Special offer: 39 Steps tickets CHEAP!

Worth repeating again: If you're a BQT regular, you've heard me shill for the The 39 Steps (the stage comedy-thriller adapted from the Hitchcock film, formerly on Broadway, now at one of the best venues Off), both because I thought it was really, really good, but also because its marketing team very generously keeps providing us with prize tix.

I'll have yet more at the next public Big Quiz Thing (a ways away, August 16), but in the meantime, they're extending to the BQT faithful a special offer: tickets as low as $39 (usually $69.50–$89.50), now through September. Plus, the theater has that newfangled air-conditioning all the kids are crazy about.

The breakdown: $39 for all seats on Wednesdays (3pm matinee or 8pm show), through 9/1; $55 for rear mezzanine seats at any show, through 9/5; or $65 for orchestra/front mezzanine at any show, also through 9/5. It so happens I'm listening to Pandora right now, and it just dialed up the Pixies' "Gouge Away," and that pretty much defines the general attitude of theater producers in NYC these days, so this is an excellent offer.

Click here to take your unfair advantage. Or, go to BroadwayOffers and enter
code TNLS510. Or, call 212-947-8844 and mention code TNLS510. Or, or or!…print out this offer and bring it to the New World Stages box office at 340 West 50th Street (between Eighth and Ninth). OR! if you're a big shot, click here for premium tix.

Performances happen at 8pm Monday and Wednesday–Saturday, with 3pm matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Go to 
39stepsny.com for more pertinent info, and more professionally polished praise than I can offer here.

Recap: Harvard Square roars for the BQT, again

Dare I say it? Last night was the best Big Quiz Thing yet at our Boston-area venue, Oberon. I wasn't sure it would work—Cambridge apparently clears out a bit in the summer, and I was sans EDP, but the crowd certainly came through, and my special guest, DJ Tanner (get it?), provided able support. (Thanks, too, to the return of B-Cutie Jessica.) I even recovered from my horrible mangling of the name of the Latin American cake includes three varieties of a single ingredient.
High-five.

Round 1 stunned me a bit, as these trivia geeks did very well—three perfect-score teams, I believe, and several within spitting distance. For example, this question was a backbreaker when I asked it NYC-side—"What animal, which has never existed in the wild, is the largest cat in the world?"—but nearly everyone came through in Mass. I attribute it to a strange fascination with this film.

So I turned up the heat, showing them the video round ("Three Degrees of Celebrities"—I love how Crazy Harry the Muppet counts as a celebrity) one time only. That brought the skill level back down to earth, and everyone did particularly well in the rest of the game. Afterward, one of my area regulars commented that Boston breeds a hardier race of quiz nerd, which I denied, then challenged him to prove it by crashing the New York City Clash of the Trivia Champions. C'mon, you know you want to!

And in case you were wondering, that guy yelling about Joey Chestnut and "the warm season of mutual oral stimulation" was indeed my father. He's very proud. I was praying his team would make it into the Three-Way Finale, just so I could have a little fun with (read: take revenge on) him onstage, but sixth place was the best they could do (would've tied for fifth if they'd listened to my mom for "'What’s your favorite color?': What’s the most common answer to that question among Americans?
").

Speaking of, the Finale was longer than most—six questions—but the more, the tensionier, as I always like to say. Returning champions Bob Sheppard Kicks Ass (né Jackie Robinson Kicks Ass), plus verified BQT hardcorites Monstrous Humanoid, plus upstarts Quips Ahoy took the stage. Six questions (three of which no one got—really, no one knows the genre of music that shares its name with the Latin for “to learn"?). But Quips Ahoy (mm…cookies) pulled through on "Existent since ancient times, what was the first human invention to break the sound barrier?" And here they are:
Man, that stage looks huge.

Hope to be back at Oberon sooner rather than later, although the venue is booked out the wazoo, so it might take some time (also, their staff—the best staff team in BQT history—is in heavy training). There are a multitude of methods of keeping up with us online, via bigquizthing.com, so please do if you want to do this again and again and again (and again).

The NYC Clash of the Trivia Champions: REGISTER NOW!

YES! It is here! As I've been hyping for some time, on September 27th, the Big Quiz Thing presents the first ever New York City Clash of the Trivia Champions! Taking place at the palatial Highline Ballroom—teams of four, with a $1,000 grand prize, plus $400 for second place and tons of other impressive prizes. This is it, people—the moment when your geekery truly, finally pays.

The game will be mostly typical BQT format, albeit a level or two more challenging, and a extra few surprises thrown in. We're hoping to have representatives from all four corners of the NYC trivia universe (and perhaps beyond), so tell your most insufferably know-it-all associates. Click here for more details and to register.

This Monday: Back in Boston!

Er…sort of. As I've discovered spending time in the metropolitan Boston area, Cambridge, Massachusetts is only sort of Boston. Often I find it easier to just say, "We're back in Harvard Square," since that is accurate. (And no, Gund Hall is not relevant.)

This will be the third Big Quiz Thing at Oberon, an extremely impressive venue mere steps from that august institution of higher learning. The first two (this one rocked hard, this one rocked harder) were stupidly successful, and we've managed to develop our own core of regulars in the area, still growing—Boston is a city of geniuses, and they recognize the world's greatest live trivia when they see (and play) it. And hey, will April's champs, Jackie Robinson Kicks Ass, be returning to defend their crown? Time will tell.

