What I liked
The coming up and on again was hilarious. It really worked and felt fresh, and he didn’t overdo it! His chat roulette story really stuck with me. Truly, a great story teller. His rage was palpable against the Uber wealthy and the crescendo of that rage fit was perfect. His poem at the end taught me about love. And its earnestness was a wonderful coda to a wonderful show.
What I didn't like
I think overall there was a feeling that there was hesitation to commit to certain elements. I think I felt like he didn’t believe people would be on the same page when certain things are jokes. Like nobody thought you had a micropenis, Tony, and even if they did, now folks are thinking about the dick in general, all good things! There was a bit of lack of cohesiveness, like he might not have known where to go or had a lot of time before to gauge reactions, but I do think in a way the low points added to the overall experience.
My overall impression
I had no expectations going into the show- well that’s not true. I met Tony Bartoloni (?) at a Fringe mixer and thought “WOW what a zany character”, I was intrigued and slightly jarred, which was a feeling that carried into the show. Once Tony came on stage, his vulnerability was palpable. Not to say he wasn’t hilarious. Because he was- is. “This is Art” felt like being on an awkward date with an alien who’s more acutely attuned to humanity than I could dream of. I loved every minute, even the moments when the cringe was (almost) too much to bare.
