When I interviewed comedian John Mulaney in November, he'd just announced plans to make an off-Broadway show out of Oh, Hello, his sketch series with Nick Kroll. A month later, the show opened to rave reviews in New York, and today the pair announced plans to mount it March 20 to 22 at the Athenaeum, just a few miles from where Mulaney grew up.
Oh, Hello stars Mulaney and Kroll as George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon, two aging Upper West Siders with tendencies toward obliviousness. Mulaney and Kroll first introduced the characters in a recurring sketch at New York club Rififi, then began reprising the bit on Kroll's Comedy Central series in 2013.
Oh, Hello's live iteration is decidedly more focused. In it, Gil and George get priced out of their rent-controlled apartment (their bill jumps from $75 to $4,000) and must decide whether to sell their public-access prank show, Too Much Tuna, to a major production company.
Oh, Hello live also features space for a rotating guest star, which, in Mulaney's hometown, could mean any number of local celebs.
Go March 20 to 22 at 7:30. $60. The Athenaeum, 2936 N. Southport. athenaeumtheatre.org