NYC Comedy Picks for Week of June 23, 2008

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 6/23/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

the perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set

and around 30 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

brilliant comedy TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (The Daily Show, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, MTV)

and constantly inventive comedic chameleon Brett Gelman (Conan O'Brien, Colbert Report) paying tribute

to the pseudo career of a made-up Hollywood icon at Andres du Bouchet: Born With A Stage Name (8:00 pm),

stand-up from top TV comedy writers Brian Kiley (genius writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien since 1994),

Dan Cronin (writer for Conan O'Brien; NBC, Comedy Central), and Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report;

star of Sonic commercials; ace improvisor) at Liam McEneaney's free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

delightful lesbian stand-up comics Jackie Monahan, Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, and

Gloria Bigelow hosting a Gay Pride Show edition of their weekly Dykes on Mics (8:00 pm),

political sketch comedy, plus an interview with political consultant Cliff Schecter about

his new book The Real McCain, at Liz Winstead's Shoot the Messenger (8:00 pm),

sharp stand-ups Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents, Chappelle's Show, VH1),

Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), and more in a new show

from superb comedy hosts Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1, Stripped Stories) & Michelle Buteau

(Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): A Cute Show with Rozzi and Buteau (8:00 pm),

deliciously funny Kate McKinnon performing a one-woman show about pill-popping fairy princesses,

and an improv troupe specializing in political satire, in Disenchanted and The Spin Room  (9:30 pm),

and some of the best improvisors in NYC performing in pairs at Couples Skate (11:00 pm).

Ochi's Motel

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 30+ 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.

Ochi's Motel is hosted & booked by Sean Donnelly and Joe Powers.

To be entered into the weekly random drawing for performers,

please send email to ochismotel[at]gmail.com.

There are two shows tonight, at 6:30 and 9:00 pm (with entirely different sets of comics).

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)

Brett Gelman and Kristen Schaal...

...and Andres du Bouchet

Andres du Bouchet: Born With A Stage Name

Andres du Bouchet is a writer for & performer on FOX's Talkshow with Spike Feresten; has also performed on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn, and ESPN's Cheap Seats; and hosts the NYC live comedy show Andres du Bouchet Has Been Expecting You. To watch Andres explain song lyrics, please click here; and for lots more videos, please click here.

Tonight Andre pretends to be a tad more famous than he actually is, "celebrating his 35 fictional years as a Hollywood icon with fascinating interviews, powerful film clips, titillating stories, and stiff drinks." Helping pull off this semi-improvised sketch show are two of the funniest and most inventive comics in the country:

Kristen Schaal (lovely, brilliant, breathtakingly talented writer/actress/comic;

thoroughly delightful new correspondent and shining star on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart;

co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; writer for MTV's Human Giant;

AMC's Mad Men; upcoming feature film Cirque du Freak (with Salma Hayek);

co-star of Web video 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; to read about Kristen's killer set headlining at Comix, please click here) and

Brett Gelman (comedic chameleon who's currently ubiquitous as the Little Bit of Luck guy in New York Lottery ads; numerous credits include Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, and ace improv troupe Death by Roo Roo; host of delightful weekly NYC live comedy show Gelmania, which just wrapped due to Brett moving to work in LA; for a recent interview, please click here; for samples of Brett's mind-blowing work with partner Jon Daly, please click here and here; please also explore their hip-hop parody album Fleetwood Cracked...and keep an eye out for their just-completed Cracked Out pilot for Comedy Central).

This promises to be a wonderful show, and is highly recommended.

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Peter Grosz, Liam McEneaney, and Brian Kiley

Tell Your Friends

This free 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).

Tonight's stand-up comic guests are some of the best TV writers in the industry:

Brian Kiley (brilliant writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien since 1994; has performed on Late Show with David Letterman, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents),

Peter Grosz (staff writer for The Colbert Report; star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials; member of Chicago's Second City acclaimed improv troupe 4 Square, and half of the current UCBT improv show 2 Square), and

Dan Cronin (staff writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien; has performed on NBC and Comedy Central).

8:00ish pm at Lolita Bar, 226 Broome Street (between Allen and Orchard Streets); free

Nearest subway stops are Delancey Street via the F or Delancey-Essex via the J/M/Z.

Amy Beckerman, Gloria Bigelow, Jackie Monahan, and Leah Dubie

Dykes on Mics

Free gay-themed stand-up comedy show featuring the gals above

as regulars/hosts. (For a video featuring the fabulous foursome, please click here.)

Unusually, tonight's guests haven't been announced;

but the evening's being billed as the Gay Pride Show.

8:00 pm at RubyFruit Bar & Grill, 531 Hudson Street (between West 10th & Charles);

no cover, one item (food or drink) minimum

Cliff Schecter's new book The Real McCain, and STM host Lizz Winstead

Shoot the Messenger

Lizz Winstead is co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; and a performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night. (She's also a character; e.g., for a memorable anti-apology after canceling her appearance on the NYC show Drink at Work, please click here.)

Tonight's guest is Cliff Schecter, a political consultant and author of the new book The Real McCain—Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't.

To get a feel for STM, please view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees by clicking here

and read a March 2008 New York Times article about the show by clicking here.

8:00 pm at The Green Room, 45 Bleecker Street (off Lafayette); tickets are $12.50

Nearest subway stop is Bleecker Street on the #6 (which brings you virtually to the door of the theatre)

 and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.

A Cute Show with Rozzi and Buteau

A new stand-up comedy show—directly followed by a dance party!

The lovely and hilarious hosts are

Giulia Rozzi (VH1's Best Night Ever podcasts; MTV; video series The Message Board, which makes fun of brides, on ComedyNet.com; co-producer of East coast version of hit national show Mortified; Web columnist for 236.com and HuffingtonPost.com; and co-host of monthly NYC red-hot live comedy show Stripped Stories; for a video sample, please click here) and

Michelle Buteau (superb stand-up who the judges knocked out way too early in this season's Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central's Premium Blend).

