UCB Crafts a Late Night Show from Scratch Every Month

Talia Milavetz, Entertainment Editor

For most of us, our nightly routine includes taking time to wind down and relax by watching our favorite late night shows from the comfort of our couch. Some lucky New Yorkers can sometimes even score tickets to a live taping of Jimmy Fallon or Seth Meyers. For those who really love late night talk shows, the Upright Citizens Brigade has created a new, more accessible way to experience the phenomenon.

For one night each month, the show picks a different guest to host the show, featuring interviews, games and political talk, just like the real thing.

This month’s guest host was Willie Geist, NBC TV personality and journalist. Sidekick Megan Colarossi, also an NBC TV personality, joined Geist for the night. The two were a hilarious pair, easily bouncing back and forth between one-liners and drawn out jokes made funnier by their chemistry.

Geist opened the show with a monologue in traditional late night style. He didn’t miss a beat and all of his jokes landed with huge reactions from the audience. The crowd was hooked from the start. After the monologue, Geist went to take a seat at his “Night Late” desk with a coffee mug and glass of alcohol to begin the talk show segment.

Geist then proceeded to play some games, including one called, “Who Knows More About NBC: Willie Geist or a Page?” One of UCB’s cast members played an eager yet timid Page, a member of NBC’s rigorous training program. This was one of few moments where the regular cast got to participate in the evening. Blending the guests with the UCB performers made the show lively and dynamic it was refreshingly different from the typical UCB show.

It was interesting to see the way the guests interacted with the veteran UCB actors, who created most of the show’s content with some improvisation from the hosts.

Political guest Nicole Wallace, who helped manage Sarah Palin when she ran for Vice President, joined Geist later in the show. Wallace shared some pretty great stories, like when she taught Palin how to remember all of the continents. Wallace was hilarious and, as a Republican, she introduced a different perspective to the show.

In keeping with the theme of reversal, the show ended with a game of reverse beer pong. Instead of throwing ping-pong balls into cups of beer, you throw cups of beer at ping-pong balls. They covered the floor with tarp and put on ponchos to play the messy game. The game was a hysterical conclusion to a fun show.

The next performance of “Night Late” is March 23 at 11:00 pm. The host will be Abra Tabak.

Email Talia Milavetz at [email protected].