NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 11/19/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a special event: the on-strike members of NBC's Emmy-winning sitcom performing 30 Rock at UCBT! (8:00 pm),
on-strike Emmy-winning writers Tim Carvell & Jason Ross of The Daily Show at Shoot the Messenger (8:30 pm),
acclaimed UK comic Glenn Wool visiting NYC to perform his one-man show Promises, Promises (9:30 pm),
and a breathtaking collection of top comedic talent, including Andy Blitz, Pete Holmes, Heather Lawless,
Tom McCaffrey, and (again) Glenn Wool at the free stand-up show Cavalcade! (11:00 pm).
30 Rock: On Strike!
The TV version of NBC's 30 Rock—winner of the 2007 Emmy Award
for Outstanding Comedy Series—is on hold
right now because of the Writers Guild strike.
The cast and writers have therefore decided to perform
their show live tonight at UCBT!
Advance reservations rapidly sold out; but if you're willing to wait
on a standby line, you might be able to nab a seat regardless...
or at least get into the standing room section.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $20
Faye Lane, Brian Longwell, Tracy Rowland, and Noah Harlan
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 fibber.
Host Andy Christie (The New York Times) welcomes tonight's terrific yarn-spinners:
Faye Lane (Carolines, Comix, The Moth, one-woman show I Wish It So),
Brian Longwell (wrote/performed two Edinburgh Fringe Festival one-man shows, Why Work?
and I Didn't Vote For George W; finalist for the Andy Kaufman Award),
Tracy Rowland (TV writer/editor; The Moth), and
Noah Harlan (film producer; co-author of children's book Mind Your Manners, Dick & Jane).
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Hosted by the adorable and foul-mouthed Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate.
The duo typically don't provide advance notice about their guests,
but expect the unexpected; and to be entertained by this sly, funny pair.
For a hilarious video starring the very sexy Jenny, please click here.
8:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Jon Stewart and his writing staff winning a few of their numerous Emmy Awards,
and Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead
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 live NYC show Drink at Work, please click here.)
Tonight's guests are two Emmy Award winning writers from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,
Jason Ross (Daily Show staff writer since 2002) and
Tim Carvell (The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Fortune, McSweeney's).
In addition to providing anecdotes about
one of the funniest and best-written shows in TV history,
they'll be discussing the current Writers Guild strike...which is
permitting them the time to come and chat tonight.
To get a feel for STM, view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees by clicking here.
To buy tickets online (each $10 plus $2.50 service charge), please click here.
8:30 pm at Ace of Clubs, 9 Great Jones Street (3rd St. between Lafayette and Broadway); $10
This theatre is downstairs from the Acme restaurant. Nearest subway stops are
Bleecker Street on the #6 and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.
Glenn Wool: Promises, Promises
Glenn Wool (above left) is a Canadian comic who lives in the UK..and is now visiting NYC to entertain us. According to Wikipedia, "His material veers between sagely political and gleefully silly...it feels as if Glenn has fully digested both Bill Hick's and George Carlin's work and improved upon it."
Tonight's show is about promises: "Everyone makes them, no one keeps them.
Wool will talk about them for an hour—or will he?"
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
All-female improv group Frank consists of Elizabeth Blue, Leslie Collins, Julie Dulude, Caroline Goldrick, Mary Jacobson, Desiree Nash, and Abigoliah Schaumaun.
In addition to performing, the gals typically play host to another talented comedy group.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Pete Holmes and Andy Blitz...
...and Heather Lawless,Tom McCaffrey, and Glenn Wool
Crash Test, the show usually in this time slot, is on hiatus
while Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer are shooting
the second season of their hit MTV comedy series Human Giant.
(For insider notes about the HG production and sneak peaks at new videos,
please visit the guys' Web site at thehumangiant.com.)
Tonight's Cavalcade! features some of the finest stand-up comics in the business:
Andy Blitz (comedy genius best known for being a writer and performer
for Late Night with Conan O'Brien since 1999; for Andy's memorable hosting
of Crash Test a couple of weeks ago, please click here),
Pete Holmes (brilliant, lightning-fast stand-up; 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),
Heather Lawless (winner of the 2005 Best Female Comedian ECNY Award; Comedy Central's Premium Blend, MTV2's Wonder Showzen, 2007 feature film Be Kind Rewind; member of wonderful all-female comedy group Variety Shac),
Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Shorties Watchin' Shorties), and
Glenn Wool (star UK comic; please see tonight's previous UCBT show).
