John Oliver at Warner

K- This past Friday I went to see John Oliver at the Warner Theater. I wasn’t sure what to expect even though I’ve seen him on the Daily Show but he turned out to be very funny and engaging. He started out the show telling how he Googled himself and found out that he wasn’t funny and he was a Smurf. I can verify, he’s not a smurf and he is funny. The audience laughed throughout the show and even commented, which then began a comic dialogue between comedian and audience. At one point in the show John asked “What’s the first thing you think of when you think of Egypt.” For me, it’s pyramids but someone else blurted out “Sand!” So “sand,” which he thought was a funny answer, became a thread throughout the show. He also told a story about surviving Hurricane Sandy and watching the news as a jet skier sped in the background of a reporter at Battery Park and movers coming that day to his building to move someone. His funny stories definitely kept me interested and laughing – which is not an easy thing to do! Overall, it was very entertaining and in a great venue.

As for the theater, I hadn’t been to the Warner since the Helen Hayes Awards, which made me a little sad as it’s a great theater to see shows like John Oliver. It feels intimate and it’s just a beautiful theater. Also, there’s nearby parking and plenty of restaurants if you want to have dinner beforehand. I highly recommend it.