In 2008, Nathan Lane introduced a young comedian with a funny name (well, a funny last name; his first name is Mike) and his one-person show to the New York theater world. Today, ten years and two more Off Broadway shows later, the now-veteran comic has a brand-new one-person show and a new “Lane.†After performing it in over 40 cities, Mike Birbiglia is bringing The New One, his fourth and latest show, to the Cherry Lane Theatre, for a limited run, with previews starting on July 26 and the last performance scheduled for August 11.
Directed by Seth Barrish, whom Birbiglia has worked with on his previous shows, The New One’s content is shrouded in a bit of mystery. “I hate it when people tell me what anything is about or really any details at all,†says Birbiglia. “Last year I loved Lady Bird, Get Out, and The Big Sick and my greatest gift to my friends was to tell them to see those movies and don’t read anything about them. So that’s what I’m telling the people interested in this show. If you liked my other shows and movies, I think you’ll love The New One.†That said, it seems pretty obvious. What is the new number one? The number two! And what is “two†another name for? Wait, eww. That can’t be right.
With his three previous shows — Sleepwalk With Me, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, and Thank God for Jokes — Birbiglia has pushed and refined what it means for a comedian to do a one-person show, helping establish the form as a legitimate subsect of stand-up, all while maintaining a style and voice of his own.
For more factual information, but still no description of what the show is actually about, head to www.TheNewOne.com.
