NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/13/10
Beloved genius comic Anthony Jeselnik, SNL's phenom impersonator Jay Pharoah, and more perform stand-up at Whiplash...
...and last week Katharine Heller (right) explained to Brenna
Palughi (left)
"You know what, you realize you're in love
when all the songs on the radio
make sense" at the wonderful theatrical improv show Naked
in a Fishbowl...
...and brilliant spinners of comedic mini-musicals Micah Bucey & Nicholas Williams perform at Joe's Pub as The Gay Agenda
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) hosts this free open mic show for storytellers, in which you can put your name in a hat for the chance to tell a five-minute true story...and if it's a good one, possibly be included in Kevin's popular podcasts on the Web: Risk! Storyslam
6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 6:30 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street): John Morrison's Motel Luca
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($10 at the door or online with discount code RUSH): My #1 pick for the 2007 FringeNYC Festival, this wonderful group of actresses/improvisors portray characters as if they were in a play, but improvise everything they say and do. The luminous performers include Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg, Lauren Seikaly, and Molly Knefel, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they've all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title's Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest & nuanced improvised shows you'll ever see.
In last week's episode, there were hilarious arguments about holiday gift-giving...and the character played by Katharine Heller got engaged while watching Shaun of the Dead! (Yay, zombies! Yay, Katharine!!!)
Although every episode is a wonderful theatrical event, readers of this site no longer have to pay theatrical prices; you can see tonight's season finale for a mere $10 by mentioning code RUSH at the door or when ordering online. Check out some videos of previous episodes here; and then get in the habit of attending the Soho Playhouse to experience the always fresh and surprising Naked in a Fishbowl
[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Adam Newman (College Humor), Nick Turner (co-host of Too Cool for School), Susan Alexander, Sean Wilkinson, and Nick Cobb performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
7:00 pm ($5): Young, adorable performers make up a musical on the spot as Zamboni Musical Improv
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 online or $8 at the door): Pioneering UK comedy star Andy de la Tour (The Young Ones), Moshe Kasher (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately), Jamie Kilstein (Conan O'Brien, The Onion), and Shaina and Mary Feinberg ("mother/daughter cha-cha sensation") performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety
8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT's fine house sketch comedy troupes, Thunder Gulch and Gramp's, trying out new bits at Maude Night
8:00 pm ($5): Nate Bargatze (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon), Zach & Zach (Zach and Zach Save The Community Center), and Charles Gould performing at the White Rabbit (145 East Houston Street) for John Szeluga's Not Friday
8:00 pm ($8): A talk show with guests Myq Kaplan (finalist on this summer's Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents), Maureen Langan (Fox News, MSNBC), and Baratunde Thurston (The Onion) hosted by Boston-based radio host & comic Brian Joyce: A Live Talk Show To Be Named Later
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15 at the door or $18 online, plus $12 min. if you sit at a table): Brilliant comedic singer/songwriter/actor Micah Bucey and his partner Nicholas Williams performing a tour de force series of parodies in the form of mini-musicals at Joe's Pub for their intimate and joyful show The Gay Agenda
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Jeff Hiller, Mike Still, Ashley Ward, and tonight's guest John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo)—making up a musical on the spot along with virtuoso improv pianist Frank Spitznagel: Diamond Lion
10:00 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers: Rap Crimes Division
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Anthony Jeselnik (one of my all-time favorite stand-ups; writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents; debut comedy CD Shakespeare), Jay Pharoah (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Moshe Kasher (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately), Karen Kilgariff (former head writer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show), and more—guest-hosted by the wonderful Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1) at Whiplash
[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills on this new stand-up open mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and Erin Lennox: Fresh
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/14/10
Top comics with top comedy albums in 2010 perform stand-up tonight at Righteous Kill
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Louie, Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets), Tony Camin (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, The Marijuana-logues), and Lane Moore (The Onion) performing in the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—includes free food, drinks, and prizes!): Fourth Anniversary show—and the last one at The PIT's current location—featuring comics industry pros Jeff Newelt a.k.a JahFurry (comics editor of Smith, Heeb, Royal Flush; editor of Harvey Pekar Project; twitter.com/jahfurry), Mike Geszel (writer of Tribes: The Dog Years), and Seth Kushner (creator of CulturePOP photocomix) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club
