NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/2/12
Musical improv genius Reggie Watts performs at Whiplash; Brandon Gulya hopes to be Famous Soon
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 stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays
7:00 pm ($5): An audience interactive one-woman show at The Magnet described as follows: "Tarot cards are an ancient system of divination, steeped in mystery and esoteric wisdom. Marcy Currier is a 33-year-old woman with a million ideas and an unreasonable point of view. Together, they will answer your questions about the great mysteries of life: love, sex, money, and getting the dishes done. This show is about you, so bring questions for...:" Tarot Live!
7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2 hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison's & Carol Hartsell's Motel Luca
[FREE] 7:30 pm: RG Daniels (host of Sunday Night Stand-Up), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales), Adam Cozens, Lance Weiss, and Toby Muresianu performing at a free weekly stand-up show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
[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
8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, Joanna Bradley performs a one-woman show in which she proves that she's neither dumb nor boring, but might need a bit more discipline in creating a consistently entertaining journey for the audience. Digressions include singing a song she warns us won't be funny, and then it really isn't—and so shouldn't have been included; and taking most of her clothes off and telling us there's no reason for her doing so, and this is once again true (aside from it being a signature move for her director, the wonderful Becky Drysdale; but Becky always uses this to make the performer vulnerable and open up, while Joanna defeats that by continuing to hide behind sarcasm...). Bradley is appealing as a performer, though, and that might be reason enough to experience Everybody's Dumb and Boring...
...and in the second half of this double-bill, a new one-woman show by Sue Smith about anger, directed by the always inventive and delightful Laura Grey: Minimum Rage
8:00 pm ($5): Charmingly silly & very funny performer Brandon Gulya tries his hand at also being a charming & very funny writer with this one-man show he's hoping will make his career: Brandon Gulya Will Be Famous Soon; plus in the other half of this UCB East double-bill, improvisor Patrick Noth and beatbox sound master Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan freestyle rap a fully improvised Harold at MC Harold
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Mike Recine (Comedy Central), Jaqi Furback, and Dan Wilbur performing at the One and One Bar (1st Street & First Avenue) for this weekly stand-up show hosted by Louis Katz, Tim Dimond, and J. F. Harris: Raw Guts
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: PIT owner Ali Farahnakian and razor-sharp PIT instructors perform improv at The PIT downstairs lounge in The Faculty Part 2: Electric Boogaloo; plus improv troupe Technicolor
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): This revival of one of my all-time favorite UCB Chelsea shows involves a group of stellar comics taking an audience suggestion and, while sipping beers, telling personal tales related to it—with an emphasis on the ribald and ridiculous, just like what you'd want to hear from your friends while hanging out at a bar. The yarn spinning is great fun; but on top of that, when the performers hear a story that especially tickles them, they'll jump up and instantly create scenes revolving around it. And because these talents are razor-sharp improvisors, the results are hilarious. Just as a sidenote, this show used to include world-class storyteller Chris Gethard—and whenever Chris opened his mouth, everyone else went dead silent as if God was about to speak. (Yes, Chris is that respected by his peers.) Chris is now tied up with other things, but tonight will be a fine show regardless thanks to such brilliant improvisors as UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, UCBT Artistic Associate John Frusciante, and Fran Gillespie: Happy Hour
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Typically stellar comics in a show "where improv and stand-up bleeds in and out of each other. One comedian starts with stand-up. Soon he or she is joined by a second comedian—and the two improvise scenes inspired by the first comic's stand-up. Eventually the first comic leaves and the second comedian performs stand-up. When that set is over, her or she's joined by the first comedian and a third comedian. The three improvise scenes inspired by the second comedian's set. Then comedians one and two exit, and the third comedian performs his/her set until being joined by comedians one, two and a new fourth comedian...and so on. The process continues till we run out of comedians stashed backstage." It's all the brainchild of Nick Vatterott, who hosts this bold & messy new format at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Klusterphuk
[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Jordon Ferber, Seth Joseph, Jen Mutascio, Evon Cambell, Mike Cannon, Jim Tews, and Jessica Watkins performing at Pat O'Shea's free biweekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue): Ed Sullivan on Acid
10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner & Chelsea Clarke hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds
10:00 pm ($5): Improv that flows from moment to moment, with no sweeps or tag outs—"each exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper:" Scoresby
[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 & Keith Huang: Base Jam
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; Comedy Central special; Jimmy Fallon; Electric Company; Conan O'Brien's Legally Prohibited tour; for video samples, please click here), Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Katie Crown (Comedy Central's Hotbox, MTV, Comedians Of Comedy Tour)—at UCB Chelsea hosted by the wonderful Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; brand new book A Bad Idea I'm About to Do): 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 at The PIT upstairs theatre 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 1/3/12
Movie star Kristen Schaal performs tonight at both Sweet and Hot Dang
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Graduates of David Fino’s Puppetry for Improv Performers class show off what they've learned at The PIT upstairs theatre in the most adorable show likely to be playing anywhere in NYC tonight: Puppetface!
