NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 5/18/09
The smartest and funniest show in town ends its NYC run tonight: The Improvised Shakespeare Company;
and Charlie Todd demonstrates improvisation has no boundaries at Improv Everywhere
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
the perfect show for short attention spans, open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set
and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—tonight including Emily Epstein, Dan St. Germain, RG Daniels, Mark Normand, Myq Kaplan, Luke Cunningham, Aalap Patel, Blaine Perry, Danny Solomon, Sean Donnelly, and John Morrison—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] [$] genius improvisors delivering one of the funniest shows you'll ever see by making up a play on the spot using the language and themes of the Bard: Improvised Shakespeare (8:00 pm).
[TOP PICK] stellar stand-ups Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, HBO, Comedy Central), Laura Krafft (The Colbert Report, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VH1, The Marijuana-Logues), Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1), and more at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),
fresh sketch comedy from UCBT house groups Slow Burn and High Treason at Maude Night (8:00 pm),
[FREE] stand-up comedy in Brooklyn, tonight featuring Ophira Eisenberg, Mark Normand, Chelsea White, Adrienne Iapalucci, Jason Saenz, Jeff Ceruuli, and Erik Braunsteen at Pat O'Shea's free weekly show Ed Sullivan on Acid (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] and stellar improvisor Charlie Todd (Reuben Williams, C, C + C Improv Factory, Cage Match) hosts the book release show & party for his famed prank collective that stages surprise improvised events at improbable public locations: Improv Everywhere (9:30 pm).
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 Emily Epstein, Dan St. Germain, RG Daniels, Mark Normand, Myq Kaplan, Luke Cunningham, Mike Lawrence, Matt Ruby, Dan Upham, Mike Warsaw, Melanie McCarthy, Linda San Lucas, Aalap Patel, Blaine Perry, Danny Solomon, Sean Donnelly, and John Morrison..
And the 9:00 pm lineup includes Molly Knefel, Sarah Fearon, Raquel D'Apice, Shannon Brandt, Francoise Gordon, Jim Hill, Adam Lehman, Andy Haynes, Ray Field, Jay Welch, Upa Lupa, 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)
A highly acclaimed troupe of genius Chicago-based comics grace NYC for this final night of the run with their special brand of hilarity: improv using the language and themes of William Shakespeare. Or, as they describe it: "A right noble bande of goodlie players, charged with the improvisation of divers plays in the Shakespearean manner."
For a video sample, please click here.
I finally caught this show Sunday night, and it was one of the most brilliant and incredibly funny evenings of comedy I've ever seen. (And I've seen a lot.) At the end, the entire audience gave the troupe a standing ovation—and kept applauding until Blaine Swen, the troupe's founder, waved us to stop with a happy smile.
These guys are magic. Don't miss them. Highest recommendation.
Please Note: You can save $5 off the $20 ticket price by ordering online using code ISCFBK.
8:00 pm at Barrow Street Theatre, 27 Barrow Street (7th Ave., south of Christopher)
tickets are $15 online if you use code ISCFBK, or $20 at the door
Leo Allen, Laura Krafft, and Liam McEneaney
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 host is Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1; off-Broadway show The Marijuana-Logues).
And tonight's wonderful guests include
Leo Allen (one of the most sharp, honest, and likeable stand-ups working in NYC; writer for Saturday Night Live from 2002 through 2005; performed two Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour specials (one by himself and one with his writing partner Eric Slovin); done stand-up on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; acted on NBC's Ed and HBO's Sex and the City; host of NYC weekly live comedy show Whiplash),
Laura Krafft (superb stand-up comic who's also a former staff writer for The Colbert Report, former writer for Comedy Central's Crossballs, has acted on such shows as on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, hosts the monthly UCBT show Three-Piece!, and performs live comedy Saturday nights at UCBT's hit improv show Let's Have a Ball),
Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; frequently opened for George Carlin on tour;
to watch Rob's hit videos, including Pachelbel Rant which has been viewed by
over 6.5 million people on YouTube, please click here),
and possibly a "special guest."
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 monthly extravaganza. Tonight features two troupes, Slow Burn and High Treason. (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 per show
Pat O'Shea and Ophira Eisenberg
This long-running free weekly Brooklyn comedy show is hosted by Pat O'Shea (contributor to book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Joke Writing; for stand-up video about naming a restaurant Statutory Crêpe, please click here).
Tonight's stand-up guests include
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), and
Mark Normand, Chelsea White, Adrienne Iapalucci, Jason Saenz, Jeff Ceruuli, and Erik Braunsteen.
9:00 pm at Freddy's Backroom, 485 Dean Street in Brooklyn (corner 6th Avenue); free
Take the 2/3 subway to Bergen Street Station, walk to 6th Avenue, and walk one block to Dean Street
Charlie Todd and his brand new book Causing a Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places
Improv Everywhere Book Release Show & Party
Charlie Todd is a master improvisor who's a member of star troupes Reuben Williams and C, C + C Improv Factory and a co-creator of UCBT smash hit Cage Match.
But more to the point of tonight's extravaganza, Charlie is the founder of Improv Everywhere, which since 2001 has created over 80 scenes of chaos and joy in public places around NYC. From staging a fake U2 concert, to a book signing by a dead author, to an infamous "no pants" subway ride, Charlie's group excels at shaking up our world while making us laugh.
Come join Charlie celebrate the release of his hot-off-the-presses book about the group's antics, titled Causing a Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places with Improv Everywhere, with a combination show and party.
