Old Jews Telling Jokes

Very funny. Even when I already knew the punchlines, the delivery made them funny. Clever production.

The show was ok. Most of the jokes were well known. There is just wasn't nothing memorable to say about it. It was ok.

Some new, some old jokes told by a couple of Jewish males and a couple of shiksas pretending to be Jewish females. And some reasonably entertaining songs. Made my 95 year old mostly deaf quintessential Jewish mother laugh. My wife and I laughed, too, I more than she. More crude sex humor than I expected. Certainly not at the level of the very long list of truly great Jewish comics and comedy writers. But sufficiently entertaining to warrant one experience.

Didn't care for all the "F" words and sexual jokes. I had heard so many of the jokes before told in a much funnier way.

We enjoyed this play as did others around us. I feel that it might not be appropriate for youth under 12 because of the sex jokes but we thought it was very funny.

Eight of us went and we all thought it was a waste of money. A few good jokes in between a bunch of bad ones.

The actors did a terrific job of delivering old jokes.

Loved hearing jokes I've heard before delivered by professionals. One laugh after another. We loved it!

Old Jews Telling Jokes is just that and a nice reminder of what summer entertainment was like at the Catskill resorts through the 1950s. The show even includes film clips of some great Jewish comedians. Especially entertaining were the two more mature members of the cast, but the script was written well to accommodate the two younger members. The show probably appeals the most to people familiar with the culture and history of Jewish humor, as the make-up of the audience indicated, largely on the older side in the middle of the week. But it's good humor for young people too and at the right ticket price for a fun night out. I would recommend this unique show to anyone interested in ethnic humor.

My partner is an old Jew. I, accordingly, love old Jews. We're both a fan of laughing our tocheses (tochii?) off. How could we go wrong? We'd become interested in the show when visiting New York,where it originated, and it made it onto the short list of productions we wanted to see. However, with limited time, we weren't able to squeeze it in with the other two plays. (Book of Mormon and Buyer and Cellar, both highly recommended.) So, when we went to Chicago recently, and discovered it had recently opened there, we made it our number one priority. Unsure what we were in for, we entered the moderately-sized theater and took our spots in the front row. Though we had to crane our necks back a bit to see, we couldn't complain about the great view. So much of the character of the jokes comes across in the facial expressions and body language, and getting to be right up on the action made us feel like we were old friends of the cast, listening to the jokes from their youth. But don't mistake this for a simple comedy act. As easy as it would be to get a laugh from these old favorites by sticking to the tried-and-true formula of setup->punchline, the real charm of the show comes in how each gag is presented. The cast plays multiple roles in each joke, adding so much character and heart to each little humorous tale that you quickly fall in love with each over-the-top stereotype they're portraying. And as they struggle not to laugh right alongside you at their fellow castmates, you can't help but feel drawn up into the community they're paying homage to. The cast was fantastic, with Tim Kazurinsky stealing the show, for me. After the play was over, as we waited for our car to be brought around, we were lucky enough to catch the cast as they were leaving and the brief interaction made the show even more memorable. (You're a mensch, Mr. Weygandt!) Whether you're an old Jew or a young Gentile like myself, do yourself a favor and go see Old Jews Telling Jokes. You may not be one of the chosen people, but that doesn't mean you can't laugh like one.

I was told about this comedy and I could not believe it. My BF flew in from out of town and It was a nice evening with a great dinner, followed by a really great show. We pretty knew every line of the joke, but it made it hysterical to listen to it played back to us. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a great laugh. You do not have to be jewish to get the jokes, it was refreshing to watch a comedy show like this one. Mazel Tov to the cast.

It was a riot!! laughed from the minute they came onstage until the very end. Very enjoyable!!

I did not care for their segment on sex and sex/marriage. I thought the jokes were rather vulgar. My favorite part of the entire show was Tim singing Old Man River - that took some talent which he has! I also would have liked the jokes to follow more of Jewish traditions from within a family setting. Lastly, why weren't the lines delivered with a Jewish accent? I expected that would be what it was all about - a Jewish joke delivered with a Jewish accent. However, I think all the actors were very talented.

Actors are great. Just one thing... Too many dirty jokes.

Hilarious! All the actors were great with excellent timing and joke/story delivery. I found the jokes very universal even for a person of non-Jewish descent. It was an overall enjoyable experience!

My friend Gene Weygandt starred in this show, but ALL of the cast were equally great! We never stopped laughing. The cute skits made the jokes even funnier! It's a must see!

