Improv group to play April Fools’ Day show
Written by Emily Gibb | | egibb@toledofreepress.comThe Around the Bend Players, an improvisational comedy troupe that has been making Toledo laugh for 13 years, is coming back from a yearlong hiatus with a show on April 1 in Sylvania.
The Around the Bend Players’ shows are “a little bit stand-up comedy and a little bit theater,” said group member Tom Hofbauer. “It’s a lot of double entendre, but it’s nothing worse than ‘How I Met Your Mother’ on Monday nights.”
While the show is open to all ages, Hofbauer said kids younger than 14 or 15 might not get it. They use many current events and obscure references — or what Hofbauer calls “intelligent humor.”
“There aren’t a lot of bodily function jokes,” he said.
Since they are performing in a restaurant rather than a bar, it’s still a family-friendly event.
Their shows are set up very similar to the popular improv show hosted by Drew Carey, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” They take audience suggestions and play about 15 to 18 games that are generally three to five minutes long.
If the audience members see something they don’t like, Hofbauer said, they just have to wait four minutes and the comedians are on to something different.
“It changes constantly and the energy from the audience and the suggestions from the audience really drive the entire evening,” he said. “We’re the best-kept secret in Toledo for 13 years, but we have a nice loyal following.”
The Around the Bend Players are performing at 8 p.m. at the SouthBriar, 5147 Main St., Sylvania. Dinner is available prior to the show and drinks and appetizers will be available during the show.
For more information, visit www.aroundthebendplayers.com.
Tags: Around the Bend Players, Comedy, Star