Tonight's event is sold out of seats; but if you're okay with standing, come and enjoy.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 5/19/09
Charlie Sanders (Punch Up Your Life) and God's Pottery (Sweet)
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),
comedians getting rid of their stuff by telling tales about the items and then selling to the highest bidder at the way fun Auction! (7:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] comedians Chris Griggs (TV Land's Prime Movies) and Jonathan Gabrus (Conan O'Brien, VH1, Spike TV, IFC.com, Tybrus) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes DeCoster, Ragnaröck, Scootch, The Scam, and The Bishop—plus a small mob of sharp female improvisors at 11:00 pm for a show titled Suck My Dick, all at Harold Night (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] stellar comics Charlie Sanders (spectacular storytelling one-man show Minnesota Muslim), Ophira Eisenberg (also a world-class storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Jesse Pop (Comedy Central; co-host of weekly stand-up show Beauty Bar Comedy), and more 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] and God's Pottery (standouts on this past summer's Last Comic Standing), Jon Glaser (long-time writer & sketch performer for Conan O'Brien; creator & star of new Adult Swim series Delocated), and "surprise guests" at the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm).
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
This fun show hosted by Chris Sifflet and Kevin Tor "acts as an alternative to the impersonality of eBay and the seriousness of The Antiques Road Show. At Auction!, comedians bring hilarious stories along with their objects, and you bring riot gear and a few bucks for the bid wars that follow."
Expect to be given 25 cents for your kick-off bid. Most items sell for under $5; and they can range from hockey posters to drug paraphernalia.
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)
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's comedy guests are
Chris Griggs (TV Land's Prime Movies) and
Jonathan Gabrus (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, VH1's Best Week Ever, writer and star of Spike TV sitcom The Void, IFC.com's Lunchbox; partner with co-host Justin Tyler in sketch comedy duo Tybrus).
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; and avoid X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is a nightmarishly dreadful dud.
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, Ragnaröck, Scootch, The Scam, and The Bishop—
each give it a go for 30 minutes, with
short breaks in between, for a total of 3 hours.
And at 11:00 pm, a small mob of sharp female improvisors will perform
at a show titled Suck My Dick.
For details on the latter, please click here.
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.
Tonight's show is 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
Charlie Sanders, Ophira Eisenberg, and Jesse Pop...
...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 wonderful guests include
Charlie Sanders (extraordinarily dynamic and committed comic who's performed over 40 sketch comedy routines on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and is a star member of world-class improv troupes Reuben Williams, Buffoons, and C, C + C Improv Factory (which won the 2008 Cage Match Improv Championship; tonight Charlie shows another side of his vast talents by telling jaw-dropping—and entirely true—tales of his experiences growing up white in midwestern suburbia with an unusual secret life via an excerpt from his genius one-man show Minnesota Muslim),
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), and
Jesse Popp (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, co-host of weekly NYC live stand-up show Beauty Bar Comedy for 7 years running).
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
Seth Herzog, God's Pottery, and Jon Glaser
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 include
God's Pottery (Wilson Hall & Krister Johnson's delightful parody of a Christian folk singing duo who were shining stars on this past summer's Last Comic Standing; UK TV comedy showcase The World Stands Up; Comedy Central album God's Pottery: Live at Comix!),
Jon Glaser (creator & star of new Adult Swim series Delocated;
long-time writer & sketch performer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
writer/performer for ESPN's Cheap Seats; frequent performer on Human Giant;
star of new Adult Swim show Delocated; voiceover actor for such animated series as
David Cross' Freak Show, and Adult Swim's Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Stroker & Hoop
(as Stroker), and, with Eugene Mirman, Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil (playing Jesus);
writer/star of Comedy Central's online show Tiny Hands; writer/filmmaker
partner with stellar VO actor/comic Jon Benjamin in Midnight Pajama Jam;
and—with Todd Barry, Jon Benjamin, James McNew, and Tom Shillue—
member of NYC comedic band A Matter of Trust), and
and "a couple of special guests."
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 5/20/09
Charlie Sanders (Sideshow Goshko), Margie Kment (Hold for the Laughs), and Moby (7 Second Delay)
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] music superstar Moby, youngest staff writer in history of Saturday Night Live Simon Rich, stand-up Mike Weiss, and more at a live broadcast of the WFMU radio show 7 Second Delay (6:00 pm),
[FREE] six free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday (6:00 pm-midnight),
[TOP PICK] stellar comedic storytellers Charlie Sanders (genius storytelling one-man show Minnesota Muslim; Conan O'Brien, star improv troupes Reuben Williams and C, C + C Improv Factory), Adam Pally (ABC, MTV, Comedy Central, star improv troupes Death by Roo Roo and Hot Sauce), Andy Christie (The New York Times; Moth GrandSlam Champion; author of book I Wasn't Kidding; host of The Liar Show), Melanie Hamlett (Moth StorySlam Champion), and Ben Kissel (The Brain and the Beast podcast)—plus live accordion music by Michelle Leona, and a quiz for a free bottle of wine—at a show hosted by the razor-sharp and immensely talented Leslie Goshko (Manhattan Monologue Champion, UCBT) in which top comics and storytellers reveal odd aspects of themselves: Sideshow Goshko (7:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] sharp stand-ups Roger Hailes (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Chappelle's Show, VH1), Katina Corrao (VH1's Best Week Ever, HBO, Comedy Central), Jiwon Lee (Comedy Central, AMC, ESPN), and Brent Sullivan at a free weekly Brooklyn extravaganza hosted by Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman, and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific (8:00ish pm),
[FREE] Myq Kaplan (Comedy Central), Nick Turner (VH1, ESPN, Too Cool for School), Raquel D'Apice (The Ugly Volvo), H. Alan Scott (here! TV's Hot Gay Comics), and Ryan McKee (Modest Proposal magazine) at a free weekly comedy show hosted by Matt Maragno & the luminous Margie Kment: Now We're Talking (8:00 pm),
[FREE] NYC stand-ups Myq Kaplan, Hardcore Boris, Sue Funke, Judy Ortiz, Pat O’Shea, and Troy Bynum at a free show hosted by Sharon "Mama" Spell: Shrink (8:00 pm),
comics, writers, and others telling tales of their worst NYC experiences in New York Sh*tty (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE COOKIES] Baron Vaughn (Comedy Central, MTV, Cloverfield, Shoot the Messenger), Donald Glover (30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Derrick, Mystery Team), Gilad Foss (co-host of Night Kitchen), Matt Maragno (co-host of Now We're Talking), Dan Mahoney, and luminous & lovely host Margie Kment performing a full-blown stand-up 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] an entirely improvised musical from a genius comedy duo, and an improvised soap opera,
in the double-bill I Eat Pandas and Hot Lather: As the Diamond Burns (9:30 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).
