NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/17/07
Look for holiday comedy blow-outs over the next two weeks.
A prime example was last night's Tearing the Veil of Maya
at Brooklyn's Union Hall, hosted by national treasure Eugene Mirman.
The announced guests were genius comics Aziz Ansari, Jon Glaser,
and Mike Birbiglia, which is a damn impressive lineup.
But surprise added guests were David Cross and Daniel Kitson,
both of whom performed deliciously long and semi-improvised sets...
and were hysterically funny.
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a holiday blow-out & farewell show, with stars Cracked Out and John Mulaney, at Gabe & Jenny (8:00ish pm),
ghosts of rock legends hosting a comedic musical extravaganza, with the wonderful
Dave Hill and Reggie Watts, at Keith & Donna's Grateful Dead Listening Hour (8:00 pm),
and stand-up comedy treasures Anthony Jeselnik, A.D. Miles, and Larry Murphy at what's bound to be
one of the funniest shows in NYC—and just happens to be free—starring and hosted by Human Giant (11:00 pm).
John Mulaney, Gabe & Jenny, and Cracked Out
Hosted by the adorable and foul-mouthed Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate.
Expect the unexpected; and to be entertained by this sly, funny pair.
For a hilarious video starring the very sexy Jenny, please click here.
After a two-year run, tonight is the last evening Gabe & Jenny will be
doing their show at Rififi. In 2008, they'll be moving to Thursdays in Brooklyn.
Come catch this combination holiday blow-out & farewell party.
Tonight's wonderful and razor-sharp guests include
John Mulaney (VH1's Best Week Ever, Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
for stand-up samples, please click here and here),
Cracked Out (artfully shocking chameleons Jon Daly & Brett Gelman
parodying a hip-hop group; for samples of the duo's mind-blowing videos,
please click here and here, and check out their album Fleetwood Cracked), and
Eric Slovin (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Comedy Central Presents,
Premium Blend, Spin City; half of comedy duo Slovin & Allen with partner Leo Allen).
8:00sh pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Keith & Donna's Grateful Dead Listening Hour
Join your hosts Keith and Donna (Matt McCarthy & Ann Carr)
"as they take you on a fun-filled journey of merry-making and music-making.
Keith may be dead, but that hasn't stopped them from reminiscing about
their days with Jerry and serenading you with the occasional impromptu tune
that never made it to record." Tonight's guests are
Dave Hill (member of band Valley Lodge; written for The New York Times, Salon,
HBO, and the eerie Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written and performed for VH1, Spike TV,
The Learning Channel, and the fabulous Smoking Gun TV series; hosts monthly
UCBT extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—to learn more, please click here), and
Reggie Watts (winner of 3rd Annual Andy Kaufman Award; scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician who will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com).
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Five fine NYC comics—Katina Corrao, Anthony DeVito, Joe DeVito, Giulia Rozzi, Law Tarello—
"who all just happen to have roots in the country shaped like a boot. Featuring stand-up,
sketches, stories, videos, special guests, and whatever else they want to do.
If theres an altern-italian comedy scene, this show is its Vatican City.
Not Italian? No problem. After all, nobody's perfect."
8:00ish pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Rachel Maddow, and host Lizz Winstead
Lizz Winstead is co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; and a performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night. (She's also a character; e.g., for a memorable anti-apology after canceling her appearance on the live NYC show Drink at Work, please click here.)
Tonight's guest is Rachel Maddow, host of The Rachel Maddow Show on Air America Radio.
To get a feel for STM, view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees by clicking here.
To buy tickets online (each $10 plus $2.50 service charge), please click here.
8:30 pm at Ace of Clubs, 9 Great Jones Street (3rd St. between Lafayette and Broadway); $10
This theatre is downstairs from the Acme restaurant. Nearest subway stops are
Bleecker Street on the #6 and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.
Singles Night: Solo Performances
Two one-man shows for five bucks.
Tonight's performers are
George Clark: Storked—A Journey into Fatherhood, and
Steve Kornstein: In Search of Little Red Rosenberg.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer, and Aziz Ansari (a.k.a. Human Giant)...
...and A.D. Miles, Anthony Jeselnik (being lauded by Robin Williams), and Larry Murphy
Tonight's show is likely to be a holiday blow-out extravaganza.
Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer, the wonderful stars
of MTV comedy hit Human Giant, will be showing off clips-in-progress
for their upcoming second season (slated to air in March 2008).
There's no one better at working an audience than these guys;
and their first season was, in my opinion, one of the funniest shows in TV history.
(For details, please click here.)
