NYC Comedy Picks for Week of October 13, 2008

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 10/13/08

Todd Barry, Mike Still of Maude troupe The Skuntz, and Dave Hill

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

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

and around 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, who tonight include Livia Scott, Jena Friedman,

Mike Drucker, and Jiwon Lee—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

stand-ups Jenny Rubin, Paul Case, and Sue Funke joining delightful hosts

Jackie Monahan, Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, and Gloria Bigelow at Dykes on Mics (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] the debut of a new free weekly stand-up comedy show in Brooklyn hosted by the razor-sharp Jena Friedman, with tonight's guests including top comics Thomas Middleditch, Jared Logan, and Brooke Van Poppelen: Entertaining Tammy (8:00 pm),

three hours of new sketch comedy by UCBT students at Maude Night (8:00 pm & 9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest stand-up comics in the country—who tonight include two of my all-time favorites, comedy geniuses Todd Barry and Dave Hill—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central) at Whiplash (11:00 pm).

Ochi's Motel

Lottery-style open mic for stand-up comics trying out material,

with 4½ minutes per performer...in return for a $5 contribution to the weekly prize kitty.

(In addition, Ochi's 1-item food or drink minimum applies to everyone.)

A breathtaking 30+ comics perform in this 2½ hour show; producer

John Morrison (above) has described it as "comedy on crack."

If you're seeking consistent laughs, this might not be the best way to spend

your evening. But if you're patient and adventurous, it's a potentially wild ride.

And if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.

Plus if you stick around till the show's end to support your fellow comics,

 you have a chance at winning the cash from the kitty, along with smaller prizes.

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

Tonight's 6:30 lineup includes such great stand-ups as Livia Scott, Jena Friedman,

Mike Drucker, Jiwon Lee, and Myq Kaplan.

And the 9:00 pm show includes such fine talents as Matt Ruby and Amy Beckerman.

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

To be entered into the weekly random drawing for performers,

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

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)

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

Dykes on Mics

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

as regulars/hosts, plus tonight's guests

Jenny Rubin, Paul Case, and Sue Funke.

7:00 pm at The Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street (at 7th Avenue South); free

Jena Friedman

Entertaining Tammy 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) tonight debuts a 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 scheduled guests are Jena's wonderful Chicago-to-NYC transplant pals:

Thomas Middleditch (quick-witted organic talent who honed his improv & comedy skills at Second City and iO Chicago, and is currently a member of superb improv troupes Baby Wants Candy, Broad Shoulders, and The Improvised Shakespeare Co; star of upcoming film Splinterheads and character "Marverick" in upcoming film The Rebound; one-man character sketch show Littlebitch at UCBT; co-host of monthly UCBT show Game Bros. Live!; wildly popular character performer at the monthly Morrison Motel),

Jared Logan (hilarious kinetic comic; named Best Comedian by the Chicago Comedy Awards; won Detroit's contest for Comedy Idol; for stand-up video about fast food and comic books, please click here; for set on scary things, including toy ads for girls, please click here), and

Brooke Van Poppelen (Carolines, Laugh Factory; co-star of sketch show Macho!; co-host of New Jacks Showcase and Slumber Party at Comix; for a video sample, please click here),

sketch troupe The Monkey Kids, and

singer/songwriter Justin Ettinger.

I have high hopes for this show, and encourage you to check it out.

8:00 pm at Sound Fix Records, 110 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg Brooklyn; free

Take the L subway to Bedford Avenue and walk four blocks to N 11th Street

Maude Night

Writers, performers, and directors, most of whom are students at UCBT,

 try out their sketch comedy routines.

Tonight features four groups in two double-bill slots:

at the 8:00-9:15 pm show, Stone Cold Fox and mixtape '98;

and at the 9:30-10:45 pm show, The Skuntz and 27 Kidneys.

Some of the material will probably be very funny.

And a lot of it probably won't.

But if you enjoy the raw energy of young artists trying out bits,

come and support tonight's experiments, live on stage.

8:00 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5 per show

Todd Barry and Koala bear in cuteness contest...

...and Leo Allen and Dave Hill

Whiplash with Leo Allen: The Finest in Stand-Up Comedy, Free

Leo Allen is one of the most sharp, honest, and likeable stand-ups working in NYC. Leo was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 2002 through 2005. He's also performed two Comedy Central Presents 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.; and acted on Ed and Sex and the City. Leo has now taken over the Monday-at-11:00 pm UCBT spot made super-special by Aziz Ansari's Crash Test and Jeremy Levenbach's Cavalcade! (in fact, this new show is produced by Jeremy).

Tonight's thoroughly wonderful guests include

Todd Barry (wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz;

Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

Comedy Central Presents; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Lucky Louie, and Sex in the City;

Comedy Central's Freak Show, Dr. Katz, and Shorties Watching Shorties;

Adult Swim's Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hunger Force,  and Tom Goes To The Mayor;

recently acted in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky film The Wrestler;

check out Todd's newest comedy CD From Heaven),

Dave Hill (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; written and performed for VH1, Spike TV, The Learning Channel, and the much-missed Smoking Gun TV series; hosts monthly UCBT live comedy extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—for sample videos, please click here),

and from across the ocean, an award-winning special guest

I'm not allowed to name who'll be performing a 30-minute set.

