NYC Comedy Picks for Week of November 30, 2009

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 11/30/09

Comedy superstar Janeane Garofalo (Whiplash) and luminous theatre actress Julie Sharbutt (Gravid Water)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Stand-ups Mike Drucker, Pat O'Shea, Christian Polanco, Jason Saenz, Gabe Pacheco, and guest host Ray Marshall performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub produced by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Broadway & off-Broadway stars Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Sesame Street; Tony nominee for Avenue Q), Jared Gertner (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Ordinary Days), Jonathan Kaplan (Tony nominee for Falsettos), Marc Kudisch (Tony nominee for 9 to 5; Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Julie Sharbutt (Shakespeare In The Park: Twelfth Night) mixing it up with some of the best improvisors in the world—Scott Adsit,Tara Copeland, Michael Delaney, and Tami Sagher—as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Wonderful stand-ups Christian Finnegan, Ophira Eisenberg, Joe DeRosa, Adam Lowitt, Fiona Walsh, and Streeter Seidell, plus musical guest Patrick Salt Ryan, performing in the Lolita Bar with producer Liam McEneaney at Tell Your Friends

9:30 pm ($5): Michael O'Brien (Saturday Night Live) and Peter Grosz (The Colbert Report) debut at UCBT the latest version of their acclaimed 2-man sketch show: Misled

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: A blowout gathering of some of the most brilliant and hilarious comics in the country—movie & TV comedy superstar Janeane Garofalo, genius beatbox improvisor Reggie Watts, world-class storyteller Chris Gethard, and humor author Bob Powers—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/1/09

Deliciously sharp and vibrant writer/improvisor/actress Katherine Heller lectures about death tonight at Adult Education

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully silly lectures about "Death" (e.g., Le Petit Mort: Death as a Metaphor for Orgasm in Popular Culture and Literature and Everyone Is Trying To Kill You: Analyzing Homicidal Tendencies In Electronic Information Networks) at Charles Star's Brooklyn comedic extravaganza Adult Education

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics creators Zelda Devon and Kurt Huggins (Teetering Bulb) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Robber Baron, Badman, DeCoster, Ragnaröck, and The Bishop
followed by UCBT advanced students improvising a musical—all at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb stand-ups Christian Finnegan, Kumail Nanjiani, Erik Weiner, Allison Becker—and possibly some happy surprises—performing at The Slipper Room for the LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Sharp NYC stand-ups Erin Judge, Hilary Schwartz, Mike Lawrence, Alexis Guerreros, Alexandra Kahanim, James J. Oakes, Devin Sanchez, and Jay Hoskins telling tales about their first time doing something (subject is up to them) performing in Ochi's Lounge at Rachel Axelrod's & Evan Morgenstern's SNC: The Virgin Chronicles

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open mic stand-up show that's seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 12/2/09

DC Pierson, Donald Glover, and Dominic Dierkes return to the UCBT stage tonight to promote
their first feature film, which debuts in NYC this weekend: Derrick Presents Mystery Team Live!

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Carl Arnheiter interviewing the editors and staff writers who create a beloved pseudo newspaper: Inside Joke with The Onion

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups Emily Epstein, Ali Wong, Billy Reno, Matt Little, Bruce Cherry, and Jermaine Fowler performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Wonderful comics Reggie Watts, Joe Mande, Adam Lowitt, and Maeve Higgins performing at a free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) hosted by Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): An hour-long play made up on the spot by razor-sharp, passionate improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel) and Christina Gausas (Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report) at Adsit & Gausas

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): One of the sharpest and most talented comedy groups to ever grace UCBT returns to plug its feature film Mystery Team, which is enjoying its NYC debut this weekend: Derrick Presents Mystery Team Live!

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 12/3/09

Comedy stars Robin Williams (Weapons of Self-Destruction) and Jim Norton (Headlining at Carolines)...

...UK comedy stars Tom Allen (Women!) and Maeve Higgins (Stop the Lights!)...

...and world-class storytellers Ophira Eisenberg and Faye Lane (The Liar Show)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($70-$150): A comedy superstar concluding his nationwide tour tonight at Town Hall, performing the last live version before the show airs this Sunday night on HBO: Robin Williams: Weapons of Self-Destruction

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up veteran who's appeared on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Last Comic Standing; hosted the HBO stand-up showcase Down and Dirty; was a cast member of the wonderful though short-lived HBO sitcom Lucky Louie, and did his own HBO half-hour One Night Stand special; has appeared in such hit films as Spider-Man; is a regular on XM Satellite Radio's The Opie & Anthony Show; and is the author of the book Happy Endings, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jim Norton

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A stand-up visitor from Ireland bringing her special brand of comedy to UCBT for one night only: Maeve Higgins: Stop the Lights!

8:00 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason "take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces" in The Deconstruction

[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC comics Mike Vecchione, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Mike Destefano performing at Brooklyn's Building on Bond for a free stand-up show hosted by Yannis Pappas: A Very Good Comedy Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($12): Four world-class writer/performers tell personal stories. Three of them are true...but one is a pack of lies. Then the audience asks questions to try to figure out who's fibbing. Tonight's yarn-spinners are Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Kevin Allison (sketch comedy icon, and host of superb storytelling show Risk!), Faye Lane (delightful storyteller, and host of Beauty Shop Stories), and Seth Line (NPR's This American Life). They'll all be performing at 92Y Tribeca for host Andy Christie's The Liar Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A stand-up visitor from England bringing his special brand of comedy to UCBT for one night only: Tom Allen: Women!

