NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 9/3/07
The immensely talented and hilarious Jeff Garlin (who plays Larry David's agent & best friend Jeff Greene on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm—and also co-produces the show) hosts a funny evening with friends. His guests are Susie Essman (who plays wife Susie Greene on Curb, and is host of the upcoming Bravo reality series Better Half) and Jim Gaffigan (Late Show With David Letterman [11 appearances], Late Night with Conan O'Brien [16 appearances], Comedy Central Presents Jim Gaffigan [just one appearance, but with a lot of air time...]).
Jeff Garlin & Susie Essman are performing later this month and next month in LA at shows charging as much as $60 a ticket, and Jim Gaffigan's solo shows cost around $40 a pop, so having these luminaries visit UCBT tonight is a huge coup.
Not surprisingly, advance tickets quickly sold out. However, there are still some seats available if you're cool with showing up early and waiting on a standby line.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); $5
Normally hosted by Aziz Ansari (one of the best stand-up comics on the planet).
But Aziz is out in LA filming Season 2 of Human Giant, so...beg pardon? What's that?
Aziz is back???
And he's bringing his friends?!!?
Tonight's show—which is free—has just become one of the hottest tickets in town.
It should be noted that this summer's substitute host, John Mulaney, has proven himself
an emcee second to none; and among the most sharp and talented comics & storytellers
to be found anywhere. Every audience member who's crammed into the last spare inch
of standing room space in the UCB theatre to catch one of his spectacular shows
knows John to be a true star; and looks forward to seeing a whole lot more of him.
And Aziz...welcome back to your home.
If you're unfamiliar with Crash Test, guests are typically superb comedians trying out
new material. And tonight's show is certain to be among the funniest in New York.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 9/4/07
Just a few of the faces of multi-talented Eliza Skinner
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's industry guest is Fred Van Lente (Super-Villain Team-Up).
And tonight's both industry and funny guest is Eliza Skinner,
who's famous as a member of the genius improv musical groups I Eat Pandas
and Baby Wants Candy, and a drummer and singer of the band Stickerbook,
and will be appearing tomorrow night at UCBT in her one-woman show Shameless;
but—who knew?—is also the voice of Kitty Pryde in Marvel.com's Astonishing X-Men!
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Carolyn Castiglia hosts a lineup of talented female comics.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but you can check for
a last-minute update by clicking here.
8:00 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); free
and
C, C + C Improv Factory and Liberty Inn
Improv group C, C + C Improv Factory—consisting of Chuck Dauble (Chuck D. & Jawnee Show), Charlie Sanders (Conan O'Brien, Reuben Williams), and Charlie Todd (Improv Everywhere, Reuben Williams)—was recently an unstoppable force at UCBT's Cage Match, winning four weekly matches in a row. They were also a standout—amidst over 150 troupes— at July's Del Close Improv Marathon. Come see what they can do in this special showcase.
And Liberty Inn is another three of NYC's finest improvisors: Anthony King (UCBT-NY Artistic Director, Reuben Williams, Gutenberg! The Musical), Chris Gethard, (The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives), and Zach Woods (The Stepfathers, Dillinger, The Shoves). They describe their troupe as follows: "Liberty Inn is a crappy hooker motel on the West Side Highway where you could pretty quickly end up with a cold piece of steel in your belly if you're not paying attention. Liberty Inn is also an improv show. You better pay attention."
The latter is always good advice; and these two immensely quick-witted
and inventive groups are likely to keep you on your toes.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 9/5/07
The Waldorf-Statler Tribute Band and Nick Gibbons
The Waldorf-Statler Tribute Band is comedy duo M. Dickson and Chris Fitz (above left).
They don't actually play any music, but perform a mix of sketch, stand-up
and improv comedy. For a sample video, please click here.
Nick Gibbons (above right) has written for MTV's Cartoon Sushi, Cartoon Network's Robotboy, and Nickelodeon's Jimmy Neutron; and performed at such NYC comedy venues as UCBT, Caroline's, and Stand Up NY. He's also a prolific creator of short films; for some samples, please click here and here and here.
6:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The multi-talented Eliza Skinner plays three women so horrible you have to laugh; and...
...Mark Sarian & Ari Voukydis do the same for a whole bunch of guys
Eliza Skinner: Shameless and Mark & Ari: Loft
In Shameless, Eliza Skinner (member of the genius improv musical groups I Eat Pandas
and Baby Wants Candy; drummer and singer in the band Stickerbook; MTV's Damage Control) plays a mother, a wife, and a party girl who are mean, vicious, and hilarious.
And in Loft, Mark Sarian & Ari Voukydis perform a sketch show with yet more quirky characters, including "unreliable supers, meth-crazed neighbor, and Ikea-induced madness."
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Mike Dobbins: A Stand-Upish Set of Koo Koo
Time Out New York describes Mike Dobbins' one-man show as follows:
"His singular point of view, wholly unique voice and completely disarming
performance style hook fans and fellow comics instantly.
Rather than telling jokes, he turns his ideas into tiny one-act plays
where he is every character, the director and, at times, the orchestra,
while flying through nonsensical premises that somehow land on their feet."
To read the complete review, please click here.
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC comedy show hosts Aziz Ansari (Crash Test), Kurt Braunohler (Hot Tub Variety), and Joe Mande (Totally J/K)
Hosted by comedy greats Eugene Mirman & Bobby Tisdale. Tonight's stellar lineup includes:
Aziz Ansari: One of the best stand-up comics on the planet, member of Human Giant, and host of the wildly popular NYC weekly live comedy show Crash Test.
Kurt Braunohler: Comedic master who co-hosts, with the brilliant Kristen Schaal, the enormously popular NYC biweekly live comedy extravaganza Hot Tub Variety Show; co-stars with Kristen in the Web video series Penelope: Princess of Pets; and is performing a 25-minute solo show this Saturday night at The PIT titled Kurt Braunohler Alive!.
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.
Dan Boulger: Winner of last year's Boston Comedy Festival competition; performed on Comedy Centrals Live at Gotham, BBC Americas The World Stands Up, and the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival; inexplicably does not host a comedy show; for a video sample, please click here.
9:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
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.
That said...last week's show was pure magic.
Justin scheduled about a dozen mini-shows back to back; and
in each one, John Reynolds (below) pretended to be part of the improv
or sketch troupe (yes, even for the all-girl groups...). The resulting chaos
included a game called Ball Tickle Chicken, in which two guys slowly move
towards each other with darting fingers at "balls" position until one of them veers away;
a running gag about a troll trying to prevent goblins from taking over the world;
and in an awesome display of improv skill, Reynolds and another performer
playing mirror by almost simultaneously echoing each other's movements and words.
At the end, Justin proclaimed the evening "my favorite
in the 3 1/2 years I've been hosting School Night."
And no one in the audience doubted him for a moment.
Comedic whirlwind John Reynolds
Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,
that this free show makes possible.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 9/6/07
Brian Faas and The Franco & Billy Show
Brian Faas (above left) is an Associate Producer & cast member of VH1's Best Week Ever (hosting such segments as I Like to Watch and Best Night Ever) who describes himself as "easy on the eyes, hard on the heart..." Tonight he's doing a solo show titled Have You Seen This Boy? For some video samples of his work, please click here and here.
The Franco & Billy Show is comedy duo Peter Blomquist and Jeff Wiens (above right), who create mockumentary short films. For a video describing the saga of Franco & Billy, please click here.
6:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
One of the finest talents in NYC is Kimmy Gatewood, who produces, directs, writes, acts, sings, dances, performs improv & sketch comedy—and tonight is doing this one-woman show.
The scenario: "Kim's getting married! It's the rehearsal dinner, and everyone is there—family, friends, co-workers...everyone, that is, except her husband-to-be. Kim runs into the coat room and refuses to come out. The whole family rallies: her best friend, her sister Val, her mother, her stepmother, her Youtubing younger cousin, and even Monkey the family dog. Things only gets worse when the best man tries to hit on her..."
