
, Trevor Moore
, Jerry Minor
, Jordan Peele
, Michaela Watkins
, Matt Walsh, Paul F. Tompkins
, Steve Agee
and John Ennis
.
In 2010, The Midnight Show was selected as a finalist in the New York Friars' Club
Improv and Sketch Comedy Competition.
The Midnight Show is performed and written by Stephanie Allynne, Heather Anne Campbell
, Cale Hartmann, James Pumphrey, Eric Moneypenny
, Hal Rudnick, Jeff Sloniker, Nic Wegener, Joe Chandler, and Curtis Rainsberry, is produced by Megan Reeves and Michael Busch, with stage direction by Joe Wagner and video direction by Peter Atencio, Payman Benz, Tyler Gillett and others.
Notable alumni include: SNL cast member Abby Elliott
, SNL writers Heather Anne Campbell
and Ryan Perez, Comedy Death-Ray Radio
performer James Adomian
, standup Josh Fadem, and Community
writer Zach Paez.
Frequent collaborators include filmmakers Payman Benz, Peter Atencio and Tyler Gillett.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based sketch comedy
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
group which performs monthly at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Founded in 2008, the show owes its notoriety not only to production of several viral internet videos on Funny or Die
Funny or Die
Funny or Die is a comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions with original and user-generated content. Funny or Die contains exclusive material from a number of famous contributors and also has its own Funny or Die Team, which creates...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(including "Twilight ... with Cheeseburgers," "Car Ad with Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
," "More Drunk Orson Welles Outtakes," "Immortal Dog" and "Slider," starring Dax Shepard
Dax Shepard
Dax Randall Shepard is an American actor.- Early life :Shepard was born in Milford, Michigan and attended Muir Junior High and Walled Lake Central High School, before enrolling in The Groundlings school. He later received a degree in anthropology at UCLA...
), but also to the fact that the show has functioned as a feeder of talent to the cast and writing staff of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. The show contains both live and pre-filmed sketch material, guided by a celebrity host. Past hosts have included Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
, Dax Shepard
Dax Shepard
Dax Randall Shepard is an American actor.- Early life :Shepard was born in Milford, Michigan and attended Muir Junior High and Walled Lake Central High School, before enrolling in The Groundlings school. He later received a degree in anthropology at UCLA...
, Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
, Jerry O'Connell
Jerry O'Connell
Jeremiah "Jerry" O'Connell is an American actor, best known for his roles in the TV series Sliders, Andrew Clements in My Secret Identity, Vern Tessio in the film Stand by Me, Charlie Carbone in Kangaroo Jack, and Detective Woody Hoyt on the drama Crossing Jordan...
, Trevor Moore
Trevor Moore
Trevor Paul Moore is an American actor, comedian, writer, and director best known as a founding member of the New York City-based comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U' Know, who had their own sketch comedy series on IFC which ran for five seasons...
, Jerry Minor
Jerry Minor
Jerry C. Minor is an American actor, comedian and writer known for his comedic roles in numerous television programs such as Mr. Show, Saturday Night Live, Delocated, Crossballs, Carpoolers and Lucky Louie....
, Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele is an American actor and comedian known as a cast member on MADtv from 2003–2008 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Brian on the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital...
, Michaela Watkins
Michaela Watkins
Michaela Suzanne Watkins is an American comic actress, best known for her various roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, a regular performer with The Groundlings in Los Angeles, her recurring role as "Lucy" in the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, and for her supporting role as...
, Matt Walsh, Paul F. Tompkins
Paul F. Tompkins
Paul Francis Tompkins , best known as Paul F. Tompkins, is an American actor and comedian.-Life and career:Tompkins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a receptionist mother and railway worker father. He started out in stand-up comedy in 1986 at The Comedy Works, Philadelphia, PA, where he...
, Steve Agee
Steve Agee
Steve Agee is an American actor and comedian, best known for his supporting role as Steve Myron on the Comedy Central series The Sarah Silverman Program....
and John Ennis
John Ennis (actor)
John Ennis is an American actor and comic. He has been a regular cast member of Mr. Show with Bob and David, has played roles in Malcolm in the Middle and played a writer for the fictitious comedy show at the center of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip...
.
In 2010, The Midnight Show was selected as a finalist in the New York Friars' Club
New York Friars' Club
The Friars Club is a private club in New York City, founded in 1904 and famous for its risqué celebrity roasts. The club's membership is composed mostly of comedians and other celebrities. It is located at 57 East 55th Street between Park and Madison Avenues in a building it calls the Monastery...
Improv and Sketch Comedy Competition.
The Midnight Show is performed and written by Stephanie Allynne, Heather Anne Campbell
Heather Anne Campbell
Heather Anne Campbell is an American comedian and writer.Campbell was editor of Dave Halverson's Play Magazine as well as Jeff Bond's Geek Monthly until their closure in 2010. She remains a contributing writer for Action Button...
, Cale Hartmann, James Pumphrey, Eric Moneypenny
Eric Moneypenny
Eric Moneypenny is an American comedian and writer.Moneypenny is currently a writer and performer for The Midnight Show , a popular monthly sketch comedy showcase at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, which has been called "a hot spot to watch simmering talent boil over into commercial success."...
, Hal Rudnick, Jeff Sloniker, Nic Wegener, Joe Chandler, and Curtis Rainsberry, is produced by Megan Reeves and Michael Busch, with stage direction by Joe Wagner and video direction by Peter Atencio, Payman Benz, Tyler Gillett and others.
Notable alumni include: SNL cast member Abby Elliott
Abby Elliott
Abigail "Abby" Elliott is an American actress and comedian currently appearing as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Life and career:...
, SNL writers Heather Anne Campbell
Heather Anne Campbell
Heather Anne Campbell is an American comedian and writer.Campbell was editor of Dave Halverson's Play Magazine as well as Jeff Bond's Geek Monthly until their closure in 2010. She remains a contributing writer for Action Button...
and Ryan Perez, Comedy Death-Ray Radio
Comedy Death-Ray Radio
Comedy Bang Bang is a weekly comedy audio podcast, which began airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009. It is hosted by writer and comedian Scott Aukerman, best known for his work on the 1990s HBO sketch comedy program Mr...
performer James Adomian
James Adomian
James Adomian is an Armenian-American actor and stand-up comedian. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska and currently lives in New York City...
, standup Josh Fadem, and Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
writer Zach Paez.
Frequent collaborators include filmmakers Payman Benz, Peter Atencio and Tyler Gillett.
External links
- TMS Funny or Die page
- TMS YouTube page
- http://themidnightshowblog.tumblr.com/TMS TumblrTumblrTumblr is a website and microblogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog. Users can follow other users, or choose to make their tumblelog private. The service emphasizes ease of use. The site ranks as the 10th...
blog] - Friars' Club Interviews The Midnight Show
- Twilight ... with Cheeseburgers at Perez Hilton