For our latest mission, 16 agents staged a spontaneous musical in the food court of a Los Angeles shopping mall. We used wireless microphones to amplify the vocal performances and mix them together with the music through the mall’s PA system. We filmed the mission with hidden cameras, mostly behind two-way mirrors. Apart from our performers, no one in the food court was aware of what was happening. Enjoy the video first and then go behind the scenes with our report below.
(also available on YouTube)
song by Scott Brown and Anthony King; arranged by Jamie Laboz
Featuring: Agents Campbell, Cowan, Brister, Caldwell, Sutton, Ahn, Park, Nwaeze, Jervier, Thorn, Fair, Costelo, Grimm, Perube, LaBarr, Appel, Todd
Digital Video: Agent Carbone
Choreography: Agent Tallaksen
We’ve had tons of ideas emailed to us over the years. Out of all of them, one stands out as the absolute most suggested: “You know how it’s weird in musicals that people just break out into song for no reason? You guys should stage a musical like that in a public place.” We’ve probably gotten over 100 emails just like that. Well, we finally decided it was time to make it happen.
It should be noted that staging a musical in a public place is not a new idea. It’s been done before by several groups, the most popular of which took place in a lecture hall, staged several years ago by the old Columbia University group, Prangstgrüp.
We wanted to create an original song for this mission, so I turned to Agents Brown and King, longtime Improv Everywhere Agents and writers of the hit Off-Broadway show, Gutenberg! The Musical! For your listening pleasure, I’ve uploaded their original demo of the song, where they sing all of the parts. A few changes were made to the final version. Most notably “diet soda” was changed to “lemonade” as the restaurant we started in only sold lemonade. You can hear the parts of the song that were cut out of the video (things were cut for time, in order to create a tight video.)
Unfortunately there are very few photos from this mission. It took place in Los Angeles, so our normal photographers were not around. We decided to focus on getting the best video possible, and photography was sadly left out. We do have a few photos of our rehearsal process.
Agent Tallaksen leads rehearsal
We met the day before to rehearse the song and learn the choreography. Agent Tallaksen did an excellent job as the choreographer, bringing the song to life and adding in ridiculously hilarious blocking. Since we are not based out of LA, and this mission took place before our new global site was launched, we had to do a bit of searching to find the right agents. A few were personal friends of mine, a few were actors from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in LA, and some answered a casting call on craigslist. The mall we chose is in the middle of downtown LA and is very racially diverse. It was important to us to have an equal amount of diversity in the cast.
Typically Improv Everywhere does not ask for permission from the location where we are staging our mission. This was a rare exception. By working with the mall we would gain incredible access and be able to make the experience for the food court patrons all the more awesome. The mall let us rehearse the song the night before after they had closed.
We were able to test out our blocking and make sure it worked with the food court layout. The mall let us patch the performers microphones and the music into their PA system, which would make the performance loud and clear for everyone there. We were also able to install two-way mirrors in several spots to enable us to film the mission with our cameras completely hidden, again making the experience for those who would witness it all the more unique.
There is a hidden camera hiding behind the tinted glass in the door above.
The mall got us in touch with the folks from Hot Dog on a Stick, a west-coast corndog chain that had a location in the food court. The chain loaned us one of their uniforms for Agent Campbell to wear, and gave her access to behind the counter. Hilariously, Agent Campbell ended up having to actually help several customers as we were waiting for the mission to begin.
While the management of both the mall and Hot Dog on a Stick were aware of what we were doing, they kept the mission a secret from everyone else. All of the employees of the other food court establishments had absolutely no idea that our musical was going to take place.
The execution of the mission itself was tons of fun. It was awesome to watch the reactions of the folks sitting and eating as one by one people started joining in on the song. The coolest moment happened when Agent Caldwell broke into song. He was playing the role “janitor” and had actually been clearing trash off of people’s tables for a half-hour leading up to the mission. It was fun to see people realize that the man who had cleaned up their table five minutes ago was now singing in the middle of a musical.
Agent Caldwell
The security guard moment also worked really well. Agent Sutton wore a black “security” jacket that was identical to the real mall security. You could feel the tension grow after he entered, with everyone assuming he was there to shut down the performance. It was a great misdirect.
