NYC Comedy Picks for Week of December 7, 2009

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/7/09

Kurt Braunohler kicks off a new weekly comedy show tonight with the help of sketch partner Kristen Schaal: The Inevitable

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Stand-ups Ben Kissel, Jamie Roberts, Amy Carlson, Robert Dean, and Miguel Dalmau performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: The debut of a new weekly comedy show from Kurt Braunohler that tonight includes wonderful comics Kristen Schaal, Leo Allen, Max Silvestri, and Chris Hauselt performing at Brooklyn's Union Pool: The Inevitable

8:00 pm ($5): The talented young writer/performers of top UCBT scripted comedy house troupes Stone Cold Fox and Gorilla Gorilla try out their newest sketch material at Maude Night

9:30 pm ($5): Michael O'Brien (Saturday Night Live) and Peter Grosz (The Colbert Report) debut at UCBT the latest version of their acclaimed 2-man sketch show: Misled

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Andrea Rosen, Adam Newman, Sharon Spell, Luke Cunningham, Andy Haynes, Jordon Ferber, and Alex Grubard performing at Pat O'Shea's free weekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy's Backroom: Ed Sullivan on Acid

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: A blowout gathering of some of the most hilarious stand-up comics in the country—tonight including Hannibal Buress, Tom Shillue, Maeve Higgins, and Myq Kaplan—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

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NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/8/09

Comedy superstars Janeane Garofalo (Sweet) and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (We'll Kick Cancer's Butt!)

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): World-class musical improvisor Eliza Skinner debuting a one-woman show making fun of the musical Cats, plus a comedy group auditioning a sketch show, in the double-bill Eliza Skinner: Jellicle Balls and Deceptively Chubby: The TiVo is Full

7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Hilary Schwartz and Rachael Parenta hosting an intriguing show at Ochi's Lounge described as "emotionally inappropriate comedy:" Please, Someone Kill Me

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics creator Jesse Blaze Snider (Dead Romeo) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Scootch, Bastian, People People, The Law Firm, and Penthouse Riot
followed by UCBT advanced students improvising a musical—all at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($30 & 2-item min.) Stand-up comedy geniuses John Oliver (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Kristen Schaal (also a shining star on The Daily Show) Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (oughta be on The Daily Show), Todd Barry (makes even Triumph tremble), Caroline Rhea, and Eddie Brill perform at this gala charity fundraiser hosted by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends: We'll Kick Cancer's Butt!

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: UK comedy stars Maeve Higgins and Tom Allen, Ryan Hamilton (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and David Cope performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for a free weekly show hosted by brilliant stand-ups Pete Holmes (Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever, ComedyJuice, The New Yorker) and Sean Patton (standing in for Jessi Klein tonight): Punch Up Your Life

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie comedy superstar Janeane Garofalo, Irish comedy star Maeve Higgins, stand-up Michelle Collins (who recently won the UCBT BEATdown contest by rapping about her hemorrhoids), and Bryan Callen (former cast member on Mad TV) performing at The Slipper Room for the LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Delightful stand-ups Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, Jackie Monahan, and Gloria Bigelow in Ochi's Lounge hosting guest comics Sharon Spell, Kara Klenk, and Cory Davis at Dykes on Mics

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open mic stand-up show that's seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 12/9/09

Sketch from Kurt Braunohler (Autumn at the Chuckle Shack) and The Varsity Interpretive Dance Squad (Faster Than the Speed of Night)...

...and hilarious storytelling from Adam Wade (True Tales of College) and Melanie Hamlett (The Hobo Show)

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] [$] 7:30 pm ($10 & 2-item min.): Star stand-ups Ted Alexandro, Amy Schumer, Joe Mande, and more in a bargain-priced, slapped-together show that'll probably be better than the one scheduled for Jackie Mason, who had to bail on tonight's sold out performance: The Replacements

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Top writers and comedians—who tonight include Jane Borden (stellar Comedy Editor for Time Out New York), Jenn Dodd, and Vito Lantz—join hosts Jake Goldman and world-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion and record-breaking 10-time StorySlam Champion; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here) in Ochi's Lounge to share their favorite personal campus anecdotes at True Tales of College

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of NYC's treasures, master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler, debuting a one-man show: Autumn at the Chuckle Shack

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): The Audience Favorite winner of the just-completed ANT Festival at Ars Nova returns to again ask the theatrical question, "Can the world be changed by dances choreographed in your childhood basement? Yes. Stretch, hydrate, prepare for Whole World Dance, a concept so revolutionary, it's stupid:" The Varsity Interpretive Dance Squad in Faster Than the Speed of Night

