NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 6/27/11
Beloved stand-ups Pete Holmes and Kumail Nanjiani are briefly back from LA this week and performing tonight at Whiplash...
...and actresses Helen Kim and Cristin Milioti are among the luminous stars at tonight's Gravid Water
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): World-class 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 The Adam Wade Show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here) hosts a show that's "like watching the characters of The Wonder Years and Freaks & Geeks all grown up and telling coming-of-age tales of love, lost, regret, and redemption," with tonight's yarn-spinners Kristen Lange, Jenice Matias, Steven Berkowitz, and Robert Weinstein, plus music from Jake Goldman—and a prize for some lucky audience member of a free cake!—all at Adam Wade's Whatever Happened to the Nerds?
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Austin troupe Confidence Men perform their NYC debut with an improvised two-act play in the style of David Mamet. "What makes them unique? Everything: the rhythm, the style, the tone, and the willingness to go serious and/or dark:" Improvised Mamet
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 Larry Bailey, Kyle Fincham, Kate Hendricks, David DeVito, Amanda Baramki, and Meena Dimian 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): Film, and Broadway & off-Broadway stars Bill Camp (Public Enemies, Rounders; Broadway: Coram Boy, Jackie, Saint Joan), Maria Dizzia (Cradle and All; Tony Award nominee for In The Next Room), Brad Fleischer (Broadway: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), Helen Kim (Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Death Proof, Grindhouse), and Cristin Milioti (30 Rock; Broadway: Coram Boy, Lieutenant of Inishmore) mixing it up with some of the greatest improvisors in the world—Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel, John & Scott), Tara Copeland (Baby Wants Candy, Mother, The Other Guys), Michael Delaney (Conan O'Brien, The Other Guys, The Stepfathers), Anthony King (brilliant Artistic Director of UCBT, Gutenberg The Musical!, The Curfew), and John Lutz (30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, John & Scott)—as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at actor/director Stephen Ruddy's Gravid Water
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on last year's Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), and musical guest Ted Leo—plus for all of June, 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 a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: 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 run at The PIT that allows you to catch the gals for a mere $10: Naked in a Fishbowl
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Rachel Feinstein (finalist on last year's Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up; host of Entertaining the Bartender), Nate Bargatze, Scott Moran, and Ryan Conner performing at Brooklyn's Freddy's Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free biweekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; TLC, blogger for trutV; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of UCBT's very finest house sketch comedy troupes Fambly (spearheaded by wonderful rising star Mamrie Hart); plus in the other half of this double-bill house troupe Neighbor Boy (which might not feature great material, but includes such talents as Kate Hess, Amber Nelson, and Timothy Dunn), all trying out new bits at Maude Night
9:30 pm ($5): "A drama written by teen Jerome McDonough that teaches teens about the evils of alcohol abuse. A talented and twistedly funny group of adults (the Marumsco Valley Players) will present the hard-hitting play, stage directions and all—while under the influence!:" Alky
10:00 pm ($5): Improv is dominated by guys, so this is a rare treat—a dozen female improvisors "for an evening of comedy that will delight men, women, babies, and kittens," hosted by Megan Gray: We Might Just Kiss
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include lightning-fast & thoroughly hilarious Pete Holmes (one of the very best stand-ups in the country; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, Ugly Americans, VH1's Best Week Ever, staff writer for NBC's Outsourced, The New Yorker; co-star of the hilarious Front Page Films) and Kumail Nanjiani (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel, writer/performer for Comedy Central's Michael & Michael Have Issues; winner of the 2009 ECNY Awards for Best Male Stand-Up)—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 6/28/11
Ilana Glazer, Nikki Glaser, Jon Glaser, and more gather for the delightfully silly Glas/zer Family Reunion...
...and world-class stand-ups Pete Holmes & Kumail Nanjiani continue their NYC visits from LA tonight at Righteous Kill & 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:
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm: Lauren Adams & Megan Maes performing musical improv, plus stellar guest improv troupe Doppelganger, at Warbucks
7:00 pm ($5): Two tough guys from the 1930s will explain the ins and outs of Hollywood at sketch show Listen Kid! ; and duo improv by Dustin Drury and Andrew Yurman-Glaser in Upstate New York
[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): 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), Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Dan Crohn (stand-up visiting from Boston), Justy Dodge, and musical guest Scott Gibson performing at the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comic book 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] [FREE; plus free BBQ!] 8:00 pm: Jon Glaser (long-time writer for Conan O'Brien, star of Adult Swim's Delocated), Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing), Aaron Glaser (Funny or Die), and brother & sister Eliot Glazer (author of My Parents Were Awesome) and Ilana Glazer (co-star of Broad City) in a very silly show gathering all the comics in NYC whose last names happen to be Glaser or Glazer (only Eliot & Ilana are actually related) at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): The Glas/zer Family Reunion
8:00 pm ($5; includes free tecate): "A panel of comedians give their hilarious takes on the more grim/sensational crime stories taken from NYC's daily newspapers. It's live comedy with a streak of yellow journalism and dark New York flavor" at Queens LIC's The Creek hosted by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents): The New York City Crime Report
8:00 pm ($8): The worlds of "magic, mind-reading, and mutilation" are explored by Matthew Holtzclaw and Prakash Puru: Strange Things
8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Mr. Crime, Standard Oil, American Cousin, Sandino, and Airwolf, and at 11:00 pm UCBT students mixing it up with improv veterans—all at Harold Night
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: Tambourine & BEEES!
