Virgin Sacrifice
Created by Mickey Blaine and Nicole Blaine; Directed by Mickey Blaine
Produced by 717 Productions
Part of the 2015 New York International Fringe Festival
Off Off Broadway, Comedy
Runs through 8.27.15
VENUE #6: DROM, 85 Avenue A
by Adrienne Urbanski on 8.16.15
Nicole Blaine in Virgin Sacrifice.
BOTTOM LINE: Fans of stand-up comedy will get plenty of laughs from the skilled performers that fill this show, along with seeing a comedy "virgin" get a chance to take the stage.
After seeing a few stand-up comedy sets and understanding just how many bad jokes are mixed in with the zingers, I often wonder if I could pull off doing a set, as it seems to be deceptively easy. This is the premise of the Virgin Sacrifice comedy show, visiting New York the Fringe from its regular mainstay in Los Angeles, which gives comedy-goers the chance to answer this question. Each show is peppered with comedy veterans and a few new faces, but the gimmick is the fact that each show ends with a performer who has never done standup comedy before and gives them a chance to see if they have what it takes. Comedian Nicole Blaine, the creator of the show, works as the MC, introducing and interspersing the space between acts with her own material.
If you enjoy stand-up comedy then this is a Fringe show you should definitely plan on seeing. Among the performers the night I attended were Michelle Wolf, Julio Torres, Luis Gomez, and Seaton Smith. The jokes were racy, raunchy, and often had the crowd doubled over in laughter. Michelle Wolf cracked a few (now requisite) Cosby jokes and joked about how she hates gay men for being better at being women than actual women are. Julio Torres performed with an intentionally nervous style and joked about how the hardest part about going vegan is that now everyone hates him. Luis Gomez made fun of his Puerto Rican background, and Seaton Smith gave some hilarious insight into the state of race relations in America.
Concluding the night was newbie comedian and real estate developer Brandon Baron who showed some talent in his delivery. Upcoming performances will include such late night television staples as Carmen Lynch and Adrienne Iapalucci. (Each of the upcoming performances includes a large number of female performers, which is nice change of pace from the typically masculine stand-up scene.) The upcoming “virgins” also include a myriad of people from differing professions, including a statistician and an emergency room doctor (surely there is some comedic gold there).
(Virgin Sacrifice plays at VENUE #6: DROM, 85 Avenue A, through August 27, 2015. Performances are Fri 8/14 at 9:15; Wed 8/19 at 5:30; Sat 8/22 at 1:45; Wed 8/26 at 3:15; and Thu 8/27 at 7. There is no late seating at FringeNYC. Tickets are $18 and are available at fringenyc.org. For more information visit www.virginsacrificeshow.com.)