NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/3/12
Scott Adsit performs as half of genius improv duo John & Scott; Colin Quinn performs stand-up at Comedy Cellar
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 ($1): Cammi Climaco (co-host of Ask Me Stories) hosts this weekly hour-long open mic storytelling show (which should really be at least 90 minutes, but at least The PIT is finally providing some regularly scheduled space to storytelling...), with audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 6 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge: Cammi Climaco's Storytelling Open Mic
6:00 pm ($5 cover for comics, no cover for audience with code HyReviews, plus 1-drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 1/2 minutes per set and 20 comics crammed into 2 hours—at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club (99 MacDougal Street) for John Morrison's Village Motel
6:00 pm & 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, with each show running 1 hour and 45 minutes. Arrive 30 minutes before the show you want to be in to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic
[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): World-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Tales of the Cosmos and The Adam Wade Show; for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here), hosts a show at The Magnet that's "like watching the characters of The Wonder Years and Freaks & Geeks all grown up and telling coming-of-age tales of love, lost, regret, and redemption," with tonight's guests the students from Adam's storytelling class: Adam Wade's Whatever Happened to the Nerds?
7:00 pm ($5): UCB Chelsea house troupe Bellevue debuts a sketch show: The Baby Had It Coming
7:00 pm ($5): A storyteller spins monologues that improvisors then turn into scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre: Room 101
[FREE] 7:30 pm: Four improvisers form teams with comics they've never performed with before at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Kaleidoscope
7:30 pm ($10; sign-up starts at 7:00 pm): Open mic for stand-ups, storytellers, singers, poets, actors, and more, with 5 minutes per performer and 25 slots available, at One and One Bar's Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word's Open Mic Joint
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-writer/director/producer & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious star improv duo that's become one of the very best attractions at UCB Chelsea and should not be missed: John & Scott
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Inspired by the popular blog My High School Boyfriend Was Gay, this superb show at UCB East "celebrates our most tragic, hilarious, and heinous teenage memories, full of chaste hugs, Grease sing-alongs, and trips to the stage door to accost the cast of Rent," with true stories tonight from John Early (30 Rock), Marla Mindelle (Broadway musicals Cinderella and Sister Act), Mara Wilson (Matilda, Mrs. Doubtfire), and Kambri Crews (author of Burn Down the Ground), with hosts Damian Bellino, and the super-delightful Camille Harris whose piano playing and singing will make you grin and dance in your seat: My High School Boyfriend Was Gay
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Modi (HBO's The Sopranos, Comedy Central), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Colin Quinn, Judah Friedlander, and More
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Hari Kondabolu (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, , FX's Totally Biased), Phoebe Robinson (TV Guide’s 100 TV Shows To See Before You Die and 25 Biggest Reality Star Blunders, Huffington Post), and Adam Lowitt (Co-Executive Producer of The Daily Show, Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): Night Train with Wyatt Cenac
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), Joyelle Johnson (opens for Maria Bamford), Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), Aparna Nancherla (FX's Totally Biased), and Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Grand Victory Bar (245 Grand Street) for this twice-a-month extravaganza hosted by the razor-sharp & delightful Erin Lennox (co-host of The Orphanage; for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here) and Nick Maritato, followed afterwards by wild karaoke party: DTF
8:00 pm ($8): A news show self-described as "wacky" from Margo Rose, with tonight's guests Caryn Rosenthal & Maryjane Fahey (authors of Dumped), Jan Uczkowski, and Adrian Martinez at The PIT upstairs theatre: Margo Rose Live
8:30 pm ($5): At The Magnet, sketch comedy from The Weird Sisters, Listen Kid!, and We're Matt Weir: Listen, Matt Weir'd Sisters
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), and Sam Morill performing at Brooklyn's Legion Bar hosted by Grant Gordon & Louis Katz: Sack Magic
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out new material: Supereasy (which includes comedy chameleon Livia Scott) and Dinner (which includes terrific writers Silvija Ozols and Caitlin Bitzegaio, and performers Don Fanelli and Eddie Dunn): Maude Night: Supereasy and Dinner
9:30 pm ($8): Improv troupe Maybe Sherman makes up scenes involving mobsters at The PIT upstairs theatre: MafiaProv
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Following a club format, hosts Nore Davis & Andrew Short perform stand-up throughout for a total of 25 minutes, two comics each perform a 15-minute set, and then a seasoned headliner closes out the show with a 20-minute set, all at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: On the Road
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another), Ray Devito, Kendra Cunningham, Ari Teman, Ken Schultz, and Deepu Gill performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host Pat O'Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid
9:30 pm ($5): The only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Keith Alberstadt (David Letterman, VH1, contributor to SNL's Weekend Update), Paul Mecurio (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Elon Gold (correspondent on Jay Leno, FOX's Bones), Wil Syvince (Comedy Central), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Nikki Glaser, Godfrey, and More
10:00 pm ($5): A rotating cast of veteran improvisors make up scenes based on improvised monologues from tonight's guest Roman Rimer at The Magnet theatre: The Armando Diaz Experience