And tonight's fine guests are

Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show, host of TVLand's Game Time, former staff writer for Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; comedy CD Two For Flinching;  for stand-up videos on how to get rid of a boring  guy and what your movie choices say about you, please click here and here),

Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, HBO's P. Diddy's Bad Boys Of Comedy, Showtime's Whiteboyz In The Hood, MTV; for stand-up videos about why he doesn't like to travel and what TV teaches us about pedophiles, please click here and here),

Wil Sylvince (BET; The Patrice Oneal Show), and

Wendy Ho (raunchy comedic singer/performer; for her music video

Bitch, I Stole Yo' Purse, please click here).

Doors open at 7:00 pm; show starts at 8:00 pm; dance party swings into action at 10:00 pm;

Crash Mansion, 199 Bowery (at Spring Street); tickets are $10 plus two-drink minimum

Kate McKinnon deconstructing fairy tales; and your tax dollars at work

Kate McKinnon: Disenchanted and The Spin Room

Two unique shows for a mere five bucks.

Disenchanted comes from delightful comedic actress Kate McKinnon, who's a

cast member on the Logo TV series The Big Gay Sketch Show. In a series of vignettes, Kate turns fairy tales upside-down and exposes their dark sides as you "watch the beloved fairy princesses of your childhood pop a few Klonopins and eat themselves into a coma." The quality of the material varies from scene to scene; but Kate's performances are always stellar. This is a sharp, witty actress who "gets" both verbal and physical comedy down to her bones, and is worth keeping an eye on.

The double-bill then continues with The Spin Room, which takes a current political news story chosen by the audience and then improvises scenes about it. The troupe consists of Jeremy Bent, Beth Cartier, Guy Cohen, Timothy Cooper, Eric Hollerbach, Barry Lank, Beth Newell, David Siegel, Matt Stillman, and John Robert Wilson, with direction by Doug Moe.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Tara Copeland, Chris Gethard, and Will Hines

Couples Skate

In this new show, some of the best improvisors in NYC are paired up

and perform, often for the first time, as duos.

Hosted by Sean Clements (30 Rock) & Brandon Gardner (for sample sketch, please click here).

Tonight's fine lineup consists of

Chris Gethard (one of the most talented and brilliant storytellers and improvisors in New York;

The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, Happy Hour, author of book Weird New York) with

Nate Lang (member of improv troupe Beatrice),

Tara Copeland (always-inventive star at both UCBT and The Magnet; weekly shows include Mother: The Soundtrack, The Tiny Spectacular, Ms. Jackson, and The Made-Up Musical) with

John Frusciante (member of sketch troupe BLITZKRIEG!), and

Will Hines (half of sketch duo The Brothers Hines, sketch show Hines & DeCoster: 7 Fights, former member of acclaimed improv group Monkeydick) with

Adam Frucci (member of popular improv troupe Bastian).

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 6/24/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

stand-ups of diverse looks & voices at Helen Hong's & Maria Shehata's Little Ethnic Girls and Friends (7:30 pm),

typically fine stand-ups performing deliciously long sets at Ken Zimlinghaus' Fat Tuesday (8:00 pm),

sly stand-up Heather Fink (Street Meat) and improvisor Matt Donnelly (troupe Threat) lending

their comedy talents to a lively & fun discussion about comic books at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),

three full hours of improv for only five bucks at Harold Night (8:00 pm),

an improv troupe that uses an audience suggestion to create a comic book tale, and Matt Evans &

Frank Campanella performing sketch comedy, in The Incredible Comic Book and Suit Yourself (8:00 pm),

the return of a cult hit sketch/stand-up/music/interview show: Creation Nation (8:00 pm)

brilliantly inventive & hilarious Dave Hill (HBO, VH1, SuperDeluxe.com, The New York Times),

God's Pottery (currently the brightly shining stars on NBC's Last Comic Standing), Canadian

Barry Julien (newest staff writer for The Colbert Report), and Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien, VH1)

at one of the finest & funniest shows in NYC, the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),

occasionally uncomfortable comedy at Blaine Perry's & Pat Stango's Don't Touch Me There (9:00 pm),

and terrific stand-ups Lizz Winstead (The Daily Show, Shoot the Messenger), Dan Mintz (Conan O'Brien, HBO, MTV),

Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents, Chappelle's Show, VH1), and Noah Garfinkel (Totally J/K)

at hosts Jon Bander, Dan Gregor, and Lucas Held's biweekly Her Majesty's Stand-Up (9:30 pm).

Maria Shehata and Helen Hong

Little Ethnic Girls and Friends

This biweekly comedy show is hosted by two petite women,

one Korean-American and the other Arab-American, who like to make you laugh:

Helen Hong (TLC's What Not to Wear; E!'s Exposed: 25 Most Notorious Fashion Week Moments; Helen says " I love it when people ask me 'Where are you from?' and I say 'New York' and they say 'No, where are you really from???' I know they want me to name some Asian country like Japan or Korea. Instead I just stab them in the eye with a chopstick and scream 'I'm from the Land of Deadly Chopsticks, you evil Round Eye!' And then I shuffle away like a dainty geisha...;"

for Helen's hilarious stand-up video about false assumptions

and verbal misunderstandings, please click here), and

Maria Shehata (Comedy Central's The Watch List, TLC, Women's Entertainment Network, numerous appearances on Sirius Satellite Radio; for a stand-up video about Maria's parents' arranged marriage, please click here).

Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but will probably be taller than their hosts.

7:30 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)

Ken Zimlinghaus

Fat Tuesday

This weekly show allows a few talented comics to perform long comedy sets, just as if they —and you—were in a swanky comedy club. It's hosted by Ken Zimlinghaus, who can be heard regularly on Sirius Satellite Radio's Wake Up With Cosmo; and the best bits from this evening will probably end up getting broadcast on Sirius as well.

Tonight's lineup hasn't been announced. But if you're feeling adventurous...

8:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5

Matt Donnelly and Heather Fink

Comic Book Club

Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,

who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.

Tonight's comedy guests are

Heather Fink (nominated for the 2008 NY Emerging Comic Award;

for videos demonstrating Heather's acting skills, please click here and here), and

Matt Donnelly (member of improv troupes Threat and Neutrino).