8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Bastian, Sandino, Ragnaröck, DeCoster, and The Opera; and at 11:00 pm improv geniuses Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik make up an entire feature film at The Two-Man Movie, plus Laura Grey, Jordan Klepper, and two guest improvisors reenact a 1970s ritual in Key Party—all at Harold Night
8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink minimum): "All-virgin show" consisting of folks who've never performed stand-up before, with the awkwardness happening at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) enabled by delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Four top stand-ups selected by Punchline Magazine as creating one of the Top 10 Comedy Albums of 2010: Anthony Jeselnik (album Shakespeare), Hannibal Burress (album My Name is Hannibal), Myq Kaplan (album Vegan Mind Meld), and co-host Joe DeRosa (album The Depression Auction) performing at the Ace of Clubs (9 Great Jones Street, underneath Acme Bar & Grill) hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Michael Showalter (MTV's The State, comedy troupe Stella, writer/star of feature films The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer and Comedy Central's Michael & MIchael Have Issues), God's Pottery (hilarious pretend Christian folk rock duo), Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien, VH1), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
9:30 pm ($5): "Six strangers are summoned to an unusual meeting by their mysterious host, Mr. Body. When Mr. Body is found dead, these strangers become suspects, each with their own devious motive. Who killed Mr. Body? In which room? And with which weapon?" Young talents make up comedy scenes based on a popular board game in Clue-Prov
[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open mic stand-up show hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 12/15/10
The irresistable Mamrie Hart mourns the passing of Mariah Carey at tonight's Celebrity Funeral...
...and 30 Rock stars Scott Adsit & John Lutz—who were awesome last week—will once again perform improv as John & Scott
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): "It is with deepest sympathy, and a deeper neckline, that I inform of the passing of one of America's greatest voices, Mariah Carey. Her 5 octave vocal range has been captivating a generation and sending dogs into a frenzy since 1990. We've been there through all the breakdowns and breakups, now let's set this 'Butterfly' free." The comedy talents helping us to mourn include Hannibal Buress, Justin Purnell, Katie Schorr, Ilana & Eliot Glazer , and many more joining the wonderful sketch comic who's making it all happen, the unsinkable Mamrie Hart, in Celebrity Funeral: Mariah Carey
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scientists, nerds, and/or comics Eugene Ashton-Gonzalez, Moran Cerf, Luke Davin, Joe Evans III, Susie Tozier, Robin Wachsberger, and host Ben Lillie become comedic storytellers at this monthly show that tonight focuses on the intriguing topic My Science Project at Brooklyn's Pacific Standard (82 Fourth Avenue): The Story Collider
8:00 pm ($5): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories) hosting this free weekly NYC stand-up comedy show, with tonight's guests Amy Beckerman, Brent Sullivan, Dan Wilbur, Jessie Geller, and David Smithyman, performing at Brooklyn's Hank's Rootin' Tootin' Saloon (46 Third Avenue at Atlantic): Dive Comedy
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Pat O'Shea, Aaron Glaser, Wiliam Mullin, Malaika Gordon, Kat Herskovic, and Mike Cotayo performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious new improv duo who should not be missed: John & Scott
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 12/16/10
Wonderful stand-ups Ted Alexandro and Brooke Van Poppelen tell tales of hitting sexual rock bottom tonight at Stripped Stories
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
a
a
6:30 pm ($5): Ding Dong Meow and The Super Mario Bros. Show are two comedy shows I know nothing about, but they both sound cool. If you're getting off work early, come check them out as they audition for a regular UCBT run at Spank
7:00 pm ($5): "Ever wonder how you become a writer for an Emmy winning TV show? So does J. D. Durkin. Since no one has told him, here is his one-man show performing all original material to become a writer for The Colbert Report. Durkin channels Colbert live on stage to present political punditry as only The PIT could do it...and only The PIT, since he was escorted off the Comedy Central premises:" Stephen Colbert: Hire Me
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler "relates how he destroyed a 13-year relationship in the dumbest, most complicated way possible, with bar fights, naked men, walruses, and an audition for Sasha Baron Cohen" in the one-man show The Amish Guide to Fucking
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Razor-sharp female musical comics Mindy Raf, Becky Yamamoto, and Glennis McMurray celebrating the one-year anniversary of their monthly comedy show, with tonight's guests delightful storytellers Leslie Goshko and Ilana Glazer, and more, performing at Brooklyn's The Royal Oak: Supercream Supreme
8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors play with "elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde" in Sleepover