7:00 pm ($5): A one-woman show from Mallory Schlossberg about how "I came to New York to be an actress and instead became a temp. To live the true NYC dream, I spent all my remaining time as an online serial dater. This is my story, from behind the cubicle...and the storage closet:" That's Why the Lady is a Temp; and in the other half of this Magnet double-bill, a one-man show by Robert Weinstein about Smooching & Slashing: Anatomy of a First Kiss
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Robert Dean: The Dean's List
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($5 if you call the box office at 212.757.4100 and mention Nick's name, plus 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on Jimmy Fallon, and is co-host of the weekly NYC live comedy shows Too Cool For School and If You Build It, headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Nick Turner
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A killer lineup for the New Year: 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 and NBC's 30 Rock; 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), Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), and Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here) performing at UCB East for a comedy variety show hosted by the delightful Sara Schaefer and Scott Moran: Hot Dang
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club
8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Mr. Crime, Deckard, Creature, Grandma's Ashes, and Dance Break—and at 11:00 pm advanced improv students perform scenes in which a very small occurrence can produce unpredictable and sometimes explosive results—all at Harold Night
[FREE] 8:00 pm: This more-or-less weekly show features "a swarthy selection of fine stand-up comics and mildly entertaining recurring segments" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by Jim Tews & Brendan Eyre: Chest Hair
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: Aquarius and Mint Condition
[TOP PICK] 9:00 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 and NBC's 30 Rock; 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), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups (not announced, but click for an update here) performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by twins Adam & Todd Stone, who for this weekly show leave behind their trademark suits: Jackets Off
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Jim Tews, and Orlando Baxter performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill
9:30 pm ($5): This showcase at The PIT upstairs theatre for the wonderful Jen Nails' Do It Yourself class tonight features Sarah Golden's musical one-woman show Miss Adventures With Her Ukulele, plus a one-woman show uncomfortably titled One Women: Jenny Jenny!
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up, sketch, videos, and more at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre with Jeffrey Joseph and hosts Ron Krasnow & Joel Walkowski: The Short Bus
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): 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), team up to create their special dark version of a comedy variety show at UCB East. Tonight's guests are Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Jamie Kilstein (Huffington Post; co-host of Citizen Radio): The Tony and Johnny Show
[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe Aquarius 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 at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It
[FREE] 11:30 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 1/4/12
Over 50 stand-ups at an NYC comedy tradition of telling the first funny thing they wrote in the new year: 50 First Jokes...
