NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 9/21/09
Aziz Ansari is back in town tonight, and headlining at both Tell
Your Friends and Whiplash
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] 7:15ish pm: Sharp stand-ups Helen Hong, Julian McCullough, Tom McCaffrey, Dave Greek, and Jayson Cross performing at this new free weekly show at the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): World-class stand-up and TV star Aziz Ansari (NBC's Parks and Recreations, Human Giant), The Trachtenburg (hilarious family musical act), stand-ups Jamie Kilstein, Mike Birch, and Rob Paravonian, and an eating contest pitting The Onion editor Joe Garden against show producer Liam McEneaney at the Lolita Bar for the 4-year anniversary celebration of Tell Your Friends
8:00 pm ($5): The talented young writer/performers of UCBT scripted comedy house troupes Slow Burn and High Treason try out their newest sketch material at Maude Night
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the country—who tonight include TV star Aziz Ansari (NBC's Parks and Recreations, Human Giant), Kumail Nanjiani (SNL, The Colbert Report, writer & co-star of Comedy Central's Michael & Michael Have Issues), and Ben Kronberg (visiting from LA)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 9/22/09
Aziz Ansari (Punch Up Your Life), High Moon (Comic Book Club), and Reggie Watts (Sweet)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
5:00 pm & 8:00 pm (NYTVF pass): The New York Television Festival, running through September 26, has two comedy panels today: The Future of Comedy at 5:00 pm, with Brent Haynes (East Coast Senior VP of Series Development at MTV) and Debbie DeMontreux (Senior VP of Original Programming at IFC TV), running 45 min.; and Late Show with David Letterman Writer's Room at 8:00 pm, with co-head writers Eric Stangel and Justin Stangel, moderated by SNL's Jason Sudeikis, running 75 min. For details on getting festival passes, please visit the Web site of The New York Television Festival
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Writer David Gallaher & artist Steve Ellis, the creators of Zuda Comics High Moon (a Western comic book about werewolves that's published on the Web), joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club
8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Ragnaröck, Scootch, Robber Baron, The Law Firm, and DeCoster, followed by UCBT students improvising a Cops & Robbers story on the spot based on an interview with a randomly selected audience member—all at Harold Night
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Terrific stand-ups Ophira Eisenberg, Abbi Crutchfield, Luke Thayer, and Ray Ellin performing at the Conker Hill Bar, hosted by Doug Adler & Harris Bloom: Comedy at Conker Hill
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: After an August hiatus, this wonderful free weekly show triumphantly returns with TV stars Aziz Ansari (NBC's Parks and Recreations, Human Giant) and Kumail Nanjiani (SNL, The Colbert Report, writer/performer on Comedy Central's Michael & Michael Have Issues), plus superb comic Joe Mande (co-host of superb NYC live comedy show Totally J/K; writing book for St. Martin's Press based on his blog Look at This Fucking Hipster) performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe, and 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): Punch Up Your Life
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Some of the finest comics in the country—Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; 2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act and the 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; cast member of the new Electric Company; Jimmy Fallon), Whitney Cummings (visiting from LA; HBO, ABC, FOX, Showtime), Ben Kronberg (visiting from LA; Jimmy Kimmel, Carson Daly), and more—performing at the famed LES weekly stand-up show at The Slipper Room hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Delightful stand-ups Leah Dubie and Amy Beckerman in Ochi's Lounge hosting guest comics Lisa Kaplan, Calvin Cato, and Clayton Fletcher at Dykes on Mics
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 9/23/09
Miranda Sings shares her fan hate mail at The Rejection Show, and Kimmy Gatewood debuts her comedic play Make Up Break 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:
[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A comedic musical I'll finally be catching tonight and am expecting to be way fun, and Mike Still, Leslie Meisel, and writer Geoff Garlock performing five terrifying sketch comedy tales that I also expect to be way fun, in the delightfully mismatched double-bill Girl Camp and I Laughed Until I Died
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15): One of the most talented, sexy, funny, and beloved rising stars to come out of the NYC comedy scene, and who's since moved to LA but is debuting a comedic one-act play tonight at Ars Nova: Kimmy Gatewood: Make Up Break Up!