In case that's not enough, helping the gang throw a great party will be
Anthony Jeselnik (phenomenal comic specializing in darkly shocking jokes,
and already one of my favorite stand-ups ever;
Comedy Central's Premium Blend, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live,
NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, MTV's Walk of Shame;
for a video stand-up sample, please click here),
Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor who performs all the
key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other TV series include
Home Movies, O'Grady, Cheapseats, Computer Lab, Puppets N Such;
co-host of superb NYC comedy show Power Hour every Friday night at Rififi;
for an animated VO reel, please click here), and
A.D. Miles (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dog Bites Man, Human Giant,
Reno 911, TV Funhouse, legendary comedy troupe Stella).
Suffice to say, this is likely to be one of the flat-out funniest shows in NYC.
And it's free.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/18/07
Look for holiday comedy blow-outs over the next two weeks.
A prime example was Sunday night's Tearing the Veil of Maya
at Brooklyn's Union Hall, hosted by national treasure Eugene Mirman.
The announced guests were genius comics Aziz Ansari, Jon Glaser,
and Mike Birbiglia, which is a damn impressive lineup.
But surprise added guests were David Cross and Daniel Kitson,
both of whom performed deliciously long and semi-improvised sets...
and were hysterically funny.
And another example is tomorrow night's South Toward Home fundraiser to
help repair the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The awesome scheduled lineup
includes comedy stars David Cross, Janeane Garofalo, John Oliver, and Dave Hill.
To learn more—and save $10 per ticket if you buy today
rather than the day of the show—please click here.
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC comedy include
the wonderful Sara Schaefer premiering a free comedy event at Brooklyn's Union Hall: One Sara Show (8:00ish pm),
Charles Star hosting a free stand-up show at Brooklyn's Magnetic Field, with guests including Tom McCaffrey,
Rob Cantrell, Michelle Buteau, and 2007 Aspen Comedy Fest winner Shane Mauss at Pant-Hoot (8:00ish pm),
and superb comics Pete Holmes, Reggie Watts, AD Miles, and Chris Hardwick at Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm).
Jenny Rubin, Katina Corrao, and Kimmy Gatewood
Carolyn Castiglia hosts a lineup of talented female stand-up comics.
Tonight's scheduled guests are
Kimmy Gatewood (rushing over from her conflicting gig at Comic Book Club;
highly talented writer, director, and comedic performer, and
one-third of stellar musical comedy group The Apple Sisters),
Katina Corrao (HBO's Daddy, Comedy Central; for video samples, please click here and here),
Jenny Rubin (co-host of weekly NYC live comedy show Max!),
Anne Altman (Mortified), Emily Epstein (Laugh Lounge),
and Carla Rhodes (ventriloquist; The Cutting Room).
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Bill Hader of Saturday Night Live; and Kimmy Gatewood having fun out of her element
Comic Book Club: One Year Anniversary Show! (And Sorta Sold Out...)
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's extra-special show celebrates Comic Book Club's
one-year anniversary—and is a holiday blow-out.
The scheduled comedy guest is Bill Hader, one of the stars of Saturday Night Live;
the comedic musical guest is the wonderful Kimmy Gatewood
(Apple Sisters Variety Show, and singer/songwriter of the Comic Book Club theme);
and the industry guests are Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers),
Ed Brubaker (Captain America, X-Men), and Matt Fraction (Iron Fist, Casanova).
Please note this show is sold out.
However, there may be a few tickets available
if you arrive early and put yourself on a waiting list.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Longest Harold Night of the Year
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, the emphasis is on long, as no less than eight improv troupes
perform over the course of four hours!
The schedule is:
8:00 pm: Twelve Thousand Dollars
8:30 pm: Raynard
9:00 pm: DeCoster
9:30 pm: T.R.U.C.K.S.
10:00 pm: Bastian
10:30 pm: Tantrum
11:00 pm: 1985
11:30 pm: fwand
Some of the groups are great; some are less so. And this show
is designed more for students of improv than the general public.
But if you're interested, and patient, a mere $5 will buy you a very full
evening's worth of education & entertainment, and periodic hearty laughs.
8:00 pm - Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Sara Schaefer's One Sara Show: Premiere!
The wonderful Sara Schaefer (VH1's Best Week Ever, E! Network's Rise of the Geeks;
UCBT's Video Gaga) tonight kicks off a brand new comedy show in Brooklyn.
For a video teaser, please click here.
Directed by Jon Friedman (The Rejection Show), with music from The Lisps.
I don't know much about this, but have yet to see anything from
Ms. Schaefer that wasn't special. And tonight's extravaganza is free.
8:00 pm at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn; free
Take the R train to Union Street and walk 1 block east; or take
the F train to 4th Avenue, walk north on 4th Avenue and turn right on Union Street, and go 1 block up;
or take the 2/3/4/5/Q train to Atlantic Avenue, walk south on 5th Avenue, and make a left on Union Street.
