NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 10/22/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a small mob of top comics, including Dave Hill and the gals from Variety Shac, at talk show Bro'in Out (8:00 pm),
Comix's new Ochi's Lounge opening with Andy Christie's delightful The Liar Show (8:00 pm),
Dwayne Perkins and Chelsea Peretti performing stand-up at La Boca (9:30 pm),
and one of the best stand-up shows in New York, which just happens to be free: Crash Test (11:00 pm).
After last night's closing of Mo Pitkins, many fine NYC comedy shows
have no place to perform. One of the venues that's come to the rescue is Comix,
a classy comedy club at 353 West 14th Street between 8th & 9th Avenues,
via a brand new cozy space (seating around 40) named Ochi's Lounge.
While Comix's main performance space charges $15-$25 and up for tickets,
plus a two-item food or drink minimum, Ochi's Lounge will typically host shows
charging nothing for tickets, and a one-item minimum.
Low-cost items on the Ochi's menu include $4 and $5 draft beers,
and half-price food from the main performance space menu:
for example, an Angus burger that's $15 upstairs is only $7.50 at Ochi's.
I'm normally not a fan of any-item minimums; but when you can pay
around $5 for live comedy and get a beverage thrown in, that's a sweet deal.
And more importantly, I'm delighted shows such as Liar, Chicks & Giggles,
Max!, and Drink at Work are being given the opportunity to continue
working their magic and providing New Yorkers with laughs.
Also, to encourage you to check out Ochi's, for this opening week of October 22-28
attending a Lounge show will get you an Admit Two pass to shows not expected
to sell out at the Comix main space (such as most 6:00 pm and 10:45 shows).
For example, if you choose a $25 main space show, the pass will be worth $50.
Justin Purnell, Dave Hill, and Carl Arnheiter...
...and Variety Shac's Andrea Rosen, Chelsea Peretti, and Shonali Bhowmik
Hosted by Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night
with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, Ed, Sex and the City) and
Tony Camin (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,
The Marijuana-logues), with "bartender" Johnny Conroy (fearless,
quick-witted, and wonderfully unpredictable). Tonight's guests are
Dave Hill (Variety Magazine's 2007 pick for 10 Comics to Watch; written for
The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie Web site Black Metal Dialogues;
written & performed for VH1, Spike TV, The Learning Channel, Smoking Gun TV series),
Carl Arnheiter (writer for ABC News, The Discovery Channel, People Magazine, Time Out NY),
Shonali Bhowmik (leader of musical group Tigers & Monkeys, comedy troupe Variety Shac),
Andrea Rosen (Comedy Central's Stella, VH1's All Access, comedy troupe Variety Shac),
Chelsea Peretti (Village Voice, Details, Playgirl, Jest, blackpeopleloveus.com,
Rejection Line: 212/479-7990, comedy troupe Variety Shac),
Justin Purnell (wonderful host of UCBT's School Night), and
Joe Mande & Noah Garfinkel (hosts of NYC biweekly live comedy show Totally J/K;
for dueling birthday videos, please click here and here;
and for other videos, please click here and here).
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
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:
James Braly (NPR; only two-time winner of The Moth Storytelling GrandSLAM),
Martin Dockery (four-time Moth Grandslam finalist),
Tara Clancy (one-woman show Channel Rat at 2005 FringeNYC),
and Peter Lubell (producer/director for NPR and TV).
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum; includes Admit Two pass to a main space show
John Lutz and Peter Grosz
Superb comics Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report, star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials, co-writer & co-star of UCBT sketch show The Steve Miller Band and Other Annoying Monsters) and John Lutz (writer & occasional actor on SNL since 2004; recurring character on 30 Rock) perform a two-man improv show (a version of their previous long-running and acclaimed Chicago show 4 Square, which also included Dan Bakkedahl and Rob Janas).
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Dwayne Perkins and Chelsea Peretti
Stand-up comedy hosted by Dewey Banks & Brian McGuinness.
Tonight's scheduled guests are Chelsea Peretti (Village Voice, Details, Playgirl, Jest, blackpeopleloveus.com, Rejection Line: 212/479-7990, comedy troupe Variety Shac),
who'll be racing over from the 8:00 pm UCBT show Bro'in Out with Leo & Tony,
Dwayne Perkins (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents,
Premium Blend, Shorties Watchin' Shorties; for a video stand-up sample,
please click here), Brett Anderson, and Cody Hess.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Hosted by Aziz Ansari (one of the best stand-up comics on the planet,
and co-star with fellow genius comics Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer
of MTV hit comedy series Human Giant).
