NYC Comedy Picks for Week of October 19, 2009

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 10/19/09

Beloved comedy giants Sara Schaefer and Kristen Schaal perform tonight at Tell Your Friends...

...and Todd Barry, John Morrison, and Pete Holmes perform tonight at the intimate Morrison Motel

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] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Joe Roger Hailes, Rory Scoval, Andy Hanes, Jonathan Powley, Oscar Collazos, and Cooper Rego performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT's house sketch comedy troupes, High Treason and Slow Burn, trying out new bits at Maude Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Thoroughly wonderful star comics Kristen Schaal, Christian Finnegan, and Sara Schaefer, plus Mark Anthony Ramirez (ABC, MTV, Comedy Central, Howard Stern Show), David Angelo (host of The David Angelo Show), Evelyn Rothstein (children's book author making her stand-up debut), plus musical guests The Fools, all performing in the Lolita Bar with producer Liam McEneaney at Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($5 cover if you mention HyReviews.com [otherwise $10], plus $7 drink minimum; call 212.989.9319 to reserve seats): Brilliant, lightning-fast & thoroughly hilarious star stand-ups Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim, The Wrestler) and Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, The Daily Show, VH1's Best Week Ever, The New Yorker, co-host of hit show Punch Up Your Life), plus Lee Camp, Luke Cunningham and Brian Longwell performing at the Cornelia Street Cafe for John Morrison's Morrison Motel

9:30 pm ($5): An improvised play based on Anton Chekhov's rule that if a gun is on the wall in the first act, it must be fired by the last act, plus an improvised soap opera, in the double-bill Chekhov's Gun and As the Diamond Burns

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest stand-ups in the country—who tonight include Eugene Mirman, Lizz Winstead, AD Miles, and Myq Kaplan—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 10/20/09

Will Forte and Eugene Mirman (Sweet), and Janeane Garofalo (Punch Up Your Life)...

...and Ophira Eisenberg and Andy Christie (Canuck Amuck and Do Not Disturb: Dead Tenants)

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

7:00 pm & 8:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($6.13 per show online): NYC improv and sketch troupes—many of whom perform at The PIT—compete against each other via this unusual annual contest in which each group, regardless of specialty, will perform both improv and sketch...as well as a comedy form known as sketchprov using the Second City routine The Pad. The 27 teams participating this year are Audience of Two, Bacivo Nuggets, Bad Luck Rising, Cool Guyot, Dave and Ethan, Do You Like This in Your Face?, Dumpster Tequila, Etc..., Foolhardy Manor, Friends of the Museum, Gentleman Caller, Halfbear, Hopeful Chester, Inside Joke Films, Maybe Sherman, Mrs. Estherhouse, Ninja Sex Party, Nobody's Token, Party Lights, Pembroke and Lu, Peoples Sketch Association, SidViscous, Sisters!, Slapstick Picnic, Swords, Veal, and Yawn. The competition, running through Saturday, is SketchProv

8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes DeCoster, Robber Baron, Scootch, Ragnaröck, and Badman, followed by UCBT students at all levels performing with improv veterans at The Lottery—all at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Movie & TV comedy superstar Janeane Garofalo, plus Amber Tozer (visiting from LA), Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific), and more performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for a free weekly show hosted by brilliant stand-ups Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim) and Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, The New Yorker, host of ComedyJuice): Punch Up Your Life

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($7.50 if you mention HyReviews.com at the door, plus 2-drink min.): Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of upcoming TV version of The Liar Show) and Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion, creator of The Liar Show) each perform a one-person show at the Broadway Comedy Club in this not-to-be-missed double-bill: Canuck Amuck and Do Not Disturb: Dead Tenants

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Will Forte (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Eugene Mirman (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim's Delocated, VH1, book The Will to Whatevs: A Guide to Modern Life, host of Tearing the Veil of Maya, just released a new comedy album, God Is a Twelve Year Old Boy With Asperger's), AD Miles (writer for Jimmy Fallon), Brooke Van Poppelen (Maxim Radio, Cosmo Radio, Chicago Public Radio; Carolines, Comix; half of sketch duo Macho!; popular blog NYisretarded.blogspot.com; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), and more performing at The Slipper Room hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[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 10/21/09

Hilarious theatrical storytellers Mark Sam Rosenthal (The Nights of Our Lives) and Margaret Cho (Risk!)...

