Up at the top of Los Angeles [map] is a 120-seat church sanctuary belonging to a very groovy group of Unitarian Universalists. UUs, as they are called, are often described as the TED Talk of non-denominational religions. Anyway, they had this beautiful, woody, gabled, and acoustically-nifty sanctuary that they were only using for church services on Sunday.
“How about we put on a themed, most-ages variety show here every month?” they were asked over coffee one day, “the kind that people will come to from all over Los Angeles and stay for the whole thing, not just to listen to their friends play and leave right after?”
“But no show exists like that in all of Los Angeles,” they said, baffled.
“It will now,” they were told, tears in our eyes. “It will now.”
From that first show in February of 2018 until now, hundreds of people have crossed the stage at the Verdugo HUUT, already the longest-running show in this sizable part of Los Angeles and one that the L.A. Times called “Hilarious!” and “A compelling experience!”
Our performers have included:
Ben Deily, Alias Means, Gabriela Knudsen, Jordan Kurtzman, Carol McArthur, Grey Griffin, Emma Hill, Gracie Taylor, Abby Ehmann, John Palmer, Lisa Finnie, Dylan Thomas, Tim Fleming (RIP), Josh Lewis, Erich Wilhelm Zander, Steve Johnson, Robyn Simms, The Daily Cry, Mitchell Schaffer, Marisol Barrett, Non Duo, Raspin Stuwart, Ric Taylor, Melissa MacKinnon, Tom Bishel, Fish Olmos, Thom Bowers, Justine Willis, Carla Rudy, Fogelfoot, Alex Acevedo, Ken Lasaine, Carrie Wade, Greg Ivan Smith, Julie Perkins, Faded Echo, Jan Davidson, Nina Port, Chip Phillips, Paula Plum, Jack Neary, Cathy Carlton Hews, David Bickford, Paul F. Perry, Eric Drysdale, Alice Bradley, Phil Ward, Justin Curtis, Smokey Miles, Heidi Mastrogiovanni, Mason Summit, Irene Greene, Michelle Gardner, Varsity Drag, Eddy Dyer, Alex de Suze, Scott Stiffler, Max Burbank, The Half-Assed Astronauts, Lt. Col. (Ret) Bob Macaraeg, Rick Berlin, Jackie Monahan, Jon Raymond Phillips, Jose Freitas, Carolina Cooney, Greg Burkart, Art Stucco, Melanie Hooks, Chris Bonno, David Kaufman, Matt Bunsen, Matt Margucci, Andy McAllister, Bruce Craven, Deanna Neil, Rena Strober, Pearson Keating, and many more!
Due to the pandemic, in March of 2020 the HUUT switched to a digital format, producing 15 COVIDeos which were no longer restricted to area performers. We will continue elements of pre-recorded segments as our live shows resume, because we have to say we learned something from that ridiculousness.