[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Langston Belton: Base Jam
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who are no longer being announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by someone who's probably wonderful: Whiplash
11:00 pm ($1): If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this exceptionally supportive stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/4/12
Joe DeRosa performs at Sweet; NASA's
latest efforts are explored at
The Tony and Johnny 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:
6:00 pm ($1): Open-mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT downstairs lounge, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT "sketch-perts:" Pens & Pencils
[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Chesley Calloway (co-host of renowned Comedy as a Second Language): The Ches Club
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, each of four of The Magnet's singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: BEEES! and Mint Condition (at 7:00) and Vulcan and Fisticuffs (at 8:30); followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with musical improv troupe Fisticuffs to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt
7:00 pm ($5): Two-person improv scenes from Matthew Yeackel & Alex Grass, Darcy Burke & Grant Norva, and more at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Donna Lobello: I Trust (Two-Prov)
7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Sherlock & Cookies, A Sparrow, and Salmon Diane at this first half of Harold Night
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Colin Quinn, Judah Friedlander, and More
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Frank Conniff (Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000, Cinematic Titanic), aratunde Thurston (author of How to Be Black; writer for The Onion), and Jean Grae (Blacksmith Records) are interviewed about "their earliest creative experiences and the nuances of having a creative career" for a weekly podcast that once a month goes live on the UCB East stage with hosts Andy Beckerman & Mark Bisi: Beginnings
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Keyboard Kathy (for a video sample, please click here) and more performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by the wonderful Joe Pera, Charles Gould, and Dan Licata: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show
8:00ish pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Aparna Nancherla (FX's Totally Biased), Janine Brito (FX's Totally Biased), and Karl Hess performing on this week's topic A Year in Heaven at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon and hosted tonight by Josh Gondelman: The Afterlife: A Year in Heaven
8:00 pm ($8): A house sketch troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre: National Scandal
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($15 plus 2-drink min.): Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Carmen Lynch (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Dave Smith, and Luis J. Gomez performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) for the Legion of Skanks Live Podcast
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically sharp NYC stand-ups (for an update, please click here) performing at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, notable hair): Crime & Punishment
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Andy Hendrickson, Taylor Clark, Matt Fulchiron, and Josh Gondelman performing at Lolita Bar hosted by Steven Forrest, Taylor Ketchum, and/or Andy Sandford: Shipwreck Kelly
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp rising star stand-up; HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Rudi Macaggi (acrobat; Jay Leno, three seasons of America's Got Talent), Dan Wilbur (author of How Not to Read), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (writer for MTV's Epic Fall; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Sachi Ezura, Aaron Glaser, Doug Smith, Karl Hess, and Sean Wilkinson performing stand-up at this weekly show at Brooklyn's The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Steve O'Brien, Robert Dean, and/or Kevin McCaffrey: Comedy at Alligator Lounge
9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Rocks, GoodGirl, and Bucky—plus advanced improv students "are going to challenge themselves by performing a show that they only just learned," summed up as Instant Gratification—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A weekly wild experiment in dark comedy, blending sketch and improv, from two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives)—with tonight's theme "the latest NASA space program"—at UCB East, plus tonight's guests Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), and Robert Petric, as well as producer Andy Rocco: The Tony and Johnny Show
9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Dave Attell (star of Comedy Central's Insomniac, David Letterman, IFC), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Lynn Koplitz (IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Style), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Ted Alexandro, Dave Attell, and More
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, MTV), Brian Moylan (Gawker), and Ned Hepburn participating in a talk show at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Brandon Wetherbee: You, Me, Them, Everybody Live
11:00 pm ($1): A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open mic stand-up show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 12/5/12
SNL's John Mulaney performs at Big Terrific; Charles Star hosts the final edition of Adult Education
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 3:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($65 retail or $40 here): This isn't pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen's two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you're likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen's world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) in the West Village: The Old Man and the Moon
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing 3 minutes per comic at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Max Corbel & Benel Germosen: Cracking It
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic
6:30 pm ($5): Two shows I know nothing about, The Bilderbergers Suicidal Comedy Hour and Boat, audition for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: Spank
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month's topic "Final Papers"—which, sadly, refers to this being the final installment of this wonderful series that's enjoyed a five-year run—with topics ranging from the weirdness hidden in the text of sports trading cards, to exploring hundreds of report cards uncovered from the 20s and 30s, to how to pretend as if you've well-read even though you don't spend any time with books, at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby Street) for Charles Star's comedic show Adult Education
[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT—starting downstairs at 6:00, then upstairs from 7:00 on—for PIT Super Free Wednesday
7:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from Brandy Barber (Comedy Central, Late Night Republic), Micah Sherman (Second City, The Scene), Kara Klenk (Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), Ashley Ward (Big Black Car), and more performing at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Micah Sherman: Old School Sketch Comedy Show
7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Dr. Champagne, Horses, Bloomer, The Wrath, Flower Girl, Chet Watkins, Nintendo, and Brick performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Bloomer at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt
7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features troupes Graceland and Spooky Ghost: Lloyd Night
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): Colin Quinn, Tom Papa, and More
8:00 pm ($5): A comedic play about one of the most tragic events in American history, written by Brandon Gardener (The Curfew, Improv Nerds), at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: A Comedy
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do sets "and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($15 plus 2-drink min.): TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Joe Machi & Sam Morril: Colin Quinn, Ted Alexandro, and More
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: A killer lineup (to raise funds for Sandy relief): John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Eugene Mirman (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, FOX's Bob's Burgers, Adult Swim's Delocated, VH1; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), and Bob Powers (book author) performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) hosted by Gabe Liedman and/or Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10 at the door or $11.80 in advance online): Storytelling, stand-up, and carny join forces to bring the blog And I Am Not Lying to life on stage, hosted by Jeff Simmermon (This American Life, The Moth), and tonight featuring stand-up Joyelle Johnson, burlesque performer Amelia Bareparts, storytellers Andy Christie (host of The Liar Show; The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam Champion) and Anita Flores, and more, all at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): And I Am Not Lying Live
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines make use of their intimate knowledge of each other to gracefully invent scenes (hopefully without any fighting) at UCB East performing as duo The Brothers Hines
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet), Aparna Nancherla (FX's Totally Biased), Nore Davis (Comedy Central), Kendra Cunningham (SNL), Miguel Dalmau Amy Albert (TruTV), and Adam Chrisnall performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack's Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, and possibly another special guest, help stand-up Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness) celebrate the release of his comedy album Shame Wave at UCB East: Greg Barris: Shame Wave
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:45 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): Judah Friedlander, Louis Katz, and More
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Killer line-up of rising stand-up stars—Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Mark Normand, Dan. St. Germain, Pat Dixon, Emily Heller, Michael Che, Joe List, and /or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regulars
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB's classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this new weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East, along with hosts Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show
10:00 pm ($5): Two-person improv that launches from two chairs at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Gabe Capone & Kate Defeo: Two Chairs
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger) and Charla Lauriston (Mrs. Jones) host as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. (Tonight's scheduled lineup includes Jena Friedman, Dan Black, John Frusciante, and Will Hines; for the complete list, please click here.) Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up running until 1:00 am, with time divided evenly between performers (up to five minutes), at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with host Rob Stern: Bucket 'O Buckets
11:00 pm ($1): Open-mic stand-up, with each comic getting an unusually long 5-10 minutes, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by James III & Jamie LeeLo: Hump Day
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house troupe Grandma's Ashes: The Improv Jam
[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Dave Attell (star of Comedy Central's Insomniac, David Letterman, IFC), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Lynne Koplitz (IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Style), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET's Comic View), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): The Nasty Show: Dave Attell, Big Jay Oakerson, and More
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 12/6/12
Comedy family Abby Elliott, Chris Elliott, and Bridey Elliott are interviewed at a very special Running Late w/Scott Rogowsky
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] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Michelle Markowirz (Failing Our Twenties) and Zach Dressler guest-host this weekly open mic storytelling show at UCB East, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress (while usual host John Flynn entertains Hong Kong): Oh, Hey Guys!
