NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 6/22/09
Bob Powers' soon-to-be-released new book (Tell Your Friends)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
the perfect show for short attention spans, open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set
and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—tonight including Chelsea White, Hilary Schwartz, Lisa Kaplan, Raquel D'Apice, Luke Cunningham, Matt Ruby, Matt Maragno, Danny Solomon, Blaine Perry, Sean Donnelly, Aalap Patel, Matteson Perry, and John Morrison—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),
Dan St. Germain (MTV). Eric Slovin (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005 and Important Things with Demetri Martin; Comedy Central Presents), Mike Drucker (freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney's), Bob Powers (author of You Are a Miserable Excuse for a Hero and upcoming The Terrible, Horrible, Temp-to-Perm Debacle), John Knefel (The Huffington Post), and the return of show producer Liam McEneaney (back from touring Europe) at Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),
fresh sketch comedy from UCBT house groups High Treason and Slow Burn at Maude Night (8:00 pm),
a summer musical comedy written and co-starring Leslie Korein & Marcy Jarreau, plus Caitlin Tegart, Timothy Dunn, and D'Arcy Erokan delivering sketch comedy, in the double-bill Girl Camp and How Rude (9:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] and a free weekly show typically featuring some of the best stand-up comics in the country and hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash (11:00 pm).
Win FREE TICKETS (worth $30-$40) to Star-Studded Comedy Club Show ComedyJuice
ComedyJuice is an acclaimed series that for eight years has been showcasing top-notch stand-up comics in Los Angeles. It's now expanding to NYC via the elegant Comix Comedy Club.
There have been two ComedyJuice shows in NYC so far, and they've both been superb.
The first one included superstars Dave Attel, Judah Friedlander, and Rich Vos.
The second one featured comedy giants Jim Gaffigan, Ted Alexandro, and Todd Barry.
Top stars such as Attel and Gaffigan regularly pop in to ComedyJuice...often unannounced.
The third NYC show is happening on June 24th at 10:00 pm...and you can win free tickets for it.
All you have to do is send your email address to hy@hyreviews.com
with the subject heading ComedyJuice. (This will also make you a HyReviews.com Insider; please see directly below.) There will be a random drawing a few days before the show. If you're chosen, you'll receive two tickets (worth $30-$40) for free. However, you'll still have to honor Comix's two-item food or drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure $13 or up per person).
For more info—or to simply buy tickets for the show—please click here.
Insider Comedy Discounts & Freebies: A New Benefit for HyReviews.com Readers
Sometimes comedy clubs, theatres, and others contact me with offers that they don't want
on a searchable Web page but that they're happy to provide to my core readers.
If you'd like to take advantage of such opportunities, simply tell me your email address,
and every now and then you'll receive a notice directly from me about cool deals.
(Your email address will never be sold, rented, or given away to anyone else.)
To become a comedy/theatre Insider, please send your email address to hy@hyreviews.com
with the subject heading Insider.
Lottery-style open mic for stand-up comics trying out material,
with 4½ 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.)
A breathtaking 25 comics perform in this 2½ hour show; producer
John Morrison (above) has described it as "comedy on crack."
If you're seeking consistent laughs, this might not be the best way to spend
your evening. But if you're patient and adventurous, it's a potentially wild ride.
And if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.
Plus if you stick around till the show's end to support your fellow comics,
you have a chance at winning the cash from the kitty, along with smaller prizes.
There are two shows, at 6:30 and 9:00 pm, with entirely different groups of stand-ups.
Tonight's 6:30 lineup includes Lisa Kaplan, Raquel D'Apice, Luke Cunningham, Matt Ruby, Matt Maragno, Danny Solomon, Mike Lawrence, Dan Mahoney, Blaine Perry, Sean Donnelly, and John Morrison.
And the 9:00 pm lineup includes Chelsea White, Hilary Schwartz, Mary Prantil, Marianne Schaberg, Jay Bois, Jay Welch, J-L Cauvin, Aalap Patel, and Matteson Perry.
Ochi's Motel is hosted at 6:30 by Sean Donnelly and Blaine Perry:
...and at 9:00 pm by Aalap Patel and Matteson Perry:
To be entered into the weekly random drawing for performers,
please send email to ochismotel@gmail.com.
6:30 pm & 9:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Liam McEneaney
This popular weekly comedy show is produced by Liam McEneaney
(VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,
former writer for Standup Nation with Greg Giraldo), who tonight is back from touring Europe and will be performing.
Tonight's host is sharp stand-up Dan St. Germain (MTV; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here).
And tonight's fine guests are
Eric Slovin (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005 and Important Things with Demetri Martin; performed on Comedy Central Presents, Premium Blend, Spin City; half of comedy duo Slovin & Allen with partner Leo Allen),
Mike Drucker (freelance writer for Saturday Night Live, The Onion, McSweeney's, 23/6, Black20; winner of Disney's 2007 So You Think You're Funny competition and performer on Comedy Central's The Watchlist; for Drucker's explanation of how life is like video games and comic books, please click here; and to learn why Drucker's girlfriend wouldn't give him a gold star, please click here),
Bob Powers (author of the 2008 darkly comedic interactive adventure for adults You Are a Miserable Excuse for a Hero, which is a choose-your-own-ending book aimed at ambivalent 30-year-olds who are terrified of making choices: "The main character in this book is you, a 33-year-old actor/waiter with very little hope of ever being successful. With every day you are that much closer to giving up on your dreams and going to grad school, and every choice feels weighted with the possibility that it will send you down a path to failure. So you've been doing all you can to make no choices whatsoever. When the girl you went on a first date with last night has been kidnapped, it's up to you to save her. Each chapter ends with a pair of choices as to how the story should progress. Do you want to burst into the kidnappers' hideout and kill everyone in sight? Or do you want to just unplug your phone and get really drunk? It's your choices and your story, with over 30 different endings!" This is the first book in the Just Make A Choice! Adventure Series, with Book 2, The Terrible, Horrible, Temp-to-Perm Debacle due out in early July), and
John Knefel (writer for the The Huffington Post; co-host of NYC live comedy show (D)evangelical Comedy, member of sketch group Bare Hand Wolf Chokers Association; for stand-up video about tracking falafel sales to catch terrorists, please click here).
8:00ish pm at Lolita Bar, 226 Broome Street (between Allen and Orchard Streets); tickets are $5
Nearest subway stops are Delancey Street via the F or Delancey-Essex via the J/M/Z
UCBT's house sketch comedy groups try out their latest material at this weekly showcase. Tonight features the two troupes High Treason and Slow Burn. (For cast bios, please click here and then click the photo of whoever interests you.)
Not every routine will hit the mark; but these are talented young comics and, if you're patient, worth catching for the bits that score, and for their charismatic comedy performances.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Musical comedy Girl Camp
Leslie Korein & Marcy Jarreau: Girl Camp and Tegart, Dunn, and Erokan: How Rude
A one-act musical comedy and a sketch show for a mere five bucks.
The musical comedy is written and co-stars Leslie Korein & Marcy Jarreau. The official description for Girl Camp:
"Remember the pillow fights, the creepy cook, and Frank, the sexually ambiguous camp owner? Come relive it all at Camp Chickasoota, boy-free since 2008! Whether you’re on the ropes course, in the communal showers, or realizing you’re gay, Girl Camp is the Sapphic musical that will warm both your heart and loins."
Also starring Chris Tuttle, Emily Askin, Meghan O'Neill, Sam Reiff-Pasarew, and Elana Fishbein. Directed by the fabulous John Flynn (Showgirls: The Best Movie Ever Made. Ever!, The Nights of Our Lives). Musical Direction by Lavell Blackwell.
The double-bill then continues with How Rude, a sketch comedy show written by Caitlin Tegart, performed by Timothy Dunn and D'Arcy Erokan, and directed by comedy genius Neil Casey (Death by Roo Roo, Krompf).
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Leo Allen and Reggie Watts...
...Brett Gelman and Rob Huebel...
