NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/25/10
Some of the finest TV & film comedy stars in the country—including
Janeane Garofalo, Kristen Schaal,
Lewis Black,
Todd Barry, Wyatt Cenac, and Fred Armisen—perform
stand-up
to raise funds for
Doctors Without Borders
tonight
at Tell
Your Friends: Haiti Relief Edition
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 (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] 7:45 pm: NYC stand-ups Mark Normand, Dan Mahoney, John Clark, Vlad Caamano, and Matt Maragno performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A blowout gathering of top TV & film comedy talent—including Janeane Garofalo, Kristen Schaal, Lewis Black, Todd Barry, Wyatt Cenac, Fred Armisen, Victor Varnado, and producer Liam McEneaney—for this fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders at the Lolita Bar: Tell Your Friends: Haiti Relief Edition
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Saturday Night Live star Jason Sudeikis, and Broadway & off-Broadway stars Jennifer Grace (Theatre World Award Winner for Our Town), Jonathan Kaplan (Tony nominee for Falsettos, Diary of Anne Frank), Kevin Kelly (Shakespeare In The Park: Twelfth Night), and Julie Sharbutt (Shakespeare In The Park: Twelfth Night), mixing it up with some of the best improvisors in the world—Scott Adsit, Becky Drysdale, Anthony King, Thomas Middleditch, and Tami Sagher —as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water
9:30 pm ($5): Wonderful comic Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show), and improvisors making up a feature film in 30 minutes at Big Ass Movie, auditioning for a spot on the UCBT lineup in tonight's double-bill of tryout show Spank
9:30 pm ($5): Superb stand-up comic Carmen Lynch (Comedy Central) debuting a one-woman show, and Leah Bonnema debuting a one-woman show about waiting for her comatose mom to wake up, in Fishy and Mom in a Coma
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the country—tonight including lightning-fast & thoroughly hilarious Pete Holmes (Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, John Oliver and Friends, VH1's Best Week Ever, The New Yorker, host of hit shows Punch Up Your Life and Gutbucket), razor-sharp rising star Sean Patton (Comedy Central, ComedyJuice), Ireland comedy star Des Bishop (Desfunctional), and Louis Katz (Carson Daly)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 1/26/10
Kevin Allison (Punch Up Your Life) and Kate McKinnon (UCBT Winter Showcase)
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] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Stellar comics Kate McKinnon, John Gemberling, Andree Vermeulen, Craig Rowin, and Jim Santangeli performing sketches written by Chris Kelly, Craig Rowin, and Caitlin Tegart, and directed by brilliant UCBT Artistic Director Anthony King, showing off what UCBT's top talents can do at the annual UCBT Winter Showcase
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Guests Blair Marnell and Sax Carr (Comics on Comics) and J.D. Matonti (New-Gen) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm (no cover, one drink min.): Amy Schumer (Comedy Central Presents, Reality Bites Back), Sean Patton (razor-sharp rising star; Comedy Central), Jermaine Fowler (NBC's Stand Up for Diversity, Comical Radio), and Nick Cobb (Comedy Central) performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) with delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
8:00 pm to midnight
($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight
featuring UCBT house troupes The Bishop, Robber Baron, DeCoster, The Law Firm,
and People People
followed by UCBT advanced students playing an improv game in which scenes flow from one location to another—all
at Harold Night
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm ($5): Brilliant storyteller & sketch comic Kevin Allison (The State, Risk!), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central), Julian McCullough (Comedy Central), and Nick Vatterott (Second City) performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for a free weekly show hosted by brilliant stand-up Pete Holmes (Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, John Oliver and Friends, VH1's Best Week Ever, The New Yorker)...and that used to be co-hosted by the equally brilliant Jessi Klein, but Jessi's now busy as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live: Punch Up Your Life
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim, The Wrestler), Michelle Collins (editor of Best Week Ever site, sharp stand-up), Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), and Owen Biddle (bassist of The Roots on Jimmy Fallon) 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, and Gloria Bigelow in Ochi's Lounge hosting guest comics Ji Won Li, Yonah Ward Grossman, Chelsea White 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 1/27/10
The Onion's Joe Randazzo and The Daily Show's Kristen Schaal (Totally J/K)...
