NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/3/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
an on-strike live edition of Comedy Central's beloved pseudo-news show The Colbert Report (6:30 pm),
another strike-based show, with stellar comedy writers from The Daily Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Late Show with David Letterman, and SNL; sponsored by Time Out New York, it's Strike Night! (7:30 pm),
hilarious stand-ups including AD Miles and Chelsea Peretti at The Gabe & Jenny Show (8:15ish pm),
and what's typically one of the most hilarious stand-up comedy shows in NYC—
but just happens to be free—Cavalcade! (11:00 pm).
The Colbert Report: On Strike!
The TV version of Comedy Central's acclaimed The Colbert Report
is on hold right now because of the Writers Guild strike.
The cast and writers have therefore decided to perform
their show live tonight at UCBT!
Advance reservations rapidly sold out; but if you're willing to wait
on a standby line, you can probably get in regardless
(though you may need to watch from the "standing room only' section).
6:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $20
Andy Secunda, John Oliver, and John Mulaney...
...and Maggie Carey and Liz Cackowski
Time Out New York's Strike Night!
Since the Writers Guild strike is keeping comedy writers from getting their material
on the air, Time Out New York had the lovely idea of hosting an event that
allows some of the best TV writer/performers in NYC to perform their stuff on stage.
Tonight's scheduled guests are
John Oliver (brilliant stand-up comic, wonderful news correspondent for
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, co-writer/star of The Department for BBC Radio 4),
Andy Secunda (writer/performer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, member of
genius improv group The Swarm, creator/writer of UPN sitcom Love, Inc.),
John Mulaney (razor-sharp stand-up who's a hit on Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
VH1's Best Week Ever; for video samples, please click here and here),
Liz Cackowski (writer for Saturday Night Live, MTV Music Video Awards,
and writer/star of the delightful YouTube video series The Jeannie Tate Show),
Maggie Carey (freelance writer for Late Show with David Letterman, co-director
of Ladyporn, writer/director of acclaimed YouTube hit The Jeannie Tate Show),
and Joe Grossman (writer for Late Show with David Letterman).
To buy tickets online ($8 plus $3 service charge), please click here.
7:30 pm at Crash Mansion, 199 Bowery (at Spring Street); tickets are $8
Sketch comedy from Karl Greenberg and friends covering such topics as "a burger chain that flash cooks its burgers with nuclear weapons; a TV exec battling stiff competition from The Meat Channel; a car dealer in Tallahassee who faces mutiny from his own swimming pool; and a hospital patient who will die if he doesn't watch TV."
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
AD Miles, Gabe & Jenny, and Chelsea Peretti
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.
Tonight's terrific stand-up comic guests include
AD Miles (Human Giant, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dog Bites Man,
Reno 911, TV Funhouse, legendary comedy troupe Stella);
Chelsea Peretti (member of superb comedy troupe Variety Shac; writer for Village Voice,
Details, Playgirl, Jest, blackpeopleloveus.com, and Rejection Line: 212/479-7990),
Sean O'Connor (co-host of the weekly show Smiletime with Sean and Shawn;
VH1; New York Post's Top 20 Entertainers to Watch For in 2006; upcoming album
Shmeat is Shmurder; for stand-up samples, please click here and here),
and Adam Cole-Kelly ("If your friend ever calls and says, 'Hey, wanna come over
and watch Cinderella Man?', it's important to determine whether or not
there is a comma between Cinderella and Man.").
8:15ish pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Jim Walsh's oral history of rock band The Replacements, 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 Jim Walsh, author of the new interview-based
rock book The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting.
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.
Igor on Strike and Up Late and Incarnate
Two sketch shows for five bucks.
Igor on Strike is written by Grace Randolph and
directed by the wonderful DC Pierson.
Its players are Drew Ammirati, Ed Brawley, Joey Burns,
Rob Goodman, Christine Nangle, and the author, Grace Randolph.
The second half of this double-bill is Up Late and Incarnate,
about which no information is available (but it sounds fun).
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Esther Silberstein: Pickled and Andrea Marshall-Money: I Was a Middle-Aged Teenager
Singles Night: Solo Performances
Two one-woman shows for five bucks.
First up is Esther Silberstein in Pickled.