Michelle Buteau and Raquel D'Apice...
...and Tom McCaffrey, Rob Cantrell, and Charles Star
Pant-Hoot: Terrific Free Comedy in Brooklyn
This free monthly comedy show in Brooklyn is hosted by
Charles Star (Onion News Network, Stay Free! Daily blog).
Tonight's fine lineup includes
Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Shorties Watchin' Shorties),
Shane Mauss (Late Night with Conan O'Brien [2 appearances]; won Best Stand-Up Comic award
at 2007 HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen; for stand-up videos, please click here and here);
Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1),
Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend;
for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here),
Raquel D'Apice (writes blog titled The Ugly Volvo; for touching video
about lesbians who met in Eastern Europe, please click here), and
Andrew Wright (Still Born in the USA).
8:00 pm at Brooklyn Height's Magnetic Field, 97 Atlantic Avenue (between Hicks & Henry); free
Llama Toe with Bobby and Friends
Hosted by comedy great Bobby Tisdale.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're usually stellar;
and this is the last edition of the show that'll be free.
(In 2008, it'll become a paid show running on the last Thursday of every month.)
8:15ish pm at Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow Street (between Rivington & Stanton); tickets are $5
A.D. Miles and Reggie Watts...
...and Seth Herzog and Pete Holmes
Hosted by the sharp & witty Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Tonight's stellar guests include
Pete Holmes (brilliant, lightning-fast stand-up; VH1's Best Week Ever,
Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Motherload; writer for CollegeHumor.com;
cartoonist for mags ranging from The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl;
host of UCBT's monthly open mic stand-up show Gutbucket),
Reggie Watts (winner of 3rd Annual Andy Kaufman Award; scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician who will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com),
AD Miles (Human Giant, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dog Bites Man,
Reno 911, TV Funhouse, legendary comedy troupe Stella), and
Chris Hardwick (host of MTV's Singled Out and the cult reality show Shipmates;
musical comedy show & blog Hard 'N Phirm).
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
Three couples, three situations, six degrees of separation—all improvised.
Starring Megan Gray, Mark Grenier, Corey Grimes,
Louis Kornfeld, Leanne Linsky, and Charles Whitcroft.
9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 12/19/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC comedy include
a fascinating free view of a sketch troupe constructing material via entertaining anecdotes
and improv, featuring superb talents such as Elna Baker and Pat Shay, at Red (6:00 pm),
a holiday fundraiser to help repair the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, with comedy superstars
David Cross, Janeane Garofalo, John Oliver, and Dave Hill at the South Toward Home Benefit (7:30 pm),
a showcase for both established comedy stars and promising talent, tonight including superb stand-ups
Tom Shillue, Chelsea Peretti, and Rob Cantrell, and the hilarious God's Pottery, at CBS/NYC Presents (8:00 pm),
Eugene Mirman's & Bobby Tisdale's usually superb stand-up showcase Invite Them Up (9:00 pm),
the great Horatio Sanz (SNL) pretending to host a talk show in The Mervin Douglas Show (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
Pat Shay and Elna Baker
Comedy troupe Red tells stories off the top of their heads, then improvises scenes
based on the tales; and also perform sketches from material they improvised the previous week.
It's a clever way of crafting a sketch show organically, week by week—and you can watch the whole process, at no charge. The group consists of Kevin Allison, Elna Baker, Chris Caniglia, Scott Eckert, Sarah Lowe, Sarah Nowak, Pat Shay, Nate Starkey, Shelly Stover, and Kevin Townley.
6:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Janeane Garofalo and David Cross...
...and Dave Hill and John Oliver
South Toward Home Comedy Benefit Blow-Out
The nonprofit organization South Toward Home, which is a charity designed to repair and rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, hosts this show featuring some of the finest comedy talent in the county. The awesome lineup includes:
David Cross
Janeane Garofalo
John Oliver
Dave Hill
In a word: Wow.
Tickets are $45 (plus an $8.90 service charge if you buy online).
Doors open at 6:30 pm, show begins at 7:30 pm.
Blender Theater at Gramercy, 127 East 23rd Street (between Lexington and Park Avenue South)
Tom Shillue, Chelsea Peretti, Rob Cantrell, and God's Pottery
Tonight's showcase for both established stars and upcoming talent includes
Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with
Jon Stewart, storytelling podcasts; for stand-up samples, please click here and here),
Chelsea Peretti (exceptionally fresh, smart stand-up comic; member of great
comedy troupe Variety Shac; writer for Village Voice, Details, Playgirl, Jest,
blackpeopleloveus.com, and Rejection Line: 212/479-7990),
Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1),
God's Pottery (Wilson Hall & Krister Johnson's delightful parody of a Christian folk singing duo),
Jordan Carlos (Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, Live at Gotham, and Stella; VH1, E!, Spike TV;
for stand-up video about telling President Clinton a brainteaser, please click here), and
Julian McCullough (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; Montreal Comedy Festival's New Faces).
