Photo by Krystal Loritts / Contributing Writer
Comedy-lovers from all around came to check out Murfreesboro improv group M-Prov at Mayday Brewery on Friday.
The leader of the talented group, Andrew Thornhill, has had years of experience with improv and comedy. With his guidance, the group did exercises and skits with breaks for comedians to do stand-up.
Alexis Taylor, a Canadian singer based in Nashville, kicked off the night performing original music and country classics like “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash and “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood. Taylor’s set was the right amount of old and new, and her ability to make the old hits feel new and her original music seem like it was heard on the radio grabbed the audience’s attention. After, there was a brief break before M-Prov took the stage.
The group started with an exercise in which they sang songs about whatever the audience yelled out. The entire show was made to involve the audience as if they, too, were a part of the improv group. According to Thornhill, Friday night was their first attempt at a lot of the skits and exercises in the show, and the audience reaction determines whether they become regular parts of the show or get reworked.
“Tonight the audience is like our guinea pigs so we can see what works and what doesn’t,” Thornhill said.
Along with the side-splitting skits, several comedians performed stand-up routines, including M-Prov member Joe Brown, whose jokes about his children and the eclipse were crowd favorites, and Amanda Tucker, who told a hilarious story about finding herself at the very first Bonnaroo.
“This is my first time seeing them so I’m glad I had a good first impression of their work,” said Armani Beavers, who was in the audience.
M-Prov performs at Mayday Brewery every third Friday. For more information, visit their Facebook.
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