You can get a feel for Silberstein playing multiple characters
via her video Tea Talk with Henrietta Hungski by clicking here.
Then on stage is character actress Andrea Marshall-Money
in I Was a Middle-Aged Teenager.
For Marshall-Money's commercial demo, please click here.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
This hip, quick extravaganza is no place for the innocent.
However, it's lots of fun.
Tonight's lineup hasn't been announced,
but Cavalcade! typically plays host to some of the
sharpest & funniest stand-up comics in the business...
and is among the finest comedy 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 12/4/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
stellar comics Jessi Klein, John Mulaney, Hot Sauce, Heather Fink, and Rob Lathan,
hosted by comedy greats Bobby Tisdale & Reggie Watts, at Llama Toe with Bobby and Friends (8:15ish),
a sharp group of comedic storytellers at Speakeasy (8:30),
and some of the best stand-ups in the country, including John Oliver (The Daily Show),
John Mulaney (Late Night with Conan O'Brien), and Pete Holmes (VH1) at Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm).
Rena Zager, Jess Wood, and Carolyn Castiglia
Carolyn Castiglia hosts a lineup of talented female stand-up comics.
Tonight's scheduled guests are:
Jess Wood (very funny stand-up; HBO's Def Jam Comedy;
for documentary about her, please click here),
Rena Zager (VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, NBC's Late Friday,
for a video stand-up sample, please click here).
Jen Dziura (VH1's Can't Get a Date, writer for McSweeney's, one-woman show
What Philosophy Majors Do After College, producer of Brooklyn's live shows
Monday Evening Stand-Up and Williamsburg Spelling Bee),
Lisa Kaplan (Carolines, The LOL Tour),
Becky Ciletti, and Adrienne Iapalucci.
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)
Alex Robinson, and Rick Spears' comics series The Pirates of Coney Island
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's guests are writer/artist Alex Robinson (Box Office Poison, Tricked)
and writer Rick Spears (Black Metal, The Pirates of Coney Island,
publisher of Gigantic Graphic Novels).
And everyone who attends is promised a free comics-related goodie!
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, five improv troupes—
DeCoster, T.R.U.C.K.S., Bastian, fwand, and Beverly Hills
—each give it a go for 30 minutes, with
short breaks in between, for a total of 3 hours.
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 full evening's education...and periodic solid laughs.
8:00-11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Heather Fink, Jessi Klein, and John Mulaney...
...and Rob Nathan and Hot Sauce
Llama Toe with Bobby and Friends
Hosted by comedy greats Bobby Tisdale and Reggie Watts.
Tonight's stellar guests are
Jessi Klein (winner of 2003 ECNY Best Female Stand-Up award; Director
of Development at Comedy Central; Comedy Central's Premium Blend
and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; VH1's Best Week Ever;
NBC's The Today Show; The Showbiz Show with David Spade;
voice of Lucy on Adult Swim's Lucy the Daughter of the Devil;
for a video stand-up sample about which celebrity would save
the most Jews, and on email etiquette, please click here and here).
John Mulaney (razor-sharp stand-up; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
VH1's Best Week Ever; for stand-up samples, please click here and here),
star sketch/improv troupe Hot Sauce: Gil Ozeri (host of E!'s Starveillance), Adam Pally (UCBT's The Nights of Our Lives), and Ben Schwartz (freelance writer for SNL and Late Show with David Letterman); for video samples of their work, please click here and here,
Heather Fink (host of monthly NYC live comedy show Street Meat), and
Rob Lathan (plays comedic characters such as Lanny Lathan and "Quick Lips" Lathan,
stars in the UCBT show Get Psyched!; for Rob's reel, please click here).
8:15ish pm at Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow Street (between Rivington & Stanton); 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 guests are
Andy Christie (writer for The New York Times; host of his own superb
NYC storytelling extravaganza, The Liar Show),
Mike Daisey (called "the master storyteller" by The New York Times),
Jean-Michele Gregory (writer/producer/director),
Greg Walloch (writer and performing artist who's toured the world),
Tracy Rowland, and Michele Carlo (aka Carmen Mofongo).
8:30 pm at Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street (between West 4th Street and Bleecker);
$10 ticket plus one item (food or drink) minimum
Pete Holmes, John Mulaney, and John Oliver...