Agents Brister and Sutton
There were several agents who got cut out of the video (you can hear their parts in the song included above.) We had three skater punks skate in and sing, a group of young girls did a cheer about napkins, and several more agents posing as regular folks eating joined in for the finale. By the end there were shoppers lined up watching us from the second level, and we got a nice round of applause when we finished. However, there was no bow. Our agents returned to whatever they were doing before the song broke out, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Mission Accomplished
OTHER RESOURCES:
We’ve uploaded a “zip” file with an mp3 of the orchestrated backing track we used in the food court, an mp3 of the song played on piano, and a PDF of the complete lyrics to the song. This should be everything you need to stage the song on your own. Unfortunately no sheet music exists.
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This was hilarious! In a lot of sitcoms, musicals just break out, but seeing one in real life has got to be a little weird. The best part was when Agent Sutton(security) come by and has a serious look on his face, but then starts singing. Great mission.
That was awesome guys. Well done!
Brilliant! Can’t get enough of you guys.
can we see the whole video sometime?
I think this one is my favorite so far (or close)
You guys are awesome!
I loved it!
AWESOME. I love all of the pranks, but this one is in the top 5. :)
Funny, but not really “improv” is it?
Beautiful, absolutely beautiful in every sense of the word. Well done indeed :D
This title sounds like a cross between two Disney films: High School Musical and Full Court Miracle. It’s really funny just for that.
Who came up with the “napkins” topic? That made it even funnier, because even musicals usually have more serious reasons to sing. :D
Oh, that was awesome.
Been waiting to see this pulled off like this for years. Bravo!
You guys are seriously amazing; I am always impressed! At the end of this song, I actually clapped as if I were there!
Keep up the great work!
amazing job!
this is hysterical!!
i’ve sent it on to many friends! (many who love high school musical and other disney comedies where they also just randomly break out in song!)
Awesome mission! Love to see/helpout in New York sometime with this kind of thing.
This is by far one of the best missions you guys have ever pulled off. The only way it could have been better would have been if the mall and HDoaS had not been in on it, but that would have been very risky.
I’d like to see the Craig’s List ad.
Well done. Too bad there’s no complete video - I’d love to be able to see the missing parts.
Aw. Fantastic. Wish the patrons had given a warmer reception, though. Silly.
I can only say Amazing! I have to give props to the Mall and Hot Dog on a Stick for having a sense of humor and really working with you guys to put on this “production”. I hope you’ll consider doing more spontaneous musicals in the future, in different venues, and closer to home (I’m in New York myself!) Great job. I’d say more, but I’m dying to watch that video one more time! :)
Oh my god, I have said for YEARS that the world needs to be more like a musical. Thank you for proving me right. This was amazing.
you guys are great!!! I LOVE what you are doing! Can I be on your mailing list? And I’d love to help out, be included if you need more people involved!!!
The best!!!
keri
a-freakin’-mazing, as always……
..but you might have outdone yourselves this time! ;)
You should upload the full-length version!
Good work!
That’s awesome! I love that the mall, hot dog on a stick, etc all went along with this. It was so great!!!!
WOW!!!!! So well done :) Great work Mr. T
I’m guessing this is for the TV show you were hoping to do. I’m somewhat glad it fell through; while the idea is amusing, the Hollywood editing, voice over, and general Candid Camera knockoff style make it seem much less authentic than your previous missions.
I love reading your missions! This was one of the first to have me giggling throughout. I loved the people’s reactions. Brilliant!
My only wish is that someday the full video goes online someday.
I number among the masses who e-mailed agent Todd saying he should do this. Here are photographs from when a few friends and I performed a similar prank in Chicago.
WAIT WHAT?! YOU DID A MISSION IN LOS ANGELES?! AWWW MAN! I MISSED OUT! (That said, I was really looking forward to hearing about this one!)
That was hilarious! I’ve always wanted to stage something like this! You guys are awesome!
I’ll second the fact that I’d love to see the full video.
PS. Still totally love all your missions. I forwarded this to my friends at the Boston Conservatory (a music / dance school).
I love you! I love you! I love you!
So proud to have been a part of this! I’d been admiring the movement from the left coast for so many years, it was really an honor to get an invite to participate in a mission from Charlie!
Sorry to see that my big solo (OK, half a line) was cut, but I thought the standout performance was definitely Caldwell as the janitor. Nice guy, too.
My favorite part was working with Agent Talleksen! What a fun guy; he really embraced the broadness of musical theater.
Hey can we get a link to actually download this song?
iMeem just links to non-existent iTunes and Amazon pages to buy it even though you aren’t actually selling it(Although considering the sheer awesomeness of this song I would gladly pay the 90c to buy it from amazon XD)
yes yes yes. to see real reactions to random musical numbers. brilliant
Awesome.
