NYC native and improv king Ben Schwartz makes history at Radio City Music Hall

When comedian Ben Schwartz walks (runs, actually) on stage at Radio City Music Hall this weekend, he'll be making history. His long-form improv show, Ben Schwartz & Friends, is the first improv show to headline the iconic venue. 

It’s a big moment for the Bronx-born comedian to perform in his hometown, and it’s an even bigger moment for long-form improv as it gains more traction and fans. It’s also a big moment for Schwartz’s comedic evolution, especially considering he had to be forced to audition for his first comedy show decades ago.

Now, he stitches together hilarious tales live on stage, inventing characters, creating complex backstories, miming props and leaving the audience doubled over in laughter.

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"We create an entire world/show that connects and stories that somehow start far apart and then connect and all have something to do with each other," Schwartz tells Time Out New York. "When it works right, it feels like it's written, and it feels like magic. It feels like a magic trick."

Schwartz and his friends extemporaneously create comedic worlds that are so clever, so witty, so deft, it feels like watching a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat. You see it, you believe it, but you're left in awe wondering: How did that happen?

For Schwartz, it all started at Union College in New York. 

Replacing fear with brazen silliness

Though Schwartz belonged to several singing groups in high school, he was too scared to audition for his school's musical. "I was afraid that all these people were going to tell me I was bad and not good enough, and that fear kind of took over for awhile," he says. 

In college, someone pushed him to audition for a short-form improv group. He realized that he could make people laugh and was hooked—though pursuing comedy felt like "going to the moon, like it was that enormous of a thing."

He dreamed of taking classes at Upright Citizens Brigade but couldn't afford it, so he became an intern to pay his way. He quickly learned that he loved the teamwork element of improv and sketch comedy, rather than stand-up comedy, and he pursued it with zeal—even if that meant doing intern chores like taking out the garbage and recycling.

"When I was an intern, I saw ASSSSCAT every week. So I saw Amy [Poehler], Tina [Fey], Rachel Dratch, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh," he says. "It felt like underneath this grocery store in Gristedes, it felt like it was the coolest place in the world, like nothing was cooler. ... I'm so thankful that I found that theater in Chelsea at that time. And I'm so thankful that I became an intern on the night where all my heroes were performing, so I'd get to watch them every single week." 

Soon after, Schwartz founded Hot Sauce with Gil Ozeri and Adam Pally, even scoring a spot at Montreal Comedy Festival. By the way, back in 2006, Time Out described their act as "brazenly silly" and full of nonsense "that makes perfect sense." Schwartz held onto the article ever since—and he's held onto his brazenly silliness ever since, too, a treat for us all.

But truly we were performing for nobody—nobody—for so long. So the idea now that I'm playing Radio City is just very dream come true-y. 

"Then things started to get a little bit nicer. And people were starting to come to our shows. But truly we were performing for nobody—nobody—for so long. So the idea now that I'm playing Radio City is just very dream come true-y. I don’t know of a venue that could blow my mind more than that."

'It feels like a magic trick' 

Having performed at Carnegie Hall, The Beacon, and theaters across the country, this isn't Schwartz's first big venue, but as a NYC kid, this one feels extra special. Over the past few weeks, he's been asking anyone on Instagram who sees his name on the Radio City sign to snap a photo and tag him in it. 

Here's how the show will work: First, Schwartz will introduce his friends/fellow improvisers, unveiling the cast for the first time. He'll then ask a question, prompting the audience to share a story. He'll continue asking questions of that audience member to glean details "so we can we have as much as we can play with."

When it works right, it feels like it’s written, and it feels like magic. It feels like a magic trick.

"The whole idea is the entire show is made up on the spot for that audience. The show will never exist again. It's made up for you in that moment and then disappears," he says.

Over the years, Schwartz has witnessed the growth of long-form improv, the genre he loves. Show after show, he’s inspired by the idea of getting on stage with nothing prepared—yes, that’s an impressive evolution from the guy who was too scared to audition for his high school musical.

“The venue had told us that we’re the first-ever improv group to headline Radio City. … That’s huge for us. At the beginning of shows, I used to be like, ‘Who here has heard of long-form improv before?’ And maybe 25% of the audience would clap. And now it’s like 75% of the audience.”

At age 42 with a 21-year career in improv so far, Schwartz has never grown tired of what first drew him to this work in the first place: Making people laugh.

The feeling of making an audience laugh still makes me so happy.

"The feeling of making an audience laugh still makes me so happy. I love hearing people laugh. I love when people are going crazy, and we feel the energy off of them. And if some bit is working well for that audience, we just keep going with it until we feel like it's hit its crest," he says.

While Schwartz basks in the moment of hearing a laugh on stage, he doesn't shy away from the hard work behind the scenes to make that happen. He brings his own microphones, works closely with the theater's lighting manager, keeps the mood backstage chill and runs on stage to amp up the energy. He's a major presence in all aspects of the show, not just in the spotlight.  

Ben Schwartz's favorite NYC spots

As a New York City native, this show is a homecoming for Schwartz, so we had to ask about a few of his favorite spots to visit when he's back home. Here's what Schwartz does when he's in town:

• Stopping by Russ & Daughters for bagels and cream cheese.
• Grabbing a slice at Two Boots Pizza. 
• Seeing a musical is a must on every trip. This time, it's Gutenberg! The Musical!, which has roots at Upright Citizens Brigade.
• Taking a long walk. "Every time I'm there, I put on my headphones, I put on music, and I walk at night for hours. Always. Because when I was there, I didn’t have enough money for cabs all the time, so I'd be walking all the time when I was younger. There's something about walking in Manhattan to music that is so nostalgic to me and I just love it so much."
• And, of course, this time, he'll be stepping onto the stage at Radio City Music Hall. Tickets for the show on Saturday, September 23 are on sale here starting at $52.