...and Seth Herzog and John F. O'Donnell
Hosted by the razor-sharp & witty Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Tonight's John-centric guests are
John Oliver (brilliant stand-up comic, wonderful news correspondent for
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, co-writer/star of The Department for BBC Radio 4),
John Mulaney (razor-sharp stand-up; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
VH1's Best Week Ever; for stand-up samples, please click here and here),
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),
John F. O'Donnell (wild man who will make you love him; Comedy Central's Fresh Faces;
host of biweekly Long Island City comedy show The Kingdom of Heaven), and
Johnny Roberts (finalist at the 2007 Comedy Competition in London; Vegas Comedy Festival).
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 12/5/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a hilarious one-woman show from the luminous Eileen Kelly, and another from acclaimed
stand-up comic/actress Vijai Nathan, at Asbestos for Breakfast: Tales of Surviving Childhood (8:00 pm),
true stories that may make you reconsider dating, delivered by seven skilled performers and
hosted by the enormously funny Jackie Clarke: Worst Laid Plans—True Stories of Terrible Sex (8:00 pm),
some of the finest comics in NYC, including Sara Schaefer, Dave Hill, and Margot Leitman
at hosts Jenny Rubin's & Matt McCarthy's Max! (8:00 pm),
Bobby Tisdale's & Eugene Mirman's typically star-studded stand-up show Invite Them Up (9:00 pm),
the delightful Kate Hess & Shelly Stover dancing and singing for laughs,
and Lance Rubin & Ray Munoz delivering their own brand of sketch silliness,
in We Kate Shelly and The Lance & Ray Show (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
Eileen Kelly and Vijai Nathan
Asbestos for Breakfast: Tales of Surviving Childhood
Two one-woman shows—at least one of which I can promise is superb—for an absurdly low $5.
The show for which I can vouch is from the gorgeous and brilliant Eileen Kelly,
who will be relating tales from her childhood when asthmatic-inducing second-hand smoke, electrocution from wall sockets, and encounters with child molesters were merely rites of passage. Eileen's writing for her show is elegant and hilarious, and so is her irresistible performance.
The other half of this double-bill is from Vijai Nathan, a writer/performer who Backstage called one of the top 10 stand-up comics of 2003 (for a very funny video sample, please click here). She'll be discussing "facing death at Chuck E. Cheese, her dad's addiction to Three's Company, and meeting Jesus." How can you go wrong?
8:00 pm at The Tank, 279 Church Street (bet. Franklin & White Streets); tickets are $5
Worst Laid Plans: True Stories of Terrible Sex
If ever there was a show begging to be a double-bill with John Flynn...
The official description: "When bad sex happens to good people, there is no recourse like disclosure. Six unholy vagina monologues are imparted by the ladies who lived to tell. From The Clump to How I Slept My Way to the Lower Middle to Farting Rapist."
The talented performers imparting their shocking tales are Tymberlee Chanel, Laura Kindred, Alexandra Lydon, Matt McConkey, Erin Pineda, June Diane Raphael, and Casey Wilson.
And hosting the affair is the hilariously acerbic Jackie Clarke.
For a rave review of the show when it played at UCBT-LA, please click here.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Margot Leitman, Dave Hill, and Sara Schaefer...
...and Jenny Rubin, Ann Carr, and Matt McCarthy
Stand-up comedy hosted by the very funny Jenny Rubin and Matt McCarthy.
Tonight's wonderful guests include the always delightful
Sara Schaefer (VH1's Best Week Ever, E! Network's Rise of the Geeks, UCBT's Video Gaga),
Dave Hill (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),
Margot Leitman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, VH1, ESPN;
co-host of red-hot NYC live comedy show Stripped Stories;
for Margot's fun reel, please click here),
Ann Carr (Comedy Central Motherload's Honesty Wedding), and Brian Braumley.
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)
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
Kate Hess & Shelly Stover, and Lance Rubin & Ray Munoz
We Kate Shelly and The Lance & Ray Show
This comedy duo extravaganza kicks off with We Kate Shelly,
a lively sketch show featuring singing, dancing, and crying,
written and starring the irresistible Kate Hess & Shelly Stover,
and directed by comedic genius Andy Secunda (The Swarm).
The double-bill then continues with Lance Rubin & Ray Munoz,
who perform sketch comedy as The Lance & Ray Show.
