Here’s the difference be tween seeing a stand-up comic in a theater and seeing one in a club: The material is usually framed by a “concept” in a theater, ticket prices are higher — and drinks are . . . unavailable.
The theme of Colin Quinn’s new one-man show is readily identified by its subtitle: “History of the World in 75 Minutes.” In case that isn’t enough to draw crowds, he’s got a marquee-name director — Jerry Seinfeld.
But the real attraction is Quinn. For while he dutifully traces his saga from the caveman era to the present, he happens to be very, very funny.
Best-known for his five years on “Saturday Night Live,” where he manned the “Weekend Update” chair, he brings a slightly surly, Irish brusqueness to the material.
Whether discussing Darwin’s theory of evolution (“We’re the survivors, but obviously not the fittest”) or the excesses of the Roman Catholic Church (“like a Death Row Records release party in the ’80s”), Quinn gives his history lesson an edge.
With so many comics using tired routines about failed hookups and anything to do with Sarah Palin, it’s a relief to hear witty gags about the fall of the British empire (they “overfranchised”) and the infighting of African countries (“like six Brooklyn high schools letting out at the same time”).
Joining the commentary are projections of historical images, which Quinn aptly describes as looking like “storyboards for Lady Gaga’s next video.”
While his last solo outing, “Colin Quinn — An Irish Wake,” tended toward self-indulgent rambling, this one’s clearly benefited from Seinfeld’s influence, with tight pacing and a procession of hilarious one-liners.
“Long Story Short” is being billed as a “work in progress,” but it seems as if it’s already there.