NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 2/28/11
Erin Lennox (Fresh) and Julie Sharbutt (Gravid Water)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) hosts this free open mic show for storytellers, in which you can put your name in a hat for the chance to tell a five-minute true story...and if it's a good one, possibly be included in Kevin's popular podcasts on the Web: Risk! Storyslam
6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, with two entirely different shows back to back, performing at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison's Motel Luca
7:00 pm ($5): Comedy troupe Dept. of Etc. performing a show taking a silly look at reproduction: The Miracle of Birth
[FREE] 7:30 pm: Joe List (Comedy Central), Pat O'Shea (VH1, host of Ed Sullivan on Acid), David Foster (HBO, MTV), Robin Carson Cloud (Carolines), and Chris Laker (It Could be Better podcast) performing stand-up at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Broadway & off-Broadway stars Maria Dizzia (Tony nominee for In The Next Room), Carson Elrod (Reckless, Noises Off), Jenn Gambatese (Is He Dead?, Tarzan, Hairspray, All Shook Up), David Kenner (Old Wicked Songs, Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night) and Julie Sharbutt (Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night) mixing it up with some of the best improvisors in the world—Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel, John & Scott, Hamilton & Adsit), Tara Copeland (Baby Wants Candy, Mother, The Other Guys), Michael Delaney (Conan O'Brien, The Other Guys, The Stepfathers), Becky Drysdale (One Woman in Several Pieces, Let's Have a Ball), and Anthony King (brilliant Artistic Director of UCBT, Reuben Williams)—as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): Reggie Watts, Erin Judge, Ben Kronberg, and Gabe Liedman performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety
8:00 pm ($5): Robert King performing a one-man show about growing up biracial: Halfrican American
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5—with FREE PIZZA!): Sara Schaefer (staffer writer at Jimmy Fallon), Seth Herzog (staff performer at Jimmy Fallon), Joe Mande (comedy Central), and Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien) performing stand-up at the Magnet Theatrae for Adam Lerman's and Willy Appleman's Deep Traffic
9:30 pm ($5): Two of UCBT's fine house sketch comedy troupes, Fambly and Neighbor Boy, trying out new bits at Maude Night
10:00 pm ($5): Improv is dominated by guys, so this is a rare treat—a dozen female improvisors "for an evening of comedy that will delight men, women, babies, and kittens," hosted by Megan Gray: We Might Just Kiss
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include a blowout lineup of Reggie Watts, Dave Hill, and Kumail Nanjiani—at Whiplash
[FREE] 11:00 pm: 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 stand-up open mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 3/1/11
Brilliant storyteller/comics Elna Baker and Brooke Van Poppelen will blow the roof off tonight at The Moon 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:
7:00 pm ($5): Six improvisors play themselves on stage (similar to Naked in a Fishbowl) in Self Image ; and in the second half of this double-bill, Jenny Dunne and Rick Andrews improvise a single moment in two characters' lives again and again, exploring three parallel realities, and the difference that a look or tone can make, in The Cascade
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Blowout lineup with Elna Baker (among my all-time favorite comedic storytellers, and bestselling author of the comedic book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance), Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC; co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), hilarious raunchy singer/songwriter Ben Lerman, and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill) performing at Brooklyn's The Royal Oak (594 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars such as co-producer Jordan Clifford and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month's topic "Remix"—e.g., If All the US Presidents Fought Each Other, Who Would Win?, and A Survey of the Continuum Between Genius and Plagiarism—at Brooklyn's Union Hall for Charles Star's comedic show Adult Education
8:00 pm ($5): Myq Kaplan (finalist on the most recent Last Comic Standing; Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, hot comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Aidan Bishop, Stone & Stone, and musical guests The Fools performing at the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends
8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes CAPTCHA, Badman, Sandino, Ragnaröck, and Very Good Kiss; and at 11:00 pm improv from advanced UCBT students—all at Harold Night
8:00 pm ($5): Nikhil Raoe performing a one-man show: Jokes for the Under-Amused
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jenny Rubin (Max), Jaqi Furback (Comcast, Oxygen), Ben Kissel, Jillian Thomas, and Jon Savoy performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) hosted by comedic rapper Andrew Singer and the delightful Abbi Crutchfield: Positively Awesome
8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet's singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: BEEES! & Tambourine
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Todd Barry (HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), hilarious musical duo Stuckey & Murray, long-missed stand-up Heather Fink, and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; frequent host of Whiplash), Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety), and more performing at the Ace of Clubs (9 Great Jones Street, underneath Acme Bar & Grill) hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill
[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free show, audience members can join in with veteran musical improv talents to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer
[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open mic stand-up show hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 3/2/11
Kristen Schaal performs tonight at Totally J/K...
