NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 7/2/12
Legendary comics Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh celebrate the 10th
Anniversary of their indie feature film
with a screening and Q&A—plus free wine—at UCB East: Martin & Orloff
For my complete write-up of this past weekend's epic Del
Close Marathon,
please click here.
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: Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1) is tonight's guest on this open mic storytelling show, with audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 8 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Jake Hart: The Dump
[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
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5; includes free wine!): The NYC UCB theaters are closed today to enjoy the hangovers from this weekend's epic Del Close Marathon...except for this show, which is a 10th Anniversary celebration screening of Matt Walsh's & Ian Robert's indie feature film Martin & Orloff at UCB East (which used to be a movie theatre) and that will include a Q&A afterwards with comedy legends Ian & Matt: Matt Walsh & Ian Roberts and Martin & Orloff
[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
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): 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), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Kendra Cunningham, Chad Plaines, and more performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn's Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway's Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Mike Denny, Michael Che, and Nimesh Patel, and often featuring free beer: Broken Comedy
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Sketch comics Jon Bass (Book of Mormon), Matthew Robert Gehring (The Story Pirates), Anna Drezen (Famous Last Words), and Emma Tattenbaum-Fine (Political Subversities) each show off their solo character work for this unique show at The PIT upstairs theatre, hosted by Branson Reese & Sam Martin: Comedy Expo
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Following a club format, hosts Nore Davis & Andrew Short perform stand-up throughout for a total of 25 minutes, two comics each perform a 15-minute set, and then a seasoned headliner closes out the show with a 20-minute set, all at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: On the Road
[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Luke Thayer (Tyra Banks; co-host of The Living Room), Hilary Schwartz, Tim Warner, J-L Cauvin, Adi Blotman, and Angry Bob performing at Brooklyn's Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host Pat O'Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic storytelling show at The Magnet hosted by Kelly Buttermore: Storytelling Mixer
[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
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Exceptionally supportive stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 7/3/12
Don't miss what may be the last chance in a long while to see Julia
Wiedeman in her memorable sketch show
Naked
People;
and catch frenetic anarchy from the wonderful Eric Andre headlining at
the Gotham Comedy Club for ComedyJuice
For my complete write-up of this past weekend's epic Del
Close Marathon,
please click here.
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a witty and ultimately exhilarating exploration of baring it all by fabulous long-time nudist Julia Wiedeman. Julia is a charismatic actress whose star is just starting to rise, and is well worth catching even beyond the enjoyment of her playful beauty. Check out promo videos here and here and here, and then run to see what may be the last performance for quite a while of Naked People
[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Chesley Calloway (co-host of renowned Comedy as a Second Language): The Ches Club
7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes GoodGirl, Johnny Romance, and Bucky at this first half (see 9:15 pm for more) of Harold Night
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of my favorite people, Julie Sharbutt—who's performed with some of the greatest improvisors alive at UCBT's Gravid Water—goes for improv gold herself with comedy partner Cathleen Carr (Birds, The Scene, Dos Experimentos) as they "hope to establish themselves as the leading voices in contemporary South Boston crime noir improv comedy. Watch them, along with special guests Bob Kulhan and Joe Schiappa, unspool a suspenseful, heavily-accented mystery thrilla" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Mystic Improv
8:00 pm ($8): Newest PIT house sketch troupe National Scandal performs at The PIT downstairs lounge: National Scandal
[FREE] 8:00 pm: This 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: MInt Condition and Rosencrantz
9:00 pm (no cover, one drink min.): Erin Judge (Comedy Central; new album So Many Choices), Josh Gondelman, Katie East, Brendan McLaughlin, and "special guests" performing stand-up for this weekly show at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) with tonight's host Erin Judge: The Afterlife: Independence
9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Creature, The Regulars, and Sandino—plus four separate three-person groups of advanced students each perform one long scene in a form called The Three-Hander—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night
9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up, sketch, videos, and more at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre with Jeffrey Joseph and hosts Ron Krasnow & Joel Walkowski: The Short Bus
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Eric Andre (hilarious wild man; creator and co-star of genius new Adult Swim series The Eric Andre Show; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, ABC's Apartment 23, Comedy Central, FOX, TBS), John Roy (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Bryan Callen (The Hangover, The Hangover 2, Warrior, Comedy Central, Mad TV, Entourage), and more performing at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Freid: ComedyJuice
[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe Mint Condition 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
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 7/4/12
For my complete write-up of this past weekend's epic Del
Close Marathon,
please click here.
