NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 9/10/12
Chris Gethard is among tonight's stellar guests at Jena Friedman's Entertaining the Bartender...
...Arj Barker is at Hot Tub Variety, and Mark Normand performs for taping at Lady with a Baby
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Weekly hour-long 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
6:00 pm ($5 cover & $5 drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 1/2 minutes per set and 20 comics crammed into 2 hours—at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club (99 MacDougal Street) for John Morrison's Village Motel
[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 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Tales of the Cosmos and Whatever Happened to the Nerds?; for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here), along with a guest storyteller (not yet announced), at Under St. Marks: The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Molly Knefel (Naked in a Fishbowl, co-host of John and Molly Get Along), an excerpt from Jaws: The Musical, and clown troupe Everybody Nose NYC performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by all-gal improv troupe Gypsy: The Mélange
[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
7:30 pm ($10; sign-up starts at 7:00 pm): Open mic for stand-ups, storytellers, singers, poets, actors, and more, with 5 minutes per performer and 25 slots available, at One and One Bar's Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word's Open Mic Joint
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake and Manhattan Cable Access' The Chris Gethard Show; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of new bestseller A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), J R Havlan (writer for The Daily Show), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Desiree Burch (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), music by Nicole Atkins (David Letterman), "and special guests" performing at the Ace Hotel lobby (20 West 29th Street, between Fifth Avenue & Broadway) for this monthly stand-up show hosted by wonderful dark humor comic Jena Friedman (former staff writer for David Letterman) : Entertaining the Bartender
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Great lineup of Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Arj Barker (David Letterman, HBO's Flight of the Conchords), Jermaine Fowler (FOX's new In Living Color), Kate Berlant (host of Crime and Punishment), Tyler Fischer (host of Fresh Fisch), and Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific) performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice): Hot Tub Variety
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here) and Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1) each perform a 30-minutes set that'll be taped posterity at Jimmy's No. 43 (43 East 7th Street) hosted by Nikki Glaser and Sean Donnelly: Lady With a Baby: Norman and Germain
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, one of the very best sketch shows of 2012. It's a noir mini-play written & directed with immense wit by Michael Trapp (Stone Cold Fox), who with this script demonstrates he's a rising star with a surefire career in the biz. And beyond the pages, Michael's put together an all-star cast, including John Murray (simultaneously gripping and hilarious as a hardboiled detective with an absurdly short attention span), Brandon Scott Jones (who delivers an unforgettable scene with John that's worth the trip all by itself), and D'Arcy Carden (who abandons her usual laid-back persona here to be smoking hot). These are all total pros who are virtually assured careers in TV and film. Catch them while they're honing their craft and waiting to be noticed in one of the most consistently fun shows in NYC: Death Wears Stilettos...
...plus in the other half of this double-bill, a (mostly) one-man show by George Kareman titled Incredibly Extreme and Extremely Incredible
8:00 pm ($5): Making great use of UCB East's previous incarnation as an indie movie theatre, tonight features screenings of select films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots. The shorts receiving the most audience votes get to continue with additional episodes, while the others are "canceled" at Channel 101
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): "Jews in comedy have been ignored for too long. To combat this trend, The Magnet's Jewish house team members have formed a Jewish super-group that will be performing around Jewish high holidays. Their Jewish shows will be based on Jewish monologues from a Jewish Rabbi about the upcoming Jewish holiday—which this week is Rosh Hashanah." What else needs be said? Come and support The Chosen Ones
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Sketch comics Matthew Robert Gehring (Louie), Matt Weir (We’re Matt Weir), Jenny Jaffe (College Humor Live), and Natasha Rothwell (Just For Laughs Festival) each show off their solo character work for this unique show at The PIT upstairs theatre, hosted by Sam Martin & Matthew Robert Gehring: Comedy Expo
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: The Prom (which includes such stellar talents as Sasheer Zamata, Amber Nelson, Stephen Soroka, Siobhan Thompson, and Ari Scott), and Onassis (which has seldom been strong on the writing side but includes superb actress Lauren Conlin Adams): Maude Night: The Prom & Onassis
[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
9:30 pm ($5): The only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Twelve improv comics who are "friends of Dorothy" perform at The Magnet hosted by Andrew Fafoutakis: There's No Place Like Home: A GLBTQ Event
[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
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who are no longer being announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea probably hosted by someone wonderful: 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 exceptionally supportive stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jarrid Reed: Fresh
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 9/11/12
Matt Graham returns with his acclaimed FringeNYC
one-man show This
Too Shall Suck;
Sean Patton performs at
The Afterlife: Where Were You When?
