The title sounds like a Curb Your Enthusiasm riff, but Old Jews Telling Jokes is actually a new show on stage, having exploded in New York after a successful web series launch. The first episodes of Old Jews Telling Jokes launched as a web show in 2009. Over the course of three years, it has received millions of unique viewers. The creators (Sam Hoffman, Eric Spiegelman and Tim Williams) have also traveled to the likes of Los Angeles and Boca Raton.

Before heading to the New York stage, the show was converted to print and published as a paperback book. Besides the famous kvetching title, the included subtitle read “5,000 Years of Funny Bits and Not-So-Kosher Laughs.” Besides a book, this humble production has also gone on to do a DVD, two audio books and a successful BBC series.

Now, the show comes to fruition by making it to the Off-Broadway stage! In May 2012, Old Jews Telling Jokes will play at the Westside Theater. What can you expect from this production live and in person? Obviously, it will feel like the original web series, if you have ever had the pleasure, and will consist of elder Jewish men and women (meaning over the age of 60) telling his or her favorite joke.

The Off-Broadway production was created by Peter Gethers and Daniel Okrent and directed by Marc Bruni. However, this production is more than just the usual meshugass. The show features five actors in a revue who are reinventing and paying tribute to classic jokes, as well as funny songs that fit right in with the theme.

The play is recommended for mature audiences due to language, and very young children are not permitted admittance. The official press release for the production is, “If you’ve ever had a mother, visited a doctor, or walked into a bar with a priest, a rabbi and a frog, Old Jews Telling Jokes will sit in the dark, give you a second opinion, and ask you where you got that!”

If you’re tired of all this new age entertainment with the 3-D and the vampires, then why not come enjoy a show that’s sure to give you a good laugh?

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 5th, 2012 at 12:38 pm and is filed under Comedy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.