...Todd Bieber screens TV ads he's less than proud of creating
at one of the best solo shows of 2011: Commercial
Interruption;
and College Humor stand-up Adam Newman headlines for one night only—with
The Reformed Whores—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:
[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing four minutes per comic, with "15 people chosen randomly through e-mail, and five walk-ins; and a guaranteed spot to anyone who performs in character as a famous explorer" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedic Exploration Club of Long Island City, West
7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Grappler, Leviathan, The Surge, Horses, Brick, Featherweight, The Wrath, and Chet Watkins performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with The Wrath at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Championing chaos for comedy, a team of improvisers perform: "What form? What type of show? Fuck that shit, just come and laugh." The experiment in anarchy takes place at UCB East starring Don Fanelli, Dru Johnston, Tim Martin, Josh Patten, Kate Riley, and Terry Withers: Fuck That Shit...
...and then in the other half of this double-bill, genius improvisors Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) perform as Outlook of the Poet
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($5 if you call the box office at 212.757.4100 and mention Adam's name, plus 2-drink min.) A stand-up whose performances range from MTV to College Humor to The Tyra Banks Show, and who recently released his first comedy CD Not for Horses, headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club (with delightful openers The Reformed Whores): Adam Newman
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm doors, 8:00 pm show ($12.75 online, or $12 at the door...if it doesn't sell out in advance): For the sixth year of this annual tradition, 50+ NYC comics will come together to each tell the first joke he or she has written in the new year. Expect an exuberant gathering of comedic talent...and wild partying afterwards. The scheduled lineup includes Dave Hill, Sean Patton, Myq Kaplan, Sara Schaefer, Brooke Van Poppelen, Jared Logan, Dan St. Germain, Mike Lawrence, Mark Normand, Jena Friedman, Jon Friedman, Jeffrey Joseph, Pat Dixon, Calise Hawkins, Nate Bargatze, Molly & John Knefel, Matt McCarthy, Phoebe Robinson, Mike Recine, Victor Varnado, Giulia Rozzi, Greg Barris, Erik Bergstrom...and many, many more. Don't miss this lovely coming together of NYC's stand-up comedy community at Brooklyn's Bell House (149 7th Street) hosted by John F. O’Donnell: 50 First Jokes, 2012 Edition
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Todd Bieber, the razor-sharp Director of Content & Production for UCBComedy.com, has had his video/film work viewed over 25 million times via such sites as YouTube.com, NewYorkTimes.com, and EntertainmentWeekly.com. But before his success, Todd spent a couple of years churning out, as he bluntly puts it, "shitty local commercials in rural Pennsylvania." If you're a filmmaker, a fan of ridiculously awful late-night TV ads, or someone who likes to laugh, come enjoy this fascinating and hilarious insider look at microbudget commercials and the creative process. Directed by UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, this debuted in December and was instantly one of the very best solo shows of 2011: Commercial Interruption...
...and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, enormously likable ace improvisor & sketch performer Doug Moe (Conan O'Brien, 30 Rock, Rescue Me, renowned improv troupe Mother) takes a stab at doing a solo show. The writing doesn't achieve the potential of the subject, but it's always a pleasure to see Doug on stage, as well as enjoy video clips of his little angel of a 5-year-old daughter: Doug Moe is a Bad Dad
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25 at the box office or $28 online): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 90 minutes with a true genius of comedy. Please note this is a sprawling, detail-packed theatrical show, not stand-up...and not for every taste. But whether you're ultimately grabbed by the story or not, it's worth experiencing if only for Daniel's lightning-quick flashes of humor. For example, at a performance of his previous hit show last year, a woman sitting in the front row had the incredible gall to start reading. Daniel sweetly responded, "Ooh, that's a subtle yet effective form of criticism. I'm certainly not cross with you, just too nosy about what you're reading to plow on. Look, you're still reading. What a lack of faith you have in live entertainment." Place your faith in Daniel, and catch this NYC premiere of a show that played to packed houses at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, now running every day except Mondays from January 3rd through January 29th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (29 Jay Street): It's Always Right Now, Until It's Later
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door, $6.84 online with discount code Supermango): Andy Blitz (comedy genius best known for being an Emmy-nominated and long-time writer/performer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien; has also written for Comedy Central's Important Things, MTV's Human Giant, etc.; a thoroughly unique stand-up whose sets—ranging from talking peanut butter to jet-flying cats—tend to be unforgettable), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales), Michael Somerville (Comedy Central), and "a secret guest" performing at the Bowery Poetry Club (308 Bowery, off Bleecker Street) with hosts Dan Allen & Ray DeVito: Sacapuntas!