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] 6:30 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
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, each of four of The Magnet's singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: BEEES! and Aquarius (at 7:00) and Mint Condition and Legend (at 8:30); followed at 10:15 by performers from a variety of improv teams joining for One Night Only to create a musical on the spot: Magnet Musical Megawatt
7:00 pm ($5; includes FREE COOKIES): Mostly-gal improv "specializing in upbeat montages that explore real human emotions in a fun way," plus free cookies, at The PIT downstairs lounge: Baked by MMDK
7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Johnny Romance, Bucky, and Surfing at this first half of Harold Night
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($18): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performed a one-man show at last month's FringeNYC—and it's now enjoying an extended run as part of the FringeNYC Encore Series. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman's New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show and Air America Radio), David Rees (cartoonist of Get Your War On and How to Sharpen Pencils), and musical guest A.C. Newman (The New Pornographers) are interviewed about "their earliest creative experiences and the nuances of having a creative career" for a weekly podcast that once a month goes live on the UCB East stage with hosts Andy Beckerman & Mark Bisi: Beginnings
[TOP PICK] 8:00ish pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Anna Drezen, Joe Zimmerman, George Gordon, and Chris Waelti performing on this week's topic Where Were You When? at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon and hosted tonight by Josh Gondelman: The Afterlife: Where Were You When?
[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 Chris Roberti, unspool a suspenseful, heavily-accented mystery thrilla" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Mystic Improv
8:00 pm ($8): A house sketch troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre: 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
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically sharp NYC stand-ups (for an update, please click here) performing at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, notable hair): Crime & Punishment
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (writer for MTV's Epic Fall; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Emmy Blotnick (Jimmy Fallon), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Jason Saenz (sketch troupe Onassis), and Sachi Ezura performing stand-up at this weekly show at Brooklyn's The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Steve O'Brien, Robert Dean, and/or Kevin McCaffrey: Comedy at Alligator Lounge
9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Creature, The Regulars, and Sandino—plus advanced improv students mash up forms LaRonde and Montage by starting with a series of unlikely pairings and then ending "somewhere deep inside a pile of hilarious character" for a hybrid form called LaRONTAGE—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Jess Dweck (writer for Jimmy Fallon), Jermaine Fowler (FOX's New In Living Color), and Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here) are tonight's guests at UCB East for a unique dark mix of improv and sketch provided by host Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) and producer Andy Rocco: The Tony Show
9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up and sketch at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, typically hosted by sketch troupes Savage Animal and/or Jerk Practice: Savage Animal
[$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Christian Finnegan (Conan O'Brien, co-star of TBS' Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show), Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: ComedyJuice
[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] 11:00 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 9/12/12
At UCB Chelsea, one of the country's finest sketch troupes
retires tonight at
Gramp's:
The FInale and then
improv genius Scott Adsit (above right)
teams with fellow genius John Lutz as
John & Scott
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 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
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A special final performance of Gramp's, which at its height with Kate McKinnon (now a cast member of Saturday Night Live) was not only the finest of UCBT's Maude teams but one of the best sketch comedy groups in the country. Kate's busy rehearsing tonight for SNL (which returns this Saturday 9/15), but Gramp's writers and 20 superb performers will help blow the roof off at UCB Chelsea for Gramp's: The Finale
7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Indigo, Egg White, Plaid, Brick, Featherweight, Chet Watkins, Rose Petal, and Horses performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Egg White at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt
[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Four free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
7:00 pm ($8): "Desperation, dictatorship, and punches to the testicles are just some of the themes in the second run of the sketch show written by Gabe Capone (National Scandal) and Ryan Darden (Nuns on the Run). It’s silly, cerebral, and unapologetically dark" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Gabe and Ryan's Facebook Timeline
7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features troupes Kinsey and Hoops: Lloyd Night
[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] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A live recording of host Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash) and nearly a dozen NYC stand-ups—including Reid Faylor, Lee Camp, Dave Waite, and Danny Lobell—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Stand-Up Records
8:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Livia Scott (magical comedic chameleon; Conan O'Brien, Livia's Castle of Enchantment), Josh Gondelman (G4's Attack of the Show), Aalap Patel, Calvin S. Cato, and Nathan Rand performing at McSwiggan's (393 Second Avenue off 23rd Street) hosted by Selena Coppock, Dan Cartwright, and/or Emily Epstein: Connotation
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically terrific NYC comics (not announced) performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) typically hosted by Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman, and/or Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film at UCB East as The Two-Man Movie
9:00 pm ($5 if you say "Double Dutch Bus," otherwise $8): Stand-up Brendan McLaughlin, music from Jen Kwok, character comedy from Adam Haway, and sketch from troupes The Chris & Paul Show, The Release, and Sketch Tiger performing at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Annie Solstad Laferriere: September Sketch Block
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice), Calise Hawkins (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, writer for Playboy.com), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Mike Cannon (MTV), and Dan Hirshon performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack's Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?