Simon Rich and Moby
A live broadcast of radio station 91.1 FM WFMU's 7 Second Delay, hosted by Ken Freedman and Andy Breckman.
Tonight stellar guests include
Moby (music superstar; to check out Moby's latest doings, please click here),
Simon Rich (youngest staff writer ever for Saturday Night Live; author of the 2007 book
Ant Farm And Other Desperate Situations), and
Mike Weiss (Edinburgh Fringe Festival; for stand-up video about depression, please click here).
6:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
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. Party Lights 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 Halfbear 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
Charlie Sanders and Adam Pally...
...and Andy Christie and Melanie Hamlett
This delightful show asks some of the finest comics and storytellers in New York to reveal aspects of themselves that are odd and unusual.
It also includes such carnival elements as an accordion player, and a challenging trivia contest for someone in the audience to win a bottle of wine.
It's hosted by Leslie Goshko, who's an exceptionally sharp comedic actress/writer, and a 2008 Manhattan Monologue Slam Champion. (For Leslie's award-winning comedy bit about Internet dating, please click here; and for her bit on "the End Times Awareness Carnival," please click here.)
Tonight's thoroughly wonderful funny storytellers & comics are
Charlie Sanders (extraordinarily dynamic and committed comic who's performed over 40 sketch comedy routines on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and is a star member of world-class improv troupes Reuben Williams, Buffoons, and C, C + C Improv Factory (which won the 2008 Cage Match Improv Championship; tonight Charlie shows another side of his vast talents by telling jaw-dropping—and entirely true—tales of his experiences growing up white in midwestern suburbia with an unusual secret life via an excerpt from his genius one-man show Minnesota Muslim),
Adam Pally (written for ABC; performed for MTV, Comedy Central, UCBT's The Nights of Our Lives; wonderful sketch/improv member of star comedy troupes Death by Roo Roo and Hot Sauce),
Andy Christie (The New York Times, 2007 Moth GrandSlam Champion, author of book I Wasn't Kidding, host of hit biweekly NYC live comedy extravaganza The Liar Show),
Melanie Hamlett (Moth StorySlam Champion), and
Ben Kissel (blog Give Me a Little Kissel; podcast The Brain and the Beast).
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)
Roger Hailes, Katina Corrao, and Jiwon Lee...
...and co-hosts Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate
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 superb comics are
Roger Hailes (exceptionally sharp, personable stand-up; Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Chappelle's Show, VH1's All Access; writer for VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV, Bravo, E!; for sample videos, please click here and here),
Katina Corrao (VH1's Best Week Ever, HBO's Daddy, Comedy Central; co-host of biweekly LIC live comedy extravaganza The Matt and Katina Show; for video samples, please click here and here),
Jiwon Lee (Comedy Central's Root of All Evil, winner of NBC's Stand up for Diversity contest, AMC, ESPN, Air America, ImaginAsian TV, co-host of 50 First Jokes), and
Brent Sullivan (Funny.com; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here),
plus Gabe and Jenny each performing a solo set.
8:00ish pm 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
Myq Kaplan, Nick Turner, and Raquel D'Apice
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 terrific guests are
Myq Kaplan (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; for superb stand-up video about religion, gay marriage, and dumplings, please click here),
Nick Turner (VH1, ESPN, co-host of Brooklyn weekly live comedy show Too Cool for School; for video about how to spend an inheritance, please click here).
Raquel D'Apice (writes blog titled The Ugly Volvo; for touching video
about lesbians who met in Eastern Europe, please click here),
H. Alan Scott (here! TV's Hot Gay Comics; master baker of amazingly delicious cookies for NYC comedy shows; for stand-up video about being Mormon and gay, please click here), and
Ryan McKee (co-founder of Modest Proposal magazine; for animated video about his 2009 Superbowl experience, please click here).
8:00 pm at Rodeo Bar, 375 Third Avenue (corner of 27th Street); free
This free weekly show tonight features NYC stand-ups Myq Kaplan, Hardcore Boris, Sue Funke, Judy Ortiz, Pat O’Shea, and Troy Bynum.
Hosted by Sharon "Mama" Spell.
8:00 pm at Otto's Shrunken Head, 538 East 14th Street (between Avenues A and B); free
Ilana & Eliot Glazer
New York has eight million stories. This show focuses on the ones that are icky. The official description:
"The traditional 'New York experience' is all but a mirage now, replaced by chipotles, cosmotinis, and management companies starving for horizontal space. Although it's become a cliche to romanticize Ed Koch's New York—one rampant with drugs, crime, and bankruptcy—you have to honor the city's two-faced ability to enthrall and excite you one day and wring you dry the next. Simply put, New York can suck—hard—and brother-sister duo Eliot & Ilana Glazer invite comedians, writers, bloggers, and performers to share their worst experiences in this new cathartic storytelling series."
Tonight's lineup hasn't been announced; but with the right storytellers,
this could be terrific.
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)
Baron Vaughn and Margie Kment...
