R.P. Weston

BWW Review: Balancing Comedy and Sentimentality, Ana Gasteyer Delights in Her Café Carlyle Debut

Cafe Carlyle is a low-ceilinged room with walls covered in paintings that lend credence to the illusion of being locked in another world, a jazzy rendition of 80 years ago that's all glitz and glam. It is in this room that Ana Gasteyer performed, making her debut at the venue. There was an immediate clash between the buttoned-up atmosphere and the by-no-means-buttoned-up performance Gasteyer gave. The SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE alum's show, directed by Julian Fleisher, is, at its heart, a comedy show, sometimes irreverent, sometimes touching, and always laugh-inducing.