If you're a fan, please note that Aziz, Paul and Rob guys are currently
shooting the second season of Human Giant. For insider notes about
the production, and for sneak peaks at new videos,
please visit their Web site at thehumangiant.com.
Crash Test guests are typically superb comedians trying out new material;
and this is often among the flat-out funniest shows in New York.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 10/23/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
funny writer Brian Heater & terrific stand-up Baron Vaughn kicking back at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),
Comix's new Ochi's Lounge hosting talented female stand-ups at Chicks & Giggles (8:00 pm),
and stars such as SNL's Jason Sudeikis, Demetri Martin, and Jessica Delfino at Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm).
Baron Vaughn and Brian Heater
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's industry guest is Brian Heater, Editor-in-Chief of
The Daily Crosshatch, a Web news magazine about alternative comics.
And tonight's comedy guest is Baron Vaughn (MTV's The Gamekillers,
VH1's Best Week Ever, Shoot the Messenger).
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Giulia Rozzi and Carolyn Castiglia
Carolyn Castiglia hosts a lineup of talented female comics.
For tonight's premiere of C&G at new home Ochi's Lounge,
the guests are Giulia Rozzi (VH1's Best Night Ever podcasts;
co-host of monthly NYC red-hot live comedy show Stripped Stories;
for a video sample, please click here),
Karith Foster (Comedy Centrals Premium Blend),
Joanne Filan (Laugh Factory), Molly Reisner (Comedy Centrals Fresh Faces),
Mandy Stadtmiller (Winner, Funniest Reporter in New York), and Jiwon Li.
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum; includes Admit Two pass to a main space show
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, five improv troupes—Bastian, Tantrum, 1985,
fwand, and Twelve Thousand Dollars—
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
Jessica Delfino—and her friend who wants to be famous—and Demetri Martin
Hosted by the sharp & witty Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Tonight's delightful lineup includes Demetri Martin (The Daily Show: Trendspotting,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents,
Comedy Central's Demetri Martin. Person., These Are Jokes CD/DVD),
Jessica Delfino, who enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her acclaimed CD Dirty Folk Rock; created the hilarious & award-winning animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; toured the country with the wonderful Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players;
was a big hit at the Edinburgh Festival this summer; and has a
cool MySpace page, and an even cooler blog),
Liam McEneany (VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend),
and Jason Sudeikis (current cast member of Saturday Night Live) as tonight's co-host.
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 10/24/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a mind-boggling kick-off to UCBT's Offensive Fest: Flynn & Falcon as Video Perverts (8:00 pm),
some of the best comics in NYC at Eugene Mirman's & Bobby Tisdale's Invite Them Up (9:00 pm),
brilliant NYC comedic storytellers relating The Most F*cked Up Nights of Our Lives (9:30 pm),
and a free comedy talent show where anything can happen ups the ante tonight when,
as part of Offensive Fest, it becomes Segregated School Night (11:00).
For details, please click here.
Offensive Fest: A Magical Comedy Mini-Festival from UCBT
In this age of extreme political correctness,
the stellar comics of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
have chosen to launch an onslaught on the bounds of good taste.
And god bless them for it.
Running from October 24th through October 28th,
the festival includes such potentially shocking shows as
Segregated School Night, a separate but equal talent showcase;
Cage Match: Retards vs. Stereotypes, in which two improv teams
try to outdo each other in making the audience uncomfortable;
Heroes of 9/11, a production by brilliant & brave improv troupe
Death by Roo Roo that will likely make your jaw drop;
and Soundtrack to the Last Hour of Your Life, in which beloved
improv troupe Mother will try to make your life flash before your eyes.
Pushing at boundaries and taboos so that we see the world
in new ways is a large part of what comedy is all about.
And so is falling on the floor laughing.
I'm going to try to catch as many shows in this festival as possible.
Hope to see you there.
