NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 11/14/11
Stand-up tonight from Michael Showalter (Whiplash) and Ted Alexandro (Hot Tub Variety)...
...and storytelling from John Sellers and MIke Albo (How I Learned You Can't Go Home Again)
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A monthly storytelling show from the wonderful Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 15-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of Real Tales of College; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), along with guest storyteller Martin Dockery (The Moth, The Liar Show; acclaimed as "fantastic" by The New York Times), with improv illustrator Sharon Spell drawing scenes as they're described, all at Under St. Marks: The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Seating starts at 5:00 pm (with priority to those buying the book), show at 7:00 pm: A brilliant comedic author, correspondent for The Daily Show, and evil PC in Mac ads reads from his new book That Is All at the Barnes & Noble at Union Square (33 East 17th Street): John Hodgman
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): 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. The show returns tonight at the elegant Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street, near the #1 subway's Christopher Street stop): Naked in a Fishbowl
[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Selena Coppock, Amanda Baramki, Gary Vider, Kate Hendricks, and Chris Thayer performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2 hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison's Motel Luca
[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
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-writer/director/producer & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious star improv duo that's become one of the very best attractions at UCB Chelsea and should not be missed: John & Scott
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): "Stories about where we grew up, how we grew up, and what we think of when we think of home," with stellar storytellers Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), Andy Christie (host of The Liar Show; The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam Champion), 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), Mike Albo (author of The Junket), and John Sellers (author of The Old Man and the Swamp, Perfect From Now On) performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Blaise Allysen Kearsley: How I Learned You Can't Go Home Again
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): 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.), Eliza Skinner (Conan O'Brien, genius musical improvisor), and Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV's NewNowNext, Sirius Radio's Frank DeCaro Show) 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 with Kurt & Kristen
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm ($5): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), Nat Towsen (co-host of hit Brooklyn variety show The Moon), and Annie Lederman (host of Mustache Party) each performing a 30-minute stand-up set at UCB East for a show titled one "30" shy of being accurate: The 30/30 Club
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($18): The winning team that created Pope!: An Epic Musical (a big hit at last year's FringeNYC) and The Spidey Project (a media sensation) is now developing a pirate musical at The Magnet about "the dashing young hero Declan as he seeks out the vicious Martin La Foe, the second most famous pirate ever," with book and lyrics by Justin Moran & Jon Roufaeal, and music by Adam & Matt Podd: Nightfall on Mirango Island
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): A monthly mix of storytelling & music at Under St. Marks from rockin' hosts Peter Aguero & the BTK Band, with tonight's yarn-spinners Brad Lawrence, Ben Lillie, Rory Scholl, and Jeff Scherer, plus GoGo by Dangrrr Doll & Apathy Angel, and spontaneous illustrations by in-the-moment artist Sharon Spell: The BTK Band: Aguero-Scholl-Scherer Birthday Extravaganza
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: PIT owner Ali Farahnakian and razor-sharp PIT instructors perform improv at The PIT downstairs lounge in The Faculty Part 2: Electric Boogaloo; plus improv troupe Technicolor
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales), Becky Yamamoto, Team Submarine, and Mike Denny performing stand-up 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, 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
9:30 pm ($5): Two of UCB Chelsea's house sketch troupes trying out new bits: Gramp's (which sadly no longer includes comedy genius Kate McKinnon, but might still kick some ass) and Onassis (which includes talented comedic actress Lauren Adams): Maude Night
10:00 pm ($5—and possibly free pizza from New PIzza Town):Ed Gavagan (The Moth), Chris Fleming, and more performing at The Magnet for hosts Willy Appleman's & Adam Lerman's final 2011 edition of Deep Traffic
10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds
[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open session hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—tonight includlng 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 book Mr. Funny Pants), Ian Edwards (Conan O'Brien, HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central), and Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here)—at UCB Chelsea hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central): Whiplash
[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 11/15/11
Colin Quinn does stand-up at Sweet, while Horatio Sanz creates chaos at The Tony and Johnny 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:
