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July 12, 2023 10:30 AM

A Jew walks into a bar White Nationalist meeting. He emerges with a Broadway hit. Alex Edelman's [Wikipedia] one man show Just For Us [show website] has opened [NYT review, archive] and he's been doing press. Alex in conversation with Josh Grobin at 92Y from late last month [1h14] for a surprisingly vulnerable exchange. He also talked to Tim Miller for The Next Level [56m] in a conversation wide-ranging and insightful. Finally, he appeared on Late Night With Stephen Colbert in 2022 when Just For Us was off-Broadway. [7m31s]
posted by hippybear (4 comments total)

"I grew up in this really racist part of Boston... called Boston" is a genius line.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:48 AM on July 12, 2023 [3 favorites]

The Colbert appearance is fun (what an extraordinary family). The conversation at the 92nd Street Y is exactly as you said . . . surprisingly vulnerable. Thanks for this post. I wouldn't have spent time with Alex Edelman otherwise.
posted by ferdydurke at 3:36 PM on July 12, 2023 [1 favorite]

Is it the headline? It's the headline, I'm sure of it.

Alex said it's a joke he could never find a place for, or a private joke, or something.

Lesson learned. He knew best.
posted by hippybear at 5:35 PM on July 12, 2023

We saw the show a couple of weeks ago and loved it. He’s apparently been workshopping a lot of the material over the past year or so - I’m a fan of his but I don’t go out of my way to follow him and I was surprised how much of the act were bits I’d already seen. The center of the show, though, about going to the white supremacist meeting, was all new to me and really well done (and really funny).

As an Orthodox Jewish Upper West Sider, though, one of the funniest things was that there were a couple of times that my husband and I looked at each other while laughing because how is it that anyone is getting this joke, how does something this specifically niche ever play for people who aren’t, basically, us?, and then he would literally say “this is for those of you who came here from the Upper West Side.” (!)

I hope he’s super successful because the show is amazing (and not actually aimed at an audience of just me and my friends). We didn’t stay, but apparently after every show he comes down to the lobby to talk with the audience and answer any questions. If you get a chance to go see him, definitely do.

Looking forward to watching the interview when I have a chance.
posted by Mchelly at 4:17 AM on July 13, 2023 [1 favorite]