As the saying goes, “this isn’t your mother’s cabaret show,” nor your grandfather’s nor your Midwestern maiden aunt’s for that matter.  But if you’re a young New Yorker who revels in a parade of equally youthful stand-up comics and comedic singers who burrow into the sexual cauldron of the singles world for their humor, the weekly On the Rocks is your dish of tea.

Danny Leary is host for the variety show at The Duplex and, like his late-night television counterparts, opened with a rambling, and funny, ten-minute discourse on topics ranging from the political scene to his one-shot appearance on CBS television as a comic weatherman.  From then on, however, his guests were given the stage to themselves to expound almost exclusively on sexual matters – straight, gay, oddball and kinky – with Leary popping back only to provide brief intros.

The onstage cast of the 90-minute shows is different each week, perhaps more so than Leary’s audience.  Many of those in the room were clearly frequent visitors to the shows, and the ongoing gales of laughter certified Leary’s talent not only as a stand-up, but as a talent scout as well.  One had to wonder whether the most raucous audience responses were laughs at the comics’ scandalous excesses or their own familiarity with the subject.  Luckily, there was no way to tell.

On The Rocks plays through March every Thursday at The Duplex.

Peter Leavy
Cabaret Scenes
February 21, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org