7:00 pm ($5): In this double-bill of shows auditioning for a spot on the Magnet schedule, sketch troupe Moogle " travels around the globe to Amsterdam, a first date, a wedding, the news room, and the 90s"in Eat Pray Moogle; and then another sketch team does a show with no description titled Ephemerama
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Robert Dean: The Dean's List
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Emmy Blotnick (blogger for Jimmy Fallon), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon; co-host of Too Cool For School and If You Build It), and more performing stand-up at UCB East for a comedy variety show produced by Sara Schaefer & Scott Moran on behalf of a great late actor: After Hours with Gene Hackman and Friends
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): An original episode of a classic sitcom written (by Luke Ward) as if it was happening during the height of the show's popularity, with tonight's subject Three's Company performed at The PIT featuring wonderful comedic actresses Laura Grey (Horrorgasm, Klepper & Grey) as Janet and Lauren Olson (Our Condolences, Good Morning Ladies) as Chrissy: To Be Continued
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club
8:00 pm-11:00 pm ($5): Three full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Deckard, Creature, Grandma's Ashes, Very Good Kiss, and Still Mike—followed at 11:00 by advanced improv students (plus Pat Baer) making up The Lost Stories of Philip K. DIck: Harold Night
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups—Mark Normand, Pat Dixon, Nate Bargatze, Louis Katz, Ryan Hamilton, Joe List, and more—auditioning at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre for spots at the 2012 SXSW Festival: South by Southwest Comedy Showcase
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5 at the door, $7.63 in advance online): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), 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), and Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here) performing for this monthly show at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Gabe Delahaye (Senior Editor of Videogum.com): Mr. Coconuts Comedy 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: Rosencrantz and Mint Condition
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Julian McCullough (fiercely funny rising star; Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Fallon, NPR's This American Life, MTV, VH1), Annie Lederman (Comedy Central), Romany Malco (Showtime's Weeds; The 40 Year Old Virgin), and Stephan Pop (Dutch comic visiting all from Amsterdam) performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill
9:30 pm ($10): From the wonderful Jen Nails' Do It Yourself class, the debut of two one-person shows at The PIT upstairs theatre: Two Solo Shows
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm (usually 9:00 pm, but not tonight due to venue scheduling and/or bawdiness; $5): TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn (Comedy Central, HBO, you name it), Julian McCullough (fiercely funny rising star; Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Fallon, NPR's This American Life, MTV, VH1), Franny Fluffer (NYC burlesque star), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups—Jared Logan, Jeffrey Joseph, Roger Hailes, Andy Haynes, Nick Turner, and more—auditioning at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre for spots at the 2012 SXSW Festival, hosted by Tom Shillue: South by Southwest Comedy Showcase
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Comedy star Horatio Sanz (improv genius; SNL, 30 Rock, ABC, Comedy Central), Will Hines (ace improv troupe The Stepfathers, host of Wheelhouse, treasured UCBT comedy instructor & director), and Noah Garfinkel (co-host of Totally J/K) performing at UCB East for a show hosted by two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) who are teaming up to create their own special version of a comedy variety show: The Tony and Johnny Show
[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe Rosencrantz to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer
[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open mic stand-up show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It
[FREE] 11:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 11/16/11
SNL's Taran Killam is among the stellar talents at Arden Myrin's Brooklyn extravaganza The Party Machine
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing four minutes per comic, with "15 people chosen randomly through e-mail, and five walk-ins; and a guaranteed spot to anyone who performs in character as a famous explorer" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedic Exploration Club of Long Island City, West
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Mindy Raf (brilliant comedic singer/songwriter; VH1, College Humor, YA novelist; often performs as alter ego Leibya Rogers), Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Manhattan Monologue Slam Champ, host of Sideshow Goshko), (ace improv troupe The Stepfathers, host of Wheelhouse, treasured UCBT comedy instructor & director), and RG Daniels (host of Sunday Night Stand-Up) performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with host Selena Coppock: Connotation
7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Grappler, Horses, The Surge, The Wrath, Brick, Featherweight, Dunk, and Chet Watkins performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Chet Watkins at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, genius improvisors Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) perform as Outlook of the Poet; and then Nicole Byer, Sasheer Zamata, and Keisha Zollar are the fiercely energetic & entertaining all-gal improv troupe Doppelganger
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, Joanna Bradley performs a one-woman show about how awful people are, directed by the wonderful Becky Drysdale: Everybody's Dumb and Boring...