...and Brooke Van Poppelen and Bryan Tucker
Whiplash with Leo Allen: The Finest in Stand-Up Comedy, Free
Leo Allen is one of the most sharp, honest, and likeable stand-ups working in NYC. Leo was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 2002 through 2005. He's also performed two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; done stand-up on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.; acted on Ed and Sex and the City; and is in an upcoming HBO miniseries. Plus Leo's the host of this show—for which he crafts inventive, hilarious material week after week, and always generously demonstrates his warm appreciation of his fellow comedians. For all these reasons and more, Whiplash is one of the finest showcases of top comedy talent in the country...and this stellar show is entirely free.
For some mysterious reason, tonight's guests haven't been announced; but as indicated by last week's lineup (above), they're usually some of the finest stand-ups in the biz.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 6/23/09
Janeane Garofalo (Janeane & Marc), Reggie Watts (Sweet), and Jessi Klein (Punch Up Your Life)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
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 Broadway Motel (6:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] Jessica Abel (La Perdida, Life Sucks) and Tom Hart (Hutch Owen) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),
four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes DeCoster, Robber Baron, Penthouse Riot, Law Firm, and Badman—followed by high-level UCBT students improvising the end of the world, all at Harold Night (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] two of the finest comics of our time, Janeane Garofalo and Marc Maron, each performing deliciously long stand-up sets in the West Village, at Janeane and Marc (8:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim, The Wrestler), Ali Waller (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), and sketch duo Team Submarine performing at this free show hosted by brilliant stand-ups Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim) and Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, The New Yorker): Punch Up Your Life (8:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] a blowout gathering to top comedy talent—Anthony Jeselnik (writer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; 2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act and the 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; cast member of the new Electric Company; Jimmy Fallon), Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show), Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show), and Baron Vaughn (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Shoot the Messenger, Awkward Kings of Comedy) performing at the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),
and delightful stand-up comics Jackie Monahan, Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, and Gloria Bigelow performing and hosting guest comics Joel Dovev, Chris Doucette, Gloria Bigelow, and Emmy Rivera at Dykes on Mics (9:00 pm).
A few extra pairs of free tickets have been made available for
readers of
HyReviews.com to the ComedyJuice show this Wednesday, June 24th at 10:00
pm at the elegant Comix Comedy Club (353 West 14th Street, slightly east of
9th Avenue).
The lineup includes Bill Burr, who's been described as "comedy's future." Burr's done TV specials for both HBO and Comedy Central; performed stand-up on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien; and has two comedy CDs, Emotionally Unavailable and Why Do I Do This?
Also on the lineup are Nick Griffin, who's done a special for Comedy Central and appeared seven times on David Letterman; and Louis Katz, an acclaimed San Francisco stand-up.
All you have to do is send your full name and email address to hy@hyreviews.com
with the subject heading ComedyJuice. (This will also make you a HyReviews.com Insider; please see directly below.) This is first come, first serve, so please send your email ASAP. If tickets are still available by the time your email is received, you'll be notified by 5:00 pm today (Tuesday), and two tickets will be waiting for you at the Comix box office on Wednesday.
Please note that you'll still have to honor Comix's two-item food or drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure $13 or up per person).
For more info, please click here.
Insider Comedy Discounts & Freebies: A New Benefit for HyReviews.com Readers
Sometimes comedy clubs, theatres, and others contact me with offers that they don't want
on a searchable Web page but that they're happy to provide to my core readers.
If you'd like to take advantage of such opportunities, simply tell me your email address,
and every now and then you'll receive a notice directly from me about cool deals.
(Your email address will never be sold, rented, or given away to anyone else.)
To become a comedy/theatre Insider, please send your email address to hy@hyreviews.com
with the subject heading Insider.
Lottery-style open mic for stand-up comics trying out material,
with 4½ minutes per performer...in return for a $5 contribution to the weekly prize kitty.
(In addition, Broadway's one-item food or drink minimum applies to everyone.)
A breathtaking 25 comics perform in this 2½ hour show; producer
John Morrison (above) has described it as "comedy on crack."
If you're seeking consistent laughs, this might not be the best way to spend
your evening. But if you're patient and adventurous, it's a potentially wild ride.
And if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.
Plus if you stick around till the show's end to support your fellow comics,
you have a chance at winning the cash from the kitty, along with smaller prizes.
Broadway Motel is hosted by Cory Jarvis and Doug Adler.
To be entered into the weekly random drawing for performers,
please send email to motelme@gmail.com.
6:00 pm at Broadway Comedy Club, 318 West 53rd Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
$5 cover plus one-item food or drink minimum
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's industry guests are Jessica Abel (La Perdida, Life Sucks) and Tom Hart (Hutch Owen).
To get a feel for the smart, playful vibe of Comic Book Club, please check out its podcasts—
that is, audio recordings of previous shows in their entirety—by clicking here.
(And for my two current faves, a delightful visit from Kevin "Batman" Conroy and a hilarious evening with Daily Show writer Eliot Kalan, please click here and here.) Please also check out the YouTube version of the show by clicking here.
Also be sure to watch a tale about Wolverine's powers from sketch duo Greg & Lou by clicking here; and a Penguin vs. Batman debate that uncannily predicted John McCain's campaign strategy by clicking here.
And if by some fluke you don't already know: See Star Trek, which is wonderful; avoid X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is nightmarishly dreadful; and catch a Green Lantern sneak peak by clicking here.
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, Robber Baron, Penthouse Riot, Law Firm, and Badman—
each give it a go for 30 minutes, with
short breaks in between, for a total of 3 hours.
And at 11:00 pm, there'll be a performance from advanced UCBT students
improvising a global cataclysm, and then what life will be like afterwards.
Some of these 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.
This show is perennially sold out of seats; but if you're okay
with standing,
come
and laugh with a boisterous packed house.
8:00-midnight pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Janeane Garofalo and Marc Maron
Janeane Garofalo is, quite simply, most influential and beloved comics of our time
(no matter how much she gripes or pretends otherwise...). Most recently, Janeane was co-host of The Majority Report on Air America Radio and co-star of the FOX's hit series 24. Sample quote: "I guess I just prefer to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half empty. And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth." For two decades of impressive credits, please click here.
Marc Maron is a star comic who's a frequent guest on Late Show with David Letterman
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Marc has performed a solo comedy special for
HBO Comedy Half-Hour, and two solo specials for Comedy Central Presents.
Marc's many other TV appearances include being a regular on
Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn.
In addition, Marc performed a popular off-Broadway one-man show,
Jerusalem Syndrome, which he then turned into a 2001 book;
and he co-hosted Morning Sedition on Air America Radio, and hosted
The Marc Maron Show on LA's KTLK-AM.
Marc is a comic's comic, highly respected for his observations
about culture, politics, and life in general.
Tonight Janeane and Marc—who are old friends—will each perform long stand-up sets.
Please note this show may sell out. To reserve tickets, please call (212) 989-9319.
8:30 pm at Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street (between West 4th Street and Bleecker);
tickets are $15, plus $7 food or drink minimum
Todd Barry and Team Submarine...
...and brilliantly funny hosts Pete Holmes and Jessi Klein
This free weekly stand-up show is a spectacular addition to NYC Tuesday night comedy. Its hosts are two of the finest comics in the country:
Jessi Klein (deliciously honest, brilliant, hilarious stand-up star—and now also proving to be, along with Pete, among the finest comedy hosts in NYC; Rolling Stones' comedy "Hot List;" Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; VH1's Best Week Ever; NBC's The Today Show; CNN; 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) and
Pete Holmes (one of the quickest & sharpest minds in comedy; 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;
for a hilarious range of videos, please click here).
Tonight's thoroughly wonderful guests are
Todd Barry (wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz;
Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Lucky Louie, and Sex in the City;
Comedy Central's Freak Show, Dr. Katz, and Shorties Watching Shorties;
Adult Swim's Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Tom Goes To The Mayor;
acted in the acclaimed Darren Aronofsky hit film The Wrestler and new film Pete Smalls is Dead; check out Todd's newest comedy CD From Heaven),
Ali Waller (staff writer for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; former writer for Comedy Central's The Showbiz Show with David Spade), and
Team Submarine (comedy duo Nate Fernald & Steve O'Brien who were one of the highlights of last year's SketchFest NYC 08; perform very smartly written dialogues, delivered with a crisp timing and comfortable camaraderie),
plus Jessi "will finally open up about my dog search."