And to quiz them this Monday, one of my favorite BQT video puzzles from the past year or so, "Three Degrees of Television Separation." For each question, name all three TV shows, whose names are phonetically linked. For example: Charlie Rose, followed by Roseanne, followed by Andy Richter Controls the Universe. See what I did there?

Plus, the "Big Ending" audio round, Smart-Ass Points, the whole rigmarole. It's Monday, July 12, 8pm at Oberon (2 Arrow Street in Harvard Square, Cambridge). $200 grand prize, naturally, plus tickets to Oberon's multimedia Shakespeareanesque disco musical, The Donkey Show; passes to the July 14 show by Rogue Burlesque; and gift cards from the eminently delicious b.good. Buy your tickets now, now, now!

Recap: Summer. Fun. And yes, spectacular

Aloha! Thanks, everyone, for being part of the summer fun that was tonight's Summer Fun Spectacular. 92yTribeca is a lovely venue, and we had a great time there, though I agree, the sight lines aren't the greatest in BQT history. (But I was right about the lemonade, wasn't I?) Maybe tossing around the beach ball wasn't the best idea ever, but I continue in my goal to make the Big Quiz Thing more like a Phish concert.

Some behind-the-scenes details: The video round, the Trivia Color War (various traditional color-war games, each adapted into a trivia question), took a lot of work, and while I think the end product was a touch convoluted, I was happy with it. The integrity of the structure held, all the facts were appropriately factual, and everyone humored me during the Team Cheer question by singing the theme song to Cheers (we didn't have to levy anyone with the -1,000 points demerit). As for the general color war we played throughout the evening, congratulations to Team Blue on the somewhat meaningless victory. Behold their prize; we'll be giving away more at future BQTs, for future reasons.

The audio round, Sounds from the Beach, was slightly plagued with technical glitches (fine, more than slightly), so it fell to me, Quizmaster Noah, to sing some of the clips. I did my best, though I apologize to any Katy Perry loyalists out there for being unable to sing "California Gurls" and resorting to merely a string of insults. Like she cares.

Finally, the big Three-Way Finale: We had perennial champs Gerard Depardouche, perennial not-so-champy Fat Kids, and apparent newcomers (though their Three-Way rep, Chris, had been with us before) Bobbi Eden's Twitter Followers. It was tense, since Buck of the Douche blazed into the lead with the figuroutable "Q: The Houston Astros play their home games at Minute Maid Park, which was renamed in 2002, from what suddenly unfortunate name?" But then the Fat Kid cruised to victory on two straight right answers, finishing with "Q: What 1986 summer movie was featured the final performances of both Orson Welles and Scatman Crothers?" And that's how we play it.

Standings:
1. Fat Kids Lower the Bar
2. Gerard Depardouche
3. Bobbi Eden's Twitter Followers
4. Jefferson Davis Starship
5. The Enola Gay Agenda (Now with Less Gay!)

That's it for July, folks (except for a crapload of private parties, and this). We're back at Crash Mansion August 16, then (probably) (Le) Poisson Rouge August 30. Keep up with the calendar. And definitely get ready for September 27, when we'll be at the Highline Ballroom for The NYC Clash of the Trivia Champions. Registration will be happening any day now here. Stay cool.

Yes, there is a NOT-SO-SECRET SECRET CLUE

Oh no, it is not limited to Mondays, no, sir. We do have a Not-So-Secret Secret Clue for tonight's Summer Fun Spectacular. (And while the clue itself has nothing to do with summer, the question—as are all the questions tonight—is summerrific.) Here we go…

"Block Sender"?

A-ha! 7:30 tonight at 92YTribeca, just below Canal on Hudson Street. Buy tickets now!!!

Massive live-comedy prize haul this Wednesday!

That's an awesome title, isn't it?

As I've told you again and again, this Wednesday is a special Big Quiz Thing, the Summer Fun Spectacular, at 92YTribeca (buy advance tix here). When we booked the date, the venue generously agreed to kick in for the prize stash, and they weren't kidding: We'll be giving away a pair to each July show in the venue's "Comedy Below Canal" series. Fourteen tickets, people!

The complete details are here, but that's two tickets each to two editions of the News Distillery (like a live Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, starring friend of the quiz Alison Rosen), two nights of RISK! (a great storytelling series, one episode featuring another FOQ, Christian Finnegan), three Comedy Below Canal stand-up showcases (one features Leo Allen, a criminally underrated stand-up), and one Channel 101 (fake-pilot screening series, produced by yet another FOQ, Tony Carnevale; I think you can tell by now that I use the word friend in a somewhat loose sense, but they have all at least played the Big Quiz Thing at some point, so there). The dates vary from July 8 through 29, but it's well worth coming back to 92YT—the all-dairy café has some damn fine lemonade.

Plus, we have the standard $250 cash jackpot, and various summer-themed treats, books, DVDs et al. Plus the first ever Trivia Color War! And, and, and…we're giving away a super-secret very special surprise, just finalized plans. I can feel the tingle of the zinc oxide already…