Improv: The Musical Makes Debut Appearance at Art Town

Utility Players Revamp Original Musical for July

[July 29^th, 2010] Reno, Nevada: The Utility Players, voted one of the best comedians in 2009 [RN&R], is the premiere short form improv group in town. Reno's own live version of Whose Line is it Anyway?, The Utility Players incorporate improv with musical comedy, sketch comedy, stand up, game shows, and more. The Utility Players just entered their third season with the “Homefield Advantage Tour” - a six month tour of different venues and spaces around town. The tour wraps up with Improv: The Musical – an original musical production.

The Utility Players premiered the musical as the finale to their second season back in December. The musical relates the somewhat mythical tale of the formation of an improv comedy troupe. Set in present day Reno, this modern day fairy tale follows aspiring comedian Jes as she attempts to follow her dreams of fame and comedy. Her wish is granted by a fairy godmother who sets Jes and six other strangers of on their path to achieving their goals of making people laugh and turning it into a career. However, what kind of musical would it be unless there was a little conflict and angst? An evil witch, hellbent on foiling the fairy godmother's seamless plan, hatches a plot to use a downtrodden stand up comedian named Guy to steal the laughter from all the citizens of Reno. Will the evil witch and our intrepid villain succeed or will the Utility Players be able to stop the villain in some epic heroic battle? The plot, script, music, and lyrics were all created and composed by the Utility Players.

The musical features of number of local personalities who are adding their creative talents to the fold. Amanda Alvey, a local Reno actress, had a minor role in the musical last time around as the sarcastic and apathetic emcee of an open mic night. Since then, her part has been expanded and now is one of the principal players of the musical. Alvey is a fantastic performer and has a commanding stage presence. Also on the line up for the cast is local singer/songwriter Ariel Lea, a recent addition to the Utility Player team. Lea has stepped in as the vocal & musical director for the productions, lending her powerhouse voice and vast show choir and musical theater experience to the mix. Last, but certainly not least, the musical features local drag queen Miss Ginger Devine. Voted among the best drag queens in Reno in 2009 [RN&R], Devine is stepping into the roles of the fairy godmother and the evil witch to add as she calls it "a little flair, some campiness, and a pinch of dramatics to the productions".

“It truly is a group effort” relates producer, and one of the stars in the musical, Jessica Levity. Levity goes on to say that “each of the Utility Players are undertaking a different aspect of the musical from scripting writing & directing to vocal coaching and music composition”.

For those that attended the December reveal of “Utility Players: The Musical” should not be deterred from seeing the musical again. “It's a completely different musical than the one in December” puts forth director for the musical Christopher Daniels. He says that the troupe “really examined the musical in totality figuring out what worked, what didn't, what needs to be changed, or simply taken out”. Daniels assured that “although the musical is comedic in nature, we wanted poignant moments, strong complex character arcs, and be able to answer the 'so what?' question of why people should see this musical”.

When asked what set this musical apart from others, the troupe had different answers. Producer Levity stated that “i think part of it is the group chemistry, we're not just a group of random strangers cast into these roles … these are roles we created for ourselves and poured parts of ourselves into”. Daniels related that “having improv scenes/games woven into the musical is really unique and rare … every time we perform this musical the improv is always going to be different based upon audience suggestion”.

The troupe was more than ecstatic, when the event was picked up for Artown. Artown, a month long celebration in July, showcases more than 400 events featuring artists - both local and abroad – to display the cultural and artistic diversity present in the city and across the world. Soon after the Utility Players received confirmation that the Siena Casino would be the host venue for the Artown event. “Performing in one of the Siena ballrooms is going to make the world of difference with this musical” gushes Levity, “audience members are going to walk into a beautiful ballroom with spacious seating, a bar, and an expansive stage … it's going to be nothing like last time”.

IMPROV: The Musical is scheduled for Thursday, July 29^th , in the Siena Casino's Ballroom at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10 at the show and make sure to get there early and grab a drink at the bar. For more information about the Utility Players make sure to check out their website at www.utilityplayerscomedy.com



Tonight, the Utility Players are taking over Se7en on West with their popular all improv show called IMPROVAPOTAMUS. This show features everyone's favorite short form improv games in the stylings of Whose Line is It Anyway? 

This is one of our favorite shows to perform. The energy is so high throughout the entire show - our host for the night, the Jester, interacts and involves the audience throughout the entire show with their suggestions or getting dragged up on stage to get a song ballad sung to them. Audiences see a comedy show completely made up for them on the spot based upon their input.