...and for the second half of this double-bill, remember how your father totally screwed you up? Imagine if you were brought up by Doug Moe: Doug Moe is a Bad Dad
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): Bridey Elliot (Conan O'Brien), Nate Bargatze (Comedy Central Presents), Matt McCarthy (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death, host of AMC's Action Pack, Comedy Central, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys), Henry Zebrowski (Murderfist, College Humor), and Joe Pera & Dan Licata (Weird Fracking Dudes) performing stand-up at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City for the Third Anniversary of this weekly show hosted by Nick Turner & Jason Sáenz: Too Cool for School: Three Years and Counting
[FREE—plus FREE PIZZA for first 30 people, from Artichoke Pizza!] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Rose Surnow, David Lee Nelson, and Sabrina Jalees performing at the East Village's Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad's & Amy Albert's free weekly show Comedy School Dropout
[TOP PICK] 8:15ish pm ($5 at the door or $7.63 online): Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here) and Lisa deLarios (Comedy Central) host this delightful monthly mix of stand-up and sketch, with tonight's guests Taran Killam (cast member of Saturday Night Live, Mad TV), Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act), Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), and Nate Bargatze (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central) performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall: The Party Machine: Zodiac Birthday Party Edition
[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Mick Diflo (Carolines), and more performing at the only notable weekly comedy show I know of taking place in Astoria Queens—specifically, the Astoria Brewhouse (2850 31st Street): Brewhouse Comedy
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie; and then UCBT Harold Night house troupes Dance Break and Mr. Crime make up scenes without relying on the usual long-form "Harold" rules at Cheating on Harold
[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV's NewNowNext, Sirius Radio's Frank DeCaro Show), Kristeen von Hagen (Showtime's Comics without Borders), Kartin Hier (Oxygen, Ladies Who Punch), Peter Moses (VH1, Sorta Secret Comedy), and Francoise Gordon 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): A stand-up who's a frequent performer on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, and Jay Leno, and starred in a Comedy Central one-hour special, performs tonight at UCB Chelsea with perhaps a guest or two: Tom Papa and Maybe a Friend
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: As many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house troupe Grandma's Ashes: The Improv Jam
[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 11/17/11
Spectacular film & TV star Lili Taylor tells stories about
family at Risk!,
Julia Wiedeman celebrates baring all in her memorable
sketch show
Naked People...
...genius storyteller Elna Baker guest-hosts with John Flynn for
his open mic yarn-spinning show Oh,
Hey Guys!,
and author David Javerbaum discusses his new book with NPR's Ira Glass: The
Last Testament: A Memoir By God
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] 6:00 pm ($5): An exploration of baring it all by fabulous long-time nudist Julia Wiedeman (who I had the great fortune of seeing about a decade ago as she walked around with zero clothing, like a glorious tigress, in broad daylight on the streets of the East Village): Naked People; plus a parody of The Bachelor written by Leila Cohan-Miccio & Caitlin Bitzegaio and directed by Beth Appel: The Final Rose; and a sketch show starring Sue Galloway titled Pose: A Magazine for Women, all auditioning for a regular spot on the UCB Chelsea schedule at Spank
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn and tonight's brilliant guest host Elna Baker (genius storyteller, and bestselling author of the comedic book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance; writer for Glamour, Elle; NPR's This American Life; co-host of red-hot The Talent Show): Oh, Hey Guys!
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Corby Haas
[FREE] 6:30 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Hello Laser to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): A delightful comedic singing duo (according to Molly, "really smart, funny, talented, awesome people with great bods; Molly is bitter, heavily medicated and she reads poetry") performing at 92Y Tribeca for an intimate hour of music and more: Mel & El: Our Time of the Month
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A Curb Your Enthusiasm star and superb stand-up headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Susie Essman
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): "If you were alive in the 70's, you may have attended some 'Key Parties' where you were randomly paired with someone to go home with and engage in free spirited coitus. (Today we either stay at home alone or congregate at an improv theater.) Key Party combines the 70's arrangement with modern anxiety, exploring the rich moments leading up to that act of coupling and the fallout that follows" at UCB East with stellar comics Jordan Klepper, Laura Grey (delightful old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm), and guest improvisors: Key Party; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv based on the iPods, CDs, and mp3 players provided by audience members, executed by superb performers Fran Gillespie, Ryan Karels, Megan Neuringer, Jesse Falcon, Silvija Ozols, Doug Moe, Lou Perez, Sue Galloway, and Emily Axford: Soundtrack USA
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($35 using discount code FTBBOX online or at the box office): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is finally enjoying a commercial run. The mostly-true tale of a man who became the toast of Paris by making music with his ass—executed by a Broadway-caliber cast, and with several memorable show-stoppers—is playing at Sofia's Downstairs Theater (221 West 46th Street): The Fartiste
7:30 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet co-owner helming The Armando Diaz Experience, plus house troupes The Boss, Junior Varsity, Phooka, and Hello Laser performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with Friday Night Sh*w pitted against Scoresby at 11:00 pm: The Magnet's Night Out
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): In this double-bill at UCB Chelsea, Leah Gotcsik & Marty Johnson perform their sketch show Somebody's in the Doghouse...
