NYC Comedy Picks for Week of July 18, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 7/18/11

Star stand-ups Colin Quinn (Whiplash) and John Mulaney (For the Hour)...

...and Chicago's Jet Eveleth—accompanied by ace improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock) & Paul Brittain (SNL)—at Touched

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 in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

7:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups telling jokes, followed by improvisors making up scenes springboarding off the material, at Daws of Death

7:00 pm & 9:30 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 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:30 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison's Motel Luca

[FREE] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Josh Homer (Comedy Central), Geno Bisconte (FOX News), Hadiyah Robinson (BET), Rose Surnow, Merril Davis, and Brendan McLaughlin performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A writer/performer for Saturday Night Live (for a sample, please click here) who's also one of the very finest stand-ups in the country—with appearances on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever, etc.—performing a deliciously long set tonight that's likely to leave you breathless with laughter and chuckling weeks later: John Mulaney: For the Hour

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Improv genius Scott Adsit (30 Rock) & Paul Brittain (Saturday Night Live) make up scenes from the air; and a (mostly) one-woman show from Jet Eveleth, the artistic director of the Chicago Improv Festival, and who the Chicago Tribune has called "always terrific and subtle" (for video samples, please click here and here): Adsit & Brittain, and Jet Eveleth's Touched

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): Ira Glass (host of NPR's This American Life), Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), a "hilarious lady from LA," guest DJ Ted Leo, and as house band the super-amazing Adira Amram and the Experience (winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act)—performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from multi-award winning Kurt Braunohler (Kristen's tied up but will be back with Kurt next week): Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): My #1 pick for the 2007 FringeNYC Festival, this wonderful group of actresses/improvisors portray characters as if they were in a play, but improvise everything they say and do. The luminous performers include Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg, Lauren Seikaly, and Molly Knefel, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they've all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title's Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest & nuanced improvised shows you'll ever see. This show was previously a wonderful theatrical event that cost $18 and up. Don't miss this five-week Monday evening run, concluding August 15th, at the elegant Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street, near the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop) that allows you to catch the gals for a mere $10: Naked in a Fishbowl

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): UCBT has developed several terrific in-house sketch comedy troupes, but only one of them currently rivals the finest sketch groups in the country: Gramp's, spearheaded by comedy genius Kate McKinnon. Kate's group will be trying out all-new bits tonight, but the chances are at least some of them will be breathtakingly smart, inventive, and hilarious. Also on this double-bill is house troupe Onassis, which isn't nearly in the same league, but includes such notable performers as Sue Galloway—all at Maude Night

9:30 pm ($5): "A group of renegade writers, actors, directors, and designers brought together by a shared belief that theatricality, production values, and sketch comedy are not mutually exclusive;" 2010 INNY Award winners for Best NY Sketch Group: People's Sketch Association

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic sketch, stand-up, improv, videos, and anything else quick & comedic, at The Magnet with host Leanne Linsky: Casual Sketch

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include TV & movie star Colin Quinn (Broadway & HBO show Long Story Short, Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central's legendary Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn), TV & movie star TJ Miller (David Letterman, Opie & Anthony; co-stared in ABC sitcom Carpoolers; co-starred in such hit movies as Cloverfield and She's Out of My League; member of awesome sketch troupe Heavyweight, which blew the roof off at SketchFest NYC 2011), the lovely 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 Nate Bargatze (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central) 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 7/19/11

Ted Alexandro and The Story Pirates are among the treats at tonight's The Moon Show...

