An Armand-azing Experience

After a day spent indoors at Chicago's Navy Pier avoiding the wind and rain, we returned to iO aka Improv Olympic for "The Armando Diaz Experience." This is a long-form improv show which features a monologist, who for the evening, goes by the name of "Armando" and tells stories about their life based on an audience suggestion of anything at all. The improvisers, (of which there were 12) then improvise scenes based upon Armando's stories told throughout the show.

This form was started in Chicago several years ago by Armando Diaz with whom I have studied improv for the past 3 or 4 years at the Magnet Theater in New York. I thought it would be really cool to see the show that bore his name at the theater where it all began.

It was pretty cool! I admit that I enjoyed some improvisers more than others (namely TJ Jagadowski) - man is he awesome! But overall, everyone in the show was really funny - and two hours flew by in a flash! It seems like improv shows in Chicago go for at least an hour, sometimes two! We didn't actually get out of the show until about 10:30, which threw a little bit of a wrench in our plan to get late night pizza with a couple of Chicago locals. We had opted to get an early steak dinner at Harry Carey's before the show, which was really delicious by the way.

Fortunately, the original Pizzeria Uno, birthplace of the deep dish pie, was open late and saved the day! Yes, we managed to have our steak and pizza too.
I love Chicago!