Saturday Night Live staff writers Hannibal Buress (Comedy
at Cobble Hill) and John Mulaney (Whiplash),
and stellar improv duo Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner (I
Eat Pandas)
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] [FREE COOKIES] 8:00 pm: Hosts Doug Adler & Harris Bloom providing free chocolate chip cookies to celebrate the birthday of Bloom's wife Josie; plus rising star Hannibal Buress (who was just hired as staff writer on Saturday Night Live), and stand-ups Mark Normand, Phil Murphy, and Danny Cohen at the Conker Hill Bar performing Comedy at Conker Hill
8:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from talented troupe Party Central USA
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Several entirely improvised musicals from genius comedy duo Glennis McMurray and Eliza Skinner as I Eat Pandas
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: John Mulaney (staff writer at Saturday Night Live, and one of the finest stand-ups in the country), Phil Jupitus (UK star visiting NYC), Hugh Moore (visiting from LA), the Found Footage Festival, and Dan Naturman—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 9/8/09
Duane Swierczynski's Cable (Comic Book Club), Liz Miele (Morrison Motel), and Aasif Mandvi (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:
7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Hilary Schwartz and Rachael Parenta hosting an intriguing show at Ochi's Lounge described as "emotionally inappropriate comedy:" Please, Someone Kill Me
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Crime novelist and Marvel Comics writer Duane Swierczynski (Cable, Iron Fist, Punisher) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comedic lectures about beer—e.g., Zima and the Challenges of Brand Reinvention, The Truth about McSorley's, Secrets of Brewing In the Modern New York Apartment—from writer/performers Elizabeth Bradley, Brendan I. Koerner, Erica Shea, Stephen Valand, and Bill Wander in a show at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Charles Star: Adult Education
8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Scootch, Ragnaröck, Badman, The Law Firm, and Penthouse Riot—followed by randomly selected UCBT students performing with UCBT improv veterans in The Lottery, all at Harold Night
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($5 cover if you mention HyReviews.com at the door [otherwise $10], plus $7 drink min.): Superb stand-ups Al Lubel (David Letterman, Johnny Carson), Baron Vaughn (red-hot rising comedy star; concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy), Thomas Middleditch (versatile character actor; member of genius improv troupes Baby Wants Candy and Improvised Shakespeare), Ray DeVito, Liam McEneaney, and Liz Miele performing in the Cornelia Street Cafe at John Morrison's Morrison Motel
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Some of the finest comics in the NYC—Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Anthony Jeselnik (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, and one of the funniest stand-up comics ever), Baron Vaughn (red-hot rising comedy star; concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy), David Wain (member of legendary sketch troupe Stella)—and more performing at the return (after an August vacation) of 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 Claudia Cogan, Maureen Langan, and Paul Case at Dykes on Mics
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 9/9/09
Jenny Slate (Big Terrific) and Margie Kment (Now We're Talking)
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] 7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Top writers and comedians—who tonight are Ed Gavagan, Margot Leitman, John Flynn, and Kate Tellers—join world-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion and record-breaking 10-time StorySlam Champion; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here) in Ochi's Lounge to share their favorite true campus anecdotes at Real Tales of College
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: The final appearance for a while of the luminous Margie Kment on this show she founded, as in about a week Margie is moving to LA; plus star comic Anthony Jeselnik (HBO, Comedy Central, staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, and one of the finest stand-ups in the country), Ali Wong (human dynamo stand-up), Andy Haynes, and Aaron Friedman performing at a free weekly comedy show at Rodeo Bar that Margie will tonight be handing over to Matt Maragno: Now We're Talking
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Former Saturday Night Live & Daily Show star A. Whitney Brown, plus Myq Kaplan, Amy Beckerman, Sara Jo Allocco, Anthony DeVito, Matt Little, and Shawn Pearlman, all performing at a free weekly East Village show hosted by Sharon "Mama" Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Terrific stand-ups Jamie Kilstein, Gabriel Delahaye, Jesse Popp, and Jack Kukoda, plus hilarious video clips from the Found Footage Festival, at a free weekly show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) hosted by new SNL cast member Jenny Slate and her pals Gabe Liedman & Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): An hour-long play made up on the spot by razor-sharp, passionate improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel) and Christina Gausas (Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report) at Adsit & Gausas
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): From Examiner.com:" I can sell this show in 10 words or less…pasties, beautiful ladies, hysterical comedy, a house band, and beer…done. The electric trio made up of Jessica Delfino, Diane O’Debra, and Steph Sbelli (who both sing raunchy songs and perform sketch comedy) put on their smashing monthly variety show Skits n Tits that can only be described as hilarious, bad ass, and sexy. Catch some of the hottest up and coming acts in burlesque and comedy." Tonight's guests include stand-up comics Heather Fink and Sarah Tollemache; burlesque performers Chi-Ciones, Suspicious Package, Lil Miss Lixx, and Akyno; and at midnight the band Hank and Cupcakes, which will rock the house for an all-night afterparty! Plus PBR is sponsoring drink specials and raffle prizes. It's all happening in The Bowery Poetry Club at the monthly extravaganza known at Skits n Tits
[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 9/10/09
Jessica Delfino (Stripped Stories) and Jim Jefferies (Headlining at Carolines)
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 ($5): Jamie Cummings & Elizabeth Blue improvise a tale about the King and his love Priscilla Presley based on the memorable TV movie Elvis & Me
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($20 using code TODDB online & 2-item min.): Wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz, with performances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim, and feature film The Wrestler, headlining tonight through Saturday (get additional $5 off tickets by buying before day of show) at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Todd Barry
7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): "Alternative and mainstream comedians who don't quite fit in" performing in Ochi's Lounge at a monhly show hosted by Grant Gordon and the delightful Helen Hong: Odd Baggage
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.): Stellar Australian comic who's been a regular on Opie & Anthony and who recently performed his own HBO special, I Swear To God, headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Jim Jefferies