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups Jared Logan (who's guest-hosting tonight), Myq Kaplan, Liam McEneaney, Sean O'Connor, and John F. O'Donnell performing at a free weekly comedy show at Rodeo Bar produced by Matt Maragno: Now We're Talking
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stellar storyteller Melanie Hamlett, plus stand-ups Brent Sullivan, Lee Rubenstein, Leah Bonnema, Mick Diflo, and M. Dickson performing at a free weekly East Village show hosted by Sharon "Mama" Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Superb stand-ups Kumail Nanjiani (SNL, The Colbert Report, writer/performer on Comedy Central's Michael & Michael Have Issues), Sean Patton (darkly smart, funny comic; Comedy Central), DC Benny (Comedy Central Presents special), and Edith Zimmerman performing at a free weekly show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) hosted by new Saturday Night Live cast member Jenny Slate (look for Jenny tomorrow night on SNL's Weekend Update Thursdays 8:00 pm on NBC), Gabe Liedman, and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Hilarious YouTube sensation Miranda Sings (for samples of this wildly popular parody act, please click here and here), brilliant writer-comics Kumail Nanjiani (SNL, The Colbert Report, writer/performer on Comedy Central's Michael & Michael Have Issues) and Joe Mande (co-host of superb NYC live comedy show Totally J/K; writing book for St. Martin's Press based on his blog Look at This Fucking Hipster), and more share their "very special" fan feedback at Jon Friedman's The Rejection Show: You've Got Hate Mail Edition
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10-$15 suggested donation): A networking party mixing NYC theatre and comedy folks from 9:30 to 10:00 pm, and then a full-blown comedy show with brilliant storyteller Ophira Eisenberg, and stand-ups Hari Kondabolu, Amy Johnson, and Dave Greek at The Sage Theatre, hosted by Christian Polanco (taking the reins from the luminous Margie Kment, who's now busy becoming a star in LA) at Hold for the Laughs
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) provides a mix of guests who perform 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. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible: School Night
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 9/24/09
Gilbert Gottfried (Headlining
at Carolines), a comedic tribute to Patrick Swayze (Dirty
Dancing at Comix),
and Gil Ozeri (Buzzy
Shore and Cage
Match)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
5:00 pm on (NYTVF pass): Comedy pilots from creators hoping to interest networks at a fun event runnnig through Saturday: New York Television Festival
7:00 pm on ($5): I Eat Pandas improvisor trying out sketch material: Glennis McMurray
7:00 pm ($5): Jamie Cummings & Elizabeth Blue improvising a tale about the King and his love Priscilla Presley based on the memorable TV movie Elvis & Me
7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): "Alternative and mainstream comedians who don't quite fit in" performing in Ochi's Lounge at a monthly show hosted by Grant Gordon and the delightful Helen Hong: Odd Baggage
[$] 7:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.): TV star of Rescue Me and Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Saturday (get $5 off tickets by buying before day of show) at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Lenny Clarke
8:00 pm ($8): One-man shows from brilliant comics Gil Ozeri (member of star comedy troupes Death by Roo Roo and Hot Sauce) and Ryan Karels (superb improv troupe Krompf) in the double-bill Buzzy Shore's Master Class in Comedy and Don't Honk at Me!