8:30 pm at Housing Works’ Bookstore Café, 126 Crosby Street (bet. Prince & Houston); free
Nearest subway stops are Bleecker Street on the #6 and Broadway-Lafayette on the B/D/F/V
Anthony Jeselnik and Reggie Watts...
...Wyatt Cenac and Lizz Winstead...
...and Seth Herzog and Baron Vaughn
Hosted by the razor-sharp, dynamic, and hilarious Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Seth is one of the finest hosts around—and this is one of the best comedy shows in NYC.
Tonight's blowout gathering of some of the finest comics in the country consists of
Anthony Jeselnik (phenomenal comic specializing in darkly shocking jokes and one of
my favorite stand-ups ever; staff writer for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour special, HBO's Down & Dirty, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, MTV's Most Valuable Players; for hilarious stand-up videos, please click here).
Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius—a scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician whose unique skills will likely amaze you; won the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act and the 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; is a cast member of the new Electric Company; and recently delivered a bravura performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com; please explore his album Pot Cookies; and please check out some of his best videos by clicking here),
Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; cast member on upcoming HBO Kanye West show; star of indie feature film Medicine for Melancholy; former staff writer/editor for three years on King of the Hill; for a blacks vs. gays competition, please click here).
Lizz Winstead (co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; a performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night; star/host of weekly NYC live comedy show Shoot the Messenger; comedic political commentator on MSNBC; and a character—e.g., for a memorable anti-apology after canceling Drink at Work when the show was running in the East Village, please click here), and
Baron Vaughn (smoking-hot rising star comic, with lightning-fast mind and enormous charisma; NBC's Teachers, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, MTV's The Gamekillers, VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and Best Week Ever, co-star of NYC live political comedy show Shoot the Messenger; feature film Cloverfield, concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy to air on Comedy Central; for a radio interview, please click here; for stand-up videos about the KKK and cell phones, please click here and here).
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
Gloria Bigelow, Amy Beckerman, Leah Dubie, and Jackie Monahan
Free gay-themed stand-up comedy show featuring the superb gals above
as regulars/hosts, plus these NYC comics as guests:
Joel Dovev, Chris Doucette, Gloria Bigelow, and Emmy Rivera.
9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 6/24/09
Todd Barry (Hold for the Laughs), Anthony Jeselnik (New Young Comedians), and Bill Burr (ComedyJuice)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] six free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday (6:00 pm-midnight),
[TOP PICK] Violet Krumbein demonstrating she's one of the most darkly funny talents in NYC in her eerie and hilarious one-woman show Human Painkiller (7:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim, co-host of Punch Up Your Life), John Mulaney (staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, VH1's Best Week Ever; 2008 ECNY Award for Best Male Stand-Up Comedian), and Brent Sullivan (Funny.com) joining hilarious hosts Joe Mande & Noah Garfinkel at Totally J/K (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] John Oliver (stand-up comedy genius and star correspondent of The Daily Show), Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show, cast member of upcoming HBO Kanye West show), Adam Lowitt (producer for The Daily Show, host of It Is It!), and more at a stand-up show from Co-Executive Producer of The Daily Show: Rory Albanese and Friends (8:00 pm),
[FREE] Adam Newman, Team Submarine, Mike Ennis, Ray Devito, Meg Cupernall, and Dewey Banks at a free weekly stand-up comedy show hosted by Matt Maragno & the luminous Margie Kment: Now We're Talking (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; 2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act and the 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; cast member of the new Electric Company; Jimmy Fallon), Baron Vaughn (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Shoot the Messenger, Awkward Kings of Comedy), Ali Wong (hilarious stand-up dynamo; The Onion), and Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion) at a free weekly Brooklyn extravaganza hosted by Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman, and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific (8:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] a blowout gathering to top comedy talent—Anthony Jeselnik (writer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), brilliant stand-ups John Mulaney (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, VH1), Kumail Nanjiani (staff writer of upcoming Michael Black & Michael Showalter Comedy Central series; Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel; winner of the 2009 ECNY Awards for Best Male Stand-Up), Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central, Craig Ferguson, concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films), and Jared Logan (hilarious razor-sharp comic; Comedy Central)—plus producers Aalap Patel, Matteson Perry, and Chelsea White, and free pizza & baked goods and prizes, celebrating New Young Comedians: First Year Anniversary Show (free free pizza & baked goods at 8:30, show & prizes at 9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE COOKIES] a joyous gathering of top comedy talent, including Todd Barry (brilliant wry stand-up; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim, The Wrestler), Livia Scott (magical comedic chameleon; Conan O'Brien, one-woman show Goodnight, O.J.), Ali Wong (hilarious stand-up dynamo; The Onion), sketch duo Team Submarine, stand-up Christian Polanco, and luminous & lovely host Margie Kment performing a full-blown comedy show at 10:00 pm, preceded by a wonderful networking event mixing folks from the NYC theatre and comedy scenes—plus intense free homemade chocolate chip cookies baked by Margie that have come to be known as "Stoner Cookies"—all at Hold for the Laughs (9:30 pm party/networking/cookies, 10:00 pm show),
[TOP PICK] some of the most razor-sharp and uproariously funny storytellers in the country—tonight including Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn, Curtis Gwinn, and Jonathan Gabrus—telling memorable tales about "Summer Jobs" at one of the finest shows in NYC, Dave Martin's The Nights of Our Lives (9:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] powerhouse stand-up star Bill Burr (described as "comedy's future;" HBO and Comedy Central Presents specials, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien), Nick Griffin (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; 7 appearances on David Letterman), Jay Larson (Comedy Central, Craig Ferguson, AMC), Eliot Chang (Comedy Central, MTV, Spike TV), Louis Katz (HBO's Down n' Dirty), and possibly a superstar "surprise guest" at an LA stand-up series famed for top talent dropping in unannounced and that's now making an NYC home at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: ComedyJuice (10:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] and a free, laid-back, and occasionally magical variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
Kurt Braunohler and Pat Shay
The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
For five hours every Wednesday, The PIT provides free shows featuring its improv house troupes. Halfbear and Ali Farahnakian kick things off at 6:00 pm; The Wilhelm and Tomahawk perform at 7:00 pm; Big Black Car and Mrs. Esterhouse go on at 8:00 pm; The Baldwins and Punch show their stuff at 9:00; and Party Lights and The Faculty (consisting of The PIT's superb improv instructors, including such talents as Ali Farahnakian, Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Pat Shay, Kevin Scott, Chris Grace, and Rebekka Johnson) round out the evening at 10:00.
If you then feel sufficiently inspired, you can participate in the free show Improdome at 11:00 pm, which allows audience members to get on stage and improvise with each other in trios for 5-7 minute sets.
6:00 pm-midnight at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Violet Krumbein: Human Painkiller
Two superb dark comedy one-person shows for a mere five bucks.
Violet Krumbein is a very appealing young actress who's performed on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, and UCBT Harold Night improv troupes Tantrum and Whorenado. (For a sample of Violet's sharp acting and vocal skills, please click here.)
Tonight Violet demonstrates she has one of the most disturbingly inventive comedic minds to grace an NYC stage via a show she wrote and performs solo—with the aid of a dancer's grace, impeccable timing, and myriad props...including an unforgettable life-size doll.
Imagine combining the playfulness of Sesame Street with the dark side of Andy Kaufman and you'll get some glimmer of what's in store for you.
Not for every taste; but if you feel adventurous, don't miss this breathtakingly original show by the beautiful and delightfully twisted Ms. Krumbein. Directed by Megan Neuringer (VH1's Best Week Ever, All Access).
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Hosted by quick-witted best buds Noah Garfinkel and
Joe Mande, the 2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic.
(For dueling birthday videos, please click here and here; for their
recent appearance on The McLaughlin Group, please click here;
and for other videos, please click here and here.)
Tonight's thoroughly wonderful guests are
Jessi Klein (deliciously honest, brilliant, hilarious stand-up star—and with her new Tuesday comedy show with Pete Holmes called Punch Up Your Life, also proving to be among the finest comedy hosts in NYC; Rolling Stones' comedy "Hot List;" Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; VH1's Best Week Ever; NBC's The Today Show; CNN; 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 (one of the finest stand-up comics in the country; since August 2008 has been staff writer for Saturday Night Live; frequently appears on VH1's Best Week Ever; performed stand-up twice on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; just aired his first Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Male Stand-Up Comedian; selected by Variety as among the 10 Comics to Watch for 2008; just released his first comedy CD, The Top Part; to check out videos of John's two Conan sets, please click here and here), and
Brent Sullivan (Funny.com; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here).