8:00 pm ($5): Lennon Parham demonstrates her comedy genius by utterly stealing this show with just a few minutes of performance time—via Skype video from LA!—while other talented performers on stage struggle with a sadly underdeveloped script...though Marcy Jarreau somehow manages to rise above the material, and is the other standout to look for (in the scene with the mirror...); plus likeable and talented comedy duo Geoff Garlock & Emily Strachan should probably work with a tough editor who insists on a bit more structure and discipline for a tale which currently has as its highlight a dog who licks himself (on the nose, but still...), in the double-bill Oh My God, I Heard You're Dying! and Gettin' Quaid
[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Comedy as a Second Language
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Stand-ups Adrienne Iapalucci, Jordan Carlos, David Smithyman, and more performing at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a show hosted & produced by just-engaged couple Sean Crespo & Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A blowout lineup of Ted Alexandro (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials) and Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC, Maxim and Cosmo Radio; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) joining sensual hosts Margot Leitman (VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com) in telling true tales on tonight's theme "Low Points"—plus comedic songs from Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central)—at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Stripped Stories
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): An annual gathering of NYC comedy talent to prepare us for the holidays, with tonight's guests including Dave Hill and Stuckey & Murray, at The 37th Annual J Hobart B All-Star Christmas Spectacular
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupes The Brothers Hines and Dog Court competing for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 12/17/10
Two incredible midnight shows tonight (don't know how
to choose, but for goodness sakes see one of them):
Blaine Swen doing improv
at Tony
Wayne and Kate McKinnon performing sketch at Neil
Casey's Sentimental Irish Christmas
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Comedy veterans Laura Krafft (former writer for The Colbert Report), Jodi Lennon (Exit 57), and Miriam Tolan (The Daily Show) perform an improvised play in What a Year!
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Brilliantly funny writer/singer Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CD Dirty Folk Rock; created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; has a cool MySpace page, and an even cooler blog; to get a feel for Jessica's amazing range and talent, please click here), stand-ups Leighann Lord (Fox News, Huffington Post) and Jane Galvin-Lewis, illusionist Lee Alan Barrett, and band The Summer Replacements performing at Otto's Shrunken Head (538 East 14th Street, between Avenues A and B) hosted by Eric Vetter: No Name and A Bag O' Chips
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): A delightful tale of heartbreak by Leslie Meisel—who manages the impressive feat of being adorable, sexy, and hilarious all at the same time, and is a sharp comedic talent very much worth keeping an eye on—quite ably abetted by co-writer Megan Neuringer in one of the smartest theatrical shows to grace UCBT this year: Love Can Suck a Dick...and So Can I
plus for the second half of this double bill, young talents perform a loud and mildly amusing sketch show about cops in The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Sara Benincasa (Comedy Central, YouTube star, upcoming author), Luke Cunningham (Comedy Central's new Norm Macdonald Show), Barry Rothbart (Comedy Central, Men of a Certain Age), Kara Klenk (Spike TV), Sean Donnelly (Lil' Seany Boy), DTMT sketch troupe Steve Bossous, Gregg Zehentner, and Roger Hailes, and musical group Fortress of Attitude—followed by "a drunken, makeout-filled dance party"—performing at Karma Lounge with hosts Pat Stango & Blaine Perry for this endearingly oddball monthly comedy show: Don't Touch Me There
[$] 8:00 pm pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A Curb Your Enthusiasm star and superb stand-up headlining tonight and Saturday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Susie Essman
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($51.27 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): Ray Romano's big brother on the eternal classic sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond proving he also has stand-up chops by headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Brad Garrett
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen's Class: The Harvard Sailing Team
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other fine improvisors make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Kate McKinnon is one of the funniest sketch comics alive. Tonight Kate joins one of the best deadpan comics in the biz, Neil Casey, and terrific improv/sketch performer Nate Lang, for "an evening of whiskey-soaked sketch comedy, music, and poorly remembered stories recounted slurringly in celebration of the anniversary of the Incarnation of the Child Christ," written by Neil Casey, Michael Trapp, and David White, and directed by Neil's wonderful Krompf improv partner Ryan Karels: Neil Casey's Sentimental Irish Christmas
