NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 9/11/17
Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of HBO's Crashing and Netflix's Master of None; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There), Sasheer Zamata (cast member for three seasons of Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, Amazon’s Transparent, TBS’ People of Earth), Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (amazing human beatbox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of Battlicious), Carolyn Busa, and Ray Devito perform stand-up or music hosted by Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy; finalist on Last Comic Standing, semi-finalist on America's Got Talent; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents; comedy albums No Kidding, Small, Dork, and Handsome, Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot): Myq Kaplan & Friends (8:30 pm, $6, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)...
...or see ace alternative comic book creators perform their projected work live on stage hosted by R. Sikoryak (Masterpiece Comics, Terms and Conditions, The Unquotable Trump): Carousel (8:00 pm, $8, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Other notable shows this Monday include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation—including at 8:00 pm the groups Thunderbuster (with ace comics Chris Booth and Jen Clark) and The Department (with the superb Dana Shulman)—all at The PIT Underground: Super Free Monday
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Monday
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm [$] ($25): Ophira Eisenberg tapes her comedy trivia radio show live, with tonight's guest Julia Stiles (major roles in numerous TV series & films, including Dexter, the Bourne movies, and Silver Linings Playbook) at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street): Ask Me Another
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Corinne Fisher (co-host of popular podcast Guys We Fucked), and Lucas Connolly (Comedy Central's South Beach, host of Ambush Comedy and The Secret Loft Show) perform stand-up at UCB East hosted by the charming Ruby Karp: We Hope You Have Fun
[FREE] 7:30 pm: Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, VHI, FX's Totally Biased, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Selena Coppock (Amazon's Red Oaks, VH1, author of book The New Rules for Blondes), Joyelle Johnson, George Gordon, and Rebecca Leib perform stand-up at the HiFi Bar (169 Avenue A) hosted by Mindy Raf & Katie Compa: Golden Spiral Comedy
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Andy Blitz (9-time Emmy nominee and 5-time WGA Award winner; writer/performer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien 1999-2006; has also written for Comedy Central's Review and Important Things with Demetri Martin, Netflix's Master of None—which Andy also co-exec produced, Adult Swim's Eagleheart, MTV's Human Giant, etc.; a unique stand-up whose sets—ranging from talking peanut butter to jet-flying cats—tend to be unforgettable), Ashley Brooke Roberts (energetic, enormously likeable stand-up; writer for Nat Geo and MTV's Guy Code, co-host of Fresh Out), Will Miles (co-host of Comedy Night at the Knit; TruTV, The Chris Gethard Show; Steve Martin's Comedy MasterClass; comedy album Good Year), Alex English, Laura Sanders, and Wanjiko Eke perform stand-up at Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street) hosted by the wonderful Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show; writer for South Park, Adult Swim; albums Comedy Person and Brooklyn): Night Train
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($8 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime) hosts Michelle Wolf, Seaton Smith, Pete Lee, Sam Morril, and more trying out new stand-up material at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): New Joke Night
9:30 ($5): House sketch groups The Classic and Bundt try out new material at UCB Chelsea for Maude Night
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; former co-host of Esquire Network's Best Bars in America), Mark Normand (also one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, stellar Comedy Central special Don't Be Yourself; Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, @midnight, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever; comedy album Still Got It; opens for Amy Schumer), Pete Lee (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing), Yamaneika Saunders (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Roast Battle), Tim Dillon (Last Comic Standing), and more perform stand-up for this free weekly show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street) hosted by Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language): Frantic Mondays
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($6): Whitmer Thomas (lead in Happy Madison movie Deported, cast member of FX's Close Enough) hosts a show with guests Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage host of The Unexpectashow and The Incredible Game Show Showcase, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Joe Pera (Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), and Dan Licata (The Chris Gethard Show; co-host of the Dan + Joe + Charles' Show) performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall (702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street): The Golden One
