The Habit

Back in the mid-‘90s when things were actually funny (not ironic funny, darkly funny, or squeamishly funny), Seattle’s sketch comedy scene was a glory to behold, and one of the brightest gems of all was The Habit. This group of UW grads specialized in gentle absurdism, whether that meant donning yellow rain slickers to relate the final moments of several marshmallow Peeps, imitating a vending machine that maliciously denies a customer his snack, or impersonating a boy band hired expressly to break up with a girlfriend. They were smart, musical, and downright cute, and fame beckoned, so with the exception of one member (John Osebold, now locally famous with his group Awesome!) they packed up their bags and moved to L.A. Unfortunately that come-hither look from fame turned out to be a tease, so after a few years the group broke up and headed off in different directions. Now they’re all back in Seattle for four nights only, performing a series of monologues and comedy, dubbed Legends In Their Own Minds—The Habit Strikes Back, at the Rendezvous’ Jewel Box Theater (where former Habit member Mark Siano is currently the programming guru). Do they have lessons for us all on the steep cost of near-fame? Or are they just going to make us laugh our asses off? In either case, we’re glad to have them back, if only for a couple of weekends. Rendezvous Jewel Box Theatre, 2322 Second Ave., 441-5823. $10. 21 and over. Opens March 21. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Ends March 29. JOHN LONGENBAUGH
Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m. Starts: March 21. Continues through March 29, 2008