"Old Hats" with Bill Irwin and David Shiner

My roommate Adam provided me with tickets to this show and I had no idea what to expect. After the show was over, I was glad I had gotten a chance to see it.

"Old Hats" is a hilarious clown show put on by veteran clowns Bill Irwin and David Shiner featuring music by Shaina Taub. It was a fantastical romp.

Bill Irwin and David Shiner team up at the Signature Theatre to bring a series of comedic sketches. Their experience is apparent as they do the whole show never missing a comedic beat. The facial expression, the body movements, the timing are all perfect.

Bill Irwin and David Shiner in "Old Hats" at the Pershing Signature Theatre.

The other very important member of the show is Shaina Taub. Taub provides the entertainment between sketches. She is a talented composer and her jazzy songs are one of the best things about the shows.

One of the coolest aspects of the show is the incorporation of modern technology. It was used cleverly.

The show opens with our two clowns running from a gigantic boulder in the style of Indiana Jones. From there the projections get bigger and better.

In "The Businessman", Bill Irwin has projections and videos on his iPhone and iPad. There are mini Bill Irwins on the screens and it is cool to see real Bill interact with the ones on the screen. From poking each other, to shrinking and growing, it is a cool combination of classic clowning with modern technology.

One of my favorite sketches was "The Debate". We find Bill and David in a political debate and it is not too far off from what we see on TV. They mime arguing their political standpoints while arrows behind them show their popularity growing  and failing. Even though we cannot hear what they are saying, I would vote for them as my next president.

They start off simply enough. One candidate mimes their viewpoint and then the other does. It continues to get more ridiculous from there. From fighting to show who is more patriotic to kissing babies the situation gets more and more satirically hilarious.

After intermission, Shaina prompts the old hats to learn some new tricks. They begin to speak and sing and compete for the audience's attention with their new found resources.

Shaina Taub's music is like being inside a nice jazz cafe. She provides a nice rest from the laughs while the two clowns get ready for their next sketch. Her band also kept the audience entertained during intermission. And that's how I earned my mardi gras beads. ;)

Bill Irwin and David Shiner in "Old Hats" at Pershing Square Signature Theatre

Near the end of the show, Shaina joins Bill and David on stage and three engage in a fun dance number. We knew Shaina could sing, so it only made sense to find out she could dance as well.

Another sketch I enjoyed was "The Hobo". A true comedic clowning sketch. The hobo is dressed like a clown, complete with big shoes and makeup. He ends up on a park bench next to a trash can. Feeling lonely he digs through the trash, trying to find some sort of comfort. Without giving too much away, it does not go as planned.

Of course the best things come at the end of both acts. "The Magician" closes off the first act and it is absolutely hysterical. One plays the magician, while the other plays the magician's assistant. They bring in the audience at this point and the results, are of course, funny. The two play well off of each other and they play off of the audience as well. The magician is a flirt while the magician's assistant is jealous. No one in the audience is ever hurt in any way of course, but there is scrambling over audience members and almost kissing.

The best part is at the end of the second act in "Cowboy Cinema". The comedy works in this one since most of the people on the stage for this one are members of the audience. They have no idea what is going on and this ensues in hilarity. While things get repetitive since they are people who are not rehearsed, the members of the show are able to keep the gag from going on too long.

Old Hats
The Pershing Square Signature Center/Irene Diamond Stage480 West 42nd Street
between Dyer Avenue & 10th Avenue
New York, New York 10036

Category
Off-Broadway

Credits
Tina Landau (director)
Written by: Bill Irwin & David Shiner
Lyrics by: Shaina Taub
Music by: Shaina Taub 

Cast List:
Bill Irwin
David Shiner
Shaina Taub

Show Dates:
Performances from 26 Jan 2016
Opening: 18 Feb 2016
Closing: 03 Apr 2016