At THEE Improvised Musical, there’s no script, no rehearsal, and no safety net. What starts as only a title shouted from the rabid audience somehow becomes a full-length musical—complete with songs, characters, and choreography—created entirely in the moment. This fully improvised show has become a standout in Los Angeles, delivering live performances that are never repeated and always unexpected.
Spontaneous Theater with a Broadway Feel
THEE Improvised Musical flips the usual process of musical theater on its head. Instead of working from a written script, the cast and band begin with nothing but a suggestion. From there, they build a show from scratch in real time like magic—songs, scenes, jokes, and even synchronized dance numbers—all made up on the spot.
Conor Hanney, the show’s founder and director, describes the experience as a creative high-wire act. “Everyone always asks if we plan stuff ahead of time or backstage,” he says. “But that would actually be even riskier, since we need to be listening and reacting to anything and everything.”
That sense of spontaneity brings a distinct energy to each performance. Performers like Rob Zaleski might bust out an intricate freestyle, Brendan McCay might do an obscure impression, or Courtney Fortner might blow your face off with her belt. With no rehearsed lines or cues, the show keeps both performers and audiences alert and engaged. Over the course of more than 200 performances over 10 years, it has built a devoted following of theatergoers who return again and again—because no two nights are ever alike.
Where Comedy, Music, and Improv Collide
The appeal of THEE Improvised Musical lies in how many creative elements it weaves together. The ensemble of eight—including Ryan Brookshire, Ike Flitcraft, Lexi Lewis, and viral TikToker Blake Rosier—shift between acting, singing, and dancing, all while inventing the material in real time. Backed by a live four-piece band that can include keyboard, electric guitar, upright bass, a full drumset, violin, sax, clarinet, and even dueling flutes, the actors adjust to the changing tone of each scene, whether it’s a heartfelt solo or a breakneck group number.
Hanney explains, “After all these years, the team is so gelled that we know what each other are thinking. So the real fun becomes trying to surprise each other. But we’re still often finishing each other’s lyrics.”
That cohesion regularly fools the audience into thinking the show is scripted. But it’s all truly created in the moment—songs shaped by instinct, scenes built line by line, all unfolding organically onstage.
Bringing Musical Improv to the Masses
As the production continues to gain momentum in Los Angeles, Hanney and fellow producer Zaleski are looking to share the format with new audiences. Plans are already underway for performances across the country, along with musical improv classes at The Elysian Theater. Post-pandemic, The Elysian has quickly earned a reputation in its own right as LA’s premiere home for alt-comedy, with such daredevils as Natalie Palamides, Chad Damiani, Zach Zucker, and stars of the red-hot Dropout TV.
“For our money, there’s really no better place to play,” Hanney says. “The Elysian has singlehandedly managed to collect all the weirdest, coolest people in town.”
He encourages curious theatergoers to attend a live show and the team’s bespoke after-party, where they provide music, drinks, and smash burgers. “Just try it once,” he adds. “And if you don’t have fun, I will personally let you slap me in the face as hard as you can.”
By blending comedy, music, and a fearless spontaneity that borders on insane, THEE Improvised Musical indeed delivers on that fresh, one-of-a-kind night of live entertainment,celebrating creativity in its rawest, most immediate form.