If you love comedy, make a habit of attending this wonderful free weekly extravaganza.

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 10/14/08

Arj Barker (Sweet), Thomas Middleditch (Morrison Motel), and DC Pierson of The Law Firm (Harold Night)

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

15 NYC stand-ups—including John Knefel, Kevin McCaffrey, Danny Lobell, and Margie Kment—

competing for audience laughs and votes at Eric I's Comedy Showdown (7:00 pm),

an entirely free taping at the gorgeous Comix showroom of a new Comedy Central show

focused on Latino comics, with Becky Donohue and Carmen Lynch: Los LOLs (8:00 pm),

award-winning writer/artist Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze) joining in on

a lively & hilarious discussion about comic books at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a small mob of top comics—Lee Camp, Nate Bargatze, Thomas Middleditch, Maureen Langan,

Reese Waters, Ross Hyzer, and David Cope—at John Morrison's The Morrison Motel (8:30 pm),

three full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes

The F*cking Kennedys, Bangs, Bastian, The Law Firm, and DeCoster—at Harold Night (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] world-class stand-up comics Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1)

and Arj Barker (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents),

plus acclaimed comedic TV & film actors Peter Dinklage (CBS, FX, The Station Agent, Elf)

and Jason Nash (Comedy Central, ESPN), at one of the finest and

funniest shows in NYC, the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),

a funny exploration of where comedy comes from in Roots (9:00 pm),

and former Kissing Booth hosts Brandy Barber and Sara Jo Allocco debuting a sketch show directed by the superb Owen Brimer: Jar Full of Roaches (9:30 pm).

John Knefel, Danny Lobell, and Margie Kment

Eric I's Comedy Showdown

This biweekly extravaganza is a comedy competition hosted by Eric I.

Tonight's small mob of 15 participating stand-ups are, in scheduled order, Kevin McCaffrey, John Knefel, Gary Vider, Alec Sobel, Jay Welch, Mickey Wind, Thomas Newell, Mel Hammill, Danny Lobell, Brian Bruner, Meghan Hanley, Mara Herron, Jesse Richardson, Lori Sommer, and Margie Kment, each of whom will perform a short set.

The audience will then vote on which of the comics was the most hilarious. The two winners will receive additional stage time to make comedic fun of the losers; and also move on to a final round later this year to determine a season champion (with a prize of $500, and bragging rights).

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)

Comedy Central Presents Los LOLs—Entirely Free Taping

Comedy Central invites you to be a part of the taping of a showcase of rising star NYC Latino comics. Scheduled performers include Gina Brillon, Sergio Chicon, Becky Donohue, Angelo Lozado, and Carmen Lynch.

Please Note: This event is entirely free—no cover, no minimum.

To make a reservation (which is required), please call (212) 524-2500.

8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)

Eric Shanower and his Eisner Award-winning series about the Trojan War

Comic Book Club

Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,

who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.

Tonight's guest is writer/artist Eric Shanower, who won the prestigious Will Eisner award in 2001 and 2003 as Best Writer/Artist for his Trojan War series Age of Bronze, and whose second graphic novel of the series, Age of Bronze: Sacrifice, was selected by Publisher's Weekly as one of the best books of 2004.

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

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

Harold Night

The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.

Tonight, five improv troupes—

The F*cking Kennedys, Bangs, Bastian, The Law Firm, and DeCoster—

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

David Cope and Lee Camp...

...Ross Hyzer, Maureen Langan, and Reese Waters...

...and Thomas Middleditch, John Morrison, and Nate Bargatze

The Morrison Motel

John Morrison, a wise & razor-sharp comic who produces the NYC weekly

open mic show Ochi's Motel, welcomes veteran stand-up talents in this monthly showcase:

Tonight's superb guests are

Lee Camp (Comedy Central’s Fresh Debate, MTV’s Walk Of Shame; Sometimes Funny Hurts DVD; SharkBaby Comedy News Webcast; Spike TV, E!, Law and Order: SVU; for stand-up video on political hypocrisy, please click here),

Thomas Middleditch (quick-witted organic talent who honed his improv & comedy skills at Second City and iO Chicago, and is currently a member of superb improv troupes Baby Wants Candy, Broad Shoulders, and The Improvised Shakespeare Co; star of the upcoming film Splinterheads; star of UCBT one-man character sketch show Littlebitch; co-host of monthly UCBT show Game Bros. Live!; and a wildly popular character performer at this show—see, for example, the get-up in his photo above...),

Nate Bargatze (Nashville-born comic; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Montreal Just for Laughs Festival; for his Conan set, please click here),

Maureen Langan ( winner of the Bud Light "Ladies of Laughter" Contest;

named by Backstage as one of the "Ten Standout Stand-ups Worth Watching"),

Reese Waters (winner of 2008 Carolines March Comedy Madness, beating out 63 other talented comics; for a Carolines stand-up video, please click here),

Ross Hyzer (host of NYC live extravaganza County Fair Comedy Show;

for stand-up videos, please click here and here), and

David Cope (comedic storyteller, and member of Sweet Haven sketch troupe; for videos of David relating an encounter with a prophet and reading his romance novel, please click here and here).

