Yep. My dream of doing improv as the X-Men finally came true, and in a big way. The night also featured "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" improv (hence Jess being all Dark Willow-ed out) and "Law & Order" improv (which is why Kim looks so business-like). But yeah, a childhood of practice finally paid off on Saturday and we all looked a lot more like our characters than when I played X-Men as a kid.
That's me as Gambit, Frank Hejl as Mr. Sinister, Crystal Delahanty as Jean Grey, Laura Zeis as Dazzler, Sam Bradford as Beast, Phil Weintraub as Cyclops, Bryce Richardson as Wolverine and David Bluvband as Nightcrawler. We all got prepared at my apartment in Queens beforehand. It was like getting ready for prom only using much more blue body paint and much less glitter (not that Laura didn't try).
Riding on the subway was even more fun. Somehow when you're dressed like an X-Man, surrounded by six other X-Men, it doesn't seem weird. It actually seems uncanny.
Laura got looks like that all night. I've never seen so much cartoon eye-bugging and tongue elongating in my life. The show itself was actually great. When you do costumed improv or watch it, it seems like a lot of it coasts along on the gimmick. Sometimes it works through sheer insanity (Cosby-prov), other times the gimmick falls flat through lack of commitment on some performers' part (Juno-prov). I think getting in costume and riding the subway and all that really got us all into character because we all owned it. Our suggestion was Catholic. We did a pattern game opening.
Dazzler stepped into a confessional with Nightcrawler, who had a very hard time sitting in his chair normally.
Beast did some amazing object work with test tubes.
Gambit and his son Nightcrawler had a heart to heart about ladies and the ministry.
Dazzler tried to seduce Cyclops, much to Jean Grey's disapproval.
Mr. Sinister: "I cloned your dead ex-wife and set you up on a blind date with her...hope that goes well."
Wolverine stepped in to play the clone. There was much tension.
Mr. Sinister cut to the delivery of their baby, a baby that he then stole and took to the future.
Nightcrawler and Gambit picked up a hitchhiker on their way to the Incubus concert.
Cyclops played lead guitar in Dazzler's band while Beast played drums...with his feet.
Gambit played a Sentinel just trying to do some office work for Cyclops' law firm.
That wasn't the whole show and there were some amazing lines that escape me right now. Heck, I can't even remember what our blackout was. But, overall, this was one of the best performances I've ever don and it was easily the best Bad Date thanks to solid and great shows put on by Buffy-prov and Law & Order-prov.I think we'd have to reunite the Swarm and give out hundred dollar bills to all in attendance to top this at Bad Date V.