...and two of the most beloved wild men in comedy, Sean Patton and Eric Andre, perform tonight at Sweet

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

7:00 pm ($5): Improv from Dustin Drury & Andrew Yurman-Glaser that captures the laid-back feel of Upstate New York; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv revolving around "the anticipation, the fall-out, that fragile moment when love blooms or dies" in Double Date

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek hosted by Robert Dean: The Dean's List

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage for a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT's downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Jennifer Dziura, who hosts Brooklyn's Spelling Bee, debuts a one-woman show about punctuation: "Do you know your colon from your semicolon? Enjoy a fun-filled (and pun-filled) romp through the major punctuation marks, those that never quite took off, and some unorthodox uses of punctuation. Those tiny symbols on the printed page mean more than you ever imagined. Also, if you've ever wanted to volunteer to come on stage and punctuate something, this is your chance!:" The Punctuation Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): "Gadgets, gizmos, doodads—we're surrounded by and immersed in them. They connect us across the world and separate us in the same room, show us new forests and hide the trees, fix our hearts and raise our cholesterol. We invent them, but they reinvent us." Writers/tech nerds Amy Klein (editor of Brain World), Sara Peters (tech writer), "B" (creator of STFU Parents), Justin D'Ambrosio (theater tech), Nicole Ferraro (writer), and David Smithyman (comic) tell funny tales at this monthly show that tonight focuses on Technology at Brooklyn's Pacific Standard (82 Fourth Avenue): The Story Collider

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Dance Break, Very Good Kiss, American Cousin, Sandino, and Standard Oil, and at 11:00 pm advanced UCBT students making up theatrical plays on the spot—all at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), The Story Pirates (awesome theatre troupe that performs plays written by children, hilariously), The Brothers Hines (ace improvisors Will & Kevin Hines), and Supercute ("girls armed to the teeth with small guitars") performing at Brooklyn's Union Pool (484 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars such as co-producer Jordan Clifford, the delightful Camille Harris, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

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: The Sound & The Fury and Tambourine

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5):Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Eric Andre (hilarious wild man; HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, ABC's Apartment 23, TBS' Lopez Report, Comedy Central, FOX's In the Flow), Josh Zepps (visiting comedy star from Australia), Barry Rothbart (TNT's Men of a Certain Age), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:30 pm ($5): Terrific NYC stand-ups James Adomian, Carmen Lynch, Mike Recine, Amber Nelson, and Joe Machi performing at the PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

[FREE] 9:30 pm: 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), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), Sean Donnelly (host of a whole bunch of shows), Erik Bergstrom, and Selena Coppock performing stand-up at Queens LIC's The Creek hosted by Jackie Zebrowski, Julia Johns, and Sharron Paul: Twat's Up!

9:30 pm ($8): Two students from Peter Michael Marino's Flying Solo Class at The PIT try out their one-person shows. One sounds quite interesting: "When a small town girl gets placed in a South Bronx elementary school to teach drama, she faces the wild challenge with a little wink to Michelle Pfeiffer, Sidney Poitier, and Michael Jackson:" Drama at the Point! Huntspoint!

[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 7/20/11

Chicago's Jet Eveleth—accompanied by Paul Brittain (Saturday Night Live)—performs her one-woman show Touched...

...and mind-blowing musical dark comedy group The Cowmen perform at Monsters

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): A mostly one-woman show from Jet Eveleth, the artistic director of the Chicago Improv Festival, and who the Chicago Tribune has called "always terrific and subtle" (for video samples, please click here and here), tonight with special guest Paul Brittain (Saturday Night Live): Jet Eveleth's Touched

8:00 pm, 9:00 pm, and 10:00 pm ($5): Magnet house troupes performing improv, followed by a free show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

[$] 7:30 pm ($19 & 2-drink min.): A finalist on two seasons of Last Comic Standing headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Gary Gulman

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($30): Improv geniuses Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Chris Gethard, Fran Gillespie, Anthony King, and Shannon O'Neill, plus stand-up Adam Lowitt, performing at a benefit for Gilda's Club: The Gilda Club's Summer Night Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): The Cowmen (jaw-dropping dark comedy group, with members of Murderfist), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central), and Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Nick Turner: Monsters

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Matt Koff (The Onion, Newlywed Game), Will Hines (UCBT superstar, College Humor), Boris Khaykin, and Grant Gordon performing stand-up at the East Village's Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad's & Amy Albert's free weekly show Comedy School Dropout

[$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's appeared on Last Comic Standing and Comedy Central, and starred in her own CBS series Costello, headlining for one night only at the Gotham Comedy Club: Sue Costello