...and then there's a sketch play about the opening of a trendy restaurant that serves nothing but raw pig, written with wit and bite by Leila Cohan-Miccio (Stone Cold Fox), directed with style by Caitlin Tegart (MTV, PBS, ESPN), and performed superbly by hot comedic actress Lauren Conlin Adams: Pig: A Restaurant
8:00 pm ($5): "Best friends Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell created an Internet phenomenon by challenging pairs of women to double date them and documenting the hilarious results for YouTubers everywhere. Two hundred dates later, their experiences were translated into reenactments, educational songs, and valuable lessons in everything from dancing to kissing. Tonight, these dating experts employ audience-recounted horror stories as inspiration for improvised scenes, in an attempt to enlighten you on the art of romance" at The PIT upstairs theatre: Dating Coaches
8:00 pm ($5): Stand-up from Will Hines, Brendan Fitzgibbons, Toby Muresianu, Frank Gallo, and Jess Dweck, and improv By Abbie Harper & Matt Silver, performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by comedic rapper Andrew Singer and Kara Klenk: Positively Awesome
[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
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Michelle Collins (FOX, MTV, VH1), and Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel) performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($15): Emmy winner David Javerbaum, the former Head Writer & Executive Producer of The Daily Show, has written the greatest collection of memoirs since The Bible—because his collaborator was God. As Javerbaum explains it, "with the Earth He Godded so magnificently drawing to a Mayan-induced close,"it was time to "break His 1,400-year literary silence with His final masterpiece." Tonight Javerbaum discusses his book, The Last Testament, with NPR's Ira Glass (host of This American Life) at 92Y Tribeca for what promises to be a memorable “telleth-all:” The Last Testament: A Memoir by God Discussed by David Javerbaum & Ira Glass
[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
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight are Lili Taylor (astonishing, unforgettable actress; star of cult film I Shot Andy Warhol, co-star of HBO's Six Feet Under), Aaron Wolfe & Naomi Azar (The Moth, NPR's This American Life), Jamie Kilstein (Conan O'Brien, co-host of Citizen Radio), and Jan Warner (Pull Me Back, Poetry of Resilience)—joining brilliant sketch comic and storyteller Kevin Allison (The State) at The PIT upstairs theatre to share tales on tonight's theme Family at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it plus like-minded comics on the UCB Chelsea stage—tonight including Streeter Seidell, Jake & Amir, Jon Rineman, Alice Wetterlund, and hilarious Front Page Films shorts starring Pete Holmes & Matt McCarthy—at CollegeHumor Live
[$] 9:30 pm ($24.50 & 2-drink min.) A TV star who was a cast member of MTV's Punk’d and is now a cast member of FX's The League headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Stephen Rannazzisi
9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene
[FREE] 9:30 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Round 3 of a beloved annual November tradition at UCB Chelsea—Pat Baer's 3-on-3 Improv Tournament
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly open mic stand-up show, with each comic given five minutes, at UCB East hosted by Rob Stern & Amber Nelson: Gutbucket
11:00 pm ($5): Young improvisors from Evanston, Illinois making their NYC debut at The PIT downstairs lounge: Dilly Bar
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 11/18/11
Rising stars & best buds Dan St. Germain & Jared Logan debut a show devoted to sketch: Year of a Million Dreams...
