Charlie Todd

The first Citibike to grace the UCB stage, during our UCBW...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:41:47 -0400

The first Citibike to grace the UCB stage, during our UCBW Revengeance show on Saturday. Two great loves combined.

We surprised random people by turning back the clock 150 years...

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:44:09 -0400

We surprised random people by turning back the clock 150 years at a local bar, completely transforming it into 1860s New York. We worked with accomplices to invite unsuspecting friends to the Black Rabbit Bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The bar was completely lit by candles and kerosene lanterns and was filled with actors in period dress. Beer cost pennies, and music was provided by a live band. By the end of the night, our surprised guests found themselves in the middle of an old-fashioned bar fight.

Read the full story with photos: The 1860s Bar

This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone truly...

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:20:13 -0400

This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone truly “defeat” the Colbert character in an interview. Dan Savage does an incredible job here, even managing to get the last word, which never happens. Colbert’s record is now 1206 - 1.

The Abercrombie store at the South Street Seaport was wrecked by...

Fri, 31 May 2013 14:16:00 -0400

The Abercrombie store at the South Street Seaport was wrecked by Sandy, flooded by six feet of water, and is closed indefinitely. IT STILL SMELLS like Abercrombie from 10 feet away.

Some thoughts on Citi Bike I’ve been anxiously...

Tue, 28 May 2013 22:21:00 -0400

Some thoughts on Citi Bike

I’ve been anxiously anticipating my first ride on New York City’s new bike share program for over a year. The delays have been frustrating, but it was worth the wait. I found myself checking the app all day yesterday in Ohio, sad that I wasn’t in town for the launch day, and curious to know how the bike stations were balancing out throughout the day.

Cody and I got home today and were thrilled to have our key fobs waiting for us in the mail. After dinner we went out for our first ride. Having enjoyed bike share programs in places like Montreal and Vienna, I was worried my expectations would be too high. Nope. It’s great!

The bikes are 45 pounds and often referred to as “tanks” in the press. I found them extremely easy to ride. You’re not going to win a race, but they ride at a great pace around flat Manhattan. The seat is easily adjustable, and you can note what number is most comfortable for you for future rides. The unlocking and docking process was incredibly easy.

The best part is that random people were constantly having conversations with us. Every time we stopped at a light a driver with his window down or a pedestrian wanted to ask us all about the program. Everyone seems genuinely excited about it. It was probably the most I’ve ever talked to my neighbors on the street, except maybe when I walked home drunk in 2008 after Obama won.

We are getting helmets tomorrow, and I’m actively looking forward to biking to UCB East for a 10 PM show. I haven’t owned a bike since I lived in Queens in 2003, despite the fact that I LOVE to bike. I’ve never had a place to store a bike, and after having 3 bikes stolen on the streets of Astoria, I gave up. Bike share solves these problems.

In a perfect world, Citi Bike would be funded by some sort of tax on automobiles (gas tax, congestion pricing, etc.) and we wouldn’t have 6,000 Citi advertisements roaming our streets. As much as I hate outdoor advertising, this is how advertising is supposed to work— we put up with ads because you give us something fantastic in return.

I’m sure there will be issues with the program. There will be accidents. There will be theft and vandalism. There will be inventory issues with some bike stations. There will also be car accidents and subway delays. Transportation in a city of 8 million will never be perfect.

But tonight it felt perfect.

And honestly, I think this is going to be a huge game changer for the city. Our quality of life just took a big step forward.

Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Night Heron...

Tue, 28 May 2013 13:47:54 -0400

Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Night Heron Speakeasy, an unauthorized bar in a water tower on top of an abandoned building in Chelsea. Yes, in a water tower.

It was the most impressive feat of creative trespassing I’ve seen in my 12 years in New York. Huge props to Nathan Austin and his team.

The speakeasy is now closed, and they’ve gone public with a great story at Atlantic Cities. Check out the article to see how they pulled it off and the very clever way they designed the invitations to spread:

Into the Water Tower, With Flair - Dan Glass - The Atlantic Cities

During our Talk Show Subway Car project, photographer Ari Scott...

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:36:00 -0400

During our Talk Show Subway Car project, photographer Ari Scott captured this great sequence. A woman rushed to enter the car before the doors closed and found herself right in the middle of our show. Moments later she and her friend were enthusiastic audience members, applauding with everyone else.

Watch the video here.

Check out my wife’s great new...

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:04:00 -0400

Check out my wife’s great new series!

codylindquist:

Latest Episode of Two Beers In! Watch as Kerry McGuire and I chat with the lovely Glenn Boozan about the IRS and Angelina Jolie! Awesome direction from Adam Sacks and editing genius Clark Frankel!

(by TwoBeersIn)

For the latest Improv Everywhere project, we converted a New...

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:27:42 -0400

For the latest Improv Everywhere project, we converted a New York City subway car into a late night talk show set. Host Pat Cassels (CollegeHumor) interviewed random commuters from his desk as bandleader Evan Gregory (The Gregory Brothers) kept the car rocking.

Full story with photos: Talk Show Subway Car | Improv Everywhere

Abercrombie is in the news this week because their CEO says he...