Holy wow… that was utterly brilliant! I laughed out loud when the janitor joined into the fray. I’m a huge fan of musical theater, and you guys nailed the whole genre absolutely perfectly. I’m amazed and awed at the writing, the performance, the choreography… everything!
thats amazing stuff!!!
keep it up!!
That was brilliant. Cheers!
I pretty much want this to happen every day of my life. I am just waiting for it.
Haha, that was fantastic! I loved it (^_^)
Wow! Made me cry, I love it! :D
I’ve been following the IE missions for years now, and I’d been dying to see something like this. Great job guys!
Awesome! While a departure from the usual Improv Everywhere setup, this is definitely one of my favorites! It brought a huge smile to my face!
Wooow that was amazing. I wish something like that would happen in London. I can’t wait to see what you guys do next. Maybe you should do an impromptus football match in a supermarket…lol the look on the custoemrs faces would be priceless!
The Shot at 3.21 of the little girl smiling brought a tear to my eyes.
Great improv!
LOL!!!
if u liked that u should check out ‘if life were a musical’ on youtube, by an australian comedy group called the chasers war on everything…its pric4eless!!!!
I had my initial doubts, but after watching the video… That’s the most beautiful thing you guys have done yet. Others still hold the ‘funniest’ title, though. ;) Way to go!
AMAZING!! as usual…Great job guys!!
That is just about the best thing I have ever seen in my life.
This made me burst into tears from the sheer joy of the event. I want to be apart of it.
This is the greatest thing I’ve ever dream about !! I wish I was living in America to join you and make things like that ! I love that… Tell me if some stuff like that is done in Europe :-D (I’m a swiss girl living in Switzerland)
Couldn’t you have done something better for a song?
Well just wached the food hall musical from here in England. I must say it was absolutely terrific it brought tears to my eyes, you folks over there have got something good going, don’t lose it.
Charlie “Look the janitor’s still cleaning up”
HA
You guys have outdone yourselves. This is GENIUS!!!
Did that guy say ” he’s the most singingest janitor i ever saw” ? lol!
fantastic guys! I love how everyone was throwing napkins at them but they only stopped when charlie handed them a napkin
only have one word for ya’ll.
BRAVO!!!!!
Totally Awesome!! But I feel a little cheated. Why not make the full version available. We didn’t even get to see the ’singingest janitor ever’ dance!
The Chaser guys in Australia did “If life where a musical” on nearly every one of thier TV shows last year .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg1Na8kDfVA
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/chaser/war/
You guys are amazing (yeah I know it’s been said before but I wanted to say it too ;) ), I adored this one! I think I’ll steal your idea and stage something like that at my university :P
BRAVO!!!!!
Hey guys, once again, brought a massive smile to my face! Awesome and well done!!
Truely Awesome. I Love this Site You bring improvatinal comedyn to a new level. I love it. I would like to see the whole video in it’s entirety. Keep doing what your doing, creating smiles.
They gooot…the mustaaard…ooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuut!
Yesss! That was incredible!! As a musical theatre major, that just made my week. Those lucky patrons…if something like that happened while I was out, that would have made my life…lol.
Anyway, very inspiring. I’ll have to round up friends and put on our own original musical… :)
Amazing! Awesome! You just made my day!
You guys always manage to amaze me, this was absolutely hilarious, I loved it! I’d love to have something like this happen while I was around, yet I’m surprised how many of the patrons in the video seemed annoyed rather than amused.
I think the highlight of the clip was the janitor joining in, came out of nowhere. :D
Great job as always!
Love love love. I second the commenter who said he burst into applause at the end, just sitting here and watching online. And I third/fourth/fifth the commenters who are begging for the full-length video. Please? I really want to see the singinest janitor I ever seen become the dancinest janitor I ever seen.
You guys’ work makes me so happy. Seriously, people say “[x] made my day” all the time but this really did. Keep it up. Awesome stuff.
Ha, excellent. I’ve been hoping you’d do something like this. Thanks for the laughs, guys!
How many minutes? Seven?
Food court heaven.
Wonderful. Just fantastic. Funny and well-written and executed. Broadway awaits!
I’m not sure, but the guy at the end who says it’s the “singingest janitor I’ve ever seen” looks a LOT like Chester Whitmore, who lives in LA and who is one of the best tap dancers in the world. It’s totally possible that he happened to be at that mall. That would have been fun if he had tap danced too.
