On a sultry summer Monday night, Cat Cohen packed the Lucille Lortel Theatre with an enthusiastic audience awaiting her one-woman show, “Broad Strokes.” The title refers to her experience of having a stroke at 30, and if that doesn’t sound funny, wait until you hear her recount it in song and stand-up comedy.
This is part of her galaxy of talents: she can take any topic and render it hilarious and uniquely hers, whether it’s tampons, text messages from her mother, having been young for her grade, blow-jobs, hanging frames, or having a stroke at such a young age.
The music and band are exceptional and would be a show in itself, but when combined with Cat Cohen’s stand-up routine and the fact that she’s telling an incredible true story about having a hole in her heart and a doctor named Dr. Love, “Broad Strokes” feels like an exceptional gift.
Rarely has there been such a mercurial and riveting comedian, shifting from coy and retiring to confident and brazen, sarcastic and witty to pouty, and quietly confessional into a rousing song-and-dance number. She paints her comedic strokes with a wide brush, and when she takes center stage with glee like the Queen she is and revels in attention, she lets the audience shine along with her by engaging everyone in the show (as a type of benignitas reginae).
Credit: Theater Review
“Broad Strokes” is 70 minutes long, but it’s so enjoyable that time flies and it feels considerably shorter. There is never a dull moment, which is another Cat Cohen trademark (see her Netflix special “The Twist?…She’s Gorgeous” here). From her tales about being young for her grade in school and being dubbed “a normal girl,” to her medical ordeal and up to the present, she is throughly entrancing, expressive, and entertaining.
She also has an inherent sense of when to move, dance, or shift moods to keep things lively and fascinating. It’s a rare understanding of kinetic timing that combines the hilarious movements of Sebastian Maniscalco with her own distinctive stand-up comedy prowess, and some unbelievably catchy music.
Elle Fanning is a fan.
My friend and I left the theater wishing we actually knew Cat Cohen – a tribute to how warm, open, engaging, and funny she is. And although having a stroke and a hole in her heart was terrifying for her, she spun the experience into pure comedy gold, reminding us all that we can prevail over fear to connect with each other, feel grateful, and make the most of being alive.
The Lucille Lortel Theatre is small enough to feel intimate and exclusive. The show runs through September 25th. You don’t want to miss it. Find tickets here.
The Cast
Written & Performed by Cat Cohen
Directed by Alex Timbers
Music by Cat Cohen & David Dabbon
Scenic Design by Derek McLane
Lighting Design by Jake DeGroot
Sound Design by Cody Spencer
Costume Design by Kelsey Randall
Music Supervisor David Dabbon
Production Coordinator Katie Girardot
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The Details
Lucille Lortel Theater
121 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
info@lortel.org