9:00 pm ($5): Mindy Raf (brilliant comedic singer/songwriter; VH1, College Humor, YA novelist; often performs as alter ego Leibya Rogers), Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It), and Thomas Dale performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Leah Bonnema & Jessimae Peluso: The K-Hole Comedy Show
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer created Broad City as a Web series, which was then picked up for development as a TV series for FX...and is also a monthly stage show at UCB Chelsea. Tonight's theme is Oprah for this "delicately crafted hour of fun:" Broad City Live
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB's classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this new weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East, along with hosts Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show
[FREE] 10:00 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
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger) hosts 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. (Tonight's scheduled guests include Jena Friedman, Casey Jost, and Emmy Blotnick; for the complete list, please click here.) 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: 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
[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
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 9/13/12
Mega-selling author R. L. Stine is interviewed at
Running Late with Scott Rogowsky; and
the lovely & brilliant Amy Schumer headlines at Gotham (tickets
still available for Saturday at 11:45 pm)
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; and tonight only, FREE PIZZA!] 6:00 pm: An "exciting mystery guest" helps celebrate the One Year Anniversary of this weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn: 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
6:30 pm ($5): Two shows I know nothing about but sound cool—Rewrite Movie Night and Bedtime Sketches—audition for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: Spank
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
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines make use of their intimate knowledge of each other to gracefully make scenes up (hopefully without any fighting) at UCB East performing as duo The Brothers Hines
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer is one of the very finest stand-ups in the country, with performances on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, and more; and Amy's just getting started with a career that's likely to skyrocket. Amy's headlining tonight through Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club. Tickets are mostly sold out, but there are still some left for Saturday at 11:45; grab them while you can...: Amy Schumer
8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: The East Side Orphan Riot and Harvey
8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes The Boss, Hello Laser, The Wrath, and Junior Varsity performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Neil McNamara directing Deep Dish (long-form improv interspersed with character monologues), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component): The Magnet's Night Out
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-ups Leah Bonnema, Adam Lash, Adam Lehman, and Aalap Patel performing in Astoria Queens' Mosaic Cafe & Lounge (25-19 24th Avenue) hosted by Liz Simons & Jenn Wehrung: Laugh It Up, Astoria
[FREE] 8:00 pm: "A stand-up comedy showcase and baking competition—come to eat or come to compete" at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Cody Hess & Jessica Gross: Cookies!