...and Donald Glover and Gilad Foss
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 superb stand-ups are
Margie Kment (the wonderful host, who's making a tape tonight for submission to Comedy Central's Live at Gotham—so when Margie performs her set, laugh a lot),
Baron Vaughn (rising star comic; 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, upcoming 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),
Donald Glover (writer and performer for NBC's 30 Rock; appeared multiple times on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; member of three-man improv/sketch comedy troupe Derrick, which is a star both on stage at UCBT and on the Web via their wildly popular YouTube videos—
for samples, please click here and here and here and here; other notable Derrick accomplishments include wining the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Troupe; and writing, composing, and starring in an indie feature comedy film that recently premiered at Sundance—to view the trailer of Mystery Team, please click here),
Gilad Foss (co-host of NYC live comedy show Night Kitchen; for stand-up video about getting compliments from the insane and Miss Piggy taking the SATs, please click here),
Matt Maragno (co-host with Margie Kment of NYC Wednesday night live comedy show Now We're Talking), and
Dan Mahoney (for stand-up video about cats vs. dogs, 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
Glennis & Eliza: I Eat Pandas and Hot Lather: As the Diamond Burns
Two unique improvisation shows for a mere five bucks.
Glennis McMurray and Eliza Skinner are simply geniuses
at taking a suggestion from the audience and creating
an entire musical based around it, using only their imaginations,
immense talent, and the aid of their wonderful improv pianist
Frank Spitznagel. Each of these gals is a powerhouse performer;
what they manage to create together tends to be sheer magic.
You don't have to take my word for it, either:
the duo won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group; and they
recently starred in the Fringe festival hit Gem! A Truly Outrageous Parody,
which won two FringeNYC 2008 Awards.
Eliza will soon be moving to LA. Don't miss one of your final chances
to enjoy these comedic wizards at play on an NYC stage.
The double-bill then continues with Hot Lather, an improv group that specializes
in the soap opera format. Its members include some powerhouse performers:
Mike Cavanaugh, Matt Fisher, Jon Gutierrez, Molly Lloyd, Anna Rubanova, Achilles Stamatelaky, Mike Still, Abra Tabak, Andree Vermeulen, and Paul Welsh,
with direction by Rob Webber.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
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 5/21/09
Jenny Slate (Dead Millionaire), Dave Hill (The Dave Hill Explosion), and Adam Pally (Cage Match)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] a one-woman show from Jenny Slate (one of the most unique and intriguing comics in NYC, who co-hosts acclaimed weekly comedy show Big Terrific), plus an SF-themed show from sketch comedy duo BriTANicK, in Dead Millionaire and The Infinity Prison (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] brilliant improvisors Tara Copeland and James Eason leading a semi-revival of legendary troupe Mother in this new Magnet show: Sleepover (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] Adira Amram (brilliantly funny, sexy, rising star writer/singer), Giulia Rozzi (VH1, co-host of Stripped Stories), Jackie Monahan (here! TV's Hot Gay Comics; co-host of Dykes on Mics), Val Kappa (Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Charlie Kasov (FOX), and Nick Vatterott (Chicago Hilarity) performing at a weekly variety show in the East Village hosted by sharp dark comedy stand-up Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender (8:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] movie and TV superstar Janeane Garofalo hosting a comedy show with guests Jon Glaser, Lee Camp, Paul Dinello, Jamie Kilstein, and more at Comedy Below Canal: Janeane Garofalo and Friends (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] Dave Hill demonstrating he's one of the sharpest, freshest, funniest comics around
—accompanied this evening by guests Ira Glass (host of This American Life) and Brooklyn music band Takka Takka—at The Dave Hill Explosion (9:30 pm),
[$] 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, tonight headlining at Carolines: Paul Mooney (10:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] and two vibrant improv troupes, Death by Roo Roo and Penthouse Riot, in a battle of titans to win audience laughs & votes at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).
Jenny Slate
Jenny Slate: Dead Millionaire and BriTANicK: The Infinity Prison
Jenny Slate is 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. Who will be at my funeral? Who will inherit my dog and his money? Don't you love a good funeral party?" Directed by the witty and razor-sharp John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives).
Also on this double-bill is SF-themed sketch comedy show BriTANicK: The Infinity Prison.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
James Eason and Tara Copeland
A group of stellar improvisors, some of whom are former members of legendary improv troupe Mother, perform long-form improv based on an audience suggestion. This new group's members are Tara Copeland, James Eason, Jessica Allen, Paul W. Downs, Jesse Falcon, and Rachel Hamilton.
Please note: Paying $5 actually entitles you to see shows at The Magnet for the entire evening, which includes several improv shows following this one. For details, please click here and then scroll down to Thursday's listings.
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Jackie Monahan, Adira Amram, and Giulia Rozzi
Entertaining the Bartender with Jena Friedman
Razor-sharp and delightfully dark stand-up comic Jena Friedman (playwright of 2008 FringeNYC show Refugee Girls; for a stand-up video about sexual predators, eggs, and Tai food, please click here) hosts this entirely free weekly comedy show in Brooklyn. This is actually a version of an acclaimed show Jena used to do in a Chicago bar run by a gal named Tammy. When the bar started out it was often near-empty, so Jena began the show to entertain her friend and develop steady traffic. On both counts, it was a wild success...
Tonight's superb guests are
Adira Amram (brilliantly funny and sexy writer/singer; Jane Magazine Editor's Choice;
co-star of Get Psyched!, one-woman show Adira Amram is an American Idol at Ars Nova; upcoming second album Hot Jams 4 Teens; for sample songs & videos, please click here),
Giulia Rozzi (VH1's Best Night Ever podcasts; monthly video series The Message Board, which makes fun of brides, on ComedyNet.com; co-producer of East coast version of hit national show Mortified; co-host of red-hot comedy show Stripped Stories;
for a video sample, please click here),
Jackie Monahan (here! TV's Hot Gay Comics; co-host of NYC live comedy show Dykes on Mics; for sharp stand-up video, please click here),
Val Kappa (Comedy
Central, Adult Swim; for stand-up video about hitchhiking, please click here),
Charlie Kasov (FOX, New Orleans Comedy Festival), and
Nick Vatterott (Chicago Hilarity; for video about why he likes Conan O'Brien, please click here).
