SHECKY’S YOGA SHUL
Ahimsa Yoga Centre (440 Bloor West)
See show info here
Rating: NNN
You don’t need flat abs to make it through Shecky’s Yoga Shul but you do need a strong stomach for Borsht Belt humour. (You also need to sign a waiver before you enter the yoga studio.)
In this highly interactive comedic send up, Howard Pressburger never breaks character as Shecky, a middle-aged Jewish guru with an Old Testament approach to an ancient art. Along with his assistant Hanna (Shana Sandler) and Hank the harmonium player (Jim Gelcer), Shecky reinterprets yoga practice sprinkling it liberally with Yiddishisms.
The shtick gets old before the end, but there are many funny bits during the hour-long class, including his commentary on the warrior pose and a unique shavasana (here renamed “simchasina”). Pressburger actually leads a very satisfying basic yoga class (co-creator Sandler is a real-life yoga instructor).
Arrive in comfy clothes prepared to move.
