Careful what you say - the Babies are back

Cues from the audience and actor reactions on stage mark the zany comedy of The Reasonably Priced Babies, bringing their comedy improvisation to the Black Mountain Center for the Arts on Dec. 18 and 19.

A typical “Babies” show has the performers satisfying suggestions from the audience based on a series of formats such as Next!, Movie Dubbing, Forward & Reverse, The Carolers and Holiday Dating Game.

Reasonably Priced Babies are Josh Batenhorst, who works by day at ArtSpace Charter School and by night may be directing a local show around town, as well as the busiest man in Asheville show business, Tom Chalmers, who is constantly on stage for one reason or another, including his monthly gigs hosting a storytelling show “Listen to This” at Asheville Community Theater.

Also in the Babies are local Black Mountaineers Mondy Carter and Karen Stobbe, a married couple who have been featured on National Public Radio's “This American Life” and will be speaking at an upcoming TEDMED conference about the parallels of improvisation and Alzheimer's. And of course the last but not least Baby is the multi-talented musician Aaron Price, who will be providing music for the whole show.

“We perform attention deficit entertainment,” Carter said. “It's fast paced, fun and easy to dance to. Wait — cut that last part. The show is usually PG-13 or higher, although most of the time not due to us but (because of) the suggestions from the audience.”

Tickets can be purchased at BlackMountainArts.org or by calling 669-0930. The Black Mountain Center for the Arts is at 225 W. State St.

A bargain at that

Who: The Reasonably Priced Babies

When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18-19

Where: Black Mountain Center for the Arts

Cost: $15 plus tax