There's no way to improve upon the official description of
this show, which is the perfect choice for kicking off Offensive Fest.:
"Join John Flynn and Jesse Falcon as they team up
to bring you an evening of video clips that are so beyond
the realm of comprehension that only the strong and the foolish
should attend the screening. Together they have assembled
an evening of videos that will make you want to rip your own face off.
Marvel! At the horror of the dark side of celebrity!!!!
Gasp! At the effect of Drugs on the Human Mind!!!!
Spoon! At the shocking SEX-capades of the elderly!!!!
Perverted Video with John and Jesse....it's like a bet you were born to lose!
(Warning: No one will be seated during the Barbra Streisand S&M gelatin musical number!)"
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Stand-up comedy hosted by Jenny Rubin and Matt McCarthy (above).
Unfortunately, the duo aren't great about posting lineup information,
which means there's no telling who the guests will be tonight;
but Matt is a razor-sharp comic who always does a set,
so a certain amount of entertainment is virtually guaranteed.
To get a feel for the show overall, 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; includes Admit Two pass to a main space show
Jim Gaffigan, Jon Daly, and Chris Jurek
Hosted by comedy greats Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale.
Tonight's superb lineup includes Jim Gaffigan (Late Show With David Letterman
[11 appearances], Late Night with Conan O'Brien [16 appearances], Comedy Central Presents);
Jon Daly (member of superstar improv group Mother; just wrapped acting in feature comedy film College Road Trip; for samples of Jon's unique work with partner Brett Gelman, please click here and here, and also check out their hip-hop parody album Fleetwood Cracked);
Chris Jurek (for video samples, please click here and here);
Noah Garfinkel (co-host of NYC biweekly live comedy show Totally J/K;
for dueling birthday videos, please click here and here); and
Brad Steuernagel (ImprovOlympic, shows Ice Cream Before Bed and Local Comedian).
9:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
The (Most F*cked Up) Nights of Our Lives
This is flat-out one of the best shows in New York.
While technically part of Offensive Fest—
tonight's topic is The Most F*cked Up Nights of Our Lives—
its comics are always digging beneath the surface to get at what's real.
The format is simple: A bunch of razor-sharp writer/performers tell stories
about themselves revolving around the evening's theme.
The only rules are that the tales must be true, and must be funny.
The brutal honesty, and jarring bravery, of some the participants can be hair-raising.
What they offer aren't merely jokes, but resonant, humane perspectives on life.
At the same time, there are very few shows, on or off Broadway,
that will make you laugh as consistently and as loud.
Enormous kudos go to host David Martin; and to brilliant storytellers
Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn, Chris Gethard, Curtis Gwinn,
Anthony King, Margot Leitman, Adam Pally, and the other comedy soldiers
who've bared some of their darkest and funniest secrets on the Nights of Our Lives stage.
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 for another 30.
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.
On this very special racially charged edition of School Night—
which is part of Offensive Fest—expect all of the above, and much more.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 10/25/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
delightful comedic couple Mary Theresa Archbold & Pat Shay appearing On the Moment (7:00 pm),
as part of Offensive Fest, brilliant comics singing Songs in the Key of F**k You (8:00 pm),
UCBT stars including Anthony King, Rob Huebel, and Neil Casey poking fun at the news (9:30 pm),
and improv teams doing their best to hilariously offend in Cage Match: Retards vs. Stereotypes (11:00).
Ace sketch/improv duo Mary Theresa Archbold & Pat Shay
Comedic variety show hosted by Tim Ellis and Matthew Park.
Tonight's guests are Mary Theresa Archbold & Pat Shay,
who won top honors at this August's FringeNYC 2007 Festival
for their wonderful sketch show Jazz Hand: Tales of a One Armed Woman, and who
are also expert improvisers (Mary teaches improv at The Magnet, and Pat at The PIT);
Fiona Walsh (Irish Galway Comedy Festival); and Phil Yanos (member of band Dangaru).
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Eliza Skinner, Cracked Out, and Shayna Ferm
As part of this week's Offensive Fest., a small mob of wonderful singing comics
perform raunchy, offensive songs. The hosts are Cracked Out (Jon Daly & Brett Gelman
parodying a hip-hop group; for samples of their mind-blowing videos,
please click here and here, and see their album Fleetwood Cracked);
and the stellar guests are Michelle Accorso, Deb Downing, Shayna Ferm,
Brian Fountain, Fran Gillespie, Peter Gwinn, Peter Grosz, Nate Kushner,
Michael Martin, Tricia McAlpin, Marcos Sanchez, Ari Scott, Abby Sher, Eliza Skinner,
and Kristy Webb, with videos from Stuckey & Murray and Reggie Watts.