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Storytellers 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 Jefferson (Moth StorySlam winner), and stand-ups Paul Mecurio (The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Lee Rubenstein (ABC, MTV), Luke Thayer (Tyra Banks, Food Network), and Megan O'Keefe performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, producer of Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Andrea Rosen (most hilarious pregnant stand-up alive; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Comedy Central's Stella, Variety SHAC, one-woman show Ding Dong Meow, winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up), comics writer Michael Kupperman, and more sharing memorable tales of their material being turned down at Jon Friedman's wonderful The Rejection Show

[$] 9:30 pm ($19 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's appeared on WeTV's Cinematherapy, the BBC, and a whole bunch of radio comedy shows, headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Leah Bonnema

[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

[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

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 7/21/11

UCBT is the place to be tonight, with four incredible shows in a row:
Andrea "Might Give Birth Any Second" Rosen's Ding Dong Meow, Amy Heidt's & Jeff Hiller's The Last Resort...

...improv genius John Lutz with Meagan O'Brien in Just One Scene, and sole improvisor
(and reigning champ) Fran Gillespie vs. stellar musical improv troupe Diamond Lion at Cage Match

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: Open-mic stand-up with comics drawing names from a bucket, with each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Corby Haas

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Two of the finest comedic actors in NYC, Amy Heidt and Jeff Hiller, debut a one-act comedy about love and murder that you don't want to miss (and schedule permitting, I'll be there too): The Last Resort ...

...and the second half of this double-bill features one of the very best shows at UCBT. Andrea Rosen is already famed as a comic—in fact, she won the prestigious 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up—but what's not as well-known is that Andrea's among the finest comedic storytellers in the country. This one-woman show should fix that. It offers smart, fearless, hilarious material ranging from fast food you should avoid to the medicinal power of a boyfriend's penis. It also provides one of the sharpest comedic performances that will grace NYC this year (for which kudos are also deserved by the show's superb director, John Flynn). Plus if you sit in the first few rows, expect free home-baked cookies. Don't miss Andrea's unique blend of dark comedy and silliness: Ding Dong Meow

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Wonderful comic Kurt Braunohler "relates how he destroyed a 13-year relationship in the dumbest, most complicated way possible, with bar fights, naked men, walruses, and an audition for Sasha Baron Cohen" in the one-man show The Amish Guide to Fucking

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Some of the Magnet Theatre's finest improvisors make up theatrical plays on the spot: Playhouse

8:00 pm ($5): David Foster (HBO, Showtime, MTV), Jamie Lee (VH1, Last Comic Standing), and Damien Lemon, and more performing stand-up at The PIT's downstairs lounge hosted by comedic rapper Andrew Singer and the delightful Abbi Crutchfield: Positively Awesome

[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: Comedy as a Second Language

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): John Lutz co-stars on 30 Rock, and previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live; but what's most important to know for this show is John's one of the most hilarious improvisors alive. Tonight he teams with Meagan O'Brien to focus on Just One Scene

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Movie star Janeane Garofalo, Molly Knefel (Naked in a Fishbowl, John & Molly Get Along), Nick Rutherford, and more performing stand-up at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for Sean Crespo's & Carol Hartsell's weekly comedy show Lasers in the Jungle

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT's basement lounger for The Scene

[$] 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 through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): In a squeaker, superb improv troupe Doppleganger was toppled by audience votes of 74 to 62 for a lone performer: Fran Gillespie. Tonight Fran attempts to repeat her remarkable feat against one of the finest musical improv troupes in the country, DIamond Lion. This is a show you don't want to miss, as brilliant improvisors fight for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT for this comedy club-style (i.e., long set) weekly show hosted by Harrison Greenbaum: The Big One

11:00 pm ($5): Magnet improv troupes Listen, Kid! and Brick compete for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component—at Inspirado

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 7/22/11

Kate McKinnon shows off her world-class star quality in one of the best shows of the year, Kate McKinnon on Ice;
and then Mike Still shows off his thirst to rule the world in Dictator for Life...

