Having spent a year at Rififi, the mecca of downtown comedy, Here’s the Thing cultivated a following with its roster of comedic talent and the chemistry of its hosts: Sean O'Connor, Nick Maritato and Andrew Wright. Now the threesome is all set to move uptown to The PIT and make Tuesday nights something worth watching.
“I feel like it’s the right move at the right time and two rights make a double right,” jokes O’Connor.
Every installment of HTT features the three guys performing a sketch, as well as their own stand-up. At the final HTT show at Rififi, O’Connor took the stage and explained that a pandemic of Blowjob Flu was sweeping the nation: People experienced weakness, nausea and an urge to perform fellatio. Within seconds, Wright was going down on O’Connor, who caught the bug and in turn gave it to Maritato, who ran into the crowd searching for someone to blow. Once the bit was over, Wright brought out the first act, former “Saturday Night Live” writers Eric Slovin and Leo Allen.
“The guys put a lot of strange, wonderful stuff into a night of comedy that’s unlike anywhere else. It’s funny, fun and some other f-word that means ‘a unique experience,’” says Pete Holmes, a frequent HTT guest and panelist on VH1’s “Best Week Ever.”
When asked about HTT’s outlook, Wright predicted: “In the near future, perhaps February 13th, we will have Andrew W.K. doing a freewheeling public speaking appearance on our show. I am fairly confident in this prediction. Minds will be blown; sweat will be mopped.”
O’Connor’s outlook was less specific, but more grandiose, “I think Here’s the Thing will become one of the top 10 most popular shows in New York.” And, eager to get the last word in, Maritato added, “After the big take over, I think I’ll be able to live comfortably … in my gold fiber-optic mansion!”
Tuesdays beginning Feb. 6, The PIT, 154 W. 29th St., 2nd Flr. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.), 212-563-7488; 8, $5.