Expect to be enormously entertained.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
This one-man show by Paden Fallis tells the comedic story of a football coach "in the final three minutes of the defining game of his career...(when his) world comes crashing down around him. As the clock ticks away, the coach comes head-to-head with a backstabbing assistant, a gifted adversary, a God-like referee, and a mysterious stranger who repeatedly phones down to the bench—all the while trying to pull his team through to victory."
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10
Hosts Anthony King and Scott Brown...
...and panelists Kate Spencer, Rob Huebel, Neil Casey, and Peter Gwinn
A funny look at the news, with lots of amusing video clips,
hosted by Anthony King (UCBT Artistic Director, Reuben Williams)
and Scott Brown (writer for Entertainment Weekly, and
co-writer with Anthony King of Gutenberg: The Musical).
Tonight's panelists are Rob Huebel (co-star of Human Giant, Best Week Ever),
Peter Gwinn (writer for The Colbert Report; founder of genius musical improv group Baby Wants Candy), Neil Casey (member of wonderful improv troupes Death by Roo Roo and Krompf), and Kate Spencer (VH1.com, member of stellar improv troupe Reuben Williams).
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
vs. 
Cage Match: Retards vs. Stereotypes
This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating the
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...).
As part of this week's Offensive Fest., tonight's very special edition of Cage Match features some of UCBT's finest improvisors split into two teams—one designated Retards, the other Stereotypes— trying to outdo each other in making the audience simultaneously squirm with discomfort and howl with laughter.
Suffice to say, I wouldn't miss this for anything.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Adam Lowitt and Joe Mande
Tonight's guests are Adam Lowitt (staffer at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart;
host of NYC live comedy show It Is It!; for a video stand-up sample, please click here),
Joe Mande (co-host with Noah Garfinkel of NYC biweekly live comedy show Totally J/K;
for some video samples, please click here and here and here);
Sean Lynch (writer for Comedy Central, MTV, and Showtime), and
Alex Marino (co-host of Magnet Theater duo improv show Ampers&nd).
Hosted by Jon Bander, Dan Gregor, and Lucas Held.
11:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 10/26/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
your last chance to catch a lively, tuneful, and yet spooky tribute to Halloween
(featuring an unforgettable bit involving corn) from The Apple Sisters (7:00 pm),
John Flynn telling hilarious, hair-raising tales about his adventures with Terrible Sex (8:00 pm),
superb improv about the dark side of relationships from The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),
and what's likely to be a highlight of this week's Offensive Fest, a show ominously titled
Heroes of 9/11 from living-on-the-edge improv troupe Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm).
Photo on left: Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood, and Sarah Lowe
The Apple Sisters: Spooky Halloween Show
The lovely Kimmy Gatewood, who is an exceptionally talented writer, director, and comedic performer, demonstrates that she's also great at singing and dancing—partnered beautifully with Rebekka Johnson and Sarah Lowe, and Tom Thomsen on keyboard—in this homage to 1940s girl groups like The Andrew Sisters. 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 show, please click here & here & here & here.
Please note that tonight is your last chance to catch the show's spooky Halloween edition.
(Next week the gals will debut an entirely new production, revolving around Thanksgiving.)
Please also note that this show is Time Out New York's top pick for tonight,
and the two previous performances sold out; so to ensure you get seats, it'd
be wise to buy your tickets online—which is actually cheaper than paying at the door.
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street; tickets are $10 at the door,
or you can pay $9.19 (including service charge) buying online by clicking here
Glennis McMurray and Eliza Skinner are simply geniuses
at taking a suggestion from the audience and crafting
an entire musical based around it, using only their imaginations,
immense talent, and the aid of their wonderful improv pianist
Frank Spitznagel. Each of these gals is a powerhouse performer;
what they manage to create together tends to be sheer magic.
This is the first hour-long show they've performed in months;
and for it they'll make up a 25-minute, 15-minute, and 5-minute musical.
if you aren't going to see the Apple Sisters (above) or John Flynn (below),
it's highly recommended you come enjoy these comedic wizards at play.