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
John Oliver, Rory Albanese, and Kumail Nanjiani
The Daily Show's Rory Albanese and Friends
The Daily Show's co-executive producer & multiple Emmy Award winner Rory Albanese hosts this monthly show, which features Daily Show and Colbert Report performers.
Tonight's lineup is subject to change, but the scheduled comics include
John Oliver (genius who's one of the very finest—and nicest—stand-up comics in the biz;
delightful & hilarious star news correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart;
superb hour-long Comedy Central special Terrifying Times; co-writer/star
of The Department for BBC Radio 4, and host/star of BBC stand-up radio show Political Animal), and
Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; cast member on upcoming HBO Kanye West show; star of indie feature film Medicine for Melancholy; former staff writer/editor for three years on King of the Hill; for a blacks vs. gays competition, please click here), and
Adam Lowitt (producer at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; host of NYC live comedy show
It Is It!; for a video stand-up sample, please click here).
This comedy club show is $20. There's also a two-item food or drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure another $13 or up).
To learn more and/or to order tickets, please click here.
8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
tickets are $20, plus two-item food or drink minimum
Adam Newman, Margie Kment, and Team Submarine
This fun new weekly stand-up comedy show is hosted by luminous, enormously likeable, and razor-sharp Margie Kment (also host of the monthly comedy/theatre networking extravaganza Hold for the Laughs), and character-based comic Matt Maragno.
Tonight's sharp guests are
Adam Newman (CMT's Prankville'd, VH1's Best Week Ever blog, half of musical comedy duo Uber Luber Death Metal),
Team Submarine (comedy duo Nate Fernald & Steve O'Brien who were one of the highlights of last year's SketchFest NYC 08; perform very smartly written dialogues, delivered with a crisp timing and comfortable camaraderie),
Mike Ennis, Ray Devito, Meg Cupernall, and Dewey Banks.
8:00 pm at Rodeo Bar, 375 Third Avenue (corner of 27th Street); free
Baron Vaughn and Reggie Watts...
...and hosts Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, and Max Silvestri
Big Terrific, hosted by Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, and Max Silvestri
Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate (adorable and foul-mouthed comedy duo Gabe & Jenny; for Jenny's dating tips, please click here and here) and Max Silvestri (VH1's Best Week Ever, weekly podcast Best Night Ever, videos for 236.com) host this free weekly Brooklyn show.
Tonight's wonderful comics are
Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius—a scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician whose unique skills will likely amaze you; won the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act and the 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; is a cast member of the new Electric Company; and recently delivered a bravura performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com; please explore his album Pot Cookies; and please check out some of his best videos by clicking here),
Baron Vaughn (smoking-hot rising star comic, with lightning-fast mind and enormous charisma; NBC's Teachers, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, MTV's The Gamekillers, VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and Best Week Ever, co-star of NYC live political comedy show Shoot the Messenger; feature film Cloverfield, concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy to air on Comedy Central; for a radio interview, please click here; for stand-up videos about the KKK and cell phones, please click here and here).
Ali Wong (hilarious stand-up dynamo, recently moved from San Francisco; comedy series for The Onion), and
Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Shorties Watchin' Shorties, and Secret Stash Movie; VH1's All Access; The Onion; comedy CD Lou Diamond Phillips?).
8:00 pm doors, 8:30 pm show at Cameo, 93 North 6th Street (behind Lovin' Cup)
in Williamsburg
Brooklyn; free
Take the L subway to Bedford Avenue and walk two blocks; between Berry & Wythe
Anthony Jeselnik and Kumail Nanjiani...
...Matt McCarthy and Hannibal Buress...
...and Jared Logan and Chelsea White
New Young Comedians: Blowout First Year Anniversary Show!
Despite the title, this show guest-hosted tonight by Sean Donnelly consists of razor-sharp NYC comics who've been on stage for years and really know how to make you laugh. And that's especially true this evening, as the show's very best past guests gather to celebrate its one-year anniversary.
Tonight's thoroughly wonderful comics are
Anthony Jeselnik (phenomenal comic specializing in darkly shocking jokes and one of
my favorite stand-ups ever; staff writer for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour special, HBO's Down & Dirty, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, MTV's Most Valuable Players; for hilarious stand-up videos, please click here),
Kumail Nanjiani (red-hot rising stand-up star; staff writer of upcoming Michael Black & Michael Showalter Comedy Central series Michael and Michael Have Issues; appeared on Saturday Night Live, and repeatedly on The Colbert Report; Comedy Central's The Hot List and Open Mic Fight; co-host of monthly NYC live comedy show Game Bros. Live!; winner of the 2009 ECNY Awards for both Best Male Stand-Up and Best One-Person Show (Unpronounceable; for my review, please click here); to get a feel for Kumail's style, please check out his very funny stand-up about the dark side of video games, odd memories, and the many ways cell phones are eliminated in horror films by clicking here),
Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy),
Matt McCarthy (razor-sharp stand-up who's performed on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; won 2009 ECNY Award for Best Performance in a Commercial for his work as the Verizon FIOS Guy; co-host of NY live comedy extravaganza The Matt and Katina Show; for stand-up videos about unsolicited advice and measuring love, please click here and here),
Jared Logan (hilarious kinetic comic; Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; named Best Comedian by the Chicago Comedy Awards; won Detroit's contest for Comedy Idol; for stand-up video about fast food and comic books, please click here; for set on scary things, including toy ads for girls, please click here).
Matteson Perry & Aalap Patel (co-hosts of NYC weekly open mic comedy show Ochi's Motel), and
Chelsea White (for video in which Chelsea tells Mike Meyers to "get in my belly," please click here).
To purchase tickets in advance (a mere $5), please click here.
8:30 pm for free pizza and baked goods, 9:00 pm for show and cool prizes at
Karma Lounge, 51 1st Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Streets); tickets are $5
Todd Barry and Margie Kment...
...Livia Scott and Ali Wong...
...and Christian Polanco and Team Submarine
This is an exciting attempt to bring NYC's vibrant comedy and theatre worlds together.
It opens at 9:30 pm with a networking party featuring free snacks (including addictively delicious homemade cookies) in which theatre and comedy folks can meet each other, and also get to know the artists involved in upcoming theatrical shows produced by the sponsor, Small Pond Entertainment. Come chat it up with producers, actors, comedians, technicians, theatre company reps, and other lovely folks who work in NYC's performing arts.
The event then shifts at 10:00 pm into a full-blown comedy show hosted by the
lovely and hilarious Margie Kment—who also baked the intense and memorable free cookies the audience has come to refer to as "Stoner Cookies" (for stand-up video about dating a stoner, please click here).
Tonight's thoroughly wonderful guests are
Todd Barry (wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz;
Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Lucky Louie, and Sex in the City;
Comedy Central's Freak Show, Dr. Katz, and Shorties Watching Shorties;
Adult Swim's Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Tom Goes To The Mayor;
acted in the acclaimed Darren Aronofsky hit film The Wrestler and new film Pete Smalls is Dead; check out Todd's newest comedy CD From Heaven),
Livia Scott (brilliant comedic chameleon who's a stellar stand-up and sketch comic, and also an extraordinary actress; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, world-class sketch groups Meat and Dirty Jeans & Thunderchief, host of NYC comedy show Livia's Castle of Enchantment, 2008 ECNY Award-nominated one-woman show Goodnight, O.J.),
Ali Wong (hilarious stand-up dynamo, recently moved from San Francisco; comedy series for The Onion),
Team Submarine (comedy duo Nate Fernald & Steve O'Brien who were one of the highlights of last year's SketchFest NYC 08; perform very smartly written dialogues, delivered with a crisp timing and comfortable camaraderie), and
Christian Polanco ("Christian finally has 500 Facebook friends! And they are not just strangers. They're all people I know personally because I've slept with every single one of them;" for stand-up video about Barack Obama, please click here).
Please Note: It's recommended that you reserve in advance by emailing holdforthelaughs@gmail.com. This will give you the opportunity to fill out a short questionnaire about your role in the NYC comedy and/or theatre community; your answers will be included in an information packet emailed to everyone to enhance networking both before and after the show.