Tears were running down my face from laughing so much. What a great fun afternoon.

Hilarious! It was the best show I've seen this yea.

be prepared to laugh--it is very cute and funny--some of the jokes i had heard before, but only about 20%--not for children, some of the jokes are related to sex--the cast is great--very relaxing evening.

We are not Jews, but we laughed our butts off...and it was only the second night it was open.

The ensemble cast was wonderful and most of the jokes funny-even for Gentiles. But with prices including all the fees winding up at $67 pp-it was steep. Wish we'd waited for Goldstar. The venue is great-love the royal George Theater, very few bad seats in the house.

I have seen this show more than once. Every time it seems funnier. Through jokes and story telling, the show traces from birth to death Gene Weygandt s character from a Jewish perspective, although the humor is really simply very human. Yes, the language is for adult ears - and no problem with that! The actors add additional sparks to the jokes and stories by putting them into skits assisted by a roving video screen! Add to that 3 or 4 musical numbers (including one song by genius satirist Tom Lehrer). I don t want to give everything away, that you ll need to experience for yourself!

Funny show - actors did a good job. Very reminiscent of the Buddy Hacket, Alen King era (I loved the video of Alen!) A bit off color - but not too bad (again - this was like their live acts back then). I think the Jesus bit would offend most non-Jews, though. I would caution non-Jews that they may not follow all the references to Jewish sayings/words.

Laughed at 75% of the jokes and gags. Only complaint was that it was 80 minutes long. Should have been around 2 hours.

The play was just OK. I did laugh, but sone of the jokes fell flat as well. There were too many references to sex as well.

An excellent comedian tells unforgettable jokes by not using potty mouth everyday words. The Jewish comedians of old provided us with class acts that insinuated certain things without the "dirt." While there are a few good laughs, there are also many groans. Those need to be smoothed out and eliminated for a classier act. BTW, many of the jokes I heard on stage? I heard them already. Maybe we can watch more of the Alan King videos!

I thought the cast was quite talented vocally, and with their comedic timing. Some of the jokes have been circulating on the internet for years. As judging collectively by the audience reaction at the Thursday matinee, there was not huge amounts of laughter, which was my expectation going in. I believe I was somewhat entertained for the hour I was there. I now know why front row sets were available.....my group complained of neck pain/strain from having to look up for the entire performance.

Sorry, but this perofrmance barely had me chuckle. Most of the jokes were old.

The show was entertaining. Some funny jokes. Few new jokes. Adult entertainment.

Me and my shiksa wife went and laughed the entire time. You do not need to be Jewish to enjoy this lighthearted show! This is not really a 'play' so much as a bunch of one-liners on the stages of life. There are some jokes about Jewish culture but many of them just substitute jewish names for very funny jokes. Do not bring kids, some jokes are definely for mature audiences only. But its a good time and there are no bad seats in the theater.

I thought this show was outstanding. I would go see it again

We loved it. Every joke got a laugh because they were told with new oomph and feeling.. Even the ones we heard before.deserved a laugh. Highly recommended.

A truly hilarious ninety minutes. Great cast including local favorites Tim Kazurinsky from SNL and Gene Weygant, who played the Wizard in the Broadway production of Wicked. Some of the jokes are classics so you've heard some of them before but with this fabulous cast and their fantastic timing you'll still be roaring. Some of the jokes are off color but at the Sunday matinee we were at the audience could have been called "Old Jews Laughing Their Asses Off". So not for kids. A truly fun time.

What a great time we had when we went to Old Jews Telling Jokes. We were up for a good laugh, and we were not disappointed. Great actors and a very entertaining evening. We'd will definitely go back when in Chicago.

This was so disappointing. Didn't laugh once. Feel like I got robbed. Total waste of an evening. Save your money and go elsewhere.

This was probably the worst show and biggest waste of my time an money that I ever have seen, done, attended. We looked at eachother as we were leaving and wondered how they could actually charge money---- and not cheap money --- for something so bad. We didn't laugh at all..... not once. And we had high hopes even after reading some of the previous reviews. Kazurinsky usually is pretty good, but he just stole my money. Lamest show I have ever..... EVER..... been to.

The performers were all very talented- nothing bad to say about them. However, it seemed like a stand up show of one-liners that I have heard over & over throughout the years. Its hard to really laugh at a joke Ive heard 15 times & read it various times too through email jokes & Facebook. Its ok to see the show if you get it at a DEEP discount & are not busy that eve. But for $75, absolutely NOT. Thats why the balcony was completely empty on a sat night.