The show will also feature the newest members of our troupe - Matt, Amanda, and Judi - jumping in for some of the games. Our newest additions are amazing and have brought a great energy to the group. Whether it is Amanda's extensive theatrical background, Matt's spoken word poems, or Judi's incredible stand up comedy - which will actually be featured tonight -, all of the members have brought something new and exciting to contribute to the troupe as a whole and really allow for us to own the title of "Utility Players".

These past couple of weeks, aside from training and preparing our new members, we have been testing out different improv games to premiere at our shows. Some of the games that will make an appearance at tonight's show are CD Song Compilation, Press Conference, and Super Heroes. We want to make sure they we are consistently providing variety and new games for our audiences while keeping favorite games. If you would like to see the Utility Players play a specific improv game make sure to leave a comment and let us know.

The show tonight is at Se7en on West - a part of West  Street Market. The show begins at 7:00pm so make sure to get there early and enjoy a drink at the bar. Bring all of your friends to a hilarious comedy show - $6 admission price, and $4 for students with ID.  Hope to see you all there.

Everyone loves some good press and we are no exception to the rule. The Reno Gay Page - the gay and lesbian news and information source for Northern Nevada - is a monthly publication that generously did an article about us last month - check out our Press Room for the article. We are featured in another article in the May Issue primarily discussing our Big GAY Comedy Show. Here is a brief excerpt from the article:

"The show featured a sketch on The World of Gay Divorce, since gay marriage was in the news
they wanted to see what happened after gay marriage. Then, on to various improvisational
moments, interacting members of the troupe who feed off what the other is saying to produce on the spot comedy (Improv). There was: mass debaters, the pros and
cons of a banana; sound effects; film newar, at Disneyland; That’s a Rap, where directions are given to troupe members who construct a scene.

The troupe uses the audience, taking words, sentences and thoughts they provide and put them into the improv sketch being performed. At the Big Gay Comedy Show, an audience member was brought to the stage and the duo, Baskin Robbins and Rainbow Sherbert , created
a song about Randy and the man back there (Randy’s significant other)."

Sometimes we take a step back and realize how gay/queer/open our entire troupe is. Not necessarily because the majority of the boys in our group also happen to like boys, but primarily because we all have a willingness to take on any character, position, or environment and jump right into it. We create safe spaces within the troupe for members to feel comfortable and let go which is only going to enhance the overall scene. Make sure to read the rest of the article "The Utility Players Can Cover All Positions on the Stage" in our Press Room

The show last Tuesday with the 2^nd Annual 420 Holidaze show. The show was in the beautiful Laxalt Theater, with great sponsors, and amazing special guests including John Ager and Christian Reyes. We created some sketchellas for the show about the trials and tribulations of a stoner attempting to get some munchies. We had a fantastic time with a great audience who were laughing all night long.

We sometimes get questions about why we have a troupe? Why improv? Why not try solo stuff? For us there is an energy and creative power inherent in a group. Perfect example came from Tuesday's show. Toward the beginning of the show, the game “World's Worst” got pulled, and the suggestion was worst airplane experience or something to that effect. So our manager Chris got the idea to take Shane on stage and put Shane in that unfortunate and awkward situation where the person next to you falls asleep on top of you. All of sudden another Utility Player jumped in to be annoying kid that sits behind you and kicks you throughout the entire flight. Then one by one each Utility Player stepped in to fill a role to enhance the overall scene and make it funnier with each new addition. Even the Jester jumped in to be the screaming child everyone loathes. Suddenly what unfolded was a complex, multi-varied scene for audiences on the spot and in those moments the power of improv shines through.

That group chemistry is part of the reason why we all love being in a comedy troupe, especially one rooted in improv. The potentialities and possibilities are endless and your scene partners have the ability to jump in and enhance the scene or even take it in a direction you hadn't thought of before. There is an excitement about jumping into a scene and not exactly knowing where it is going to end up, but trusting in your scene partner.

Some other great moments from the night included Chris trying to tell Amanda that the weapon for MURDER was a "high squid" by singing Poor Unfortunate Souls from Little Mermaid while smoking a joint. Also John Ager talking about his "cock soup", the Nooz Sho, Ariel Lea stepping in for Song Ballad and some Film Noir, as well as some stand up from Ian Sorensen.

Make sure to check out our next show this Tuesday at Se7en on West at West Street Market. The show starts at 7:00pm & admission to the show is $6. Come see a hilarious improv show made up for you on the spot!!