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon), Ashley Brooke Roberts, Josh Gondelman, Jono Zalay, Damien Lemon, and Nato Green performing at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover: Fresh Out
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced by 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) 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: The wonderful Ben Schwartz (NBC's Parks and Recreation, Showtime's House of Lies, written for SNL and David Letterman, was member of brilliant sketch/improv troupe Hot Sauce) briefly returns from LA to improvise with some of his friends at UCB Chelsea in "a show that has nothing to do with snowpants:" Ben Schwartz Presents Snowpants
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10 at the door, $11.34 in advance online): Scott Rogowsky (writer for The Onion, co-host of 12 Angry Mascots) returns to The PIT upstairs theatre 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 guests mega-bestselling horror author R. L. Stine (Goosebumps), Emmy Award winning journalist David Shuster (CNN, MSNBC, host of Take Action News), Dan Klein & Kelly Hudson (creators of Rejected Pitches on the Above Average Channel), and comedy duo twins Stone & Stone (Last Comic Standing): Running Late with Scott Rogowsky
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (lineup not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Justin Williams: Death Comedy Jam
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Good Dad, comprised of such superstars as Neil Casey, Fran Gillespie, and Jon Gabrus, did something really difficult last week by crushing Diamond Lion—specifically, 137-29. Sorry I missed that; but tonight provides another chance, when the champion vies with The Improvised Play (performing every Saturday night at The Soho Playhouse). Come experience these two formidable teams compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match
11:00 pm ($5): A mock Presidential fundraiser at UCB East featuring Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Connor Ratliff, Don Fanelli, and many more: The Concert for Ratliff 35/2012
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/14/12
Sarah Silverman and Daniel Kitson are among the stars at this year's Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival
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 downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage
7:00 pm ($5): Improv at The Magnet that flows from moment to moment, with no sweeps or tag outs—"each exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper:" Scoresby
7:00 pm ($8): Young improvisors at The PIT downstairs lounge make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Shady Bunch
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Nate Dern and Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm-11:00 pm ($15-$20): Top comics from NYC and elsewhere gather tonight for two different shows, in Brooklyn's Union Hall and Bell House, for this weekend's Fifth Annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): The UK's renowned Cambridge University is known for great scholarly achievement...but also a comedy troupe named The Footlights that helped launch the careers of John Cleese (Monty Python), Hugh Laurie (House), Emma Thompson (Love Actually), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), and more. The 2012 edition of this group performs tonight at UCB Chelsea as part of a world tour: Cambridge Footlights: Perfect Strangers
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A unique organic talent who's a regular guest on Conan O'Brien, and co-stared in the Comedians of Comedy tour and Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Brian Posehn
[FREE] 8:00 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
[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 downstairs lounge: Mic and Cheese
8:30 pm ($7): Five veteran improvisors make stuff up at The Magnet as troupe Lead McEnroe
[TOP PICK] [$] [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): Killer great lineup of TV & movie stars Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Ted Alexandro (possibly 9:00 pm only), Christian Finnegan, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from comedy geniuses Chris Gethard and Shannon O'Neill, plus stellar comics Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—Michael Kayne, Amber Petty, Ashley Ward, Morgan Phillips, and Winston Noel—making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion
9:00 pm ($5): Oscar Montoya (host of deliciously bad cinema) and Jen Tullock (Second City) wrote & perform a duo sketch show about "a night at gay rehab for renewal, self-discovery, and occasional break dancing" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Pray It Away with Oscar & Jen
9:30 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Formerly titled Now That’s What I Call Musical Comedy—until a "cease and desist" order arrived from the attorneys at EMI Music—this show marches on with terrific comedic musical performers at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ben Lerman and Tim Dimond: Radio Shack: A Comedy Musical Showcase
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
[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 ($5): 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] 11:30 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, top Maude sketch troupe Gramp's, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w
[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): Comics (not announced) debating various topics, mixed with sketch and who knows what else, at UCB East hosted by Michael Shawki, Jeff Wesselschimdt, and Dan Licata: The Great Debate
[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, typically including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 9/15/12
Comedy stars Colin Quinn, Janeane Garofalo, and a mystery guest perform stand-up at If You Build It...
...Brian Posehn headlines at Carolines, and Amy Schumer headlines at Gotham (the 11:45 pm show is still open...)
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] 4:30 pm-11:00 pm ($15-$20): Top comics from NYC and elsewhere—including UK phenom Daniel Kitson—gather tonight for three different shows, in Brooklyn's Union Hall and Bell House, for the next-to-last day of the Fifth Annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival
[TOP PICK] 5:30 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—superbly—as a singing shark, along with two wonderful finds, powerhouse singer Laura Daniel and comedy dynamo Brett Douglas, in this 40-minute musical written & composed by Wayne Henry at the Broadway Comedy Club (318 West 53rd Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues) that really should be doubled in length via a second act but in the meantime is worth catching as is: Jaws: The Musical
[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 Gunther, Big Fat Liars, and Sad Kids at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): The UK's renowned Cambridge University is known for great scholarly achievement...but also a comedy troupe named The Footlights that helped launch the careers of John Cleese (Monty Python), Hugh Laurie (House), Emma Thompson (Love Actually), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), and more. The 2012 edition of this group performs tonight at UCB East as part of a world tour: Cambridge Footlights: Perfect Strangers
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Original comedic songs are showcased, with tonight's superb performers Jessica Delfino (I Wanna Be Famous album), Amy Albert (Delilah Dix and her Bag of Tricks), Juliet Jeske (Huffington Post video blogger), Ashley Brooke Roberts, and Kathleen Armenti at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Justin Perez & Shaina Stigler: Totally Requesty
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): Two of the most respected improvisors in the country, Magnet co-owner Armando DIaz and Christina Gausas, team up as Diaz & Gausas
7:30 pm ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A unique organic talent who's a regular guest on Conan O'Brien, and co-stared in the Comedians of Comedy tour and Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program, headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Brian Posehn
8:00 pm ($5): Katie Hartman (Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting), Jon Bander (Harvey), and Jenn Dodd (Buttski and Glasscock’s Talent Blowout) perform comedic characters at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Delilah Dix: What a Bunch Of Dix!
