“I do not like audience participation of any kind...I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised to enjoy myself in the extreme…Marino takes the old saw of using our suggestions to plot out an improvised story. But that is just the icing on the cake. Prior to that, he ushers us down an autobiographical lane that is both hilarious and sincere...He is up there on the stage about to fly without a net...A spot-on piece of 'let’s have fun' that works on so many levels.”
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“An often silly, occasionally searing, ultimately affectionate send-up of solo theater performances, interpersonal communication, and the bendable nature of truth…Marino was in chess master mode: absorbing the many plot points he’d just commissioned, then orchestrating those wildly disparate moving parts toward a logical end...Marino made each sip of water seem like a breath of fresh air.”
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"With some assistance from an audience member to stage manage and another to handle the sound design, Marino launches into a hilarious improvised tale…Marino has created a unique hour of entertainment by taking the overplayed solo show format and fashioning an improvised comedy routine that works all the better for the audience’s connection to the source material."
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“Marino’s show has a charm that never feels cheesy. Audience interaction feels authentic...As a result we all lean forward and join in. It’s an interactive hour, interesting, moving, full of fun, and funny. We are in the hands of a charismatic performer who blends brash with humble and the result is something original…Rare and special work…The audience loved every minute, there was laughter aplenty but we also sailed into the rocky waters of love, loss, uncertainty, and depression."
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“‘Show Up’ subverts the clichés and tropes you might expect from a solo performance…Marino knows how to work the crowd…It’s bizarre, manic and hilarious…Marino isn’t just skilled with stand-up and audience banter. He is also a compelling actor, drawing us in with moments that are funny, ridiculous, and even poignant at times. Marino’s key strength is his seemingly endless energy…‘Show Up’ provides brilliant laughs and is worth repeat visits to fully appreciate its ever-changing nature.”
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"Marino provides a wild, unpredictable ride for his audience commenting on his own social anxiety and performance challenges...Any anxiety or shyness evaporates because everyone is involved together in a group endeavor…By including his audience in his production, Marino creates an unforgettable experience and turns audiences into participants and co-creators…In showing up to 'Show Up,' people find themselves totally involved with a group of strangers in an enjoyable project."
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“This performance is sharp, witting and engaging…If anything, it proves you don’t have to be artistic to have a tragic life that can be mined for comedic results...‘Show Up’ is the result of a keen and witty mind who knows how to take different ideas, meld them together and run with the result. I really enjoyed the show and laughed from start to end…Enter it in the right spirit and you’ll be well rewarded. Marino knows the format and how to play with it, as well as how to judge an audience.”
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“It would take a brave performer indeed to improvise an entire hour every day on their own. It would take an incredibly funny and intelligent performer to be able to do this. Luckily, Peter Michael Marino is a performer of great intelligence, wit, and enough energy to light up the entirety of The Counting House…Marino is a deeply engaging performer who always leaves the crowd with a message…You will never see this show again, and you don’t want to miss out!”
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