9:30 pm for networking, 10:00 pm for comedy show at the Sage Theatre,
711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor (between 47th & 48th Streets);
the ticket price is whatever you care to pay, with a suggested donation of $10
The Nights of Our Lives: Summer Jobs
This is one of the best shows in New York.
The format is simple: A bunch of razor-sharp writer/performers tell stories
about themselves revolving around the evening's theme—which tonight
is "Summer Jobs."
The only rules of the show are that the tales must be true, and must be funny.
The brutal honesty, and jarring bravery, of some the participants can be hair-raising.
What they offer aren't merely jokes, but resonant, humane perspectives on life.
At the same time, there are very few shows, on or off Broadway,
that will make you laugh as consistently and as loud.
Enormous kudos go to host David Martin; and to brilliant storytellers
Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn, Chris Gethard, Curtis Gwinn, Anthony King,
Margot Leitman, Adam Pally, and the other comedy soldiers who've bared
some of their darkest and funniest secrets on the Nights of Our Lives stage.
To hear complete audio versions of previous shows, please visit BreakThruRadio.com and then click the Nights of Our Lives showdate that interests you.
This evening's yarn-spinners are stellar regulars Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn, Curtis Gwinn, and Dave Martin, plus Jonathan Gabrus (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, VH1's Best Week Ever, writer and star of Spike TV sitcom The Void and and co-producer of Spike's Mocap LLC; IFC.com's Lunchbox; half of sketch comedy duo Tybrus).
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Bill Burr and Nick Griffin...
...and Eliot Chang and Jay Larson
ComedyJuice: Bill Burr, Nick Griffin, and More—Possibly Including a Major Surprise Guest
ComedyJuice is a popular & long-running comedy series in LA that's now also making a home for itself in NYC at the elegant Comix Comedy Club. Produced by Scot Richardson, this superb show brings in top national talent and CA comics not often seen in NYC—and often a superstar surprise guest (e.g., last month Jim Gaffigan appeared unannounced...and delivered one of the finest stand-up sets I've ever seen.)
Tonight's wonderful stand-ups are
Bill Burr (described as "comedy's future;" HBO and Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien; two comedy CDs, Emotionally Unavailable and Why Do I Do This?; for a stand-up video about romance, please click here),
Nick Griffin (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; 7 stand-up appearances on Late Show with David Letterman; for startling confessional video about the life of a comic, please click here; for stand-up video about being depressed bad boys, please click here),
Jay Larson (Variety's "Comics to Watch;" Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, CBS' Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; AMC's Date Night; Web series The Steamer; star of film Nacho Mountain about underground competitive eating; for stand-up video about uncomfortable anniversaries, please kick here),
Eliot Chang (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, MTV's FN MTV, Spike TV's Crash Test, NBC's Law & Order: SVU; for stand-up ad lib about Santa, please click here),
Louis Katz (filthy San Francisco stand-up; HBO's Down n' Dirty; for stand-up video about politically incorrect porn, please click here),
and possibly a major "surprise guest."
Expect to laugh...a lot.
Please Note: You can get $5 off the $20 cover (i.e., pay just $15 per ticket) by ordering online using discount code LAFF. There's also a two-item food or drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure another $13 or up).
To learn more and/or to order, please click here.
10:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
tickets are $15 online using discount code LAFF, plus two-item food or drink minimum
Justin Purnell
Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) provides a mix of guests who perform 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.
Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,
that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible.
Please note that while it costs nothing to get in, if you have a good time (which is likely), you should drop a dollar or two into the contribution bucket on your way out. It's the only way this beloved show—which has been running for over five years—can stay alive as a vibrant showcase.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 6/25/09
Apologies; due to tech problems, I have to skip listings for Thursday, June 25th.
The issues are getting resolved, and listings for Friday will be up at midnight tonight.
Meanwhile, thanks to everyone who attended the ComedyJuice show Wednesday night. Bill Burr was a force of nature, and performed one of the most sharp, energetic, and hilarious sets I've ever seen.
Keep an eye on ComedyJuice; three months in a row, it's delivered some of the finest comedy in the country.
And again, please tune in here anytime from midnight on for Friday's listings.
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 6/26/09
Ted Alexandro (Headlining at Gotham), Lizz Winstead (Headlining at Comix), and Gil Ozeri (Master Class in Comedy)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
the comedy group that created the classic "Fart Spelling Bee" sketch tries out new material: Pangea 3000 (7:00 pm),
sharp stand-ups Taylor Williamson (extremely likeable zen-like comic; CBS' Craig Ferguson), Joe Dixon, Paul Goncalves, Gilad Foss, Mo Diggs, and more at Calvin S. Cato's show for our current economy: Nouveau Poor (7:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] a one-man spoof of guides on how to break into the biz from hilarious improvisor & sketch comic Gil Ozeri, and an imagining by comedy jewel Jenny Slate of what her funeral would be like if she was rich and left all the money to her dog, in Buzzy Shore's Master Class in Comedy and Dead Millionaire (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] one of the finest stand-up comics in the country performing tonight through Sunday: Ted Alexandro Headlining at Gotham (8:30 pm & 10:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] two superb stand-ups—Lizz Winstead (co-creator of original The Daily Show; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, HBO, MSNBC, Shoot the Messenger) and Kumail Nanjiani (staff writer of upcoming Michael Black & Michael Showalter Comedy Central series; Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel; winner of the 2009 ECNY Awards for Best Male Stand-Up)—joining forces to perform tonight and Saturday night Headlining at Comix (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),
NYC stand-up comics Claudia Cogan (MTV, Logo, here! TV), Lisa Kaplan (Lesbians of Laughter Tour), Mike Singer (here! TV), and more at a gay-themed comedy show hosted by Jenny Rubin: The Back Room (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] gay comics Frank DeCaro, Robin Cloud, and Tara Clancy telling personal & funny "coming out" tales at Closet Cases (9:30 pm),
singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical (10:00 pm),
five women performing an improvised, and possibly tipsy, parody of The View at Focus (11:30 pm),
[$] The Raspberry Brothers—Jerm Pollet, Johnny McNulty, and Aaron Glaser—making funny remarks about a Hollywood feature film screened in an actual movie theatre, with tonight's victim being Top Gun (midnight),
[FREE] a free opportunity for you to perform improv with UCBT veterans at Jammin' with Ralph (12:20ish am).
[$] and a provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining at Carolines: Paul Mooney (12:30 am).
Sketch troupe Pangea 3000 consists of Andrew Cleary, Sam Kemmis, Dan Klein, Arthur Meyer, and Seth Reiss. These guys have blown the roof off with such instant classics as a spelling bee for fart noises, and a doctor announcing devastating news and then going off to calmly eat a chicken sandwich while family members panic. To view two of Pangea 3000's surreal tales of games guys play, involving whoopee cushions and tag, please click here and here. Tonight these clever writer/performers try out new material.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Calvin S. Cato and Taylor Williamson
Calvin S. Cato (Game Show Network, Stand-Up New York, Naked Comedy Show) hosts a show, mixing comedy and music, whose title fits our current economy.
Tonight's fine stand-up guests are
Taylor Williamson (quirky, fun, extremely likeable stand-up with zen-like appeal; CBS' Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; for stand-up video about a pregnant mannequin, please click here' for stand-up video about who's the funniest in Taylor's family, please click here),
Joe Dixon, Paul Goncalves, Gilad Foss, Mo Diggs,
and possibly some surprise comics and/or musicians.
7:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Jenny Slate...
...and Gil Ozeri
Gil Ozeri: Buzzy Shore's Master Class in Comedy and Jenny Slate: Dead Millionaire
Two superb comedy shows for a mere 10 bucks.
Gil Ozeri has performed on Saturday Night Live, is a brilliant member of ace improv/sketch troupe Hot Sauce, and is an animator who created Team Gibba. Tonight Gil debuts a one-man show that parodies instructional guides on breaking into the comedy business. Directed by the wonderful John Flynn (Showgirls: The Best Movie Ever Made. Ever!, John Flynn Has Terrible Sex, The Nights of Our Lives). This is likely to be hilarious, and I'm recommending it sight unseen.
