Most Friday nights, witness the birth – and death – of a new comic musical made up on the spot

I’ve witnessed great standup and improv on the RISE Comedy stage. Never did I think I would experience the magic of a musical in such an intimate venue. Luckily for all of us, Hit and Run: Musical Improv is here to provide just that.

Now in its 19th year of shows, Hit and Run (HNR) has performed more than 600 original musicals. It proudly holds the title of Colorado’s longest running improv show, and it has been a staple of RISE Comedy’s offerings since the venue opened in 2011.

I checked out their November 22 performance, which succeeded on every level with an absurd plot, wacky songs and a cast of actors fully committed to the bit.

The Hit and Run ensemble surveys the crowd for the night’s musical title. | Photo: Izzy Chern

Audience & actors name their masterpiece

After introducing themselves and their improvising pianist/Music Director Joe Roessler, the cast surveyed the audience to determine the title of the evening’s improvised musical. On the count of 3, everyone shouted their answers simultaneously – a delightfully chaotic start to the night.

Actors listened for two standout titles they felt they could work with, and then had the audience vote with applause between the two finalists: “Ouch! I Stepped on a Lego,” and “Sugar & Spice, Oh Yeah (x2).” By a long shot, “Lego” was voted to be the one.

Opening with style

The lights went out and Roessler immediately jumped into an upbeat piano riff, setting the stage for Ouch! I Stepped on a Lego’s opening song. Anyone with passing knowledge of Broadway show tunes would recognize the style Roessler plays, accompanying the cast for a “talk-singing” number that set the stage for the rest of the show.

Over the piano’s rhythm, actors stumbled across the stage, comically grabbing their feet and shouting with agony as they mimed stepping on invisible Legos. The cast was in perfect synchronization, instantly following each other’s leads and harmonizing the main refrain: “NOT AGAIN!”

Once the chorus was established, Lara Aziz Alder took center stage. The spotlight landed on her, and she claimed the role of the protagonist of our tale, improvising a dramatic ballad about being a mother at her wit’s end. Her impromptu lyricism was hilarious and clever, brilliantly setting up her character’s journey for this story.

Caryn Stark (L) and Thompson Powers, falling in love at Trader Joe’s | Photo: Izzy Chern

Bridge trolls & Trader Joe’s

The tale continued with Stephen Wilder and Holly MacLennan in a new scene, where they portrayed comically evil bridge trolls with thick cockney accents. Wilder and MacLennan were terrific, actively listening and building off each other’s energy as they established themselves as the villains of the story.

It wasn’t instantly clear how the trolls would tie into the story, but before long, Thompson Powers crossed the trolls’ bridge in character as one of Alder’s obnoxious children. Powers was especially impressive throughout the performance, with a terrific knack both for comedy and for seamlessly weaving the improvised plot points into a cohesive story.

The next scene threw me for a loop. Suddenly, we found ourselves in a Trader Joe’s with new characters. Powers quickly switched from an iPad pre-teen to a hopelessly romantic grocery clerk. Caryn Stark played his airhead love interest, and the two brought down the house with a hysterical, sexually charged love ballad featuring plenty of TJ product jokes like “you’re getting me hotter than a samosa!”

Lara Aziz Alder has stepped on her last Lego. | Photo: Izzy Chern

Tying it all together

An exasperated mother, angry bridge trolls and a torrid Trader Joe’s affair — How the heck was this team going to bring together such wacky plotlines?

With all the ingredients in place, the story hit full stride when Alder’s character struck a deal with the bridge trolls. She agrees to let the trolls “temporarily kidnap” her kids for 24 hours, giving her a break from her motherly responsibilities – and a blissful day without stepping on a Lego. But these trolls aren’t to be trusted. When Alder returns to reclaim her children, they exclaim she’s given away her kids not for 24 hours but for 2,400 years!

The cast laughed along with the audience at these wild twists and turns, making the musical feel all the more organic and spontaneous. With every song, stakes were heightened and circumstances made even zanier. But the immense talent among the cast kept the show running full speed ahead, always “yes-and-ing” each other’s ideas.

By the end of the show, every character and plotline was wrapped up with a bow. Alder’s mother rescued her children, and she even adopted the Trader Joe’s lovers.

HNR showcased immense talent and imagination with Ouch! I Stepped on a Lego. It made for a truly enjoyable night of laughs and surprises in the style of a Broadway musical, and unlike many comedy shows, it’s a recurring even