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC comics Robin Gelfenbien, Carmen Lynch, Keith Alberstadt, Dan Hirshon, Nate Min, Garry Hannon, and dance group Cocoon performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: UK comedy star Tom Allen, red-hot rising star Baron Vaughn, Jordan Rubin (Conan O'Brien, Our Massive Planet with Jim Gaffigan), and Gabriel Delahaye performing at a free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) hosted by Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Unique, hilarious, and endearing Melanie Hamlett (Moth GrandSlam Champion) spent this summer traveling cross-country in her barely functioning truck to have adventures only she could have. Come tonight to experience her tales of the Testicle Festival (no foolin'), complete with photos. Plus joining Melanie will be four of the finest storytellers in NYC: Kevin Allison (brilliant sketch comic of The State, host of Risk!), Andy Christie (Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion, host of The Liar Show), Seth Lind (TOLD, This American Life), and Giulia Rozzi (co-host of Stripped Stories) at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City: The Hobo Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): An hour-long play made up on the spot by razor-sharp, passionate improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel) and Christina Gausas (Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report) at Adsit & Gausas

[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 12/10/09

World-class storyteller Mike Daisey performs his new one-man show through Sunday: The Last Cargo Cult

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 ($40; $25 for students): Superb storyteller Mike Daisey is back with a one-man show about "his journey to a remote South Pacific island whose people worship America and its cargo. This narrative is woven against a searing examination of the international financial crisis that gripped the globe at the same moment. Confronting the financial system that dominates our world, Daisey wrestles with the largest questions of what the collapse means, and what it can tell us about our deepest values. Part adventure story and part memoir, he explores each culture to unearth a human truth between the seemingly primitive and achingly modern." For a New York Times review, please click here. Running tonight through Sunday at The Public Theatre: Mike Daisey: The Last Cargo Cult

[$] 7:30 pm ($30 & 2-item min.) A co-star on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and FOX's Til Death headlining tonight through Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: JB Smooth

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5) : One of the funniest singer/songwriters in NYC, Shayna Ferm, and her band tear up the stage tonight at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup): Shayna Ferm and the Upper Decks

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: The debut of a new comedy show from razor-sharp female musical comics Mindy Raf, Becky Yamamoto, and Glennis McMurray, with tonight's comedy guests Matt McCarthy, Katina Corrao, Vince Averill, and Jamie Lee performing at Brooklyn's Legion Bar: Supercream Supreme

8:00 pm ($5):Nick Ross performing a show about his combating cancer, with a deliciously vibrant and adorable performance by actress Leslie Meisel as a variety of secondary characters (including the cancer itself...); and all-white musical about fast food that claims to "give new life to the most popular songs of Tupac Shakur. Join us for a romp through all the themes held most dear to Tupac's heart: economic oppression, dreams deferred, and mall food courts" in the double-bill Highly Evolved Human and 2Pac: The Musical

8:00 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason "take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces" in The Deconstruction

[$] 8:00 pm ($35.50 & 2-drink min.): The host of Last Comic Standing headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Bellamy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Lightning-fast & thoroughly hilarious Pete Holmes (one of the very best stand-ups in the country; Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, VH1's Best Week Ever, The New Yorker, co-host of hit show Punch Up Your Life), Anthony Atamanuik (brilliant storyteller; member of champion improv troupe Death by Roo Roo), Morgan Murphy (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), and Gabe Liedman (co-host of hit comedy show Big Terrific) joining the fresh, sexy, and razor-sharp gals of Variety SHAC

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupes Classic Masculinity and Bangs battling for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 12/11/09

Comedy trio Derrick (DC Pierson, Donald Glover, and Dominic Dierkes) star in their first feature film Mystery Team,
and a film based around one of NYC's fabled alt comedy & music venues debuts tonight at 92Tribeca: House of Satisfaction

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 7:25 pm & 9:20 pm ($11): Brilliant comedy trio Derrick (Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson) screen their first feature film at NYC's Quad Cinema (34 West 13th Street) through December 17th—and the gang promises to appear live at each evening's playing of Mystery Team

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Adam Lustick and Billy Scafuri are two of the stellar members of world-class sketch troupe The Harvard Sailing Team; and they've now branched out to form a two-man comedic rap group called Snakes. Their just-released debut album can be downloaded from BillyandAdam.com; and you can experience the magic live tonight at Snakes: The Record Release Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A beloved high-concept sketch troupe that delights in exploring silly ideas and wordplay (for example, demonstrating that a caveman and the Cookie Monster sound remarkably alike when saying such things as "Me have problem with subject/verb placement...") debuts its all-new show for the holidays: Elephant Larry's Mandated Christmas Event

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp stand-ups Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, Verizon FIOS star), Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), J-L Cauvin (Craig Ferguson), Adam Newman (MTV), Tim Miller (visiting from DC), Karl Hess (visiting from LA), and "a very special guest" performing at Brooklyn's Coco 66 for Nick Turner's Too Cool for School

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.) A co-star on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and FOX's Til Death headlining tonight through Sunday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: JB Smoove