8:30 pm at The Pyramid Club, 101 Avenue A (between 6th & 7th Streets); tickers are $5
Take the F subway to 2nd Avenue & Houston stop or the L subway to 1st Avenue & 14th Street stop
Janeane Garofalo
Comedy Below Canal: Janeane Garofalo and Friends
Thoroughly wonderful comics are performing tonight at 92YTribeca courtesy of host
Janeane Garofalo (quite simply, one of the 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; Janeane's also a frequent guest on cable king Keith Olbermann's Countdown on MSNBC (patiently explaining why far-right Republicans can't be judged too harshly because they all suffer from malformed brains...); 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 breathtakingly impressive credits, please click here).
Janeane's guests are Jon Glaser, Lee Camp, Paul Dinello, Jamie Kilstein,
and more.
For more info and/or to order tickets, please click here.
9:00 pm at 92YTribeca Mainstage, 200 Hudson Street (intersection of Canal & Hudson Streets); $12
Take the 1/6/E subway to Canal Street stop
Dave Hill, and band Takka Takka
Dave Hill is one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country. Dave's written for The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written & starred in MOJO TV's King of Miami; and written and performed for VH1, Spike TV, The Learning Channel, IFC, and Smoking Gun TV. Dave also creates comedic short films for both SuperDeluxe.com and Bud.com; for some of his best work, please click here.
Dave says, "Sometimes I miss being able to walk into the free clinic and stuff without being harassed by people who watch television really late at night, but for the most part I gotta say this 'fame thing' suits me well. Really, really well." Indeed it does.
Tonight's guests are
Ira Glass (host & producer of radio and TV show This American Life) and
Brooklyn music group Takka Takka.
This show's seats are sold out. But if you're okay with standing, come and enjoy.
9:30 pm 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 and late Friday night.)
10:00 pm at Carolines, 1626 Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);
$31 ticket plus two-drink minimum
vs.
Cage Match: Death by Roo Roo vs. Penthouse Riot
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.)
Tonight features a battle of titans that will make NYC quake with awe and laughter.
The defending troupe is arguably the gutsiest improv team in NYC—Death by Roo Roo, consisting of uniformly brilliant comics Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Liz Cackowski, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, Curtis Gwinn, Adam Pally, and Gavin Speiller.
DBRR was by far the winning-est group last season, trouncing 17 troupes in a row—handily breaking the previous Cage Match winning streak record of 14 set by Optimist International in 2002! It went on to win last season's Cage Match Championship with breathtaking skill and comedic grace. And it's repeating history this season, steamrolling over opponents with apparent ease—for example, it won last week's bout against one of the finest comedy teams in improv history, Reuben Williams, by 141 to 35.
Tonight's David against the DBRR Goliath is Penthouse Riot, consisting of Pat Baer, Brian Berrebbi, Devlyn Corrigan, Paul W. Downs, Violet Krumbein, Amber Petty, Joe Spellman, and Achilles Stamatelaky.
While the odds are against PR, hilariously unpredictable talents such as Amber Petty, Violet Krumbein, and Pat Baer ensure there's really no telling what will happen...which is one of the great pleasures of this extravaganza.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 5/22/09
Leighann Lord (Nouveau Poor) & Paul Mooney (Carolines), Jen Nails (Lylice), and Chris Gethard (Magic Box of Stories)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] Jen Nails performing a 40-minute one-woman show about an "exuberant sixth-grader" Time Out New York called "explosively funny:" Lylice (7:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] superb stand-ups Leighann Lord (HBO, Comedy Central, ABC, Huffington Post), Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Jenny Rubin (WE TV, host of The Back Room), and more, plus musical guests Josefin Fundin (Swedish musician featured at Sidewalk Café) and Jamie Scandal (New York Ukulele Cabaret) at Calvin S. Cato's show for our current economy: Nouveau Poor (7:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] the wonderful Baron Vaughn (Comedy Central, MTV, Cloverfield, Shoot the Messenger, Awkward Kings of Comedy) and "surprise guests" celebrating the three-year anniversary of this popular NYC show hosted by Blaine Perry & Pat Stango: Don't Touch Me There (7:30 pm),
[$] the revival of a popular comedic play, smartly directed by the wonderful Kimmy Gatewood and with a standout performance from actress Lee Eddy: Kidnapped by Craigslist (8:00 pm),
[FREE] Greg Johnson (The Comedians), Myq Kaplan (Comedy Central), Mark Normand (co-host of We're All Friends Here), Dustin D’Addato (NBC), and Greg Stone (Comedy Central) at this free weekly show in Brooklyn hosted by Nick Turner: Too Cool for School (8:00 pm),
NYC stand-up comics Amy Beckerman (co-host of Dykes on Mics, here! TV's Hot Gay Comics), Robin Cloud (Under the Pink Carpet), Trevor Boris (Logo TV), Selene Luna (VH1's The Cho Show), 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),
[$] absurdist cult fave sketch comedy troupe Spurn (9:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] one of the most razor-sharp and uproariously funny storytellers in the country performing a one-man show that should not be missed: Chris Gethard's Magic Box of Stories (11:00 pm),
[FREE] a free opportunity for you to perform sketch on the UCBT stage at Liquid Courage (12:20ish am),
[$] 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).
Comedic performer Jen Nails performs a 40-minute one-woman show about "exuberant sixth-grader Lylice Martin...and gingerly transports you back to the world of middle school." Time Out New York reports it's "explosively funny." What more can one ask for?
After the performance, Jen will give away one copy of her book, Next to Mexico (Houghton Mifflin, 2008), which is based on Lylice.
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10
Michelle Buteau and Calvin S. Cato
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
Leighann Lord (HBO's Def Comedy All Star Jam, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, ABC's The View, FOXNews.com Strategy Room, contributor to Huffington Post),
Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend;
for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here),
Jenny Rubin (WE TV’s Cinematherapy and The Gutter; host of weekly NYC live comedy show The Back Room),
Jeff Cerulli (Sirius Radio), and Ken Perlstein;
plus musical guests
Josefin Fundin (Swedish musician featured at Sidewalk Café) and
Jamie Scandal (New York Ukulele Cabaret).
