Off the Top NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (45)
See it if Boy rapper marries girl neuroscientist. They perform a weekly act that is half brain science, half comedy. The smart babe is hot stuff.
Don't see it if You want a work of fiction. This is closer to a standup comedy act than a theater piece.
See it if You want science facts in a casual setting. You're a fan of Baba Brinkman & want to see all his shows.
Don't see it if You're expecting a theatrical event: it's an improv-ed science lecture w/out a story structure. You want Baba's rap format: not much here. Read more
See it if you like to learn a few new things, think science is fascinating and the brain more so, you like a casual lounge atmosphere, are a Baba fan.
Don't see it if You don't like rap, think science is boring, don't like seeing a real-life couple perform together. It goes on too long, is uneven, but OK. Read more
See it if you enjoy watching brain games and like rap improv even when the quality is uneven.
Don't see it if you have already heard enough lectures about how the brain works and find stories about how a couple fell in love boring. Read more
See it if you like rap as a means to communicate ideas, audience participation, real life husband & wife performances & want to learn about the brain.
Don't see it if This isn't a play, it's more of a lecture with rap, and it's in a small bar with tables and chairs. Adjust your expectations accordingly. Read more
See it if You want a fun, intimate, brilliant night of theatre with a brain stimulating twist!
Don't see it if If you want to see typical plays or musicals. This is out of the box. Oh go on ...step outside the box....!!!
See it if you want a fun show. Hard core neuroscience interposed with wrap music is an unexpected combination. A light, jovial, evening.
Don't see it if like wrap music or learning about the brain.
See it if you are interested in Neuroscience and Rapping. I have seen Baba perform before, and this wasn't as fun of a show as in the past.
Don't see it if you don't want to feel as if you are in a lecture. This was part rap, part lecture part stand up comedy show.
Critic Reviews (5)
"Proof positive that opposites not only attract, but can also formulate a fully engaging equation of entertainment and elucidation...The couple’s animated delivery brings a feeling of spontaneity to the memorized sections…They’re both irresistibly charming, enthusiastic, funny, and talented, and smart enough to have figured out a way to integrate their personal lives and professional careers into one terrific show with 'Off the Top.'"
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“Combining Berlin’s engaging lecture-esque talks about the brain and its functions, Brinkman’s own freestyle raps, PowerPoint slides and a few guest comics, the loved-up couple craft a wonderful show that is funny, heart-warming and pleasingly educational…Brinkman and Berlin should congratulate themselves on a lovely show that would delight children, adults, theatre-nerds and scientists alike…I left feeling warm, cheerful and enlightened."
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"It may be the best show of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe...Brinkman flexes his considerable rap skills…It’s a near-perfect show…Not only is it massively entertaining, it’s also eye-opening...One does get the sense that this could equally be a science class taught by a comedian, as a comedy gig led by a scientist… You’ll laugh throughout, and keep thinking about it afterwards – 'Off The Top' is a comedy gig that keeps giving long after you’ve left."
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"These guys are incredibly clever and inspiring, and manage to produce an educational, inspiring and wonderfully entertaining show from beginning to end. Baba and Heather had a delightful, bantering rapport between them…The show ends with a rap by Heather herself, and its humor sent you off with a good feeling, adding to a sense of smugness that you’d stumbled across an absolute jewel of a show."
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"Their chemistry on stage is fantastic. 'Off The Top' is essentially a humorous lecture and it achieves exactly what it sets out to, entertaining and informing simultaneously. Though asking an audience member to come onstage and rap 15 minutes into a show is risky, it works in this environment, where the goal is to see how the brain works during improvisation...You’ll learn a lot here, with plenty of laughs along the way."
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