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Jon Friedman, Jenny Rubin & Matt McCarthy, and Sara Benincasa
Stand-up comedy hosted by the very funny Jenny Rubin and Matt McCarthy.
Tonight's stand-up guests are
Jon Friedman (host of the superb NYC monthly live comedy extravaganza The Rejection Show
and author of the upcoming book Rejected: Tales of the Failed, Dumped, and Canceled),
Sara Benincasa (host of the NYC weekly live comedy show Family Hour with Auntie Sara;
for hilarious video sample, please click here),
Jamie Lee (VH1's Best Night Ever), and Matt Little (loves unicorns).
To get a feel for the show overall, please click here.
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Note: This show ended up canceled as a result of a private event held at Comix.
Ready to tackle your holiday anxieties are Paul Downs, Alan Fessenden, Elana Fishbein, Marcy Jarreau, Leslie Korein, Louis Kornfeld, and Peter McNerney, who improvise a show based on "an audience member's confession."
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Hosted by comedy greats Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale (above).
The lineup—which is usually stellar—tends to be posted late afternoon
on the day of the show. To check whether the Web page
has been updated yet, please click here.
9:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Horatio Sanz
The brilliantly funny Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live, founding member
of the Upright Citizens Brigade) hosts a pseudo talk show.
Hilarity is sure to ensue.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Kurt Braunohler, Pat Shay, and Kimmy Gatewood
Some of the PIT's instructors—who include such talents as Ali Farahnakian,
Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Matt Donnelly, Kevin Scott,
Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood—perform improv for around 30 minutes.
Afterwards, house improv troupe Sid Viscous takes the stage.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Host Justin Purnell provides a mix of guests who perform stand-up, improv, music,
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.
Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,
that this free show makes possible.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 12/20/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC comedy include
stellar comics & actors—special guest Jason Sudeikis of Saturday Night Live,
plus brilliant improvisors Michael Delaney, Becky Drysdale, Peter Gwinn, Anthony King,
and many more—crashing improv into classic theatre scenes at Gravid Water (8:00 pm),
a variety show featuring sparkling sketch performers The Apple Sisters, The Harvard Sailing Team,
and Kurt Braunohler at The 34th Annual J Hobart B All-Star Christmas Spectacular (8:00 pm),
superb storytellers, including Margot Leitman (co-host of the red-hot NYC show Stripped Stories)
and Martin Dockery (five-time Moth GrandSLAM finalist) in Brooklyn at SpeakEasy (8:30 pm),
the great Horatio Sanz (SNL) pretending to host a talk show in The Mervin Douglas Show (9:30 pm),
and the return of Derrick, this year's champion competitive improv troupe, at Cage Match (11:00 pm).
Comedic actress & improvisor Aubrey Plaza presents a sketch show.
To get a feel for this young performer, check her out playing Liz Cackowski's daughter
on the hilarious YouTube series The Jeannie Tate Show (in an episode co-starring
SNL's Bill Hader) by clicking here; and to see her as a sex-crazed teen in
a parody of MTV's insipid dating show Next!, please click here.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Anthony King, Michael Delaney, and Jason Sudeikis
Classic theatre scenes performed by professional actors who stay on book—
and an improv comic who hasn't read the play and has to make up lines on the fly.
Starring genius improvisers: Michael Delaney (The Stepfathers, The Swarm), Becky Drysdale (One Woman in Several Pieces, HBO.com's upcoming Time Traveling Lesbian), Peter Gwinn (The Colbert Report), Anthony King (UCBT Artistic Director, Shut Up! I Hate You!, Reuben Williams), and Jason Sudeikis (cast member of Saturday Night Live).
And also starring some of NYC's top actors: Todd Buonopane (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Marcy Girt (Comedy Central's Honesty), Sandy Rustin (Neil Simon's Hotel Suite), and Amy Rutberg (Our Leading Lady).
Gravid Water is directed, hosted, and co-stars Stephen Ruddy...
and is one of the finest comedy productions in New York.
If you want to introduce an actor friend to the world of improv, start with this show.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Sarah Lowe, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood: The Apple Sisters; Kurt Braunohler; and The Harvard Sailing Team
The 34th Annual J Hobart B All-Star Christmas Spectacular
A holiday variety show with some of the best comedic musical and sketch performers
in NYC: The Apple Sisters, The Harvard Sailing Team, and Kurt Braunohler.