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 current fave, a delightful show with Kevin "Batman" Conroy, please click here).

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5

Harold Night

The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.

Tonight, five improv troupes—

Bangs, The Scam, Law Firm, Bastian, and RAGNARÖCK—

each give it a go for 30 minutes, with

short breaks in between, for a total of 3 hours.

Some of the groups are great; some are less so. And this show

is designed more for students of improv than the general public.

But if you're interested, and patient, a mere $5 will buy you

a full evening's education...and periodic solid laughs.

8:00-11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Robin Taylor (far left and right) and Billy Eichner (in yellow) as Lord & Willing

Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show

A variety show (created in 2003 and now back from a year-long hiatus) with sketches, stand-up,

original musical numbers, short films, and an interview with a celebrity guest.

The hosts are Billy Eichner and Robin Taylor in the guise of characters Billy Willing and Robin Lord. It also features musical director Eli Bolin at keyboard and Lee Overtree on drums, with direction by Benjamin Salka.

Tonight's guest hasn't been announced so far, but you can check for an update by clicking here.

For more info and/or to purchase tickets online, please click here.

8:00 pm at The Zipper Factory, 336 West 37th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues); tickets are $20

The Incredible Comic Book and Suit Yourself

An improv show and sketch show for just five bucks.

First, a gang of improvisors turn an audience suggestion into a complete comic book tale. I'd probably love this show if the Magnet had the sense to schedule it at any time other than directly opposite the only other live comedy show about comics in New York (see Comic Book Club above). What were they thinking...?

Anyway, don't blame the intrepid performers, who consist of Megan Gray, Corey Grimes, Steve Horak, Ethan Kaye, Alan Lidogoster, Michael Short, Chet Siegel, with direction from James Eason.

The double-bill then continues with skilled comics Matt Evans and Frank Campanella perform what they describe as "A sketch show we wrote for you. Save the date and stop by to watch! Oh... you have to work late that night? You have a blind date? You have a cold? Fine. Suit yourself..."

8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Jeremiah Smallchild (Wilson Hall) & Gideon Lamb (Krister Johnson) as God's Pottery; the brilliant Dave Hill...

...Canadian Barry Julien; dynamic host Seth Herzog; and the unflappable Craig Baldo

Sweet

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 wonderful guests are

Dave Hill (written for The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie

Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written and performed for VH1, Spike TV,

The Learning Channel, and the much-missed Smoking Gun TV series; starred in TV series The King of Miami on the MOJO network; Web comedy series on both SuperDeluxe.com and Bud.com; hosts monthly UCBT extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—to learn more, please click here),

God's Pottery (Wilson Hall & Krister Johnson's delightful parody of a Christian folk singing duo who are currently shining stars on NBC's Last Comic Standing; UK TV comedy showcase The World Stands Up; Comedy Central album God's Pottery: Live at Comix!),

Barry Julien (Canadian who's the newest staff writer for The Colbert Report; previously an award-winning writer for CBC comedy show This Hour Has 22 Minutes, FOX's Talkshow with Spike Feresten, and The Onion; performed stand-up at the Halifax Comedy Festival; acted in such feature films as The Terminal, Abandon, and The Last Kiss), and

Craig Baldo (performed over 30 sketches for, and also recently did a stand-up set on, Late Night with Conan O'Brien; performed on Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Comic Remix, VH1's Best Week Ever, and Bravo; written for The Onion;

for Craig's Conan stand-up, please click here).

9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street  (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5

Don't Touch Me There

Blaine Perry and Pat Stango (above) host this comedy show that doesn't mind being unsettling.

A typical Stango bit: "It creeps me out when I visit my parents' house and listen to them

say what a great sex life they still have. It especially freaks me out because

they died in a car accident 10 years ago."

If that made you laugh, you're a Don't Touch Me There kind of person.

Tonight's guests haven't been announced; for a last-minute update, please click here.

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)

Dan Mintz and Christian Finnegan...

...and Lizz Winstead and Noah Garfinkel

Her Majesty's Stand-Up

Biweekly show hosted by Jon Bander, Dan Gregor, and Lucas Held.

Tonight's fine stand-up guests are

Lizz Winstead (co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; HBO's Women of the Night; host & star of weekly NYC live political comedy show Shoot the Messenger),

Dan Mintz (sharp deadpan stand-up; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, HBO's Lucky Louis,

Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, MTV's Human Giant, writer of upcoming

Demetri Martin show Important Things; "It's so much easier for kids to jerk off than

it used to be. When I was young, you had to find the Sears catalog, flip to the lingerie section.

Now, with the Internet, I just turn on my computer, get online, and go right to Sears.com;"

for stellar stand-up video, please click here),

Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show, host of TVLand's Game Time, former staff writer for Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; comedy CD Two For Flinching;  for stand-up videos on how to get rid of a boring  guy and what your movie choices say about you, please click here and here), and

Noah Garfinkel (co-host with Joe Mande of NYC biweekly live comedy show Totally J/K;

for video dissections of Andy Rooney and Bill Engvall, please click here and here;

for dueling birthday videos with Joe Mande, please click here and here).

9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 6/25/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

a brand new one-woman show from star storyteller & sketch comic Margot Leitman (7:00 pm),

some of most razor-sharp and uproariously funny storytellers in the country—including Chris

Gethard, Greg Tuculescu, Jonathan Gabrus, and Eliot Glazer—telling deeply personal tales about their dads at one of the finest shows in NYC, The Nights of Our Lives (8:00 pm),

a seriously funny look at the presumptive Replication candidate for President from authors

Cliff Schecter (The Real McCain) and Paul Waldman (Free Ride: John McCain and the Media),

plus a small mob of political stand-up comics, at Laughing Liberally (8:00 pm),

a fun show in an Irish bar in which comics are told they can perform Whatever (8:30 pm),

open mic stand-up in Queens' LIC, with guest headliner Dan Curry (author of Drunk on a Bike)

and host John F. O'Donnell at The Kingdom of Heaven (8:30 pm),

musical improv comedy genius Reggie Watts (2007 Andy Kaufman Award, Electric Company), and

stellar stand-ups Leo Allen (SNL, Conan O'Brien), Chelsea Peretti (Variety SHAC), and Bobby Tisdale

