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The Indiana Daily Student

arts

"Oh, Hello" arrives on Netflix, tuna and all

Arts Filler

A recording of John Mulaney and Nick Kroll’s off-Broadway show “Oh, Hello” is now on Netflix. It is a hilarious comedy in which Mulaney and Kroll play their longtime characters George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon, respectively. “Oh, Hello on Broadway” is a perfect showcase for Mulaney and Kroll’s iconic creations.

St. Geegland and Faizon are old men who live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. St. Geegland is a failed novelist and teacher of short stories at the fictional SUNY Yonkers. Faizon is an actor who often works as a stand-in for mashed potatoes. They both love listening to Steely Dan and snorting cocaine.

They portray both themselves and fictionalized versions of themselves in a play that they act out for their live audience. Eventually, they are forced to face their choices when St. Geegland drops a bombshell about Faizon’s career.

Though these characters are outlandish, "Oh, Hello" never forgets their humanity. There are plenty of scenes that touch on dramatic themes such as friendship and betrayal. Mulaney and Kroll somehow make you care for a wife murderer and a man who wants to have sex with raccoons.

Mulaney and Kroll have been preparing this show for a while. I saw a workshop of it at the UCB Theater in 2015. All of that time allowed them to craft amusing and labyrinthine backstories for St. Geegland and Faizon.

One of the segments of the show that changed every night during its run is called “Too Much Tuna,” which involves St. Geegland and Faizon joking around with a guest before giving them a sandwich that has too much tuna on it. The Netflix version has Steve Martin chatting with the boys, but other guests have included Will Ferrell and Marcia Clark.

“Oh, Hello On Broadway” is very funny and well acted. Some of the jokes in this show might be considered too specific or “inside,” but Mulaney and Kroll perform them with such gusto that you’ll laugh anyway. This show will please longtime fans of these characters, as well as people who have never heard of them. There are few things that will make you laugh as hard or crave the right amount of tuna. 

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