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Genius improvisor Blaine Swen—founder & head of my favorite improv troupe in the universe, The Improvised Shakespeare Company—and Blaine's childhood friend Jeff Lepine perform duo improv as Tony Wayne
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 12/18/10
Tonight Brad Garrett headlines at Comix, and Jim Gaffigan headlines at the Best Buy Theater
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm & 9:30 pm ($40-$50): A comedy superstar who delights in observational humor about food (his Hot Pockets routine is a classic) and mundane things we take for granted ("I like escalators because they can never break, only become stairs"). As accessible as any mainstream performer alive, while simultaneously a sharp deconstructionist who can work any alternative comedy room with ease, his appeal is deep and universal. He's appeared over a dozen times on David Letterman, over two dozen times on Conan O'Brien (for which he created the animated series Pale Force), performed his own Comedy Central Presents special, and created a Beyond the Pale comedy album that's been certified Platinum (the CD and DVD versions have each sold over 150,000 copies). And he's headlining one more night at the Best Buy Theater (1515 Broadway at 44th Street): Jim Gaffigan
7:00 pm ($8): Ben Masten and Sam Dingman perform all-new sketches and songs via an act The Onion says, via back-handed compliment, "manages to sell even flimsy premises with smarts and winning chemistry:" Audience of Two: We Hardly Know What's Up
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Becky Drysdale, and more—including writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball
[$] 8:00 pm pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A Curb Your Enthusiasm star and superb stand-up headlining tonight at the Carolines Comedy Club: Susie Essman
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($51.27 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): Ray Romano's big brother on the eternal classic sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond proving he also has stand-up chops by headlining tonight at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Brad Garrett
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—and the Cage Match Champion for two years in a row!—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!
9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub: Political Subversities
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code SBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award last year for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event by catching tonight's edition of Baby Wants Candy
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams
10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A smorgasbord sketch show featuring a small army of comedy talent, including Julie Klausner, Justin Purnell, Will Hines, Caitlin Tegart, Mike Still, Sidecar, and more, asking you to "Don your gayest apparel (i.e., a festive J. Crew sweater and Ralph Lauren loafers) and come celebrate the Yuletide with your hosts, the Brooks Brothers! Because nothing says Christmas like a clambake. Pour yourself a hot toddy and join your favorite UCB performers as they make a mockery of all things preppy—everything from Sperry Top-Siders, Vampire Weekend, and F. Scott Fitzgerald to the Hampton Jitney, Gordon Gekko, and your younger brother who didn't get into Princeton and ended up going to Tufts. Eggnog and clams will be served. Seriously:" The Brooks Brothers Christmas Clambake
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 12/19/10
Stand-up stars Morgan Murphy, Kumail Nanjiani, Hannibal Buress, and more perform at a blowout holiday edition of Comedy Night
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 5:00 pm ($18 online using discount code FAYB ): One of the very best shows at FringeNYC 2010 was an award-winning comedy from NYC's own Faye Lane, a luminous storyteller and singer who will charm your socks off—and possibly give you a moon pie to boot—at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this brief revival on Sundays this December to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Nikki Glaser (film I Am Comic), Jamie Kilstein (Huffington Post; co-host of Citizen Radio), Dan Soder (Comedy Central), Jamie Machi, and Gabe Pacheco performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Blowout holiday show with Morgan Murphy (fresh, original, and fearlessly dark; The Comedians of Comedy; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), Kumail Nanjiani (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel, writer/performer for Comedy Central's Michael & Michael Have Issues), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Louie, Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), Sean Conroy (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, member of legendary improv troupe The Swarm), Tim Warner, Sean O'Connor, and Jeffrey Joseph performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) guest-hosted by the wonderful Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central): Comedy Night
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Brent Sullivan, Chris Jurek, Ryan Conner, and Alex Grubard performing stand-up in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jessimae (Hometown Comedy Tour), Adam Sank (Last Comic Standing, TruTV; original host of this show), and Brian Barry (Star Search finalist) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy tonight hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Copyright © 2010 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