8:30 pm at Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street (between West 4th Street and Bleecker);

$5 for ticket, plus $7 food or drink minimum

Pete Holmes and Arj Barker...

...and Seth Herzog and Peter Dinklage

Sweet

Hosted by the razor-sharp, dynamic, and hilarious Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).

Seth is one of the finest hosts around—and this is one of the best comedy shows in NYC.

Tonight's wonderful guests are

Pete Holmes (razor-sharp & lightning-fast mind, and one of the finest stand-ups in the country;

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 extravaganza Gutbucket),

Arj Barker (superb and internationally popular stand-up; cast member on HBO's Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien; off-Broadway show The Marijuana-Logues),

Peter Dinklage (best known for his acting in such movies as The Station Agent, Underdog, Death at a Funeral, and Elf, and such TV series as CBS' Threshold and FX's Nip/Tuck), and

Jason Nash (LA-based comedy actor who's performed on such shows as Comedy Central's Reno: 911, Miss Match, and ESPN's Cheap Seats, and co-hosts the podcast Men with Feelings and the Web series Supernews).

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

Where Does Comedy Come From?—Roots

In this new biweekly show, performers explore the origins of funny via "stand-up, sketches, essays, videos, songs, prayers, tears, and mortal screams of sepulchral terror." Hosted by Joe Powers and Chris Conway.

Tonight's lineup is a mystery; here's hoping Joe and Chris get in the habit of announcing their guests. Nonetheless, if you're not going to Sweet, this could be worth checking out.

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)

Jar Full of Roaches

Former Kissing Booth hosts Brandy Barber and Sara Jo Allocco wrote & perform

this sketch show, directed by acclaimed comedy short film director Orem Brimer.

The official description: "Some simp may have said that life is just a bowl full of cherries, but Brandy & Sara think it's more like a jar full of roaches. Will there be demented workout videos? Seething hostility expressed through offers of kindness? Screeching? You betcha. And one lucky guest will win his or her very own Jar Full Of Roaches at each and every show."

So even if you don't like the show, the price is clearly worth it for the raffle entry...

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 10/15/08

Livia Scott (Hysterical Festival Kickoff), Violet Krumbein (Human Painkiller), and Sara Schaefer (Word!)

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] deliciously smart and varied productions showcasing NYC's enormously funny women on this first day of The Hysterical Festival (6:30 pm, 7:30 pm, 9:00  pm, and 9:30 pm),

five free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday (7:00 pm-midnight),

[TOP PICK] some of the finest female comics in NYC, including magical comedic chameleon

Livia Scott, world-class sketch comedy group The Apple Sisters, and genius musical improv

group I Eat Pandas, in The Hysterical Festival Kickoffl (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] razor-sharp writer/comic Joe Mande, with the aid of superb performers Chris Gethard

and Jenny Slate, recreating on stage Joe's experiences interning for The Maury Povich Show,

PLUS Violet Krumbein demonstrating she's one of the most breathtakingly original

and darkly funny talents in NYC,  in one of the finest double-bills to grace NYC this year:

Workdays with Maury and Human Painkiller (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] razor-sharp female writers taking their work from page to stage in Word! (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC

at Margot Leitman's & Giulia Rozzi's Stripped Stories (9:30),

a comedic one-woman show about weddings in Megan Grano: Obliged (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and a free, laid-back, and occasionally magical variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).

Kurt Braunohler, Pat Shay, and Kimmy Gatewood

The PIT's Super Free Wednesday

For four hours every Wednesday, The PIT provides free shows featuring its improv house troupes. Vacation Island and The Wilhelm perform at 7:00 pm; Big Black Car and Fancy Dragon go on at 8:00 pm; and The Baldwins and Sid Viscous show their stuff at 9:30. Rounding out the evening are The Faculty, consisting of The PIT's superb improv instructors, including such talents as Ali Farahnakian, Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Matt Donnelly, Kevin Scott, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood.

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.

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

Hysterical Festival: Kickoff

The Hysterical Festival is a celebration of hilarious New York City female comics. It starts with this show, and runs through Saturday (culminating with star Maria Bamford).

Don't miss this opening, which features a delicious mix of talent including hilarious musical sketch group The Apple Sisters, musical improv geniuses I Eat Pandas, brilliant comedic chameleon Livia Scott, sharp stand-up Claudia Cogan, and hula-hooping burlesque star Miss Saturn. Hosted by superb stand-up Michelle Buteau.

Also consider getting a ticket for Stripped Stories, which directly follows this show.

Please Note: You can save $5 off the $20 cover (i.e., pay $15 per ticket)

by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.

Please also note there's also a two-item minimum;

with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.

7:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$15 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum

Joe Mande: Workdays with Maury and Violet Krumbein: Human Painkiller

A superb comedic mini-play and mind-blowing one-woman show

for a mere five bucks add up to the best entertainment value in NYC.