[FREE—plus FREE PIZZA for first 30 people, from Artichoke Pizza!] 8:00 pm: Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central), Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Asie Mohtarez, Abigoliah Schamaun, and more performing stand-up at the East Village's Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad's & Amy Albert's free weekly show Comedy School Dropout
8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City for this weekly show hosted by Nick Turner (soon to leave for LA) & Jason Sáenz: Too Cool for School
[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Jesse Jones, David Foster, Gibran Saleem, Amanda Baramki, Andy Kleiman, Carrie Gravenson, and Chris Cal performing at the only notable weekly comedy show I know of taking place in Astoria Queens—specifically, the Astoria Brewhouse (2850 31st Street) hosted by Miguel Dalmau: Brewhouse Comedy
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film at UCB East as The Two-Man Movie
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, first up is a sketch play about the opening of a trendy restaurant that serves nothing but pig (including "bacon-infused martinis"), written with wit and bite by Leila Cohan-Miccio (Stone Cold Fox), directed with style by Caitlin Bitzegaio (MTV, PBS, ESPN), and performed superbly by comedic actress Lauren Conlin Adams (keep an eye out for her playing Aurora, a hot and hilariously bubble-headed waitress): Pig: A Restaurant ...
...and in the second half of this double-bill, the debut of a parody of a popular reality show from dynamite writing duo Caitlin Bitzegaio & Leila Cohan-Miccio that will probably be considerable fun: The Bachelor: Romance, Roses, and Romance
[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
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: 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. (For tonight's lineup, 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
[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
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 1/5/12
Amy Schumer headlines at Carolines; John Hodgman is performance reviewed at Lollygaggin' with David Rees
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Dave Martin, host of UCBT's The Nights of Our Lives, which is one of the very finest storytelling shows in the county, is the guest tonight at this weekly open mic storytelling show that provides each randomly selected audience volunteer a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress at UCB East hosted by John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives): Oh, Hey Guys!
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Corby Haas
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:30 pm: If you've got a question, suggestion, or request to make of the folks who run The Magnet, this is your opportunity to connect directly with this respected comedy theatre's owners & managers: Magnet Town Hall Meeting
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): John Hodgman (Daily Show commentator, bestselling author of The Areas of My Expertise and More Information Than You Require, and the underrated PC in Apple Computer ads), Emmy Blotnick, a performance review, and more at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with cartoonist host David Rees: Lollygaggin' with David Rees
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): "If you were alive in the 70's, you may have attended some 'Key Parties' where you were randomly paired with someone to go home with and engage in free spirited coitus. (Today we either stay at home alone or congregate at an improv theater.) Key Party combines the 70's arrangement with modern anxiety, exploring the rich moments leading up to that act of coupling and the fallout that follows" at UCB East with stellar comics Jordan Klepper, Laura Grey (delightful old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm), and guest improvisors: Key Party; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv based on the iPods, CDs, and mp3 players provided by audience members, executed by superb performers Fran Gillespie, Ryan Karels, Megan Neuringer, Jesse Falcon, Silvija Ozols, Doug Moe, Lou Perez, Sue Galloway, and Emily Axford: Soundtrack USA
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25 at the box office or $28 online): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 90 minutes with a true genius of comedy. Please note this is a sprawling, detail-packed theatrical show, not stand-up...and not for every taste. But whether you're ultimately grabbed by the story or not, it's worth experiencing if only for Daniel's lightning-quick flashes of humor. For example, at a performance of his previous hit show last year, a woman sitting in the front row had the incredible gall to start reading. Daniel sweetly responded, "Ooh, that's a subtle yet effective form of criticism. I'm certainly not cross with you, just too nosy about what you're reading to plow on. Look, you're still reading. What a lack of faith you have in live entertainment." Place your faith in Daniel, and catch this NYC premiere of a show that played to packed houses at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, now running every day except Mondays from January 3rd through January 29th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (29 Jay Street): It's Always Right Now, Until It's Later