Rule of thumb: Anything Kimmy is involved with is special, and worth catching.
Also keep an eye out for Love Sucks, a punk rock version of Loves Labours Lost running September 26th through October 6th (as part of this year's New York Musical Theatre Festival), in which Kimmy plays a character named Woman.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Peter Gwinn on his way to tonight's show
The Steve Miller Band and Other Annoying Monsters, Or: Oceanquake!
A sketch show in which "children deal with mortality, loaves of bread break out in song,
and a monster drunkenly hits on bridesmaids. And, as the title hints, the
Steve Miller Band is indirectly responsible for several deaths."
Written and performed by The Second City comedy veterans
Deb Downing, Peter Gwinn, Peter Grosz, and Abby Sher.
Peter Grosz and Peter Gwinn are currently writers for The Colbert Report.
Directed by Jason Mantzoukas.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Dan Bakkedahl
Brian Stack
Classic theatre scenes performed by professional actors who stay on book—
and an improv comic who hasn't read the play and has to make up lines on the fly.
Featuring genius improvisers such as Michael Delaney and Anthony King;
and tonight, also Dan Bakkedahl (correspondent for The Daily Show,
who was brilliant last month as a guy who refused to take a killer seriously...
even after the guy shot him) and Brian Stack (longtime staff writer and
frequent sketch performer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien).
If you want to introduce an actor friend to the world of improv, start with this show.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Post-Show Note: For reasons unexplained, Dan Bakkedahl and Brian Stack didn't end up appearing tonight. However, Anthony King was delightful as a gay son in Tea and Sympathy; Michael Delaney was a charmer in two separate scenes, particularly with arresting actress Kate Hess; Andy Secunda had the single best line of the evening, when he decided to switch from sculpting the nude in front of him to sculpting "a raptor;" and Christina Gausas burned up the stage as a wife who's furious with her husband but still loves him—and whose passionate yet nuanced improvised performance stole the show.
Huge kudos to Stephen Ruddy for creating and directing this wonderful series.
vs.
Cage Match: Chubby Chase vs. Derrick
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...).
Last week The Brothers Hines seemed quite fierce, having won two matches in a row.
But while blood may be thicker than water, there was nothing on the UCBT stage
thicker than challenger Chubby Chase—Jonathan Gabrus, Jeffrey Marx, Cody Melton,
Jim Santangeli, and Gavin Speiller—whose motto is "Whoever eats the most bacon wins."
These sharp & energetic improvisors rolled over the Hines siblings for a decisive victory
(though their vow to lose 10 pounds each if they won might have also been a factor...).
Tonight they face Derrick—the young & svelte Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson—who make wildly popular videos (for some samples, please click here and here and here).
Can the well-nourished champions (who took a time out last week to solicit snacks
from the audience) remain kings? Or will the prospect of swearing to lose another
10 pounds for sympathy votes prove more than the crown is worth to them?
There's no telling what will happen...which is one of the great pleasures of this show.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/7/07
Nicole Parker: Suitcase Full of Lies
Nicole Parker (now in her fourth season of Mad TV) has written and performs this one-woman show about a TV celebrity who's seen better times, and now ekes out a living by bringing her woes to life on stage—"and she'll do it through song and dance."
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
"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
Some of the best improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney, Christina Gausas, Chris Gethard, Bobby Moynihan, Silvija Ozols, and Zach Woods—make stuff up, and make you laugh.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Veteran improvisors such as Scott Glover and John O'Donnell—
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: Your F*cked Up Family
Comedic powerhouses Jackie Clarke, Curtis Gwinn, Brett Gelman, Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, and John Gemberling interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story via improv scenes. Scary and funny.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Trapped in the Closet—The New Chapters
Aziz Ansari, Paul Scheer and a panel of experts analyze chapters 13-22 of
"R. Kelly's un-ironic hip-hopera Trapped in the Closet, also known as
'the most unintentionally hilarious music video of all time.'"
There are those who assert you haven't lived until you've seen this show.
They are wise.