...and later in the evening, the gals of Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting perform their best sketches at A-Side/B-Side,
while Laura Grey and friends perform improv based on your gripes at The Friday Night Sh*w

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 in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox

7:00 pm ($8): Award-winning improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan make stuff up with "a celebrity guest improvisor' at Swords, while all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

7:00 pm ($7): "Strange, mysterious, beautiful, and disgusting, this show will dazzle you with sketch comedy... and magic!" by The Weird Sisters

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Sketch comedy genius Kate McKinnon performing her latest one-woman show, which features "Singing! Dancing! Ice Skating! Hoarders! Conjoined Twins! Temple Grandin!" This inventive, dynamic production is among the very best to grace the UCBT stage this year. (And if you don't want to take my word alone, check out Jane Borden's Time Out New York review.) Kate is the most precious of diamonds in our NYC comedy community; come see why in Kate McKinnon on Ice...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, Mike Still (Death by Roo Roo, Diamond Lion) performs a one-man show that—like Kate's show—was directed by fellow Roo Roo star Neil Casey: Dictator For Life

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($20 online using discount code BBOX1): 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. This marvelous event recently received a 2011 Bistro Award for Musical Comedy and 2011 MAC Award for Special Production. Please read my review by clicking here, watch Faye make a pecan pie by clicking here, and then take advantage of this revival running Friday nights to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Chris Laker, Sean Donnelly, and Nick Rutherford performing stand-up at O'Hanlon's (14th Street off 1st Avenue) hosted by Mark Normand: Hot Soup

8:00 pm ($10): An improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

8:00 pm ($7): Greg Wilker & Kelly Buttermore perform the best sketches they've written over the past five years at Kelly & Greg: 2007-2011

[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 & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's performed numerous times on David Letterman and Jay Leno, starred in his own Comedy Central Presents special, and starred in a second Comedy Central special titled Mitch Fatel is Magical, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club (with opener Michael Somerville): Mitch Fatel

[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): "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 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." In other words, improv from Chet Watkins

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15): An imaginative and award-winning sketch troupe using song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about how boys will be girls, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors, including such world-class performers as the breathtakingly talented Tara Copeland, using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Comedy genius Thomas Middleditch (when he's not in LA), Nate Lang, Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Fran Gillespie Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before the show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Three NYC sketch troupes—delightful gal duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, quick-witted Patrick Borelli, and guy duo Inside Joke Films—each performing one of their most popular bits and one of their personal favorites in a sketch revue hosted by Aaron Kheifets: A-Side/B-Side

[$] 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 Saturday 7/23/11

Adam Newman celebrates his new comedy CD; the always fearless & innovative Shannon O'Neill tackles Casey Anthony

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): Best friends Kathy Salerno (storyteller at Risk!) and Emily Altman (sketch comic for Onassis) form a sketch comedy duo directed by a friend of mine, the forever young and sexy Amanda Duarte: Total Sweethearts

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic storytelling at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Eugene Ashton-Gonzalez: 1001 Nights

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Joe Bill, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, Kay Cannon, Christina Gausas, and other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions—all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball

7:30 pm ($5): A one-woman show by Alexis Lambright about her quest to pop her cherry: Combating Adult Virginity

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Movie star Janeane Garofalo, Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), 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), Harrison Greenbaum, Owen Smith, Lucas Molandes, and Nick Rutherford performing at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with hosts Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Adam Newman (College Humor) and friends celebrate the release of his comedy CD Not for Horses at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City: Adam Newman CD Release Party

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's performed numerous times on David Letterman and Jay Leno, starred in his own Comedy Central Presents special, and starred in a second Comedy Central special titled Mitch Fatel is Magical, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club (with opener Michael Somerville): Mitch Fatel

[FREE—plus FREE BEER!] 8:00 pm: A variety show of stand-up, storytelling, and sketch that's not only free, but promises to give each of the first 25 audience members who arrive a free beer! Unfortunately, the lineup is never announced in advance; but if you'd care to take a chance, join hosts Ray Combs Jr., Evan Jacobs, and Aalap Patel as they provide you a drink On the House