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A red-hot rising star whose Comedy Central Presents special was among the most popular of the series; has performed on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's 30 Rock, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, FUSE, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show; and has interviewed such celebs as Sarah Silverman (to watch, please click here), headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Amy Schumer
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a troupe specializing in meta-comedy—that is, comedy about the process of making comedy—performs their most meta show yet, which is billed as a "best of" show but actually is a series of internal spats that delay any of the promised sketches from being performed. It's smart and clever, and all four members of the group are highly appealing. But it's such a purely "from the head, not the heart" show that it feels increasingly repetitive and one-note as it goes on. I wish the guys had been less concerned with the purity of their one-joke idea and more with creating an emotional rollercoaster experience for the audience. (The reason their best sketch ever is a spelling bee for fart jokes is because it's a perfect blend of their conceptual approach with laugh-out-loud funny. Sadly, no such sketch is in this show...) If you like concept comedy, though, these guys are great at it; and you're likely to enjoy at least the first 10 minutes before the novelty wears off from Pangea 3000: 12 Years of Hard Work...
...and in the second half of this double-bill, a witty and ultimately exhilarating exploration of baring it all by fabulous long-time nudist Julia Wiedeman (who I had the great fortune of seeing about a decade ago as she walked around with zero clothing, like a glorious tigress, in broad daylight on the streets of the East Village): Naked People
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): UCBT icon Pat Baer (Jimmy Fallon, College Humor) and Alison Leiby (The Onion, Risk!) tell tales at The PIT downstairs lounge along with hosts Michelle Markowitz & Bryan Rucker, who say they're Failing Our Twenties
8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet improv house troupes Phooka, Hello Laser, The Boss, Junior Varsity, and a jam with all four of these troupes performing improv, followed at 11:00 pm by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with Friday Night Sh*w pitted against Honey: The Magnet's Night Out
8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes, Hot Diner and THEM, make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT upstairs theatre for the most on-the-nose show title tonight: Improvised Musical
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (for tonight's lineup, please click here) performing at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City accompanied by banjo music from Doug Goldstein and hosted by Andy Kleinman: Happy Sounds Comedy
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Jon Gabrus (Conan O'Brien, MTV's The Substitute, VH1's Best Week Ever, The Law Firm, The Nights of Our Lives; co-creator & co-star of Spike TV's Mocap, LLC), Erin Judge (Comedy Central; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), and "a very special guest" performing UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups Michael Somerville, Damien Lemon, George Gordon, and Bryan Walsh performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a weekly comedy show with hosts Dan Wllber & Sean Crespo and producer Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), John Roberts (YouTube star), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), and the Cocoon Central Dance Team performing at UCB Chelsea with wonderful hosts Shonali Bhowmik (ace singer/songwriter) and Andrea Rosen (world-class stand-up & storteller): Variety SHAC
9:30 pm ($8): "A 17-person middle school talent show created and performed by two people—Jo Firestone and Dylan Marron—who like themselves more now that they're older. A comedic tribute to the best three years of our lives, and a comedic play for anyone who ever thought it couldn't get any better than prank calls and slow-dancing" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite
9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Sharp improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and/or more try their hand at stand-up at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Improvisers Standing Up
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two improv titans, Rogue Elephant and Diamond Lion, battle for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly open mic stand-up show, with each comic given five minutes, at UCB East hosted by Rob Stern & Amber Nelson: Gutbucket
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 1/6/12
Amy Schumer headlines through Sunday at the Carolines
Comedy Club;
Daniel Kitson
delivers one of the finest one-man shows you'll see this year at
It's Always Right Now, Until It's Later
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 start at 5:30 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): Ace storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here) hosts this Magnet show gathering together other top storytellers who are all Moth GrandSlam champions—Jim O'Grady, Ed Gavagan, Brad Lawrence, and Peter Aguero: Super Stories