(Invite Them Up) at a show hosted by comedic chameleon Brett Gelman (Conan O'Brien, Colbert Report)

who mixes things up with hilarious sketch comedy (that's mostly improvised!): Gelmania (9:00 pm),

delicious comics Margaret Champagne, Joselyn Hughes, and Brooke Van Poppelen inviting

a few of the coolest gals and guys they know for stand-up comedy fun at their Slumber Party (9:00 pm),

superb comic Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) performs a new

one-woman show about her travels and self-discovery in 30 Years in Africa (9:30 pm),

two ace Chicago-trained improvisors, Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report) and John Lutz

(writer/actor for Saturday Night Live since 2004; 30 Rock), making up scenes as 2 Square (9:30 pm),

and a laid-back free variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).

For details, please click here.

TV Alert: South Park is one of the funniest shows in TV history, and this season

has been especially superb—which, considering the series is in its 11th year,

is little short of astonishing. On tonight's repeat, Kenny becomes a man—

and develops a memorable drug problem.

Set your TiVo to 10:00 pm or midnight at Comedy Central

to learn the warning signs and avoid the same wonderful terrible fate.

Margot Leitman thinking of stories she could tell

Margot Leitman

World-class comedic storyteller Margot Leitman (sketch performer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; Comedy Central, VH1, ESPN, new Spike TV animated show The Team; columnist for 236.com; co-host of monthly red-hot NYC live show Stripped Stories; for Margot's fun reel, please click here) takes the stage for brand new one-woman show.

Margot's an expert at monologues, sketch, and stand-up, so there's no telling

exactly what she'll do; but expect something smart and funny.

7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Adam Newman and Shawn Pearlman

Faux Show

Weekly comedy show hosted by

Adam Newman (CMT's Prankville'd, VH1's Best Week Ever blog, co-host of

monthly NYC live comedy show Street Meat; host of weekly NYC live open mic comedy show

Blowtorch Slaughter; half of musical comedy duo Uber Luber Death Metal) and

Shawn Pearlman ("If you're in a bad neighborhood, blowing a rape whistle

is like ringing a dinner bell;" for stand-up videos, please click here and here).

Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're likely to be talented stand-up comics.

7:30 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)

The Nights of Our Lives: My Old Man

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,

in a nod to Father's Day, is the potentially explosive "My Old Man."

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.

This evening's scheduled yarn-spinners include the aforementioned Chris Gethard and Dave Martin, plus sharp comics Gregory Tuculescu (member of brilliant sketch troupe Quiet Library), Jonathan Gabrus (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, VH1's Best Week Ever, improv troupes fwand and Tybrus), and Eliot Glazer (co-creator & co-host with his sister Ilana of UCBT extravaganza High School Talent Show).

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Laughing Liberally: The John McCain Comedy Jaunt

Political humor, New York style, tonight asking the question:

"John McCain: Scary...or Hilarious?"

The featured guests are Cliff Schecter, a political consultant and author of the new book The Real McCain—Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't; and Paul Waldman, media expert and author of the new book Free Ride: John McCain and the Media.

And the comics are Lee Camp, Katie Halper, Jamie Kilstein, Charles Star, and Baratunde Thurston.

8:00 pm at The Tank, 279 Church Street (bet. Franklin & White Streets); tickets are $10

Big Black Car and Fancy Dragon

This free weekly show features the two PIT improv teams above,

each of which performs for about 30 minutes. For a video sample of Big Black Car,

please click here; and for a video sample of Fancy Dragon, please click here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free

Whatever

Monthly NYC Live comedy show hosted by Gary Vider and Phil Murphy, "childhood friends who combine forces to bring you the most laid-back comedy atmosphere. More of a state of mind than a comedy show. For example, when a comedian wants to know what type of material to do, our answer is simply Whatever."

Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're usually terrific.

For a last-minute update, please click here.

8:30 pm at Failte Irish Whiskey Bar, 531 Second Avenue (between 29th and 30th Streets); $5

John F. O'Donnell and Dan Curry

The Kingdom of Heaven

Free open mic stand-up comedy show in Queens' Long Island City

(just one stop from Manhattan on the #7 train).

Hosted by John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central's Fresh Faces; for stand-up video, please click here),

a wild man who will make you love him...and who genuinely loves comedy and fellow comics.

If you're looking for stage time, John makes this a very friendly place to perform.

Sign-up for the open mic is at 7:30.

Tonight's guest headliner is Dan Curry (author of book Drunk on a Bike;

for a stand-up video about Christians, please click here.)

8:30 pm at The Creek and The Cave, 10-93 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens; free

From Manhattan, take the #7 subway to the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue stop (one stop after Grand Central);

exit on Jackson Avenue and walk one block north to 49th Avenue.

Gelmania

This weekly show is hosted by Brett Gelman, a comedic chameleon

who's currently ubiquitous as the Little Bit of Luck guy in New York Lottery ads.

Brett's numerous credits include Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report,

and ace improv troupe Death by Roo Roo. For a recent interview with Brett, please click here.

For samples of Brett's mind-blowing work with partner Jon Daly, please click here and here;

please also explore their hip-hop parody album Fleetwood Cracked...and keep an eye out

for their recently-completed Cracked Out pilot for Comedy Central.

Producer Jeremy Levenbach's reports of this show's demise last week were apparently a tad off. But that's happy news for any New Yorker who loves comedy.

And tonight's lineup is the perfect proof of that. The thoroughly wonderful guests are

Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; winner of 2007 Andy Kaufman Award;

cast member of the new Electric Company; scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician whose unique skills will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com; for video samples of what Reggie does, please click here and here and here; and keep an eye out Reggie's upcoming new album),

Bobby Tisdale (comedy great who for five years hosted the wonderful

NYC weekly live comedy show Invite Them Up that's the spiritual father of Gelmania;

Comedy Central album; film Junebug; HBO's Hysterical Blindness; show on SuperDeluxe.com),

Chelsea Peretti (exceptionally fresh, smart stand-up comic; member of superb

comedy troupe Variety Shac; writer for Village Voice, Details, Playgirl, Jest,

blackpeopleloveus.com, and Rejection Line: 212/479-7990), and

Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, Ed, Sex and the City).