The evening kicks off with Violet Krumbein, an immensely appealing rising star who's performed on Comedy Central, Adult Swim, and UCBT Harold Night improv troupes Tantrum and Whorenado. (For a sample of Violet's sharp acting and vocal skills, please click here.) Tonight Violet demonstrates she has one of the most disturbingly inventive comedic minds to ever grace an NYC stage via a show she wrote and performs solo—with the aid of a dancer's grace, impeccable timing, and myriad props...including an unforgettable life-size doll. Imagine combining the playfulness of Sesame Street with the dark side of Andy Kaufman and you'll get some glimmer of what's in store for you. (Adult Swim, please take note...) Not for every taste; but if you feel adventurous, don't miss this breathtakingly original show by the stunningly beautiful and delightfully twisted Ms. Krumbein. Directed by Megan Neuringer (VH1's Best Week Ever, All Access).

The double-bill then continues with Workdays with Maury, a hilarious memoir about interning on The Maury Povich Show. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to pursue your dreams by moving to NYC and end up working for free on a seedy talk show, don't miss this smartly written true-life tale written and starring Joe Mande (winner of the 2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic; co-host of superb weekly NYC show Totally J/K).

The mini-play also co-stars these two razor-sharp comedic actors:

Chris Gethard (one of the most talented and brilliant storytellers and improvisors in New York; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, Happy Hour, author of book Weird New York), and

Jenny Slate (VH1; co-host of Brooklyn live comedy show A New Experience with Gabe & Jenny;

for very funny video, please click here).

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

Margot & Giulia are two fun-lovin' gals...who are world-class storytellers

Hysterical Festival: Stripped Stories

Sexual storytelling with a comedic slant.

Expect shocking and highly entertaining yarns from tonight's guests—Adrianne Frost, Megan Neuringer (Strangers with Candy, VH1's All Access), Erin Markey (Joe's Pub, 2008 Sex Workers Art Show Tour), and Bridget Everett (At Least It's Pink)—as well as from the two sensual hosts, Giulia Rozzi (VH1's Best Night Ever podcasts) and Margot Leitman (Late Night With Conan O'Brien).

In addition, there'll be "audience interviews, sex games, and hookups...hopefully." Come to laugh, to get turned on, and to make choices you'll regret in the morning.

This is a wonderful show, and highly recommended.

Please Note: You can save $5 off the $20 cover (i.e., pay $15 per ticket)

by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.

Please also note there's also a two-item minimum;

with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.

7:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$15 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum

Catie Lazarus, Sara Schaefer, and Kambri Crews

Word!

This Hysterical Festival show features highly talented female writer/comics taking their words from the page to the stage, hosted by the delightful The delightful Sara Schaefer (MTV, VH1's Best Week Ever, E! Network's Rise of the Geeks;, Video Gaga, Name That Tune).

The superb guests are:

Kambri Crews (luminous performer, stellar publicist & producer, and one of the most sharp, charming, and heartfelt comedic storytellers working in NYC; for Kambri's correspondence with her deaf dad, who's in a Texas prison for trying to  stab his wife to death, please visit Web site LoveDaddy.org; for a video of Kambri reading her jailed dad's wedding toast, please click here; and keep an eye out for Kambri's first autobiographical book in 2009),

Catie Lazarus (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, AMC, FOX News; former editor

of Heeb Magazine; written for Time Out New York, New York Post, Gawker.com;

host of live comedy shows Fresh Meat and Stand for Peace;

for video on STDs & men talking more than women, please click here);

Rachel Shukert (Wasp Cove, Have You No Shame? And Other Regrettable Stories),

Allison Kilkenny (Sirius Radio, Huffington Post),

Christen Clifford (BabyLove, Salon.com),

Catie Lazarus (Comedy Central, The Customer is Always Wrong),

Cheryl B. (Poets vs. Comics), and Michele Carlo (The Moth).

Hosted by the wonderful Sara Schaefer (Video Gaga, MTV).

9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$5 cover, plus 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Megan Grano: Obliged

This brand new one-woman show from Megan Grano is about weddings. The official description:

"While the divorce rate escalates, weddings have taken on an unprecedented importance, becoming the quintessential day for self-indulgence, extravagance, and unbridled ostentation. Megan Grano exposes the state of weddings by following one bride's story, starting with her engagement. We meet the self-centered bride, her parents, her sad but eager-to-please maid of honor, her terrified florist, her wacky minister, and a multitude of other characters all involved in making this the biggest, and (therefore) bestest day of her life!"

I haven't seen this production, but the fact it was provided a slot by itself

in UCBT "prime time" indicates it's worth a look.

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

Justin Purnell

School Night

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

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

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

Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,

that this typically wonderful free show makes possible.

