The lights come up, the music starts, and Jason Kravits walks on stage with… nothing. No script, no songs, no story. Just his agile mind, a killer band, and a fishbowl full of audience suggestions. Over the course of an exhilarating hour, he keeps you on the edge of your seat, using these suggestions to create an entire life story in song, with every bit of it — including every lyric and melody — made up on the spot! OFF the TOP! is a jaw-dropping mix of music, comedy, improv, cabaret, and Vegas, all stirred together into a deliciously intoxicating cocktail of fun! Featuring Phil Orr on Piano and Sean Dixon on Drums with Special Guest Brian Balthazar!
Though you may not know him by name, Jason Kravits has become one of the most familiar faces of American stage and screen, having appeared in hundreds of theater, film and Award winning television shows in a career that spans some 35 years. Some of his high-profile credits include his breakout role as ADA Richard Bay in ABC’s long running hit series The Practice; opposite Nicole Kidman in The Undoing, and in the rich biopic miniseries Halston as Carl Epstein, opposite Ewan McGregor’s Halston. This fall, Jason makes an appearance in the critically acclaimed series, Only Murders in the Building as “Big Mike,” brother-in-law to Steve Martin (and husband to Melissa McCarthy.)
Jason made his Broadway debut in the 2003 revival of Sly Fox, directed by Arthur Penn, before originating the role of “Gagster #1” in the Tony Award winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone. He played a variety of roles in Relatively Speaking, an evening of three one-acts by Ethan Coen, Elaine May and Woody Allen, as well as last fall’s, New Group World Premiere, SABBATH’S THEATER alongside John Turturro and Elizabeth Marvel.
In television, Jason has moved effortlessly between comedy and drama, playing memorable characters opposite Al Pacino in Hunters, Richard Dreyfuss in Madoff, Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin in The Kominsky Method, Joshua Jackson in Dr. Death, and Larry David in the highly rated “Palestinian Chicken” episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. He has played recurring characters in the series The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, B Positive, The Michael J. Fox Show, Law and Order SVU and many others. Other favorites include roles on Ted, Young Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory, Everybody Loves Raymond, Gilmore Girls, Madame Secretary, Grey’s Anatomy, Why Women Kill, Search Party, The Deuce and the last episode of Friends.
Jason, who has been referred to in the press as a “Master Improviser,” created the Award-winning show OFF THE TOP, a completely improvised, solo, musical act, which has played to sold out crowds in London, Adelaide, Melbourne, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, and can be seen regularly in New York City at venues like Joe's Pub and Birdland. Over the course of an hour, Jason and his special guests create an entire life story and a dozen songs out of thin air, all based on suggestions from the audience. The show was the winner of a Bistro Award in 2017 and a sleeper hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that same year.
Brian Balthazar is a television personality, host and executive producer who has lent his unique comedic style to a wide range of television shows on national networks and streaming platforms. This November he’ll be featured as a ‘hamster enthusiast’ (no, seriously!) on the upcoming MAX series Human Vs Hamster, where he serves as a sideline correspondent and co-host alongside Saturday Night Live’s Sarah Sherman and NFL Network host Kyle Brandt. Brian also appeared as a sports commentator (again, seriously!) and host of a showdown of puppies and kittens on The Great American Rescue Bowl. His role as street correspondent on HGTV’s live coverage of the Rose Bowl parade led to a cameo on Amazon Prime’s coverage hosted by Will Farrell and Molly Shannon.
In between hosting specials and series, Brian regularly appears as a guest entertainment journalist on several NBC platforms and programs, including the Today Show, MSNBC, NBC News Now, NBC News Daily and more. Previously, he appeared as an frequent guest on The Wendy Williams Show, providing the Inside Scoop and segments on What’s Trending.
A sought after expert on pop culture who provides both insight and irreverent humor, he’s been a regular guest host and panelist on a variety of shows including Page Six TV, The Talk, Amazon Live, People Now! and a number of shows and documentaries appearing on VH1, Tubi, and more. His penchant for mixing a good drink and cooking up a great dish led to a hosting gig on Food Network Live In The Kitchen where he demonstrated how to make his cocktail and food pairings.
A former comic and reporter, today he blends his continued passion for trends, humor and pop culture as the head of his own production company, Balthazar Entertainment, where he creates and executive produces shows that push the envelope and entertain.
He draws upon his previous experience as a respected television producer who launched the fourth hour of the Today Show with Hoda and Kathie Lee, as a co-executive producer of The View, as well as many years at HGTV executive, where he oversaw the network’s direction of the popular series’ House Hunters, Love It Or List It, Flip Or Flop, Christina On The Coast and more.