...and yet more stellar storytellers at the wonderful Leslie Goshko's Sideshow Goshko

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 ($12 ticket; plus two-drink or $12 food min. if you sit at a table): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight are Margaret Cho, Tom Shillue, Mike Daisey, Jon Friedman, and Rachel Dratch—join brilliant sketch comic and storyteller Kevin Allison (The State) in Joe's Pub to share tales on the theme "Never Again" at the exciting new weekly storytelling event Risk!

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Delightfully quirky monthly storytelling show in which comics and comedic yarn-spinners are asked to reveal aspects of themselves that are odd and unusual—and that includes such carnival elements as an accordion player, and a challenging trivia contest for someone in the audience to win a bottle of wine. Tonight's performers are Peter Aguero (Conan O'Brien, Moth GrandSlam, BTK Band), Bruce Cherry (Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn), Amy Dixon (UCBT), Becky Flaum (UCBT) ,and thoroughly charming and razor-sharp host Leslie Goshko (Manhattan Monologue Champion, UCBT): Sideshow Goshko

[FREE] 8:00: Sharp NYC stand-ups Emily Epstein, Jamie Lee, Chris Doucette, Rocco Supreme, Mark Giordano, and Nate Min performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Thoroughly wonderful stand-ups Eugene Mirman, Pete Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani, and Matt McCarthy performing at a free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) hosted by Jenny Slate (Saturday Night Live), Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock), John Flynn (Showgirls! Best Movie Ever Made. Ever!), Noah Garfinkel (Totally J/K), Mark Sam Rosenthal (stellar one-man show Blanche Survives Katrina in a FEMA Trailer Named Desire), and wonderful host David Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight's theme "Sexual Embarrassment:" The Nights of Our Lives

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 10/22/09

Dave Hill pulls another coup by having Dick Cavett as his guest tonight on the hilarious The Dave Hill Explosion...

...and comedy powerhouses Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal perform tonight at John Roberts and Friends

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 ($5): Five sketch shows—from troupes BriTANick, New Excitement, Pangea 3000, and Sidecar, and the mini-play Waiting for Obama—are performed back to back from 7:00 to 9:30 pm at this near-free opportunity to experience the current state of sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre: UCBT's Best of Sketch Showcase

[$] 7:00 pm ($15 & 2-item min.): A unique sports-themed stand-up, sketch comedy, and interview show hosted by Scott Rogowsky and Neil Janowitz, tonight featuring Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, Knicks guard Chris Duhon, and Krystal Gray & other members of the Lingerie Football League's New York Majesty, all performing at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: 12 Angry Mascots

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): In a rare stage appearance, legendary & razor-sharp TV talk show interviewer Dick Cavett will himself be interviewed tonight by brilliant alternative comic Dave Hill; and also performing will be musical guest Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes), all at a not-to-be-missed edition of The Dave Hill Explosion

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($20 & 2-item min.): A YouTube star whose special guests tonight are comedy giants Kristen Schaal and Eugene Mirman performing at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: John Roberts and Friends

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Superb Improv duo The Brothers Hines (Will Hines and Kevin Hines, who really are brothers) go up against improv troupe Sherpa in a battle for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 10/23/09

The debut of The Sex Lives of Disney Princesses...

...and a glorious collection of horror movie clips from Kevin Maher when Kevin Geeks Out About Vincent Price

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 ($5): The debut of a comedic play about the erotic escapades of heavily franchised characters: The Sex Lives of Disney Princesses

7:00 pm & 8:30 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:30 pm ($6.13 per show online): NYC improv and sketch troupes—many of whom perform at The PIT—compete against each other via this unusual annual contest in which each group, regardless of specialty, will perform both improv and sketch...as well as a comedy form known as sketchprov using the Second City routine The Pad. The 27 teams participating this year are Audience of Two, Bacivo Nuggets, Bad Luck Rising, Cool Guyot, Dave and Ethan, Do You Like This in Your Face?, Dumpster Tequila, Etc..., Foolhardy Manor, Friends of the Museum, Gentleman Caller, Halfbear, Hopeful Chester, Inside Joke Films, Maybe Sherman, Mrs. Estherhouse, Ninja Sex Party, Nobody's Token, Party Lights, Pembroke and Lu, Peoples Sketch Association, SidViscous, Sisters!, Slapstick Picnic, Swords, Veal, and Yawn. The competition, running through Saturday, is SketchProv