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—push boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Andy Sandford: Permission to Fail
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): A gay-themed variety show featuring "special guests from the Gay Illuminati, Broadway, television, and the Drag-O-Sphere" at the UCB East theatre hosted by Timothy Dunn: Queerball
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Storytellers share their true "coming out" tales, and then improvisors make up either a play or a musical based on each story at The Magnet theatre: Thank You For Coming Out: An LGBTQIA Event
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE; reservations go quickly, but you can probably get in if you arrive early and are okay with standing] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who aren't announced in advance, but it's usually a great lineup and often an extraordinary one—at UCB Chelsea hosted by someone who's probably terrific (while usual world-class host Aparna Nancherla performs tonight in Queens): Whiplash
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 9/12/17
A blowout lineup for Sweet's 13th Anniversary show includes Ilana Glazer (co-star of Comedy Central red-hot hit Broad City), T.J. Miller (red-hot comedy star; David Letterman, Stephen Colbert; co-star of HBO's Silicon Valley, HBO's Crashing, and former ABC sitcom Carpoolers; co-star of numerous movies including Deadpool, Transformers: Age of Extinction, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Big Hero 6, Cloverfield, and Get Him to the Greek; for vintage videos, please click here), Tariq Trotter (a.k.a. Black Thought; co-founder & rapper/MC for legendary band The Roots; regular sketch performer on Jimmy Fallon, and exceptionally quick, witty guy), singer/songwriter Julian Velard, and more hosted by Seth Herzog (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1): Sweet Bar Mitzvah (9:00 pm; $13.97 online, $25 at the door; The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)...
...or see Alison Leiby (writer for The President Show; VICE, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog; host of It's a Long Story) host comics Kath Barbadoro, Raj Sivaraman, and Ryan Beck presenting funny lectures on silly topics—which tonight include "Crows: Sky Terrorists," "The Bullshit Art of Tarot: How to Use Ancient Magic to Judge Your Friends' Life Choices," and "Rubber Duckie: How the Shittiest Bath Toy Changed the World"—produced by Kara Klenk, Jim Tews, and Jared Logan: Homeschooled—A Comedic Lecture Series (9:00 pm, $7, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)...
...and while you're at UCB East, enjoy the Charles Addams-like dark comedy of stellar stand-up Erik Bergstrom (Comedy Central Half Hour, cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker) and Shalewa Sharpe (Keith and the Girl; comedy album Stay Eating Cookies), who each performs a 30-minute stand-up set hosted by the fabulous Emmy Blotnick (brilliant rising star stand-up; staff writer for Comedy Central's The President Show; former writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser): Big Long Sets (10:30 pm, $7, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
Other notable shows this Tuesday include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Broadway, TV, and film star Colin Quinn (Trainwreck, comedy national treasure) hones material for a one-man show at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Colin Quinn: Law Abiding Criminals
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($7 for the whole evening): In this 4-hour extravaganza, eight singing & dancing improv groups—all typically led by the best improv pianist in the biz, Frank Spitznagel—at The Magnet make up musicals based on audience suggestions: Magnet Musical Megawatt
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Tuesday
[TOP PICK] 8:00ish pm ($15): "Four writers read their own work for seven minutes or less, and are then judged by three all-star judges. Two finalists are chosen to compete in the finale, a vaguely-literary game to decide the ultimate winner," with tonight's judges John Leguizamo (Emmy and Drama Desk Award-winning actor (Romeo+Juliet, Ride Along, Chef), and author of Ghetto Klown), Christine Nangle (Head Writer for Comedy Central's The President Show; former writer for Inside Amy Schumer and Kroll Show), Tess Morris (British screenwriter of Man Up), Jordan Carlos (HBO's Girls, Comedy Central's Broad City and The Nightly Show, Showtime, MTV's Guy Code, Guy Court, VH1, Adult Swim)—and you—at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street) hosted by Adrian Todd Zuniga: Literary Death Match
[TOP PICK] [FREE; plus FREE DRAFT BEER 8:00-8:30!] 8:00 pm: Emmy Blotnick (brilliant rising star stand-up; staff writer for Comedy Central's The President Show; former writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV's Nikki and Sara Live, VH1's Best Week Ever), Matt Koff (staff writer for The Daily Show), Emily Galati (Conan O'Brien), Andrea Allan (Keith and the Girl), and Tommy McNamara (The Onion) perform stand-up at Brooklyn's Two Boots Pizza Williamsburg (558 Driggs Avenue) hosted by Lucas Connolly, David Piccolomini, and/or Jake Fromm: Ambush Comedy
