The Official Del Close Marathon Thread

[wrinkle_in_my_pants]

The Del Close Marathon is on August 8th-10th here in NYC!! Post the shows you're in here. Tell us about your troupe, or group, whatever. Talk about the shows you are excited to see....


More about the marathon here: http://www.delclosemarathon.com/dcm10/shows
Full scehdule here: http://www.delclosemarathon.com/dcm10/schedule

I haven't dived into the schedule just yet, but I already have my tickets to see Scheer/Mcbrayer. It was the HIGHLIGHT of the DCM last year! Hands down! Also looking forward to the FabriceFabrice-athon. I also recommend The Satellites. Rob Riggle, Ed Helms, Jason Sudekis. The three of them are hardcore Dave Matthews Band fans. Great show last year.

[Aaron1933]

I have a question, and maybe someone in the know can answer it.

Since passes are only being sold at the door, will they still likely be available after the first day?

[disl]

i plan on being present for at least 30 hours of the marathon this year. the highlight for me last year was cage match, the combination of extreme ridiculousness and it being 5:30am was sublime. 99% of the shows are great, but i can't remember laughing harder than at that cage match show.

[mezmorized]

I have a question, and maybe someone in the know can answer it.

Since passes are only being sold at the door, will they still likely be available after the first day?

I would say yes, because they are just passes and don't guarantee you a seat (you have to wait in line until you get into the theater), but I'm not a 100% sure. Call the theater and ask.

I can't wait for the marathon. Last year's marathon was the best weekend of the summer for me, which means this one is going to be even better. I'll be at the shows for a good 18 hours each day and I'm starting to catch up on my sleep now for that weekend.

Shows you need to see (which also means I need to see again):

Wicked Fuckin Queeyah
Directors Commentary Live
Hotsauce
Glaser & Walsh
Match Game 76
Walsh & Roberts (In my opinion this was the perfect show to end the marathon)

Sidenote: If I ever get a chance to see Andrew Dice Hitler (played by Brett Gelman) again, I will probably die. From the laughter.

[sharilyn]

I'm VERY excited for this year's DCM.

Some valuable (imo) tips for a good DCM experience can also be found over in the Improv Resource Centre: http://www.improvresourcecenter.com/...ad.php?t=59028

The best show last year was the Daily Show / Colbert Report Improv Jam. Laura Krafft and Peter Gwinn are two of my favourite improvisors. Plus, with Helms and Riggle in the mix, you know you're golden. Last year, John Oliver made his improvising debut at this show and did amazingly well.

My personal must-sees for DCM...
Friday: Everything @ UCBT up to and including Satellites (Dave Matthews Band themed improv, hilarious!), Naked Babies, Respecto Montalban. Saturday: UCB @ 5:30, TDS/TCR jam, Horatio Sanz's thing, and hopefully Smartest Panel if I can get back into the theatre. Sunday is a no-brainer, as everything from 4pm onwards is pure awesome -- Delta Force 2, Let's Have a Ball, Naked Babies, Scheer-McBrayer, Baby Wants Candy, Walsh & Roberts.

One thing everyone should do is try to see stuff in the week leading up to the Marathon as well, both at the UCBT and the theatre at FIT. A lot of the groups, like Baby Wants Candy, Scheer-McBrayer, and the Swarm are doing shows pre-Marathon, which takes some of the pressure off your schedule if you're facing tough choices. Full schedule is here: http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/schedule/

[Lil G]

I am in St. Patrick's Wake (2:15am on Sunday, right before Match Game 76).

I can't wait to see:
Bassprov
The Satellites
The Stepfathers
Death By Roo Roo
Wicked Fuckin' Queeyah
Cracked Out
The Sunshine Gang
Mister Diplomat
Match Game 76
Scheer-McBrayer
Baby Wants Candy

Obviously.

What time do you guys think the theatre will start getting packed? My flight should be getting in around 5:30pm and I'll be going straight to UCB from the airport.

[wrinkle_in_my_pants]

Heading straight there is a good choice. It was full at the first show, but don't worry, you'll get in. I spent about 43-44 hours or so there last year, not inculding the crazy ass afterparty. I went straight from seeing opening of The Simpsons movie to UCBT, left at one point for a gig and to see another comedian perform at a different event, and then strolled back.

Don't worry about not getting a pass, it's all about getting into the theater for the shows you want to see. But if you really wanna know a secret about getting in and are worried, PM me. I'm thinking about bringing a sleeping bag and some food or some shit and just spending the weekend there. 72 hour UCB sleepover! Can't wait!

Also, another show NOT to miss is the Drunken Sonic Assault. "Hippie Crack!"

[RegularKarate]

Our troupe, Midnight Society, is playing at The Hudson Guild at 9PM on Saturday right after Bassprov.

excited

[mezmorized]

Also, another show NOT to miss is the Drunken Sonic Assault. "Hippie Crack!"