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 10/16/08

Carolyn Castiglia (Baby Mamas of Comedy), The Apple Sisters (Ghoul's Night Out), and Desiree Burch (Ambiguously Brown Comedy Hour)

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

deliciously smart and varied productions showcasing NYC's enormously funny women on this second day of The Hysterical Festival (7:30 pm and 9:30  pm),

delightful comics with different voices, including Jiwon Lee, Diana Saez, Aparna Nancharla,

Erin Jackson, Retta, and razor-sharp host Desiree Burch at Ambiguously Brown Comedy Hour (7:30),

[TOP PICK] The Apple Sisters, who are winners of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act,

and one of the most charming & entertaining groups in NYC—and after this month,

also one of the finest comedy groups in LA as they seek well-deserved fame and fortune—

performing a new Halloween musical: Ghoul's Night Out (8:00 pm),

brilliant comedic storyteller Anthony Atamanuik, plus sketch duo Lance & Ray,

in Pissing My Pants on Vine and The Evil Inside (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] Dave Hill demonstrating he's one of the sharpest, freshest, funniest comics around

—accompanied this evening by star musicians Moby, Walter Schreifels,

and Doug Gillard—at The Dave Hill Explosion (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] hot & hilarious mom comics, including Laurie Kilmartin, Pat Candaras, Cory Kahaney, Kim

"Boney" DeShields, Andrea Henry, and wonderful host Carolyn Castiglia at Baby Mamas of Comedy (9:30),

[TOP PICK] and two vibrant & hilarious improv troupes, Classic Masculinity and Hot Sauce,

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

Hysterical Festival: Ambiguously Brown Comedy Hour

The Hysterical Festival is a celebration of hilarious New York City female comics. It runs at Comix through Saturday (culminating with star Maria Bamford).

Tonight's show focuses on ethnically diverse comics, including Jiwon Lee (Comedy Central), Diana Saez (CNN, Sí TV, Sirius Radio), Aparna Nancharla (Last Comic Standing, NBC's Stand Up for Diversity), Erin Jackson (Last Comic Standing, The Ellen DeGeneres Show) and Retta (Comedy Central Presents, Premium Blend, Slackers). Hosted by Desiree Burch (Joe's Pub, VH1's Best Night Ever).

Please Note: You can save $5 off the $20 cover (i.e., pay $15 per ticket)

by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.

Please also note there's also a two-item minimum;

with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.

7:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$15 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum

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

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

The Apple Sisters: Ghoul's Night Out

The delicious Apple Sisters—Kimmy Gatewood, Rebekka Johnson, and Sarah Lowe, with Tom Thomsen on keyboard—have sung, danced, and naughtily joked their ways into New York City's heart. This homage to 1940s girl groups like The Andrew Sisters is one of the great successes in NYC alternative comedy, performing on Comedy Central and the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival, and winning the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act.

Tonight the gals perform a brand new show about Halloween involving spooky magic

and lots of crows. Be sure to catch it soon; after this month, our heroines

plan to head to LA in pursuit of the national fame & riches they deserve.

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

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

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

($10.22, including service charge, using discount code APPLEFAN) by clicking here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street; tickets are $10 at the door

Stellar storyteller Anthony Atamanuik, and sketch duo Lance & Ray

Anthony Atamanuik: Pissing My Pants on Vine and Lance & Ray: The Evil Within

Two fine comedy shows for a mere five bucks.

Pissing My Pants on Vine is a one-man autobiographical show about doing drugs and booze while writing for children's television from the wonderful Anthony Atamanuik (actor on NBC's 30 Rock; hilarious reporter who covered the New Hampshire primaries for The Huffington Post; ace storyteller on NYC monthly comedy show The Nights of Our Lives; member of champion improv troupe Death by Roo Roo).

The double-bill then continues with The Evil Within, a sketch show from comedy duo Lance Rubin & Ray Munoz in which "things go horribly awry when evil versions of the guys lock them away in a basement and take over the show."

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

Dave Hill and Moby

The Dave Hill Explosion

Dave Hill has written for The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie Web site Black Metal Dialogues. Dave has also written and performed for VH1, Spike TV, The Learning Channel, and the much-missed Smoking Gun TV series; starred in the MOJO Network TV series The King of Miami; creates comedic short films for both SuperDeluxe.com and Bud.com; and hosts this monthly extravaganza (to learn more, 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; Dave is an enormously witty, razor-sharp comic.

Dave's star musical guests tonight are

Moby (musical giant; to check out Moby's latest doings, which include

a Degenerates Party on October 22nd, please click here),

Walter Schreifels (former member of bands Gorilla Biscuits and Quicksand,

helped create band Rival Schools), and

Doug Gillard (superb guitarist who's performed both solo and for

such bands as Death Of Samantha, Gem, Cobra Verde, and Guided by Voices,).

This show is likely to sell out. To make your reservation, please click here.

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

Hysterical Festival: Baby Mamas of Comedy

The Hysterical Festival is a celebration of hilarious New York City female comics. It runs at Comix through Saturday (culminating with star Maria Bamford).

Tonight's show focuses on comics with kids, i.e., women who know both life on the road and domestic bliss and so have a special perspective to offer. The lineup includes Laurie Kilmartin (The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live), Pat Candaras (Nick At Nite's Funniest Mom In America 3), Cory Kahaney (HBO, Last Comic Standing), Kim "Boney" DeShields (Nick At Nite, WEIB Radio), and Andrea Henry (Comedy Central's Open Mic Fight). Hosted by the wonderful Carolyn Castiglia (VH1's The White Rapper Show).

Please Note: You can save $5 off the $20 cover (i.e., pay $15 per ticket)

by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.

Please also note there's also a two-item minimum;

with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.

9:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$15 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum

vs.

Cage Match: Classic Masculinity vs. Hot Sauce

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.)