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): The host of Last Comic Standing headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Bellamy

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-up comics performing stand-up in Ochi's Lounge at a gay-themed show hosted by the lovely Jenny Rubin: The Back Room

9:15 pm ($12): Mo Pitkins' House of Satisfaction was one of the prime venues for alternative comedy and music in the East Village until it closed on October 15, 2007. I wish someone had filmed its spectacular last show, which included such talents as Moby and top NYC comics; but at least we have this movie, which mixes fiction and fact, and debuts tonight at 92YTribeca: House of Satisfaction

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

9:30 pm ($10): Two-man improvisation from the duo acclaimed for their previous Project: Project shows: The Nathan & Joe Show

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Top UCBT talents—tonight featuring Jeff Hiller, Fran Gillespie, Nate Lang, Jim Santangeli, Mike Still, and Andree Vermeulen as the performers, and Neil Casey, John Frusciante, Dan Gregor, Dan Gurewitch, Anthony King, Craig Rowin, Eric Scott, Nate Smith, Caitlin Tegart, and Greg Tuculescu as the writers—creating a one-night-only sketch comedy show directed by Will Hines, with musical guest Conversion Party: Beneath Gristedes

[FREE] 12:20ish am: A free opportunity for you to perform sketch on the UCBT stage at Liquid Courage

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 12/12/09

Bill Bellamy (Headlining at Carolines) and JB Smoove (Headlining at Comix)

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 (no cover, 1-item min.): Joe Derosa (Comedy Central Presents; HBO's Down & Dirty), Rachel Feinstein (Comedy Central Presents), Jared Logan (Comedy Central), Streeter Seidell, Sean Crespo, Dan Cartwright, John F. O'Donnell, and Brendan McLaughlin performing in Ochi's Lounge for host Sean Donnelly's last 2009 edition of Lil' Seany Boy

7:00 pm ($10): A musical about "a pious Pope framed for a crime he didn't commit...betrayal, Holy War, foot-stompin' musical numbers" and everything else it takes "to entertain the Hell right out of you" in Pope: The Musical

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.) A co-star on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and FOX's Til Death headlining tonight and Sunday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: JB Smoove

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): The host of Last Comic Standing headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Bellamy

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): The gutsiest comedy troupe in NYC, genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($20): Superb comics Reggie Watts, Ophira Eisenberg, Tom Shillue, Tom Allen, Katina Corrao, and Craig Baldo—and free beer!—at acclaimed monthly comedy showcase Moonwork

9:00 pm ($5): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:30 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code BECKYD, otherwise $20): A Chicago-based troupe that's wowed audiences around the world with their skill at creating a completely improvised hour-long musical. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment; even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are made up on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award this August for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event at this final night of the 2009 run of the magical Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams

10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein, who've formed the new troupe Trike

[TOP PICK] 12:00 am ($5): One of the most fascinating performers in comedy hosting his own comedy extravaganza, with guests Shannon O'Neill, Zach Woods, Neil Casey, Will Hines, and musical group The Kung Fu Monkeys: The Chris Gethard Show

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 12/13/09

Brilliant storytellers Ophira Eisenberg (Beauty Bar Comedy) and Mike Daisey (The Last Cargo Cult)

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] 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm ($25 online using discount code CARGO, otherwise $40): Superb storyteller Mike Daisey is back with a one-man show about "his journey to a remote South Pacific island whose people worship America and its cargo. This narrative is woven against a searing examination of the international financial crisis that gripped the globe at the same moment. Confronting the financial system that dominates our world, Daisey wrestles with the largest questions of what the collapse means, and what it can tell us about our deepest values. Part adventure story and part memoir, he explores each culture to unearth a human truth between the seemingly primitive and achingly modern." For a New York Times review, please click here. Running tonight through Sunday at The Public Theatre: Mike Daisey: The Last Cargo Cult

[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

[$] 7:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.) A co-star on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and FOX's Til Death headlining one final night at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: JB Smoove

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: Sharp stand-ups Roger Hailes (Comedy Central, Chappelle's Show), Steve Hely (30 Rock, How I Became a Famous Novelist), Adam Lowitt (Emmy-winning producer of The Daily Show), and Neal Stastny (New Orleans Comedy Festival) performing at a free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Greg Johnson: The Comedians

[$] 8:00 pm ($35.50 & 2-drink min.): The host of Last Comic Standing headlining one final night at Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Bellamy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC comics Dan Allen, Jamie Lee, Phoebe Robinson, Joe List, Dan Soder, and Karl Hess 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 Ophira Eisenberg (who's also a world-class storyteller), RG Daniels, Jay Bois, Laura Prangley, and Ryan Conner performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar hosted solo tonight by Vince Averill (while Jesse Popp's on the road) at the free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-ups Allison Castillo, Sherry Davey, Edison Apple, and Dave Rubin performing at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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