Tonight's amazing lineup makes this one of the best shows in NYC.
And it's free.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 11/20/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a delightful gathering of comedic singer/songwriters, including such superb talents as
Eliza Skinner, Robin Gelfenbien, and quick-witted host Jess Wood, at Chicks & Giggles (8:00 pm),
a free stand-up show in Brooklyn with such fine guests The Onion Senior Writer Joe Garden,
Totally J/K's Noah Garfinkel, and Last Comic Standing's Michelle Buteau at Pant-Hoot (8:00 pm),
and some of the finest talents in the biz—comedy genius Nick Kroll, Best Female Stand-Up Award
winner Jessi Klein, and phenomenal human beatbox Shockwave—at Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm).
Eliza Skinner, Jess Wood, and Pembroke & Lu
The smart & brassy Jess Wood (HBO's Def Jam Comedy; for documentary
about her, please click here) hosts a lineup of female comics.
Tonight's talented guests are mostly funny singer/songwriters:
Eliza Skinner (member of the genius improv musical groups I Eat Pandas and
Baby Wants Candy; drummer and singer in the band Stickerbook; MTV's Damage Control),
Robin Gelfenbien (VH1's Awesomely Badder Videos and What's My 20?; sings
funny original songs on Sirius Satellite Radio; wrote jokes for Rosie O'Donnell,
member of sketch comedy troupe Freedumb),
Pembroke & Lu (likeable singing duo; for video song about gay marriage, please click here;
for video song about being scared of the homeless, please click here),
Jen Kwok (ukulele-toting singer/songwriter; half of musical duo Jeneric),
Andrea Alton (actress/writer/producer), and
Samantha Lally Jones (four one-woman shows; for video excerpt
from her most recent one, Butterfly Suicide, please click here).
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Dan Goldman, the art of Josh Neufeld, and Jeff Newelt
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's guests are Josh Neufeld (comics artist for American Splendor, A.D.;
cartoonist for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal),
Jeff Newelt (Comics Editor at both Smith Magazine and HEEB Magazine), and
Dan Goldman (artist of Eisner-nominated Shooting War; writer/artist; co-founder
of daily comics anthology ACT-I-VATE).
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—
Twelve Thousand Dollars, Bastian, T.R.U.C.K.S., 1985, and Beverly Hills
—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
Charles Star
Pant-Hoot: Terrific Free Comedy in Brooklyn
This free monthly comedy show in Brooklyn is hosted by
Charles Star (Onion News Network, Stay Free! Daily blog).
Tonight's fine lineup includes
Joe Garden (Senior Writer for The Onion; author of The Dangerous Book for Dogs;
for an interview about Garden's writing for The Onion since 1993, please click here),
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),
Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend;
for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here),
Sean O'Connor (co-host of the weekly show Smiletime with Sean and Shawn;
VH1; New York Post's Top 20 Entertainers to Watch For in 2006; upcoming album
Shmeat is Shmurder; for stand-up samples, please click here and here), and
Susan Prekel (Comedy Centrals Live at Gotham; for her fun TV commercial, please click here).
8:00 pm at Brooklyn Height's Magnetic Field, 97 Atlantic Avenue (between Hicks & Henry); free
Nick Kroll, Shockwave, and Jessi Klein
Hosted by the razor-sharp & witty Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Tonight's wonderful lineup includes
Nick Kroll (one of the most brilliant and hilarious comics around;
widely agreed to be the highlight of ABC's Cavemen; also conducts
very funny interviews for MTV, etc. as Fabrice Fabrice; has a permanent spot
on this Web page, which you're encouraged to visit by clicking here),
Jessi Klein (winner of 2003 ECNY Best Female Stand-Up award; Director
of Development at Comedy Central; Comedy Central's Premium Blend
and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; VH1's Best Week Ever;
NBC's The Today Show; 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
Shockwave (amazing human beatbox of Freestyle Love Supreme;
The Age wrote he "uses his mouth like a sound effects program that
no computer could possibly match for depth of stored data or
instantaneous retrieval." And Seth Herzog writes, "One of the most entertaining
sound effect/comedic artists you'll ever see. He stole the show at the
closing night of Mo Pitkins," referring to a 3-hour blowout that Seth hosted...
and that featured such artists as Moby!).
