Austinist Review: KA-BAAM Is a Hit!

While the show normally takes place upstairs at the Hideout, a broken A/C forced Saturday's show into the downstairs space. Director Asaf Ronen was kind enough to grant us a peek at their cute, colorful, meltingly-hot set. We quickly retreated downstairs, not wanting to burst into flame.

The pre-show was a medley of superhero-themed tunes, including theme songs from the Greatest American Hero and the old Speed Racer cartoon. This invocation of old school cartoons made us a bit worried about what we were about to see. We fretted this meant that the cast would be using old superheroes—like Batman and Spiderman—then trying to pass off a recycled mess as a new adventure. Silly us, we shouldn't have worried. Though the show was originally created by Steve Wacker (editor, Marvel Comics) the superheroes we saw were totally new.

Taking suggestions from the audience for different superheroes, the able cast improvised a brand-new, full-length, comic book adventure, with original costumed crime-fighters. Saturday's superheroes included "Captain Margarine" (Justin Davis), "The Googler" (Audrey Sansom), and "Captain Pessimism" (Kareem Badr). The show was called by the Narrator, Kaci Beeler, in her first performance of the role. The improvisational nature of the show means that the leads are different from week to week.

Since the show is improvised, the superhero costumes are minimal—capes and breastplates with non-committal insignia. While the set upstairs looked swell, the set and costumes aren't the key reason to see the show. You're there to watch the adorably smart-ass cast make fresh comedy! Amazingly, the cast even kept the show (mostly) family-friendly for the under 14's in the audience.

Best of all, the excitement of the eventing is captured on paper by a real comic book artist. We were expecting a grizzly, grumpy, ink-stained wretch immortalizing the proceedings. Instead, we got the glam Kristin Hogan, co-author of the comic Dead Squirrel Girl, inking out a sketch of the evening's superheroes. The audience member who suggested "The Googler" got to take home Hogan's drawing. Score!

Admittedly, KA-BAAM!! isn't always as seamless as it might be. Some of the sketches went on a bit longer than perfection might have called for, but that happens in live comedy. Dogs bark, cats scratch, and sometimes comedy drags a bit in the middle. Sometimes you could see the cast struggling a touch to keep a straight face.

We've been to scads of Austin shows over the years. This is one of the most enjoyable times we've ever had as an audience member. Really, do yourself a favor and see this production soon. The rotating cast may include: Erik Adams, Kareem Badr, Kaci Beeler, Jon Clinkenbeard, Andy Crouch, Roy Janik, Michael Jastroch, Julie Lucas, Kacey Samiee, Audrey Sansom, and Jason Vines. At only $10, it's a steal.