busy philipps – Spinning Platters

Sketchfest Review: Movie Crush with Chuck Bryant and Busy Philipps at Gateway Theatre, 1/19/19

Ahhh, Sketchfest. Where else can you show up 5-10 minutes before show time, dressed down in jeans, a t-shirt, and your favorite sneakers, and still host a live version of your hilarious podcast? This past weekend, that’s exactly what Chuck Bryant did, hosting an episode of Movie Crush with special guest Busy Philipps at the Gateway Theatre on Saturday afternoon. Philipps was, Bryant explained, his #1, 2, and 3 pick of his “dream top 3” guests he submitted to Sketchfest founder Janet Varney when he was invited back to do another episode this year. Like Bryant, I wanted to hear all about Philipps’ movie “crush,” so I showed up early and waited with bated breath. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: Movie Crush with Chuck Bryant and Busy Philipps at Gateway Theatre, 1/19/19”

Sketchfest Review: We’re No Doctors with Steve Agee and Busy Philipps, 1/17/19

For those who have been following my Sketchfest reviews for a while, every year I like to play a little “podcast roulette.” I’ll pick a podcast that I’ve never heard, nor heard of before, and go see it live. Sometimes I’ll pick them entirely at random. Other times, like tonight, I’ll base my arrival on the guests. This podcast is called “We’re No Doctors,” which I could only assume was a podcast where famous people talk about their medical history with two people obsessed with medicine but have no medical experience. And with the great Jane Wiedlin as the guest (the guitar player for The Go-Go’s, a band famous for their pharmaceutical adventures), I figured there would be some good stories. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: We’re No Doctors with Steve Agee and Busy Philipps, 1/17/19”

SF Sketchfest Review: Workjuice Theatre with Paget Brewster, Craig Cackowski, Mark Gagliardi, Marc Evan Jackson, Hal Lublin, Busy Philipps, Paul F. Tompkins and more, 1/9/2016 at Brava Theater Center

The Thrilling Adventure Hour reincarnated = Workjuice Theater. (Photo cred: thanks to Tommy Lau photography!)

This year would have been my fifth consecutive year watching The Thrilling Adventure Hour at SF Sketchfest. Sadly, it seems I must finally admit that I’m a terrible podcast fan. I adore this show, but I’m a little behind. Ok, a lot behind: what I mean is, I never listen to podcasts. Like, ever. So that’s how far behind I am. It’s always been enough for me to keep up with this show whenever I could catch it live (which, as it happened, was once annually here in the city at Sketchfest). So okay, I didn’t know that there were ashes from which something new could be reborn, but mercifully, I needn’t waste too many tears: Workjuice Theatre definitely scratches the itch withdrawals from TAH might have given me. (Am I making any sense? Translation: I didn’t know that one of my favorite shows had ended, but a similar show with even same bits and characters has taken its place, so yay! Anyway, the show may have a new name, but I was just as happy as always to find myself back in my usual seat at Brava Theater Center last Saturday night to watch Craig, Hal, Marc, Mark, Paget, Paul and the gang! Continue reading “SF Sketchfest Review: Workjuice Theatre with Paget Brewster, Craig Cackowski, Mark Gagliardi, Marc Evan Jackson, Hal Lublin, Busy Philipps, Paul F. Tompkins and more, 1/9/2016 at Brava Theater Center”

Sketchfest Review: The Thrilling Adventure Hour, 2/8/15

Thrilling Adventure Hour lives up to its name, yet again.

One of the best things about SF Sketchfest every year is getting to watch all the fantastic talent of The Thrilling Adventure Hour. For any unfamiliar with this show, it’s a live, staged version of an old time radio show, and it’s never failed to entertain me for all the years I’ve been there to witness it. Thankfully, this year proved to be far less hectic than last year’s performance, for me at least. Last weekend (Saturday, to be exact), thanks to an earlier show, I was already in the city and had no trouble getting to Brava Theater Center with plenty of time before the lights dimmed. Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: The Thrilling Adventure Hour, 2/8/15”

Sketchfest Review: The Thrilling Adventure Hour at Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 1/21/2012

cast — No photography allowed! Thanks to thrillingadventurehour.com for this pic of some of the players!

I admit it. When I took my seat in the Marines’ Memorial Theatre last night, I didn’t really know what to expect. I requested this show because I wanted to be a part of SF Sketchfest (last year I saw Maximum Volume with Greg Behrendt and Matt Nathanson with a friend, and there met Gordon Elgart, which eventually led to my writing for Spinning Platters). Furthermore, I was excited to see Colin Hanks, Busy Philipps, and Paget Brewster (to name a few). Though the title probably should’ve tipped me off, I didn’t know I would be seeing a staged production like an old-school radio show, nor that it would be chock-full of familiar (and abundantly funny) faces.

Continue reading “Sketchfest Review: The Thrilling Adventure Hour at Marines’ Memorial Theatre, 1/21/2012”