...plus stand-up headliners Todd Barry's at Eastville and Stephen Rannazzisi's at Carolines
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups start at 5:30 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Some of The Magnet's finest comics—including the brilliant and delightful Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at last year's FringeNYC, improv group Dunk)—team up with Magnet co-owner Armando Diaz to deliver sketch comedy as troupe Good Morning, Ladies
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): "Coinciding with the nationwide midnight screening of Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, a bunch of PIT improvisors who know nothing about the story reenact scenes from the book as narrated by a true fan. Team Jacob. Team Edward. Who wins? Nobody...:" Twilight by Dummies
7:00 pm ($5): Nate Starkey and Chris Grace performing improv at The PIT as duo Starkey & Grace
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): In one of the finest scripted shows to ever grace UCB Chelsea, troupe Stone Cold Fox performs hilarious parodies of off-off-Broadway theatre, as well as some of the very best sketches it's crafted over the years, in a tight hour-long production directed by comedy genius Neil Casey (who, after also recently directing stellar one-person shows by Kate McKinnon and Mike Still, apparently can do no wrong), featuring delightful performances by Fran Gillespie, Molly Lloyd, D'Arcy Carden (watch for these three gals playing existential Truth or Dare), John Murray, Nate Smith, Brandon Scott Jones, and Jonathan Fernandez, and the writing of Leila Cohan-Miccio, Evan Greenspoon, Brandon Gulya, Matt Hunziker, Owen Parsons, and Michael Trapp. Don't miss one of the sharpest and funniest comedy shows of the year from the first sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCBT weekend schedule: Stone Cold Fox: This Is Not Art
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—tonight featuring guests Ben Rodgers (The Curfew), Nate Dern (Sandino), and improv pianist supreme Frank Spitznagel—making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV's NewNowNext, Sirius Radio's Frank DeCaro Show), Evan Morgenstern, Raquel D’Apice, Calvin Cato, Beth McGregor, and Alison Leiby performing at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) hosted by Evan Morgenstern: SNC Hot Blooded
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($35 using discount code FTBBOX online or at the box office): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is finally enjoying a commercial run. The mostly-true tale of a man who became the toast of Paris by making music with his ass—executed by a Broadway-caliber cast, and with several memorable show-stoppers—is playing at Sofia's Downstairs Theater (221 West 46th Street): The Fartiste
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($26.75 & 2-drink min.) A TV star who was a cast member of MTV's Punk’d and is now a cast member of FX's The League headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Stephen Rannazzisi
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($20 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BOOK): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas...who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson's writing isn't consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?
8:00 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello; plus in the other half of this double-bill, troupe Epic Beards
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: At this unique show, comics play videos they've made about themselves and then perform sets, with tonight's guests Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!), Daniel Kilpatrick (Comedy Central), Kate Berlant (Rooftopcomedy.com), Greg Stone (host of Savage Practice), and Taylor Clark ("funny, weird man visiting from Seattle") at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Charlie Kasov & Gabe Pacheco: Anecdotal Evidence
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15): This acclaimed 10-year-and-counting sketch troupe has "amassed a cultish following and a cast who blindly throw themselves into the most questionable of onstage situations, bless their black little hearts....join them for a hilariously unsettling look at growing older, having children, killing your dreams, and settling." For examples of the troupe's work, please click here and here, and then come to The PIT downstairs lounge to see Spurn
[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($18): The winning team that created Pope!: An Epic Musical (a big hit at last year's FringeNYC) and The Spidey Project (a media sensation) is now developing a pirate musical at The Magnet about "the dashing young hero Declan as he seeks out the vicious Martin La Foe, the second most famous pirate ever," with book and lyrics by Justin Moran & Jon Roufaeal, and music by Adam & Matt Podd: Nightfall on Mirango Island
[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who hosted FX's The X-Show and starred in Hurt Bert, and also starred in his own hour-long special for Comedy Central, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Bert Kreischer
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB Chelsea's all-star members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Stellar comics Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill) and Dan St. Germain (quick-witted rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here) debut this show at UCB East focused on sketch comedy, with tonight's guests Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Stuckey & Murray (terrific comedic singing duo; Chelsea Lately, NBC, VH1, Fuse), and Henry Zebrowski (award-winning troupe Murderfist): Year of a Million Dreams: A Night of Comedy Skits
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Todd Barry (one of the finest stand-ups on the country; 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) and other NYC stand-ups performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:30 pm ($10): Duo Andy Emeritz & George Lakis performing at The PIT downstairs lounge "a musical comedy about America's once greatest boy band. In the 80's, Five Alive was on top of the world...until they were fleeced by their manager. Years later, their now-deceased manager's fortune is up for grabs to the first of his washed-up bands to score a number one single. With their chart-topping 'Kiss You With Tongue' a distant memory, Five Alive reunites as a duo of desperate has-beens, exploring a montage of hilarious original songs and classic 80's tunes for a final shot at fame and redemption:" Five Alive! The Musical
[$] 9:30 pm ($15): A fundraiser for raising awareness about men's health issues (with a special focus on cancer) featuring 23 NYC comics performing at The PIT upstairs theatre—and somehow it'll all tie into November being the official month for moustaches: Movember Live
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: Mindy Raf (brilliant comedic singer/songwriter; VH1, College Humor, YA novelist; often performs as alter ego Leibya Rogers), Henry Zebrowski (award-winning sketch troupe Murderfist, College Humor), Selena Coppock (author of upcoming book The New Rules for Blondes), Louis Katz (HBO, Comedy Central), Anthony DeVito (Jerk Practice), and Kevin Barnett (College Humor) performing at Queens LIC's The Creek for the First Year Anniversary of this free monthly show hosted by Jackie Zebrowski, Julia Johns, and Sharron Paul: Twat's Up!
