The Colonial Theatre Presents: Paula Poundstone

Emmy Award-Winning Comedian, Author, and Actress

With smart, observational humor and a legendary spontaneous interaction with the crowd, Paula Poundstone is one of our country’s pre-eminent comedians. She improvises with a crowd like a Jazz musician, swinging in unexpected directions without a plan, without a net. There’s a disarming ease in her craft, an immediate sense that she’s so quick on her feet you need never worry about the possibility of something going wrong.

Poundstone’s razor sharp wit and impeccable timing makes for the perfect fit as a regular panelist on NPR’s #1 show, the weekly comedy news quiz, Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! When asked about Paula, Wait, Wait host Peter Sagal replied, “Paula Poundstone is the funniest human being I have ever known. Everything she does, thinks, or says is hilarious. If you cut her into bits, each piece would be funny. (But don’t!). Air becomes funny having been breathed by her.”

Paula is also an author. She just released her second book, the critically acclaimed, The Totally Unscientific Study Of The Search For Human Happiness (Algonquin Books). The book landed at #1 on Amazon Best Sellers lists in humor in Hardcover, Audible and CD. The audio book, read by Poundstone, is one of five finalists for Audio Book of the Year.  Paula voiced the character “Forgetter Paula” in Inside Out, winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Her commentaries appear on CBS Sunday Morning and guest appearances include Late Night with Stephen Colbert, Last Call with Carson Daly, Nerdist with Chris Hardwick, Weekend Edition and ‘Puzzle Master’ with Will Shortz! Oh, and did anyone notice that this past year she was an answer in the New York Times Crossword Puzzle?

Paula was the first woman, in its then 73rd year, to perform standup comedy at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. A star of several HBO specials – her 2nd special, Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard marked the first time that elite university allowed its name to be used in the title of a television show. Paula also starred in her own series on HBO and ABC, The Paula Poundstone Show. Her memorable coverage of the 1992 Presidential election as a special correspondent for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, followed by behind-the-scenes coverage at the 45th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards in 1993 set the standard for those who followed..

Paula is recognized on Comedy Central’s list of The 100 Best Standup Comics of All Time. She won an American Comedy Award for Best Female Standup Comic, and she is included in innumerable lists, documentaries and literary compendiums noting influential standup comedians of our time.

The Colonial Theatre Presents: Shovels & Rope

An American folk duo from Charleston, South Carolina, Shovels & Rope is composed of husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst. Combining threads from their individual solo careers, Shovels and Rope combines elements of country and punk rock to create its own brand of raw, American roots music. The duo originally came together when they  collaborated for a one-off album, “Shovels and Rope” in 2008. A year later, the two artists married, and today Shovels and Rope boasts a celebrated discography, featuring releases like 2012’s “O’ Be Joyful” and “Swimmin’ Time.”

Colonial Children’s Series: Patchwork Players Present “Patchwork Patrol”

Every July and August The Colonial’s Summer Children’s Series provides a weekly dose of music, mayhem, magic and more and is anchored on alternate weeks by The Weathervane Theatre’s Patchwork Players. Come enjoy the fun!

WEDNESDAYS at 11 AM. All tickets $6 at the door. Group discounts available, please call for information.

Patchwork Players: Patchwork Patrol

Written by The Patchwork Players. Didn’t finish your homework? Missed the bus? Parents on your case? It’s PATCHWORK PATROL to the RESCUE!

 

Colonial Children’s Series: Michael Mennes High Jinks

Every July and August The Colonial’s Summer Children’s Series provides a weekly dose of music, mayhem, magic and more. Come enjoy the fun!

WEDNESDAYS at 11 AM. All tickets $6 at the door. Group discounts available, please call for information.

Michael Mennes High Jinks

Sit back, as Michael Menes, the über-juggler and theatrical chameleon, defies the forces of gravity as he creates a world full of humor, finesse and visual delight! “A Fascinating Performance!” —Circus Zeitung Magazine

The Colonial Theatre Presents: Ranky Tanky

Ranky Tanky released their eponymous debut on Oct. 20, 2017. By December of that year, the group had been been profiled on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and their album soared to the #1 positions on the Billboard, iTunes, and Amazon Jazz Charts.

