Good Orbit

According to the Pulitzer website, anyone can nominate anything for a Pulitzer Prize, and Pulitzer Surprises takes advantage of that horrible idea. Eliza Cossio (The Daily Show) and Caroline Schaper (Full Frontal, Letterman) have their favorite comedians perform their submission for a Pulitzer. Then they interview a real-life Pulitzer Prize winner who has actually done something good. At the end of the show the audience will cast their vote on who deserves a Pulitzer, and then it will really be submitted for a Pulitzer Prize. That winner walks away a “Pulitzer Prize Entrant.” Show taped monthly at Union Hall and now CAVEAT. This month Eliza Cossio and Caroline Schaper welcome hopefuls Roy Wood Jr., Conner O’Malley, Catherine Cohen, Carmen Christopher, and interview Dan Fagin about his real-life Pulitzer for Tom’s River.  

In this episode, comics Wendi Starling, Andy Sanford, Kelsey Caine, Khalid Rahmaan, and Jake Head were the most adventurous to date, really putting the band to work. And at the end host Yedoye Travis wouldn’t let them STOP working, so stick around for the extended jam as only Yedoye can do. The Original Lineup that night featured Andrew Gialanella Joseph D’Alessio Andrew Mackasek. Show Recorded September 02, 2016 at Union Hall. Live sound and mix by Alex Nahas. Produced and edited by Shannon Manning ABOUT RENT PARTY Rent Party is a musical improv and stand up show that’s about as much fun as you can fit into one place. Yedoye Travis, Farah Brook and the backing band, The Original Lineup, invite New York’s best comedians to tell jokes and stories set to some of the best music in the city. Shows recorded every month at Union Hall.

We don’t mean to spook you but someday Blythe is going to die. What is going to happen to her? We will tell you in excruciating detail and Madelyn’s not going to like it. Luckily, Madelyn’s mom didn’t ever give her permission to die so she can’t. They talk to Order of the Good Death member, author, and alive ghost Bess Lovejoy. We got some cool ass witches on the docket scamming us with tricks, Jo Firestone, Josh Gondelman, and Friends Who Folk. (Bowen Yang’s motivational dance to fend off rigor mortis was unfortunately too hot to share!) Blythe Roberson and Madelyn Freed host. Recorded Tuesday, August 1, 2017 at Union Hall  Live sound and recording by Dave Polk. Produced and edited by Shannon Manning.

Book Club is a comedy variety show where hosts Colin Stokes and Blythe Roberson (The New Yorker, The Onion), along with some of NYC’s best comedians, read the books so you don’t have to. Held monthly at Union Hall. This month’s book Colin, Blythe and guest Catherine Cohen discuss Emily Brontë’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS. It’s a classic of Western literature, and every single person in it sucks. Live sound and recording by Daniel Evanko. Produced and edited by Shannon Manning. Artwork by Will McPhail

Recorded the week before the election. A pared-down Original Lineup (Joey D’Alessio, bass and Misaki Nakamichi, keys) leads host Yedoye Travis in a one-way eighties rap battle after sets by comics LeClerc Darguin, Tyler Richardson, and Casey Balsham. Show Recorded  Oct 24, 2016 at Union Hall. Live sound and mix by Alex Nahas. Produced and edited by Shannon Manning. ABOUT RENT PARTY Rent Party is a musical improv and stand up show that’s about as much fun as you can fit into one place. Yedoye Travis, Farah Brook and the backing band, The Original Lineup, invite New York’s best comedians to tell jokes and stories set to some of the best music in the city. Shows recorded every month at Union Hall.  

We did this show because Madelyn had a fever dream about a scientific study that may never have existed at all. If you have any information about it, please call 911. We truly figure out love in this episode with the help of the queen, Dr. Helen Fisher. Elna Baker, Patti Harrison, Alexandra Song, and Catherine Cohen thrill us with their little skits. Hosted by Blythe Roberson, Madelyn Freed Recorded Live at BRIC House May 2, 2017. Live sound and recording by Andrew Lulling and Evan Zierk at BRIC. Produced and edited by Shannon Manning for Good Orbit.

This month, we’re anthropologists, and we’re slaves to capitalism. Madelyn meets her hero, Elizabeth Royte, and Blythe doesn’t like Kondo-ing. Everyone’s best friends Halcyon Person and Matt Barats YUCK it up, Catherine Cohen does it in song.