9:00 pm (doors open at 8:00) at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); $5

Your hosts Margaret Champagne, Joselyn Hughes, and Brooke Van Poppelen at...

Slumber Party

This twice-monthly event is "the sort of variety show that happens when three girls

are delirious from staying up all night boozing and slap-happy from crank-calling!"

 How can you resist? The lovely & hilarious hosts are

 Margaret Champagne (Carolines, UCBT; for acting reel, please click here),

Joselyn Hughes (for video questioning the effectiveness of rape whistles, please click here), and

Brooke Van Poppelen (Carolines, Laugh Factory; for a video sample, please click here).

Tonight's stand-up comedy guests haven't been announced, but these gals have lots of friends and admirers so expect some fine comics to participate in their party.

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)

Michelle Buteau: 30 Years in Africa

In this solo show, the exceptionally sharp Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend); for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here) talks about her travels through Africa...and the uncomfortable lessons she learned.

9:30 pm at The Tank, 279 Church Street (bet. Franklin & White Streets); tickets are $10

John Lutz and Peter Grosz

2 Square

Superb comics Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report, star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials, co-writer & co-star of UCBT sketch show The Steve Miller Band and Other Annoying Monsters) and John Lutz (writer & occasional actor on SNL since 2004; recurring character on 30 Rock) perform a two-man improv show (a version of their previous long-running and acclaimed Chicago show 4 Square, which also included Dan Bakkedahl and Rob Janas).

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Kurt Braunohler, Pat Shay, and Kimmy Gatewood

The Faculty and The Baldwins and Sid Viscous

Some of the PIT's instructors—who include such talents as Ali Farahnakian,

Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Matt Donnelly, Kevin Scott,

Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood—perform improv for around 30 minutes.

And opening for them will be house improv troupes The Baldwins and Sid Viscous.

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free

Justin Purnell

School Night

Host Justin Purnell provides a mix of guests who perform stand-up, improv, music,

and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly—

but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun.

Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,

that this free show makes possible.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 6/26/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

world-class storyteller Kambri Crews, funny filmmaker Orem Brimer, and sharp stand-ups including Jamie Lee (VH1), RG Daniels (fresh quirky comic), and Sean Donnelly (co-host of Ochi's Lounge, Don't Touch Me There), telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales about their relatives—plus, free cookies!—at vivacious Sara Benincasa's Family Hour (7:30 pm),

one of the most charming & entertaining groups in NYC, recently off a sold-out three-city tour and winning

the ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act, performing a laugh-packed musical: The Apple Sisters (8:00 pm),

a brilliant comedy superstar headlining at Carolines: Patton Oswalt (8:00 pm),

Jessica Chaffin & Jamie Denbo bringing their hit UCBT-LA show to NYC,

offering sage advice to Jewish singles at Ronna & Beverly's All Jew Revue (8:00 pm),

superb stand-ups the Sklar Brothers (HBO, ABC, Comedy Central), Baron Vaughn (MTV, VH1),

Andres du Bouchet (Conan O'Brien, FOX, ESPN), and Greg Johnson (co-host of award-winning

weekly comedy show) at the hilarious Joe Mande's & Noah Garfinkel's Totally J/K (8:30 pm),

fine stand-ups at a gay-themed show hosted by Jenny Rubin: The Back Room (9:00 pm),

a new sketch comedy/game show about life and trivia: Are You Paying Attention? (9:30 pm),

and energetic & inventive improv troupes Death by Roo Roo and Bangs

competing for audience laughs & votes at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).

For details, please click here.

TV Tip: Many have a love/hate relationship with NBC's Last Comic Standing. The show can make careers; but it can also be oblivious to genuine talent, opting for shallow nonsense over substance. (I'm still shaking my head over this season's quick dismissal of Michelle Buteau...) And LCS is also surprisingly uneven—at times gripping and hilarious, but just as often tediously dull.

Despite its flaws, though, LCS is worth keeping an eye on this summer if only because of some of the New York comics who got through to Vegas. Among the most notable are Wilson Hall & Krister Johnson, who perform a delightful running parody of a Christian folk singing duo named Jeremiah Smallchild & Gideon Lamb, a.k.a. God's Pottery. They cracked up Richard Belzer, and they're likely to make you laugh too...as they remain in character, no matter what.

Last Comic Standing airs tonight from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm on NBC. Enjoy the fun parts; and when the show inevitably drags, pass the time by singing some hymns to the lord...

"Auntie" Sara Benincasa and Alessandro Minoli...

...and RG Daniels, Jamie Lee, and Kambri Crews

Family Hour with Auntie Sara

In this unique weekly comedy show, everyone tells jokes and/or stories related to

their family. It's hosted by comic/actress Sara Benincasa, whose many credits include correspondent for MTV's Choose or Lose Campaign and host of Tub Talk with Sara B. on Nerve.com. (For a video sample, please click here.)

Plus expect some of the most delicious free cookies you'll ever taste,

courtesy of stand-up comic H. Alan Scott.

Tonight's superb guests are

Kambri Crews (luminous performer, stellar publicist & producer, and one of the most sharp, charming, and heartfelt comedic storytellers working in NYC; for Kambri's correspondence with her deaf dad, who's in a Texas prison for trying to  stab his wife to death, please visit Web site LoveDaddy.org; for a video of Kambri reading her jailed dad's wedding toast, please click here),

Jamie Lee (VH1's Best Night Ever, Archers of Ha),

Oren Brimer (writer/director/producer of short funny films for SuperDeluxe.com

and YouTube.com; for numerous samples, please click here),

Sean Donnelly (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),

RG Daniels (quirky experimental comic; influences include Woody Allen and french fries),

Susannah Perlman (Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad),

Mama Spell (ironic Southern singing stand-up), and

Alessandro Minoli (actor, stand-up, and hot Italian).

