Press Release
This spring is bittersweet for the WorkJuice Players, the core cast of the hit, stage show and podcast, The Thrilling Adventure Hour.
- They celebrate 10 years of performing monthly live shows together.
- They end their run at Los Angeles institution, the Largo at the Coronet Theatre.
- They release two brand new comic series from Image Comics based on their hit segments: Sparks Nevada: Marshal on Mars #1 (released February 18) and Beyond Belief #1 (releasing March 18).
- And they announce back-to back tours in Chicago, Australia, and New Zealand for Spring 2015.
When Thrilling Adventure Hour co-creators and writers Ben Acker & Ben Blacker brought together the original WorkJuice Players (Paget Brewster, Marc Evan Jackson, Mark Gagliardi, Hal Lublin, Annie Savage, Craig Cackowski, and Paul F. Tompkins) for the first performance at M Bar in March 2005, they had no idea it would grow into a pop culture phenomenon to capture the attention of fans around the world.
Since 2005, The Thrilling Adventure Hour have performed their show for sold-out houses in San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, Chicago, St. Paul, and San Diego, inspired an Eisner-nominated graphic novel from Archaia Entertainment/BOOM! written by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker, created cross-over shows with the likes of Wits and Welcome to Night Vale, launched a hit Nerdist web series, and filmed a soon to be released Concert Film – in addition to a new, original 90-minute show every month written by Acker & Blacker.
The audio recording of their July 2014 cross-over performance with Welcome to Night Vale captured the #14 album spot on all of iTunes and the Thrilling Adventure Hour Nerdist podcast is a top 3 podcast under Comedy on iTunes. They are a genre-based comedy force to be reckoned with.
The WorkJuice Players have since expanded to include Busy Phillipps (Cougar Town), Autumn Reeser (The OC), John DiMaggio (Futurama), John Ennis (Mr. Show), James Urbaniak (The Venture Brothers), Josh Malina (Scandal), with music from The Andy Paley Orchestra including Andy Paley (producer/songwriter for the Brian Wilson, Madonna, Jonathan Richman, Spongebob, and more), Jonathan Dinerstein and others. They’re directed by Aaron Ginsburg (The 100).
And all of Hollywood seems to be lining up to be a special guest of the show. Past guest stars have included Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, J.K. Simmons, Emily Blunt, Nathan Fillion, Neil Patrick Harris, Jon Hamm, Richard Speight Jr., Chris Hardwick, Zachary Levi, John Hodgman, Karen Gillan, Ed Helms, Keegan-Michael Key, Jason Ritter, Melanie Lynskey, Donal Logue, Ben McKenzie, Simon Helberg, Yvette Nicole Brown, Colin Hanks, Scott Aukerman, Jim Beaver, Nick Offerman, Rider Strong, Amber Benson, Adam Busch, Alan Tudyk, Christopher Meloni, Weird Al Yankovic, Ted Leo, Maggie Lawson, Thomas Lennon, Gillian Jacobs, Patton Oswalt, Alison Brie and many more.
On April 11, 2015, The Thrilling Adventure Hour will perform their last show at Largo at The Coronet Theatre. But there’s good news…
The Thrilling Adventure Hour will return to Chicago April 24-26 for C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo). Attending cast include Marc Evan Jackson, Mark Gagliardi, Hal Lublin, Craig Cackowski, Autumn Reeser, Ben Acker & Ben Blacker – with special guests Timothy Omundson (Psych; Galavant), John Ross Bowie (Big Bang Theory), Shannon Woodward (Raising Hope; HBO’s Westworld) and Chicago’s own Scott Adsit (30 Rock; Big Hero 6).
From May 15-23, The Thrilling Adventure Hour will embark upon a Down Under Tour for their fans in Australia and New Zealand with performances in Sydney (May 15-16 as part of The Sydney Comedy Festival), Auckland (May 20) and Wellington (May 22-23). They’ve also added a WorkJuice Improv Experience show May 19 in Auckland as part of The New Zealand Comedy Festival.
“For years, our fans abroad have been asking us when we’re going to bring the show to them. It feels great to finally have an answer for them,” says Hal Lublin.
When it comes to traveling half-way around the world to bring Thrilling Adventure Hour Down Under, WorkJuice Player Mark Gagliardi is “…really excited! This cast loves each other… I think two weeks together in another country is just what we need – to annoy each other enough that we don’t mind closing the run.”
Attending cast for the Down Under Tour include Paget Brewster, Paul F. Tompkins, Marc Evan Jackson, Mark Gagliardi, Craig Cackowski, Autumn Reeser, Annie Savage, Hal Lublin, Ben Acker & Ben Blacker – with special guests Molly Quinn (Castle), Janet Varney (Legend of Korra) and Jenny Wade (Hand of God; Reaper) with music from Andy Paley, Jonathan Dinerstein and Becky Ward. For more info, visit thrillingadventurehour.com/downunder #TAHDownUnder
Tickets for Chicago, Sydney, Auckland and Wellington shows will all go on sale at noon PST on March 2.
Austin fans can catch select members of The WorkJuice Players including Ben Blacker, Busy Phillipps, Janet Varney and surprise guests at SXSW March 14-15 for TAH panels and appearances. And Thrilling Adventure Hour will also participate in WonderCon Anaheim April 3, for the local LA fans. See thrillingadventurehour.com for info.
WorkJuice Player Autumn Reeser says: “It’s been so exciting to watch our little stage show grow into a big stage show and our little podcast grow into a big podcast. How wonderful that our audience now extends around the globe and we get to travel the world to meet them!”
Watch thrillingadventurehour.com, @ThrillingAdv and facebook.com/thrillingadventurehour for all the latest updates.
