“In New York, we witnessed a show that was remarkably scaled back — to eight onstage performers — and also remarkably funny. Spencer Novich, Ripley in the show at Cosmopolitan, returns weirdly to engage female audience members by asking for a kiss — and then spitting in his hand to offer a handshake. Jimmy Slonina performs his mock-balancing act, using a blowup doll as his partner (I first saw this sendup of “Absinthe’s” Duo Vector act in Melody Sweets’ “Big Top Circus and Burlesque” show in June 2015.)”