Being the Karaoke Wherein Tobias Creams Himself

Down in the basement of the Charles Playhouse is the Playhouse Lounge. Darts on Tuesday, trivia nights on Wednesday, live music on Thursday, and karaoke on Fridays. Karaoke, some people love it, some people hate it. If you’re looking to get your sing on in the company of theatre types (front and back of house types as well as patrons of the arts), the Playhouse Lounge might be the best place in Boston to do it. Our friends tell us that it’s an absolutely smashing time at the microphone. You may be treated to the presence of players from local shows; cast members from Spamalot have been on hand recently. We’re not trying to say that it’s a good place to go if you’re looking to be discovered – we doubt Simon Cowell will be in attendance – but the Blue Men often are. Playing an indefinite stint at the Charles Playhouse just upstairs from the Lounge, the charactersblue men from the Blue Man Group often stop by with props, adding an entertaining backup to the singer on stage. The video here is not well lit, but at the end there are stills with a flash that will let you see what’s really going on. Fox’s Arrested Development, specifically David Cross’ character Tobias Fünke (a fictional Bostonian), was the inspiration for the title here; if you’re not familiar check out a summary, pictures, or a you-the-man-now-dog tribute.