Credit: Recent Cutbacks
Two guys. One hour. A shot for shot remake of Jurassic Park? Life found a way in Nick Abeel and Kyle Schaefer. Along with foley artist Blair Busbee, the duo of Recent Cutbacks take on one of the best movies of all time in “Hold On To Your Butts” — the hysterical comedy show now playing at The Pit in New York City. Using a winning combination of makeshift props, sunglasses, sweat, and plenty of chest hair, the result is a comedy show that needs to be seen to be believed.
I didn’t know quite what to expect when a friend told me about the show. A night out seeing a comedy show about my favorite movie? How bad could it be? It took all of 10 seconds in before I realized this was probably the perfect show for me. I had seen the new movie several times and was missing the first. All those quotes, iconic scenes and Goldblum.
Credit: Recent Cutbacks
But Nick and Kyle don’t need over the top CGI and a budget the size of the Indominus Rex to win over the crowd. What do you get when you strap a traffic cone and a bike helmet to one Nick Abeel? A Roaring (In the Distance… ) T-Rex of course. A levitating backpack? Hey, look, that’s Tim. Suave sunglasses and some plaid? The intense and ever endearing Dr. Grant.
But nothing got the crowd going as much as the introduction of Ian Malcolm. It is my opinion that most things in this world are always made better when you add a dash of Goldblum. In this case, a pair of glasses, some exposed chest hair, and plenty of bumbling, stuttering and yes, cackling, brings the essence of the ‘Blum to life in ‘Hold On To Your Butts’. Kyle Schaefer explores the notion that there can never be enough exposed chest and lounging positions when tackling Ian Malcolm. I laughed so hard, I had to cover my face to hide the tears.
Another favorite for me was the consistent introduction of Muldoon’s character. Have you ever fully appreciated Bob Peck’s quads in this movie? These guys did. There wasn’t a time when Muldoon wasn’t in a scene where they weren’t posing and hiking up their shorts. It felt like the 90s and high-waisted khaki shorts were back in style.
Don’t even get me started on their Samuel L. Jackson. Oh, Mr. Arnold.
Credit: Recent Cutbacks
With the flick and exchange of glasses and various accents, they seamlessly and almost effortlessly transformed from character to character. I say “almost” because I don’t want to diminish the work these two put in to the show. They went hard. There was enough sweat dripping to fill Tim’s water cup on that trembling dashboard.
What really shined through for me was their obvious friendship and love for the movie. It was like they were one of us, only, ya know, super talented. From the “Blink and You Miss It” inside jokes for all you real fans out there to the fun and goofy off script moments that gave a smile — and a hearty guffaw — to every JP fan in the room. I almost waved a white flag during that kitchen scene.
This is a rare, genuine talent and the kind of comedy that cannot be taught. These guys are the real deal and you could tell that they genuinely loved sharing this experience with the audience. This is fun for them.
They do allow themselves to interact a bit with the audience (Isn’t live theater great, Tim?!). I, myself, got to be whacked with a few tree branches and was the target during the now infamous Clever Girl scene. If only I had been wearing my Raptor Rubik’s cube shirt. I’m not sure what it says about me that I was able to recite, in my head, all the lines along with them. But I think it says this was a fantastic night out.
Credit: Recent Cutbacks
Now, it wouldn’t be a review if I only listed all the Pros. My one complaint? That it couldn’t go on forever. The trio has to squeeze 2 hours and 7 minutes into a timeslot of roughly 1 hour. So the ending does end up feeling a bit rushed. But it’s the kind of show where you’re having so much fun that you don’t care. You just don’t want it to end.
I’m not sure that I will ever be able to watch the movie the same way again but I think, in this case, that’s a good thing. So, make your way over to The Pit and check out the show before it disappears! This weekend they are having a Labor Day sale where you can get 25% off by using the code LABORSAURUSREX.
But be forewarned: You will probably end up wanting to be their best friends after seeing it.
Credit: Recent Cutbacks
With Sam Neill just tweeting that he saw a Jurassic Park parody show in the UK, I think it’s time for him to give a visit to the states and check out ‘Hold On To Your Butts.’
Recent Cutbacks is already planning their next venture and want your opinion on which movie they should tackle next. The options are Home Alone, Independence Day, or Lord of the Rings. To me, the clear winner here is Independence Day. With the sequel movie coming out next year, the timing seems perfect. And more shirtless Goldblum? Always more Goldblum. Always.
Hold On To Your Butts from Nick Abeel on Vimeo.
Recent Cutbacks information and Tour Dates for ‘Hold On To Your Butts’ are below:
vimeo | facebook | twitter | instagram
Performance Dates:
‘Hold On To Your Butts’ is brought to you and created by Recent Cutbacks — starring Nick Abeel, Kyle Schaefer and directed by Kristin McCarthy Parker, produced by Allyson Morgan, designed by Ashlee Springer, and included foley artist Blair Busbee.
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