Serious Matters is a monthly comedy show at Union Hall that features stand up, video, PowerPoints, and interviews with real-life experts. On this podcast, we play the featured interview from each show, as these experts help us solve that day’s Serious Matter. Elna Baker was the guest interview, talking about her new book: The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance: A Memoir. This show recorded Oct 5, 2017 at Union Hall. Sound by Gary O’Keefe and edited and produced by Shannon Manning for Good Orbit.

Book Club is a comedy variety show where hosts Colin Stokes and Blythe Roberson (The New Yorker, The Onion), along with some of NYC’s best comedians, read the books so you don’t have to. Held monthly at Union Hall. This month’s book was: The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. This month’s guests were:  Fran Hoepfner, Monica Heisey, and Harris Mayersohn. Live sound and recording by Chris Medrano. Produced and edited by Shannon Manning. Artwork by Will McPhail  

According to the Pulitzer website, anyone can nominate anything for a Pulitzer Prize, and Pulitzer Surprises takes advantage of that horrible idea. Eliza Cossio (The Daily Show) and Caroline Schaper (Full Frontal, Letterman) have their favorite comedians perform their submission for a Pulitzer. Then they interview a real-life Pulitzer Prize winner who has actually done something good. At the end of the show the audience will cast their vote on who deserves a Pulitzer, and then it will really be submitted for a Pulitzer Prize. That winner walks away a “Pulitzer Prize Entrant.” Show tapes monthly at Union Hall. This month Eliza Cossio and Caroline Schaper welcome hopefuls Daniel Spenser, Annie Donley, Kashana Cauley, and interview Sarah Ryley about her real-life Pulitzer.

Featuring Kenny DeForest, Shalewa Sharpe, Will Miles, and hosted by Yedoye Travis THE ORIGINAL LINEUP: Alex Pyle, Joey Ziegler, Alex Lotito, Andrew Gialanella THE FIRST LIVE SHOW! Back to the beginning and the very first Rent Party with The Original Lineup! Kenny yells at the band, Shalewa is her amazing hilarious self, and Will leads an inspiring audience sing-along. Yedoye was a party fire (the opposite of a dumpster fire) — hosting solo, singing, and dancing (listen hard). A simpler time that wasn’t at all simple. Show Recorded July 18, 2016 at Union Hall. Live sound and mix by Alex Nahas. Produced and edited by Shannon Manning. ABOUT RENT PARTY Rent Party is a musical improv and stand up show that’s about as much fun as you can fit into one place. Yedoye Travis, Farah Brook and the backing band, The Original Lineup, invite New York’s best comedians to tell jokes and stories set to some of the best music in the city. Shows recorded every month at Union Hall.  

Artificial Intelligence Is the robot takeover around the corner? Or is it just nerd apocalypse that we have nothing to worry about? Madelyn & Blythe explain the singularity, and comedians Joel Kim Booster, Ana Fabrega, Stephen Markow, and Rob Dubbin weigh in. Hosted by Blythe Roberson, Madelyn Freed Recorded Live at Union Hall, Feb 7, 2017. Live Sound by Dave Polk. Produced and edited by Shannon Manning. ABOUT THE SHOW Comedians and “scientists” Madelyn Freed (The Annoyance) and Blythe Roberson (New Yorker, The Onion) investigate a new scientific topic each month. From AI to romantic attraction to body decomposition, Madelyn and Blythe give an hour-long lecture with help from NYC’s funniest comedians. At the end of every show, they bring out an actual scientific authority to pester with questions and to tell them where they went wrong.

Post Election In this episode, everyone is upset about the election, we introduce a new co-host, and Jo Firestone puts the band’s music history knowledge to the test. Yedoye Travis, Farah Brook (co-host), Austin Chardac, Clark Jones, Jo Firestone, Ariel Elias, Karl Hess Band: Joey D’Alessio, Alex Weston, Paul Adler, Benjamin Brody Show Recorded Nov 23, 2016, at Union Hall. Live sound and mix by Alex Nahas. Produced and edited by Shannon Manning. ABOUT THE SHOW Rent Party is a musical improv and stand up show that’s about as much fun as you can fit into one place. Yedoye Travis, Farah Brook and the backing band, The Original Lineup, invite New York’s best comedians to tell jokes and stories set to some of the best music in the city. Shows recorded every month at Union Hall.