“Gullah” comes from West African language and means “a people blessed by God.” “Ranky Tanky” translates loosely as “Work It,” or “Get Funky!” In this spirit this Charleston, SC-based quintet performs timeless music of Gullah culture born in the southeastern Sea Island region of the United States. From playful game songs to ecstatic shouts, from heartbreaking spirituals to delicate lullabies, the musical roots of Charleston, SC are “rank” and fertile ground from which these contemporary artists are grateful to have grown.

South Carolina natives Quentin Baxter, Kevin Hamilton, Charlton Singleton, and Clay Ross first came together in 1998, fresh out of University, to form a seminal Charleston jazz quartet. Now, united by years apart and a deeper understanding of home, these accomplished artists have come together again, joined by one of the low-country’s most celebrated vocalists Quiana Parler, to revive a “Heartland of American Music” born in their own backyards.

Colonial Children’s Series: Patchwork Players Present “The Upside of Being Down”

Every July and August The Colonial’s Summer Children’s Series provides a weekly dose of music, mayhem, magic and more and is anchored on alternate weeks by The Weathervane Theatre’s Patchwork Players. Come enjoy the fun!

WEDNESDAYS at 11 AM. All tickets $6 at the door. Group discounts available, please call for information.

Patchwork Players: The Upside of Being Down

Book by Miles Burns and Alden Caple; Music by Miles Burns and Scottie Hermenau. Birds of a feather flock together.

The Colonial Presents: Dustbowl Revival

Over the past few years, The Dustbowl Revival has been making a name for itself with a vibrant mix of vintage Americana sounds. Critics have proclaimed that this eclectic eight-piece band featuring guitar, ukulele, mandolin, fiddle, trumpet, trombone, bass, and drums, “would have sounded utterly at home within the hallowed confines of Preservation Hall in New Orleans’ French Quarter” (Los Angeles Times) and their “upbeat, old-school, All-American sonic safaris exemplify everything shows should be: hot, spontaneous, engaging and, best of all, a pleasure to hear” (L.A. Weekly). Rob Sheffield, in Rolling Stone, hailed them as a great band “whose Americana swing was so fun I went back to see them again the next day.”

Colonial Children’s Series: Steve Corning’s Extraordinary Variety Show

Every July and August The Colonial’s Summer Children’s Series provides a weekly dose of music, mayhem, magic and more. Come enjoy the fun!

WEDNESDAYS at 11 AM. All tickets $6 at the door. Group discounts available, please call for information.

Steve Corning’s Extraordinary Variety Show

Presenting a variety show of ultimate proportions, featuring fast-paced juggling routines, mind-blowing escape artistry, comedy magic, contortion, balancing, LED light manipulation, and nearly endless amazing stunts, all mixed with a hearty dose of off-the-cuff comedy. “A highly energetic and innovative act!” —Tunbridge World’s Fair

Colonial Children’s Series: Patchwork Players Present “Alice in Wonderland”

Every July and August The Colonial’s Summer Children’s Series provides a weekly dose of music, mayhem, magic and more and is anchored on alternate weeks by The Weathervane Theatre’s Patchwork Players. Come enjoy the fun!

WEDNESDAYS at 11 AM. All tickets $6 at the door. Group discounts available, please call for information.

Patchwork Players: Alice in Wonderland

Book, Music and Lyrics by Joe Burns and Rick Edinger Lewis. Help Alice uncover the secrets of Wonderland, enjoy teatime with the Mad Hatter, and be put on trial by the Queen of Hearts.

Colonial Children’s Series: Leland Faulkner-World of Wonder

Every July and August The Colonial’s Summer Children’s Series provides a weekly dose of music, mayhem, magic and more. Come enjoy the fun!

WEDNESDAYS at 11 AM. All tickets $6 at the door. Group discounts available, please call for information.

Leland Faulkner – World of Wonder

A live performance that transports audiences into their imagination. Leland Faulkner is a master theatre artist, and his program, World of Wonder, shares engaging stories full of magic and imagination that leap off the stage.