Also on the lineup are Dolores Dolorez, Ladystein, Phil Wells, and a new film by Kevin Scott.
Hosted by members of improv troupe Sid Viscous.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
SpeakEasy: Stories from the Back Room
There is little as satisfying as a well-told funny story...
that is, unless you can have an entire evening packed with them.
Sherry Weaver hosts this lovely show, which she says she created because
"she couldn't convince people to climb into bed with her at night and tell her stories."
Tonight's production is in Brooklyn; and the yarn-spinners are Margot Leitman,
Martin Dockery, Nicole Beckwith, Steve Zimmer, Suzanne Guilette, and Gautum.
For performer bios, please click here.
8:30 pm at Biscuit BBQ, 230 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope (at President Street);
$10 ticket plus one item (food or drink) minimum
Horatio Sanz
The brilliantly funny Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live, founding member
of the Upright Citizens Brigade) hosts a pseudo talk show.
Frankly, the segments involving guests talking are a bit obvious and overlong.
Horatio excels at setting up a simple idea and then milking it through subtle variations,
but here he's asking other comics to pull that off while he plays straight man;
and while they're talented, they ain't Horatio Sanz, so really need stronger material.
Along similar lines, while it's fun to see Horatio stretching himself with a controlled performance
as a relatively normal talk show host, it's not an optimal use of his explosive comedic talent.
However, the musical segments shine. Highlights include Johnny Conroy singing and dancing
in an elf outfit, with Horatio as Santa (aided by a fine band, which performs throughout the show);
a superb young singer named Sarah (whose full name and Web page I'll happily include here
if someone emails me the info); and Horatio as Aaron Neville in an extended number
that's by itself worth the price of admission.
Bottom line: Seeing Horatio Sanz on stage for over an hour is a rare treat.
If you're okay with some bumps along the way, grab this opportunity
to experience a unique and memorable comedic genius.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
vs. 
Cage Match: Derrick vs. Sherpa
This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating the
the atmosphere of a professional wrestling arena (and providing such side-shows
as a bout to the death between guys costumed as an alcoholic wolf and TV's Alf...).
Tonight features the return of Derrick, which has been an unbeatable champion this year with 10 Cage Match wins, zero losses, and the breaking of several all-time records.
The sharp and enormously appealing members of Derrick—DC Pierson, Dominic Dierkes, and Donald Glover—have proved to be stars both on stage and via their wildly popular YouTube videos (for samples of the latter, please click here and here and here).
Pitted against the titanic trio will be improv group Sherpa, consisting of Beth Cartier, Mike Cavanaugh, Damian Chadwick, Hal Phillips, Craig Rowin, Joe Spellman, and Paul Welsh. (An interesting sidenote is that performing in UCBT's 7:00 pm spot tonight is former Sherpa member Aubrey Plaza.) For a video that describes Sherpa's origin and goals, please click here.
Will Derrick win? Probably. But it'll be fun to see the inventive ways they dream up to do it.
Besides, you can never be sure what'll happen at Cage Match...which is one of the great pleasures of this extravaganza.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 12/21/07
Tonight is a great one for live comedy, featuring several holiday blow-outs.
Recommendations for the best in NYC laughs include
Holidoozy Christmess Special, a lively musical comedy with singing, dancing, and sexual innuendo
from one of the most charming & entertaining groups in NYC, The Apple Sisters (7:00 pm),
a holiday blow-out from host Sara Benincasa, featuring Catie Lazarus (The Daily Show),
Sean Lynch (Celebrity Death Match), Francesco Marciuliano (Sally Forth, Emmy Award winner),
Oren Brimer (SuperDeluxe.com), and more at Family Hour (7:00 pm),
an even bigger holiday blow-out from Eliza Skinner & Carolyn Castiglia, featuring
some of the most hilarious comedic singer/songwriters in the country—Adira Amram, Jessica Delfino,
and Shayna Ferm—plus a slew of other sketch and stand-up talent including Mike Still
(A Week of Kindness), Rob Lathan (Get Psyched!), and Katina Corrao (HBO) at Holiday Dazzles (8:00 pm),
a promised holiday blow-out of star stand-up comics at Greg Johnson's & Larry Murphy's Power Hour (8:30 pm),
and some of the finest improv comedy in NYC from The Stepfathers (9:30 pm) and Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm).