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 11/21/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
the delightful & highly talented Amber Petty, Jessie Schupack, and Tricia McAlpin of Penny, and
hilarious sketch duo Matt DeCoster and Will Hines, in the double-bill White Orphans/7 Fights (8:00 pm),
an improvised imagining of what goes on the day Before The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
Pat Shay
Comedy troupe Red tells stories off the top of their heads, then improvises scenes
based on the tales; and also perform sketches from material they improvised the previous week. It's a clever way of crafting a sketch show organically, week by week—and you can watch the whole process, at no charge. The group consists of Kevin Allison, Elna Baker (who's away this week), Chris Caniglia, Scott Eckert, Sarah Lowe, Sarah Nowak, Pat Shay, Nate Starkey, Shelly Stover, and Kevin Townley.
6:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Comedy troupe Penny (Amber Petty, Jessie Schupack and Tricia McAlpin) explore white orphans...
...and Matt DeCoster & Will Hines portray combative relationships
Penny: White Orphans and Hines & DeCoster: 7 Fights
One of the things we should all be thankful for is sketch/improv group Penny, consisting of the adorable & very funny comedy trio Amber Petty, Trisha McAlpin, and Jessie Schupack. In tonight's show, the gals promise to "guide you through their wonderful world of art, music, and laughter. You'll laugh till you cry, cry till you laugh, and be moved enough that
you too will want a white orphan for your very own." Directed by Susannah Beckett.
7 Fights is a hilarious sketch show written and performed by Will Hines & Matt DeCoster, formerly of acclaimed improv group Monkeydick (plus Will burned up the stage a few months ago with sibling Kevin as The Brothers Hines at UCBT's Cage Match).
The show includes such scenes of contention as a political debate in which a guy with a bloody harpoon through him blithely denies he's been impaled. In a word, fun.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Ready to tackle your holiday anxieties are Paul Downs, Alan Fessenden, Elana Fishbein, Marcy Jarreau, Leslie Korein, Louis Kornfeld, and Peter McNerney, who improvise a show based on an audience member's confession.
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Macy's Day Before Thanksgiving Day Parade
From the official description:
"Giant balloons!
Marching bands!
Musical numbers!
Santa Claus!
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the most paradey parade in the whole world.
This is not a show about that parade.
This is a show about the Macy's Day-Before-Thanksgiving Day Parade.
It's a totally different parade. It's like...better."
And considering there's no one credited as writer,
I'm guessing the show is entirely improvised.
The talented performers are John Adam, Devlyn Corrigan, Aaron Glaser, Brian Faas,
Kevin Hines, Tricia McAlpin, Megan Neuringer, Adam Pally, and Chris Schell.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Kurt Braunohler, Pat Shay, and Kimmy Gatewood
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.
Afterwards, house improv troupe The Baldwins takes the stage.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
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); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 11/22/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy are
...hang out with loved ones!
All of the usual suspects are dark tonight; and being at
a comedy club on Thanksgiving might not be a satisfying choice.
If you're determined to go out, though, consider the following suggestions
of free stand-up at a bar...or of immersing yourself in a different world.
Mike Drucker
Lack o Etiquette Presents The Unintentional Comedy Hour
Tim Warner hosts this free biweekly stand-up comedy show.
Tonight's guests include Mike Drucker, the winner of Disney's 2007 So You Think You're Funny competition and performer on Comedy Central's The Watchlist. For Drucker's explanation of how life is like video games and comic books, please click here; and to learn why Drucker's girlfriend wouldn't give him a gold star, please click here.
10:00 pm at Julep Bar, 9 Avenue A (between 1st and 2nd Streets); free
Alternatively, consider seeing a funny and/or musical
Broadway, off-Broadway, or off-off-Broadway show.
To learn how theatre tickets can be purchased for around 50% off—
or, in some cases, for as little as $3 each—
please read Hy on Theatre Discounts.
