Oh, Hello!

The lockdowns in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic have seriously impacted the institution of live theater. One of my regrets in this time of pandemic is that I and my family did not attend more live performances back in the before times. 

We've made do as best we can during the lockdown, catching the occasional recording of live shows such as Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Hamilton. 

A few months ago, my wife Andrea and I caught a show available on Netflix that defies an easy description. That show is called "Oh, Hello!" starring Nick Kroll and John Mulaney. The show on Netflix is a recording of a live production during it's run on Broadway.  

So what the hell is "Oh, Hello"?  The short answer is it's Nick Kroll and John Mulaney in grey wigs, old age make up and frumpy clothes being weird for 2 hours. 

More specifically, Mulaney is George St. Geegland, an author and playwright and has written several shows. Insert the word "unsuccessful" in front of any word in that previous sentence.

Kroll is Gil Faizon, an actor of stage, screen, television and radio. The word "unsuccessful" can be applied to Gil's career as well.  Gil has had some modest success as a stand-in model for mashed potatoes and other creamed foods so he's got that going for him.  

George and Gil are roommates in their 70s with strong New York accents, frequently mispronouncing common words and names. 

George and Gil do have one major success, a talk show called "Too Much Tuna". During the show, George and Gil interview a celebrity that they may or may not know and then end the interview by offering the guest a sandwich that has "too much tuna".   

"Oh, Hello!" is a mishmash of George and Gil poking fun at the tropes of live theater and dropping bits and pieces of random and disturbing information about themselves. 

• Gil's father reportedly "ratted out other Jews during the Holocaust."
• Gil suffers from bagel-induced cholesterol and eczema. 
• George has been married three times. All of his wives died the same way, on the same staircase. His first wife's name was Inertia Bernstein.
• George has chapped hands.

Kroll and Mulaney performed "Ohj,Hello!" on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater from September 22, 2016 to January 22, 2017.

The special on Netflix was released June 13, 2017 with Steve Martin as the "Too Much Tuna" celebrity guest. There is a bonus clip on Netflix with Michael J. Fox as the celebrity guest.  

Lea Palmieri described "Oh, Hello!" as "the most ridiculous Broadway show you watch on Netflix this year, but it's absolutely worth watching." 

"Oh, Hello!" is a strange show the defies easy description and analysis but once you get use to the quirks and rhythms of how George and Gil talk, the show is incredibly funny, at times even touching and sometimes disturbing. (George may be a psychopath.) 

If you're looking for a more straightforward comedy outing, check out any of John Mulaney's stand up specials on Netflix. But for Mulaney being really weird and perverse, "Oh, Hello!" is a very interesting show.

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John Mulaney has made no secret of his past abuse of drugs and alcohol. But as any addict will tell you, sobriety is a journey, not a destination. And it seems Mulaney's journey got sidetracked recently. He's checked himself into rehab to address a recent relapse into his addictions. 

John Mulaney is the funniest, smartest comic working on the planet today. I hope he's getting all the help he needs to help get his sobriety back on track. John is a beloved, awesome talent who deserves to be happy, healthy and safe.