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Sleepwalking into Success
Comedian Mike Birbiglia brings off-Broadway show to Milwaukee
By Jimmy Lemke
As for the new material? It was well worth the price of admission. Birbiglia's tales of sleepwalking and his father have their touching moments. Yet, he never strayed more than a thought or two away from the comedy that has supported his entire career.
Mike Birbiglia is the Hulk.
Well, not really. But that's how he describes his dream self.
Birbiglia, the comedian who embodies the movement of awkward humor more than any other, made a stop Friday in Milwaukee at the Pabst Theater as part of a truncated tour to test out his new material for the one-man off-Broadway show, "Sleepwalk With Me."
While Birbiglia had to deal with an increasingly idiotic audience -- I've never seen so many people take bathroom breaks in my life -- he took it in stride, mixing in over 80 minutes of completely new material with old favorites, such as his story about baseball great Dennis Eckersley, as well as his songs about breakfast, God, and that annoying guitar guy that is always trying to sleep with your girlfriend.
Sometimes, when comics are attempting new material on an audience that is intensely familiar with the old stuff, it isn't received as well. Luckily for the Milwaukee audience,
Birbiglia didn't shy away from taking shots at the town, which seemed just fine to their ears, as it was all in good fun. His lengthy story about sleepwalking was apparently caused by alcoholism according to one vocal fan, but Birbiglia was right on top of it. "Only in Milwaukee," Birbiglia said.
Even our esteemed university system couldn't stay untouched. In addition to popular schools Madison, Milwaukee, and Oshkosh, Birbiglia asked if anyone attended “UW-Supermarket” or “UW-The Road.” The crowd deserved the ribbing, but no one appeared to walk away offended. Birbiglia has truly mastered the art of dealing with an unruly crowd.
As for the new material? It was well worth the price of admission. Birbiglia's tales of sleepwalking and his father have their touching moments. Yet, he never strayed more than a thought or two away from the comedy that has supported his entire career. If there's one thing that can be taken away from his new show, it's that he is getting better with every new joke and story that he tells.
When Birbiglia finishes his trip through America with "Sleepwalk With Me," the show looks to enjoy a strong future in it’s new off-Broadway home.
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