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 11/23/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
terrific stand-ups Jon Friedman and Noah Garfinkel, comedic singers Pembroke & Lu, sketch troupe
Freedumb, and more at the PIT's post-Thanksgiving mini-marathon, A Cornucopia of Comedy (7:00 pm),
stellar comics Livia Scott, Tom Shillue, Victor Varnado, Baron Vaughn, and more
at the second show of tonight's PIT extravaganza, A Cornucopia of Comedy (8:00 pm),
delightful duo Cathleen Carr & Daiva Deupree performing sketches as Two Girls for Five Bucks (8:00 pm),
superb stand-up & voiceover comedy hosts Larry Murphy & Greg Johnson at Power Hour (8:30 pm),
and some of the finest improv comedy in NYC from The Stepfathers (9:30 pm) and Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm).
Jon Friedman, Pembroke & Lu, and Noah Garfinkel...
...and comedy troupes Freedumb and KAPE
Cornucopia of Comedy Marathon: 7:00-8:00 pm
Tonight the PIT provides four shows—starting at 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:00 pm— featuring over two dozen comedy acts. The host for the entire extravaganza is Kevin Allison.
The scheduled guests for this 7:00-8:00 pm show are
Jon Friedman (host of the delightful The Rejection Show at UCBT; author of upcoming book Rejected for Villard/Random House; frequent guest on NPR; writer for Comedy Central),
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),
Pembroke & Lu (likeable singing duo; for video song about gay marriage, please click here;
for video song about being scared of the homeless, please click here),
Freedumb (sketch comedy troupe consisting of Andrea Alton, Jay Duffer,
Robin Gelfenbien, David Spiecher, Theron Steiner, Allen Warnock, and Marshall York),
KAPE (all-female improv troupe consisting of Kelly Hudson,
Amber Nelson, Emily Strachan, and Jill Morris), and
Pat Stango (sketch troupe Don't Touch Me There).
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Daiva Deupree & Cathleen Carr
Carr & Deupree: Two Girls for Five Bucks
Two Girls For Five Bucks is talented comedy duo Cathleen Carr & Daiva Deupree, who frequently perform their darkly funny sketches in both NYC and Boston.
Among the show's highlights is a killer monologue by Daiva leaving the sort of phone message one never should on an ex-boyfriend's answering machine, with such self-recriminating lines as "Maybe we wouldn't have broken up if I'd given you more blow jobs."
Also notable are Cathleen & Daiva as frustrated 1940s housewives whose husbands are away fighting the war, and who are held back only by social mores from getting it on with each other.
For a few sample MP3 audio clips—most notably, the top one in which Daiva chats with Cathleen's vagina—please click here.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Livia Scott, Baron Vaughn, Tom Shillue, and Victor Varnado
Cornucopia of Comedy Marathon: 8:00-9:00 pm
Tonight the PIT provides four shows—starting at 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:00 pm— featuring over two dozen comedy acts. The host for the entire extravaganza is Kevin Allison.
The scheduled guests for this 8:00-9:00 pm show are
Livia Scott (brilliant comedic chameleon; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, world-class sketch
group Meat, host of Livia's Castle of Enchantment, one-woman show Goodnight, O.J.),
Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with
Jon Stewart, storytelling podcasts; for stand-up samples, please click here and here),
Victor Varnado (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, NBC's My Name is Earl, Chicago City Limits; for a stand-up sample, please click here),
Baron Vaughn (MTV's new The Gamekillers, VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and
Best Week Ever, co-star of weekly NYC live comedy show Shoot the Messenger;
for a radio interview, please click here),
Dan Ahdoot, (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend),
Elon James White (stand-up comedy series Hey Mon), and
Taren Sterry (member of improv troupe Fancy Dragon).
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Larry Murphy & Greg Johnson
Hosted by Greg Johnson (sharp, quick-witted stand-up comic)
and Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor who performs all the
key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other TV series include
Home Movies, O'Grady, Cheapseats, Computer Lab, Puppets N Such;
for an animated VO reel, please click here).
Tonight's post-Thanksgiving guests haven't been announced;
to check Greg's blog for an update, please click here.
8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Dave Rubin, Allen Warren, Paul Case, and Shawn Hollenbach
Gay-themed comedy hosted by Paul Case, Shawn Hollenbach,
Dave Rubin, and/or Allen Warren. Tonight's scheduled guests are
Michael Carbonaro (Another Gay Movie),
Vicki Ferentinos (ComedyCentral.com),
Robert Keller (Logo Network), and
Brad Loekle (Out Q Radio).