6:00 pm ($1): PIT musical improv troupe Adorable mixes with musical improv novices on-stage at the downstairs lounge for Pitch
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving two minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies
6:30 pm ($5): Dan Black debuts his one-man show The Definition of Douchebag, plus a show titled Former Business Partners: Everything Must Go!, auditioning for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: Spank
7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Punchbowl and THEM
[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Featherweight to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Paul Oddo, "a surprise guest" (who's reportedly a regular visitor to this show), and more at UCB East hosted by Dan Allen & Ray Devito: Sacapuntas!
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Wonderful improvisor Ellena Chmielewski co-wrote and directed this comedy mini-play about modern romance at UCB Chelsea co-written & co-starring John Zachary Townsend (and which, with luck, I'll be seeing tonight): Standards & Practices...
...and in the other half of this double-bill, a two-man sketch show by Matt Dennie & Josh Sharp that very loosely springs off the real events of the title but is mostly meta-comedy. I would've preferred something meatier, especially given the fascinating subject—436 people killed by a tiger whose damaged teeth made it difficult to eat anything other than humans—but there's lots of energy and performance talent here, making this a solid first-time effort: Maneater: The True Story of the Champawat Tigress
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A small army of superb stand-ups and other comics—James Adomian, Mike Lawrence, The Cowmen, Joe Pera, Mark Normand, Amber Nelson, Matt Koff, Mike Dobbins, Maddog Mattern, and more—performing at Brooklyn's The Fifth Estate (506 5th Avenue, between 12th Street & 7th Avenue) hosted by Matt Gifford & Chris Waelti: The Shit Show
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Modi (HBO's The Sopranos, Comedy Central), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Tom Papa, Mike Yard, and More
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performs a one-man show that was such a hit at August's FringeNYC it's been extended indefinitely. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman's New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck
8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Hemlock and Dagger
8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Featherweight, Hello Laser, Junior Varsity, and The Boss performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by The Narrator (a storyteller tells a tale, based on audience suggestions, which other improvisors then turn into a musical on the spot), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component), tonight featuring Level 1 students vs. The Magnet's owners!: The Magnet's Night Out
8:00 pm ($10): A pseudo news show hosted by Margo Rose, tonight featuring Stephen Wallem (Thor on Nurse Jackie), Gillian Berrow (ghost author of Glee Summer Break), Marla Schultz (Inventor of The Racktrap), and " Stephen the Starbucks Guy" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Margo Rose Live
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($15 plus 2-drink min.): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!, host of Nearly Naked Lady Comedy Hour), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Joe Machi & Sam Morril: Nikki Glaser, Pat Dixon, and More
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that's pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, Craig Ferguson, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), Justy Dodge (co-host of Too Much Information on comicalradio.com; "I was kind of a tomboy growing up. Like, I had Barbies, but only because my Ninja Turtles needed bitches;" for dark bio video, please click here), Chazz Hawkins, Karl Hess, and Nate Fridson performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover & Emily Heller: Fresh Out
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced by 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10 at the door or $11.34 online): An awesome evening with comedy family the Elliotts: Chris Elliott (comedy legend), Abby Elliott (Saturday Night Live), and Bridey Elliott (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Witstream), including clips from Chris' unreleased Comedy Central pilot Chrissy: Plain and Simple, and more, at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Scott Rogowsky (The Onion): Running Late with Scott Rogowsky
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene
9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it plus like-minded comics on the UCB Chelsea stage—tonight including Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV's Pranked), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), and Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show): CollegeHumor Live
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie's Gone), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Judah Friedlander, Jessica Kirson, and More
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($5 & 2-item food/drink min.) Comics heckle a cheesy genre feature film—with tonight's victim 1979's The Driller Killer—at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Devil Science Theater 3000
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Hip-hop improv troupe North Coast (which was on a winning streak this year) goes up against agent-of-chaos troupe Fuck That Shit as they compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match
11:00 pm ($5): A sketch comedy radio show/podcast live on the UCB East stage, with tonight's guests parody sequel Harry Potter 9 3/4, with performers including superb comic Aaron Jackson: Left Handed Radio
