Show
Underbelly cast members on stage at the Southgate House following the January 5, 2010 performance. Back Row: Andrew Short, Ryan Fohl, Ryan Singer, Matt Stanton, Kelly Sirk, Mark Chalifoux, Dave Waite. Front Row: Celeste Brott, Reid Faylor, Alex Stone, Mike "Meat" Cronin, Mike Cody.
There are two ways to explain Underbelly.
First, the “press release” explanation:
Underbelly is a wild and unpredictable event featuring the area’s best stand-up comedians as they perform improv, sketches, original characters, poetry, music and dance–Everything except stand-up comedy. Named “Best Comedy Show of 2009” by Cincinnati Magazine, Underbelly is held on the first Tuesday of every month at 9:30 p.m. at the Southgate House in Newport, KY. Tickets are only $3 for ages 21 and up and just $6 for patrons aged 18-20. Always original, undeniably unique, Underbelly is the strangest comedy show in town.
Second, the heartfelt explanation:
Underbelly is an immersive experience that proves weird, original comedy can succeed anywhere, not just in New York or Los Angeles. The success of our show has been a wonderful accident. Our trademark “anything goes” format is the result of a random conversation I had with Alex Stone and Mike “Meat” Cronin in which we asked each other, “What if we did a show where we didn‘t bother doing stand-up at all?” If it hadn’t been for that simple question, I doubt we would have had any of the insane experiences and unpredictable moments that have kept us all looking forward to the first Tuesday of the month ever since our first show in May of 2009.
We’ve had a great many creative triumphs and watched more than a few sketches go down in flames. That’s okay, though. Our less-than-perfect moments occur when performers are pushing themselves beyond their comfort zones, not because they’re playing it safe. Underbelly is meaningful to audiences because it offers them plenty of laughs and “WTF” moments to talk about at work the next day. It’s meaningful to comedians because it reminds them that comedy is supposed to be fun.
Our cast won’t be around forever. It’s very likely that several of our most prominent performers will move on to seek their fortune in a major market. Someday, when the cast members of Underbelly are headlining comedy clubs, writing major TV shows or appearing in films, you’ll be able to say that you saw them at Southgate House before the rest of the world knew their names.
But in order to say “I saw them when,” you need to see them now.