Get ready for a night of pure storytelling bravado with Alex Edelman’s Broadway debut, Just For Us, opening tonight at the Hudson Theatre and running through Aug. 19. This stand-up comedy routine is unlike anything you’ve seen before, with no need for flashy visuals or special effects. Instead, Edelman relies on his sheer talent and a terrific yarn to captivate his audience.
The show is based on a true story that finds the Jewish comic, raised Orthodox and still observant, attending a small White Supremacist neo-Nazi gathering in Queens. What begins as a lark quickly turns ugly, but Edelman finds the humor throughout, even in the most unexpected places.
As a natural storyteller, Edelman takes the audience on a winding roadmap, with excursions through his Orthodox Jewish upbringing and ongoing struggles with what it means to be Jewish and white. He even tackles the question of whether empathy has limits, all while remaining true to the values instilled in him by his Jewish upbringing.
Edelman’s ability to walk right up to the abyss and come away with jokes that neither diminish nor romanticize what he’s seen is a testament to his talent. And with the recent passing of his director and longtime collaborator, Adam Brace, Just For Us stands as a fitting and loving tribute. Don’t miss this 75-minute show with no intermission.