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Superb stand-ups Christian Finnegan (three Comedy Central specials, commentator on MNBC's Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1's Best Week Ever; Chappelle's Show, The Today Show) and Julian McCullough (Comedy Central), plus much more in Karma Lounge at this special Halloween edition of occasionally uncomfortable comedy from beloved sketch & stand-up comedy hosts Blaine Perry & Pat Stango: Don't Touch Me There

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A glorious collection of horror movie clips from super-fan Kevin Maher at 92 Y Tribeca when Kevin Geeks Out About Vincent Price

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($29 & 2-item min.): A highly popular co-star of the Comedians of Comedy tour and Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program, and a regular on Conan O'Brien, headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Brian Posehn

[$] 8:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A Curb Your Enthusiasm star and superb stand-up headlining at Carolines: Susie Essman

8:00 pm ($10): One-man shows by Greg Tuculescu (ace sketch troupes Quiet Library and Stone Cold Fox) and stand-up comic Brent Sullivan, in the double-bill F@#&ing Foreigners and Fag Life

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Superb stand-ups Sean Patton, Ali Waller, Bobby Miyamoto, Luke Cunningham, and Zach Sims, plus clips from the filmmakers of the new film Everything is Terrible, 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

10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[FREE] 12:20ish am: Your opportunity to perform on the UCBT stage with improv veterans, hosted by stellar troupe The Law Firm: Jammin' with Ralph

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 10/24/09

Brian Posehn (Headlining at Comix); and UCBT stars Chuck Dauble & Jesse Falcon host a free screening of Evil Dead 3

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

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

7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Sharp NYC stand-ups performing in Ochi's Lounge, hosted by Sean Donnelly, at Lil' Seany Boy

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,

Conan O'Brien, and more joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A Curb Your Enthusiasm star and superb stand-up headlining at Carolines: Susie Essman

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

[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

10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from acclaimed trio Statues of Liberty

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): The hilarious Adam Lustick and Billy Scafuri of world-class sketch troupe The Harvard Sailing Team perform at & host this show of funny hip-hop: Snakes: Comedic Rappers

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 1:00 am: Chuck Dauble (C, C & C Improv Factory) and Jesse Falcon (Mother, The Scam) demonstrate their movie expertise for Halloween with a screening of a horror classic: Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 10/25/09

Michelle Buteau (Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour) and Amber Tozeer (The Comedians & Sunday Night Stand-Up)

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: Jordan Carlos, Amber Tozer, and more performing stand-up at a free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Greg Johnson: The Comedians

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Jessica Delfino (hilarious raunchy singer & stand-up; Good Morning America, FOX News, Dirty Folk Rock at Ars Nova on Nov. 12), Christian Finnegan (three Comedy Central specials, commentator on MNBC's Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1's Best Week Ever; Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Chris March (Project Runway), Becky Donohue (Comedy Central), Eric Kirchberger (Comedy Central), and Robbyne Kaamil (CanWeBeReal.com) at an East Village version of a classic game show at the Bowery Poetry Club hosted by wonderful comedic singer Ben Lerman: Match Game Live!

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Typically star comics (who are usually announced, but this is one of those "take it on faith" days) performing stand-up at this weekly event at Brooklyn's Union Hall, hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman (who just released a new comedy album, God Is a Twelve Year Old Boy With Asperger's; for a fun recent Village Voice write-up, please click here): Tearing the Veil of Maya

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups Joe DeRosa (Comedy Central Presents), Erin Judge, Amber Tozer, MC Mr. NApkins, Matt Ruby, and Ryan Reiss performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups Katina Corrao, Chris Jurek, Brent Sullivan, and Gabe Liedman performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Michelle Buteau (in one of the last chances to see her before she moves to LA), Kaitlin Colombo, Scott Ryan, and Shawn Hollenbach 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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