...and Pete Holmes and Hannibal Buress (ComedyJuice) and Dave Attell (The Daily Show and Friends...and maybe ComedyJuice?)
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] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (lovely, brilliant, breathtakingly talented writer/actress/comic; shining star on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; AMC's Mad Men; feature film Cirque du Freak (with Salma Hayek); co-star of Web & upcoming UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; winner of numerous comedy awards, including the prestigious 2nd Annual Andy Kaufman Award and the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Female Stand-Up), Joe Randazzo (Editor of The Onion), and musical guest Via Audio joining hilarious hosts Joe Mande and Noah Garfinkel at Totally J/K
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($13 online using code VIPJAN, plus 2-item min.): Comedy superstar Dave Attell, Daily Show correspondent Wyatt Cenac, Daily Show Executive Producer Rory Albanese, and more performing stand-up at this monthly event: The Daily Show and Friends
[FREE] 8:00: NYC stand-ups Ray Devito, Erin Judge, Amy Beckerman, Rich Brooks, Bethany Van Delft, and Carrie Gravenson performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell and Emmy Rivera: Shrink
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Jason Trachtenburg (Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players), Myq Kaplan (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central) Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel), and Jesse Popp (co-host of Beauty Bar Comedy) performing at a free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) hosted by Max Silvestri and Gabe Liedman: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Ophira Eisenberg, Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn, Mark Sam Rosenthal, and wonderful host David Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight's theme "Family Secrets:" The Nights of Our Lives
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($8 online using code VIPJAN, plus 2-item min.): A monthly gathering of top comedy talent—tonight including lightning-fast & thoroughly hilarious Pete Holmes (one of the very best stand-ups in the country; Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, John Oliver and Friends, VH1's Best Week Ever, The New Yorker, host of hit shows Punch Up Your Life and Gutbucket), Hannibal Buress (red-hot rising stand-up star and staff writer at Saturday Night Live), Omid Singh, Shang, and "a special surprise guest"—performing at ComedyJuice
[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 1/28/10
Amy Schumer and Michael Ian Black are among the top stand-ups celebrating a one-liner comedy Web site at WitStream Live
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] 6:00 pm ($5): A live taping of a comedy podcast that's garnered over a million downloads, hosted by Scott Aukerman (Mr. Show): Comedy Death-Ray Radio Live
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): "Long believed lost, Salvador Dali’s surrealist variety show deemed too unhinged for television has been unearthed and can at last be seen! Hosted by Dali and his co-host the crucified Jesus, the show will feature surreal guests, celebrities, performance art, offbeat musical acts, melting clocks, and weirdness." Yes, it sounds way odd; but performers include such brilliant comics as Dave Hill, Kate McKinnon, John Gemberling, and Gil Ozeri in assorted bit parts of Salvador Dali's Danza Macabre
8:00 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason "take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces," and veteran improvisors play with "elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde," in the double-bill The Deconstruction and Sleepover
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($12): A spectacular collection of TV comedy stars and top stand-ups—Michael Ian Black, Pete Holmes, Amy Schumer, Kumail Nanjiani, Myq Kaplan, and more—who are contributors to a new one-liner comedy site all performing at WitStream Live
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Brilliant comedic singer/songwriter/stand-up Jessica Delfino, hilarious musical comic & storyteller Jason Trachtenburg (Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players), Negrin Farsad (MTV), John Knefel (Huffington Post), Shawn Hollenbach (The Back Room), and musical guest Eytan Mirsky all performing at Bar on A (170 Avenue A off East 10th Street) for a biweekly show hosted by lovely dark humor comic Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender
9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it on stage at CollegeHumor Live
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): It all comes down to this: After a year of fierce comedy combat, tonight's Finals contest between improv troupes Death by Roo Roo and The Brothers Hines will determine the annual Cage Match Champion, as these groups battle for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 1/29/10
Stand-up comic & author Robert Schimmel headlines tonight and Saturday 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 $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($28 online today, or $23 for Saturday, if you use code VIPJAN [otherwise $35], plus 2-item minimum): A star stand-up and writer who's also the author of the 2008 book Cancer on $5 a Day (Chemo Not Included): How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life, headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Robert Schimmel
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Comedy dynamo Shannon O'Neill's one-woman extravaganza about "Charlie Sheen Prison's annual talent show, starring the criminally retarded and insane," directed by the wonderful Will Hines; and an 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 Prison Freaks: A Talent Show and 2Pac: The Musical