[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—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): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Dean Edwards, Jordan Carlos, David Foster, 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] [$] 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 as comedy duo Trike

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Comedic storytelling about love in NYC and more at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City: Variety Amour

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): From the fearless and always innovative Shannon O'Neill, who won the 2011 ECNY Award for Best One-Person Show: "I seem to have made a big ole mistake. I wrote a script, I purchased the props, but I forgot to rehearse it. And on top of that I HAVE NO CAST!!!! So... I am going to cast YOU, moments before the show starts. I will hand you a script, give you some props and instruct you to just listen and get ready to perform. Oh man this is going to be a fucking mess of BEAUTY!! If you want a chance to be cast, make reservations and get in line by 11:15pm. I, Shannon O'Neill will personally come out and hand pick the best damn group of Thespians this play has ever seen and will ever see because this play will only be performed ONCE, never to be seen again! What do I look for in a cast? I love fatties, I love skinnies, I love sober people, I love drunk people. I love you all. Every shape, size, and ethnicity. Let's hold hands and spin the world! What is this play about? Something real fucking weird. Thanks for helping me fix my mistake. I'll see you soon friends!:" The Unrehearsed, Historically Inaccurate Story of...Casey Anthony

[FREE] Midnight: Two teams drawn from veteran improvisors, with each taking on an audience member drawn from a hat, making up scenes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Amey Goerlich and a different guest each month: Midnight Improv Run

[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form "rare and wonderful one-night-only teams," with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 7/24/11

Jane Borden, James Adomian, and Carmen Lynch perform at Sunday Night Stand-Up

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy today & tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 2:00 pm: Eddie Brill (long-time warm-up comic and booker for David Letterman), Moody McCarthy (Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Kimmel), Adam Newman (MTV, College Humor, new comedy CD Not for Horses), and John F. O'Donnell performing stand-up for a free outdoor show—yes, in the middle of a heat wave, so don't wear much—at Tompkins Square Park, at the Old Bandshell Lawn (off 7th Street & Avenue A): Laughter in the Park

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open mic stand-up show (for details, please click here) at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Open

6:30 pm ($5): A show auditioning for a run at The Magnet with no description beyond this intriguing title: Old Timey Radio Show

[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] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Jane Borden (treasured Comedy Editor of Time Out New York, author of I Totally Meant to Do That), James Adomian (talented impressionist; finalist on last summer's Last Comic Standing), Carmen Lynch (also a finalist on Last Comic Standing), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), Nick Rutherford, and Tom Dunlap performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

8:00 pm ($5): A sketch show from new and potentially filthy troupe Turboner Bigote

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT's downstairs lounge for a free weekly show typically hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's performed numerous times on David Letterman and Jay Leno, starred in his own Comedy Central Presents special, and starred in a second Comedy Central special titled Mitch Fatel is Magical, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club (with openers Ophira Eisenberg and Michael Somerville): Mitch Fatel

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Music from the unforgettable dark comedy group The Cowmen and more at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Murderfist's Holden McNeely & Ed Larson: Stage Fright

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improv troupe Phooka goes scripted with a sketch show about "tales of the wild and weird people, places, and events this side of Crazytown; true stories of all things that most folks only whisper about—and those who hear wish they didn't!;" plus in the second half of this double-bill, "a magical world of female centaurs, space gladiatrixes, serpent gods, and Glenn Close as fantasy artist Julie Bell takes audience members on a ride through her life's work and explains the strange and mundane inspirations behind her masterpieces...unleash your inner robobird!": Phooka and Julie Bell

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Carolyn Castiglia (hilarious stand-up and white rapper; VH1, MTV), Yamaneika (BET), and Chantal Carerre (Boston Comedy Festival) performing stand-up at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 4 minutes per comic, at The PIT's downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Vicious Cycle

NYC Comedy Picks for Tonight

Previous NYC Comedy Picks

Home Page

Email: hy@hyreviews.com