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)
Baron Vaughn, and hosts Blaine Perry & Pat Stango
Don't Touch Me There: Third Anniversary!
Blaine Perry and Pat Stango 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 celebrates three years of the show's run.
Expect lots of sketch comedy and other bits from regulars/co-producers Steve Bossous, Sean Donnelly, Eliza Faria-Santos, and Roger Hailes;
wonderful stand-up Baron Vaughn (rising star comic; 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, upcoming 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);
"surprise guests;"
and an all-night dance party!
7:10 pm doors, 7:30 pm show at Karma Lounge, 51 1st Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Streets); free
Want to buy a couch? Find a date? Complain about your roommate? This 90-minute play "explores the carnivalistic, cult-like phenomenon that is Craigslist. Combining actual postings from the New York Web site with scripted material and live music, the play tells the true stories that are locked inside an online community that has shaped and inspired today's Internet generation."
This was a wildly successful show during its original run two years ago. The Los Angeles Times called it "a freewheeling specialty piece with insidious verve." It's now been updated for this revival.
The show is far from perfect; the writing periodically lags, and some of the performances are so-so.
That said, a number of the bits are delightful; and the direction, by the brilliantly talented Kimmy Gatewood, is sharp and inventive.
Further, you're sure to enjoy short-haired dynamo Lee Eddy (above right), who moved to NYC just a few months ago from Texas, where she was voted "Best Actress in Austin" three years in a row. Lee's always funny and electric performances are worth the trip all by itself. Keep an eye on this smart, appealing talent; I'm guessing she has a bright future.
Written by Katie Goan and Nitra Gutierrez. For brief samples from the original run, please click here and here; and for the show's MySpace page, please click here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue);
tickets are $13.29 in advance online or $15 at the door
Greg Johnson, Myq Kaplan, and Nick Turner
This new & free weekly comedy show is hosted by Nick Turner (VH1, ESPN; for video about how to spend an inheritance, please click here).
Tonight's fine guests include
Greg Johnson (sharp, quick-witted stand-up comic who co-hosts the weekly NYC live comedy show The Comedians),
Myq Kaplan (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; for superb stand-up video about religion, gay marriage, and dumplings, please click here),
Mark Normand (co-host of We're All Friends Here; DC and New Orleans Comedy Festivals),
Dustin D’Addato (NBC, The Comedy Nerds), and
Greg Stone (Comedy Central's Fake Credits).
8:00 pm at Coco 66, 66 Greenpoint Avenue in Brooklyn; free
Take the G subway to Greenpoint Avenue stop
Jenny Rubin, Dave Rubin, Paul Case, and Shawn Hollenbach
Gay-themed comedy (with both gay & straight comics),
hosted by the charming Jenny Rubin (WE TV’s Cinematherapy and The Gutter).
Tonight's guest comics include
Amy Beckerman (co-host of Dykes on Mics; here! TV's Hot Gay Comics; for a stand-up video, please click here),
Robin Cloud (Under the Pink Carpet),
Trevor Boris (Logo TV),
Selene Luna (VH1's The Cho Show),
plus
Back Room co-producer Paul Case (MTV, D-Listed Radio, here! TV's Bent),
Back Room co-producer Shawn Hollenbach (here! TV's Busted), and
Back Room co-producer Dave Rubin (here! TV's Dave Rubin Project and Hot Gay Comics).
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
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 $12
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
Brilliant comedic storyteller Chris Gethard will shower us tonight with his magically hilarious tales
Chris Gethard's Magic Box of Stories
Chris Gethard is one of the most talented and brilliant storytellers and improvisors in New York. Chris can be seen every Friday night as a member of ace improv group The Stepfathers, and every month as a member of the razor-sharp storytelling show the The Nights of Our Lives. Chris is also the author of the book Weird New York.
And tonight Chris lets his storytelling prowess fully shine as he asks audience members to pick story titles out of a box filled with his wondrous, unforgettable, and jaw-droppingly funny tales. Since Chris has many more tales in the box than can be told during this 90-minute slot, every performance is fresh and unique.
Come catch this rising star demonstrate why he should be famous in a show that gets my highest recommendation.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The ultimate in audience participation: any group can submit a sketch and perform it!
If all you want is to be entertained, this show probably isn't a good choice.
But if you'd like to act on the UCBT stage, and/or have your sketch writing judged by an exceptionally savvy audience, this is a golden opportunity.
Sign-up begins at 10:30 pm and runs till 11:45 pm; sketches will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's wise to arrive early. For a complete list of the rules, please click here.
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 late tonight, and then returning Thursday-Sunday next week.)