If I were not Jewish, seeing this show would have made me think Jews lacked the intellect to be funny without being filthy. This is a shame given the deep history of fantastic humor in our culture. An example of this classic humor was the Alan King video clip used in the show. Sadly, that clip was the best part of the show... And I could have stayed home for that. . .

This was a great evening of laughter and smiles. We're not Jewish, yet could relate to each joke. If you think you can't relate, just substitute your heritage.

If you don't like crude humor, forget this one. Otherwise, it's hilarious. Thoroughly entertaining!

Don't waste your money at $75 this was throwing money away. Not very funny and very amateurish could have been done better by high schoolers

Actors were talented. Show was feh. I've heard all of the jokes on old Jews ellingjokes.com

If you live with a joke teller, you will have heard 85% of these jokes. If you don't, you will have heard 65%of them. Better shot at having some really good laughs at Zanies. The production and staging was clever, cute and well-done which got it my second star.

After reading several positive reviews (and being Jewish), there was no question we wanted to see this show. All I can say is OY, the cast was nowhere near as old as the jokes ... old and stale. MAYBE, if you like to hear rehashed schick for 80 minutes and you can get seats for 1/2 price, ok, maybe.

I love Chicago theater and have been going for years. I've never been so let down. 1.5 hours of one-line jokes. And bad ones. After 40 minutes I went and sat in the lobby for a bit to take a break from the show. I wanted to share a couple of examples of the jokes but I can't remember one of them. The theater itself is great. Small and easy to get to and navigate. The seating is spacious, comfortable and stacked well for great viewing from all seats. I went to this show at 2pm the day before Thanksgiving. My mom is 68 years old and aside from me was the youngest person at the show. Multiple wheelchairs, a gentleman that fell and couldn't get up, etc. Some of them seemed to enjoy the show. My mom didn't and she had been so anxious to go. So bummed to give a poor review but I just don't know how this is getting good reviews.

Most jokes were not funny, I had better comments after the joke that was funnier. Hard to understand, words at end swallowed . saw plenty Jewish comedy acts that were a lot funnier, like Jackie mason.

Great family fun (not a young family member show).

This is a great show. Not complicated with storyline, and exactly as advertised. One funny bit after another for 90 minutes. Ribald and ethnocentric, these are the gags that helped launch today's comics.

I felt like the punch line to the jokes were not very good or funny.

Iam not Jewish But growing up my mothers best friend was, and while the show pushed the envelope. Many memories of a time long along agoo were revisited putting a smile on my face long ago lost.

I thought it was boring and not funny. The acting was mediocre and I think it was a big waste of money.

Laughed throughout. Actors were exceptional. Must see

There was only one "old Jew", he delivered well enough, the others were obviously not comedians which clearly showed in their deliveries. The jokes were far too dominated by sexual content perhaps this was because it wasn't really "old Jews telling jokes", instead it was more like "whoever we could get to tell some jokes about Jews", and about the only topic we could trust them with was stuff about sex.

Excellent. Non stop laughter I really enjoyed the show. Reminded me if the old days at grossingers in the Catskills.

The comedians were talented, but they were not old. The jokes were old - I have used many in the past. If the comedians were older, the jokes would have been funnier. I was disappointed.

Very funny! It was very well done. It brought back fond memories.

So this old Jew went to see "Old Jews Telling Jokes." I've got good news and bad news. The good news is it's hysterical. The bad news is I can't remember most of the punch lines.

This show could have been good, but the cast was terrible. We saw some YouTube clips from this show at other venues and they were really good so we had high expectations. Those expectations fell far short. I would not recommend seeing this production of the show, even if you get the tickets for free!

Perhaps the first 10 minutes were humorous, otherwise way too predictable. Marginal acting- a very average performance/content.

Awesome performance. Great acting. Very smooth and super entertaining.

I went with my husband as it was his birthday present even though I was not looking forward to going. I am not Jewish so thought I would not enjoy the humor. I was so wrong. From the first joke until the last joke 1 1/2 hours later I never stopped laughing. Since seeing it I can not stop telling people about it.

The Internet has really changed the way humor is exchanged. Great jokes of all kinds in this performance. Unfortunately, I knew most of them as the jokes are floating around the Internet. Heard that one.........was familiar.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to see "Old Jews Telling Jokes" but I was delightfully entertained. I know it's good when they take their bows and I can't believe it's been 1 1/2 hours already!! A bit raunchy at times but hilarious too!! I would highly recommend "Old Jews Telling Jokes" to anyone who isn't afraid to hear quite a few sex jokes but in the funniest way possible!!