7:30 pm at The Tank, 279 Church Street (bet. Franklin & White Streets); tickets are $8
John Flynn Has Terrible Sex (with Jason Mantzoukas)
Razor-sharp and hilarious storyteller John Flynn (Showgirls: The Best Movie Ever Made. Ever!, The Nights of Our Lives) will make your head spin with his most memorable sexual escapades.
The official description: "Ever since he was a teenager, John Flynn has had some pretty terrible sex. At times the sex was immoral, illegal, and once involved the phrase 'erotic vomiting.' His partners have ranged from professional athletes, to circus performers, to men who swear they 'aren't gay.' It's the kind of sex that makes you question basic human decency.
And with the help of Jason Mantzoukas, John Flynn is going to share it all with you."
In other words, this is likely to be a highlight of UCBT's Offensive Fest.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Larry Murphy, Greg Johnson, and apparent fan of the show
Hosted by 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),
and Greg Johnson (being hugged above; the photo says it all...).
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they'll probably be superb.
And the razor-sharp Johnson & Murphy are by themselves worth the trip to the East Village.
8:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Stand-up comic and actor Nice Thune (Comedy Central Presents;
for video samples, please click here and here) performs in the
main showroom of Comix tonight at 8:30 pm and 10:45 pm,
and on Saturday at 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm.
Tickets are normally $20 each plus a two-item minimum,
but you can skip the $20 cover by emailing
Kambri Crews at kcrews@comixny.com by 3:00 pm of
the day of the performance you want to attend
with your full name, the day & time of the performance you're after,
and the number of tickets you're requesting.
Please note you'll still need to pay for the two-item minimum;
the least expensive items on the showroom menu are
coffee, tea or soda for $5, beer for $6, and sides for $7
(to view the full menu, please click here),
so total cost with tax & tip will be at least $13.
I'm not familiar with Nick Thune; but if you're interested
in experiencing a classy comedy club, or looking to
impress a date, this might be a nice way to do it.
8:30 pm & 10:30 at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues); 2-item minimum
"They're all street, all the time." Five women—pictured left to right, Jessica Allen, Bayne Gibby, Stephanie Kasen, Caitlin Miller, and Tara Copeland—who've won the 2004 ECNY award for Best Improv Group, and have repeatedly been a Time Out New York Critic's Pick.
8:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Stepfathers: A Salute to Our Bimbo Wives
As part of this week's Offensive Fest, some of the best improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney, Christina Gausas, Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols, and Zach Woods—will "explore everything that's dark, terrifying, and wrong about male/female relationships."
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Stacy Mayer, Laura Dillman, and Jeremiah Murphy
Manhattan Comedy Collective: Halloween Show
If you'd like to experience a gentler, more relaxed, but still quite smart type of improv, visit the Manhattan Comedy Collective run by the wonderful Stacy Mayer (who's quick as lightning, but much funnier). Every Friday features Character Dogville, in which performers dress up as odd characters and spontaneously interact with each other.
Tonight's theme will be Halloween.
10:00 pm at the Sage Theatre, 711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor (between 47th and 48th Streets);
tickets are $8 online (with no service charge) and $10 at the door
Veteran improvisors Scott Glover and John O'Donnell,
accompanied by a rotating cast that might include
such superb talents as Eliza Skinner or Tara Copeland or Jeff Hiller
—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 $5
Death by Roo Roo: Heroes of 9/11
Arguably the gutsiest comedy troupe in NYC, the brilliant improvisors of Death by Roo Roo—Jackie Clarke, Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn—are doing a show for Offensive Fest...about 9/11.
Oh - my - god.
I shudder to think what might happen.
And wouldn't miss it for the world.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Cracked Out (above) is Jon Daly & Brett Gelman parodying a hip-hop group;
and having these guys who love to shock audiences do a show
as part of Offensive Fest is virtually redundant.
(For samples of their mind-blowing videos, please click here and here,
and check out their album Fleetwood Cracked).
Can Brett & Jon top themselves tonight?