Tonight's bits reportedly include "a spin-off of The West Wing,
a visit to Seal World, Lance's work with an acting coach on a monologue
for a big audition, an interpretive ballet to the soulful sounds of Nick Lachey,
and a super-huge fight between Lance and Ray! On stage! Seriously!"
Plus DVD commentary.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
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 12/6/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
true stories that may make you reconsider dating, delivered by seven skilled performers, and
hosted by luminous movie & TV star Amy Poehler: Worst Laid Plans—True Stories of Terrible Sex (8:00 pm),
the brilliantly inventive, sexy, and hilarious gals of Variety Shac (9:30),
and two of the finest improv troupes in NYC competing for audience votes:
Reuben Williams vs. Jawnee Conroy Allstarz at Cage Match (11:00 pm).
Worst Laid Plans: True Stories of Terrible Sex
If ever there was a show begging to be a double-bill with John Flynn...
The official description: "When bad sex happens to good people, there is no recourse like disclosure. Six unholy vagina monologues are imparted by the ladies who lived to tell. From The Clump to How I Slept My Way to the Lower Middle to Farting Rapist."
The talented performers imparting their shocking tales are Tymberlee Chanel, Laura Kindred, Alexandra Lydon, Matt McConkey, Erin Pineda, June Diane Raphael, and Casey Wilson.
And hosting the affair tonight is thoroughly wonderful Saturday Night Live anchor and movie star Amy Poehler.
For a rave review of the show when it played at UCBT-LA, please click here.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The hard-to-resist members of this popular group are musical host Shonali Bhowmik, and uniformly brilliant comics Andrea Rosen, Chelsea Peretti, and Heather Lawless. The show features songs, sketches, and some of the freshest stand-up comedy in NYC. It also includes short films made by the foursome; for samples, please click here and here.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
vs.
Cage Match: Reuben Williams vs. Jawnee Conroy Allstarz
This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating 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, two of the finest improv troupes in NYC go head to head.
Reuben Williams consists of Anthony King (brilliant Artistic Director of UCBT-NY, and stellar improvisor/writer/actor), and some of the most appealing and immensely talented improvisors in the country: Eugene Cordero, Lennon Parham, Charlie Sanders, Eric Scott, Kate Spencer, Charlie Todd, and Joe Wengert.
The Jawnee Conroy Allstarz is led by John Conroy, one of the most fearless, darkly inventive, and relentlessly honest comedic performers to be found anywhere. I'm not sure who'll be riffing with Johnny tonight; but figure on alternating between shock and uncontrolled laughter.
Both of these teams have very impressive histories of winning at Cage Match.
There's no telling what will happen...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 12/7/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy 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),
fine stand-up comics Roger Hailes, Jon Friedman, Matt Higgins, Raquel D'Apice,
Kambri Crews, and Gilad Foss at Sara Benincasa's Family Hour with Auntie Sara (7:00 pm),
a Christian folk music duo using their songs to make a difference in God's Pottery Saves The World! (8:00 pm),
typically stellar 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).
Tonight kicks off with all-female improv troupe KAPE (above right), consisting of Kelly Hudson, Amber Nelson, Emily Strachan, and Jill Morris.
And the second half of this double-bill is Nick Zimmerman (above left; member of improv group Skosh) performing a one-man show.
6:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
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 tonight the sisters premiere 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 typically 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 Roger Hailes, Kambri Crews, Jon Friedman, and Raquel D'Apice
Hosted by comic/actress Sara Benincasa (for hilarious video sample,
please click here). Tonight's stand-up comic guests are
Roger Hailes (VH1, Chappelle's Show; for sample videos, please click here and here),
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),
Matt Higgins (Comedy Central, PSNBC; former improv instructor at Yale School of Drama; founding member of improv troupes Burn Manhattan and Centralia; three-time finalist for the Andy Kaufman award; for a stand-up sample, 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),
Kambri Crews (fabulous comedy publicist & producer, actress, and stand-up;
for video of Kambri reading her jailed deaf dad's wedding toast, please click here), and
Gilad Foss (for a stand-up video—ending with an impression of
Miss Piggy taking the SATs— please click here).
