by ⭐⭐⭐
Not to be Throwing Shade, as it were, but Bryan Safi’s show feels like a cabaret show yearning for the full cabaret experience.
Safi’s tech is proficient enough, but what Safi really could benefit from here is a piano player who can not only chime in, but also add something extra to bolster his performances. Because there’s a lot to work with here. From demonstrating cartoonish walk-outs onstage to singing to distract from his walking, these bits all could and would hit harder. Safi jokes about what life looks like when you’re #14 on the call sheet on a hit TV show (perhaps you’ve seen him as Josh on 9-1-1). He previously co-starred on ABC Family’s Young & Hungry, and in his younger, hungrier days, Safi achieved breakthrough success co-hosting the podcast-turned-TV series Throwing Shade (now known as Atitudes!) with Erin Gibson. Safi also won a Daytime Emmy writing for The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Safi does a great job getting his audience involved. But the tonal shifts throughout impede the show’s ability to build up to his big emotional monologue near the end. With a few tweaks and additions, though, this could give him the spotlight he’s looking for.
Bryan Safi: Are You Mad At Me?? plays Underbelly Friesian through Aug. 25, 2025.
