On November 5th, The Knockturnal attended the stand up showcase Big Terrific at the BRIC Ballroom in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
Presented as part of the 2016 New York Comedy Festival, the sold out show marked a homecoming as Big Terrific originated in Brooklyn back in 2008. These shows were widely considered a New York comedy institution, reaping acclaim and welcoming guests like Aziz Ansari and Sarah Silverman. While hosts Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman, and Max Silvestri’s moves to Los Angeles put an end to the once weekly shows in 2015, for an evening they were back in the borough where it all started and surrounded by delighted fans.
Performing to a largely standing crowd in the nightclub-like ballroom, Slate, Liedman, and Silvestri opened the show together by taking questions from the audience ranging from “where’s their favorite New York pizza spot?” to “which celebrity death affected them the most?” After that each host took the stage independently and delivered their own stand up sets. These sets dove into subjects including from their moves to LA and the 2016 election, as well as recent pop culture topics like Pokemon Go and Westworld. The hilarious show ended with all three returning to the stage to embrace the Brooklyn crowd for welcoming them back home.
-Nathan Braun