Review: Blank! The Musical

When was the last time you were told to keep your phone on in the theater? Isn’t there, wasn’t there a law about that in New York City? Not at Blank! The Musical, the new Off-Broadway show that opened November 17 at New World Stages. At Blank! having your phone on is actually all part of the experience…in a good way. I don’t want to give it all away, but the folks at Blank! have teamed up with the app developers at Livecube to create a very clever interactive experience playing off the improv set-up format that calls for the audience to shout out words, places, and lines to get the show rolling. The Blank!/Livecube app brings everyone to the playground, simultaneously adding to the fun and creating a unique theater going experience to be sure. Of course you can have all the technology in the world, but it wouldn’t mean anything if it wasn’t backed up by real human talent and Blank! has it. First, like every great improv show you have to have a great host, a leader, a first class concierge who kicks off the festivities and walks you through what could be a wee bit of tech overload for the uninitiated and smartphone compromised. T.J. Mannix is that man. Equal parts anchorman, comedian and expert improviser with a voice like a dream — yes, he sings too — T.J. Mannix is that perfect quadruple threat.