Josh Sharp’s ta-da!

Josh Sharp. Photo by Emilio Madrid.

Two thousand PowerPoint Slides, Schrodinger’s Cat and a near-death experience, as highlighted in the show’s description, are not, on the surface, a natural recipe for comedy. And yet, Josh Sharp’s “Ta-da!” manages to combine these disparate elements into an evening that brings both big laughs and big thoughts.

Directed by Sam Pinkleton (“Oh, Mary”) with scenic design by Meredith Ries, lighting design by Cha See, and video co-designed by Stivers Arnoczy, the production moves at a lightning pace. The PowerPoint slides provide visual interest, emphasis and comic counterpoint without ever becoming the point of the show. They are merely a frame for Sharp’s story.

While the show covers a great deal of territory, word play, Subway encounters, accidental massages, the Russian Turkish Baths and quite a bit more, it is, at its heart, a story of coming of age and coming to terms with oneself. By his own admission, Josh was a late bloomer coming out at age twenty-two. The catalyst was his terminally ill mother, who wanted to “gently bully me out of the closet” after hearing God say, “Amy, your son is gay and it’s all gonna be fine.” Once out to his loving and supportive parents, he returns to New York City and embarks upon “A reckless coming out”, with “No shame”, and “No couth” cutting a wide swath through the city’s baristas.

Sharp’s story is both uproarious and fervent. He gained the freedom to live his life openly but lost his mother. Followed a few years later by his own brush with mortality. This event plunges him into a deep search for answers which in the end boil down to the question, “What we do with our time?”

He has indeed made good use of his creating a show that handles difficult questions of existence deftly, keeping the audience laughing as we recognize our own frailties in Josh’s journey.

Josh Sharp’s ta-da!

Written and Performed by Josh Sharp

Directed by Sam Pinkleton

July 7 - August 23, 2025

The Greenwich House Theater (27 Barrow Street, NYC)

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Wendy Lane Bailey has a powerful classic pop voice and a rather cavalier attitude towards the idea of genre. Wendy-Lane’s debut solo recording, Breathing, was produced by composer/arranger/pianist Michele Brourman. Her performances in venues across the country have earned critical praise for versatility and sophistication. She has appeared as a guest artist on multiple recordings, including Leslie Gore’s and Susan Egan’s. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, HB Studios and the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center. Off-stage Wendy Lane is a creative advocate for artists. While living in Washington, D.C., she founded a regional networking organization for musicians and for five years, was the Associate Director of the Cabaret Conference at Yale University. She received a 2007 Bistro Award for outstanding achievement and was nominated for a Washington Area Music Association Award. While serving on the board of NJ’s Pioneer productions, she produced, directed, and appeared in several theatre pieces. She is currently developing Hot Coffee, MS, a solo theatre piece with music in collaboration with Michele Brourman & Gretchen Cryer. In 2020, she accepted the position of Assistant Artistic Director of the United Solo Theatre Festival. In addition to her performing work, she teaches and consults privately and in master classes for singers of all genres.