So yeah, I've been wanting to go here for quite some time and I was not disappointed. Good venue, a little warm though but I could have been a bit over dressed. I only weigh in at a buck ten so I'm always cold but I was so warm I had to take off my socks during a black out. Strange that I share this with you I know but I'm very open these days. The actors were very good but heck, they better be. If you saw each one's IMDB credits, you would be impressed. These are real working actors folks. Solid show, good performances and some really great moments from each actor. The live band they had definitely made a difference and considering the show was about clowns, I think the live band added a lot to the show. They only do this particular show once a month so you have to wait to see it but it was well worth it. Here goes, my one beef. The popcorn is two bucks for a bag that has been cut into thirds. Yes, a cut bag. Very strange and a little bit of a scam but I did only pay seven bucks to see the show so it was OK. A nice little place though with large seats and groovy people.

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Brilliance battered by mediocrity.

The pre-show music in both the lobby and the house was terrible. Yes, they're certain to have chosen it for effect, but I was ready to take a baseball bat to the speakers by the time the show started. (I'm pretty sure it was phonograph recordings of the famously bad opera soprano Florence Foster Jenkins. Think William Hung singing arias.)

Then came the "blah" opening number by Whistles followed by a very underwhelming first sketch, and I was wondering if I had made a mistake. I hadn't. The second sketch had me roaring, and aside from the throw-away portrayal of butler Adolphus, it all held up from there.

Big Bugs was a bit crude, but was a serviceable straight man for the absolutely superb Corky. Corky ran away with the show. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that one of his grandparents was a Muppet. He alone was well worth the price of admission. If Corky and Big Bugs were to produce another show with new material, I would definitely return.

P.S. I suspect that Whistles and Adolphus were played by understudies in this performance, but there was no mention of it in the program.

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This wonderful show is not for traditional theatre-goers who expect to see a three-act play. It's a well-crafted series of little blackouts utilizing expert clown timing, seasoned acting chops and classic comedy to give us something new, very funny and constantly surprising. Clowntown's inhabitants are slightly wonky versions of classic clown archtypes. Although no pies were thrown, no seltzer bottles brandished, Two-Headed Dog has brought us a great evening's comedy entertainment. A live band provides hilarious sound effects and original music. Don't miss this.

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The rabid brainchild of Jim Turner and Mark Fite, the originators of their sketch comedy duo, then trio, now quartet, Two-Headed Dog, "Clowntown City Limits" has to be seen to be believed. In the friendly confines of the Steve Allen Theater, home to some of Hollywood's edgiest and wildest performances, "Clowntown" is loud and sloppy and profane...and hilarious. This is not your mother's well made play. It's a series of bits detailing the lives of Big Bugs, an out-of-work party clown, and his sidekick Corky, the brain-damaged rodeo clown as they struggle to survive in an uncaring, clown-centric world. They're aided by the comic contrasts of Craig Anton and Dave Gruber -- MTV's "Naked Trucker" and longtime 2HD cohort. Throw in some unexpected live musical accompaniment and you have a recipe for a laugh-out-loud Clown's Guide to Existential Hell, complete with hints of thievery and murder, all part of the fun. For folks who like their entertainments crude, sloppy and surreal, this once-a-month residency at the Steve Allen is a must-see. You'll be in the presence of some of LA's most talented funny guys, and you won't be disappointed. And all those reasons why you've always suspected that clowns should not be trusted will be confirmed.

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