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“People love to see themselves be made fun of or see their local politicians or sports stars be made fun of,” Kahn said. “If you’ve posted it on social media you are likely a target! This social media site called Nextdoor, the types of things and types of people that are on Nextdoor,” Kahn said.
How did you spend your spare time before you developed the idea for Squawks?
As for hearing from politicians about what we've said or done to them, the answer is no. Several years ago, House Speaker Thom Tillis was in the audience and we had already planned some fairly heavy punches at him. I warned him during the monologue and then as we were about to launch into our "tirade," I warned him again. His presence there while we were going after him, made the audience react even more than they normally would and he took it very well. When we first started Charlotte Squawks, we were very timid.
Local businesses preparing for the Lovin’ Life Music Fest
It’s “Saturday Night Live” meets Broadway meets our beloved Queen City! Celebrating the 14th edition of Squawks, the creative team of Mike Collins and Brian Kahn collaborate with the area's most talented performers to make fun of pop-culture, sports, life and politics – both local and national. Charlotte Squawks is an annual comedy stage show poking fun at politics, pop culture, sports and all things Charlotte through satire and musical parodies. The creative team of Mike Collins and Brian Kahn collaborate with the area’s most talented singers, dancers and actors to parody pop culture, politics, sports and our beloved Queen City. Rehearsals help the team figure out what works, and the cast members make suggestions, and, of course, news continues to happen, which means Kahn keeps editing and writing even during the course of the run. Kahn says finding the pictures that pop up on the screens around the stage to accompany the songs and news jokes also takes a surprising amount of time.
Charlotte Squawks Returns to Booth Playhouse This June!
Brian Kahn is the principal writer, although I write the monologue and contribute some songs and lyrics — which he completely changes. We keep lists of topics all year and start in October or November with preliminary discussions about what we think may make the show. The real writing begins in mid to late February.
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We go into rehearsal in mid to late April so we don't want to start too early because we want to remain topical. The triplets are 14, and their little brother is 10. They seem to favor fart jokes and, sadly, that’s a very limited part of Squawks.
Do any of your law clients ever hire you because they like your Squawks material?
Think of it as Broadway meets Saturday Night Live meets Charlotte. It hosts a variety of dance, choral and other musical ensembles, as well as meetings, seminars and workshops. Bring your pre-purchased parking pass with you to the show and exchange for an exit pass or purchase your exit pass at the box office or parking stations at the show.
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I guess some clients could see it as a sign that I can come up with creative solutions or be good with a jury? Of course, my material might also be a reason why the My Pillow guy won’t hire me. I mean, there are still some people that think that other guy won, right? We might have a song medley about those folks based on the Broadway show Avenue Q. Actually, there was a lot of material that we had planned for the show last summer (16 Scandals) that ended up being too stale, so we had to scrap it. In fact, only two numbers survived from our last planned show, both with substantial revisions.
Brian Kahn is a commercial litigation partner with McGuireWoods’ Charlotte office who also happens to write and co-produce an annual musical parody show, Charlotte Squawks, now in its 17th year. For those who haven’t seen it, Charlotte Squawks pokes fun at politics and culture, especially focused on recent local news and events. The name “Charlotte Squawks” is itself a play on WFAE’s long-running show, Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Collins acts as Charlotte Squawks’ host and performs in many of the musical numbers. Kahn writes lyrics for parodies of famous songs, including those from musicals and radio hits.
At nine years, Charlotte Squawks is one of the longest running shows annual shows in Charlotte. Part musical theater, part roast, the Blumenthal show continues to evolve with each year. Groups of 40+ receive one (1) complimentary ticket.
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This is all pulled off by an incredibly talented cast – in fact, a former Charlotte Squawks performer is now on Broadway. The show also includes two “news” segments along the lines of what you’d see on Saturday Night Live and video parodies of TV commercials, sometimes featuring local politicians. “It is a comedy, it is a satire about all things Charlotte. It’s kinda like Saturday Night live meets Broadway because it’s a musical number and they are all songs you know, we just changed the words,” Collins said. Head writer Brian Kahn knows exactly how to twist those words to bring the house down.
It actually changes in small and sometimes big ways from night to night so the actors, musicians and technical staff have to be flexible and ready for anything. The hilarious CHARLOTTE SQUAWKS returns with THE 11TH GLOWER, playing at Booth Playhouse at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center for 17 performances June 5-28, 2015. This musical parody pokes fun at Charlotte and the nation with uproarious performances featuring original lyrics set to well-known songs. In answer to your question about WFAE, I was going to say that is never a consideration but really, it is. Mostly in the tone of what we do. Although these two endeavors are not connected I do have a reputation to protect so the tone of what we parody can sometimes reflect that. Also, the show has grown in terms of its production values.
As it is, we usually have to change lyrics or add and subtract songs and topics from our list even after rehearsals start because of the fluid nature of events. This is the only regularly produced original show in Charlotte and the only original musical. The script we hand the cast at the first rehearsal changes substantially by the time we open and beyond.
We started as a fund raiser for WTVI so we kept expenses to a minimum. It was a one weekend show and we spent as little as possible on it. The show that year and for the next several years was basically a night club show. Several years later, Blumenthal Performing Arts began producing the show and moved us from Spirit Square's McGlohon Theatre to the Booth Playhouse in Founder's Hall. That move – from a venue more suited for intimate music events to a legitimate theatre with fly space and a big stage – has allowed us to up the production values.
It's a bigger, splashier show with a lot more show-biz to it. We've also expanded the run to 4 weekends which has helped immensely. We try to focus mostly on local issues though we don't turn a blind eye to national events and people, especially when we can find a local tie-in. The usual subjects are local and state politicians and personalities who have done something that we believe we can spoof or make fun of.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – A Queen City comedy has made a return for its annual reunion full of laughter. At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. Click here to learn more about our approach to artificial intelligence.
You’ll either love the show or leave saying…”Dang you Charlotte Squawks! ” The best advice for first timers, “Sit back relax and wait for your turn,” Kahn said. Collins is an original cast member, part of a team of characters who turned a Queen City fundraiser into a squawking success. “Years ago it was a fundraiser for a local television station and we didn’t raise any money, in fact they lost money, but the show was good so we kept the show going,” Collins explained. The show, which features topics from politics to pop culture, is playing at the Booth Playhouse at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
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