Advance tickets are sold out, but there are still some seats available
if you're cool with showing up early and waiting on a standby line.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 9/8/07
Kurt Braunohler and Sid Baldwin
Kurt Braunohler is a comedic master who co-hosts, with the brilliant Kristen Schaal,
the enormously popular NYC live comedy extravaganza Hot Tub Variety Show.
He also co-stars with Kristen on the Web video series Penelope: Princess of Pets.
Tonight he's running solo in a 25-minute show titled Kurt Braunohler Alive!
Directly afterwards will be improvisation by "Sid Baldwin," consisting of members
of the PIT improv house teams Sid Viscous and The Baldwins.
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.
Tonight's scheduled participants are Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swims brilliant & Emmy-winning Moral Orel), Kay Cannon (writer for 30 Rock), Becky Drysdale (One Woman in Several Pieces, HBO.com's upcoming 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, Arrested Development, The Office).
7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
The Magnet's instructors, 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
The Apple Sisters Bingo Fundraiser
Those zany Apple Sisters are up to their antics again.
They're raising travel money to perform in Seattle, which isn't unheard of.
(Except for maybe the Seattle part...)
But, consistent with their unique style, the method
they've chosen to gather funds is...Bingo Night.
(To be followed by wild dancing and partying.)
It's all explained in their YouTube video;
so for a direct description from the gals, please click here.
8:00 pm, The Triple Crown (downstairs), 330 7th Avenue (between 28th and 29th Streets); $10
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.
9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
The Harvard Sailing Team: On the Jitney
The Harvard Sailing Team (which was superb in SketchFest NYC 07)
performs their special brand of fresh, witty, imaginative sketch comedy.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Reuben Williams: As Seen on TV
Anthony King demonstrates that in addition to running UCBT-NY brilliantly, he's a formidable improv performer. Joining him are stellar talents Lennon Parham (see my review of her Showgirls parody), Chris Kula, Charlie Sanders, Eric Scott, Kate Spencer, Charlie Todd, and Joe Wengert.
10:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
The wonderful folks from Cage Match—
Eugene Cordero, Anthony King, C. LeMar McLean, Adam Pally,
Ben Rodgers, Eric Scott, Charlie Todd, and more—
bring you genuine fake wrestling, live on stage!
To get a feel for this blend of artful improvisation, raucous
physical comedy, and boyish fantasies, please click here.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 9/9
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 celebs 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; it might be sold out by the time you read this, 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 need to come early and wait on line to ensure getting into this first come, first served performance.
7:30 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue)
If you're looking for a good time, this might not be it.
But if you're interested in getting on the Mo Pitkin's stage and
performing stand-up—or any other kind of act—a mere $4 will buy you
a chance at being selected via the show's lottery system. The rules are:
Sign-up is at 9:00 pm sharp.
You get eight minutes maximum for your act.
You can do anything you'd like on stage, with two exceptions:
1. Don't damage the stage or equipment (respect the space).
2. Don't pick out people in the audience, even just to say something nice (respect the audience).
No online reservations available; simply pay at the door.
Again, this show isn't for everyone.
But if you're a performer, you've probably risked
a lot more that $4 to nab an NYC stage credit...
9:00 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); tickets are $4
Improv performers Bob Acevedo, Dave Furfero, and Ernie Privetera
describe themselves as "Three men with no fear of intimacy or injury...
who create spontaneous theater that is physical, intense, moving, and occasionally funny."
The guys are preparing to travel to Dublin for the Emerald Isle's first improv festival,
but they'll first be stretching their impulses for you tonight.
And if you arrive early, they'll provide free beer (via a keg courtesy of
The Triple Crown Ale House & Restaurant, in honor of Ireland).
Please be aware that Surf 'n Turf's style's not laugh-a-minute,
so isn't for every taste; to get a feel for it, please click here.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
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.
Finally, consider catching some of the extended shows
from the 2007 New York International Fringe Festival.
For complete information on the FringeNYC Encore Series,
please click here.
Return to Previous NYC Comedy Picks
Copyright © 2007 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