Photo on left: Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood, and Sarah Lowe
Photo on right: Sarah Lowe, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood
The Apple Sisters: Holidoozy Christmess Special
The lovely Kimmy Gatewood, who is an exceptionally talented writer, director, and comedic performer, demonstrates that she's also great at singing and dancing—partnered beautifully with Sarah Lowe and Rebekka Johnson, and Tom Thomsen on keyboard—in this homage to 1940s girl groups like The Andrew Sisters. From the official description: "The Apple Sisters are Candy, Cora, and Seedy. Their mother, Ms. Reddy Apple, was a vaudeville star and she passed down the legacy to her three girls! The trio present their live show, broadcast on WXYZ AM Radio, straight to the troops in Germany, and present the show on stage at the Peoples Improv Theater in their first and favorite home, the Big Apple! Be a chum and always use Doramad Toothpaste, now with Thorium!"
In October, the Apples celebrated Halloween getting pursued by a serial killer, learning the joys of gal-on-gal wrestling, and (unforgettably) spitting massive amounts of corn in each other's faces. In November, they paid homage to Thanksgiving by drinking hideous-looking gravy and proclaiming it dee-licious, having Kimmy dress as a turkey and perform a hot strip-tease, and teaching a wheelchair-bound President Roosevelt how to dance. And this month the sisters do a show about the joys of Christmas—and considering the possibilities, the mind boggles...
To get a feel for the production, please click here & here & here & here.
And for the amazing Ms. Gatewood's latest video—her profile on the
revolutionary matchmaking service Ché-Date—please click here.
The show consistently sells out, so it's recommended you buy an advance ticket
online ($9.19, including service charge) by clicking here.
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street; tickets are $8 at the door
Happy children with "Aunt" Sara Benincasa...
...and guests Catie Lazarus, cartoonist Francesco Marciuliano, and Michelle Buteau
Hosted by comic/actress Sara Benincasa (for hilarious video sample,
please click here). Tonight's stand-up comic guests are
Catie Lazarus (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, AMC, FOX News; former editor
of Heeb Magazine; written for Time Out New York, New York Post, Gawker.com;
host of live comedy shows Fresh Meat and Stand for Peace;
for video on STDs & men talking more than women, please click here);
Sean Lynch (writer/performer for MTV's hilarious Celebrity Death Match; co-creator of and writer for MTV's Parental Control; also writes for VH1, Comedy Central, Showtime, etc.),
Oren Brimer (writer/director/producer of short funny films for SuperDeluxe.com
and YouTube.com; for numerous samples, please click here);
Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend;
for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here),
Diana Saez (DC Comedy Festival; XM Radio; created/produced Washington DCs
first all-female comedy showcase; for stand-up videos, please click here and here),
Francesco Marciuliano (writer of nationally syndicated comic strip Sally Forth,
and of Web comics Medium Large and Teenage Girl President; winner of two 2007 daytime
Emmy awards for an episode he scripted of the children's series Seemore's Playhouse), and
Pat Stango (sketch troupe Don't Touch Me There).
7:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Brilliantly funny singer/songwriters Adira Amram, Shayna Ferm, and Jessica Delfino...
...and Rob Lathan, Katina Corrao, and Mike Still...
...and stellar holiday hosts Eliza Skinner & Carolyn Castiglia
A dazzling holiday show blow-out, including many of NYC's most awesomely talented
funny musicians...who are among my all-time favorite comics.
The hosts are Eliza Skinner (member of the genius improv musical groups I Eat Pandas and
Baby Wants Candy; drummer and singer in the band Stickerbook; MTV's Damage Control) and
Carolyn Castiglia (terrific host of NYC weekly stand-up comedy show Chicks & Giggles.
And their scheduled guests include:
Adira Amram (brilliantly funny and sexy writer/singer; Jane Magazine Editors Choice;
co-star of UCBT's Get Psyched!; for sample songs & videos, please click here),
Shayna Ferm (also brilliantly funny and sexy writer/singer; member of world-class
sketch troupe Fearsome; lead of band Shayna and the Upper Decks;
first album to be released in January—stay tuned to this site for details;
for samples of Shay's witty songs, please click here ),
Jessica Delfino (also brilliantly funny and sexy writer/singer; enjoys singing songs
about her vagina, as demonstrated by her acclaimed CD Dirty Folk Rock;
created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous;
toured the country with the wonderful Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players;
was a big hit at the Edinburgh Festival this summer; has a cool MySpace page, and
an even cooler blog; to get a feel for Jessica's amazing range and talent, please click here);
Mike Still (hilarious member of three-man ace sketch troupe A Week of Kindness and of UCBT improv team Twelve Thousand Dollars; for videos on tiny folk The Thumblettes and a gripping science fiction saga, please click here and here; "When Oprah gives me opportunities, I call them Oprah-tunities. And life is the greatest Oprah-tunity of all."),
Katina Corrao (HBO's Daddy, Comedy Central; for video samples, please click here and here),
and Rob Lathan (plays comedic characters such as Lanny Lathan and "Quick Lips" Lathan,
stars with Adira Amram in the UCBT show Get Psyched!; for Rob's reel, please click here).