8:30 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Bobby Moynihan, Zach Woods, Christina Gausas, Michael Delaney, and Chris Gethard
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
Cornucopia of Comedy Marathon: 9:30-10:30 pm
Tonight the PIT provides four shows—starting at 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:00 pm— featuring over two dozen comedy acts. The host for the entire extravaganza is Kevin Allison.
The scheduled guests for this 9:30-10:30 pm show are
Aztec Bacon and Cougar (improv troupes),
Jon Pack (member of Rue Brutalia and of Buddy System),
Nate Kushner (member of stellar sketch group A Week of Kindness),
Kevin Murphy (The Kevin Murphy Show),
Federico Garduno, and
Laura Mannino.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
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.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Cornucopia of Comedy Marathon: 11:00-Midnight
Tonight the PIT provides four shows—starting at 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:00 pm— featuring over two dozen comedy acts. The host for the entire extravaganza is Kevin Allison.
The scheduled guests for this 11:00-Midnight show are
Wunderkind Consortium,
Nick Rutherford (Good Neighbor),
Tim Ellis (Of the Moment),
Eric Vetter (No Name... & a Bag o' Chips),
Nick Gibbons,
Carla Rhodes (ventriloquist), and
Chocolate Cake City (sketch troupe).
11:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 11/24/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a hilarious entire evening of improv battles hosted by the wonderful Pat Baer, as a dozen
superb 3-person teams—which include some of the sharpest, funniest comics in NYC—compete to
be the last troupe standing in the 7th Annual 3-on-3 Improv Tournament (8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 pm).
Magnet instructors & Second City veterans such as Rachel Hamilton, Ed Herbstman, Abby Sher, and Miriam Tolan, plus stars of Mother: The Soundtrack 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
Host Pat Baer
It all comes down to this.
Throughout November, 21 select comedy troupes, each with three members, have
battled for audience votes in this Seventh Annual Citywide 3-on-3 Improv Tournament.
In addition, a wildcard team was chosen lottery-style from the audience during
each quarter-final, making for a total of eight teams competing per evening.
This wildcard group added a delicious extra element of surprise,
as well as making the audience feel like it was part of the action.
And, delightfully, two out of the three wildcard teams won
(and, in both cases, totally earned the victory).
Out of the initial 24 teams from the quarter-finals, 12 have survived
the (impeccable) judgment of the audience and will be fighting it out
at tonight's semi-finals. Specifically, six will perform from 8:00-9:30 pm,
and the other six from 9:30-11:00 pm.
And the six teams garnering top votes from these semi-finals
will then plunge directly into the finals, which begin at 11:00 pm.
Hosting this entire extravaganza will be the wonderful and invaluable Pat Baer (above).
The six teams competing at the 8:00 pm show are, in order of scheduled appearance:
JAK (Wildcard Team #1: Katey Healy-Wurzburg, Ari Scott, and Josh Wartens)
Frankenstein Eyes (Marcy Jarreau, Violet Krumbein, and Aubrey Plaza)
Outlook of the Poet (Jonathan Gabrus, Ben Rodgers, and Gavin Speiller)
Zampano (Matt DeCoster, Megan Neuringer, and Andy Rocco)
Sidecar (Matt Fisher, Alden Ford, and Justin Tyler)
3/5ths Dudes (Eugene Cordero, Chris Gethard, and Bobby Moynihan)
That's a wonderful lineup, crammed with energy, experience, and talent.
Not to jinx anything, but my guess for winner of the tournament is up there;
plus Wildcard Team JAK is a shockingly strong troupe created by fate
that has a genuine chance of making it to the finals.
The six teams competing at the 9:30 pm show are, in order of scheduled appearance:
3D-Beard (Henry Kaiser, Joe Randazzo, and Chris Ryan)
Hot Sauce (Adam Pally, Ben Schwartz, and Gil Ozeri)
We Are All The Same Guy (Alex Clark, Craig Rowin, and Joe Wengert)
The Treehouse (Spike Friedman, Aaron Glaser, and Will Storie)
HAMMER (Wildcard Team #3: Bridget Carroll, D'Arcy Erokan, and Erik Tanouye)
C, C, + C Improv Factory (Chuck Dauble, Charlie Sanders, and Charlie Todd)
This superb lineup includes two of the most brilliant improv troupes in NYC,
and some delightful lesser-known groups. It too is a show well worth catching.