7:30 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)

Photo on left: Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood, and Sarah Lowe

Photo on right: Sarah Lowe, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood

The Apple Sisters: The Musical

The delicious Apple Sisters—Kimmy Gatewood, Rebekka Johnson, and Sarah Lowe, with Tom Thomsen on keyboard—have sung, danced, and naughtily joked their ways into New York City's heart. This homage to 1940s girl groups like The Andrew Sisters has been one of the great successes of 2007, having done 10 original shows, sold-out performances at comedy festivals around the country, and recently winning the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act.

Tonight the gals have put together their best bits, along with new material, to create a laugh-packed musical running over an hour. Featuring FDR, pickles, and God, it's full of fun and surprises.

From the official description: "The Apple Sisters are Candy, Cora, and Seedy. Their mother, Ms. Reddy Apple, was a vaudeville star and she passed down the legacy to her three girls! The trio present their live show, broadcast on WXYZ AM Radio, straight to the troops in Germany, and present the show on stage at the Peoples Improv Theater in their first and favorite home, the Big Apple! Be a chum and always use Doramad Toothpaste, now with Thorium!"

To get a feel for the production, please click here & here & here & here.

The show tends to sell out, so it's recommended you buy an advance ticket

online ($9.19, including service charge) by clicking here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street; tickets are $8 at the door

Patton Oswalt: Headlining at Carolines

Patton Oswalt will be performing tonight through Sunday at Carolines.

And I can't describe him any better than Jane Borden did in this week's Time Out New York: "Oswalt walks on stage and he’s funny. The way he talks is funny. The way he stands is funny. But his absurdist and very silly material trumps his stage presence. It’s impossible not to laugh when he has the mike, which is why his fans treat him like a rock star."

This is a comedy club show, and priced accordingly

at $28.75 plus a two-drink minimum.

But if you've got the cash, this is a good way to spend it.

To order tickets, please click here.

8:00 pm at Carolines, 1626  Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);

$28.75 plus two-drink minimum

Ronna & Beverly's All Jew Revue

Hosted by Jessica Chaffin & Jamie Denbo (above) playing) Ronna Glickman & Beverly Kahn, the bestselling authors of You'll Do a Little Better Next Time: A Guide to Marriage and Remarriage for Jewish Singles. To get a feel for the act, please visit ronnaandbeverly.com.

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Totally J/K

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; and

 for other videos, please click here and here.)

Tonight's wonderful guests are

The Sklar Brothers (starred in MTV's Apartment 2F; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; guest-starred in Emmy-winning episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and in Entourage; guest starred on ABC's Grey's Anatomy (as conjoined twins); FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia; four seasons of ESPN's Cheap Seats; ESPN's SportCenter's The Bracket; headlining June 26th-27th at Comix),

Baron Vaughn (MTV's The Gamekillers, VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and

Best Week Ever, co-star of weekly NYC live political comedy show Shoot the Messenger;

for a radio interview, please click here),

Andres du Bouchet (writer for & performer on FOX's Talkshow with Spike Feresten; Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn, ESPN's Cheap Seats; host of monthly NYC live comedy show Andres du Bouchet: Born With A Stage Name; to watch Andres explain song lyrics, please click here; and for lots more videos, please click here), and

Greg Johnson (sharp, quick-witted stand-up comic who co-hosts the weekly

NYC comedy extravaganza The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show,

which won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Variety Show).

8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5

Jenny Rubin, Dave Rubin, Paul Case, and Shawn Hollenbach

The Back Room

Gay-themed comedy (with both gay & straight comics),

hosted by the charming Jenny Rubin (WE TV).

Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but will probably include

Back Room co-producer Paul Case (MTV, D-Listed Radio),

Back Room co-producer Shawn Hollenbach (here! TV's Busted), and

Back Room co-producer Dave Rubin (here! TV's Topical and Hot Gay Comics).

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)

Are You Paying Attention?

This premiere production is "a live game show featuring three contestants chosen randomly from the audience to answer questions about politics, pop culture, and other things you should already know!" Written by John Frusciante, Aaron Glaser, Jon Gutierrez; hosted by John Frusciante; and featuring sketch comedy performers Ari Scott and Mike Still.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

vs.

Cage Match: Death by Roo Roo vs. Bangs

This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating the

atmosphere of a professional wrestling arena—and providing such side-shows

as a bout to the death between guys costumed as an alcoholic wolf and TV's Alf.

(For a spirited weekly report on the wrestling aspect of Cage Match, please click here.)

The current reining champ at Cage Match is arguably the gutsiest improv group in NYC: Death by Roo Roo, consisting of uniformly brilliant comics Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn. This 800-pound gorilla doesn't merely defeat opponents, it pounds them into near-oblivion. So far this season, DBRR has trounced six troupes, winning a total of 575 audience votes vs. a mere 177 for all its opponents combined.

Tonight's contender is new Harold team Bangs, a particularly formidable foe because its members are both highly skilled and adorable. They are the invaluable Pat Baer, Jennifer Bartels, Chelsea Clarke, The Wicked Wicked Fran Gillespie, good pennies Tricia McAlpin & Amber Petty, Craig Rowin, and super-powered but kind Mike Still.

Since Pat is competing tonight, rumor is he'll be replaced by a mutant referee named Cat Baer. How can you even think about missing this?

And there's no telling what'll happen...which is one of the great pleasures of this extravaganza.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 6/27/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

Pangea 3000, one of the best sketch troupes in the country and a highlight of last weekend's

SketchFest NYC 08, plus sketch/improv duo Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney, in the double-bill

Pangea 3000 Recommends the Beatles and BriTANick: Begging for Approval (8:00 pm),

a brilliant comedy superstar headlining at Carolines: Patton Oswalt (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

a brand new set of disturbingly odd sketch comedy routines from Rue Brutalia (8:00 pm),

some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),

singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical (10:00 pm),

one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—and possibly the final NYC performance for a while of

the wonderful Brett Gelman—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm),

and a free opportunity for you to perform improv with UCBT veterans at Jammin' with Ralph (12:15ish am).

