Cleve-Lens: Stella

(Credit: Aaron Mendelsohn)

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I just don’t get the comedy of Stella. The comedic trio of Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and Shaker Heights native David Wain should be much funnier. These guys were the driving force behind MTV’s mid-90’s sketch television show, 'The State.' They had their own show on Comedy Central and have countless Hollywood accolades, including 'Wet Hot American Summer,' 'Ed,' 'I Love the 80’s,' 'The Ten,' and this fall’s 'Role Models.' The guys are responsible for some very funny movies and television, but for some reason, Stella in person is irrational and irritating. Maybe it’s me, but from the faces of the audience, comprised mostly of people in their twenties and thirties, and the lack of laughs, I was not alone in my disillusionment. 

Part of the issue was the setting. Comedy does not do well at the House of Blues. Even with a few rows of chairs set up in the pit, the majority of the audience was forced to stand throughout the entire set, which doesn’t help when watching comedians. I understand that the balcony is reserved seating, but with half those seats open it would have been prudent for the venue management to allow the GA commoners to grab a seat. Instead, ushers would rudely stop you from entering the seats in the balcony, explaining that the empty seats must stay open in case someone purchased a ticket one-third of the way through the show.

The bigger problem though is that Stella thinks it’s hysterical, and well, it just isn’t. With short skits about a Cleveland stomp (the best party jam for dancing), and Christmas carols, and video shorts on Christmas trees and Showalter’s birthday party, the trio of New York-based comedians stretched its shtick for nearly 90 minutes and over a dozen individual pieces. However, none of them truly garnered a raucous roar from the audience. People wanted to laugh too, as evidenced by a few loud chuckles from marginally funny lines. Not even Wain, who made sure to allude to his Cleveland roots on several occasions, was able to connect with the audience enough to string together a few laughs. As the show marched along, the routine just grew tired. As I left, I started to wonder how these three funny men could waste all these people’s time.

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