8:00 pm ($10): A raunchy musical about high school seniors and aliens from outer space plotting to harvest our genitals begins a 10-show run tonight through September 18th at The PIT Mainstage from writer Joe Kelly, musical director Jonathan Evans, and director Griffin Osborne: Aliens Coming: The Musical
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): American-Palestinian comic Mo Amer (Stephen Colbert; opens for Dave Chappelle) performs a solo stand-up show at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Mo Amer: Exit Strategy
[FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Typically terrific stand-ups (for the line-up, usually posted by 1:00 pm, please click here) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) produced every Tuesday by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Gary Vider, and Sachi Ezura: Hot Soup
9:00 pm ($7): Stand-ups Jenn Welch, Sarah Kennedy, Bryan Yang, Myles Hewette, and Nate Borgman are challenged to make up self-important lectures based on topics provided to them on the spot—e.g., "If McDonalds can serve breakfast all day, then shouldn't I be able to own a gun?" and "‘Do iPhones fool the elderly into thinking they're living in the future?"—at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Ryan Stanisz: Stand-Ups Improvise TED Talks
[FREE] 10:00 pm: This interactive monthly themed show blends storytelling and stand-up. It begins with one of the hosts doing material on the theme. Then an audience member is asked to share an anecdote on the theme; a stand-up uses the anecdote to begin his or her set; and the cycle repeats. It all happens at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Alex Payne, Ryan Papazian, and/or Connor McClausland: You Were Saying
[FREE] 10:30 pm (Free! using online code COMP; no min.): Stand-ups pair up to brutally insult each other and then be judged for the effectiveness of their viciousness by veteran comics such as Big Jay Oakerson and Rich Vos at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue, off 20th Street) hosted by Luis J. Gomez: The RoastMasters
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 8/30/17
Go out tonight, but set your recording devices to Comedy Central for the season premieres of two of the finest comedy series to ever grace TV: South Park Season 21 at 10:00 pm and 12:06 am...
...and Broad City Season 4 at 10:30 pm and 12:35 am
As for live shows, consider staying up late with Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers) as she hosts this monthly "anything might happen comedy chaos." Tonight promises a series of comedy routines based on the premise What If Mermaids Lived In Ice?: Jo Firestone Presents The Unexpectashow: Mermaids in Ice (11:00 pm, $5, UCB Chelsea at 307 West 26th Street)
Other notable shows this Wednesday include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm-midnight: Six hours of free improvisation—including dynamite comics Adrian Sexton and Jay Malsky in The Community Players at 7:00 pm, musical improv from group Vern (which includes superb singer & comic Julie A. Feltman) at 7:30 pm, such stellar improvisors as Pat Swearingen and Langston Belton in Hero Complex at 8:30 pm, and star instructors such as Dana Shulman, Adrian Sexton, Chris Booth, and sometimes even PIT owner Ali Reza Farahnakian at The Faculty at 10:30 pm, all at The PIT Mainstage: Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Broadway, TV, and film star Colin Quinn (Trainwreck, comedy national treasure) hones material for a one-man show at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Colin Quinn: Law Abiding Criminals
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Wednesday
7:30 pm ($10): Russian-American authors Vicky Kuperman & Isabella Patrick read from their new book at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue): How to Spy on Your Neighbor: Your Survival Guide for the United States of Russia
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Michelle Collins (The View) and friends perform stand-up at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Magic Mich XXL
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy; finalist on Last Comic Standing, semi-finalist on America's Got Talent; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents; comedy albums No Kidding, Small, Dork, and Handsome, Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot), Isaac Fitzgerald, Kate Knibbs, and David Turner "talk about weird stuff they care deeply about while extremely drunk—with PowerPoint" on this month's topic Clean Living at Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street): Drunk Education: Clean Living
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Sean Donnelly (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, MTV) performs a club-length headlining stand-up set at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Sean Donnelly: Not Cool
8:30 pm ($7): Come enjoy an intimate evening, and no drink minimum, with Gianmarco Soresi (Seeso; sketch group Uncle Function; acclaimed FringeNYC play <50%) as he practices a long stand-up set for his headlining show on 9/27 at Carolines; plus an opening set by Alex Forstenhausler, all at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Gianmarco Soresi: Is This Funny?