[TOP PICK] [$] Midnight ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Dave Attell (star of Comedy Central's Insomniac, David Letterman, IFC), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Lynne Koplitz (IFC's Z Rock, host of WB's Life & Style), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Andrew Schulz (MTV 2's Guy Code), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV): The Nasty Show: Dave Attell, Nikki Glaser, and More
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 12/7/12
Richard Lewis headlines tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club
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: An open mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage
7:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy at The Magnet in which "A snake oil salesmen tries her luck on a suspecting town; a soldier in the trenches of WW2 learns what's been going on back home; and a young businesswoman brings home a Christmas surprise:" Citizen Models
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Nate Dern and Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A comedy star who's snared just about every major credit a comic can—and is a long-time cast member of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm—headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Richard Lewis
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): "For over a year, Patrick Waldo scrawled his moustache tag on countless advertisements around New York City, entertaining commuters and causing thousands of dollars in damage. After a three month investigation, the NYPD put an end to his spree when they arrested Waldo under felony charges of graffiti, criminal mischief, and fucking shit up," written & starring Patrick Waldo, and directed by Nate Dern & John Flynn: Moustache Man: Confessions of a NYC Graffiti Artist...
...and in the other half of this double-bill, UCBT star & Chris Gethard Show icon Vacation Jason (a.k.a. Riley Soloner) debuts his own show: Vacation Jason's Island Flavors
7:30 pm ($10): Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Sean Donnelly (Comedy Central; host of many shows), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, VH1), and Nick Naney performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by "weirdo" Mike Bocchetti : Being Normal Sucks
8:00 pm ($5): D&D-style epic fantasy improv, plus nerdy stand-up, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Eric Grundhauserled as your Dungeon Master
8:00 pm ($8): Matthew Robert Gehring (Political Subversities) and Sam Martin (gal musical improviser) perform duo sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre: Matt & Sam
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($7; sold out, but there'll be a waiting list for tickets unclaimed 10 minutes prior to showtime): Jason Mantzoukas (film/TV star; We Used to Go Out, Mother, Baby Mama) and Ed Herbstman (national TV commercial star and stellar comedic actor; co-founder of the Magnet Theater) are improv masters—as they demonstrated by easily winning the $10,000 Friars Club competition for Best Improv Troupe in 2011. Come see the height of improv as these breathtakingly quick-witted and skillful guys create pure magic during one of the rare evenings when Jason (who now lives in LA) is visiting NYC—and as they then engage in an unusually intimate, and potentially awkward, debriefing session with the audience that can be as much fun as the formal part of the show: The Mantzoukas Brothers
[FREE] 8:30ish pm: Joe Pera (very funny deadpan comic; I recently saw him sing beautifully and then smash three dozen plates to pieces; for reasons to hire Joe, please click here), Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), and Karl Hess performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) guest-hosted by Matt Koff, followed by wild Karaoke: Pirate Party
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from comedy geniuses Chris Gethard and Shannon O'Neill, plus stellar comics Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A gathering of comedic musicians, who tonight are Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV's NewNowNext, Sirius Radio's Frank DeCaro Show), Taylor Ferrera, Jeffrey Kornberg, and MV PleezSharp at UCB East hosted by superb musical group Summer & Eve: Earworm Funny Music Party Show
9:00 pm ($5): Comics (not announced) performing stand-up, sketch, improv, and who knows what else, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Jason Saenz: Undefined
9:00 pm ($5): Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), Jo Firestone, Andy Sandford, Sean Wilkinson, Bill Stiteler, and Chaz Kangas performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Fort Useless (36 Ditmars Street) hosted by George Flanagan: Spit Take Friday
9:30 pm ($10): A comedy group that makes up a musical on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre after a friendly greeting: Hello
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Joe Zimmerman (Rooftop Comedy), Dave Stone (Adult Swim’s Squidbillies), Andy Sanford (TBS), and TJ Young "deliver an original brand of humor that's deeply rooted in stand-up and lightly blended with avant-garde elements of music, sketch and improv." This bearded quartet's credits include the album Cardio Mix from Comedy Central Records; and tonight they perform at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Beards of Comedy
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors at The Magnet—tonight including special guest Giulia Rozzi—using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Fran Gillespie, Jon Gabrus, Sue Galloway, Matt Fisher, Craig Rowin, Nate Lang, and other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($20 plus 2-drink min.): Rich Vos (stand-up star on two seasons of Last Comic Standing and on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; Comedy Central Presents; Opie & Anthony radio show), Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp rising star stand-up; HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Rich Vos, Joe DeRosa, and More