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Jon Gabrus, Nate Lang, Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Fran Gillespie Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($8): J Hobart and Grace Helbig welcome NYC talents for a TV morning talk show—that's happening at The PIT upstairs theatre late at night—with guests Baratunde Thurston (The Onion, How To Be Black), Leslie Guyton’s Movement Workshop dance group, and musical group The Spring Standards: The Morning Show with Hobart and Grace
11:00 pm ($5): Comedic magician Arthur Meyer, prop comic Cameron Esposito, and the reportedly funny Cocoon Central Dance Team performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify
11:00 pm ($5): Six stand-ups you might not have heard of and and three judges who may or may not be well-known in a competition at The PIT—which is a theatre that isn't really associated with stand-up. So this is a show I don't quite understand, but maybe you'll have fun anyway: The PIT Stand-Up Competition
11:30 pm ($10): improvisers Bianca Casusöl as Madam Ant, Nina Klemow as Fanny Price, and Alex Marino as Larry Lazlo use burlesque dancing at The Magnet to tell a story "and titillate the audience with some seductively fun choreographed burlesque numbers:" Whisky Tango Foxtrot: Burlesque Improv Revue
Midnight ($10): Typically disturbing and semi-obscene sketches at The PIT upstairs theatre from troupe FUCT
[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups do sets "and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 11/19/11
Judah Friedlander performs with Todd Barry at the Eastville
Comedy Club,
Sara Benincasa hosts a pre-Thanksgiving storytelling show about gatherings
at Family Hour...
...and notoriously bad film The Room is screened and vilified at Midnight Movie at Montoya’s
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, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 8:00 pm ($10): College improv teams compete today via four shows at The Magnet as part of the Chicago Improv Festival's College Improv Tournament
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($35 using discount code FTBBOX online or at the box office): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is finally enjoying a commercial run. The mostly-true tale of a man who became the toast of Paris by making music with his ass—executed by a Broadway-caliber cast, and with several memorable show-stoppers—is playing at Sofia's Downstairs Theater (221 West 46th Street): The Fartiste
[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4
[FREE] 5:30 pm: New improv teams experimenting with new forms at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Andy Rocco and Jon Monje: Anybody Vs. Everybody: An Improv Show for You
6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Old Timey Radio Show, LD50, and Scoresby at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8; includes free cookies): Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Emily's sister Marielle Heller, and stand-up Lane Moore telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales about their relatives—and, for this pre-Thanksgiving show, with a special focus on gatherings—at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Sara Benincasa (NBC's Today Show, The Joy Behar Show, CNN, MTV, The Sarah Palin Vlogs, Sex and Other Human Activities podcast, host of Family Hour, upcoming book Agorafabulous): Family Hour
7:00 pm ($5): Ryan Karels (Krompf, Radio Rogue) hosts a live podcast interview show at UCB East with guests "who put the ordinary in extraordinary" (I think that's supposed to be a compliment, somehow), with tonight's subjects Brooklyn DA Patrick Egan, improvisor Andrew Law, and actor B. Brian Argotsinger: Radio Rogue: The Roguing
7:00 pm ($5): An improv troupe making up scenes at The PIT downstairs lounge under a name that pays homage to an extremely average MLB baseball player: Mendoza
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Joe Bill, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, Kay Cannon, Christina Gausas, Brandon Gardner, Jed Resnik, and/or other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions at UCB Chelsea all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.) A TV star who was a cast member of MTV's Punk’d and is now a cast member of FX's The League headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Stephen Rannazzisi
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who hosted FX's The X-Show and starred in Hurt Bert, and also starred in his own hour-long special for Comedy Central, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Bert Kreischer
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] 8:00ish pm: Matt McCarthy (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death, host of AMC's Action Pack, Comedy Central, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys, host of Marking Out), Jason Saenz (co-host of Too Cool for School), Matt Wayne, James Harris, and Katrin Heir performing stand-up at One and One (76 East 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) with host Sean Donnelly: Lil' Seany Boy
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-up Dan Soder (Comedy Central), Erik Bransteen (Comedy Central), Harry Terjanian (Edinburgh Festival), and Justin Williams (Comedy Death Jam) performing at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite
8:00 pm ($5): Improvisors perform as duos at The PIT downstairs lounge: Couples' Retreat