Most of the usual suspects are closed tonight, but there's an
improv
mini-festival at The PIT
and (assuming its Web site is accurate) business as usual at The Creek:
Noon to midnight ($5 per hour, $20 for the whole day): 12 hours of improv from 30 PIT house troupes and indie troupes at The PIT upstairs theatre for The 2nd Annual Indie-Pendence Day Festival
[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
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do sets "and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show
[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 7/5/12
TV stars Colin Quinn and Eric Andre perform stand-up at Free Healthcare...
...and one of John Flynn's dearest friends, Jackie Clarke, visits from LA to celebrate his upcoming birthday at Oh, Hey Guys
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Jackie Clarke (NPR's This American Life, FOX, VH1, Logo, Playgirl, former member of Death by Roo Roo; co-creater/co-star with John of Showgirls: The Best Movie Ever Made Ever!) visits from LA to be tonight's guest at this weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn (memorably featured here): Oh, Hey Guys!
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT mix with novices on-stage at Pitch
[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
7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Hot Diner and THEM
[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe The Boss to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer
8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: East Side Orphan Riot and Harvey
8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Phooka, Hello Laser, The Boss, and Junior Varsity performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Alex Marino directing Events (improv that explores a single event through flashbacks, dashes, and other time-bending techniques), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component), featuring last week's winner against Hello Laser: The Magnet's Night Out
[FREE] 8:00 pm: "A stand-up comedy showcase and baking competition—come to eat or come to compete" at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Cody Hess & Jessica Gross: Cookies!
8:00 pm ($8): Sketches from young and forlorn comics at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Meredith Hackman: The Saddest Sketch Show Ever
[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/or comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language
9:00 pm ($5): Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Bunk; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing, MTV's Ridiculousness, VH1), Michael Che (Comedy Central), Sean Donnelly (host of many shows), and Alison Leiby performing at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover: Fresh Out
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($8): TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, Eric Andre (hilarious wild man; creator and co-star of genius new Adult Swim series The Eric Andre Show; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, ABC's Apartment 23, Comedy Central, FOX, TBS), and DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge co-produced by Meg Cupernall and hosted by Ryan Conner (freelance writer for SNL, BBC): Free Healthcare
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Saturday Night Live write Mike O'Brien "performs solo sketch and stand-up, reads a short story, and in general, does things. Come out to see experimental comedy as well as comedy that involves no experimentation" at UCB Chelsea: MIke O'Brien: 45 Minutes of Things
9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge for 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): Grandma's Ashes beat up a girl last week, besting improv troupe GoodGirl 75-16. Tonight it's likely to burn down Out of the Woods as these two teams compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match
11:00 pm ($5): "Secret movie screenings of movies you probably haven't seen and/or should see again" at UCB East (which used to be a movie theatre) hosted by Ryan Karels (Grandma's Ashes, Krompf), JD Amato (Harold Night), and Mike Roth (Two Boots Video): Secret Movie Show Presented by Two Boots Video
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 7/6/12
John Flynn stars as a singing shark at the Broadway Comedy Club in Jaws: The Musical
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage
[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($10 plus 1 drink min.): "Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theater, a shark swims right into your heart." Beloved storyteller/stand-up/sketch comic John Flynn stars as a singing shark, along with Laura Daniel, Brett Douglas, Wayne Henry, Jason Salmon, and Suzanne Stein in this 40-minute musical written & composed by Wayne Henry at the Broadway Comedy Club (318 West 53rd Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues), running tonight, Saturday, and next weekend: Jaws: The Musical
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Eric Andre (hilarious wild man; creator and co-star of genius new Adult Swim series The Eric Andre Show; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, ABC's Apartment 23, Comedy Central, FOX, TBS), W. Kamau Bell (Chris Rock-produced FX show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), and Kris Tinkle (Rooftop Comedy Records) performing stand-up, plus other comics doing sketch, improv, and who knows what else, at The PIT downstairs lounge with host Jeremy Wein: Undefined
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): One of my favorite writer/actress/improvisors, the brilliant and luminous Lauren Olson, teams with Jon Bander and Karsten Cross at The Magnet to perform as improv trio Mr. Gorsky
7:00 pm ($7): Improv at The Magnet from troupe Honey