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:30 pm: NYC stand-ups with various challenging disorders—anxiety attacks, OCD, Tourette's, etc.—perform for this one-in-a-while event hosted by the lovely Chelsea White (MTV, VH1) and Evan Morgenstern (host of SNC), with guests Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Danny Leary (Logo), Lance Weiss, and more performing at the Parkside Lounge (317 East Houston, between Avenues B and C): Call Us Crazy
10:30 pm ($5): NYC comics—who tonight include Brandon Gulya—performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify
[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): "Take four charming performers. Add one host with a stack of index cards. Be inspired by UK panel trivia shows. Ask questions with true answers so ridiculous, no fiction could compare. Give points for being right (as if!) but give more points for cracking wise. Shake. Pour" at UCB East, with tonight's panelists Megan Gray (Artistic Director of The Magnet) , Katey Healy-Wurzburg (host of The Fascinator), Erik Tanouye (The Curfew), and Andrew Ladd: The Follow-Up: A Quiz Show
[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Plus it's hosted by members of Maude troupe Fambly, typically including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 12/8/12
The PIT features fearlessly oddball sketch troupe Murderfist; Richard Lewis continues 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 $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($65 retail or $40 here): This isn't pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen's two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you're likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen's world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) in the West Village: The Old Man and the Moon
[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show ("starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one") at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour
6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Sestina, Warren, and Human Pyramid at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A comedy quiz show full of heavily researched quirky facts in which sharp contestants—who tonight are Silvija Ozols, Michelle Wolf, Corey Brown, and Phil Jackson—receive points if their answers are correct but get more points if their answers are "quite interesting" at UCB East created & hosted by Katey Healy-Wurzburg: The Fascinator...
...and in the other half of this double-bill, UCBT house manager and tech guy supreme Pat Baer hosts a show about the very medium you're using to read this: 404ing It: Breaking (Down) the Internet
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A comedy star who's snared just about every major credit a comic can—and is a long-time cast member of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm—headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Richard Lewis
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): A sharp musical improv troupe makes up stories with song and dance based on an audience suggestion: Choral Rage
7:30 pm ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs a brand new show looking at US history "from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn
8:00 pm ($5): "Ashley Rebecca King and Gregory von Portz present a post-dinner poolside party for their hippest and most sophisticated friends. Menthol-cool musical stylings and intellectual discourse abound as you are treated to a floor show with a carefully chosen set list, curated by the world’s foremost cover-band artists, that changes monthly. Dip in; it's never the same dive twice. For tonight's entertainment: The Gospel of the Holidays at The PIT downstairs lounge: Moon Pools
8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing upstairs on this weekly double-bill: Big Black Car and The Baldwins
8:30 pm ($10): Superb comedy musical group Summer & Eve, Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!, host of Nearly Naked Lady Comedy Hour), Janine Brito (FX's Totally Biased), Andy Sandford, and Nate Fernald performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($20 plus 2-drink min.): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Rich Vos (stand-up star on two seasons of Last Comic Standing and on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; Comedy Central Presents; Opie & Anthony radio show), Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Dan Naturman, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Rich Vos, Hannibal, Nikki, and More
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB Chelsea's genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Michael Che (Comedy Central, IFC), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem
9:00 pm ($5): A comedy variety show featuring stand-up, improv, character scenes, music, and more from a variety of NYC comic at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Michael Newman: Minority Report
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer
[TOP PICK] 10:30 ($8): NYC's heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which doesn't always ht the mark but provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and in 2010 won the ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group—performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Murderfist: Late and Dirty
