The Disney Delusion

Making its NYC debut after sold out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, "The Disney Delusion" is a hilariously vulnerable hour of storytelling about a methodically moronic plan to double-down on unrequited love through a disastrous trip to Disneyland. Featuring criminal acts, surgically-altered sugar daddies, Sinatra impersonators, and a cynically-charged "coming out", this (unfortunately) true story is not to be missed.

Award-winning Canadian comedian Leif Oleson-Cormack pushes the limits of confessional comedy in this (unfortunately) true coming-of-age story about a methodically moronic plan to double-down on unrequited love.
In the summer of 2008, Leif receives an out-of-the-blue email from his long-standing unrequited crush, Arthur, proposing they go on vacation to Mexico together. The wording is intriguing, borderline romantic, but Leif is well aware that Arthur’s wandering eye will pit him against every beach body along the coastline. Desperate to finally lose his virginity, Leif pitches an alternate vacation spot where his competition will be less fierce: Disneyland. “Because who is he going to hook up with there? A family of four?”
Once the pair touchdown in LA on the historic night Barack Obama wins his first presidency (yes, this was somehow part of the deranged plan), Leif’s carefully orchestrated machinations quickly go off-the-rails when the introduction of a predatory sugar daddy, a professional Frank Sinatra impersonator, and the incoming results of California’s Prop 8 bill combine to create a dangerous and life-changing evening filled with betrayal, criminal acts, and something called “defensive dancing”.

Reviews for The Disney Delusion:

“Leif Oleson-Cormack shows how two things — storytelling skill and pure fearlessness — can make for truly captivating theatre.”
-The Edmonton Journal ★★★★½.

"He's scrupulously fair and his account is suffused with compassion and understanding, even for the most predatory characters featured. Wryly amusing from the get-go, he keeps you hooked with the rich, morally shady detail of his story."- The Scotsman ★★★★.

“Oleson-Cormack wore his heart on his sleeve throughout his intimate monologue...well-structured and well-written.”- North West End UK ★★★★.

“Leif Oleson-Cormack shows us where the future of stand-up comedy should lie.”- View Magazine (Pick for ‘Best of Fringe’ 2022).

Nominated for the Just for Laughs Award for Outstanding English Comedy in the Frankie Awards (2022 Montreal Fringe).

About the performer:

With his playfully subversive voice and unique style of dark humour, Leif Oleson-Cormack is redefining the boundaries of queer comedy. Drawing upon his background as both a Juilliard-trained playwright and writer for the video game industry, Leif is able to craft unforgettably confessional stories that are both wildly vulnerable and hilariously relatable. Leif’s critically acclaimed one-man-show, “The Disney Delusion”, toured to sold-out crowds across Canada, the US, and the UK, earning a nomination for the Just For Laughs prize for “Outstanding English Comedy” at the Montreal Fringe. A winner of the 2019 Calgary FunnyFest Comedy Competition, Leif has performed at dozens of comedy and fringe festivals worldwide, including the Edinburgh Fringe, the Orlando Fringe, and the Grindstone Comedy Festival.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Caveat, 21 A Clinton Street, New York, United States