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)
Jeremiah Smallchild and Gideon Lamb are on a mission from God
God's Pottery Saves The World!
While visiting NYC last summer, Gideon Lamb and Jeremiah Smallchild got lost on the subway and ended up in Harlem, where they met a small boy named LaVert Washington who informed them he had cancer. They quickly moved to raise money for the lad with their now-famed The Concert for LaVert. It later turned out the boy was healthy and had lied through his teeth; but the incident made Gideon and Jeremiah appreciate the impact they almost had on his life...and the impact they could have on literally millions of more lives if they saved the entire world. Therefore, the duo have created this new show, in which they tackle global issues such as adoption, drug addiction, and Africa in an effort to rescue all mankind through the power of song, true belief, and a PowerPoint" presentation.
According to their Web site,"God's Pottery is a Christian acoustic duo formed to spread the Word (using) their unique blend of music, people-skills and Biblical know-how to inspire all who are willing to listen with open hearts." Some in the secular world have called them Wilson Hall and Krister Johnson; others have called them harsher things. But most have called them very funny.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
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.
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
Dave Rubin, Paul Case, and Shawn Hollenbach
Gay-themed comedy hosted by Paul Case, Shawn Hollenbach, and Dave Rubin.
Tonight's scheduled guests are
Anne Neczypor (2007 MAC Award nominee),
Jenny Rubin (co-host of NYC weekly live comedy show MAX!), and
Mike Singer (Veteran of the Mic).
8:30 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)
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
According to the Spurn Web site, this sketch group has "amassed a cultish following and a cast who blindly throw themselves into the most questionable of onstage situations, bless their black little hearts." For examples of the troupe's work, please click here and here.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10
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 12/8/07
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 (7:30 pm),
smart & fun (albeit at times overly conceptual) sketch comedy from Elephant Larry (8:00 pm),
improv comedy mixed with audience-supplied music at the rockin' Mother: The Soundtrack (9:00 pm),
disturbingly odd sketch comedy from inventive troupes Rue Brutalia and Murderfist (9:30 pm),
improv comedy revolving around TV shows from the superb Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),
and a real live wresting show enlivened with UCBT raucous comedy at UCBW: Hanukkaos (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)
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).
7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Magnet instructors & Second City veterans such as Rachel Hamilton, Ed Herbstman, Abby Sher, and Miriam Tolan, plus stars of Mother: The Soundtrack (see below) 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
Elephant Larry (above) is a NYC-based sketch group consisting of Geoff Haggerty, Stefan Lawrence, Chris Principe, Jeff Solomon, and Alex Zalben (former artistic director of The PIT, co-host of the Comic Book Club, and co-producer of this year's spectacular SketchFest NYC). The troupe's memorable bits have included a demonstration that a caveman and the Cookie Monster sound remarkably alike when saying such things as "Me have problem with subject/verb placement..." For odd sample videos, please click here and here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Stu Luth, Mel DeLancey, and Dan Maccarone...
...and tonight's guests, sketch group The Uncles
Slightly Known People Is Seeing Other People
Slightly Known People—Erik Bowie, Mel DeLancey, Stu Luth,
Dan Maccarone, and Josh Mertz—performs funny songs and sketch comedy.
In this weekly show SKP invites other talented comics
to come play along with it for an evening.
Tonight's guests are sketch troupe The Uncles:
Dave DiLoreto, Matt DiLoreto, and Joshua Sidis.
For a hilarious SKP video deconstructing Billy Joel, please click here.
For a review of the show, please click here.
8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Comedic variety show produced by Carol Hartsell (above left) and hosted by Sean Crespo
(above right; stand-up comic and prolific filmmaker; for samples, please click here & here & here).
Tonight's lineup includes
Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents, Ed, Sex and the City),
Jamie Kilstein (2007 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival; has opened for Lewis Black,
Dave Chappelle, Dave Attel, and Marc Maron), and
Joselyn Hughes (for video questioning the effectiveness of rape whistles, please click here).
8:30 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)
Jason Mantzoukas leads a vibrant team of improv comics—Scot Armstrong, Tara Copeland, Jon Daly, James Eason, Jesse Falcon, Doug Moe, and Christine Walters—who make up scenes based on CD tracks contributed by the audience. One of UCBT's most beloved shows.
9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
A double-bill of bizarre sketch troupes.
