By Amber Landgraff

I went to see Shawn Hitchins is A Single White Douche at the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre on Friday.  Buddies has such a fun, friendly atmosphere, so going to see shows there is generally a lot of fun.

When I walked into the room it seemed like everyone in the room knew everyone else.  It was loud.  It was boisterous.  There were drinks.  Before Shawn Hitchins even got on the stage people were in a great mood.  That kind of atmosphere is contagious.

I will admit that right up until I got into the theatre I wasn’t feeling in the mood to see a show (a feeling that had nothing at all to do with the particular show, but more to do with the fact that despite many invitations, no one was free to join me).

But that feeling changed as soon as I walked in. I bought a beer, settled into the plastic lawn chair furniture, and found that I couldn’t stop laughing.

Shawn Hitchins started the show by announcing that he also did bar mitzvahs and interventions.  He quipped that this wasn’t Glee, and that alcohol was the original auto-tuner.  He was snappy.  He was snarky.  He was funny.

He poked fun at his hair (ginger!), his relationship status (or lack there of), and many other foibles that come from living in a city.  These included a hatred for people who cut their nails on the subway and an inability to function if a store’s debit machine goes down (debit going down is Hitchins’ Kryptonite).

He also shared personal stories, including his doomed relationship with a middle aged Romanian vampire.  A relationship that was nothing like the Twilight movies have led us to believe.

This was a particularly fun part of the show because it involved some pretty fabulous lighting, dry ice, and dramatic candles and candelabra.

Anne Barnshaw accompanies Hitchins on the piano (another ginger, but don’t worry folks, Hitchens promises they won’t bite).  The show is comprised of musical interludes and medleys of familiar songs like you’ve never heard them.

Hitchins’ rendition of Alanis Morrissette’s One Hand In My Pocket and Marilyn Manson’s Beautiful People have forever changed the way that I will look at those songs.

The show isn’t all funny jokes and songs though.  It also offers some very smart commentary on what it feels like to live in the city during the age of social networking.

I would highly recommend checking this show out if you like music, jokes, fighting climate change, not touching your mouth while riding the subway, and summing up your life in 140 characters or less.

Details

–       Shawn Hitchins is a Single White Douche is playing at Buddies and Bad Times Theatre

–       Remaining Shows are September 16-18 at 8 PM

–       Tickets are available online for $10.00 (plus a 1.59 processing fee)