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Post-Show Note: Carolyn Castiglia couldn't end up co-hosting;
but Eliza Skinner was beautifully assisted by her I Eat Pandas partner
Glennis McMurray (the duo improvised a musical about a blind girl
who miraculously regains her sight...though she now
shoots lasers from her eyes), as well as the wonderful
Becky Drysdale and human beatbox Shockwave.
Also, Shayna Ferm and Rob Lathan couldn't attend; but
Mindy Raf and Matt McCarthy hilariously filled in as
a militant feminist and very gruff Santa.
It was a spectacular show, filled with music, inventive wit,
and NYC-style holiday magic.
Larry Murphy & Greg Johnson
Hosted by Greg Johnson (sharp, quick-witted stand-up comic)
and Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor who performs all the
key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other TV series include
Home Movies, O'Grady, Cheapseats, Computer Lab, Puppets N Such;
for an animated VO reel, please click here).
Tonight's lineup hasn't been announced yet, but it's usually stellar;
and will probably be even more so for this holiday show.
To check for a last-minute update, please click here.
8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Bobby Moynihan, Zach Woods, Christina Gausas, Michael Delaney, and Chris Gethard
Some of the smartest & finest improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney, Christina Gausas,
Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols,
and Zach Woods—make up a series of scenes from a one-word audience suggestion.
With art and grace, these star talents will make you laugh—a lot.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Death by Roo Roo: Your F*cked Up Family
Arguably the gutsiest improv troupe in NYC, the brilliant comics of Death by Roo Roo—Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn—interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story via improvised scenes. Sometimes scary, and usually hilarious.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Springboarding from a word suggested by the audience, improvisors
George Basil, Frank Campanella, Christian Capozzoli, and Matt Evans
create group scenes that send four characters down different paths...
but end up making the characters collide into each other.
11:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The ultimate in audience participation: any group can submit a sketch and perform it!
If all you want is to be entertained, this show probably isn't a good choice.
But if you'd like to act on the UCBT stage, and/or have your sketch writing judged by an exceptionally savvy audience, this is a golden opportunity.
Sign-up begins at 10:30 pm and runs till 11:45 pm; sketches will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's wise to arrive early. For a complete list of the rules, please click here.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 12/22/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
star-packed improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,
and The Daily show who joyously declare Let's Have a Ball (9:00 pm),
a holiday show from the inventive and hilarious sketch troupe Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),
an improvised office Xmas party from the superb Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),
and improvisation from the razor-sharp comics of Hot Sauce (Midnight).
Lottery-style open mic for comics doing stand-up, sketch, improv, etc.,
with 4 minutes per performer...in return for a $5 contribution to the weekly prize kitty.
In addition, Ochi's 1-item food or drink minimum applies to everyone.
If you simply want to laugh, this might not be the best way to kick off your evening.
But if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.
To be entered into the weekly random drawing for the show's performers,
please email host John Morrison (above) at ochismotel[at]gmail.com.
6:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Magnet instructors & Second City veterans such as Rachel Hamilton, Ed Herbstman, Abby Sher, and Miriam Tolan, plus stars of Mother: The Soundtrack Jason Mantzoukas, Tara Copeland, James Eason, Christine Walters, plus occasional special guests (such as superstar Mike Meyers), turn a tiny suggestion into larger-than-life improvised scenes.
7:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Jen & Angie and Hines & DeCoster: 7 Fights
The official description for Jen & Angie:
"A jet crashes on a remote island in the Pacific.
Only 2½ celebrities survive.
Angelina Jolie. Jennifer Aniston. And Brad Pitt...sort of.
It's a ferocious battle for survival as our protagonists
face hunger, the elements, and the truth about themselves.
Who will make it off the island?
A story not even In Touch could fabricate."
Written by Laura Buchholz and Christina Casa (with thanks to Matthew Stillman).
Starring Christina Casa and Sara Chase.
Directed by Susanah Becket.
The other half of this double-bill is 7 Fights,
a hilarious sketch show written and performed by
Will Hines & Matt DeCoster, formerly of acclaimed improv group
Monkeydick (plus Will periodically burns up the stage sibling Kevin
as The Brothers Hines at UCBT's Cage Match).
The show includes such scenes of contention as a political debate
in which a guy with a bloody harpoon through him
blithely denies he's been impaled. In a word, fun.
7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.
