NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/27/10
SNL's Jason Sudeikis, Broadway's Sandy Rustin...
...and beloved genius improvisors Thomas Middleditch and Anthony
KIng
are
among the powerhouse talent at tonight's Gravid
Water
Ack! If it's not one thing...
Both the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and The Pit announced that they'll be CLOSED tonight! Because of the blizzard and the resulting problems with public transportation, everyone decided it's safest to simply go dark one more night. That means all shows have been CANCELLED. (So please ignore everything below...) However, both theatres plan to resume their normal programming starting tomorrow. If anything else changes, it'll be reported here ASAP.
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight [IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE]
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Saturday Night Live star Jason Sudeikis, and Broadway & off-Broadway stars Maria Dizzia (Tony nominee for In The Next Room), Sandy Rustin (Neil Simon's Hotel Suite), Kevin Kelly (The Brother/Sister Plays), David Kenner (Old Wicked Songs), Carla Briscoe (Mikveh), and Liz Wisan (Other Desert Cities), mixing it up with some of the best improvisors in the world—Michael Delaney (Conan O'Brien, The Other Guys), Becky Drysdale (Baby Wants Candy), Anthony King (beloved comedy genius and happy new dad), and Thomas Middleditch (Improvised Shakespeare Company, which will be gracing NYC with another run in early January)—as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water
8:00 pm ($5): A sketch show about New Jersey that asks you to "Take a ride on the Garden State Parkway with us as we go on a Great Adventure to see what makes the third state so special! We'll go from the grease trucks to Menlo Park, to diners, troopers and Weird New Jersey after dark. Some of our finest historical figures, actors, and musicians will be stopping by as well, so come on out" and give yourself over to a Garden State of Mind
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Pamela Murphy proves herself to be a star in this not-to-be-missed autobiographical show that's the best-scripted one-act to grace UCBT this year, performed with wit, grace, and pitch-perfect comedic timing (for video samples of Murphy's work, please click here); plus a show I haven't seen but have heard good things about, in the double-bill Pamela Murphy: The C Word and The Paul Downs Syndrome
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent on The Daily Show) and Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; Comedy Central special; Jimmy Fallon; Electric Company; Conan O'Brien's Legally Prohibited tour; for video samples, please click here)—guest-hosted by the wonderful Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show) 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 stand-up open mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and Erin Lennox: Fresh
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/28/10
I know, I know; but there are warm, dry, funny shows tonight, including...
...superstar stand-up Dave Attell (headlining at Carolines) and phenom improvisor Eliza Skinner (Skinner Alive!)
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 ($5): Muscial improv genius Eliza Skinner (who's won the ECNY Award for Best Improv twice, has won multiple FringeNYC awards, and is a star member of Baby Wants Candy) will make up songs on the spot along with "special guests" and invaluable improv pianist Frank Spitznagel in Skinner Alive!
7:00 pm ($5): Over a dozen female improvisors—including this year's surprise hit Doppelganger—making up scenes at Girls Gone Funny
7:00 pm ($5): Jenny Dunne and Rick Andrews improvise a single moment in two characters' lives again and again, exploring three parallel realities, and the difference that a look or tone can make; and Willy Appelman, Tom Costello, Ben Furnas, David Ross, and Ross Taylor make stuff up, in the double-bill The Cascade and Thunderbirds 4Life
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($42 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up comedy superstar headlining through Thursday at Carolines: Dave Attell
8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Sandino, Badman, Robber Baron, DeCoster, and Monstro; and at 11:00 pm, a gala end-of-the-year improv jam open to everyone and hosted by Badman—all at Harold Night
8:00 pm ($5): Rob Paravonian (guitar-playing stand-up; for his wonderful YouTube hit, please click here), sketch troupe The Fools, and musical guests Mike Doughty (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien; formerly of band Soul Coughing; solo album Sad Man Happy Man), Eden & John's East River String Band (old-time country-folk blues), and CatCatCat (alt rock) performing in the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends
8:00 pm ($10): The worlds of "magic, mind-reading, and mutilation" are explored by Matthew Holtzclaw and Prakash Puru in Strange Things
8:15 pm ($5—with FREE PIZZA!): Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host with Kristen Schaal of Hot Tub Variety), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films, The Other Guys, comedy CD Come Clean), and contortionist Amazing Amy performing at the Magnet Theatre for Adam Lerman's and Willy Appleman's variety show Deep Traffic
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host with Kristen Schaal of Hot Tub Variety), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1), and weather-condition-dependent surprises performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
9:30 pm ($10): The PIT house comics tell tales about "Hating the Holidays" at the comedic storytelling show Campfire Stories
[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 12/29/10
Chris Gethard (Totally J/K and The Nights of Our Lives) and Ted Alexandro (John and Molly Get Along)
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] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Molly Knefel (newest member of superb theatrical improv troupe Naked in a Fishbowl) and her brother John Knefel (veteran stand-up) host this monthly comedy show, with tonight's guests Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials), Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), Jamie Kilstein (Huffington Post; co-host of Citizen Radio), Giulia Rozzi (VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here) performing stand-up at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, off Thompson Street): John and Molly Get Along
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake; Magic Box of Stories, The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of book Weird New York), musical group The Spring Standards, and more join best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($42 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up comedy superstar headlining through Thursday at Carolines: Dave Attell
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 Sagar Bhatt, Sean O'Connor, Ilana Glazer, Gabe Pacheco and Luke Cunningham performing at Brooklyn's Hank's Rootin' Tootin' Saloon (46 Third Avenue at Atlantic): Dive Comedy
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Vicki Ferentinos, Rob Gorden, Sue Funke, Colin Dempsey, Michael Fisher, and Nate Min performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Chris Gethard, Anthony Atamanuik, Jon Gabrus, Brian Finklestein, and wonderful host David Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight's theme Year in Review at The Nights of Our Lives
[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 12/30/10
Sandra Bernhard (performing at Joe's Pub) and Dave Attell (headlining at Carolines)...