Old Jews Telling Jokes was fun from beginning to end. When we left the theater we remarked about how long it had been since we had gone to a cabaret and just laughed. How sad we were to find that the show closed that weekend as we had plans to bring lots of people. Theaters need to rethink their ideas of relying on extended box office to survive. Not just sure how they are going to do that, but young people do not do advance sales, and this show wasn't up long enough to get a huge word-of-mouth. I know it's been a tough winter for the Arts in general, but why you didn't do this show in Sarasota in the Winter, then Chicago in the summer, I don't know.

Laugh the whole 85 minutes! Not stop fun, go and see it next time it's around.

Not your gramma's Henny Youngman! Very clever, funny and fast paced. Left us laughing so much. we have already recommended it to many of our friends and family. Great entertainment for the price!

I had heard many of the jokes before, but these were told very well. I loved the show and laughed out loud for almost 2 hours straight.

Lowbrow humor--the best kind when dealing with Midwest weather--delivered in the most professional manner. Great fun.

Many recycled jokes but still a fun night of laughs!

Very enjoyable presentations of great jokes whether you're Kosher or not! Performers had the audience in stitches not only with their delivery, but with their body language and timing a well. They seemed to delight in audience reaction to the more risqué jokes as much as the audience loved hearing them!

It was GREAT!!! The cast did a fantastic job and were truly into their roles. We loved it. A great way to spend a little time away from the "real world".

I was not sure I would understand all the joke as I am a "gentile". But as soon as the performers began it was one great laugh after another. I love to laugh and this show hit the mark!! Everyone shoud see it!

Old Jews Telling Jokes Whoa! While laughing and giggling as we always do while minding our own business, somehow we were selected, based on some unknown agenda, to move to a front-row table just off the left footlight. Delightful! My old ears appreciated being that much closer to the stage. Not that the audio was a problem\u2026 Oh no, it was perfectly amplified: no feedback, no overdramatic reverb, and nice clear sound. We laughed hysterically throughout the whole show. I thought the play name should have been "Jews Telling Old Jokes", as there were only 2 old Jews, 1 middle-aged Jew and 2 young Jews, although all wonderful as they poured themselves through a host of Jewish persona. Jokes were well-delivered, funny & clever; whether or not I had heard them previously. I'd guess I heard about 50% prior, but I wasn't keeping a running total, just my impression (and I m an older guy who s been telling jokes his whole life, When mom first went to breast-feed me, I said, \u2018I ll take 2 ). The jokes I was familiar with, I hadn't heard in a long time, as to say, they really were old jokes (25+ years old); not groaners, but really funny jokes. Even the Old Jewish Jokes although frequent, were not offensive and still funny. I thought the comedic timing between jokes was a bit quick at times, as the audience (and myself) were still laughing at the last joke and would miss the start of the next joke, which can ruin the joke. I thought they (actors) needed to wait a little longer until the audience laughter started to die off before starting the next joke. Perhaps their hands were tied because they had to stay abreast with the techtronics; which means the show was even funnier that then sound designer expected! (S)He didn t allow enough time for the laughter; and we really were hanging on every word and didn t want to miss the next one.

All five of the comedians kept my girlfriend and I in stitches the whole time. Very talented and worth the ticket prices!

I was so looking forward to this show, especially having read the very strong reviews it has received - while there were a handful of pretty funny jokes, for the most part this was a disappointing experience. The players are all obviously strong talents with great timing - they get an "A" for effort. The problem is the material - weak and tired - in many cases, there was no reaction from the audience (had to be tough on the players). At these prices, I'd rate this a "skip it"

This was truly 90 minutes of fun! We were amazed at the way these 6 people could entertain us. The jokes just kept on coming. Highly would recommend if you need some laughs in your life.

very well done. including young jews in with the old ones balanced the act. would hav eliked it to be about 15 minutes longer

Old Jews telling Jokes ; was very well put on , when you consider that it is only 5 actors, on it goes continuously for 90 minutes. There were some good laughs , well timed and would recommend it for adults , it does get slightly raw at times .

Enjoyed the production, but did not think it was worth the price.

I laughed until I cried! Fabulous. I enjoyed people watching in the audience ALMOST as much as the show.