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Pete Holmes (one of the very best stand-ups in the country; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, Ugly Americans, VH1's Best Week Ever, staff writer for NBC's Outsourced, The New Yorker; co-star of the hilarious Front Page Films), Stuckey & Murray (superb singing comedy duo), Colin Jost (writer for Saturday Night Live), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), Nick Turner (host of Monsters and Too Cool for School), and guest DJ Matt McCarthy performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) guest-hosted tonight by Roger Hailes (Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show, Live at Gotham): Sweet
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Pete Holmes (one of the very best stand-ups in the country; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, Ugly Americans, VH1's Best Week Ever, staff writer for NBC's Outsourced, The New Yorker; co-star of the hilarious Front Page Films), Kumail Nanjiani (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel, writer/performer for Comedy Central's Michael & Michael Have Issues; winner of the 2009 ECNY Awards for Best Male Stand-Up), Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), and Anton Laroid 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
9:30 pm ($5): A one-woman show from Julie Ann Dulude about being raised by strict Catholic parents: Bless This Mess
[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 6/29/11
Stars Arden Myrin and Pete Holmes are among the thoroughly wonderful guests at tonight's Totally J/K
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] 12:30 pm: Michael Showalter (MTV's The State, comedy troupe Stella, writer/star of feature films The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer and Comedy Central's Michael & MIchael Have Issues; author of bestselling new book Mr. Funny Pants) is interviewed about being a book author by Jenny Slate (SNL) at the Bryant Park Reading Room, West 42nd Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues in the park): Michael Showalter & Jenny Slate
[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
7:00 pm, 8:30 pm, and 10:00 pm ($5): Magnet house troupes performing improv, followed by a free show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Lightning-fast & thoroughly hilarious Pete Holmes (one of the very best stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, Ugly Americans, VH1's Best Week Ever, staff writer for NBC's Outsourced, The New Yorker; co-star of the hilarious Front Page Films), Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), and Michelle Collins (FOX, VH1) joining best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): NYC stand-ups (not yet announced) performing at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Nick Turner: Monsters
[FREE] 9:00ish£ pm: Storytellers Kambri Crews (Love, Daddy), Michele Carlo, and Ilana Glazer (Broad City), and stand-ups Elihu Dietz, Garry Hannon, and Matthew Nouriel 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): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Anthony Atamanuik, Leslie Goshko, John Flynn, Rob Lathan, and wonderful host David Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight's theme Pride: The Nights of Our Lives
[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 in Queens' Long Island City with host Rob Stern: Bucket 'O Buckets
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 6/30/11
A genius comedic actress—who's one of my all-time favorites—debuts her hilarious one-woman show Kate McKinnon on Ice...
...after which Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler (Kurt & Kristen), nerd rapper MC Chris...
...and Todd Barry perform at 92Y Tribeca for a special edition of The Moon Show
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[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 in Queens' Long Island City: Corby Haas
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of the most talented and hilarious sketch comics in the biz debuts her latest one-woman show, which features "Singing! Dancing! Ice Skating! Hoarders! Conjoined Twins! Temple Grandin!" I've already seen this during its auditions, and it's among the very best to grace the UCBT stage this year. Kate is the most precious of diamonds in our NYC comedy community; come see why in Kate McKinnon on Ice...
...and the second half of this double-bill features the other most awesome UCBT production this year. 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 ($5): Magnet Theatre co-owner Armando Diaz directs "veteran Magnet performers throwing down for an improv revue featuring classic long forms such as the montage, monoscene, time dash, and maybe even a little freeze tag:" Old School
[FREE] 8:00 pm: A mix of three booked stand-ups and six open mic stand-ups (the latter drawing their names from a bucket) at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by comedy duo Team Submarine: A Time to Kill
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): TV & movie stars Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; co-author of bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), 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), MC Chris (nerd rapper; Adult Swim's Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Brak Show), PuppeTyranny (puppet masters), and musical guest The CSC Funk Bank performing at 92Y Tribeca, along with sketches from Moon regulars such as co-producer Jordan Clifford, the delightful Camille Harris, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles at this special edition of The Moon Show
[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
9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can get a behind-the-scenes peak—plus comics Streeter Seidell, Dan St. Germain, Jake & Amir, and more—at CollegeHumor Live
9:30 pm ($10): Musicians help inspire Improvisors to create scenes in Beauty Love Truth
9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not yet announced) make up one-act plays on the spot in The Scene
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Boy Butter features young, vibrant talent and a feel-good energy—plus a brilliant comic in its female member, Ellena Chmielewski—that's crushing every opponent it faces.