12:30 am at Carolines, 1626 Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);
$31 ticket plus two-drink minimum
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 5/23/09
Selene Luna (Madame Katie's House of Ladies), Esther Ku (Eastville Comedy Club), and Livia Scott (High School Talent Show)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] four sharp storytellers—who tonight are Tracy Rowland (consulting TV writer/producer/editor at NBC), Ryan Britt (Nerve.com), Peter Aguero (BTK Band), and Mr. Z (Moth GrandSlam Champion)—trying to mislead the audience at Andy Christie's The Liar Show (6:00 pm),
NYC stand-ups at Sean Donnelly's Lil' Seany Boy (7:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,
and The Daily Show joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball (7:30 pm),
Roman Rimer telling the true story of transitioning from gal to guy in this new one-person show: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Trannies * But Were Afraid to Ask (7:30 pm),
[$] comedy club lineups that tonight include brilliant NYC stand-ups Ted Alexandro, Anthony Jeselnik, DC Benny, Greg Giraldo, and More at Comedy Cellar (7:15, 9:15 pm, 11:00 pm, and 12:45 am),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] the final edition of this free comedy show in Queens' Long Island City, because the brilliant hosts—the three members of star sketch/improv troupe Derrick—are pursuing fame and fortune by moving to LA: This Is New York (8:00 pm),
[$] the revival of a popular comedic play, smartly directed by the wonderful Kimmy Gatewood and with a standout performance from actress Lee Eddy: Kidnapped by Craigslist (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which in 2008 broke the UCBT improv competition record for winning streaks with 17 triumphs in a row, and this year delivered a magnificent performance to capture the Cage Match Championship—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (9:00 pm),
organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track! (9:00 pm),
[DISCOUNTED] your chance to find out if 2008 Last Comic Standing contestant Esther Ku is really as much of a bubblehead as she appeared on TV, plus Comedy Central Presents star Kurt Metzger and other notable stand-ups performing at the Eastville Comedy Club (10:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] improvised furious action from world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer (10:30 pm),
TV & movie star Selena Luna featured on this month's edition of Madame Katie's House of Ladies (11:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [$] 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 Snakes on a Plane (midnight),
[TOP PICK] and a small mob of superb comedic performers—Livia Scott, Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan, Andrea Rosen, John Gemberling, Elephant Larry, Rob Lathan, Adolpho Blaire, and Andree Vermeulen—and show creators Ilana & Eliot Glazer, performing highly unusual acts at High School Talent Show (midnight).
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 stellar yarn-spinners (all of whom have performed at The Moth) are
Ryan Britt (Nerve.com),
Tracy Rowland (consulting TV writer/producer/editor at NBC),
Peter Aguero (BTK Band), and
Mr. Z (Moth GrandSlam Champion).
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);
$5 ticket plus one-drink minimum
Sean Donnelly
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.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced.
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)
Becky Drysdale, Anthony King, 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), 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), 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
Roman Rimer: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Trannies * But Were Afraid to Ask
Roman Rimer performs a one-person show that asks "What happens when an anxious, unassuming girl realizes she's more of an anxious, unassuming guy?" Rimer tells the true tale of his funny, surprising, and painful journey of transitioning.
7:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Ted Alexandro, Greg Giraldo, DC Benny, and Anthony Jeselnik
Ted Alexandro, Anthony Jeselnik, DC Benny, Greg Giraldo, and More at Comedy Cellar
Tonight's four lineups at the Comedy Cellar club feature some heavy-duty talent.
The 7:15 pm show includes DC Benny and Greg Giraldo.
The 9:15 pm and 11:00 pm shows include Anthony Jeselnik and Greg Giraldo.
And the 12:45 pm show includes Ted Alexandro, Kurt Metzger, and Greer Barnes.
To see the complete lineups, please click here, click the Lineup link near the top, click today's date, and click the Go button. To make an online reservation, please click here.
This comedy club show has an $18 cover and 2-item minimum (with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up).
7:30 pm & 9:15 pm & 11:00 pm & 12:45 pm at Comedy Cellar, 117 MacDougal Street
(between 3rd St. & Minetta Lane); $18 cover plus two-item minimum
Donald Glover, DC Pierson, and Dominic Dierkes of Derrick
This Is New York: Final Show!!!
Derrick is three sharp and enormously appealing performers,
Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson, who are sketch comedy
stars via their wildly popular YouTube videos—
for some samples, please click here and here and here—
and won the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Troupe.
The guys also completed a comedy feature film, which they
wrote, composed, and star in—which recently premiered at Sundance—
and which now has a distributor! (To view the trailer of Mystery Team, please click here.)
In this weekly free show in Queens' Long Island City, these impressively
multi-talented comics host a comedy showcase featuring NYC stand-ups
...and perform some stand-up and/or sketch themselves.
However, tonight is the last show—because DC, Dom, and Donald are moving to LA to pursue fame and fortune, leveraging the recent sale of their movie.
Come to see these brilliant performers one last time before they move; and to wish them the very best on their road to stardom.
8:00 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
Want to buy a couch? Find a date? Complain about your roommate? This 90-minute play "explores the carnivalistic, cult-like phenomenon that is Craigslist. Combining actual postings from the New York Web site with scripted material and live music, the play tells the true stories that are locked inside an online community that has shaped and inspired today's Internet generation."
This was a wildly successful show during its original run two years ago. The Los Angeles Times called it "a freewheeling specialty piece with insidious verve." It's now been updated for this revival.
The show is far from perfect; the writing periodically lags, and some of the performances are so-so.
That said, a number of the bits are delightful; and the direction, by the brilliantly talented Kimmy Gatewood, is sharp and inventive.
Further, you're sure to enjoy short-haired dynamo Lee Eddy (above right), who moved to NYC just a few months ago from Texas, where she was voted "Best Actress in Austin" three years in a row. Lee's always funny and electric performances are worth the trip all by itself. Keep an eye on this smart, appealing talent; I'm guessing she has a bright future.
Written by Katie Goan and Nitra Gutierrez. For brief samples from the original run, please click here and here; and for the show's MySpace page, please click here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue);
tickets are $13.29 in advance online or $15 at the door
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
Springboarding from a word suggested by the audience,
George Basil, Frank Campanella, Christian Capozzoli, and Matt Evans
perform organic & energetic long-form improv for about 40 minutes.
Basil is a stand-out, but they're all sharp, committed improvisors.
There's also a warm chemistry between the men, which is especially evident
if you arrive early to watch them getting ready on stage: They toss a ball
back and forth, and then toss each other back and forth...sending
a body message of "If you throw an improv concept at me, you can trust me
to not let it drop..." One of the Magnet's most popular shows.
9:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Esther Ku, Kurt Metzger, and More at Eastville
Esther Ku, the gal famed for being a bubblehead on the 2008 season of Last Comic Standing, performs tonight at the Eastville Comedy Club, NYC's only stand-up club in the East Village.