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
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Superb comics Baron Vaughn, Myq Kaplan, Jessie Geller, and Mike Gaffney perform in Brooklyn's Building on Bond at a free stand-up show hosted by Yannis Pappas: Another Very Good Comedy Show
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): World-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion and record-breaking 10-time StorySlam Champion; host of True Tales of College; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), Jenna Brister (The Moth), and sensual hosts Margot Leitman and Giulia Rozzi tell sexual tales revolving around tonight's theme "My Place or Yours?", accompanied by world-class raunchy comedic singer/songwriter Jessica Delfino, at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Stripped Stories
9:30 pm ($8): "A magical and sometimes drunken hazy vision of a wonderful fairy tale adventure," created on the spot by improvisors: The Princess Tea Party
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Genius improv troupe Death by Roo Roo—taking over this season with an all-time record-breaking 20 wins in a row—tonight facing improv challenger The Stamp & Coin Club in a battle for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/11/09
Wryly brilliant talker Todd Barry (Headlining at Comix) and wryly brilliant silent comic Billy the Mime
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A spectacular and unforgettable demonstration of the artful power of mime when combined with a wickedly sharp modern sensibility, executed with great wit and style. Street performers have given mime a bad rep; but if you think about it, what mime does is boil a situation down to its essential elements, and then express those elements in a manner that's instantly and universally understood. That's really what art is all about; and that's also what Billy the Mime does, often brilliantly. (For my review of his FringeNYC show in 2006, please click here.) Don't miss this one-night-only special event at UCBT: Billy the Mime
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($20 using code TODDB online & 2-item min.): Wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz, with performances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim, and feature film The Wrestler, headlining tonight and Saturday (get additional $5 off tickets by buying before day of show) at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Todd Barry
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): Stellar Australian comic who's been a regular on Opie & Anthony and who recently performed his own HBO special, I Swear To God, headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Jim Jefferies
[FREE] Sharp stand-ups Colin Jost, Jamie Lee, Craig Baldo, Team Submarine, Andy Haynes, Jason Saenz, and Barry Rothbart performing at Brooklyn's Coco 66 for Nick Turner's Too Cool for School
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Stand-up comedy in Ochi's Lounge at a gay-themed show hosted by 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
11:00 pm ($5): Stand-ups Jamie Lee, Heather Fink, and Sean O'Connor joining sketch troupe Olde English for a monthly show that promises to deliver all-new material: Very Fresh
[FREE] 12:20ish am:A free opportunity for you to perform sketch on the UCBT stage at Liquid Courage
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 9/12/09
Comedy geniuses: Charlie Sanders performing his last NYC show before moving to LA (Reuben Williams)
and Todd Barry completing his star run this weekend at a top comedy club (Headlining at Comix)
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 ($10): Christina Casa, who memorably played Angelina Jolie in Jen & Angie at last month's FringeNYC, demonstrates she's got other hilarious characters in her repertoire in the one-woman show Don't Cry Out Loud
7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Sharp NYC stand-ups Leo Allen, Brooke Van Poppelen, Pat Stango & Blaine Perry, Ritch Duncan, Chris Sifflet, Tom McCaffrey, David Cope, and Rachel Hastings performing in Ochi's Lounge at Lil' Seany Boy
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($20 using code TODDB online & 2-item min.): Wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz, with performances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim, and feature film The Wrestler, headlining at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Todd Barry
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): Stellar Australian comic who's been a regular on Opie & Anthony and who recently performed his own HBO special, I Swear To God, headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Jim Jefferies
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Stellar gay comics Kate McKinnon (brilliant character actress; Logo's Big Gay Sketch Show), Cara Kilduff (here! TV's Hot Gay Comics), Lisa Kaplan (here! TV's Hot Gay Comics), Brad Loekle (TruTV's Smoking Gun Presents, host of Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour), and Edison Apple (Logo's Laughing Matters: The Next Generation) telling personal & funny "coming out" tales at Closet Cases
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 suggested donation): Hilarious, red-hot comic Baron Vaughn hosts stand-ups Myq Kaplan, Carla Rhodes, and more performing at Karma Lounge for a show produced by Jamie Lee benefiting an animal shelter: Diamonds in the Fluff
[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!
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe—which tonight features the final performance of comedy genius Charlie Sanders before Charliee moves to LA to pursue deeply deserved fame & fortune: Reuben Williams
[TOP PICK] [$] [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): Three sharp NYC sketch troupes—Team Submarine, Secret Hospital, and Classerum & Welch—each performing one of their most popular bits and one of their personal favorites in the fun sketch revue A-Side/B-Side
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 9/13/09
Comedy stars Ted Alexandro, Victor Varnado, and Timmy Williams perform at a blowout edition of Sunday Night Stand-Up...
...and Jim Jefferies concludes his NYC run tonight headlining at Carolines
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 ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.): Stellar Australian comic who's been a regular on Opie & Anthony and who recently performed his own HBO special, I Swear To God, completing his NYC run tonight headlining at Carolines: Jim Jefferies
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A blowout gathering of wonderful comedy stars, including Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials), Timmy Williams (co-star of sketch troupe & IFC TV series Whitest Kids 'U Know), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC, Adult Swim, The Awkward Kings of Comedy), Luke Cunningham, and Danny Solomon 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 Jamie Lee, Mark Normand, Brian Longwell, and Matt Baetz performing at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly East Village stand-up show Beauty Bar Comedy
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Watching and making fun of tonight's MTV Video Music Awards, directly followed by sharp comics Jackie Monahan, Allison Castillo, Adam Lehman, and William Mullin 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