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): "To celebrate the first ever CBGB's Festival, Jake Fogelnest has pulled hilarious and entertaining clips from punk rock history: The Sex Pistols cursing live on the BBC! FEAR starts a riot on Saturday Night Live! Jello Biafra explaining the Beastie Boys to Oprah!" at UCB East with extra special guests Chris Gethard and Julie Klausner: A Civilized Discussion with Jake Fogelnest
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Comedy genius Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Stepfathers, Diamond Lion) does a show based on nothing but interviews with the audience and sheer guts at UCB Chelsea for one night only: Strangers Wanted with Shannon O'Neill
[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
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w
[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A cast member on FOX's new In Living Color who's also performed on Jay Leno and Last Comic Standing headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Maronzio Vance
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot—tonight featuring ace guest improvisors Jeff Hiller (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) and Tim Martin (Airwolf): Diamond Lion
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB Chelsea's all-star members of The Stepfathers
[$] [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): Mike Britt, Maddog Mattern, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:30 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello
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: Long-form improv from troupe CSO at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Casual Sex Offenders
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Fran Gillespie, Jon Gabrus, Sue Galloway, Matt Fisher, Craig Rowin, Nate Lang, and other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
10:30 pm ($10): NYC comics (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail
Midnight ($5): A three-person improv competition at UCB East hosted by Brian Glidewell, Josh Patten, and Ben Rameaka: Three for All
[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Plus it's hosted by members of Maude troupe Fambly, often including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 7/7/12
John Flynn continues to star as a shark looking for love in Jaws: The Musical
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 ("starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one") at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour
[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($10 plus 1 drink min.): "Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theater, a shark swims right into your heart." Beloved storyteller/stand-up/sketch comic John Flynn stars as a singing shark, along with Laura Daniel, Brett Douglas, Wayne Henry, Jason Salmon, and Suzanne Stein in this 40-minute musical written & composed by Wayne Henry at the Broadway Comedy Club (318 West 53rd Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues), running tonight, Saturday, and next weekend: Jaws: The Musical
6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes The Heathers, Sad Kids, and Swagu 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 18-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 tonight's guest storytellers Seaton Smith, Diana Spechler, Aaron Wolfe, and Frank Gauthier: Tales of the Cosmos
7:00 pm ($5): All-gal improv at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe Goldie and the Hawns (Jennifer Bild, Christine DeNoon, Julianne Dunn, and Brandy Mitchell), plus guest stand-up and sketch gal comics: Boneless! A Night of Women in Comedy
[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 ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here
7:30 pm ($7): Andrew Yurman-Glaser and Dustin Drury first go solo and then join forces at The Magnet as improv duo Upstate
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A cast member on FOX's new In Living Color who's also performed on Jay Leno and Last Comic Standing headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Maronzio Vance
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City), Mike Dobbins (unique stream-of-consciousness stand-up), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), and Leah Bonnema (Huffington Post) performing stand-up —plus music from the Jesse Scheinn Band—at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Tyler Fischer: Fresh Fisch
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
[FREE] 8:00 pm: "Want to see your favorite stand-up comics get slapped by Satan himself? He only hosts bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne and Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man's shoes and put NYC's finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls? Come see for yourself in this monthly showcase" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell
8:30 pm ($10): Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City), Gabe Liedman (co-host of Big Terrific), Janine Brito, Ryan Conner, Chesley Calloway, and Bryson Turner performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB Chelsea's genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
[$] [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): Mike Britt, Maddog Mattern, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem
9:30 pm ($15): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities
[TOP PICK] [$] 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] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Sharp stand-ups Nick Vatterott (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central's The Half Hour, MTV, Second City), Joe Pera (very funny deadpan comic; for reasons to hire Joe, please click here), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, Comedy Central's Indecision 2012), Amber Nelson (sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Late Night Stand and Mustache Party), and more performing anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can't even imagine—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City produced by Kelly Fastuca, Reid Faylor, and Andrew Short, and tonight celebrating its One Year Anniversary ("We're gonna fill this show with so much stupidity and awesomeness it will make life outside of the show seem worthless"): Underbelly