The double-bill then continues with Jenny Slate, a sly, sexy, hilarious comic who's the co-host of acclaimed Brooklyn weekly live comedy show Big Terrific and the co-star of Joe Mande's superb comedic play Workdays with Maury. For some of Jenny's video dating tips, please click here and here.
Tonight Jenny performs a one-woman show which "takes place during my funeral, if I died right now as an eccentric millionaire and left 300 million dollars to my dog." The production shows off Jenny's immense sweetness, darkness, and wit, with treasured moments ranging from cheese thrown with deadly force to Jenny's unforgettable feelings about men and porn. Come and enjoy this deliciously unique performer. Directed by the witty and razor-sharp John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives).
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10
Ted Alexandro Headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club
Comedy star Ted Alexandro is one of the finest stand-ups around.
Ted's credits include Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The View, and two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials.
Ted's organic, personable style led to being described by Uproar as having "an appeal similar to Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld."
Tonight through Sunday, Ted will be performing deliciously long sets at the Gotham Comedy Club.
To purchase tickets, please click here.
8:30 pm & 10:30 pm at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street (bet. 7th & 8th Avenues);
$22 cover, plus 2-drink minimum (figure another $13+)
Lizz Winstead and Kumail Nanjiani: Headlining at Comix
Lizz Winstead has enjoyed a long and varied career in comedy. She's co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; a performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night; star/host of live comedy show Shoot the Messenger; comedic political commentator on MSNBC; and a character—e.g., for a memorable anti-apology after canceling Drink at Work when the show was running in the East Village, please click here.
Tonight, however, Lizz returns to her roots as a sharp stand-up and storyteller. With all the adventures she's had, expect a fun time.
Kumail Nanjiani is a red-hot rising stand-up star. He's a staff writer for the upcoming Michael Black & Michael Showalter Comedy Central series Michael and Michael Have Issues; has appeared on Saturday Night Live and The Colbert Report, and Comedy Central's The Hot List and Open Mic Fight; is co-host of monthly NYC live comedy show Game Bros. Live!; and won the 2009 ECNY Awards for both Best Male Stand-Up and Best One-Person Show (Unpronounceable; for my review, please click here).
To get a feel for Kumail's style, please check out his very funny stand-up about the dark side of video games, odd memories, and the many ways cell phones are eliminated in horror films by clicking here. And then come and find out why Kumail is so respected as both writer and stand-up.
This comedy club show is $30 tonight, or $25 for Saturday if you buy today online.
Please note there's also a two-item minimum;
with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.
8:00 pm & 10:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
tickets are $30 tonight, $25 Saturday if you buy today online, plus two-item food or drink minimum
Jenny Rubin, Paul Case, Shawn Hollenbach, and Claudia Cogan
Gay-themed comedy (with both gay & straight comics)
hosted by the charming Jenny Rubin (WE TV’s Cinematherapy and The Gutter).
Tonight's stand-up guests are
Claudia Cogan (MTV, Logo Network, here! TV, Sirius OutQ; for stand-up video about Claudia's aspirations to be a stripper, please click here; for video about her being unemployed, please click here),
Lisa Kaplan (Carolines, Lesbians of Laughter Tour), and
Mike Singer (here! TV, Veteran of the Mic),
plus
Back Room co-producer Paul Case (MTV, D-Listed Radio, here! TV's Bent) and
Back Room co-producer Shawn Hollenbach (here! TV's Busted).
9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Back: Zach Woods, Bobby Moynihan, Andy Secunda, Michael Delaney, and Shannon O'Neil
Front: Chris Gethard, Silvija Ozols, and Will Hines
Some of the smartest & finest improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney,
Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols,
Andy Secunda, and Zach Woods—make up a series of scenes from a one-word audience suggestion.
Just to give you a feel for the talent involved, Delaney and Secunda are members of legendary improv troupe The Swarm; Gethard is a storytelling genius; and Moynihan (who still comes by on Fridays when he can steal the time) since 2008 is a stellar cast member of Saturday Night Live.
With art and grace, these quick-witted comedy stars will make you laugh—a lot.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10
Frank DeCaro
Sharp gay comics tell their personal and, hopefully, hilarious tales of coming out. The official description:
"Remember when you came out of the closet? Remember how dramatic
it was back then but now, at second glance, wasn't it hysterical? Shawn Hollenbach
(Host of here! TV's Busted) hosts a group of comedians and performers
who are going to relive their coming out experiences just for you."
Tonight's superb guests are Frank DeCaro (host of The Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius/XM OutQ Radio), Robin Cloud (Under the Pink Carpet), Adam Lehman (here! Network's Hot Gay Comics), and Tara Clancy (comedic storyteller).
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10
Veteran improvisor John O'Donnell is accompanied
by a rotating cast that might include such talents as
Tara Copeland, Jess Allen, and Robin Rothman
—and with Frank Spitznagel on piano—
turn an interview with an audience member
into a musical they make up on the spot.
10:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $7
This show is a parody of The View that's mostly improvised by performers Brigid Boyle, Emily Bryan, Nicole Cascio, Caroline Ficksman, and Alexis Saarela. The official description:
"Hey, Darlings! Come sit down with a cup of coffee (or perhaps a martini) and join the panel
of five of New York's most talkative and opinionated women as they discuss the week's events, and interview alluring guests from the worlds of literature, politics, comedy, and more.
This show will keep you in Focus. Let's talk about issues, over drinks!"
11:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Raspberry Brothers Top Top Gun
Effectively providing a live version of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, The Raspberry Brothers—Jerm Pollet, Johnny McNulty, and Aaron Glaser—tear to shreds a Hollywood feature film with clever observations throughout. The movie is screened in a genuine movie theatre, Chelsea Cinemas on 23rd Street off 8th Avenue (just a few blocks away from UCBT).
Tonight's victim is Top Gun, which is pretty hilarious even without commentary. Come see the boys make it even funnier.
To purchase tickets in advance, please click here.
Midnight at Chelsea Cinemas, 260 West 23rd Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $15
To perform improvisation at UCBT, you must spend years taking classes and carefully perfecting your craft...or you can come to this monthly free show, which allows audience members to jump on stage and participate!
Hosted by popular long-form improv troupe The Law Firm, which consists of superb talents Dominic Dierkes, Matt Fisher, Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, Fran Gillespie, Nate Lang, DC Pierson, and Gregory Tuculescu. (Though Derrick's Dom & DC might be seeking fame & fortune in LA by now...)
12:20ish am at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
Paul Mooney: Headlining at Carolines
Fire-tongued comedy star Paul Mooney's numerous credits include writing for Richard Pryor, Saturday Night Live, and In Living Color, and performing on Late Show with David Letterman and Chappelle's Show. For video samples, please click here and here.
This New York comedy club show has a $31 cover plus two-drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure another $13 or up).
To order tickets, please click here and then click the Buy Now button for the evening you want. (Mooney is headlining at Carolines tonight through Sunday.)
12:30 am at Carolines, 1626 Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);
$31 ticket plus two-drink minimum
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 6/27/09
Adam Wade (The Liar Show), Ted Alexandro (Headlining at Gotham), and Gil Ozeri (Master Class in Comedy)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] four world-class storytellers—Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion and record-breaking 10-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of Real Tales of College), Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Leslie Goshko (Manhattan Monologue Slam Champ, host of Sideshow Goshko), and Jim O'Grady (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion)—joining host Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion) in trying to mislead the audience at The Liar Show (6:00 pm),
hilarious sketch performer Chris O'Connor (member of world-class sketch troupe Fearsome), and stand-ups Rob O'Reilly, Matthew Rittberg, Gabe Pacheco, Gilad Foss, Dan Goodman, and Louis Katz, joining hosts Pat Stango, Blaine Perry, and Sean Donnelly at Lil' Seany Boy (7:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,
and The Daily Show joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball (7:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] Lauren Olson performing a one-woman show about the death of her mom that's reportedly funny and superb in Our Condolences (7:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] one of the finest stand-up comics in the country performing a deliciously long set three times tonight: Ted Alexandro Headlining at Gotham (8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm),
[$] Lizz Winstead (co-creator of original The Daily Show) and Kumail Nanjiani (staff writer of upcoming Michael Black & Michael Showalter Comedy Central series; Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel) Headlining at Comix (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),
Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell relating their YouTube-documented romantic adventures
live on stage—possibly accompanied by visits from some of the gals—on Double Date Us (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which in 2008 broke the UCBT improv competition record for winning streaks with 17 triumphs in a row, and this year delivered a magnificent performance to capture the Cage Match Championship—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer (9:00 pm),
[DISCOUNTED] Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp comic; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Amy Schumer (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), James Smith (HBO's Flight of the Conchords), and other fine stand-ups performing at the only comedy club in the East Village, the intimate no-cover Eastville (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] inventive & hilarious sketch comedy from The Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] improvised furious action from world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),
vibrant improv from acclaimed trio Statues of LIberty (10:30 pm),
raucous physical sketch comedy in the form of comedic wrestling
at the no-holds-barred action of UCBW: Revengeance IV (midnight),
[$] and a provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining at Carolines: Paul Mooney (12:30 am).