"Hippie Crack" was ridiculous last year. Drunken Sonic Assault was definitely something I wasn't expecting last year when I saw it (it was my first time) and it was just a great experience/show.

[AndyHohner]

I've never been to the Del Close Marathon before. If I get to the theater around 11 or 12 on Saturday, would me and 3 of my friends be able to get in or would there be a long wait? Also, I know the UCB-LA allows you to bring food and beverages in, is this true of NY and the other theaters involved?

[Aaron1933]

I'm definitely going Saturday, through Sunday night. To add to the above post, can anybody just detail the wait situation? Once you're in, you're in until you leave or they clean the theater, right?

[disl]

they allow food and drinks to be brought in for the marathon.
you only have to leave for theatre cleanings.
i don't have an answer about wait times, but plan on it being packed at all times. i can guarantee, though, that you won't be walking up at 11pm and getting right in. are you high?

[priceyeah]

Andy: During daylight hours or after 1am you should be able to walk up and get a seat immediately. Anytime between 6pm and 1am, you may have a hard time getting in. If people don't leave, people don't get let in, so there's a tendency for the venue to get filled up in the evening and then nobody leaves until midnight or later. Watching primo latenight shows requires a plan.

[mezmorized]

Last year I got to the theater around 1:30 - 2pm on Saturday and got in right away, but didn't have a great spot. By 6pm, when UCB performed before the theater cleaning, after I had moved almost after every show, I had the best seat in the house (in my opinion). But after that the theater cleaning pretty much brought me back to square one in that I had to wait about 45 minutes to get back in and about 30 minutes to find a seat.

Theater cleaning can be your biggest hitch in any plan (and Priceyeah is right, you should have a plan), because everyone who is inside before the cleaning has to stand behind everyone else who had been waiting to get in. I went to the marathon alone so it was easier for me to find seating because I didn't have to worry about not sitting next to friends. My advice to people who are in a party of more than one, find what you can find seating wise and work your way to sitting next to each other.

I should also add that Poptarts and Gatorade is the best diet to getting you through the majority of the marathon, at least for me it was. 3 MORE DAYS!

[priceyeah]

My experience is based on 2006 (couldn't attend last year), so I'm sure mezmorized is right -- it sounds like it's a bit tough to get into even when it's not evening.

Honestly, the fact is, all days from like early evening through about 2am are pretty great shows at UCB, and many of the performers are UCB vets or people now on well-known shows. Those shows will be crowded, and it's not like they keep rotating new audience members in every half hour. If you are cherry-picking evening shows in different venues, you are pretty much ensuring that you will spend lots of time on line and see very little comedy. Much better to pick a venue and camp out in it for an evening. That's my plan for Friday and Saturday.

Mez, what time do you think it'll be necessary to get on line to see the UCB show at the UCBT on Saturday afternoon?

[littlegirltree]

Shows you need to see (which also means I need to see again):

Wicked Fuckin Queeyahe
Directors Commentary Live
Hotsauce
Glaser & Walsh
Match Game 76
Walsh & Roberts (In my opinion this was the perfect show to end the marathon)

Sidenote: If I ever get a chance to see Andrew Dice Hitler (played by Brett Gelman) again, I will probably die. From the laughter.

Last year's DCM was incredible, hippie crack and all. Jackie Clarke owns every scene she's in. Last year's WFQ - my signature's sake, made me sick from laughter. And Gelman's Andrew Dice Hitler gets better every year.

[alivefromnewyork]

According to the UCB site, the performers at Sunday night's ASSSCAT (which, unlike previous marathon assscats, you have to get separate tickets to) include:

Matt Besser
Ian Roberts
Matt Walsh
Horatio Sanz
Michael Delaney
Jon Glaser
Miriam Tolan
and More!

Does this mean Amy Poehler won't be at the marathon at all? She skipped out on the '06 marathon because she was filming.

[disl]

holy moly, jon glaser in asssscat?!?! my ticket has been purchased.

[Aaron1933]

holy moly, jon glaser in asssscat?!?! my ticket has been purchased.

Same here. I'm fucking excited to see Jon Glaser live for the first time.

[mezmorized]

Mez, what time do you think it'll be necessary to get on line to see the UCB show at the UCBT on Saturday afternoon?

Well I'll get to the UCBT on Saturday around 2pm, but I think a safe bet would be 3-4pm to get a seat for the UCB 6pm show and anything after that time maybe might just get you in, but not gaurenteed a seat.

If you come at 5 or after you will be waiting in line for 30+ minutes, but anything before that I think depends. If you have the time to just come in at 3pm your pretty much covered until theater cleaning after the UCB perform.

And especially with something like this it is always better to come earlier than later. There's a good chance because its the 10th DCM that more people will be there and so the standards about the times just get pushed back. The earlier the better is all I can honestly recommend.