Rue Brutalia is comedy duo Jon Pack and Jason Kalter, who create
quirky, unsettling sketches you may have trouble getting out of your head.
To get a feel for their odd work, check out a saga about a cartoon character with no balls,
and another about two guys who are the same man, by clicking here and here.
And as the poster on the right indicates, sketch group Murderfist makes Rue Brutalia
seem almost normal. For a somewhat grueling tale of an unlikely gay couple
done in the style of a silent film, please click here.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Reuben Williams: As Seen on TV
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. Together, they turn an audience suggestion into a TV series...and perform it for you on the spot.
10:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
The wonderful folks from Cage Match—
Pat Baer, Eugene Cordero, Anthony King, C. LeMar McLean, Adam Pally,
Ben Rodgers, Eric Scott, Charlie Todd, and many more—
bring you a hybrid of old-school wrestling and cutting-edge UCBT comedy, live on stage!
Here's the official description:
"It's going to be a Festival of Fights as the UCBW Megastars battle it out in no more than 8 Crazy Matches! Will Osama Bin Laden ruin Hanukkah by blowing up the UCB Theatre, or will American Heroes (and former tag team champions) ConEdison save the day? Don't miss this awesome night of REAL wrestling from the UCBW's hilarious stable of wrestlers. Celebrate Hanukkah with Chuck McMahon at Hanukkaos! Scheduled to appear on the card: Cakeface, Frat Boy, Huge, Marz, Pu Kang Kang, Leviathan, I Am Slam, Hot Topic and many more!
Will Cakeface defend his UCBW title? Reserve now to find out first hand!"
In a word: Wow.
To get a taste of what the evening will be like, please view a couple of
fabulous matches from last year's Hanukkaos—Frat Boy vs. Rock 'n' Roll Kid,
and Bad Medicine vs. John 3:16 and Son—by clicking here and here.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 12/9/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
UCBT's playground for celebrities and ace improvisors, ASSSSCAT 3000 (7:30 & 9:30 pm),
stand-up comics such as Tony Camin and Kumail joining
Eugene Mirman & Michael Showalter in Brooklyn for Tearing the Veil of Maya (7:45ish pm),
and the delightful Sara Schaefer testing your musical ear in Name That Tune (9:15ish pm).
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre's signature show, which features a monologist telling stories based on audience suggestions and a group of top improvisers (sometimes including stars such as SNL's Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz) creating scenes based on the stories. There are two shows every Sunday which share the same format, but are otherwise entirely different because everything is improvised. The 7:30 pm show is $8; advance tickets might be sold out by the time you read this, but a limited number of seats are available at the door for those who arrive early enough to nab 'em. The 9:30 show is free, with tickets distributed outside the theatre at 8:15 pm; but again, you may need to come early and wait on line to ensure getting into this first come, first served performance.
7:30 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue)
Eugene Mirman and Michael Showalter
If you live in Brooklyn, or simply don't mind going a few subway stops
beyond Manhattan, some of the best comedy minds in New York can be found
at this weekly show hosted by Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's
Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1,
The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman and En Garde, Society! comedy albums)
and Michael Showalter (MTV's The State, Stella comedy troupe,
co-writer & co-star of comedy feature film Wet Hot American Summer).
Tonight's guests include
Tony Camin (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Premium Blend, The Marijuana-logues), and
Kumail (for very funny stand-up about the dark side of video games, odd memories,
and the many ways cell phones are eliminated in horror films, please click here),
7:45ish pm at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn; tickets are $7
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.
A showcase for talented improvisation twosomes.
Tonight's duos are
Louis Kornfeld & Damon Ketron,
Brigid Boyle & Alexis Saarela,
Dave Bluvband & Alan Starzinski,
and musical improvisors Angela DeManti & Louie Pearlman.
Hosted by Alex Marino.
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Name That Tune with Sara Schaefer
Directly following Brooklyn's Tearing the Veil of Maya comes the delightful
Sara Schaefer (VH1's Best Week Ever, E! Network's Rise of the Geeks;
UCBT's Video Gaga) hosting this free comedic musical game show.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but expect fun.
9:15ish 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.
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
Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend;
for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here),
Brad Loekle, Shannon Sutherland, and Chad Stringfellow.
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