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv troupe Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to "take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter:" Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford—makes stuff up at UCB East based on hellish experiences of audience members: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($20 plus 2-drink min.): Rich Vos (stand-up star on two seasons of Last Comic Standing and on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; Comedy Central Presents; Opie & Anthony radio show), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Dan Naturman, Sam Morril, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Rich Vos, Nikki Glaser, and More
10:30 pm ($7): Special guest Leslie Korein tonight joins Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney, performing at The Magnet as comedy trio Trike
11:00 pm ($8): A young all-guy improv troupe making stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gentlemen Party
Midnight ($5): A silly holiday sketch/character comedy tradition at UCB Chelsea that makes fun of all things preppy, tonight featuring such talents as Justin Purnell, Riley Soloner, Will Hines, Julia Wiedeman, Sean Hart, and many more, hosted by Alex Scordelis and Chris Schell: The Brooks Brothers Christmas Clambake
Midnight ($5): Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno, Comedy Central, MTV's Punk'd, IFC's Do Whatever), Josh Rabinowitz (FX's Louie, MTV's I Just want My Pants Back), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Adam Lowitt (The Daily Show), Danny Jolles (MTV), Aaron Glaser (Tosh.0), and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Rob Lathan (playing Mark Spitz): Mark Spitz's Hanukkah Spectacularah!
[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine at The Magnet, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form "rare and wonderful one-night-only teams," with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 12/9/12
World-class stand-ups: John Mulaney performs at Comedy Night, and Mike Birbiglia at Working It Out...
...plus there'll be mind-blowing musical dark comedy in Brooklyn from The Cowmen
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] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase
6:00 pm ($5): Open-mic stand-up that includes professional feedback on each comic's 5-minute set at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Mic-Shop: Open Mic Workshop
[FREE] 6:00 pm: "Short-form improv teams battle it out for the most points and a prize. C’mon, admit it! You miss the quick-witted fun and audience involvement of short-form improv. A different short-form team joins Mishmash! each month and struts their stuff for a panel of judges (including one judge chosen from the audience) until a winner emerges. There will be a series of completely improvised scenes, stories and musicals all based on your suggestions. Come ready to shout out suggestions, and even shout at the judges," at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Scrimmage
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A comedy star who's snared just about every major credit a comic can—and is a long-time cast member of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm—headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Richard Lewis
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): A sampling of UCBT's wonderful talents, both established and on the rise—including Sasheer Zamata, Fran Gillespie, Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Riley Soloner, Connor Ratliff, and many more—performing at UCB East with host Adam Conover: UCBT 2012 Year End Showcase
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000
[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), and "special guests" performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Daughter Christine DeNoon brings her deceased father's songs to life in a musical that debuts tonight at The PIT upstairs theatre: Someone To Belong To
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Eric Drysdale (brilliant comedy mind; writer for The Colbert Report), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Jacqueline Novak, Rob Shapiro, and more performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up
8:00 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comedy groups Risky Bottom and Jacktown try out new material at this show with the on-the-nose title Magnet Sketch Teams
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Hadiyah Robinson, John Moses, Oni Perez, and Charlotte MacDonald performing stand-up, plus musical guests Iron Curtain and DJ Tara, at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show; one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace): Comedy Night
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Ashley Brooke Robert (co-host of The Dream Show), Michelle Wolf (IFC's Bunk), Chip Dwyer, and Ryan Connor performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): From Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman (producers of The Scene), improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre, with tonight's groups including Double Date, Day Camp Kids, Deer Babies, and The Lottery: Act One
9:30 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comedy groups try out new material at this weekly show. Tonight it's the double-bill Dispacho and Breakfast for Dinner
9:30 pm ($5): Making great use of UCB East's previous incarnation as an indie movie theatre, tonight features screenings of the most memorable Channel 101 films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots: The 2012 New York Channy Awards
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($15 at the door or $18.88 online): One of the finest stand-ups and comedic storytellers alive tries out new material, along with some friends: Mike Birbiglia: Working It Out
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: A jaw-dropping dark comedy musical group—which includes members of sketch troupe Murderfist—performs a full set at Brooklyn's Goodbye Blue Monday (1087 Broadway, near the J subway's Kosciusko Street stop): The Cowmen
Copyright © 2012 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