It's well worth five bucks to find out.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 10/27/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
Jackie Clarke & Julie Klausner doing their best to live up to this week's Offensive Fest
with their very special one-time event Jackie and Julie Rape Your Face (7:00 pm),
The Pit's own festival, which begins tonight and runs through Halloween, featuring 50 comedy
groups that will perform sketch if they specialize in improv and vice versa: SketchProv (8:00 pm),
for Offensive Fest, star improv troupe Mother performing the Soundtrack to the Last Hour of Your Life (9:00 pm),
for Offensive Fest, star improv troupe Reuben Williams simulating a porn shoot in Money Shot (10:30 pm),
and for Offensive Fest, Jackie Clarke and Hot Sauce hosting The Dirtiest Sketch in NYC Contest, OJ Edition (Midnight).
Julie Klausner and Jackie Clarke are hilariously daring
writer/performers who delight in wittily offending—
please check out their short films by clicking here—
which makes them the perfect duo for this week's Offensive Fest.
Here's their own description of tonight's special event:
"An evening of comedy so offensive, so outlandish, so trash-tastic
it will give your Grandpa a stroke. A sexy stroke.
Join the girls and some of their dirty pals for a night of sin
that will make Plato's Retreat look like a Billy Graham sing-a-long.
Plus special guests and anal bleaching!"
With Julie Goldman, Jonny McGovern (The Gay Pimp), Jeff Marx, and John Flynn.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Magnet instructors & Second City veterans such as Rachel Hamilton, Ed Herbstman, Abby Sher, and Miriam Tolan, plus stars of Mother: The Soundtrack (see below) 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
Posing the comedic question, "Can a sketch group do improv? Or an improv group do sketch?" The PIT presents 50 comedy groups doing just that. A ticket for a single show tonight is $10; for all the shows tonight, $20; and for all shows during this series—which runs through Wednesday—a mere just $50. Tonight's lineup:
Kurt Braunohler
8:00 pm: Kurt Braunohler hosts Drop Six, The Apple Sisters, Centralia, and Mary Theresa Archbold & Pat Shay.
Pat Shay & Mary Theresa Archbold
9:30 pm: Mary Theresa Archbold & Pat Shay host Aztec Bacon, Frank, and Improv Boston.
Stellar sketch group Fearsome: Shayna Ferm, Chris O'Connor, Alex Goldberg, and Katherine Bryant
11:00 pm: Party Central USA hosts Buddy System, Harvard Sailing Team, Don't Touch Me There, A Week of Kindness, Wunderkind Consortium, Freedumb, and Fearsome.
For more info and the complete schedule, please click here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue)
The many faces of Adira Amram
Debut of this variety show at Ochi's Lounge, hosted by Carol Hartsell.
Tonight's scheduled guests are wonderful comedic singer/songwriter/performer
Adira Amram, plus Rob Lathan, Mark Douglas, Rob Gorden, and Sean Crespo.
8:30 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum; includes Admit Two pass to a main space show
Mother: Soundtrack to the Last Hour of Your Life
Jason Mantzoukas leads a vibrant team of improv comics—Scot Armstrong, Tara Copeland, Jon Daly, James Eason, Jesse Falcon, Doug Moe, and Christine Walters—who make up scenes based on CD tracks contributed by the audience. One of UCBT's most beloved shows.
For this week's Offensive Fest, the troupe plans to act out scenes of torture,
revenge, war...anything that might make your life flash before your eyes.
9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Anthony King demonstrates that in addition to running UCBT-NY brilliantly, he's a formidable improv performer. Joining him are stellar talents Eugene Cordero, Lennon Parham, Charlie Sanders, Eric Scott, Kate Spencer, Charlie Todd, and Joe Wengert.
For this week's Offensive Fest, the troupe will perform "a fully improvised porn shoot
with eager fluffers, creepy directors, dumb-as-dirt actors, and everything else
they can imagine. Oh yeah, also dildos."
10:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Jackie Clarke and Hot Sauce
The Dirtiest Sketch in New York Contest: OJ Simpson's Breakfast of Champions Edition
If you're easily offended, don't even consider coming to this show.
But if you appreciate comedy that pushes the envelope without hurting anyone
(with the possible exception of prudes), you'll applaud this wild, uninhibited
breaking of taboos to get laughs.
This show is normally an open contest to see who can
create the most shockingly funny & filthy sketch running three minutes or less.
But for Offensive Fest, tonight is all-star edition featuring champions
and runners-up from previous show competing for the title
of most outrageous, bizarre, rude, and crude.
