Get ready for the unexpected when Norm and his wife Corky invite another couple to their Ojai backyard to watch a meteor shower in the night sky. As the stars come out and the conversation gets rolling, cocktails flow, tempers flare, and sparks fly-literally. Steve Martin's surprising new comedy takes an offbeat and absurdist look at the comic anxiety lurking just beneath the surface of modern marriage.
Steve Martin's lump of sight gags, one-liners and situation comedy streaks toward Broadway. A couple v couple amusement first written in the 1990s, it pits a dull, normal pair (Amy Schumer and Jeremy Shamos) against a more devious duo (Keegan-Michael Key and Laura Benanti). Norm and Corky, owners of a tony pad in Ojai, have invited Gerald and Laura over for wine, crab dip and astronomy. Sparks fly. So do asteroids. So do some of the jokes.
Meteor Shower may not be groundbreaking (few meteors are), but comedy doesn't have to be revelatory to work. And Martin's particular brand of humor is loopy enough to keep us interested. He's also a master of the dad joke: The extended setup that builds to a wince-inducing punch line. (Re: Norm's dick: 'It's been photographed by Mapplethorpe.' 'How did he hear about it?' 'Word of mouth.') Yeah, yeah, groans all around - but you can't help giggling, too. And you could do far worse than spend 80 minutes chuckling and groaning in the company of this game foursome of actors (there's far worse out there right now). So grab a pre-wine or three and settle in for some puns and some Perseids on this lightest of all dark nights of the soul.
2016 | San Diego, CA (Regional) |
The Old Globe World Premiere Production San Diego, CA (Regional) |
2017 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Laura Benanti |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Amy Schumer |
2018 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Steve Martin |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Amy Schumer |
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