I love how the audience reactions in LA and NY are totally different. In this video, people seemed annoyed or confused but in NY they get really excited and happy.
best stunt yet, I’ve watched this 4-5 times now and can’t get the song out of my head — love it!!
How nervous do you get when you are performing for people who aren’t waiting for a performance?
The performance was brilliant. Thanks for sharing.
This is now my favorite Improv Everywhere. When are we going to see the full video??
This really made my day! The world needs more wonderful people and happy moments like this. Cheers!
Every time I watch this I like it more! What a great stunt and it’s even a really good song. Love the janitor–what a wonderful voice. Security officer was terrific. So was the Mother, the Paper Hat Girl, the guy with mustard on his pants…did I forget anyone? Wow. You all deserve Tonys.
Thanks for the big smile on my face,
Marilyn
That was hilarious! I’ve always loved you guys. That one took some work.
Seeing this made my day. In all honesty, it has restored my faith in America. Someone keyed $2k worth of damage to my car at a children’s event for Thomas the Train. I was about to go postal or lock myself in my house. You all are doing gods work.
That was great - My favorite part was the “uhoh” moment when the security guard shows up, but then starts singing and everyone in the audience seems to relax. Hoping for the full-length video!
I’m sorry to say that I am not a fan of musicals. Whenever I see one in a movie, I tend to roll my eyes and pray it’s not too long to give me hives. But this looked like it was tons of fun, not only to put together but to have been able to see it in action as a spectator.
I’m sad we missed the cut bits, I would have loved to have seen that!
Nice baby toss Agent Brister. I hope child services doesn’t get wind of this.
Ahhaha, I loved the janitor part. Man, I’ve noticed how great the video quality’s been getting. The years really fly by, don’t they?
Wow, that was amazing! I only wish I was one of the people sitting there wondering what was going on.
-Jason
100th Comment!
Wow, this is so funny
PRICELESS. hilarious. genius. I love the security guard :)
Man that was great. You guys have to do this one in NY too, I want to participate!
Kudos to the mall guys for playing along, and I’d like to add my voice to the requests for the full video! I love the things you guys do. Count me in the next time you do some random fun in NY!
You guys rock! Here’s to making the world a less predictable, funnier, more creative and happier place.
Loved it> FANTASTIK
You guys are amazing! Plus the silly songwriting is brilliant.
I love how Agent Todd just sits and takes it all in, like a father watching the birth of a child. Congrats on a great IE mission.
I started watching this expecting to hate it, and actually loved it. Clever, witty — just plain fun. Thank you!!!
Should my faith in musicals as entertainment wane, I will look on this and be restored. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Thanks for making the world a more magical and certainly much more interesting place.
THANK YOU, Thank you, for making life fun! My kids thought I was the only one who broke out in song.
…not quite the same improv as usual but funny as S@$t!!! nun the less, kudos to the whole improv team for this 1 keep it up guys!
that song was freakin’ sweeeeeeeeeet (sung in c minor)
How did you guys that is my secret fantasy to have my world suddenly turn into a musical? My God, I wish I had been there.
hahahahahahha… I loved it! I emailed it to all my friends and family! Loved the look on all the peoples faces. Great performance.
Absolutely brilliant. I needed a laugh to end my day.
Where can I get a hi-res version? Can someone post it on Vuze?
Awesome I was cryin I was laughing so hard. Sorry I missed it I am not far from LA. Wish you would do more out here.
Just like that episode of Buffy — “Once More with Feeling”.
The mention of mustard is even a bit of an (unintentional?) homage to a particular little number in that show.
Great job!
Lol the Janitor part was completely hilarious!!!!
Great song and act!
How fun! Thanks.
haha i love it you guys are expanding to different states, niceee!
this is the best mission you guys have ever done. hands down. even beats the big freeze which was awesome. i would love to see the full video!!
Bravo! Bravo!
WOW! Amazing! Best thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
Lemon for Lemon, Straw to Straw, Fork to chopstick, look for look, pound for pound, note for note and serviette to serviette, this was a great fast food operetta! Ting! Should have wrapped with a triangle! Too bad Moon Unit Zappa wasn’t there for a nosh. My napkin flies for you!
Like TOTALLY!
I’ve always wanted life to be a musical! Wish I could have been there!
Here are some ideas that we get all the time and will probably never do for reasons indicated:
1. Do a spotaneous musical on the streets or some other public place (This has been done before way too many times.)