The Utility Players are performing at 7 on West @ West Street Market at 7:00pm. The Utility Players, a live version of Whose Line is It Anyway?, are breaking out their best and favorite improv games in this high energy comedy show. The show is featuring special guests Christopher Daniels, Amanda Alvey, and Ariel Lea. This extremely interactive show incorporates audience participation to make sure audience members are building a show they want to see. 

So make sure to come see the funniest comedy show in town featuring some of Reno's favorite comedians and performers. Admission to the show is $6. Make sure to get there early and enjoy a drink at 7 on West. Hope to see you all there tonight!

THE UTILITY PLAYERS ARE BACK: For the past two months we have rehearsed new improv games, started a weekly podcast and vlog series, and planned our tour - aptly named the HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE TOUR - and now we are back. We really have missed our weekly Comedy Cabaret shows at the Studio on 4th but we are excited for the opportunity to perform in different spaces and in different shows.

Our "tour" kicks off this Friday with a special guest appearance at NadaDada Nites presents the Sturdy Beggars and runs all the way to August. We have ALL-IMPROV showcases at West Street Market every first Tuesday of the month, Big Gay Comedy Shows at 5 Star Saloon, as well one night only events including the 2nd Annual Made in Reno & the 2nd Annual 420 Show.

This is a huge step for us all but we want to thank everyone who has been supportive on the website or our facebook fan page and cheering us on. We hope to see you at all the stops on the tour.

The Utility Players performed at a birthday party last night for Kristin Steedman, co-owner of the Studio on 4th. The Utility Players began out of the Studio on 4th almost a year ago and the Utility Players would not be where they are today without the consistent support and generosity of Mike and Kristin Steedman. When they asked us to perform for Kristin's surprise birthday party, we were honored and excited for the opportunity.

The night was absolutely incredible. We did an all improv set for the show and performed such games as Freeze/Ding, Don't Be a Square, Statues, and Say Birthday Girl. The highlight of the night was when the Utility Players played the Newlywed Game with the birthday girl herself. I think for the players one of the best parts of the night was the delicious free food that was offered. Thank you Mike and Kristin for everything!!!!!

Since Thursday is a holiday and because the Utility Players are hard at work rehearsing for the upcoming musical there will be no regular episode of the Comedy Cabaret. Make sure to join us next week though for our holiday episode The Utility Players Deck Your Halls. Come spread some disgruntled holiday cheer with the Utility Players as they relate dysfunctional family stories, Nurse Esther takes a stab at ringing a bell for charity, and a group of Holidays attempt to solve the murder of Santa. Our holiday episode is December 3rd at 8pm at the Studio on 4th. Make sure to get there early and enjoy some hot cider.

Last night the Utility Players had a brand new episode of the Comedy Cabaret. This week's theme focused on Saturday Morning Cartoons - dedicated to all those shows that entertained us growing up.

The show started off with Brandon showing us all how important Saturday Morning Cartoons are to every child ... and 29 year olds. The troupe also explored the darker side of Looney Toons with Cartoon Therapy. The Utility Players tackled Droopy Dog's acute case of depression as well as helped Snagglepus as he came out of the closet.

I think my favorite moment of the show last night was Brandon and I playing with his large elaborate action figure collection during the show. I had not played with action figure for like ... 2 years at this point and a flood of memories came back. Then of course, what is our favorite thing to do with action figures, put them in compromising sexual positions. So that was hilarious to do. I do not think that Nightcrawler and Collosus will be the same after last night

                                                                              The show also featured everyone's favorite improv games including Freeze/Ding, Scenes From a Thong, Don't Be a Square, and Class Dismissed. The Utility Players will not have a regularly scheeduled next week due to Thanksgiving. We will be taking that time to rehearse and practice for the musical which is coming up in less than 4 WEEKS! The Utility Players: The Musical, is an original productions with script, lyrics, and music written by the Utility Players. Make sure to check out the musical December 17th at the Studio on 4th at 8pm.

Tonight at Studio on 4th - 432 E. 4th Street - there is a brand new episode of the Comedy Cabaret starring the Utility Players. This week's theme is Saturday Morning Cartoons, in dedication to those cartoons that entertained us as children and continue to do so as adults. Watch as the Utility Players show the dark side of Looney Toons with a little Toon Therapy or see what happens when a kid attempts to have the perfect Saturday Morning Cartoon watching session.

As always the Comedy Cabaret is admission by donation in an effort to keep comedy affordable and accessible to all. So make sure to bring all your friends and enjoy a hilarious comedy show with a full service bar. Watch a commericial of the Comedy Cabaret. Hope to see you all there!