If a sketch is dreadful (many will be), the festivities will be maintained
by stellar hosts Jackie Clarke (Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Showgirls: The Best Movie Ever Made Ever!, Julie & Jackie) and
sketch/improv group Hot Sauce (Gil Ozeri, Adam Pally and Ben Schwartz;
for some samples of their work, please click here and here).
For a review of the UCBT-LA version of the show, please click here.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 10/28/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
the conclusion of this week's enormously entertaining Offensive Fest via UCBT's
playground for celebrities and ace improvisors, ASSSSCAT 3000 (7:30 & 9:30 pm),
comedy titans Andy Blitz, Reggie Watts, and Larry Murphy at Brooklyn's Tearing the Veil of Maya (7:45ish pm),
and improvisors such as Mary Archbold smashing theatre characters against each other in Trainwreck (9:30 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 have sold out, 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 have to come early and wait on line to ensure getting into this first come, first served performance. This is virtually always a superb show; but if you need an extra reason to attend, tonight is the conclusion of UCBT's highly successful and hilarious Offensive Fest.
7:30 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue)
Reggie Watts, Larry Murphy, Greg Johnson, and Andy Blitz
If you live in Brooklyn, or simply don't mind going a few subway stops
beyond Manhattan, some of the best comedy minds in New York can be found
at this weekly show. It's normally hosted by the great Eugene Mirman, but he may be
tied up right now with the revival of the Comedians of Comedy tour.
At any rate, tonight's stellar lineup includes
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),
Greg Johnson (co-host with Larry of the weekly NYC live comedy show Power Hour),
Reggie Watts (winner of 3rd Annual Andy Kaufman Award; scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician who will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com),
and Andy Blitz (writer/sketch performer since 1999 for Late Night with Conan O'Brien).
7:45ish pm at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn; tickets are $7
Take the R train to Union Street and walk 1 block east; or take
the F train to 4th Avenue, walk north on 4th Avenue and turn right on Union Street, and go 1 block up;
or take the 2/3/4/5/Q train to Atlantic Avenue, walk south on 5th Avenue, and make a left on Union Street.
Tionna Tee Smalls, Dean Edwards, Caroline Waxler & Norman Baker, Donell Rawlings, and Baron Vaughn
Hosted by Caroline Waxler (written for VH1's Best Week Ever, The New York Times,
Forbes, Newsweek, Glamour, The Huffington Post; author of book Stocking Up on Sin)
and Norman Baker (producer for VH1's Best Week Ever).
Tonight's guests are Donell Rawlings (Chappelle's Show),
Dean Edwards (two seasons on Saturday Night Live),
Baron Vaughn (MTV's new The Gamekillers, VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and
Best Week Ever, cast member on weekly NYC live comedy show
Shoot the Messenger; for a radio interview, please click here),
Jackie Monahan (LOL Tour), and
Tionna Tee Smalls (Gawker advice columnist; author of Girl, Get Your Mind
Right!; will be answering audience love questions).
"Prizes are given out at each show, including Oregon's finest berets."
8:00 pm at Paris Commune Restaurant, 99 Bank Street (at Greenwich Street); free
A showcase for talented improvisation twosomes.
Tonight's duos are Matt Ostrom & Rob Webber,
Chelsea Clarke & Marcy Jarreau,
Damon Ketron & Louis Kornfeld,
and Babsy Singer & Megan Gray.
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Mary Theresa Archbold, colliding plays, and Desiree Nash
Improv comics act out excerpts from classic plays
and then make up new scenes that smash the characters
they've portrayed against those from other plays.
Starring Mary Theresa Archbold, Dave Koenig, TJ Mannix, Desiree Nash,
Adam Nowak, Ashley Ward, Tim Wersan, Shawn Wickens, and Justin Zell.
Directed by David Levin.
9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Posing the question, "Can sketch specialists perform improv? Or improv experts tackle sketch?", The PIT presents 50 comedy groups stretching their skills in response. A ticket for tonight's show is $10; and a pass for all shows during this festival—which runs through Wednesday—is $50. Tonight's hosts are Phil Wells and Jacob Brown; and the scheduled comedy troupes are Totally Awesome Victory, Lolabrigada, Barret & Goldman, and Cougar.
For more info and the complete schedule, please click here.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue)
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
