press
Some dude from the Boston Herald came down and saw some comedy. ours was a part of it. Secret - he liked it!Full review here:
New York Magazine Loves “Penelope”!
New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix gives our SuperDeluxe show “Low-Brow-Brilliant!”
http://nymag.com/arts/all/approvalmatrix/31242/. And we just got the offer from Super Deluxe for more episodes! So expect more Penelope in the future!
The Apiary on Our Invite Them Up Appearance
“Kurt and Kristen served up the wildest performance of the night. A tale of survival as the secret twin children of hero Amelia Erhart–a story which delightfully ended with a fierce interpretive dance in costly glowstick bedazzled costumes. If Kurt and Kristen were a movie, that movie would be Just Bring It, because they’re always just bringin’ it and stuff.” link here.
The Apiary is Nice to Us
From the TheApiary.org, regarding our performance in SKetchfest NYC:
“What’s great about Kurt Braunohler & Kristen Schaal is their ability to take a concept and go beyond what anyone would expect. Since each possesses a strong improv background, one wonders how many of their sketches were cultivated in an improv setting–one that’s free of the natural circuit-breakers we have in place in our brains. Their comedy feels like an organic result of two fearless and kinetic minds that know how to play around with any scene and effortlessly smash through things like logic, boundaries, and convention. How else would someone be able to come up with this script:
Kurt: (clapping & stomping wildly) Kristen Schaal is a horse! Look at her now and a look at her go, Kristen Schaal is a horse! (Repeat 15 times while Kristen dances and frolics) ”
End.
”
NYMag and Hot Tub, Sittin’ in a Tree
We just got a really nice write-up on NYMag.com (link here):
“Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal’s variety show certainly values variety. In one night’s worth of entertainment, a lucky audience might get to see a leather daddy unicyclist who juggles to Queen, the latest, deranged cabaret act from Kenny Mellman (Kiki & Herb), an experimental video from David Cross (Mr. Show), and a foul-mouthed robot doing stand-up from a wheelchair. Framing the proceedings each week is an ever-changing screwball narrative. Performed by Braunohler, who’s like a demented defector from Archie comics, and Schaal, the 21st century’s lunatic answer to Gracie Allen, the interrelated interludes would upstage the featured acts if the two comedians weren’t such gracious hosts.”
We love you too, Magazine.
The New York Times Takes Us Out for a Free Meal
Here’s some things to know if you want to take us out for dinner: We’re very entertaining, Kristen really likes Monkfish liver, and we’re good at “blurring the lines between flirtation and horseplay.” Doesn’t that blurriness sound fun to you? Here’s how it went when the Times took us out: NY Times’ Night Out with Kristen (and Kurt!) (Ed Note from Kristen: I just wanted everyone to know that I of course know that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1397, I was never worried about getting my face beat in, just smacked around a little, and that I was high when I said I didn’t smoke pot. Thank you.)
Kristen Wins “Best Alternative Comedian” at Aspen!
Kristen blew them away at Aspen and won the HBO US Comedy Art Festival’s “Best Alternative Comedian” Award! Congratulations Kristen!
David Cross “Heartily Recommends” Hot Tub!
From an article at Film Stew.com -
“Cross remains an avid student of the stand-up comedy genre. In addition to his own DVD Shut Up You F**king Baby!, he regularly takes part in shows in both New York and Los Angeles, and has been cited as a source of performance inspiration by everyone from Artie Lange to Sarah Silverman. Among the recent acts that he caught is the sketch duo Hot Tub (Kristen Schaal, Kurt Braunohler), whom he heartily recommends.”
Aww man! We just crapped our pants.
Time Out Gives Hot Tub a Don’t Miss!
And they made it all cute with the description, too. Hot Tub loves you, too, Time Out. We hope that at sometime in the future your name will not scare children across the nation.
NY Times Mentions Hot Tub! And Does it with Flare!
We got a mention in the NY Times Sunday styles section on their follow up to the Post’s piece on the “alternative comedy scene.” It’s a pretty good article, check the full thing out here: Seinfeld it Ain’t
Hot Tub in NY Post
They did a big article in the “Pulse” section of the Post on all the different “alternative comedy” rooms in the city and Hot Tub was listed - plus we got the Pulse cover shot along with Baron Vaughn, Todd Levin, and Bob Powers. It features the dorkiest “I’m a Comedian! Yuck yuck it up!” face I’ve ever made. I feel shame. It was only in the paper and not online so here’s a scan: Saturday’s NY Post’s Pulse Section cover
Kristen Goes to Aspen!