Last week a relative beginner to the stage, UCBT's beloved Pat Baer, had the enormous courage of performing an improv show solo. (It's been done before, but only by giants such as Ian Roberts and Ben Rodgers...) Pat did remarkably well when playing characters he could relate to; but his ambition exceeded his reach when he decided to portray a lesbian.
In the end, Boy Butter nabbed 125 audience votes...and its opponent 23. But that's a testament to Boy Butter's power, not any lack of adoration for the universally respected Pat.
Tonight Boy Butter faces one of the most exciting new improv troupes in NYC, Doppleganger—which came pretty close to winning the recent Friars Club competition via such antics as climbing walls and hanging out near the UCBT ceiling—as they compete for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
11:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not yet 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): Two improv groups competing for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT's Cage Match, but with less well-known troupes and a game-like challenge component—at Inspirado
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 7/1/11
Breathtaking improv genius Joe Bill will likely put
on one of the finest shows you'll ever see at
Lights Out, Shirley!,
while force of nature Faye Lane brings her magical show to Friday nights in Beauty
Shop 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:
[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 ($5): Comedic songs from sharp talents Elizabeth Blue & Rory Scholl, and raunchy songs from Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame, in Blue & Rory and Reformed Whores
7:00 pm ($7): "Strange, mysterious, beautiful, and disgusting, this show will dazzle you with sketch comedy... and magic!" from The Weird Sisters
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Young Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) has the makings of a new UCBT star performing a one-woman show in which she engagingly plays a variety of oddball characters you might encounter at summer camp in Welcome to Camp!; plus in the other half of this double-bill, Veronica Osorio makes her first attempt to fly solo by performing as five gals who win a chance to be The First Woman on the Moon
[TOP PICK] [$] [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: Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Mike Lawrence, Meatsteak, Sheng Wang, and Jesse Popp performing stand-up at O'Hanlon's (14th Street off 1st Avenue) hosted by Mark Normand: Hot Soup
8:00 pm ($7): Comics Jon Bander and Dave Thunder vow to lose weight (in real life) while performing sketch scenes in this show over the next few weeks: M4: Comedy's Biggest Losers
[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese
[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's performed on Jay Leno and Comedy Central headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Mike Vecchione
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Dan St. Germain, Jared Logan, Kenny Zimlinghaus, Jeff Wesselschmidt, and more performing at Brooklyn's Red Star Bar (37 Greenpoint Avenue) for hosts Nick Turner's & Jason Saenz's Too Cool for School
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): 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 how boys will be girls, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches: The Harvard Sailing Team
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with a n 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
11:00 pm ($10): An improv troupe devoted to acting out scenes from a beloved science fiction TV series: Start Trekkin
[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 at this spectacular monthly show that offers lightning-quick dark comedy unlike anything else in NYC. The other 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). You don't want to miss Lights Out, Shirley!
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest that includes superb NYC comics—who tonight are brilliant singer/songwriter Mindy Raf, Doug Widick, Ann Carr, Patrick Noth, Luke O'Neill—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 7/2/11
Every Saturday at 9:00 one of the very finest comedy troupes in improv history performs at UCBT: Death by Roo Roo
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] 7:30 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 ($5): Best friends perform duo improv in The Kristen & Amie Show
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's performed on Jay Leno and Comedy Central headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Mike Vecchione
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Jacqueline Novak, Craig Hillelson, Chrissie Mayr, Andre Mcsween, Emmy Blotnick, and Ryan Stanisz performing stand-up at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with host Mara Herron: Free Karma Saturday
[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
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
10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duo Trike
[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
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Streeter Seidell (College Humor), Will Hines (The Stepfathers), MC Chris (Nerd Core Rapper), Matt Koff (The Onion), Mr. Ed (played by Rob Stern), and musical guest The Dang it Bobbys performing with host Andy Rocco at Underground Americana
[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 7/3/11
Hilarious & hot comics Brooke Van Poppelen, Mel & El, and more rock the house tonight at Electro Shock Therapy Comedy
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
Noon-Midnight ($5 per hourly show; or $20 for all 12 hours, plus two free drinks!): Pre-Independence Day, The PIT hosts 12 indie improv shows in 12 hours! You can see any hour-long show for $5; or you can opt in for the whole day for $20, which includes two free drinks (beer or coffee). Noon is the kickoff for this First Annual Indie-Pendance Day
[FREE] 4:00 pm: Streeter Seidell (College Humor) and a small mob of lesser-known stand-ups performing at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Andy Rocco: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase
[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
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), Dan Wilbur (writer for Onion News Network; Better Book Titles), Ray DeVito (co-host of Sacapuntas), Lance Weiss, and Justy Dodge performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sketch, stand-up, improv, and more at a comedy variety show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by sketch troupe Froduce
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rockin' all-gal lineup of Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC; co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), delightful musical duo Mel & El, and Jessimae (The Tyra Banks Show) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Copyright © 2011 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