...and two of the most brilliant rising stars in the biz, Gavin Speiller (Cage Match) and Pamela Murphy (The C Word)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
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[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Paul Welsh debuts a one-man show about which comedy giant Shannon O'Neil says "Paul made my job easy and asked me to direct gold covered in crazy. You are going to want to see this show!"; plus Jordan Klepper and Laura Grey debut a sketch show, in the double-bill Men in Paintings: A Day in the Crisp Family Hall of Portraits and Klepper and Grey: Baggage
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm ($50 cover, plus $12 min. if you sit at a table): A comic who's been a movie star, a singer, and lived a roller coaster career, but remains a performer unlike anyone else, doing a new show with her band at Joe's Pub through New Year's Eve: Sandra Bernhard
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Pamela Murphy proves herself to be a star in this not-to-be-missed autobiographical show that's the best-scripted one-act to grace UCBT this year, performed with wit, grace, and pitch-perfect comedic timing (for video samples of Murphy's work, please click here); plus Michael Hartney performs a one-man show that (as a highly informed and engaged Superman fan) I found way too mild and superficial, but maybe I'll give it a second look tonight, in the double-bill Pamela Murphy: The C Word and So I Like Superman
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sketch troupe The Upset Triangle—which includes Dan McNamara, animator of the wonderful The Bear, The Cloud, and God series—celebrates its 10th Year Anniversary with guests Free Love Forum (ace musical improvisors), stand-up Adam Newman (College Humor), Daft Punk, Teddy Roosevelt, and Kurt Braunohler, all at The Upset Triangle
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($42 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up comedy superstar headlining for one last night at Carolines: Dave Attell
[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
9:30 pm ($5): UCBT comics, including the delightfully snarky Shannon O'Neill and quick-witted sarcastic sketch troupe Sidecar, look back at what was awful in 2010 at The It Sucked! Awards
9:30 pm ($5): Desiree Nash wrote and co-stars in a sketch show revolving around the comedic travails of dating: Check Please!
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Gavin Speiller, who has one of the most brilliant minds to ever grace the improv world, battles himself tonight as his world-class improv troupe Death by Roo Roo competes against his original stellar improv troupe Rogue Elephant for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 12/31/10
The recommendations for the best in New York City comedy on New Year's Eve are:
[TOP PICK] [$] 5:00 pm ($20, which includes 1 glass of champaign; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true...but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening's yarn-spinners are Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller and host of The Liar Show TV pilot; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Leslie Goshko (Manhattan Monologue Slam Champion, host of Sideshow Goshko), Peter Aguero (Conan O'Brien), and Colin Dempsey (ComedyLand). Come to the West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion) attempt to mislead you at this special year-end edition of The Liar Show
And, if money is no object:
New Year's Eve with Amy Schumer & Joe DeRosa
Amy Schumer (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Fallon, huge recent national TV ads) and Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction) help you ring in the New Year via an early show at 7:30 pm ($85, including open bar) or the real deal at 9:30 pm ($110, including open bar). To purchase tickets, please click here.
7:30 pm ($85, includes open bar) & 9:30 pm ($110, includes open bar) at Comix,
353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
New Year's Eve with Sandra Bernhard
A comic who's been a movie star and singer, and has experienced a roller coaster career but remains a performer unlike any other, doing a new show with her band at Joe's Pub at 9:00 pm ($100) and 11:00 pm ($150). For details and/or to order tickets, please click here.
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/1/11
The recommendations for the best in New York City comedy on New Year's Day are
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm ($50 cover, plus $12 min. if you sit at a table): A comic who's been a movie star, a singer, and lived a roller coaster career, but remains a performer unlike anyone else, doing a new show with her band at Joe's Pub: Sandra Bernhard
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle's Show headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/2/11
Mike Birbiglia performs all-new material at Brooklyn's Union Hall, and Faye Lane expands her fan base for Beauty Shop Stories
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] [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] 8:00 pm ($20 at the door): Mike Birbiglia (flat-out one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing; two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien; comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live; off-Broadway show Sleepwalk with Me) is honing his newest material—which means you can see him perform for just $20. Tonight's show has sold out of advance tickets, but there might be some available at the door at Brooklyn's Union Hall; Mike Birbiglia: An Evening of New Stories
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Eric Andre (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, TBS' Lopez Report, Comedy Central), Barry Rothbart (LA's Comedy Death Ray), Brendan McLaughlin, Jon Savoy, and Michael Grinspan performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Peter Kassnove, Brad Steuernagel, Dave Rosinsky, and Nick Vatterott performing 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 performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Copyright © 2011 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
