NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/3/11
Paul W. Downs (The Paul Downs Syndrome) and Anthony Atamanuik (Diamond Lion)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
6:30 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 an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 6:30 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 Motel Luca
7:00 pm ($5): 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; and duo improv by friends who, by a wild coincidence, have the same name, in the double-bill The Cascade and We're Matt Weir
[FREE] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Eric Andre (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, Comedy Central), Sam Morril (2011 March Comedy Madness winner), Michael Blaustein (Gossip Girl, MTV), Robert Dean, and Larry Bailey performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
8:00 pm ( $5): A one-man show from Paul W. Downs that I haven't seen but have heard good things about; plus young talents perform a loud and mildly amusing sketch show about cops, in the double-bill The Paul Downs Syndrome and The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Jeff Hiller, Mike Still, Ashley Ward, and tonight's guest Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives)—making up a musical on the spot along with virtuoso improv pianist Frank Spitznagel: Diamond Lion
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Eric Andre (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, Comedy Central), John Gemberling (Adult Swim, Death by Roo Roo), and "a top secret guest"—at Whiplash
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 1/4/11
Legend-in-the-making Anthony Jeselnik (Sweet), and assorted odd characters at Brooklyn's Abnormal Psychology
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, eight improvisors trace the storylines of characters at a single event suggested by an audience member at Hell Buffalo
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month's topic "Abnormal Psychology" at Brooklyn's Union Hall for Charles Star's comedic show Adult Education
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($10 & 2-item min.): Sean Patton hosts Judah Friedlander, Rachel Feinstein, Kenny Zimlinghaus, and Jesse Popp at Sean Patton's Stand-Up Showcase
8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Robber Baron, Bastian, Ragnaröck, Badman, and The Opera; and at 11:00 pm "lots of your favorite Harold Night performers spin you around and dump you dizzy in this fully improvised show"—all at Harold Night
8:00 pm ($5; includes FREE CARVEL ICE CREAM!): Myq Kaplan (finalist on this summer's Last Comic Standing; Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, hot new comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), John Murdock, musical guests Mike Doughty and Joe Yoga, and an ice cream eating contest, all in the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Anthony Jeselnik (one of my all-time favorite stand-ups; writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents; hit comedy CD Shakespeare), Anthony Atamanuik (genius improvisor & storyteller; 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives), Josh Weinstein (stand-up/actor visiting from LA), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Eric Andre (stellar stand-up; HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, Comedy Central), Giulia Rozzi (co-host of Stripped Stories and Dive Comedy), Sean Crespo (host of The Shark Show), and Jesse Joyce performing stand-up 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
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 1/5/11
A delightful annual gathering of NYC's comedy community, it's time again for 50 First Jokes
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
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm doors, 8:00 pm show ($10 online using discount code FJ10): For the fifth time in a row, 50+ NYC comics 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 Amy Schumer, Sean Patton, Adira Amram, Myq Kaplan, Brooke Van Poppelen, Sara Schaefer, Andrea Rosen, Matt McCarthy, Ben Lerman, Ophira Eisenberg, Victor Varnado, Joe DeRosa Jared Logan, Kurt Braunohler, Mike Lawrence, Jon Friedman, Jena Friedman, Carmen Lynch, Roger Hailes, Vince Averill, Giulia Rozzi, Calise Hawkins, Matt Ruby, Mark Normand, Kurt Metzger, Brent Sullivan, Pat Dixon, Nate Bargatze, Sean Donnelly, Nick Turner, Sean O'Connor...and many, many more. There'll be a packed house at 92Y Tribeca for this lovely coming together of NYC's comedy community. Hosted by Claudia Cogan and John F. O’Donnell, it's the 2011 edition of 50 First Jokes
8:00 pm ($5): A highly quirky and dark multimedia sketch show from Peter Blomquist and Jeff Wiens that doesn't always hit the mark, but has an integrity to it that may end up haunting you; and Nicole Shabtai performing a one-woman show about "an illustrious 13-year-old socialite and notorious Upper East Side private schooler we all love to hate," in the double-bill Franco & Billy: Diamonds of Fire and Citizen Rothstein
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A double-bill of improv genius troupes: Gavin Speiller (Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers (Reuben Williams, Cage Match), and Jonathan Gabrus (The Law Firm, The Nights of Our Lives) make up a single long scene as Outlook of the Poet; and Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik make up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie
[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 1/6/11
The irresistible Mamrie Hart & best friend Steve Soroka debut their all-new sketch show tonight: BoF: It's Pronounced 'Boaf'!...
