“Mee-ow You See Me” comedy show to premiere in Shanley Pavilion
Jacob Wendler/The Daily Northwestern
Communication Senior Justin Kuhn opened a sketch performing a three-person interaction by himself, later working off two more cast members who were thrown into the scene after being secluded in the green room.
February 25, 2022
The Mee-Ow Show is set to perform in Shanley Pavilion this weekend.
The show will run four times from Feb. 24 through Feb. 26, and is the comedy group’s second production of the quarter.
“We put on our first show, and then we sat down that next Monday and we started writing our next show,” said Mee-Ow Co-Director Carden Katz. “It’s completely different, completely new sketches.”
The fast-paced timeline distinguishes the organization from other Northwestern comedy groups. Katz said the group practiced five times a week, four hours a day to prepare for their biquarterly show.
The show’s name, “Mee-ow You See Me,” reflects the opening sketch’s magic theme. Co-Producer Grant Albright said that while this show has similar comedy, the producers now have more experience putting on a live performance.
The show is made up of pre-written sketches, improv games and live music from the band Ground Control.
Instead of the typical intermission found at other performances, The Mee-Ow Show opts to have a dance break where the audience comes on stage.
“We really love to play songs that everyone knows the words to, people can sing along to, dance to,” said Ground Control bass player Noah Rabinovitch. “Between all the sketches we do 15 to 22 second bits or interludes that are either clips of a song or a little comedy thing.”
Members of the Mee-ow Show, which has been running for about 50 years, have gone on to perform in top improv groups across the country, including Chicago’s The Second City, New York’s Magnet Theater and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.
Audience members can expect a wide range of rotating sketches. Albright said of the 20 sketches the group chooses per show, actors perform 11 during any given performance.
“I like to call it a celebration,” Albright said. “It’s just so fun; the musical aspect and the way it’s just so intense that they’re just writing all quarter and then they get to show it at the end of the quarter.”
Kaila Nichols contributed to reporting.
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Twitter: @nicolejmarkus
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