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: NYC stand-ups performing stand-up at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and/or Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, "a very special guest we can't even name," and more celebrating the One Year Anniversary of this weekly stand-up show 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): Comedy stars Ted Alexandro (possibly just 9:00 pm), Christian Finnegan, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:00 pm ($5): "Ashley Rebecca King and Gregory von Portz present a post-dinner poolside party for their hippest and most sophisticated friends. Menthol-cool musical stylings and intellectual discourse abound as you are treated to a floor show with a carefully chosen set list, curated by the world’s foremost cover-band artists, that changes monthly. Dip in; it's never the same dive twice" at The PIT downstairs lounge: Moon Pools
9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem
10:00 pm ($5): Comics performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight's show featuring Matt McCarthy and probably a small army of others, hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-up, sketch, and who knows what else at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by a stand-up/sketch duo: Team Submarine and Friends
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): 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: Grandma's Ashes Gets Dark
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and this year crushed 12 improv groups in a row at Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): For a change of pace, improv master Ed Herbstman joins Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney performing 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] 11:30 ($8): NYC's heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which doesn't always ht the mark but provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and won an ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group—performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Murderfist: Late and Dirty
[TOP PICK] [$] 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer is one of the very finest stand-ups in the country, with performances on Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, and more; and Amy's just getting started with a career that's likely to skyrocket. Amy's headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club. Tickets are mostly sold out, but there are still some left for the 11:45 pm finale; grab them while you can...: Amy Schumer
Midnight ($5): "Jason Saenz and Riley Soloner have invited the worst people in NYC to come and talk about their sh*tty situations in front of a studio audience in hopes that they can better themselves and turn their lives around. HAHAHA! Just kidding! We're exploiting these people for ratings!" Featuring over a dozen comics performing at UCB Chelsea, including Nicole Byer and Rob Lathan: Late Night Trash
Midnight ($5): Screenings at UCB East (which used to be an indie film theatre) of brand new comedy videos that haven't yet been released: Test Screening
[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 9/16/12
Eugene Mirman hosts stars likely to include Daniel Kitson on this final day of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival
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
[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm-11:00 pm ($10-$20): A comedy shorts screening and a top comics showcase, in Brooklyn's Union Hall and Bell House, for this final evening of the Fifth Annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival
[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Comics and other artists present their actual work from high school and earlier—video, poetry, plays, short stories, songs, etc.—at The PIT's upstairs theatre curated by Chris Aurilio : Some of Our Early Work
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A unique organic talent who's a regular guest on Conan O'Brien, and co-stared in the Comedians of Comedy tour and Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program, headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Brian Posehn
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBwest'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] 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 ($8): "Magician Michael Feldman pulls back the curtain, giving you a glimpse into the secret worlds of sleight-of-hand performers and psychic charlatans" at The PIT's upstairs theatre: The Importance of Being Gullible
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson), Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream, 9 Am Meeting), and Charlie Kasov (MTV's Guy Code) performing at RG's free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up
8:00 pm ($5):Sketch comedy from a Magnet team directed by Chet Siegel and with a nerdy Jewish name: Darth Vader Ginsburg
8:00 pm ($5): Two improv troupes performing at The PIT's downstairs lounge: Herschel and Gameface
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Kate Hendricks, Zach McGovern, Joe Zimmerman, and Rob Haze 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
9:30 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comedy teams try out new material at this show with the on-the-nose title Magnet Sketch Teams
[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle
[$] 10:00 pm (call 212.757.4100 for cover price, plus 2-drink min.) A stand-up who's performed on Comedy Central, and has some fine bits about cigarettes and pedophiles, headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Mike Recine
[FREE] 10:00 pm:Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Allison Castillo , and Hadiyah Robinson performing stand-up for this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Copyright © 2012 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