As for the six teams competing at the 11:00 pm show...we'll find out who they are tonight.
And around 12:30 am, we'll learn which of the original 24 teams
rose up against the odds to win this year's championship.
8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Stu Luth, Mel DeLancey, and Dan Maccarone
Slightly Known People Is Seeing Other People
Slightly Known People—Erik Bowie, Mel DeLancey, Stu Luth,
Dan Maccarone, and Josh Mertz—performs funny songs and sketch comedy.
In this weekly show SKP invites other talented comics
to come play along with it for an evening.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced;
to check for a last-minute update, please click here.
For a hilarious SKP video deconstructing Billy Joel, please click here.
For a review of the show, please click here.
8:00ish pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Desiree Nash; and Desiree's family at Thanksgiving
Desiree's All You Can Laff Buffet
This monthly variety show hosted by Desiree Nash (member of improv groups Frank and
Trainwreck) provides a mix of stand-up, sketch, improv, and music. Tonight's guests are
Shawn Wickens (prankster, co-creator of comedic audio collection The Zebra Tapes,
and member of Magnet improv group 30,000 KHz of Sound),
Chris Griggs (stand-up comic, member of PIT improv troupe The Baldwins),
MegaLou (improv duo Megan Gray and Louis Kornfeld),
and Damon Ketron (musician and improvisor).
And okay, that's not really Desiree's family; but it's still a great photo...
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Leo Allen, Carol Hartsell, and John F. O'Donnell
Comedic variety show hosted by Carol Hartsell (above) and Sean Crespo
(stand-up comic and prolific filmmaker; for samples, please click here and here and here).
Tonight's scheduled stand-ups include
Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with
Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, Ed, Sex and the City),
John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central's Fresh Faces of Comedy and Hall-O-Win Weekend,
MTV's The Woody Awards, co-host of podcast I'm Just Saying, host of biweekly
Long Island City comedy show The Kingdom of Heaven at The Creek and The Cave;
for an Apiary interview, please click here),
and David McSavage (Irish comic visiting NYC).
8:30 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
The Harvard Sailing Team: On the Jitney
The Harvard Sailing Team (which was superb in SketchFest NYC 07)
performs their special brand of fresh, imaginative sketch comedy
that turns familiar rituals on their head. (For a video about awkward goodbyes
at the end of a party, please click here.) The very talented troupe consists of
Rebecca Brey, Jen Curran, Clayton Early, Faryn Einhorn, Katie Larson,
Adam Lustick, Chris Smith, Billy Scafuri, and Sara Taylor.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 11/25/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
UCBT's playground for celebrities and ace improvisors, ASSSSCAT 3000 (7:30 & 9:30 pm)
and stand-up from comedy hosts, including the charismatic Baron Vaughn, at Tragedy Plus Time (8:00 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 $8; 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. 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 & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue)
Baron Vaughn, Shawn Pearlman, and Neil Padover
Stand-up comedy hosted by Neil Padover and Shawn Pearlman.
Tonight's scheduled guests are
Baron Vaughn (MTV's The Gamekillers, VH1's Best Week Ever, co-host of NYC weekly
live political comedy show Shoot the Messenger; for a radio interview, please click here),
Sean Crespo (co-host of NYC weekly live comedy show Drink at Work and
prolific filmmaker; for sample videos, please click here and here and here),
Jesse Popp (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, co-host of past show Beauty Bar Comedy), and
Sean Patton (for a stand-up audio clip about vitamin-coated condoms, please click here).
8:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
The Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Adam Sank (former TV news producer for FOX and WABC-TV; written
for The New York Times, Esquire Magazine, and The San Francisco Sentinel)
hosts this free gay-themed stand-up comedy show.
Tonight's scheduled guests are Robin Fox, Jeff Lawrence,
Jackie Monahan, and Laura Nikifortchuk.
To get a feel for the show, please click here.
10:00 pm at Therapy, 348 West 52nd Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues); free
Alternatively, consider seeing a funny and/or musical
Broadway, off-Broadway, or off-off-Broadway show.
To learn how theatre tickets can be purchased for around 50% off—
or, in some cases, for as little as $3 each—
please read Hy on Theatre Discounts.
Return to Previous NYC Comedy Picks
Copyright © 2007 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