7:00 pm ($5): "Two teams of complete strangers—who happen to be some of the top performers at The PIT, The Magnet, and UCBT—trade tips, learn from each other, and unite the New York City improv community" at The PIT upstairs theatre, hosted by You’re Charlotte: The Melting Pot
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): A top group of improvisors, including Ryan Karels and Megan Neuringer, "will take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter" by making up scenes on the spot at UCB Chelsea: Grandma's Ashes
7:30 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25 at the box office or $28 online): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 90 minutes with a true genius of both stand-up and storytelling. This show is the latter—a carefully constructed, detail-packed theatrical tale of two people and the small, quiet moments that make up their lives. Daniel says it's "about everything and nothing," and that's precisely right. After you see it, you may find it hard to not consider all the small moments lived by any person you pass by...and what the moments of your own life add up to. This one-man show played to packed houses at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and is now running every day except Mondays through January 29th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (29 Jay Street): It's Always Right Now, Until It's Later
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A red-hot rising star whose Comedy Central Presents special was among the most popular of the series; has performed on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's 30 Rock, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, FUSE, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show; and has interviewed such celebs as Sarah Silverman (to watch, please click here), headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Amy Schumer
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($20 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BOOK): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas...who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson's writing isn't consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?
8:00 pm ($10): An improv troupe making up a musical on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre after a friendly greeting: Hello
8:00 pm ($5): A cross-pollinating, anything goes improv show at The PIT upstairs theatre that welcomes performers from a variety of comedy schools and styles to make up stuff together—ending with an open jam session that lets audience members on stage: Honey Badger
[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese
8:30 pm ($10): Sketch comedy at The Magnet that tonight promises " a celebrity roast of ET the Extra-Terrestrial, with an appearance by the little alien himself:" Citizen Models
[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed three Comedy Central specials, has appeared on Chappelle's Show and The Today Show, and is co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet? headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Christian Finnegan
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB Chelsea's all-star members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] [$] [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): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Dean Edwards (HBO, Saturday Night Live), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:00 pm ($10): Gay boy band Thin Skin Jonny sings comedic tales at Thin Skin Jonny: Farewell Reunion Tour
9:30 pm ($5): Carmen Lynch (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE's A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), Liam McEneaney (host of Tell Your Friends), and Nick Turner & Jason Sáenz (hosts of Too Cool For School) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge with host Jeremy Wein: Undefined
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
[FREE] 10:00 pm: "Improv comedy that's all like, 'Have you been drinking tonight, sir?' but then is all like, 'Lemme get a sip'" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Teenage Cop
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Jon Gabrus, Nate Lang, Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Fran Gillespie Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
10:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): One of the finest improvisors alive, Joe Bill (Bassprov, iO, co-founder of the Annoyance Theatre) spearheads a breathtakingly brilliant group of improvisors from Chicago and New York who'll blow the roof off with lightning-quick dark comedy unlike anything else in NYC. Chicago-based Joe tends to visit NYC at the start of every month, so he'll probably be at tonight's performance. But either way, the other superb players are Jordan Klepper (Klepper & Grey, iO, ), Jodi Lennon (Comedy Central's Exit 57), Ari Voukydis (UCB instructor, VH!'s Best Week Ever), Doug Stoley (Conan O'Brien, UCB), Rick Andrews (Magnet performer), Mark Grenier (Magnet instructor), Jen Sanders (Magnet performer), and Chet Siegel (Magnet performer), all declaring Lights Out, Shirley!