...Erin Lennox hosts a new show with an unusual sensibility, and Jessi Klein performs at ¡Sacapuntas!
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 at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
7:00 pm ($5): Alan Starzinski performing a musical all by himself in the one-man show One Mansical
7:00 pm, 8:30 pm, and 10:00 pm ($5): Assorted improv troupes performing at The Magnet, followed by a free show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door, $6.84 online with discount code Supermango): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Mike Destefano (Last Comic Standing finalist this past summer, Comedy Central Presents), Wayne Federman (head monologue writer for Jimmy Fallon), Dan Curry (Onion News Network), and "a mystery guest" performing at the Bowery Poetry Club with host Dan Allen: ¡Sacapuntas!
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Some of UCBT's funniest sketch comedy & stand-up performers at an all-you-can-watch revue: UCBT's I'm Cool Showcase
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety), Lady Rizo (reportedly unforgettable), Mike Recine, Annie Lederman, and Adam Conover performing at the 11th Street Bar (510 East 11th Street, off Avenue A) for this new once-in-a-while extravaganza hosted by the razor-sharp & delightful Erin Lennox (co-host of Fresh; for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here) who notes "AND FREE DRINKS! If you are very pretty and make someone think you're going to sleep with them. Otherwise there are reasonably priced drinks that you can buy yourself:" Erin Lennox's I Like You Too Show
[$] 8:00 pm & 9:30 pm ($18 & 2-drink min.): A comic who describes himself as "growing up in a family with anxiety disorders and addiction" but having a "unique ability to embody abstract personas, along with child-like playfulness" headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bob Dibuono
8:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Eli Olsberg, Katina Corrao, James Harris, Jason Saenz, and David Cope performing at Brooklyn's Hank's Rootin' Tootin' Saloon (46 Third Avenue at Atlantic) for this free weekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; TLC, blogger for trutV; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Usually terrific NYC stand-ups (not yet announced) performing at the East Village's Angels and Kings for this free biweekly show hosted by delightful dark humor comic Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender
[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Will Hines (The Stepfathers, The Chris Gethard Show), Kristeen von Hagen (Comedy Central), Jenn Dodd, Nate Min, Raquel D'Apice, and Jarret Berenstein performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Bar (119 St. Marks Place) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; co-author of bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), Louis Katz (HBO, Comedy Central), Gabe Delahaye (Videogum.com), and more join best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing 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. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 3/3/11
Al Madrigal (headlining at Carolines) and Gilbert Gottfried (also headlining at Carolines)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:
a
a
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($24.50 & 2-drink min.) A one-of-a-kind comedy star headlining at the Carolines Comedy Club: Gilbert Gottfried
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors Jesse Falcon (Mother) and Rachel Hamilton (30 Rock, Second City) perform as duo Hamilton & Falcon
8:00 pm ($5): Abbi Jacobson performing a one-woman show in which she plays everyone you've ever met at summer camp at Welcome to Camp!; and young talents doing a loud and mildly amusing sketch show as cops in The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour
9:00 pm ($12): NYC stand-ups Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent of The Daily Show), Katina Corrao (HBO, Comedy Central), Costaki Economopoulos (The Economonologue), and Dean Obeidallah (NY Arab-American Comedy Festival), plus musical guest Mark Douglas (BarelyPolitical.com), performing at Comedy Below Canal
[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and a guest-host (while Sean Patton shares his gifts with other cities): Comedy as a Second Language
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill) and Paul Case (The Backroom) joining sensual hosts Margot Leitman (VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com) in telling true tales on tonight's theme "Weddings"—plus music from the BTK Band—at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Stripped Stories
9:30 pm ($5): "Where there is a stage and a piano, she will be there. Where there are strangers with embarrassing stories, she will be there. Where there is a group of people willing to sit and watch someone make up songs, she will be there. A one-woman musical improv journey through the lives of the audience. You tell the story, Rebecca Vigil sings the soundtrack:" The Vigilante
