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It’s time for a date night parents! Mike Birbiglia explores the comedy within some of the darkest places of his journey to parenthood in The New One, playing at National Theatre through September 28th as part of the Broadway at the National series. I enjoy Birbiglia’s other work (including Sleepwalk With Me, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, and “Thank God for Jokes”) and was excited to get the invite to press night at National Theatre.
The show is essentially his thoughts on not having kids using the meandering storytelling that is iconic to Birbiglia. He relies heavily on observational humor mixed with brutally funny confessions. Birbiglia has tried not to tell people what the show is about before the go so they can be fully immersed in the journey his storytelling takes you on. I couldn’t agree more! I knew a little about the show from working with the National Theatre to help promote it, and hold a ticket giveaway for you all, but I had heard Birbiglia didn’t want people to know what was coming, so I tried not to. I told my husband nothing and he loved the show even more than I did! It’s hard these days to consume entertainment and be genuinely surprised as it unfolds so it was a nice reprieve.
So here is my predicament. How do I convince you to go see this hilarious show without ruining the experience? I’ll keep my review short and sweet. This show is funny! This show is about Mike Birbiglia and not about all parents, but it does cover some universal topics. Birbiglia is raw and honest about his feelings about not wanting to have a child. Parenthood is not easy. If you’ve never struggled as a parent you won’t be able to relate to some of the content, but as someone who had postpartum anxiety I am happy that he doesn’t sugarcoat things. Life is messy and scary sometimes which Birbiglia manages to explore while making you laugh. Birbiglia’s experiences may not be universal, but his comedy is!
Get your tickets at TheNationalDC.com or by calling 1-800-514-3849.
MIKE BIRBIGLIA’S THE NEW ONE is at National Theatre Tuesday, September 24 through Saturday, September 28, 2019.
• Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30pm
• Friday and Saturday at 8pm
• Saturday matinee at 2pm
The New One is recommended for ages 13 and up and runs approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes with no intermission.
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