8:30 pm ($10): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Mike Recine (Comedy Central), Jordan Carlos (Comedy Central, MTV), Lisa Delarios (Comedy Central, co-host of The Party Machine), and Cameron Esposito performing stand-up at UCB East, hosted by Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB Chelsea's genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Judah Friedlander (30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Todd Barry (one of the finest stand-ups on the country; 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), Maddog Mattern, and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub and now at The PIT: Political Subversities
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code SBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come to the Soho Playhouse tonight to see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Comedy from a duo that walks the line between sketch and stand-up, plus tonight's stand-up guest Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon; co-host of Too Cool For School and If You Build It), performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Team Submarine and Friends
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Comics performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight's packed show featuring Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), Sasheer Zamata (improv troupe Doppelganger), Emmy Blotnick (Jimmy Fallon), Matt Koff (The Onion News Network), Matt Hobby (sketch troupe New Excitement), Jermaine Fowler (Rooftop Comedy), John Milhiser (sketch troupes Serious Lunch and Dweeb), Lorraine Cink (improv troupe Borealis) Dan Black (UCBT), and Adam Bozarth (Left Handed Radio), hosted by Roger Stern: Overload the Machine
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then create an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here
10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duo Trike
10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: This free show at The PIT upstairs theatre does a great job of describing itself: "Bad movies. We can’t stop watching them. Is it because the plot is so enjoyably paper-thin? Or maybe the acting is so deliciously cheesy? Whatever the reason may be, Oscar Montoya (Local 154) is inviting you to his house to watch all of his favorite so-bad-they’re-awesome movies. Joining him is Bradford Jordan (improv troupe Stranger and all around nice guy). Tonight's feature is The Room, an epically bad movie starring madman/genius Tommy Wiseau:" Midnight Movie at Montoya’s Presents: The Room
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A talk show at UCB East hosted by the razor-sharp writer/performers of Pangea 3000 (who also write for The Onion), with tonight's non-standard guests Thanksgiving expert Cynthia Teflin, hair salon owner Robert Gioria, and stand-up Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City): The Night Night Show with Pangea 3000
[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, with hosts Andy Haynes & Nick Turner promising "a rowdy late night comedy melee with beers being thrown, jokes being told, partial nudity, audience participation...there's no telling what might happen:" Midnight Run
Midnight ($10): Typically disturbing and semi-obscene sketches at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe FUCT
Midnight ($5): Two unannounced sketch comedy troupes that are typically obscure (I don't know why, that's just how this show is done) competing for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea hosted by quite good and reasonably well-known sketch troupe Sidecar: Backyard Brawl
[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 11/20/11
Cherished TV & movie clips starring Jim Henson's very
special creations are screened at
The Muppet Vault;
Jenny Slate & Dean Fleischer-Camp, the creators of Marcel
the Shell, are at Running
Late with Scott Rogowsky
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] 2:00 pm ($8): To prep you for the release of the first new Muppets feature film in over a decade, hard-core Muppet fans have put together a "Best Of" show at Brooklyn's Union Hall described as follows: "The event will kick off with a screening of the rare TV special The Muppets Go Hollywood, originally aired to mark the occasion of the Muppets' very first movie back in 1979. Dick Van Dyke and Rita Moreno host, the Swedish Chef sings, and a good time is had by all. The fun continues with a selection of classic clips hand-picked by Muppet fans, plus a few new video treats from the Muppets' recent media blitz that you may have missed the first time around! There will also be Muppet-themed drink specials, audience participation, cool giveaways, sing-along fun, and more:" The Muppet Vault: A Very Muppet Comeback
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm ($35 using discount code FTBBOX online or at the box office): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is finally enjoying a commercial run. The mostly-true tale of a man who became the toast of Paris by making music with his ass—executed by a Broadway-caliber cast, and with several memorable show-stoppers—is playing at Sofia's Downstairs Theater (221 West 46th Street): The Fartiste
[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] 5:30 pm: Improv duo The Bedtime Brothers begin by making up scenes based on an audience member's horrible dating or break-up experience, and end with scenes springboarding off an audience-supplied movie quote; and in between invited stand-ups and sketch comics perform. It all happens at at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City: Love Sucks! Movies Rock!