Kristen was just informed that she will be going to the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO this March as a stand-up! Congratulations to K-Schaal! She’s from Colarado so she knows the scene there. She knows it like butter. Plan on seeing her stand-up cut through Aspen like a hot knife through chicken fat. Yeah!
PaperMag Makes Hot Tub a “Pick of the Week”
“Hot tubs are awesome because they are easy to blame for embarrassing behavior. Steely Dan’s in the CD player? “The hot tub made me do it.” Burning a little Nag Champa to “just relax, and talk?” Actually, just kidding, we would never do that, even if there were an awesome HT involved. Let’s hope that nothing like that happens tonight, either, when Michael Showalter (”The Baxter,” “Stella,” “Wet Hot American Summer,” “The State”) stops by variety show Hot Tub to chat withhosts Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler.”
Kristen Wins Nightlife Award
The 2006 Nightlife Awards recognized Kristen with the award for “Outstanding Female Standup Comedian!”
The Onion Gives Hot Tub Another Shout Out!
It’s kinda the same as the other one - but BETTER! Thanks Onion.
“With her saucer eyes and squeaky voice, Kristin Schaal looks and sounds like she could never play anyone except a little girl. But while there are a number of grade-schoolers in Schaal’s arsenal of comedic alter-egos, most of her characters aren’t so much young as they are dorky (an old vaudevillian, a bird trainer, etc.). They’re also pretty funny. Schaal, a veteran improv performer, and the equally winning Kurt Braunohler (the genius-or Chenius-behind the legendary street-fighting chicken-hybrids Chengwin and Chunk) will preside here over Hot Tub, a fun weekly variety show that features animal races (hermit crabs, mealworms), great guests, and, yes, a hot tub (well, kiddie pool).”
TimeOut NY Votes Hot Tub “Best New Variety Show” in 2005
TimeOut NY’s readers voted Hot Tub “Best New Variety Show” in 2005. Thank you to all the TONY readers who voted and to Malcolm Gladwell for writing “The Tipping Point”. That book is great! [Ed note: We haven’t actually read it. But we hear REALLY good things about it.]
Time Out Critic’s Pick Again!
“Neutrino’s Kurt Braunholer and Big Black Car’s Kristen Schaal host darlings of the alternative-comedy scene in their extra-roomy whirlpool of silly. Ranging from highly-produced to positively bizarre Braunholer and Schaal deliver some of the best performances in the city. ”
Gothamist Gives Hot Tub a Shout Out!
The Gothamist gives us a nice plug here “Hot Tub host Kristen Schaal was just named as one of the Top 10 Funniest New Yorkers You’ve Never Heard of” but we’ve been saying that all along. Kurt Braunohler, the man behind the mythical Chengwin co-hosts.”
The Onion Says: “Pretty Funny!”
From October 14th issue of The Onion: “With her saucer eyes and squeaky voice, Kristen Schaal looks and sounds like she could never play anyone but a little girl. But while there are a number of grade-schoolers in Schaal’s aresenal of comedic alter-egos, most of her characters aren’t so much young as they are dorky (an old vaudevillian, a bird trainer, etc.) They’re also pretty funny. Schaal and the equally winning Kurt Braunohler will preside here over Hot Tub, a long-running weekly show that features animal races (hermit crabs, mealworms), great stand-ups (Patrick Borelli, Todd Barry), and, yes, a hot tub.
New York Magazine Names Kristen as One of the Funniest New Yorkers!
New York Magazine featured Kristen Schaal as one of the “Ten Funniest New Yorkers You’ve Never Heard of.” Come see how funny she is every week in Hot Tub! Forget the Kate and Leopold stuff.
Hot Tub is Time Out New York’s Critic’s Pick and Don’t Miss!
Time Out New York picked Hot Tub as a Critic’s Pick as well as a “Don’t Miss” in the past. We hope they will again in the future. Hot Tub realizes that what seperates the past and the present is merely our dualistic mind.
ECNY Nominates Hot Tub for Best Variety show
The Emerging Comics of New York nominated Hot Tub for Best Variety Show in 2005. We thought that was pretty awesome. And then we found out that a blue whale’s aorta is large enough for a human to crawl through. And we thought that was pretty awesome, too! We’ve been dreaming of a Blue Whale Aorta Waterslide Park (TM) ever since!
Copyright © 2005 Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler.