Always an excellent show! I have been attending BNW shows since I was a young-adult. My family started on the holiday shows and while that is still a family tradition, I like to see all the new shows with friends, too! Most recently I saw the "Babe Lincoln" show and its put on by two of the best women in the troupe. Its hilariously, falling out of my seat, eye tearing funny. I love how on-topic and current these shows are. It helps us all feel like we're not so crazy ;) The downtown venue makes it so much easier to get to and from your seat and the whole place just looks great! I love how they have the improv theater/private event space downstairs and the main stage upstairs. Plus, THREE bars? No super long lines anymore! Go go go! read more

"You make meat that tastes like candy!" Lauren Anderson, on General Tzo. (My favorite BNW quote ever!) I rarely miss one of BNW's quarterly shows, because they are too funny to miss! Most people have said enough about the BNW, so here are some quick tips possibly not mentioned yet: 1) Become an MPR member. "What? This review is about BNW!" I know, I know, but with your MPR membership you get a perpetual 50% off discount at BNW. That's an incredible deal 2) With said discount comes the back row of seats- which is fine from a viewing standpoint. But if you sit in them in the winter, be sure to wear a tank top and shorts because you'll sweat your ass off. It gets hot back there. 3) Buy some popcorn at the bar- they have popcorn flavor powder! 4) Don't miss their shows! read more

The sketches are great, comparable to Second City in Chicago. Get there early for good seats, even if you buy ahead because if you don't, you may not be able to see due to obstructions. If you are rowdy, you will be told to shut the f up and may be asked to leave. Don't be an ass and you will be just fine. Beer and wine available...on tap- Finnegan's and a seasonal Summit read more

Brave New Workshop is hand down the funniest spot in the Twin Cities. Their shows always knock it out of the park. The humor is always cutting & topical. New content is contstantly being added to reflect what is in the news. Tip: get tickets for closing night. Closing night often as unintended suprises as they often depart from the script to add more improv read more

I've gone to the BNW 2 times now. I feel the tightening grip of this wildly funny and euphoric drug around my neck. The skits, material, creativity, environment, and acting are better than you could imagine. Your experience will leave you in agony and disbelief whenever the show finally comes to an end... but also in a gentle bliss for you have not laughed that hard nor have you enjoyed yourself that much in quite some time. Moral of the story: GO. And tell your friends... read more

I've been to three shows at the Brave New Workshop and I always have a great time. Most shows are heavily politically based but they give the liberals as hard of a a time as the republicans. Tickets are rather expensive and I'm glad I have my MPR card to give me 50% off. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to go very often. Discount tickets can also be found through other sites. BNW has a nice bar area and snacks. I like that you can take food and drink into the theater. Overall, highly recommended. read more

I cannot rant and rave enough to express my enjoyment each visit to BNW I've made. LOL - literally, Laugh-Out-Loud fun. Brett Favre's Christmas Spectacular the Second Coming should be your Christmas theatre experience this year. You'll laugh at silly family traditions, ridiculous childhood memories and insane MN Winter quirks! Brett Favre might not like the show as he is key to most jokes, but you'll laugh your fanny off at his expense. If you don't pay much attention to the world (politics, entertainment, news, etc...) around you then you won't get most BNW jokes. As others have stated, leave your offenses at the door as they will definitely step on most people's toes. So, read up on the past year's gossip and head over to see this great show! I've visited BNW a few times and the final set with the improve is typically hysterical. Unfortunately, I was less than impressed with the actor's talents on my most recent visit. Maybe because it was the 10 PM show (almost midnight by the time they improvised) or because the show was so jam-packed due to the cancelled performances the weekend prior (Dec '10 Blizzard), either way, they definitely did not display their talents well. Hopefully, your visit will include great improvised comedy as well, read more

Their shows are top notch and the improv classes they offer are incredible, I highly suggest them to everyone.

As Chris K. stated: "So many people drive by their 26th and Hennepin Ave theater and don't think twice about stopping in. Dumb. They don't know what they're missing." I have to admit, I was one of "those people." But my excuse is, I'm new to Minneapolis! I've never heard about the BNW nor have I seen anything about them on Hennepin Avenue, and I feel as if I know the area well. But I got a promotional deal from my job and decided to give it a try. BNW is a small, witty theatre that pokes fun at current events in their skits while breaking out in song and dance. They are VERY funny. My friends and I saw Toyota! Hahaha.... It was amazing! I love the local talent and will most likely be a supporter of BNW My only peev - was that it was 100 degrees in the theater, and it felt like an oven in there. But you get to bring food and drinks in there - so, I guess that makes up for that. read more

Came here this past weekend for the Christmas show, "I Saw Daddy Marry Santa Claus". Honestly I think they should have named it something better, because the show was so much better than the title led on. We were ushered upstairs to our reserved table after getting drinks. We had one free drink ticket each, so I cannot comment to the drink prices, but the bartender was extremely friendly and accommodating. I would say that they should take out one of two tables upstairs, as every time I laughed I bonked heads with the woman behind me. Some of the acts were inclusive and some were more improv - I thought it was a nice mix. They included jokes about Minnesota and some pop culture / politics which was funny too. While they swore a couple times and mentioned some innuendos, I was not offended or blown away by anything. I thought it was a pretty hilarious show - I would definitely go back! read more

I went to BNW for a Yelp event where we watched The Brave New Workshop Saves the Planet; or Yes We Can, but Do We Have To? I was impressed because the show was actually funny with just a tinge of inappropriate humor, which I can appreciate. They pointed out how oily Megan Fox seems to be (what IS that about?) and had some funny commentary on current events that hit the nail on the head. The show made me laugh, even if most of the jokes appealed to my base humor and my knowledge of Access Hollywood. The only other live theater I've ever laughed at was an Oscar Wilde play, so there was definitely something at BNW that they were doing right. Keep it up and I just might be back! read more

I was here for an improv night with friends a few weeks ago and I must say, they really have their shit together here! I have been to improv nights in a couple of different places around the cities and Brave New Workshop really does it best! Not only do they not get pissed for having crowd interaction, they encourage it!!! (most times). So long as we weren't heckling them on stage they did a great job of incorporating our ideas, our laughter, even our comments! They even found a way to make singling out the texters/talkers which was probably embarassing for them, but hey, don't interupt the show! I will be going back with friends again, and this time I think I am going to buy tickets to an actual show there instead of going on Improv night, I want to see what other kinds of comedic wonder they can put on stage! read more

Hilarious show. I went because I was in town and looking for something to do, but if I lived in Minneapolis I'd be going regularly. The theater itself was a nice size with no bad seats from what I could tell. read more

This place has stellar customer service and awesome comedy shows. I can't say enough about BNW. It's really a great place, with lovely staff, excellent customer service, and awesome comedy shows! They're hilarious! You may hurt yourself from laughing so much. One tip: Leave the kids at home. I don't know why people being kids here. I'm always shocked to see this. It's an adult comedy venue. It's not adolescent or kid humor, and when your kids are there, I spend half my time worrying about the inappropriateness of the show for them, instead of watching the show and enjoying it for myself. read more

I had to take my husband to this comedy theater. When I lived in Minneapolis 20 years ago they were the best comedy theater I had ever been to. I'm happy to see that they are still the best comedy theater group I have seen. We were lucky to be visiting Minneapolis during their best of show. Every skit was hilarious. My personal favorite was the skit about sweatpants and yoga pants. Too funny!!! All the actors were excellent. If you need a good laugh this would be a great place to go. They also do improv after the last intermission. read more

Went to the Saturday @10PM show and just realized there was a half off discount on Yelp. Ughh. Oh well. Very funny show. Saw the Full Monte show. Not from Minnesota but got all the references. Songs were hilarious too. I think that is the best part. read more

This theater holds a lot of hilarious comedies. Their shows poke fun and parody a lot of things are happening in pop culture, politics, and news. They can be a little cheesy, but they're great for some nights full of laughs. They have the same actors on every one of these shows. These actors are great comedians who know how to entertain and give me a good time. I've been to both the new and old location. I like the new one better. It's better run, looks better, and the seats are more comfortable. The prices of their tickets are reasonable. I don't have to burn a hole in my purse to go to this theater. read more

Saw the Sarah Palin show, was SO funny I would definitely go back. Sat in the first row, just a warning they do pull people up from the audience. Almost everyone in the first row but me got involved in the show. Better sketches than SNL!! read more

Stand on your tiptoes... Yeah that will help. Awesome show! Been there five years running, and this was maybe the best. Angry mothers and angry fathers twelve days of Christmas was perfect. See it. read more

Brave New Workshop - Brave New Workshop!!!!!! - Performing Arts Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

What a disappointment. I understand that the show is often funny, but the current show, BNW Saves the Planet. was mean-spirited, hackneyed, ineptly performed, pointlessly and arcanely racist, and, well, just horrible. The women were better performers than the men, but... in the end the 27 dollars was an outrageous amount to pay for what felt like high school work. read more

I have been to numerous BNW shows and loved all of them. My most recent experience was far from typical and may be enough to keep me from ever going back again. Five friends and I attended "Throwback BNW: Junk from our Trunk." We looked forward to an evening filled with some of our favorite skits from the past. What we got was hostility from the usher when we were laughing apparently "too loud." We were seated next to the tech guy at the back of the room; he spent the first act complaining about our "noise". The second act featured an usher staring at us from 2 feet away telling us to be quite, after we had already stopped laughing from all the awkwardness. We said nothing the whole second act as this usher hounded us down and managed to completely ruin our night. She made us so uncomfortable that we left the performance before the improv 3rd act. If you run a comedy show you should be prepared for patrons to laugh. If their laughing is too boisterous you should be prepared to quiet them down in a reasonable manner that does not ruin their experience. BNW failed on all accounts during our last visit. We will not be back. Update: the operations manager and I spoke the evening of the performance and exchanged contact information. The following week he reached out to me and offered his sincere apology and offered to try and make it right. I appreciate the effort on his part and hope that this gesture was more reflective of their theater than the actions of their usher the night of the show. read more

There are only so many contexts in which I want to hear about vaginas around my mom.. and this is one of them. I've seen 2 shows here and both of them made me cry from laughing so hard. I also appreciated the waiter service during intermission. Well done! read more

We are visiting Minneapolis and thought buying tickets on line would convenient, be aware that if you select email, you will need to find a way to print them. The online ticket purchase doesn't tell you that until AFTER you buy the tickets. Had I known that I would have selected Will Call. read more

As Carolyn B's sister, I have to wholeheartedly agree with the vagina thing. I've seen nearly every show they have put on in the last 3 or so years, and literally every one has made me scream with laughter, embarrassment, shock, and awe. I think Lauren is the funniest on stage, but the others are constantly proving me wrong. Always well done! read more

We went to see Lady and the Trump and it was great! It was creative and engaging and of course the topic is just FUNNY altogether. I particularly like the singing skits. We went for the 5 pm show because of cheaper tickets and better seats but next time we'll go for the later show and enjoy the improv after. Tips: Plenty of street parking around the block. Be on the lookout for groupon deals! read more

A great recession type entertainment place. Went on Sunday night to Improv A Go Go. Generally the acts were hilarious with just a few not so funny ones in between. For something to do that is cheap and entertaining though, I would highly recommend. read more

BNW is my favorite entertainment in the Twin Cities! I've gone to at least one performance of every show for the past few years, and they rarely disappoint. I appreciate their satirical take on current events which gets you to think differently about the world because they can be disturbingly accurate. The comedy is hilarious and the actors/comedians are talented, especially Lauren Anderson and Tom Reed. BNW offers a great drink selection (and you even get a free drink for riding your bike or taking public transport!) We try to go on Saturday evenings so we can see the improv afterwards, which is always a highlight. I highly recommend this theater! read more

I love the atmosphere of the theater and the staff! It is a small venue and feels comfortable like that favorite pair of ripped in the crotch jeans you've been wearing forever. They have a great selection of wine and beer (yay Surly and Finnegans!) and they encourage you to drink it! The show was fabulously funny. It was a great mix of immature jokes (like poop and sex) that I love and sophisticated puns (like political, environmental stuff) that I also love. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for upcoming shows- I can't wait to go again! read more

HILARIOUS! That is all I can say. We went to Sarah Palin's Minnesota. Great for a date night or out with friends. I hate parking in Uptown, but it was worth it...although i did get brought on stage for a very long skit, read more

I highly recommend going for a group improv class! I'm a member of a volunteer organization, and we do a class each year. It's something I really enjoy. Even if you are shy and don't think you've got a single comedic bone in you, their class will quickly be able to change that (or at least make you feel that way). The facilitators mix in a variety of small group and large group activities, and are able to tie everything together so it all makes sense with what your organization does. I went in not knowing too many people within my organization and left having made some good friends and better working relationships. I'm really looking forward to taking some of their individual improv classes one day. read more

I love this theater. The staff is so friendly, the drinks are reasonably priced and you can bring them in the theater with you. I think they could work on providing more bathrooms and a bit of a bigger bar to get through the lines faster. The shows are usually great. Sometimes, some of the sketches aren't as funny, but the Christmas shows are always the best. I can't wait for next month!! read more

I always go to see the Danger Committee's holiday show. It has become a tradition since I saw them at Ren Fest. I bring along my male lacky (friend) for their Xmas show. I'm glad they perform here - in a nice comfortable atmosphere. read more

I highly enjoyed my night of comedy at the BNW. I definitely couldn't help the laughter that ensued. I have often passed BNW as I drive thru Uptown and wondered the content. I will warn you not to bring young children (like the 8 year old in the second row the night I went), the language is crued and the writer spares no expense to make fun of races, political parties and more... If you have an extra $27 dollars you found in a old coat you just pulled out for the dreaded fall weather coming, I would suggest checking out this little treasure. Though I do think the price is a bit high for the qualities of entertainment you get, I think I will go back a second time. read more

My girlfriend and I saw lady and the Trumnp and we were both impressed with the performance. I am a conservative watching this show and they had a left wing bias but I was laughing my butt off. If you're an open minded person that doesn't take your political party too seriously you should be there. It's very well done. read more

Always hilarious! I've gone to nearly every new show they've put on in the last two years...never fails to leave me gasping for breath and occasionally letting out the embarrassing snort between fits of laughter! read more

The booty and the beast story was funny. The venue is small and cozy and you don't need to worry about having a bad seat. The improv part was not funny but I blame that on the audience picking out stupid words. read more

Have been to see these guys a few times and have always enjoyed myself. Funny topics, from politics to sports. No holds barred. Can't wait to go again. Love the two titles for each show! read more

great place to go with anyone. me and my mom went to the improv night and it was a blast.

We saw "Booty and the Beast" the show was hilarious! Definitely adult humor, I wish they had a show like this in Chicago. The cast was funny and unique. I loved the theatre's menu, it was cute and creative. Highly recommended! read more

I've been to the Brave New Workshop twice now and had a great time at each show. We've seen Spilling Me Softly; or Once the Gulf Goes Black it Never Goes Back and Toyota! The Runaway Musical Hit. Both were hilarious and I'm sure we'll check out the current show at some point. If you happen to be a member of MPR or The Current you get a discount on admission so that's pretty awesome. The only reason I took off a star is for the bathroom situation and the uncomfortable seats. Definitely go check it out if you're in the mood for some smart and poignant silliness. read more