[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, Chelsea Lately, host of The Party Machine; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives), and Tony Camin (The Marijuana-Logues) participate in "a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people's problems with their own stories" at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help
[FREE] 6:30 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material: Ripe Sketch Comedy
[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 ($7): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), and Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends
[$] 8:00 pm ($26.75 & 2-drink min.) A TV star who was a cast member of MTV's Punk’d and is now a cast member of FX's The League headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Stephen Rannazzisi
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Phoebe Robinson (host of Case of the Mondays Comedy), Harrison Greenbaum (writer for Mad Magazine; head writer of Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro on NBCU/Telemundo), Mara Herron (Web series That Chick Mara Herron), Michael Che (host of Michael Che's Community Service), Simeon Goodson, and Yannis Pappas performing at the One and One Bar (1st Street & First Avenue) for this brand new weekly stand-up show hosted by Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, TruTV, Tyra Banks) & Sergio Chicon: Comedy Punch
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), Cameron Esposito, Tim Dimond, Missy Baker, and more performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up
8:00 pm ($5): A troupe that performs a sketch show with an improv segment at the end directed by Magnet co-owner Armando Diaz: Dumbrowsky
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge for a free weekly show typically hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Murderfist (NYC's fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), plus NYC stand-ups Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), Damien Lemon (Russell Simmons Presents), and Michele Billoon (Chelsea Lately) performing at UCB East hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Andy Haynes, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Typically fun mix of stellar and rising NYC stand-ups (not announced this week) performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special)—who tonight celebrates the Two Year Anniversary of his great show: Comedy Night
[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Anthony Devito, Joel Walkowski, and Simmons McDavid performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show with brand new hosts Brad Austin, Nate Fridson, and Adam Sokol (taking over from the 7-year reign of Vince Averill & Jesse Popp): Beauty Bar Comedy
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Scott Rogowsky (writer for The Onion, co-host of 12 Angry Mascots) returns to The PIT to host "a unique talk show experience that needs to be experienced to be experienced. There will be plenty of bits, skits, chits and chats, and maybe that pretty girl you saw on the 6 train last night will be in the audience! It's a big city, but you run into people," with tonight's thoroughly stellar guests Jenny Slate (SNL, HBO's Bored to Death, Marcel the Shell), Dean Fleischer-Camp (creator with Jenny of YouTube smash hit Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, director/co-writer of Comedy Central's Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), and Joe Randazzo (Editor in Chief of The Onion), plus musical guest The Musical Guests: Running Late with Scott Rogowsky
9:30 pm ($5): Improvised episodes of the never-made third season of Twin Peaks at The PIT upstairs theatre: In These Woods
9:30 pm ($5): A monthly screening of new short filmed sketch and comedy produced by members of the Magnet community: Flick Video Showcase
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Vicious Cycle
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Erin Foley (Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately, VH1, Logo), Rose Surnow, and Erika Wasser performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
11:00 pm ($5): The screening of two short films at UCB East (which was previously a movie theater) crammed with UCBT performers: The Rest of Caesar (starring Neil Casey, Andrew Secunda, Rob Lathan, Morgan Evans, Susan Casey, James Dwyer, Matt Starr, and Dyna Moe) and Upload (starring Morgan Evans, Abbi Jacobson, Ryan Williams, Halle Keifer, Freddi Scheib, Joe Spit, and Tim Mahoney): Two Short Film Screenings with Morgan Evans
[TOP PICK] MIdnight ($5): An unusual Sunday at midnight event at UCB Chelsea (which is sold out, but you might be able to get in if you don't mind standing): "Pro wrestling's hardcore legend Mick Foley returns to the UCB theatre in the first-ever post-wrestling Pay Per View comedy show! Following the WWE Survivor Series event, members of the WWE Universe, as well as fans of Mick's comedy, can take a short walk to the UCB theatre to catch Foley's trademark blend of wildness and warmth, wit and wisdom that turned two of his hand-written memoirs into New York Times #1 best-sellers. Foley will be fresh off his tour of the United Kingdom (many of the dates sold out months in advance) and will be raring to go in 'the shadow of Madison Square Garden.' Whether telling a side-splitting or cringe-inducing tale from his own life, or offering up his unique 'what if' scenarios gleaned from 25 years of world travel, Mick Foley will do his very best to make sure you 'have a nice day!'": Mick Foley Live at UCBT
Copyright © 2011 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