...and Giulia Rozzi and Margot Leitman celebrate the Fourth Anniversary of their superb sexy storytelling show Stripped Stories
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
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[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm: Chicago-based veteran sketch/improv comic Bob Kulhan performs his acclaimed one-man show Shecky Kulhan: Theater of the Mind; and Young talents make up comedy scenes based on a popular board game in Clue: The Improvised Edition
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The unsinkable Mamrie Hart and her comedy partner Stephen Soroka are Best of Friends, and tonight they debut an entirely new sketch show that educates you about how to effectively promote it when you tell all your friends to see it: BoF: It's Pronounced 'Boaf'!; and Michael Hartney performs a one-man show about being gay, wearing capes, and making metaphors in So I Like Superman
8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors play with "elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde" in Sleepover
[$] 8:00 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 through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney
[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 comedy genius Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Comedy as a Second Language
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill), Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, the other co-host of Righteous Kill), Andy Haynes, Adam Conover, and Dan Curry performing stand-up at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a show hosted & produced by recently engaged couple Sean Crespo & Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Celebrating the Fourth Anniversary of the best sexy storytelling show in NYC are sensual hosts Margot Leitman (Conan O'Brien, VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com, co-host of Dive Comedy), with tonight's guests Jiwon Lee and Ryan Britt telling sexual tales revolving around the theme "Outrageous!", plus raunchy comedic songs from the spectacular Jessica Delfino, at what promises to be a special evening of Stripped Stories
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): A unique sports-themed stand-up, sketch comedy, and interview show hosted by Scott Rogowsky and Neil Janowitz that features both professional sports stars and comics doing sports-themed comedy: 12 Angry Mascots
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): The heavens themselves will shake as improv titans Death by Roo Roo and Reuben Williams square off in a competition for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 1/7/11
Life-affirming shows about cancer and suicide from comedy giants Pam Murphy (The C Word) and Daniel Kitson (Gregory Church)...
...and Chris Gethard and Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan are among the stellar talents performing improv hip-hop at The BEATdown
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] 7:30 pm ($10): Pamela Murphy proves herself to be a star in this not-to-be-missed autobiographical show that's the best-scripted one-act to grace 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, A delightful tale of heartbreak by Leslie Meisel—who manages the impressive feat of being adorable, sexy, and hilarious all at the same time, and is a sharp comedic talent very much worth keeping an eye on—quite ably abetted by co-writer Megan Neuringer in one of the smartest theatrical shows to grace UCBT this year: Love Can Suck a Dick...and So Can I
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A groundbreaking and surreal improv/sketch troupe—tonight performing with musical guests Marshall York, Jacob Brown and Chris O'Brien: Centralia
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($30 & 2-item min.): A TV & movie star known for his wry, smart observations headlining tonight through Sunday at the Comix Comedy Club: Larry Miller
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($45): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected comics alive. I'm seeing his one-man play tonight, so will be more specific about it shortly. It's running through January 30th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (38 Water Street): The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Julian McCullough (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Mike Lawrence (up-and-coming sharp stand-up), Will Hines (UCBT improv & sketch star determined to become great at stand-up too), and Joe Pera performing at O'Hanlon's (14th Street off 1st Avenue), hosted by Matt Ruby: Hot Soup
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Julian McCullough (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Roger Hailes (Comedy Central, VH1), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central), Damien Lemon, Annie Lederman, and Jono Zalay performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Red Star Bar (37 Greenpoint Avenue) for hosts Nick Turner's & Jason Saenz's Too Cool for School
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
[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] Midnight ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC—who tonight include Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake; Magic Box of Stories, The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of book Weird New York), Liam McEneaney (host of Tell Your Friends), Dave Rosinsky (Whitest Kids U Know), Kevin Barnett (Roundtable Of Gentlemen Podcast), and Whitney Meers (Comedy Central, Atom.com)—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius comedic musical performers Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) all at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/8/11
Tonight kicks off a four-night run of the smartest & funniest 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:
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Brilliant improvisor Thomas Middleditch (Improvised Shakespeare Company, Baby Wants Candy, The Law Firm) and Matt Oberg (Big Black Car) team up for one night only as improv duo Bergditch
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Becky Drysdale, and more—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors who've included writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($30 & 2-item min.): A TV & movie star known for his wry, smart observations headlining tonight at the Comix Comedy Club: Larry Miller
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($28 online using discount code TMANIA): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected comics alive. I'll be catching his life-affirming show about suicide and more on 1/12, but sight unseen am reasonably sure it's amazing. It's running every day except Mondays through January 30th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (38 Water Street): The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church
[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Seth Herzog, Carmen Lynch, Pat Stango, Luke Cunningham, Kevin McCaffrey, Michael Che, and Alene Latimer performing stand-up at The Triple Crown Alehouse & Restaurant (330 7th Avenue, between 28th and 29th Streets) at Sean Donnelly's 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
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 ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:30 pm ($17 online or at the door with discount code T80ISC): 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. Tonight is the first of a four-night NYC run, with every evening utterly different from the last. Don't miss this rare opportunity to enjoy the breathtakingly skilled Improvised Shakespeare Company
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams
10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike
[TOP PICK] 11:00 ($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 won last year's ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group: Murderfist: Late and Dirty
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Anthony Atamanuik (genius improvisor & storyteller; 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives), Matt Koff (The Onion), stand-up Neal Stastny, and more "celebrating the seedy and urbane life in America; think of us as The Prairie Home Companion, just a little more fucked up" at Andy Rocco's Underground Americana
[$] 12:30 am ($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 through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/9/11
There are just three more evenings to catch the smartest
& funniest improv comedy troupe in the world
in a spectacular
NYC run that must
not be missed:
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 $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 4:00 pm ($28 online using discount code TMANIA): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected comics alive. I'll be catching his life-affirming show about suicide and more on 1/12, but sight unseen am reasonably sure it's amazing. It's running every day except Mondays through January 30th at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse (38 Water Street): The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church
6:30 pm ($5): "Dave and Carl are writing the single most awesome thing ever, the movie Zombies vs. Vikings. They're really excited, and have got all the stuff you need to write that sort of thing: Pens, paper, snacks, and lives spent ingesting genre cinema. Come join them, and peer behind the curtain as the creative process gives birth to history's greatest movie. Sorry, film:" Dave and Carl: Zombies va. Vikings
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($17 online or at the door with discount code T80ISC): Genius improvisors from Chicago delivering one of the funniest shows you'll ever see by making up a play on the spot using the language and themes of the Bard. This is the finest improv troupe in the world, and one of the best comedy shows of any kind, anywhere. Tonight is the second of a four-night NYC run, with every evening utterly different from the last. Don't miss this rare opportunity to enjoy the breathtakingly skilled Improvised Shakespeare Company
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Mike Lawrence (up-and-coming sharp stand-up), Erin Judge (Comedy Central; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), Joe Pera, and Gonzalo Cordova performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
[$] 8:00 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 at Carolines: Paul Mooney
8:00 pm ($5): Young talents at the Magnet debut a show that makes it easy to identify its genre: Romantic Comedy: The Musical
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($18 online using discount code FAYB ): One of the very best shows at FringeNYC 2010 was an award-winning comedy from NYC's own Faye Lane, a luminous storyteller and singer who will charm your socks off—and possibly give you a moon pie to boot—at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this final performance of the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: A rare appearance from the hilarious Heather Lawless (Variety SHAC); plus Jay Pharoah, Rae Sanni, Tirrell Abraham, The Brothers Lucas, and Joey Gay 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: Mike Dobbins (unique stream of consciousness comic), Greg Johnson (Sirius Radio host), Roger Hailes (Comedy Central, VH1), Ryan Conner, and John F. O'Donnell performing stand-up in the East Village's Beauty Bar at Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not yet announced) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy tonight hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Copyright © 2011 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
