Theater Review / Theatre XP and The Studios of Key West Announce New ‘Classics of Comedy 2’

Key West’s eclectic TheatreXP, in association with The Studios of Key West, has just announced the addition to their 2019-20 season schedules of the new edition of the hilarious and highly popular comedy event, “The Classics of Comedy 2”, set to run January 9-11, 2020.

Tickets have just gone on sale for the three-night event, which sold out completely in its first incarnation. Those interested in securing the coveted tickets before they sell out again should visit https://tskw.org/classics-of-comedy-2/ or call the Studios’ box office at 305-296-0458.

One of the smash hits of last summer’s Key West Summer Stage, “The Classics of Comedy” was a new event created by TheatreXP’s founder Bob Bowersox. It only ran for two nights, but the Helmerich Theater at The Studios of Key West was packed to the rafters each night with audiences that literally could not stop laughing.

The evening is a wild and crazy assemblage of faithful recreations of some of the classic comedy sketches by the top comics and comedy teams of the Golden Ages of comedy, some going back to the early days of film and television.

“[Actor] Mathias Maloff and I were sitting around one night trying to remember Abbott and Costello’s classic ‘Who’s On First’ bit,” said Bowersox, who produces and directs the event. “And it occurred to us that there are probably an awful lot of people who have never seen that fabulous sketch actually performed. The idea just grew from there. There’s so much great comedy out there that hasn’t been seen for years or never been seen live.”

Bowersox assembled a troupe of some of Key West’s best comedic actors, including Maloff, Pony Charvet, Tony Konrath, Don Bearden, Melody Moore, Karl Stahl, Tammy Shanley, Donna Stabile, and Susanna Wells. They then combed through hours of old film and TV tapes to find the sketches that made up “Classics of Comedy 1”, and meticulously recreated them for the stage.

“We couldn’t get through a rehearsal without laughing ourselves to tears,” Bowersox said. “Those old bits were written perfectly, and were so naturally funny they never needed a laugh track like today’s sitcoms. There’s a reason they’re called ‘classics’.”

The new edition of “Classics of Comedy” will feature the top four sketches from the first show, and nine new ones. Joining Abbott and Costello will be Bob and Ray, Nichols and May, the Marx Brothers, Monty Python, Bob Newhart, Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, Johnny Carson, and Cheech and Chong, among others.

“It’s a fabulously funny evening,” said Studios Board Member Rosi Ware, who attended last summer’s inaugural edition. “A truly inspired idea. We can all use a good laugh these days, and this show really delivers.”

Tickets for “The Classics of Comedy 2” are $45 Preferred, $35 General, with a $10 discount for members –advanced purchase only. Visit tskw.org or call 305-296-0458 to get yours. For more information, visit theatrexp.org or call them at 302-540-6102.

The event is sponsored by the Harry S. Truman Little White House.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]