>>> WELCOME BACK, LIN-MANUEL MIR MIRANDA AND SOME OF HIS TALENTED
FRIENDS CREATED FREE STYLE RAP
IN THE BASEMENT ON 40th STREET.
>> THEY TOOK THEIR SHOW TO A
SUCCESSFUL OFF BROADWAY RUN.
NOW MORE THAN 15 YEARS LATER,
THE IMPROV GROUP, WHY ARE YOU
LAUGHING HAS TAKEN OVER
BROADWAY’S FAMOUS BOOTH THEATER,
THE SHOW IS CALLED FREE STYLE
LOVE.
LOVE. LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA, CHRISTOPHER
JACKSON, FOUNDING MEMBERS.
THEY’LL BE PERFORMERS.
HERE YOU GO ON BROADWAY, THIS IS
NOT A SHOW LIKE ANYONE HAS SEEN
BEFORE.
BEFORE. >> AND LIKE ANYONE WILL SEE
AGAIN BECAUSE IT’S A COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT SHOW EVERY NIGHT.
WE STARTED DOING THIS IN THE
BASEMENT OF THE DRAMA BOOK SHOP
WHERE TOMMY, KALE AND PAINTED
THE WALLS BLACK AND SAID WE’RE A
THEATER NOW.
THEATER NOW. >> HOW DID IT START, ANTHONY
SAID HE WORKED AT THE BOOK SHOP,
AND YOU WOULD COME IN BECAUSE
YOU WERE DOWN BELOW WORKING ON
STUFF.
STUFF. >> I WAS WORKING ON IN THE
HEIGHTS, WHERE I MET CHRIS
AUDITIONING FOR BENNY.
ANTHONY WOULD COME IN AND
DISTRACT US ABOUT THE WORK WE
WERE DOING, LET’S RAP ABOUT OUR
DAY, AND HE PUSHED US TO DO IT
IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.
IT’S OUR LONGEST RUNNING TOUR,
MELBOURNE, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE
BEEN DOING THIS FOR 15 YEARS, TO
MOVE FIVE BLOCKS FROM 40th TO
45th STREET IS INCREDIBLE.
>> IT’S NOT EVER THE SAME SHOW
TWICE BECAUSE YOU USE THE
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION, SO ARE
YOU EVER, LIKE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
YOU’RE STUMPING, I KNOW YOU HAVE
QUICK BRAINS BUT DO YOU EVER GET
A STORY OR SOMETHING AND WHAT AM
I GOING TO WRAP ABOUT THIS.
>> I TELL PEOPLE IT’S LIKE
LISTENING TO A JAZZ MUSICIAN,
YOU DON’T KNOW WHEN A JAZZ
MUSICIAN PLAYS A BAD NOTE.
HE’S PLAYING A NOTE.
IT’S LIKE A JAZZ, YOU KNOW,
ENSEMBLE, WORDS RHYME, YOU KNOW,
CURRENT EVENTS CHANGE, THE
SECRET ABOUT OUR SHOW IS THAT
THE AUDIENCE IS THE SHOW.
THE AUDIENCE, YOU WILL HEAR THE
THINGS COME OUT OF THEIR MOUTH
THAT YOU NEVER IMAGINED, AND SO
WE HAVE AS MUCH FUN AS THEY DO.
>> WHO STARTED IT, WHO’S IN IT,
IT’S BEEN 15 YEARS IN THE
MAKING.
MAKING. >> WHO ROLLS DEEPER THAN WOO
TAN.
TAN. >> WE HAVE THE ACADEMY, TEACHING
THE WORKSHOPS ON THE THINGS WE
DO.
DO. ONE OF OUR NEWEST MEMBERS,
ANISSA
ANISSA ANISSA BOWLS WAS IN THE WORKSHOP
AND IS MAKING HER BROADWAY
DEBUT.
DEBUT. WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR PEOPLE
WITH PEOPLE POWER, AND IT’S BEEN
GROWING AND GROWING.
WE ROTATE EVERY NIGHT IN TERMS
OF WHO’S GOING TO BE ON THE
SHOW.
SHOW. >> SOMETIMES YOU’LL SHOW UP AND
WE WON’T KNOW IF YOU’RE THERE.
>> YOU’LL GET AN AMAZING SHOW
EVERY NIGHT BECAUSE YOU’RE THERE
AND IT’S GOING TO BE YOUR DAY
AND YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND IT’S
WILD.
WILD. >> I READ YOU MET YOUR WIFE
VANESSA, THIS WAS YOUR FIRST
DATE, YOU TOOK HER TO ONE OF
THESE SHOWS.