It's been a breathtaking couple of months.

First Death by Roo Roo broke all-time Cage Match records by winning 17 weeks in a row. Then Ben Rodgers made history by defeating Roo Roo as a solo improvisor! Ben was knocked out by the 2008 Cage Match champions, C, C + C Improv Factory. And after holding the crown for just one week, the nearly unbeatable CCC lost to Classic Masculinity—a group so new I don't even have a real photo of its members!

The latter consists of Brian Barrett, Adam Frucci, and Brandon Gardner from Harold NIght troupe Bastian; and while I missed the show, word is both they and CCC delivered superb shows, with Classic Masculinity winning in a close vote of 78 to 57.

CM faces another incredibly tough challenger tonight: sharp-witted & lightning-quick Hot Sauce, the 2006 Cage Match champion. The troupe consists of Gil Ozeri (SNL; animator and creator of Team Gibba), Adam Pally (written for ABC; performed for MTV, Comedy Central, UCBT's The Nights of Our Lives), and Ben Schwartz (freelance writer for SNL's Weekend Update and Late Show's David Letterman monologues; staff writer for Adult Swim's wonderful Robot Chicken; short filmmaker for SuperDeluxe.com; co-author of upcoming humor postcard book Grandma's Dead: Breaking Bad News with Baby Animals). For video samples of these amazing guys' work, please click here and here.

Will Classic Masculinity having to combat two Cage Match champs in a row turn out to be awful luck for the newbie troupe, or a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate its chops?

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

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 10/17/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

Kate Hess and Andy Secunda creating what's likely to be a hilarious political parody

at the Palin Family All-Star Review and Election Spectacular (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] deliciously smart and varied productions showcasing NYC's enormously funny women on this third day of The Hysterical Festival (8:30 pm, 9:00 pm, 10:45 pm, and 11:00 pm),

a sketch troupe taking simple premises to wild conclusions: The Impending Moustache (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] some of the most talented funny women in New York, including brilliant rising star Adira Amram

and the delightful Sara Schaefer, Ann Carr, Becky  Yamamoto, and Katina Corrao at Liquid Gold (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a wild mix of comics, including Hedda Lettuce, musical group TastiSkank, stand-up Veronica Mosey,

and Sarah Palin impersonator Sara Benincasa in Hysterical Femmes (8:30 pm and 10:45 pm),

[TOP PICK] the one-night-only return of a beloved NYC comedy show, featuring brilliantly funny

singer/songwriter Shayna Ferm, plus sharp stand-ups Katina Corrao and Jenny Rubin,

at Brandy Barber's & Sara Jo Allocco's The Kissing Booth (9:00 pm),

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

likeable sketch troupe Party Central USA in their all-new show Riding an Inflatable Hotdog (9:30 pm),

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

[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which this season broke the Cage Match record

for winning streaks with 17 wins in a row—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] and UCBT's free monthly open mic stand-up show, where deliciously odd things

tend to happen around 1:30 am, hosted by lightning-quick & hilarious Pete Holmes

(Comedy Central, VH1; one of the finest comics in the country) at Gutbucket (12:20ish am).

Palin Family All-Star Review and Election Spectacular

Kate Hess (half of UCBT sketch show We Kate Shelly) and genius comic Andy Secunda team up to bring you this romp about the most fun political figure to parody since Dan Quayle. The official description: "Join Bristol, Track, and Willow Palin as they sing, dance, and aggressively misinform their way into your hearts and The White House. Come on down and get to know the soon-to-be first second family as they realize their lifelong dreams of being stars! God bless America! Thanks but no thanks! I put it on eBay!"

Written by Kate Hess; directed by Andrew Secunda; performed by Kate, Andy, Beth White, Ari Scott, and Ryan Karels; and choreographed by Adina Grigore.

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

The Impending Moustache

The Impending Moustache consists of Katie Hartman, Daniel Kelley, Gabriel Pacheco, and Leah Rudick: "We attack our material with a joyous and infectious theatricality. We send our audiences home shaken with laughter so constant, it gives them nightmares. Beautiful, vivid nightmares." For a memorable sketch about prisoner abuse, please click here; and for a tragic tale about Jews for Jesus, please click here.

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

Mike Birbiglia: Sleepwalk with Me

Mike Birbiglia is flat-out one of the funniest stand-up comedians in the country.

He's not loud or rude—just smart, relaxed, honest, and hilarious. (Sample line:

"If the best part of waking up is Folgers in my cup, I'm not sure I want to wake up.")

This razor-sharp comic recently performed an hour-long Comedy Central special

titled What I Should Have Said is Nothing. Mike's also performed two

Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; appeared multiple times on

Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien;

and has released the comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live.

The latter was chosen by Time Out New York as the Comedy Album of the Year.

Starting October 17th, Mike will be mixing his stand-up and storytelling skills to craft a tour de force performance resulting in one of the finest shows you'll ever see.

The production is playing off-Broadway at 45 Bleecker Street, but it's Broadway caliber—and one of the best shows in New York.