[FREE] Midnight: 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
[FREE] Midnight: This show typically isn't much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to test out your latest sketch with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/7/12
Amy Schumer continues her run at the Carolines
Comedy Club; don't miss my favorite improv troupe,
which sold out its Friday & Saturday shows but has a
few tickets left for Sunday: The
Improvised Shakespeare Company
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 weekly open mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4
6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes The Bear Project , The Storks, and Honey at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): "Stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe," hosted at UCB East by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), and featuring storytellers Adam Lowitt (The Daily Show), Matt Mercier (The Moth), and phenom musical guest Adira Amram Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act): Tales of the Cosmos
7:00 pm ($7): Sketches, improv scenes, and videos from a small army of female comics at The PIT upstairs theatre that answer such questions as "Why can't you touch a black girl's hair? Why do some of us burn our cheating man's clothes in his car and can't wait to exhale? How did Foxy Brown know how to get down? Why can two play that game? Why do mad black women write so many diaries?" and more: Mrs Jones
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic solo performances—storytelling, sketch, and whatever else isn't stand-up or improv—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Bill Stiteler & Adam Schwartz: Wank
7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft at The Magnet making up a play on the spot: Theory of Everything
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] Sunday at 10:00 pm ($20 online with discount code FBKISC): Genius improvisors from Chicago delivering one of the funniest shows you'll ever see by making up a play on the spot using the language and themes of the Bard. This is the finest improv troupe in the world, and one of the best comedy shows of any kind, anywhere. The shows for yesterday and tonight sold out before the run even began, but I'm listing this because there are still some tickets left for Sunday at 10:00 pm. Don't miss this rare opportunity to enjoy the breathtakingly skilled Improvised Shakespeare Company
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25 at the box office or $28 online): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 90 minutes with a true genius of both stand-up and storytelling. This show is the latter—a carefully constructed, detail-packed theatrical tale of two people and the small, quiet moments that make up their lives. Daniel says it's "about everything and nothing," and that's precisely right. After you see it, you may find it hard to not consider all the small moments lived by any person you pass by...and what the moments of your own life add up to. This one-man show played to packed houses at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and is now running every day except Mondays through January 29th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (29 Jay Street): It's Always Right Now, Until It's Later
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A red-hot rising star whose Comedy Central Presents special was among the most popular of the series; has performed on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's 30 Rock, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, FUSE, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show; and has interviewed such celebs as Sarah Silverman (to watch, please click here), headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Amy Schumer
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed three Comedy Central specials, has appeared on Chappelle's Show and The Today Show, and is co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?, and as a political pundit might have some fun things to say about this election year, headlining one more night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Christian Finnegan
8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill—and occasionally with comedy giants Kristen Schaal and/or Kurt Braunohler participating: Big Black Car and The Baldwins
[TOP PICK] 8:15ish pm ($8 at the door or $10.70 in advance online): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Gabe Liedman (co-host of Big Terrific), pianist Pete Drungle, and "special guests we can't announce" performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall for a show hosted by Greg Barris: Heart of Darkness
8:30 pm ($10): Helen Hong (Logo’s Setup Squad, Comedy Central, TLC), Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet), Ron Babcock (Last Comic Standing, HBO), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It
[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): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Dean Edwards (HBO, Saturday Night Live), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): A sharp Magnet musical improv troupe makes up stories with song and dance based on an audience suggestion: Choral Rage
9:00 pm ($8): Sharp improvisors from a sharp comedy town beyond NYC and Chicago performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: ImprovBoston Mainstage
9:30 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers at The PIT downstairs lounge: Rap Crimes Division
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code SBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come to the Soho Playhouse tonight to see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy
[TOP PICK] [$] 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): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then create an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here
10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place
10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv at The Magnet from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duo Trike
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: Along the lines of Mystery Science Theater 3000, NYC comics make comments about a terrible movie at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Big Fat Scary Saturday
[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
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East that includes superb NYC comics—unfortunately, not yet announced this time, but previous winners have included Dave Hill and Myq Kaplan—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
