REVIEW: ‘Freestyle Love Supreme’ is back, with a Tony in hand
From left, Chris Sullivan, Wayne Brady, Anthony Veneziale, Aneesa Folds and Kurt Crowley (on keyboard) star in Freestyle Love Supreme at the Booth Theatre. Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus / Provided by press rep with permission.
NEW YORK — There’s no telling what might happen at Freestyle Love Supreme, the improv show that has returned to Broadway’s Booth Theatre for a limited engagement through Jan. 2. This time around, the cast members are holding a Tony Award in their hands. And they are so happy for that recognition, and based on a recent performance, the audience is quite happy, too.
Freestyle Love Supreme, simply known as FLS, has a cast of rotating performers at every show, but there are some bankable stars who appear nightly. There’s Anthony Veneziale, aka Two Touch, the host for the evening and also the show’s conceiver and co-creator with Thomas Kail and Lin-Manuel Miranda (yes, that Miranda, of Hamilton fame).
Also appearing at a recent performance was Andrew Bancroft, aka Jelly Donut, and Aneesa Folds, aka Young Nees, two immeasurably talented performers. Chris Sullivan, aka Shockwave, provided the beatboxing for the performance, and special guest star Christopher Jackson, aka C-Jack, also appeared. At other performances, fans can catch Wayne Brady, Daveed Diggs, Kaila Mullady and Utkarsh Ambudkar, among others. Even Miranda himself shows up from time to time.
This being an improv show, each performance is different, but there is an overall structuring for the 90-minute experience. Essentially the cast members, under the lead of Two Touch, take suggestions from the audience and then freestyle rap a variety of stories and characters based on the words and sentiments of the fans in the crowd. Everything is created on the spot, yet somehow these skilled performers never falter (this reviewer has seen them twice, and not one time did they falter or miss a word). They rhyme, they encourage one another, they draft narratives within seconds. It’s impressive.
Young Nees wows the audience with a strong singing voice, while Shockwave beatboxes so fast that it’s almost difficult to keep up. Two Touch keeps the entire evening tied together, and he has a wonderful rapport with the audience. His comments to the fans are always hilarious and uplifting, embodying a sense of humor akin to Ryan Reynolds’ line delivery.
At the performance this reviewer attended, one section of the show involved the re-creation of a story shared by an audience member. A woman, originally from Alaska and now living in Long Island, shared details of her day in New York City with a group of friends. Two Touch was able to pull the information from this audience member with solid comedic skills, and then the cast was able to depict her day on stage, playing each part and rhyming about everything from what she had for dinner to what hotel she was staying in on the Upper East Side. It was a marvelous retelling of the tale that served as a fitting finale to the theatrical experience.
Freestyle Love Supreme has returned, and one hopes this Tony-winning extravaganza becomes an annual tradition on Broadway.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Freestyle Love Supreme, conceived by Anthony Veneziale, was co-created by Thomas Kai, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Veneziale. Kail directs. Starring Veneziale, Andrew Bancroft, Kurt Crowley, Tarik Davis, Aneesa Folds, Kaila Mullady, Chris Sullivan and special guest cameo performers. Running time: 90 minutes. Playing at the Booth Theatre on 45th Street in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
