The Best of NYC Musical Improv
EMPIRE is a ‘super group’ featuring NYC’s best veteran musical improvisers (Baby Wants Candy, North Coast, Vern, Blank!). Our team includes members who perform and teach at NYC’s top comedy institutions including the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, the New York Film Academy, Stella Adler School of Acting, The Magnet, and The PIT. Each player has had the privilege to perform in prestigious festivals and venues like the Edinburgh Fringe Fest in Scotland and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, as well as theaters and colleges in Iceland, Germany, England, Poland, Canada, Austria and more! When not performing, our writing and acting credits can be found for shows like The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Amber Ruffin Show, The Bleacher Report, Comedy Central, POSE, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; Chris Gethard Presents; Girls5Eva, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and so many more!
Every EMPIRE show is accompanied by a live band (also improvising!). All YOU have to do is shout out a show title and prepare to have you mind blown as the cast belts their faces off and freestyle raps with magical ease, creating a completely original Broadway-style musical narrative off-the-cuff. We aim to create dazzling performances that truly have it all, from hilarious comedy and absurd characters, to grounded scene-work and heartfelt musical numbers that make you misty-eyed. We love what we do, and our joy is palpable in every unrepeatable moment.
Empire was formed because as performers, we want to see the world and connect with the global improv community. We’ve found the best way to do it is by bringing explosive shows and world-class instruction to theatres in every corner of the world, no matter how small. We want to work with your budget and resources so we can have the privilege of getting to know your creative community!
Empire offers a range of workshops to meet every interest and experience level. Our regular performances run approx. 45-60 minutes long.
If you have an upcoming festival or want to bring Empire to your theatre, please use our ‘Contact’ page to send us a message! We can’t wait to meet you!
“New York! Concrete bunghole where dreams are made up. There’s nothing you can do.”
- Liz Lemon / Jay-Z
Testimonials
“It was such a thrill to have Empire perform at our inaugural improv festival. The team absolutely stole the night with a stunning, sweaty, sold-out performance and had the audience shouting for more (and also asking themselves “how’d they do that?!”). We can’t wait to see them again!”
“Thank you so much for the wonderful workshop on Saturday, it was the most satisfying and joyful improv workshop I’ve ever had! ”
“Katy’s energy, positivity, and general bad-assery is infectious when she leads a class. She creates an environment where students feel safe to take risks and fail, which is truly the only way to learn and get better. She fosters community in her courses so that students can learn, not only from Katy but from each other. Also she’s SO fun! ”
“Katy’s workshop was absolutely fantastic! Her passionate energy inspired us, the workshop’s structure quickly helped us move out of our comfort zone, and her targeted actionable coaching made us all better performers. Can’t wait to sign up again.”
“Katy Berry’s musical improv workshop was such a fun and easy-going process! I felt like I got a great taste of what it would be like to make up an entire musical on the spot. I felt very gently guided through the structure and mechanisms of it all- TLDR; it made me want to take a whole class!”