Broad Shoulders: Chicago Improv

The six members of improv troupe Broad Shoulders met while performing at the

famed I.O. Theater and The Second City in Chicago, and they'll be showing off their stuff at this one-night-only NYC performance. The group consists of the acclaimed Thomas Middleditch, Mackenzie Condon, Mary Grill, James Harris, Scott Markman, and Steve Pasieka.

7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

Behind-the-scenes member of wonderful troupe Pangea 3000; and Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney of BriTANicK

Pangea 3000: Recommending the Beatles and and BriTANick: Begging for Approval

Two superb sketch comedy shows for eight bucks.

First up is sketch troupe Pangea 3000, which consists of

Andrew Cleary, Sam Kemmis, Dan Klein, Arthur Meyer, and Seth Reiss.

At last week's magical SketchFest NYC 08, these guys proved themselves as funny

as any group in the country, blowing the roof off with such bits as a spelling bee

for fart noises (an instant classic, and one of the most hilarious sketches ever created...).

To view two of Pangea 3000's surreal tales of games guys play, involving

whoopee cushions and tag, please click here and here; and then come

let these exceptionally clever writer/performers make you laugh hard and often.

The double-bill then continues with sketch/improv duo BriTANicK, consisting of Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher. To get a feel for these young performers, check out their videos about post-sex desires and drug cravings by clicking here and here.

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

Patton Oswalt: Headlining at Carolines

Patton Oswalt will be performing tonight through Sunday at Carolines.

And I can't describe him any better than Jane Borden did in this week's Time Out New York: "Oswalt walks on stage and he’s funny. The way he talks is funny. The way he stands is funny. But his absurdist and very silly material trumps his stage presence. It’s impossible not to laugh when he has the mike, which is why his fans treat him like a rock star."

This is a comedy club show, and priced accordingly

at $31 plus a two-drink minimum.

But if you've got the cash, this is a good way to spend it.

To order tickets, please click here.

8:00 pm & 10:30 pm at Carolines, 1626  Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);

$31 plus two-drink minimum

Rue Brutalia: Dirty Laundry

Rue Brutalia is comedy duo Jon Pack and Jason Kalter,

who tonight air grievances...and attempt to get even.

To obtain a feel for these guys' odd work, check out a saga

about a cartoon character with no balls, and another about two guys

who are the same man, by clicking here and here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

Bobby Moynihan, Zach Woods, Christina Gausas, Michael Delaney, and Chris Gethard

The Stepfathers

Some of the smartest & finest improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney, Christina Gausas,

Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols,

and Zach Woods—make up a series of scenes from a one-word audience suggestion.

With art and grace, these star talents will make you laugh—a lot.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

According to the Spurn Web site, this sketch group has "amassed a cultish following and a cast who blindly throw themselves into the most questionable of onstage situations, bless their black little hearts." For examples of the troupe's work, please click here and here.

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10

The Made-Up Musical

Veteran improvisor John O'Donnell is accompanied

by a rotating cast that might include such superb talents as

Tara Copeland, Scott Glover, Alex Marino, Louis Kornfeld,

 Jessica Allen, Robin Rothman, and Megan Gray

—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

Stacy Mayer, Carrie Sipple, and Jeremiah Murphy

Manhattan Comedy Collective

If you'd like to experience a gentler, more relaxed, but still quite smart type of improv, visit the Manhattan Comedy Collective run by the wonderful Stacy Mayer (who's quick as lightning, but much funnier). Almost every Friday features Character Dogville, in which performers dress up as odd characters and spontaneously interact with each other.

10:00 pm at the Sage Theatre, 711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor (bet. 47th and 48th Streets); $10

Death by Roo Roo: Your F*cked Up Family

Arguably the gutsiest improv troupe in NYC, the brilliant comics of Death by Roo Roo—Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn—interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story

via improvised scenes. Sometimes scary, and usually hilarious.

Tonight may be the final performance for a while from Brett Gelman, a wonderful comedic chameleon who's moving to LA to become rich and famous. Don't miss what may be the last chance to see this phenomenal troupe perform together.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

Murderfist: Rabbit Hole Junction

Sketch group Murderfist creates sketches that are very odd and unsettling.

For example, to watch a somewhat grueling tale of an unlikely gay couple done in

the style of a silent film, please click here. And here's the description of tonight's show:

"The most outlandish sketches you will see in NYC. Moments after setting off on their quest for one thousand testicles, Murderfist slipped between the cracks of reality. Somewhere between Seventh Avenue and the gates Hell, late night comedy festered and boiled. Witness as the stars align on the last Friday of every month and brand new sketch material spews from the inter-dimension truck stop that is Rabbit Hole Junction."

11:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

Jammin' With Ralph

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, Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, Nate Lang, Gil Ozeri, Adam Pally, Ben Rodgers, and Gavin Speiller.

12:15ish am at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 6/28/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

rising star comedic actress Kate McKinnon (Logo TV's The Big Gay Sketch Show, UCBT's Disenchanted)

helping celebrate queer pride with sketch troupe Secret Hospital in This One's for the Gays (7:00 pm),

sketch, stand-up, and more at a talent-packed free show hosted by Delusions of Spandex (7:00 pm),

star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,

and The Daily show who joyously declare Let's Have a Ball (7:30 pm),

Second City veterans, Magnet instructors, UCBT stars, and occasional celebs

at the Magnet's signature improv show The Tiny Spectacular (7:30 pm),

stand-up comic Danny Leary and singer/songwriter Jen Kwok visiting a wonderful

sketch show revolving around physical comedy and music from ace troupe Drop Six (8:00 pm),

improv comedy mixed with audience-supplied music at the rockin' Mother: The Soundtrack (9:00 pm),

a brilliant comedy superstar headlining at Carolines: Patton Oswalt (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

a comedy legend starring at Radio City Music Hall: Eddie Izzard (8:00 pm),

inventive & hilarious sketch comedy from The Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),

improvised TV shows about audience members via world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),

top-notch comedy duo Nate Fernald & Steve O'Brien (a.k.a. Team Submarine) and stand-up Jacquetta Szathmari

(Comedy Central) joining in on this evening's Random Hookups with Slightly Known People (10:30 pm),

organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track! (10:30 pm),

a new sketch troupe focusing on the shocking and politically incorrect: Classy (11:00 pm),

and a small mob of talented comics pretending to be in a High School Talent Show (midnight).