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Improv troupe Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to "take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter" at this newest UCB Chelsea show to be honored with a weekend time slot—and which is currently kicking ass at Cage Match: Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf—which in a phenomenal run has crushed 12 improv troupes in a row so far at Cage Match—makes stuff up at UCB East for an entire hour: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place
10:30 pm ($7): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike
11:00 pm ($8): A young new all-guy improv troupe making stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gentlemen Party
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: The delightful Amber Nelson (sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Late Night Stand and Mustache Party) debuts with Kat Toledo in a sketch show Amber mostly wrote (with help from Jill Morris, Kat Toledo, and Jeff Seal) that "explores the moment before a breakdown, the breakdown, and what happens after" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Snapped
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Storytellling from star Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), sketch/improv from Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives, The Tony and Johnny Show), stand-up from Annie Lederman (Comedy Central, co-host of Pirate Party), music from Summer and Eve, and more at UCB Chelsea with host Andy Rocco celebrating the Two Year Anniversary of Underground Americana
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East that includes typically includes superb NYC comics—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
[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine at The Magnet, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form "rare and wonderful one-night-only teams," with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 7/8/12
Two of the finest improvisors alive, genius duo Jason Mantzoukas & Ed Herbstman, perform as The Mantzoukas Brothers
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase
[FREE] 6:00 pm: "Short-form improv teams battle it out for the most points and a prize. C’mon, admit it! You miss the quick-witted fun and audience involvement of short-form improv. A different short-form team joins Mishmash! each month and struts their stuff for a panel of judges (including one judge chosen from the audience) until a winner emerges. There will be a series of completely improvised scenes, stories and musicals all based on your suggestions. Come ready to shout out suggestions, and even shout at the judges," at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Scrimmage
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($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
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 ($5): "It’s Judgment Day, and Chuck Black can’t wait to meet Jesus! But things seem to go terribly awry when he has a crisis of faith. Who can blame him? All his pals seem a bit more interested in getting presents from ChristCo than trying to save their souls. And don’t even get Chuck started on Mocha Mint Mel, the know-it-all atheist with two moms." The debut of a comedic mini-play by Matt Fried at The PIT downstairs lounge: A Charlie Brown Apocalypse
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe List, Dave Waite, John Roy, Andrew Short, and Lukas Kaiser 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): Short films from Magnet performers and others in the NYC comedy community: Flick
9:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), and Maronzio Vance 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, The Eric Andre Show, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace): Comedy Night
[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Annie Lederman (Comedy Central, co-host of Pirate Party), Chris Jurek, John Roy, and Chris Waelti performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Sharp Chicago-trained improvisors led by Susan Messing make up scenes at The PIT, with tonight's guests including Christina Gausas (Conan O'Brien, 30 Rock, Louie): Messing with New York
9:30 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comics performing their best material: Sketch Sundays
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle
10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with improvisors taken from the audience...and who may include you: Improv Nerds Jam
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7; sold out, but there'll be a waiting list for tickets unclaimed 10 minutes prior to showtime): Jason Mantzoukas (film/TV star; We Used to Go Out, Mother, Baby Mama) and Ed Herbstman (national TV commercial star and stellar comedic actor; co-founder of the Magnet Theater) are improv masters—as they demonstrated by easily winning the $10,000 Friars Club competition for Best Improv Troupe last year. Come see the height of improv as these breathtakingly quick-witted and skillful guys create pure magic during one of the rare evenings when Jason (who now lives in LA) is visiting NYC—and as they then engage in an unusually intimate, and potentially awkward, debriefing session with the audience that can be as much fun as the formal part of the show: The Mantzoukas Brothers
Copyright © 2012 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