[$] 9:30 pm ($24 & 2-drink min.) An award-winning stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Al Madrigal
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): All-star improv troupe The Stepfathers (Michael Delaney, Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols, Andy Secunda, and Zach Woods) compete with improv troupe Sandino for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 3/4/11
Thoughtful comics Jawnee Conroy (The BEATdown) and Todd Barry (Night of the Living)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Some of The Magnet's finest comics—including the brilliant and delightful Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at last year's FringeNYC)—team up with Magnet co-owner Armando Diaz to deliver sketch comedy in Good Morning, Ladies!
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Pamela Murphy's autobiographical show is the best-scripted one-act to grace UCBT in the past year, performed with wit, grace, and pitch-perfect comedic timing (for video samples of Pam's work, please click here). Don't miss Jane Borden of Time Out New York's pick for Best Solo Show of 2010: Pamela Murphy: The C Word
...and for the other half of this double-bill, sketch troupe Bleak! performs a show about internal strife: Stomachtown
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($26.75 & 2-drink min.) An award-winning stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Al Madrigal
8:00 pm ($5; includes copious homemade treats): Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Totally J/K; author of new book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist of terrific book Grimmer Tales), and Michael Terry (Onion News Network, Party Central USA) performing stand-up at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with hosts Aalap Patel and the delightful Chelsea White (MTV, College Humor): It's Not That Serious
[$] 8:00 pm ($20): A benefit for cancer research with Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents), Rob Cantrell (CBS, Marijuana-logues), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon), and Seaton Smith (Opie and Anthony) performing at Brooklyn's Coco 66 for hosts Nick Turner's & Jason Saenz's Too Cool for School
8:00 pm ($10): Improvised scenes based on the "Missed Connections" section of Craigslist at Missed Connections Two-Prov
8:00 pm ($7): "In March of 2009 a gaggle of performers were born. Some died, some wandered off into the woods, others went to work in the private sector. Those that remained grew strong by feeding on the nectar of specific choices and the gruel of strong character work. The not quite 2-year-old terror that exists today is akin to watching a Tsunami of hair and teeth attack a baby Blue Whale and destroy it with the will of a thousand hungry Burnese Mountain Dogs. What does it all mean? We don't know." Tonight is the Second Anniversary of these sharp improvisors making stuff up as troupe Chet Watkins
[FREE—plus trivia game chances to win free drinks] 8:00 pm: Pat O'Shea (VH1, host of Ed Sullivan on Acid), Justy Dodge, Todd Montesi, Carolina Hidalgo, Robyn Candyce-Schlau, and "a surprise guest" performing at Brooklyn's The Royal Oak (594 Union Avenue) with host Calvin S. Cato: The Pregame Comedy Show
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at O'Hanlon's (14th Street off 1st Avenue): Hot Soup
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's written for ABC, TruTV, feature films, and performed his own hour-long Comedy Central special You've Changed headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Michael Loftus
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
9:00 pm ($7): Comedy friends who, by a wild coincidence, have the same name, debuting a sketch show about pioneers: We're Matt Weir: Trailblazers
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen's Class: The Harvard Sailing Team
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other fine improvisors make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; co-author of bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), and TV & movie star Todd Barry (HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), plus wonderful musical guest Ted Leo, performing at this monthly comedy talk show hosted by the Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central, Hot Tub Variety): Night of the Living with Kurt Braunohler
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC—who tonight include Jawnee Conroy (a force of nature who was a hilarious agent of chaos on his last appearance), Josh Ruben (College Humor), Alan Fessenden (member of improv troupe 4Track), and stand-ups Joyelle Johnson and Remy Benice —plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 3/5/11
Anthony King debuts a new improv show tonight, replacing Reuben
Williams with The Curfew:
Not From Around Here,
while sharp relationship stand-up Michael Loftus headlines
at the Gotham Comedy Club...