[$] 8:00 pm ($24.50 & 2-drink min.) A unique comedy star headlining at Carolines for one night only: Gilbert Gottfried
8:00 pm ($8): "Pat Shepherd thought he was getting married. He was wrong. Follow his story in the premier of this hilariously heartbreaking one man show:" The Breakup
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 ($5): Superb improv hip-hop group Freestyle Love Supreme, ace stand-up Kumail Nanjiani, and many other talents at a show from highly popular comedy site CollegeHumor.com: CollegeHumor Live
[$] 9:30 pm ($15 & 2-item min.): The Raspberry Brothers continuing the tradition of Mystery Science Theater 3000 by providing live comedic commentary on films, with tonight's victim an homage to Patrick Swayze at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Dirty Dancing
[$] 10:00 pm ($24.50 & 2-drink min.): LA-based stand-up who's performed frequently on Showtime and Chelsea Lately, headlining at Carolines for one night only: Whitney Cummings
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Genius improv troupe Death by Roo Roo—taking over this season with an all-time record-breaking 22 wins in a row (though beating last week's opponent SMIRK by a relative whisker, garnering 89 ballets to 74)—tonight facing improv challenger Classic Masculinity in a battle for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/25/09
Lenny Clarke (Headlining at Comix), Ryan Paulson (I'm Uncomfortable), and Pete Holmes (Too Cool for School and Gutbucket)
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): Ace musical improvisors Eliza Skinner, Peter Gwinn, and Jody Shelton trying out something new by actually scripting a monthly 30-minute musical about some aspect of New York in the debut of New York Cycle
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Brilliant comics Pete Holmes (The Daily Show, Comedy Central, VH1, The New Yorker), Kevin Allison (MTV's The State, Reno 911: Miami), Stuckey & Murray (MTV, VH1, NBC, Fuse), Hari Kondabolu (CBS' Late Late Show, Comedy Central), Matt Ruby (MTV, SXSW Festival), and BOF (ECNY Award nominee, Sketchfest NYC) performing at Brooklyn's Coco 66 for Nick Turner's Too Cool for School
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): From a comic Time Out New York says delivers "categorically pitch- perfect one-man comedy" comes this one-man show: "When Ryan Paulson moved to New York City he was a husky boy. And he’d never had sex. Even with himself. How did this happen? Well, he grew up speaking in tongues in an ultra-conservative, fundamentalist church. But now he’s taking a crash course in sex, alcohol and self-pleasure. And it’s going pretty well...other than regularly being condemned to hell on MySpace:" Ryan Paulson: I'm Uncomfortable
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.): TV star of Rescue Me and Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Saturday (get $5 off tickets by buying before day of show) at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Lenny Clarke
8:00 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub: Political Subversities
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Stand-up comics performing in Ochi's Lounge at gay-themed show The Back Room
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
[FREE] 12:20ish am: My favorite open mic stand-up show, hosted by the brilliant & lightning-quick Pete Holmes (The Daily Show, Comedy Central, VH1, The New Yorker): Gutbucket
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 9/26/09
Lenny Clarke (Headlining at Comix) and Melanie Hamlett (The Liar Show)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($10 plus $7 drink min.): Six world-class storytellers—Ophira Eisenberg (guest hosting), Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion), Melanie Hamlett (Moth GrandSlam Champion, roving adventurer), Sherri Eldin (Osbornes Reloaded), Rob Gorden (Spike TV), and Matt Bresler (NYC theatre teacher)—trying to mislead the audience at The Liar Show
[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 ($35 & 2-item min.): TV star of Rescue Me and Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Lenny Clarke
8:00 pm ($5): Sharp stand-ups including Rob Cantrell and Ricky Reyes performing at Karma Lounge for a show hosted by Greg Barris: Heart of Darkness
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): The gutsiest comedy troupe in NYC, genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 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
9:00 pm ($5): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!
[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): A fun new improv show that makes up scenes based on the contents of an audience member's wallet: Gimme the Loot!
[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 devoted to top NYC comics who happen to be great at rapping from such genius troupes as Freestyle Love Supreme, I Eat Pandas, and more: Snakes: NYC's Top Comedic Rappers
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 9/27/09
Anthony Jeselnik (The Comedians), Jessica Delfino & Ben Lerman (Match Game Live!), and Ali Wong (Electro Shock Therapy)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Brilliant stand-ups Anthony Jeselnik (writer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Hannibal Buress (writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, Craig Ferguson, concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy), Mike Dobbins (ECNY nominee, unique stream of consciousness comic), Jesse Pop (Comedy Central, co-host of Beauty Bar Comedy), and Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion) performing at a 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), Sara Benincasa (Sirius Radio, 236.com, MTV), Michael Musto (Village Voice), John Devore (Playboy.com, Cracked.com), Claudia Cogan (HereTV, Logo, AfterEllen.com), and Joe Garden (The Onion, The New Vampire's Handbook) at a new East Village version of a classic game show at the Bowery Poetry Club hosted by wonderful comedic singer Ben Lerman: Match Game Live!
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC comics Joe Matarese (David Letterman, E!'s Chelsea Lately), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central), Dan Soder, Mike Lawrence, and Nick Vatterott performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups Sean Patton, Allison Castillo, Ellyn Daniels, and Jay Welch performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly stand-up show Beauty Bar Comedy
[FREE] 10:00 pm: All-gal lineup of human dynamo Ali Wong, Kendra Cunningham, Joanna Ross, and Adrienne Iapalucci performing stand-up at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Copyright © 2009 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