Tickets will be $49.50 from November 11th on. However, you can see it October 17-November 10 for a mere $29.50. To take advantage of this deal, click here; or visit

BroadwayOffers.com and enter code SWMANIA3; or better yet, entirely avoid the online service charges by clicking here and bringing a copy of the printout with you to the Bleecker Street Theatre box office at 45 Bleecker Street (east of Lafayette, right next to the #6 subway's Bleecker Street stop).

For sample stand-up videos, please click here and here;

and then come let Mike make you both laugh helplessly and feel deeply

in this extraordinary solo show about sleepwalking, bears, and life choices.

October 17th-on at The Bleecker Street Theatre, 45 Bleecker Street (off Lafayette);

Wednesday-Friday at 8:00 pm, Saturday at 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm, Sunday at 4:00 pm & 7:00 pm;

tickets are $29.50 through 11/10 online or by bringing printout of discount offer to box office

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

Ann Carr, Adira Amram, and Sara Schaefer...

...and Katina Corrao and Becky Yamamoto

Liquid Gold

Stellar female comics perform stand-up and sketch comedy. Starring:

Adira Amram (brilliantly funny and sexy writer/singer; Jane Magazine Editors Choice;

co-star of UCBT's Get Psyched!; for sample songs & videos, please click here),

Sara Schaefer (delightful quick-witted comics; VH1's Best Week Ever,

E! Network's Rise of the Geeks, Union Hall's Name That Tune, Video Gaga),

Ann Carr (Comedy Central Motherload's Honesty Wedding, UCBT's High School Talent Show,

The Pit's Keith & Donna's Grateful Dead Listening Hour),

Becky Yamamoto (rave reviews from The New York Times, The New Yorker, etc.

for her recent performance in the play Songs of the Dragon Flying to Heaven;

member of all-female comedic rock band Stickerbook), and

Katina Corrao (HBO's Daddy, Comedy Central; for video samples, please click here and here).

8:00 pm at the Ars Nova Theatre, 511 West 54th Street (off 10th Avenue); tickets are $10

Hedda Lettuce, TastiSkank, and Governor Sarah Palin

Hysterical Festival: Hysterical Females

The Hysterical Festival is a celebration of hilarious New York City female comics. It runs at Comix through Saturday (culminating with star Maria Bamford).

Tonight's entertainment showcases a wild variety of comics, including satiric pop rockers TastiSkank, drag queen Hedda Lettuce, stand-up Veronica Mosey (at the 8:30 pm edition) and stand-up/actress Sara Benincasa as Sarah Palin (at the 10:45 pm edition).

Please Note: You can save $5 off the $30 cover (i.e., pay $25 per ticket)

by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.

Please also note there's also a two-item minimum;

with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.

8:30 pm & 10:45 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$25 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum

Katina Corrao, Shayna Ferm, and Jenny Rubin

The Kissing Booth

The Hysterical Festival is sponsoring this one-night-only return of The Kissing Booth, which used to be a long-running and beloved NYC comedy show. It's hosted by Brandy Barber (Mortified) and Sara Jo Allocco (Comedy Central's Motherload).

Tonight's terrific guests include

Shayna Ferm (singer/songwriter stand-up who's one of the sharpest and finest comics in the biz; member of world-class sketch group Fearsome; comedic music album Blonde; for samples of Shay's songs, please click here),

Katina Corrao (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), and

Jenny Rubin (host of weekly NYC live comedy show The Back Room,

one-woman show I'm Basically 40).

9:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)

$5 cover plus 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

Back: Will Hines, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, and Bobby Moynihan

Front: Chris Gethard, Shannon O'Neill, and Silvija Ozols

The Stepfathers

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

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 $10

Party Central USA: Riding an Inflatable Hotdog

Party Central USA is an enjoyable sketch troupe consisting of Mike Condrick, Patrick Dall'Occhio, Brianne Halverson, and Michael Terry, and whose motto is "Life is a fluffy buttermilk pancake filled with glass dust." For PCU's sharply written & performed videos about father-son chats, trying to get fired, and a special bachelor party, please click here and here and here.

Tonight's show is about "when normal people look inside themselves to find the strength to rise above them gut wrenching situations."

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

The Made-Up Musical

Veteran improvisor John O'Donnell is accompanied

by a rotating cast that might include such superb talents as

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

 Jessica Allen, Robin Rothman, and Megan Gray

—and with Frank Spitznagel on piano—

turn an interview with an audience member

into a musical they make up on the spot.

10:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $7

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, John Gemberling, Curtis Gwinn, Adam Pally, and Gavin Speiller—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 $10

Pete Holmes

Gutbucket

UCBT's monthly open mic show for stand-up comics.

If you're simply looking to laugh, this show can be

lots of fun, or deadly, depending on who turns up.

But if you're a comic yourself, it's a fine opportunity

to perform in front of an exceptionally sharp audience.

And in my opinion, it's well worth sitting through five minutes of

a dreadful comic to get even 30 seconds of hilarious comments

about the set afterwards from brilliant host Pete Holmes (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).

Holmes' lightning-fast mind will generate more perfect remarks

in a few moments than most comics can manage in a week.

Watching a master like Pete Holmes is a great treat;

and this show is free.