...and world-class stand-ups Todd Barry and Ted Alexandro perform at the Eastville 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 $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true...but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening's yarn-spinners are Joanne Solomon (De La Guarda), Peter Aguero (Chicago City Limits), Flash Rosenberg (NYC Public Library Artist In Residence), and Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam Champion). Come to the West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, and more—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors who've included writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball
7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft making up a play on the spot in Theory of Everything
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's written for ABC, TruTV, feature films, and performed his own hour-long Comedy Central special You've Changed headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Michael Loftus
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.) An award-winning stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Al Madrigal
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups Joe Devito (Last Comic Standing), Vince Averill (Comedy Central, co-host of Beauty Bar Comedy), Pat Stango (co-host of Don't Touch Me There), Sarah Tollemache, and more performing at The PIT's new basement lounge with host Sean Donnelly for Lil' Seany Boy
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—and the Cage Match Champion for two years in a row!—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
[TOP PICK] 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): An all-star lineup tonight of Todd Barry (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), 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; delivered perfect set recently at Carnegie Hall), Julian McCullough (razor-sharp rising star; Comedy Central Presents, MTV, VH1), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club's A-List
9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!
9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub: Political Subversities
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code SBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award last year for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event by catching tonight's edition of Baby Wants Candy
[TOP PICK] [$] 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 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King interviews an audience member about where he or she grew up and then creates an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here
10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever), Andrea Rosen (HBO, Variety SHAC), Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives), Dan St. Germain (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1), Streeter Seidell (College Humor), Justin Shanes (Jimmy Fallon), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, High Times), Matt Koff (The Onion), Rob Stern (Your 80's Prom), Luke Younger, and more celebrating Andy Rocco's birthday at Andy Rocco's Underground Americana
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 3/6/11
Al Madrigal (headlining at Carolines) and Tom Allen (performing at Pretty Good Friends)
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): "A horrible sketch show morphs into a puppet and foam driven romp that borrows prisoners but gives them back." Time Out Chicago called it "an exuberant and exciting piece of experimental theater...it sounds strange and it was:" The Pyramid Shew
[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 ($7): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), Tom Allen (UK comedy star), and more performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends
[$] 8:00 pm ($24.50 & 2-drink min.) An award-winning stand-up who's performed on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining one last evening at the Carolines Comedy Club: Al Madrigal
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Keith Alberstadt (David Letterman), Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Ryan Conner (freelance writer for Saturday Night Live), and Michael Che performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
8:00 pm ($5): "Germany's greatest improv duo unveiling a form combining rapid scene painting, patient emotional connections and leagues of ribaldry:" Snazzle Dazzle; and in the other half of this double-bill, members of puppeteer David Fino's Puppetry for Improv Performers class make stuff up as SkrappBox
8:00 pm ($5): Ben Kissel (way funny 6'7" stand-up), Josh Guarino, and David Cope performing stand-up at The PIT's downstairs lounge for a free weekly show hosted by Sean Donnelly and Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Michael Che, and Neal Brennan performing 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, Comedy Central): Comedy Night
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Typically fine NYC stands-ups (not yet announced) performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy
9:30 pm ($5): Two improv groups competing for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT's Cage Match, but with less well-known troupes and an escalating challenge component—at Magnet Inferno
[FREE] 10:00 pm: All-gal stand-up lineup of Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Liar Show), Rachel Parenta (Last Comic Standing), and Lori Sommer performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle (TruTV): Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Copyright © 2011 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