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), Matt McCarthy (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death, host of AMC's Action Pack, Comedy Central, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys, host of Marking Out), Alan Starzinski (Sandino), Michael Che, and Walking for Pennies performing at UCB Chelseat with host Andy Rocco at Underground Americana
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/8/12
Tonight's your last chance to see Amy Schumer headline at the Carolines
Comedy Club, or to experience
the best improv troupe in the world: The
Improvised Shakespeare Company
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 4:00 pm ($25 at the box office or $28 online): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 90 minutes with a true genius of both stand-up and storytelling. This show is the latter—a carefully constructed, detail-packed theatrical tale of two people and the small, quiet moments that make up their lives. Daniel says it's "about everything and nothing," and that's precisely right. After you see it, you may find it hard to not consider all the small moments lived by any person you pass by...and what the moments of your own life add up to. This one-man show played to packed houses at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and is now running every day except Mondays through January 29th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (29 Jay Street): It's Always Right Now, Until It's Later
[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
[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Matt Little (David Letterman), Seth Lind (This American Life), Jeremy Bent (Very Good Kiss), Christopher Scott (Against All Odds), and John Robert Wilson participate in "a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people's problems with their own stories" at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help
[FREE] 6:00 pm: At this monthly show, "three improv teams swap two performers each, pick a long-form style out of a hat, and then perform with their new rosters" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Yankee Swap
[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
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: NYC treasure Kurt Braunohler is the producer and host of this comedic "anti-game-show" game show aimed at becoming a TV series. It involves three comedic contestants being asked ridiculous questions so they can provide even more ridiculous answers. The winner, judged by Kurt, is then awarded points—which are meaningless, because no one ultimately wins and there are no prizes. Being taped at The Magnet, it's Pointless Live
7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match
[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A red-hot rising star whose Comedy Central Presents special was among the most popular of the series; has performed on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC's 30 Rock, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, FUSE, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show; and has interviewed such celebs as Sarah Silverman (to watch, please click here), headlining one more night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Amy Schumer
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, Chelsea Lately, host of The Party Machine; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), Matt Ruby (co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), George Gordon, Cameron Esposito, and Boris Khaykin 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): A unique show in which everyone on the lineup performs something inspired by a song—be it stand-up, a story, sketch, or what have you—and then sings that song karaoke-style. Tonight's comics are Michael Kupperman, Brian Raftery Rachel Shukert, and Matt Oberg performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Steve Heisler, Steve Jacobs, and Margaret Lyons: The Jukebox
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge for a free weekly show typically hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who's one of the best stand-ups in the country; former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Jay Pharoah (cast member on Saturday Night Live), Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Nore Davis, AG White, and Teddy Smith performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) guest-hosted by Seaton Smith: Comedy Night
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Mike Recine (Comedy Central), and Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon; co-host of Too Cool For School and If You Build It) performing at UCB East hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Andy Haynes, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup
[TOP PICK] 9:30 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, VH1, Comedy Central's Premium Blend) and Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction) performing stand-up sets at The PIT, and then improv troupe Before the Accident making up scenes springboarding off the material: Daws of Jeath
9:30 pm ($5): Jarret Berenstein performs a one-man show at The Magnet that mixes stand-up, sketch, and poorly executed animation: Boosh. Kla-Klau.
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Vicious Cycle
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($20 online with discount code FBKISC): Genius improvisors from Chicago delivering one of the funniest shows you'll ever see by making up a play on the spot using the language and themes of the Bard. This is the finest improv troupe in the world, and one of the best comedy shows of any kind, anywhere. The shows for Friday and Saturday sold out before this weekend run even began, but there are still some tickets left for Sunday at 10:00 pm. Don't miss this rare opportunity to enjoy the breathtakingly skilled Improvised Shakespeare Company
[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining tonight at the Carolines Comedy Club: Paul Mooney
[FREE] 10:00 pm: All-gal stand-ups Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; VH1, Showtime, host of TV pilot of The Liar Show), Kate Hendricks, and Harriet Halloway performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
11:00 pm ($5): A hybrid stand-up show that's an open mic for 10 comics selected at random plus a showcase for experienced booked comics, all at UCB East hosted by Steve Cronin: Curses in Cursive
Copyright © 2012 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
