Fou Announces New Batsu! NYC Associate Artists 

Face Off Unlimited (FOU) has announced that Noriko Sato and Brian Walters, two cast members that the company credit as vital to the success of BATSU! NYC, will be joining the BATSU! Creative Team as Associate Artists. Both stalwart and fan favorite performers, in their new roles they will also work directly with Artistic Director Jay Painter and other FOU creatives to continually improve and expand on the production.

FOU created the positions in response to "the extraordinary contributions each have made to the company," says Painter. "Noriko was the very first person we cast in BATSU!, before the show was fully developed, and she made a huge impact on the direction we took. Brian created the role of BATSU! host as we know it. He's contributed more Japanese language and cultural elements to the show than anyone." Looking to the future of the show, Painter goes on to say, "With their connections to both America and Japan, they will help to keep us authentic as an experience of cultural fusion."

Brian Walters is a Japanese-American actor/host based in NYC. He started his career on the Japanese NHK program Tensai Terebi Kun and continued modeling in Japan. Since moving to NYC, Brian has been seen in numerous commercials and TV shows (Blue Bloods, Halt & Catch Fire). More recently, he was Ash Ketchum in Epic Rap Battles of History and will be in theaters for his role in the upcoming movie Embattled. Since 2012, you can catch Brian onstage as the host of BATSU! every week.

Noriko started out doing sketch comedy mainly playing male characters in an all-girls school in Japan. She stands tall at 5'3" and played NCAA basketball and is now living her dream as an actor and loving her role punishing people at BATSU! Her other favorite roles include a young Yoko Ono-ish woman on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a super cute tourist in Telemundo's Betty en NY, and an adventurous college student in the feature film Extracurricular Activity. Her adventure continues.

BATSU! NYC is an interactive comedy experience that shows what happens when American comedians suddenly find themselves in a live Japanese game show. It's been called "Hilarious, Strange, and Kind of Sick!" by Thrillist, and declared one of the "Best Things To Do IN NYC" by CBS NY. The cast of BATSU! are members of the acclaimed comedy company Face Off Unlimited, who the New York Times called "Really Funny."

Tickets on sale now at batsunyc.com for all of 2019. Now booking for holiday events.

A full menu/bar is available and audience members may enjoy sushi and sake, while the bravest sign up for a chance to participate in BATSU! themselves. The show was hailed as one of Thrillist's "20 Fresh Date Ideas" in New York and named to Chicago's "Top 5 Comedy Clubs" list by ABC7 Chicago. BATSU! NYC is the higher rated "Comedy Club" in NYC by Yelp. BATSU! is perfect for birthday celebrations, office outings, and those who are bored with the typical dinner and drinks routine.

Based in New York City, Face Off Unlimited specializes in immersive, improvisational entertainment and creative content development. For more information on BATSU! visit batsulive.com or email groups@batsunyc and groups@batsuchicago.com. Visit faceoffunlimited.com to learn more about FOU.