Amusements NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (39)
See it if Very funny. Comedian
Don't see it if You don't want to be entertained
See it if Deliciously funny with wonderful dry wit & clever writing.
Don't see it if If you prefer drama, then skip this one.
See it if you love standup comedy, dad jokes, and late night talk show hosts of the 60s.
Don't see it if you need something big and splashy with deep messages and themes. Read more
See it if you like classic set-em-up, knock-em-down JOKE jokes
Don't see it if you only like cerebral "comedy" that isn't actually funny (I like those fine! But this is not Hannah Gadsby, this is JOKES!) Read more
See it if You want 80 minutes packed with a different kind of standup comedy. Definitely very unusual, quirky, smart and entertaining.
Don't see it if You don’t like one man shows; especially standup comedians.
See it if You're an existing fan of Mr. Ufomadu's "Words with Ike", or simply if you like your humour earnestly *silly*, verging on Python-esque
Don't see it if You've a strong aversion to wordplay and/or audience participation
See it if You want to see unique and fresh work that is written impeccably well.
Don't see it if You prefer work with an underlying message or meaning.
See it if You like stand up comedy. I had an amazing time. The writer/actor is an excellent comedian.
Don't see it if You are looking for a show with a plot and clear structure. If you think of it as hanging out with a funny friend… you’ll enjoy it.
Critic Reviews (6)
“Ikechukwu Ufomadu is a comic cipher that sent me pondering...At times, I found myself among stragglers in a sea of laughter, but Ufomadu accomplishes unthinkable absurdities, cajoling us into interactions that wouldn’t read as chortle-worthy on paper... In ‘Amusements,’ you’ll always find yourself curious about his next course of action.”
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“Ufomadu’s 75 minutes of weird, witty jokery is both delightful and, at this moment, almost unsettlingly kindly and innocuous... ‘Amusements’ often feels like stand-up comedy or vaudevillian variety show, but the twinkle in its performer’s eye is just peculiar enough to keep us guessing.”
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“Ikechukwu Ufomadu’s ‘Amusements’ is aggressively apolitical, a gentle parade of dad jokes and other verbal sleights-of-hand...and it feels like a welcome respite from all the urgent and important theater being created in the city. Whether he’s performing a flaccid magic trick or leading you in a holiday sing-along, it’s impossible not to like Ike.”
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“It's Robert Benchley (in his "Treasurer's Report" mode) crossed with Eugène Ionesco, a grandiose oration so obsessed with the precise meaning of words that it ends up signifying nothing at all. This could be a recipe for tedium but, dipping into Moby-Dick, reminiscing about a childhood spent ‘on the sauce (apple, it turns out), and genially handling a series of frequently asked questions (the first of which is ‘'Sup?’), Ufomadu's serene mastery of his pedantic material keeps the laughs coming.”
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“Best for last! Ikechukwu Ufomadu is, to put it plainly, a master...What he does next, and for the next 75 minutes, isn't easily characterized, but it's hilarious. Immediately ingratiating himself with the crowd, Ufomadu affects the persona of a slick, mid-century TV white guy...and I can't remember the last time I laughed so much in so short a time.”
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Director Nemuna Ceesay keeps us guessing. Are we watching an actor portraying a comedian/lounge performer? Does the comedian/lounge performer think he’s funny? What if no one laughs? A bit later there’s a recitation that goes on longer than it needs to. We start waiting for a punchline that never comes. And then it does…As it was introduced as a voice-over, “That was the opening paragraph of "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, sold wherever "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville is sold.
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