On top of that, the fact Gutbucket runs from roughly 12:20 am to 2:00 am

adds a surreal, drunken spin to the festivities that usually results in something

weird and memorable happening with either an amateur comic or an audience member.

For all these reasons, this is my favorite open mic show; and if you're both

patient and adventurous, it's highly recommended.

12:20ish am at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 10/18/08

Headliner Maria Bamford (with her pugs Bert & Blossom); and Maria's opener, rising star Adira Amram

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] deliciously smart and varied productions showcasing NYC's funny women on this final day of The Hysterical Festival (7:00, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00, 10:00, and 10:45 pm),

Second City veterans, Magnet instructors, and occasional celebs

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

[TOP PICK] a double-bill of one-woman shows from two of the funniest comedic performers

in New York, Kimmy Gatewood and Alicia Levy, in Totally Worth It (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a stand-up comedy superstar, with brilliant rising star Adira Amram as her opening act,

headlining at one of the finest comedy clubs in the country: Maria Bamford at Comix (8:30 pm & 10:45 pm),

[TOP PICK] star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,

and The Daily show who joyously declare Let's Have a Ball (9:00 pm),

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

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

and a comedic freestyle rap contest, hosted by genius musical comics Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan

(Freestyle Love Supreme) and Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas) at The BEATdown (midnight).

The Hysterical Festival

Tonight concludes the superb Hysterical Festival, which celebrates the wonderful and diverse female comedic talent in New York. For general info, please click here; and to explore tonight's broad range of shows, please click here. Venues are the Comix Comedy Club and the Zipper Theater; showtimes are 7:00, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00, 10:00, and 10:45 pm; and the highlight is comedy star Maria Bamford (see below).

The Tiny Spectacular

Magnet instructors & Second City veterans, plus occasional celebrity guests, turn a tiny suggestion into larger-than-life improvised scenes. One of the Magnet's signature shows.

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

Kimmy Gatewood and Alicia Levy

Totally Worth It

In this stellar double-bill, two of the funniest comics in NYC perform one-woman shows.

Alicia Levy is a member of world-class sketch troupe Drop Six, which is famed for its wonderful mix of physical comedy and music. Alicia provides both in abundance as she plays such characters as a painfully clumsy stripper, an insanely cautious expert on child safety, and a splendorous fairy contemplating a wing reduction. The material isn't always balanced—for example, the baby expert is a running joke that's done to death—but Alicia's performances are consistently energetic and fearless, making her an up-and-comer worth keeping an eye on.

Kimmy Gatewood is a member of one of the finest sketch groups in the country, The Apple Sisters, which has appeared on Comedy Central and won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act. Kimmy has devoted herself intensely to improv and sketch; and all her hard, smart work shines through in The Engagement, for which she plays a series of characters offering advice to a bride on her wedding day. I first saw this show a year ago, and was impressed with Kimmy as an actress but less than thrilled with her script. I'm not sure the material has significantly changed—but Kimmy's performances are now so brilliant that I no longer even care. Combining hilarious over-the-top comedy with nuanced, organic acting, Kimmy is proving herself a star who couldn't be more ready for a break on Broadway, TV, or film. If you're in the industry, hire this rare jewel before someone else is wise enough to snatch her up.

And if you're not, simply come to this show to be dazzled and enchanted...

and to enjoy 75 minutes packed with laughs.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10

Maria Bamford

Maria Bamford is one of the most distinctive comics in the biz, and any chance to see her is highly recommended. The official description:

"What young stand-up comedienne/actress was able to marry John Travolta in the feature film Lucky Numbers, teach Jenna Elfman how to play the violin on Dharma and Greg, and make out with Jon Cryer on ABC’s The Trouble with Normal? Only Maria Bamford.

"Her unique character-based quirky performance style quickly separated her from the pack. Her career took off with notable performances at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, and multiple appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. In addition to having her own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, Maria has contributed voices for Nickelodeon cartoons including Charlotte’s Web, Hey Arnold, CatDog (in which she’s a series regular), and the upcoming animation feature Barnyard.

"In 2003, Maria went international, performing at The Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, The Edinburgh Comedy Festival, The Melbourne Comedy Festival, The Murphy Cat Laughs Festival (in Ireland), and The Brighton Comedy Festival. In 2005, she triumphantly returned to Australia with a month of sold-out performances of her one-woman show Plan B.

"She also completed work on a new Comedy Central series called The Comedians of Comedy, based on the documentary of the same name.

"On a more personal note, she can’t wait to settle down and get married and/or be surrounded in warm, rising bread dough!"

To add icing to the dough, Maria's opening act is brilliantly funny & sexy writer/singer Adira Amram (Jane Magazine Editors Choice; co-star of Get Psyched!; for sample songs & videos, please click here).

Please Note: You can save $5 off the $30 cover (i.e., pay $25 per ticket)

by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.

Please also note there's also a two-item minimum;

with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.

8:30 pm & 10:45 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

$25 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum

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

Let's Have a Ball

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

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), Peter Gwinn (writer for The Colbert Report), Anthony King (UCBT-NY Artistic Director, Reuben Williams, Gutenberg! The Musical), Laura Krafft (writer for The Colbert Report), Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006), and Rob Riggle (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; Saturday Night Live, The Office).

9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10