Tonight's scheduled participants are Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim's brilliant & Emmy-winning Moral Orel), Kay Cannon (writer for 30 Rock), Becky Drysdale (One Woman in Several Pieces, HBO.com's upcoming Time Traveling Lesbian), Christina Gausas (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Stepfathers, Dorff & Gausas), Peter Gwinn (writer for The Colbert Report), Anthony King (UCBT-NY Artistic Director, Reuben Williams, Gutenberg! The Musical), Laura Krafft (writer for The Colbert Report), Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006), and Rob Riggle (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; Saturday Night Live, The Office).
9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
The Harvard Sailing Team: Holiday Show!
The Harvard Sailing Team (which was superb in SketchFest NYC 07)
performs their special brand of fresh, imaginative sketch comedy
that turns familiar rituals on their head. (For a video about awkward goodbyes
at the end of a party, please click here.) The very talented troupe consists of
Rebecca Brey, Jen Curran, Clayton Early, Faryn Einhorn, Katie Larson,
Adam Lustick, Chris Smith, Billy Scafuri, and Sara Taylor.
Tonight is billed as their Holiday Show...so, with luck, it'll be extra special.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Reuben Williams: Your Office Christmas Party
Anthony King demonstrates that in addition to running UCBT-NY brilliantly, he's a superb improvisor and actor. Joining him are stellar talents Eugene Cordero, Lennon Parham, Charlie Sanders, Eric Scott, Kate Spencer, Charlie Todd, and Joe Wengert. Tonight, in the spirit of the holidays, they simulate an office Christmas party.
10:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Sharp-witted & lightning-quick sketch/improv group Hot Sauce
is Gil Ozeri, Adam Pally and Ben Schwartz;
for some video samples of their work, please click here and here.
These 2006 Cage Match champions are tossing away their sketch scripts tonight
and devoting their show to long form improvisation.
And they're really, really good at it.
Expect fun.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 12/23/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy are slim pickings;
almost all the usual suspects are closed for the holidays.
But there are some fine shows tailored for the victims of Christmas:
Jews, and gays with knucklehead families.
Gabe and Jenny
A few days before Christmas, Jews gather to tell their own tales—
with each yarn-spinner allotted seven minutes.
Hosted by the adorable and foul-mouthed Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate
(hosts of the NYC live comedy show At Night with Gabe & Jenny).
Expect the unexpected; and to be entertained by this sly, funny pair.
For a hilarious video starring the very sexy Jenny, please click here.
The scheduled storytellers are
Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report),
Jon Kesselman (The Hebrew Hammer) and "a very special guest,"
Jenna Friedman (The Refugee Girls Revue),
David J. Rosen (I Just Want My Pants Back),
Samm Levine (Freaks & Geeks),
Esther Ku (Carolines), and Josh Swiller (The Unheard).
7:00 pm at Joe's Pub/The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street (between East 4th & Astor Place);
tickets are $15
Good for the Jews: Putting The Ha! In Hanukkah
Comedy from some of the funniest Jews in NYC—
specifically, two of the finest stand-up comics in the country:
Todd Barry (wryly brilliant; Late Show with David Letterman,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents;
HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Lucky Louie;
Comedy Central's Freak Show, Dr. Katz, and Shorties Watching Shorties;
Adult Swim's Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Tom Goes To The Mayor), and
Dave Attell (named among 25 Funniest People in America by Entertainment Weekly;
host of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell for four seasons;
Comedy Central Presents special; appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Howard Stern Show, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; FOX's Arrested Development, NBC's Ed); plus
Rachel Feinstein (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Samurai Love God, VH1, Court TV, Sirius Satellite Radio, Montreal Comedy Festival), and
The LeeVees (Adam Gardner and Dave Schneider, a musical duo who've created & sing
a slew of new rockin Hanukkah songs; for a music video sample, please click here).
8:00 pm at Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues);
$21.59 cover with service charge online, $20 cover at the door; plus $10 food/drink minimum
The Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Adam Sank (former TV news producer for FOX and WABC-TV; written
for The New York Times, Esquire Magazine, and The San Francisco Sentinel)
hosts this free gay-themed stand-up comedy show.
Tonight's scheduled guests are
Maureen Langan, Daniel Siegel, Yonah Ward Grossman, and Vicky Kuperman.
To get a feel for the show, please click here.
10:00 pm at Therapy, 348 West 52nd Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues); free
Alternatively, consider seeing a funny and/or musical
Broadway, off-Broadway, or off-off-Broadway show.
To learn how theatre tickets can be purchased for around 50% off—
or, in some cases, for as little as $3 each—
please read Hy on Theatre Discounts.
Return to Previous NYC Comedy Picks
Copyright © 2007 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