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:31:00 -0400

Abercrombie is in the news this week because their CEO says he doesn’t want fat people to shop in his stores. As a result, about a dozen people have emailed Improv Everywhere in the past two days suggesting we send a bunch of overweight people into one of their stores.

It’s been fun to write back and say, “Yes, we did this 6 years ago.”

Watch the video of 100 shirtless men of all shapes and sizes invading the 5th Avenue Abercrombie: No Shirts - Improv Everywhere

Photo: Actor Justin Lang poses with a surprised, real Abercrombie model in front of the 5th Avenue flagship store. Photo by Katie Sokoler.

As a follow up to our Seeing Eye People project, we caught real...

Wed, 08 May 2013 11:47:25 -0400

As a follow up to our Seeing Eye People project, we caught real New Yorkers texting and walking and offered them the service.

Staring: Mikala Bierma, Dan Black, Don Fanelli, Ari Voukydis

A collaboration with BuzzFeed.

(via Seeing Eye People | Improv Everywhere)

May the 4th be with you!

Sat, 04 May 2013 11:35:46 -0400

May the 4th be with you!

Citibike bike share racks have arrived on 26th and 8th....

Thu, 02 May 2013 22:19:39 -0400

Citibike bike share racks have arrived on 26th and 8th. I’m a proud founding member! Paid my dues! (at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre)

The solution to New York’s walking and texting epidemic? ...

Wed, 01 May 2013 10:23:30 -0400

The solution to New York’s walking and texting epidemic? Seeing Eye People. Watch the video here.

I had a chance to see this movie at a screening in NY tonight. ...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:16:05 -0400

I had a chance to see this movie at a screening in NY tonight. It’s great! You can buy it direct from the creators for $5. The future of film distribution!

adamfrucci:

popculturebrain:

Watch This: Splitsider Presents ‘The Exquisite Corpse Project’ | Splitsider

Comedy website Splitsider just launched a new digital distribution label ‘Splitsider Presents’ and their first release is the hilarious feature film ‘The Exquisite Corpse Project.’ Available for $5 over at their website.

Director Ben Popik gathered together his former comrades from the legendary sketch group Olde English and tasked them with writing a movie. The catch: each of the five writers wrote 15 pages and only saw the previous five pages of the script. He then shot the movie they wrote, as well as documentary footage of the writing process and all the drama that it entailed, and put them all together into a unique comedy.

I had an opportunity to see the move last night and it is really something special. Besides being extremely funny and charming, it speaks volumes about the creative process, collaboration and friendship. The way the documentary aspect mirrors the narrative they wrote is fascinating. The film becomes much more than a silly project, but rather evolves into a statement about human nature and relationships. You definitely haven’t seen anything like it.

Go get it. For real. You won’t regret spending the $5.

The project I’ve been working on for the past year is finally live! Check it out! I couldn’t be prouder to be a small part of this amazing movie.

For the latest Improv Everywhere mission we posed as city...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:33:00 -0400

For the latest Improv Everywhere mission we posed as city workers providing a ridiculous solution to the “texting and walking” epidemic in New York.

This was a collaboration with our friends at BuzzFeed. Check out the post on our site to see a second version of the video!

Seeing Eye People | Improv Everywhere

I’m in Oslo this week at a conference with Alex...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:40:27 -0400

I’m in Oslo this week at a conference with Alex Scordelis. We checked out the Viking Ship Museum today. Pretty cool to see 1400-year-old ships (and then pose with children’s props in front of them.)

alexscordelis:

Charlie Todd & I engage in battle at Oslo’s Viking Ship Museum.

Another great project/film from UCB’s Todd...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:45:28 -0400

Another great project/film from UCB’s Todd Bieber.

toddbieber:

I’m a filmmaker and an Eagle Scout. This is my message to the Boy Scouts in regards the ban on homosexual members.

On Monday night I got to be on NBC Nightly News for 5 seconds. ...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:22:00 -0400

On Monday night I got to be on NBC Nightly News for 5 seconds. I appear as an expert on April Fools and say one sentence at the :47 mark in the video above. I’ve been on my fair share of news programs over the years, but this tiny opportunity got me the most excited.

I may be the only person under 60 who does this, but I DVR and watch NBC Nightly News every single day. I enjoy watching a dose of MSNBC for my politics fix (and reading Andrew Sullivan as well), but I know if I don’t have time for anything else, Brian & Co. are going to give me the top-line headlines of the day, straight and to the point.

So I was giddy to get to be on the show. While you can’t tell in the video, I was sitting at Lester Holt’s desk (used on the weekends) that once belonged to Tom Brokaw. Network news nerd dream!

The Today Show invited Cody and me to stage a marriage proposal...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:15:00 -0400

The Today Show invited Cody and me to stage a marriage proposal April Fool’s prank yesterday. Willie Geist was the only one in on it apart from the producers who hired us. Pretty fun to prank Martha! As we left the greenroom after the segment she coyly remarked, “Goodbye, liars.” I was worried Natalie might remember me from our 2008 interview but I guess the beard fooled her.