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 fibbers. Hosted by Andy Christie (The New York Times, 2007 Moth GrandSlam Champion, author of book I Wasn't Kidding).
Tonight's amazing all-star yarn-spinners are
Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion and record-breaking 10-time StorySlam Champion; fiction story in The New York Times Magazine; columnist for ReallySmallTalk.com; host of monthly NYC storytelling show Real Tales of College; for his Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here),
Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central's Premium Blend, VH1's Best Week Ever, Showtime's Queer as Folk; The Guardian),
Leslie Goshko (delightful comedic performer/writer; 2008 Manhattan Monologue Slam Champion; host of terrific monthly NYC storytelling event Sideshow Goshko; for Leslie's award-winning comedy bit about Internet dating, please click here; for her bit on "the End Times Awareness Carnival," please click here), and
Jim O'Grady (former writer for The New York Times; Moth GrandSlam Champion; for storytelling video about respect, please click here).
The Liar Show was a smash hit at last August's Edinburgh Festival, and is recommended.
Please note this show often sells out. To reserve tickets, please call (212) 989-9319.
6:00 pm at Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street (between West 4th Street and Bleecker);
$10 ticket plus $7 one-drink minimum
Sean Donnelly and Chris O'Connor...
...and Blaine Perry & Pat Stango
Sean Donnelly (XM Radio; co-host of weekly NYC open mic live comedy show Ochi's Motel; member of sketch comedy & funny short film troupe Don't Touch Me There; for a stand-up video, please click here) emcees this showcase for sharp stand-ups with best buds
Blaine Perry & Pat Stango (hosts of NYC comedy show Don't Touch Me There).
Tonight's guests are
Chris O’Connor (hilarious force-of-nature sketch comic; member of world-class sketch troupe Fearsome; for video about a moral drug dealer, please click here), and
stand-ups Rob O'Reilly, Matthew Rittberg, Gabe Pacheco, Gilad Foss, Dan Goodman, and Louis Katz.
7:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Anthony King, Scott Adsit, Christina Gausas, and Tami Sagher
Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.
Among the players often performing 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), Christina Gausas (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Stepfathers, Dorff & Gausas), Anthony King (UCBT-NY Artistic Director, Reuben Williams, Gutenberg! The Musical), Laura Krafft (writer for The Colbert Report), and Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006).
7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10
Lauren Olson performs a one-woman show about "the awkward, uncomfortable crap we all unavoidably experience when someone dies." In fact, it's about the death of Lauren's mom. And, somehow, it's funny.
I haven't seen this yet, but have heard good things.
7:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Ted Alexandro Headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club
Comedy star Ted Alexandro is one of the finest stand-ups in the country.
Ted's credits include Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The View, and two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials.
Ted's organic, personable style led to being described by Uproar as having "an appeal similar to Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld."
Tonight through Sunday, Ted will be performing deliciously long sets at the Gotham Comedy Club.
To purchase tickets, please click here.
8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street
(between 7th & 8th Avenues); $22 cover, plus 2-drink minimum (figure another $13+)
Lizz Winstead and Kumail Nanjiani: Headlining at Comix
Lizz Winstead has enjoyed a long and varied career in comedy. She's co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; a performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night; star/host of live comedy show Shoot the Messenger; comedic political commentator on MSNBC; and a character—e.g., for a memorable anti-apology after canceling Drink at Work when the show was running in the East Village, please click here.
Tonight, however, Lizz returns to her roots as a sharp stand-up and storyteller. With all the adventures she's had, expect a fun time.
Kumail Nanjiani is a red-hot rising stand-up star. He's a staff writer for the upcoming Michael Black & Michael Showalter Comedy Central series Michael and Michael Have Issues; has appeared on Saturday Night Live and The Colbert Report, and Comedy Central's The Hot List and Open Mic Fight; is co-host of monthly NYC live comedy show Game Bros. Live!; and won the 2009 ECNY Awards for both Best Male Stand-Up and Best One-Person Show (Unpronounceable; for my review, please click here).
To get a feel for Kumail's style, please check out his very funny stand-up about the dark side of video games, odd memories, and the many ways cell phones are eliminated in horror films by clicking here. And then come and find out why Kumail is so respected as both writer and stand-up.
This comedy club show is $30 tonight, or $25 for Saturday if you buy today online.
Please note there's also a two-item minimum;
with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.
8:00 pm & 10:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
tickets are $30 tonight, $25 Saturday if you buy today online, plus two-item food or drink minimum
Dave and Ethan: Double Date Us
Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell challenged pairs of women to double date them,
then documented the results on YouTube. Tonight they relate their tales live on stage...
along with guest appearances. "And possibly even a live date."
8:00 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, and unquestionably among the finest groups in improv history, the brilliant comics of Death by Roo Roo—Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, John Gemberling, Curtis Gwinn, Gil Ozeri, Adam Pally, and Gavin Speiller—interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story via improvised scenes. These winners of the prestigious 2009 Cage Match Championship are always razor-sharp, sometimes scary, and usually hilarious.
9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10
Amy Schumer and Joe DeRosa
Joe DeRosa, Amy Schumer, James Smith, and More at the Eastville Comedy Club
Tonight at the intimate Eastville, the only comedy club in NYC's East Village, the 9:00 pm lineup includes
Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp stand-up; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, HBO's Down & Dirty, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, Insomniac Tour with Dave Attell, Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival; for stand-up video about why Joe hates weddings, and about sending old folks to war, please click here and here),
Amy Schumer (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Night of Too Many Stars and Reality Bites Back, Ellen; for Amy's video interview with Sarah Silverman, please click here),
James Smith (NYC-based Australian comic; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Comedy Central; for stand-up video on what it's like to be Australian in New York, please click here).
For detailed lineup info, please click here.
Please Note: You can pay nothing instead of the $15 cover price by mentioning discount code HyReviews when you make reservations via email address EastvilleComedy@yahoo.com or by calling (212) 260-2445.
Please also note there's a two-item minimum; with tax & tip, figure on spending $13 or up.
9:00 pm at Eastville Comedy Club, 85 East 4th Street (slightly west of 2nd Avenue);
tickets are free if you mention HyReviews when making reservations, plus two-drink minimum
Ted Greenberg: The Complete Performer
It would be hard to go wrong with a show from Ted Greenberg, the Emmy Award winning writer for seven seasons of Late Night with David Letterman. So it's not surprising this 30-minute act was a hit at this year's FringeNYC, often selling out performances.
The Complete Performer is a parody of typical NYC acts in small venues—improv, mind reading, card tricks, playing with the audience. It's essentially a comedy club act, but with gags in place of standard jokes. (If you're okay with having surprises spoiled, you can get a feel for Ted's approach by clicking here.)
Come enjoy quirky laughs from this seasoned pro; and hang out afterwards to chat with Ted, who's one of the friendliest Emmy winners you're ever likely to meet...and even promises to drive some audience members home!
Tickets are $15 at the door, or $15.50 online using discount code STIX (otherwise $18).