THESE SHOWS. >> WE OUTLASTED MOST OF THE
VENUES WE PLAYED AND WE PLAYED
THIS PLACE, MO PICKINS.
>> IT NO LONGER EXISTS.
>> MY WIFE, SHE WASN’T MY WIFE
THEN, SHE WAS A WOMAN I WENT TO
HIGH SCHOOL WITH.
SHE CAME AND BROUGHT HER FRIENDS
TO THE SHOW AND INVITED ME TO
GET ICE CREAM BECAUSE SHE HAD A
FRIEND WHO WORKED AT AN ICE
CREAM PLACE SIX BLOCKS UP.
HE WAS LIKE, YOU COMING TO
DRINKS AND I WAS LIKE NO, THEY
INVITED ME TO GET ICE CREAM.
>> WE’RE AT THE OTHER END OF THE
ROOM, WE’RE ALL LIKE.
>> AND HE LOOKED AT ME LIKE
YOU’RE NOT READY FOR ALL THAT.
YOU’RE NOT READY.
SHE’S A KEEPER, AND I’M LIKE,
READY OR NOT, I’M GOING TO GET
ICE CREAM.
ICE CREAM. >> WE’RE GOING TO GET A DEMO.
WE’LL DO A BEAT BOX.
WE WANT TO SEE HOW THIS WORKS.
FOR PEOPLE AT HOME, NOTHING IS
PLANNED.
PLANNED. THERE’S NO PLANT IN THE
AUDIENCE.
AUDIENCE. WE’LL DO A DEMONSTRATION, AND
THROW OUT WORDS.
AS WE THROW OUT WORDS, YOUR
BRAIN IS GOING TO IMMEDIATELY
START COMPOSING.
START COMPOSING. >> YOU’RE GOING TO GIVE US THE
WORD, WE’LL MAKE UP A SONG FOR
YOU TONIGHT.
YOU TONIGHT. >> A NOUN OR A VERB.
>> TONIGHT, 7:00 A.M.
>> BUT YOU’RE A MORNING PERSON.
>> SHOCK WAVE, COME ON IN HERE.
THAT’S YOUR BEAT BOXER.
>> SHOCK WAVE CAME TO A SHOW,
AND YOU WERE LIKE YOU NEED A
BEAT BOXER, AND HE’S BEEN IN IT
EVER SINCE.
EVER SINCE. >> SHOCK WAVE SHOWED UP AND
NEVER LEFT.
NEVER LEFT. >> HOW ABOUT CONJUGATE.
>> WOW, IS THAT A GOOD ONE?
>> HITTING THEM HARD.
>> CONJUGATE PUTTING THINGS
TOGETHER USUALLY VERBS, I DON’T
KNOW GRAMMAR WASN’T MY STRONG
SUIT BUT WE DID A SHOW NOW.
YOU GOT TO ACT LIKE YOU KNOW,
GOT TO ACT LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT
YOU’RE DOING, SO I’M GOING TO
PASS IT ON TO YOU, BEFORE I RUIN
ANY GOOD IMPRESSION WE MAKE,
KEEP GOING SON.
>> FREE STYLING AND I’M HERE
WITH SAVANNAH, DRESSED IN PINK
LIKE HANNAH MONTANA, FREE STYLE
ALL DAY EVERY DAY, CAUSING DAILY
ON THE DAILY, BABY ON THE WAY.
AL ROKER, DIDN’T KNOW HE WAS
TRYING TO LOOK LIKE ME.
BUT I’M FEELING SO GREAT, I
CHANGE UP ALL THESE VERBS AS WE
CONJUGATE.
CONJUGATE. >> YOU GOT TO SHIP CHIP LIKE A
MORNING SHOW, STORIES COME AND
THEY GO, YOU GOT TO BE FLEX IT’S
NOT ALWAYS WHAT YOU SEE, COMING
UP NEXT, YOU GOT TO THINK ON
YOUR FEET, SO DON’T BE SLOW,
KEEP IT REAL QUICK DON’T BE
AFRAID, YOU GOT TO STAY ON THE
STICK.
STICK. YOU CAN’T GET EVERY SINGLE WORD
BUT WHEN YOU GET STUCK YOU PASS
IT TO THE OTHER GENIUS.
>> CONJUGATE.
>> CONJUGATE. >> THAT’S GREAT.
THAT’S UNBELIEVABLE.
THAT’S UNBELIEVABLE. >> I STAND UP FOR THAT ONE.
VERY WELL DONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SHOCK WAVE,
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. LIN, CHRIS, FREE STYLE LOVE
SUPREME.
SUPREME. IT’S ON BROADWAY NOW.
>> DON’T LET SAVANNAH ON TO THE
SHOW, SHE’S GOING TO THROW OUT