Nearly everything in comedy that has survived from COVID-19 lockdown that has intended to return has indeed return with only a very tiny group of exceptions. In LA, the Ice House in Pasadena and the Upright Citizens Brigade have not opened their doors once more for nightly shows like they had in 2019, but, for UCB, that will be changing in the next couple of weeks.
From having to close most of their theater spaces and selling the entire brand to a new three party ownership, UCB is set for a ‘homecoming’ over two nights on Fri. Sept. 30th and Sat. Oct. 1st. that will feature their best improv, sketch, and characters including:
Elefante-A monologist from the world of entertainment tells personal stories which inspire scenes by a rotating cast of LA’s best improvisers. Elefante is the Upright Citizens Brigade’s staple improv comedy show.
An improv showcase of: The Big Team, Spanish Aqui Presents, Asian AF: Voltron, Queer World
Homecoming Parade-40 characters, 60 seconds in front of a crowd with hosts John Milhiser & Veronica Osorio Vidette.
It’ll be an intriguing return as UCB will return to an entirely transformed comedy scene as bit of the big dogs that they once were, but a bit of the new kids since many UCB alums have found their way to The Elysian or Largo over the last couple of years (and the internal reckoning they had in 2020), not to mention trying to discern what the new direction of UCB under its new ownership will be.
In any case, some of the very best improvisers and sketch folks in the scene will be going up on those two nights and it’ll be worth $20 of your bucks to head back to UCB Franklin, still hallowed comedy ground in LA as far as we’re concerned, and catch any three of these shows at least once, if not twice. Get tickets here.