On Friday evening, Alex Jones learned some manners at Chowdah’s latest offering, Miss Chowdah’s Guide to Proper Etiquette, in the Lerner Black Box.

Columbia improv comedy group Fruit Paunch opened the show riffing on the word(s), “battle axe.”  The audience learned several life lessons, such as: never wave a gun around in hope of intimidating somebody, and that hippies will chain themselves to just about anything.

Chowdah then took the stage and presented eight different sketches for the remaining 50 minutes. “The Other A.A.,” about an Afrin addiction support group, was the best of the bunch.  Also notable were the hilarious one-liners from “Under the Seazy” which documented the career change of a Little Mermaid on Ice actress played by Lori Goldman. Lil’ Mermaid Ariel, channeling Nicki Minaj, attempts to bring her character back to her tough roots in the hood (Didn’t you hear that “Under the Sea was rough, yo?”) All the sketches got laughs, and the enthusiastic audience really buoyed the performance.

The show was narrated by the playful elderly duo of Ms. Chowdah and Margaret, played by Rami Levi and Reni Calister. Perhaps I have a thing for men in drag, but Rami was particularly entertaining when scolding youthful indulgence or recovering from a tumultuous costume change. However, their senile banter was at times difficult to follow.

Overall Chowdah was moderately entertaining, but the troupe still remains, in this reviewer’s opinion, secondary to Fruit Paunch or Late Nite. This is not to say that their next performance should be missed, but it would definitely be enhanced by the company of a few friends (and a few drinks beforehand).

Image via Chowdah.