8:00 pm ($10): A comedic homage to Elton John by a variety of improvisors, sketch comics, and musicians at The Downtown Superstar Ten Minute Hour
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups performing in Ochi's Lounge at a gay-themed show hosted by the lovely Jenny Rubin: The Back Room
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
9:30 pm ($10): Improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan following up winning the recent SketchProv Tournament with this new PIT run, and veteran improv duo formerly known as Project:Projekt, in the double-bill Swords and The Nathan & Joe Show
11:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy troupes Bleak Comedy and Shut Up Stupid compete for audience laughs and votes in Backyard Brawl
[FREE] 12:20ish am: Your opportunity to perform on the UCBT stage with improv veterans, hosted by stellar troupe The Law Firm: Jammin' with Ralph
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/30/10
Cage Match Champions for two years in a row, and one of the finest & funniest improv troupes ever: Death by Roo Roo
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 ($10): One of my favorite sketch troupes, making great use of physical comedy and music, returns to the NYC stage tonight for what I hope is a long run. It consists of Mary Theresa Archbold (for my review of this star's funny & touching 2007 FringeNYC show Jazz Hand, please click here), Tim Girrbach, Jason Salmon, Rodney Umble, and director Larry Rosen, and has received acclaim at numerous top comedy and theatre festivals. For a brief medley of memorable moments, please click here; and then come tonight to experience all-new material from Drop Six
7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Sharp NYC stand-ups & sketch comics Pat Stango & Blaine Perry (hosts of Don’t Touch Me There), Luke Cunningham (The Colbert Report), Jason Saenz (co-host of Too Cool For School), Steve Bossous (CNN's Breaking the News with DL Hughley), Team Submarine, Moe and Mary, Robert Dean, and James Harris performing in Ochi's Lounge at Lil' Seany Boy
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisor Christina Gausas and friends she originally made in Chicago—which include writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($28 online if you use code VIPJAN [otherwise $35], plus 2-item minimum): A star stand-up and writer who's also the author of the 2008 book Cancer on $5 a Day (Chemo Not Included): How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life, headlining at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Robert Schimmel
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—and which this Thursday won the Cage Match Championship for two years in a row!—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
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] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams
10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike
[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($12): 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. Come catch these stars of Last Comic Standing and authors of the book What Would God's Pottery Do?, along with such stellar guests as Tom Shillue, performing at Joe's Pub: The Wonderful World of God's Pottery
Midnight ($5): A rotating comedic cast—tonight consisting of Dan Avidan, Alex Charak, Shaun Diston, Kelly Hudson, Ben Kissel, Matt Mayer, Jill Marie Morris, Amber Nelson, Ninja Sex Party, Jim Santangeli, Nate Smith, and Emily Strachan—performing very silly stage acts at Eliot & Ilana Glazer's High School Talent Show
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/31/10
Tonight features a documentary about star improvisors T.J. & Dave, and a wild show co-hosted by Jessica Delfino
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 & 9:30 pm ($30): UCBT's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which tonight will be star-studded to raise funds for Haiti relief: MERCYCAT
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Superb NYC stand-ups Christian Finnegan (three Comedy Central specials, commentator on MNBC's Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1's Best Week Ever; Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Myq Kaplan (The Tonight Show, Comedy Central Presents), Jess Wood (HBO's Def Comedy Jam), Liz Miele (Comedy Central), and Charlie Kasov performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Star comics—who tonight haven't been announced—performing stand-up at this weekly event at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Tearing the Veil of Maya
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): Brilliantly funny writer/singer Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CD Dirty Folk Rock; created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; has a cool MySpace page, and an even cooler blog; to get a feel for Jessica's amazing range and talent, please click here) and comic book artist Dame Darcy host a wild comedy and burlesque extravaganza at Naughty Nautical Nite: Goth as F*ck
9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (who haven't been announced) performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($8): A screening of a new 83-minute documentary about highly acclaimed Chicago-based improvisors TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi: Trust Us, This is All Made Up
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Helen Hong, Kendra Cunningham, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Alli Breen performing at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Copyright © 2010 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