Secret Hospital: This One's for the Gays

Secret Hospital returns tonight with an all-new sketch comedy show.

The troupe consists of Michael Hartney (who in indeed gay), Rachel Korowitz,

 Dan McInerney, and Jeff Scherer. (For performer bios, please click here).

And joining in tonight is rising star Kate McKinnon (wonderful comedic actress who "gets" both verbal and physical comedy down to her bones; cast member of Logo TV's The Big Gay Sketch Show; hilarious one-woman UCBT show Disenchanted in which you "watch the beloved fairy princesses of your childhood pop a few Klonopins and eat themselves into a coma").

To get a feel for SH, check out its fun video about how you should never shake a baby by clicking here; and its hilarious parody of oddball Larry Sinclair by clicking here.

7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

Becca Jones & Phaea Crede of Delusions of Spandex

Delusions of Spandex

Delusions of Spandex is adorable female duo Phaea Crede & Becca Jones, who will attempt to make you laugh with their sketch comedy in this free show. (For videos of the gals goofing around, please click here and here.)

And helping them will be some terrific guests: Abbi Crutchfield, Luke Thayer, Harry Terjanian, and sketch troupes Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, The Stuff, and Secret Pants.

7:00 pm at Parkside Lounge, 317 East Houston (between Avenues B and C); free

Take the F subway to its Second Avenue stop and walk three blocks east

Becky Drysdale, Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Peter Gwinn, and Tami Sagher

Let's Have a Ball

Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.

The players typically include Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim's brilliant & Emmy-winning Moral Orel), Kay Cannon (writer for 30 Rock), Becky Drysdale (acclaimed one-woman show One Woman in Several Pieces, Web video series Time Traveling Lesbian), Christina Gausas (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Stepfathers, Dorff & Gausas), Peter Gwinn (writer for The Colbert Report), Anthony King (UCBT-NY Artistic Director, Reuben Williams, Gutenberg! The Musical), Laura Krafft (writer for The Colbert Report), Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006), and Rob Riggle (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; Saturday Night Live, The Office).

7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

The Tiny Spectacular

Magnet instructors & Second City veterans such as Rachel Hamilton, Ed Herbstman, Abby Sher, and Miriam Tolan, plus stars of Mother: The Soundtrack (see below) Jason Mantzoukas, Tara Copeland, James Eason, Christine Walters, plus occasional special guests (such as superstar Mike Meyers), turn a tiny suggestion into larger-than-life improvised scenes.

7:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Drop Six

Drop Six: Variety Hour

Drop Six is a superb NYC-based sketch troupe that makes great use of physical comedy.

The group—consisting of Marcus Bonnée, Tim Girrbach, Alicia Levy, Rodney Umble, and director Larry Rosen—was awarded Best of the Fest by Second City at the 2006 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. And their Drop Six: Mr. Lucky show killed at last year's FringeNYC, placing in my top 15 of the festival (out of 188 wildly diverse & competitive productions).

Tonight features new sketches, plus guests

Danny Leary (host of weekly NYC live comedy show On the Rocks with Danny Leary) and

Jen Kwok (NBC's Stand Up For Diversity; ukulele-toting singer/songwriter, and half of musical duo Jeneric).

If you like sketch comedy, or simply enjoy laughing, I recommend Drop Six.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

Patton Oswalt: Headlining at Carolines

Patton Oswalt will be performing tonight through Sunday at Carolines.

And I can't describe him any better than Jane Borden did in this week's Time Out New York: "Oswalt walks on stage and he’s funny. The way he talks is funny. The way he stands is funny. But his absurdist and very silly material trumps his stage presence. It’s impossible not to laugh when he has the mike, which is why his fans treat him like a rock star."

This is a comedy club show, and priced accordingly

at $32.75 plus a two-drink minimum.

But if you've got the cash, this is a good way to spend it.

To order tickets, please click here.

8:00 pm & 10:30 pm at Carolines, 1626  Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);

$32.75 plus two-drink minimum

Eddie Izzard: Starring at Radio City

Eddie Izzard has won two Emmy Awards, and starred on TV, Broadway, and film.

But he built his career as a stellar stand-up comic; and he'll be reminding New Yorkers of that tonight and Sunday at Radio City Music Hall.

Izzard's style comedy is rambling and ironic, yet razor-sharp. According to Wikipedia, "Izzard's heavily influenced by Monty Python, especially in his use of a stream-of-consciousness delivery that jumps between topics as he free-associates onstage. He does not generally work from a script, due to his dyslexia. Instead, he interrupts himself with new joke ideas, the characters he portrays turn into other characters, and he nonchalantly leaps from historical analysis to musings about household appliances. This often results in brief pauses in the routine which he fills with 'so, yeah,' and other verbal tics that have become his trademarks. Thinking aloud is also part of Izzard's ongoing attempt to make the process of writing the show itself part of the humor. He frequently notes the reaction to a joke midstream by miming writing on his hand ('should be funnier' or 'lost them there'), asks the audience questions, and verbally engages with hecklers."

This is a pricey show, with seats running from $34.50 to $79.50.

But Izzard's performances in the US are rare;

so if you're a fan, you know what you've gotta do...

8:00 pm at Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Sixth Avenue (at 50th Street);

tickets range from $34.50 to $79.50, depending on seat location; to order, please click here

Mother: The Soundtrack

Jason Mantzoukas leads a vibrant team of improv comics—Scot Armstrong, Tara Copeland, Jon Daly, James Eason, Jesse Falcon, Doug Moe, and Christine Walters—who make up scenes based on CD tracks contributed by the audience. One of UCBT's most beloved shows.

9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8