9:00 pm at Soho Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street (between 6th Avenue & Varick); tickets are $15
The Harvard Sailing Team, which won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Group,
performs their special brand of fresh, imaginative comedy
that turns familiar rituals on their head. (For a video about awkward goodbyes
at the end of a party, please click here.) The very talented troupe consists of
Rebecca Brey, Jen Curran, Clayton Early, Faryn Einhorn, Katie Larson,
Adam Lustick, Chris Smith, Billy Scafuri, and Sara Taylor.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10
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, Porter Mason, Lennon Parham, Ben Rodgers, Charlie Sanders, Eric Scott, Kate Spencer, Charlie Todd, and Joe Wengert. These improv stars tonight let "the gloves come off in a show that will give you a bloody nose from laughing so hard, and a bruise on your knee from slapping it the way people do when they laugh...Come get your head blown off as some of NYC's funniest improvisers attack the stage."
10:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10
Statues of Liberty is a 3-man improv troupe Nick Kanellis, Peter McNerney, and Russ Armstrong. Their experience ranges from iO Chicago to Second City Chicago to Northwestern University, and according to the show's description "gushes with characters, visceral drama, lightning bolt organic transitions, and awesome energy and fearlessness." A Time Out New York Critics Pick.
10:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The wonderful folks from Cage Match—
Ben Rodgers, Eric Scott, Charlie Todd, Adam Pally, Pat Baer,
Neil Casey, Eugene Cordero, C. LeMar McLean, Anthony King,
and many more—
bring you a hybrid of old-school wrestling
and cutting-edge comedy, live on stage!
Or, as the UCBW puts it: "New York's only comedy wrestling league is back with another Pay-Per-View. Don't miss a night of hilarious characters beating the shit out of each other."
For further details and/or to make reservations, please click here.
To get a taste of what the evening will be like, please visit the UCBW News Center
by clicking here; and also view a couple of fabulous matches from
from previous wrestling extravaganzas—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
Paul Mooney: Headlining at Carolines
Fire-tongued comedy star Paul Mooney's numerous credits include writing for Richard Pryor, Saturday Night Live, and In Living Color, and performing on Late Show with David Letterman and Chappelle's Show. For video samples, please click here and here.
This New York comedy club show has a $31 cover plus two-drink minimum (with tax & tip, figure another $13 or up).
To order tickets, please click here and then click the Buy Now button for the evening you want. (Mooney is headlining at Carolines tonight through Sunday.)
12:30 am at Carolines, 1626 Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);
$31 ticket plus two-drink minimum
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 6/28/09
Jessica Delfino & Ben Lerman (Match Game), Hannibal Buress (Sunday Night Stand-Up & Match Game), and Adam Sank (Electro Shock)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [FREE] UCBT's playground for celebrities and ace improvisors,
ASSSSCAT 3000 (paid show at 7:30 pm, free show at 9:30 pm),
Matt McCarthy, Roger Hailes, and other fine stand-ups at a free weekly LES show hosted by Greg Johnson & Jacqueline Novak: The Comedians (7:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] Ben Lerman hosts a stellar group of comics—Jessica Delfino, Michael Musto, Hannibal Buress, Judy Gold, Frank DeCaro, and Becky Donohue—at a new East Village version of a classic game show: Match Game Live (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central, Craig Ferguson, concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS, VH1), Liam McEneaney (VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central, host of Tell Your Friends), Abbi Crutchfield (delightful, energetic stand-up and character actress), and Dan Goodman at RG Daniels' free Sunday Night Stand-Up (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] one of the finest stand-up comics in the country concluding his current run tonight: Ted Alexandro Headlining at Gotham (8:30 pm),
[FREE] Chris Jurek, Dan Newbower, Jay Bois, and Peter Kassnove performing at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free stand-up show Beauty Bar Comedy (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] and a "Battle of the Gaylebrities" as Adam Sank, the original creator/host of this gay-themed stand-up show, returns for one night only to battle the current host, Brad Loekle, for audience laughs and votes at Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour (10:00 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 $10; 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...and even more tickets are available for those willing to watch the show standing. 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 ($10) & 9:30 pm (free) at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue)
Matt McCarthy and Greg Johnson
This is often one of the best comedy shows in New York—and is entirely free.
It's hosted by sharp, quick-witted Greg Johnson (check out his hilarious blog by clicking here) and Jacqueline Novak (Comedy Central Live Tour, XM Radio, CollegeHumor.com; for "response to heckler" video, please click here).
Tonight's guests include Matt McCarthy and Roger Hailes.
7:30 pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; tickets are $5
Jessica Delfino, Ben Lerman, and Hannibal Buress are just three of the contestants on...
Match Game Live 2009 with Ben Lerman
This star-studded show both replicates and parodies one of the most surreal game shows ever.
It's hosted by the wonderful Ben Lerman (hilarious, razor-sharp singer/songwriter; Sirius Radio).
And tonight's stellar guests are
Jessica Delfino (brilliantly funny and stunning writer/singer; enjoys singing songs
about her vagina, as demonstrated by her acclaimed CDs Dirty Folk Rock and I Wanna Be Famous; created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; toured the country with the wonderful Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players;
was a big hit at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival; has a cool MySpace page),
Michael Musto (long-time reviewer for The Village Voice),
Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy),
Judy Gold (star stand-up comic; former co-host of The View; former writer/producer on The Roseanne Show and The Rosie O'Donnell Show; regular performer on such shows as VH1's All Access, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and The Hollywood Squares; one-woman show Mommy Queerest),
Frank DeCaro (former correspondent for The Daily Show; host of The Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius/XM OutQ Radio), and
Becky Donohue (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and Shorties Watchin' Shorties; TLC's Trading Spaces; Fashion Police writer for US Weekly).
To purchase tickets online ($10 plus $1.24 service charge), please click here.
8:00 pm at Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery (between Houston & Bleecker); tickets are $10
Abbi Crutchfield, RG Daniels, and Hannibal Buress
Sunday Night Stand-Up with RG Daniels
This free weekly stand-up comedy show features both established talents and up-and-comers. It's hosted by RG Daniels (sweetly quirky experimental comic; influences include Woody Allen and french fries; occasionally refers to himself as "Hanukah-face").
Tonight's terrific guests include
Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy),
Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1; off-Broadway show The Marijuana-Logues),
Liam McEneaney (VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, former writer for Standup Nation with Greg Giraldo, host of weekly NYC live comedy show Tell Your Friends),
Abbi Crutchfield (delightful, energetic stand-up and character actress), and
Dan Goodman (for stand-up video on making sports more lively, please click here).
8:00 pm at Three of Cups downstairs lounge, 83 1st Avenue (off 5th Street); free
Ted Alexandro Headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club
Comedy star Ted Alexandro is one of the finest stand-ups around.
Ted's credits include Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The View, and two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials.
Ted's organic, personable style led to being described by Uproar as having "an appeal similar to Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld."
Ted is completing his run tonight at the Gotham Comedy Club.
To purchase tickets, please click here.
8:30 pm at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street (bet. 7th & 8th Avenues);
$20 cover, plus 2-drink minimum (figure another $13+)
Hosts Vince Averill & Jesse Popp
This long-running free weekly comedy show is hosted by Vince Averill (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, DC Comedy Festival) and Jesse Popp (Comedy Central's Premium Blend).
Tonight's stand-up guests are
Chris Jurek, Dan Newbower, Jay Bois, and Peter Kassnove.
9:00 pm at Beauty Bar, 231 East 14th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues); free
Adam Sank and Brad Loekle
The Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Brad Loekle (cast member of TruTV’s weekly The Smoking Gun Presents, co-host of Sirius Radio’s weekly OUT Q, columnist for monthly magazine Key West Gay Rag) hosts this gay-themed weekly stand-up comedy show. It's entirely free if you're okay with standing; otherwise plan on ordering food or a drink if you prefer sitting at a table.
For tonight only, in a special event titled Pride & Prejudice: Battle of the Gaylebrities, the man who created and originally hosted this show, Adam Sank (Last Comic Standing; former TV news producer for FOX and WABC-TV; written for The New York Times, Esquire Magazine, and The San Francisco Sentinel) will be returning to battle Brad Loekle for audience laughs and votes.
Helping judge the mayhem will be comedians Dana Lovecchio (VH1), Scott Ryan (Here! TV's Hot Gay Comics), and Karith Foster (Imus in the Morning, Comedy Central).
10:00 pm at Therapy, 348 West 52nd Street (between 8th & 9th 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 $3.50 each—
please read Hy on Theatre Discounts.
Copyright © 2009 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