Along with Esther will be Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, Showtime's Whiteboyz, VH1's Best Week Ever), and much more.
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.
10:00 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
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
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).
10:30 pm at Soho Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street (between 6th Avenue & Varick); tickets are $15
Selene Luna
Madame Katie's House of Ladies: Selene Luna
This monthly show tonight features special guest Selena Luna. The official description:
"At 3'10", Selene Luna is a small package with a big presence. In 2007, The New York Times called Miss Luna 'a polished spitfire,' while NY Metromix praised her performance as 'smart and endearing' for her featured performance in comedian Margaret Cho's Off-Broadway variety show The Sensuous Woman. Last year, Luna co-starred with Margaret Cho in the VH1 comedy series The Cho Show. This year, Luna hit the big screen in Lionsgate's My Bloody Valentine 3D and co-starred in Demonic Toys 2: Personal Demons."
11:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10
The Raspberry Brothers Dissect Snakes on a Plane
Effectively providing a live version of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, The Raspberry Brothers—Jerm Pollet, Johnny McNulty, and Aaron Glaser—tear to shreds a not-great 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 target is Snakes on a Plane, which has an IMDB rating of 6 (out of 10).
To purchase tickets in advance, please click here.
Midnight at Chelsea Cinemas, 260 West 23rd Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $15
Livia Scott, and High School Talent Show's producers Ilana & Eliot Glazer
High School Talent Show is a fun extravaganza written, directed, and produced by brother-sister duo Eliot & Ilana Glazer in which "Upper Central High School's brightest stars take to the stage to deliver rabble-rousing performances in song, dance, magic, slam poetry, stilts, and more!" The stellar comics playing high school students tonight are Livia Scott, Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan, Andrea Rosen, John Gemberling, Elephant Larry, Rob Lathan, Adolpho Blaire, and Andree Vermeulen.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 5/24/09
Liz Miele (Sunday Night Stand-Up), Michelle Buteau (Electro Shock Therapy Comedy), and Andy Blitz (The Comedians)
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),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] star stand-up Andy Blitz (comedy genius; writer & performer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien since 1999), plus Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion), Ken Zimlinghaus (Sirius Satellite Radio's Wake Up With Cosmo), and more at a free weekly LES show hosted by Greg Johnson: The Comedians (7:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] stellar stand-ups Baron Vaughn (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central, MTV, Cloverfield, Shoot the Messenger, Awkward Kings of Comedy), Jon Fisch (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Sean Patton (VH1), Liz Miele (Comedy Central), Jess Wood (HBO), and Erik Bergstrom at RG Daniels' free Sunday Night Stand-Up (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] [FREE] razor-sharp stand-ups Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever, host of stellar comedy show Sweet), Pat Stango (co-host of Don't Touch Me There), RG Daniels (host of Sunday Night Stand-Up), and Megan Ganz (Assistant Editor of The Onion) at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free stand-up show Beauty Bar Comedy (9:00 pm),
[FREE] and terrific stand-ups Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Jessimae Peluso ("The looks of Jen Aniston and the mouth of Sam Kinnison"), Yamaneika (NBC's Stand Up for Diversity, BET), and Keith Price (Sirius OutQ Radio, Logo) performing an evening of gay-themed free comedy hosted by Brad Loekle: 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)
Greg Johnson and Andy Blitz
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 terrific stand-ups include
Andy Blitz (comedy genius best known for being a writer and performer for
Late Night with Conan O'Brien since 1999; also a thoroughly unique stand-up
whose sets—ranging from talking peanut butter to jet-flying cats—tend to be unforgettable;
to read about Andy's memorable hosting of Crash Test at UCBT, please click here),
Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Shorties Watchin' Shorties, and Secret Stash Movie; VH1's All Access; The Onion; just released his first comedy CD, Lou Diamond Phillips?), and
Ken Zimlinghaus (can be heard regularly on Sirius Satellite Radio's Wake Up With Cosmo).
7:30 pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; free
Jon Fisch, Baron Vaughn, and Sean Patton
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 superb performers include
Baron Vaughn (rising star comic; 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, upcoming 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),
Jon Fisch (Last Comic Standing 4, nabbing Audience Favorite award; Comedy Central),
Sean Patton (VH1, 2008 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, LES' The Tommy Danger Show, founder of the New Orleans Comedy Festival; for stand-up audio clip about vitamin-coated condoms, please click here; for stand-up videos about drugs & weapons and Sean's crackhead aunt, please click here and here),
Liz Miele (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; took third place at the 2008 March Comedy Madness competition; for stand-up video on dating, please click here; for 12-minute set at Carolines, please click here),
Jess Wood (smart, brassy, very funny stand-up; HBO's Def Jam Comedy;
for documentary about Jess, please click here), and
Erik Bergstrom (stand-up and cartoonist).
8:00 pm at Three of Cups downstairs lounge, 83 1st Avenue (off 5th Street); free
Seth Herzog, Pat Stango, and RG Daniels...
...and hosts Vince Averill and 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 fun guests are
Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever; razor-sharp, dynamic host of one of
the very best live comedy shows in NYC, Tuesday night's Sweet),
Pat Stango (co-host of NYC live comedy show Don't Touch Me There; "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"),
RG Daniels (quirky experimental comic; host of NYC weekly live comedy show Sunday Night Stand-Up—which he'll be coming directly from to perform at this show; influences include Woody Allen and french fries; occasionally refers to himself as "Hanukah-face"), and
Megan Ganz (Assistant Editor of The Onion).
9:00 pm at Beauty Bar, 231 East 14th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues); free
Jessimae Peluso 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.
Tonight's terrific stand-ups are
Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend;
for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here),
Jessimae Peluso ("The looks of Jen Aniston and the mouth of Sam Kinnison"),
Yamaneika (NBC's Stand Up for Diversity, BET), and
Keith Price (Sirius OutQ Radio, Logo).
10:00 pm at Therapy, 348 West 52nd Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
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