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Champion improv troupe Death by Roo Roo going up against improv troupe Rogue Elephant in a battle for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 12/4/09

Hilarious stand-up comedy star and SNL alum Rob Riggle (Headlining at Comix) and
screenwriter, actress, and SNL alum Casey Wilson (Worst Laid Plans: True Tales of Terrible Sex)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Comedic storytellers—including comedy star Casey Wilson (Saturday Night Live)—relate their experiences of erotic disappointment in Worst Laid Plans: True Tales of Terrible Sex

7:00 pm ($10): A sketch show from Chris & Rebecca Smith, two members of world-class sketch troupe The Harvard Sailing Team who are married to each other: The New York Smiths

7:30 pm ($10): Raunchy comedic singer/songwriter Cock Lorge and friends performing his last monthly show this year at Pianos in Thank Cock It's Friday

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 ($34 & 2-item min.) A former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and performer on Saturday Night Live, The Office, Arrested Development, and Human Giant who has now become one of the most respected and sought-after stand-up comics in the country—and recently shot his first Comedy Central Presents special—headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Rob Riggle

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($42 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up veteran who's appeared on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Last Comic Standing; hosted the HBO stand-up showcase Down and Dirty; was a cast member of the wonderful though short-lived HBO sitcom Lucky Louie, and did his own HBO half-hour One Night Stand special; has appeared in such hit films as Spider-Man; is a regular on XM Satellite Radio's The Opie & Anthony Show; and is the author of the book Happy Endings, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jim Norton

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A beloved high-concept sketch troupe that delights in exploring silly ideas and wordplay (for example, demonstrating that a caveman and the Cookie Monster sound remarkably alike when saying such things as "Me have problem with subject/verb placement...") debuts its all-new show for the holidays: Elephant Larry's Mandated Christmas Event

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Former co-host Ross Hyzer returns to celebrate his birthday, and is joined by sharp stand-up Pat Stango, Vince Averill, Tom McCaffrey, and George Gordon performing at Brooklyn's Coco 66 for Nick Turner's Too Cool for School

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-up comics performing stand-up in Ochi's Lounge at a gay-themed show hosted by the lovely Jenny Rubin: The Back Room

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC—who tonight are genuinely skilled rapper Carolyn Castiglia, brilliant improvisor & sketch comic Gil Ozeri, stand-up Myka Fox, Chaz Kangas, and Luke Meginsky—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius comedic musical performers Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (Freestyle Love Supreme) and Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas), all at The BEATdown

[FREE] 12:20ish am: A free opportunity for you to perform sketch on the UCBT stage at Liquid Courage

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 12/5/09

Rob Riggle (Headlining at Comix), Worst Laid Plans: True Tales of Terrible Sex, and Jim Norton (Headlining at Carolines)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Comedic storytellers—including star Casey Wilson (Saturday Night Live)—relate their thoroughly hilarious experiences of erotic disappointment in Worst Laid Plans: True Tales of Terrible Sex

7:00 pm ($10): A musical about "a pious Pope framed for a crime he didn't commit...betrayal, Holy War, foot-stompin' musical numbers" and everything else it takes "to entertain the Hell right out of you" in Pope: The Musical

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): A small army of superb stand-up comics—Leo Allen, Christian Finnegan, Kumail Nanjiani, Baron Vaughn, Sara Schaeffer, Brooke Van Poppelen, Sara Benincasa, Blaine Perry & Pat Stango, Claudia Cogan, Jared Logan, Roger Hailes, Dan St. Germain, Kevin McCaffrey, Chelsea White, Tom McCaffrey, Hari Kondabolu, Team Submarine, Jesse Popp, Mark Normand, and more—performing in a show running at least four hours in Ochi's Lounge at host Sean Donnelly's Lil' Seany Boy

8:00 pm ($10): In this unique monthly show, stand-up comics perform in the buff. A reviewer from The Boston Globe observed, "The dynamic of nude comedian and clothed audience added an extra dimension to self-deprecating material." For a New York Magazine review, please click here; or simply come see for yourself The Naked Comedy Showcase

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): The gutsiest comedy troupe in NYC, genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

9:00 pm ($5): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:30 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code BECKYD, otherwise $20): A Chicago-based troupe that's wowed audiences around the world with their skill at creating a completely improvised hour-long musical. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment; even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are made up on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award this August for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event at the magical Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams

10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein, who've formed the new troupe Trike

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): NYC's fearless heavy metal version of a sketch comedy troupe, performing scenes that are dark and surreal: Murderfist: Late and Dirty

[TOP PICK] 12:00 am ($5): Andy Rocco's extravaganza of sketch comedy, music, dancing, free t-shirts, and special guests—who tonight include brilliant red-hot rising stars DC Pierson (Derrick, Mystery Team) and Baron Vaughn (Awkward Kings of Comedy): The Hipster Show

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 12/6/09

Michael Showalter & friend (Tearing the Veil of Maya), and friend & Kate McKinnon (Electro Shock Therapy)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: Stand-ups Matt Goldich, Adam Pateman, Dan Wilbur, and "very special surprise guests" performing at a free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Greg Johnson: The Comedians

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm Doors, 8:00 pm Show ($10): Comedy stars Michael Showalter, John Mulaney, Kumail Nanjiani, and Thunderant (Fred Armisen & Carrie Brownstein) performing for this holiday show at Brooklyn's Bell House hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman (who just released a new comedy album, God Is a Twelve Year Old Boy With Asperger's): Tearing the Veil of Maya

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Terrific NYC comics Mike Drucker, Dan St. Germaine, Team Submarine, Sean O'connor, Reese Waters, and Keith Alberstadt performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC comics Pat Stango, Ann Carr, Morgan Venticinque, and George Gordon performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Superb comics Ophira Eisenberg, Kate McKinnon, Gloria Bigelow, and H. Alan Scott performing stand-up at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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