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Louie, Inside Amy Schumer, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC; stellar new comedy album Live at Webster Hall), Dave Smith, Luis J. Gomez, and other NYC comics "discussing the skankier sides of life, love, and stand-up comedy" for this weekly podcast taping at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Legion of Skanks
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Satirical commentary on nerdy pop culture news by John Minus & Dillon Stevens at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): The G.E.E.K. Show
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers) hosts this "anything might happen comedy chaos" monthly show. Tonight promises "a series of comedy routines based on the premise 'What If Mermaids Lived In Ice?'" at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Jo Firestone Presents The Unexpectashow: Mermaids in Ice
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 9/14/17
Stories, jokes, and more revolving around this month's theme Imposters, with guests Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of HBO's Crashing and Netflix's Master of None; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There), Joey Skaggs (above; painter, sculptor, and social activist with a special talent for hoaxes), Todd Robbins (veteran NYC magician & carny performer), Jonathan Soma (The New York Times, Gawker), and Shalewa Sharpe (Keith and the Girl; comedy album Stay Eating Cookies) all performing for this show sponsored by website Atlas Obscura and hosted by Eric Grundhauser (writer/editor for Atlas Obscura): Atlas Obscura Live: Imposters (8:00 pm, $20, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)...
...or join Caitlin Brodnick's book release celebration for Dangerous Boobies: Breaking Up with My Time-Bomb Breasts, featuring Aparna Nancherla, Jo Firestone, Becky Chicoine, May Wilkerson, Gwynna Forgham-Thrift, Nikki Palumbo, Dara Katz, and Betsy Kenney: Dangerous Boobies: Book Release and Boobstravaganza (9:30 pm, $7, UCB Chelsea at 307 West 26th Street)
Other notable shows this Thursday include:
[$] 7:00 pm ($20): Peter Michael Marino plays around with the audience in a mix of improv and scripted comedy (with staging by stellar director Michole Biancosino), and then attempts to pull off the very difficult feat of creating an entertaining one-man improv show inspired by what he's learned about the audience at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue), running Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through 9/30: Show Up
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Thursday
7:30 pm ($7): Alex English (writer for BET's The Rundown with Robin Thede), Drew Anderson (The Story Pirates), Laura Sanders, Shannon Noll, and Ramsey Badawi perform stand-up at UCB East produced by Carol Hartsell and hosted by Sean Crespo & Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) are shared by their original authors before total strangers at Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street): Mortified
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A comedic play written and starring Ian Lockwood & Sophie Zucker, and directed by Philip Markle, in which "Baby Jessica was the first child to fall down a well, thereby capturing the nation’s attention and becoming America’s sweetheart overnight. Baby Ian will be the second" at The PIT Mainstage: Baby Ian Falls Down a Well
[TOP PICK] [FREE; plus FREE BEER!] 8:00 pm: Selena Coppock (Amazon's Red Oaks, VH1, author of book The New Rules for Blondes), Abby Feldman, and Brett Hiker share their shit stories—needing to go at the worst moments, major accidents in pants, and so on—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) produced & hosted by the lovely Natalie Wall (also host of Awkward Sex and the City): Awkward Poop and the City
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($8 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime) hosts Joe Machi, Carmen Lynch, Nimesh Patel, Adrienne Iapalucci, and more trying out fresh stand-up material at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): New Joke Night
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Typically fine NYC stand-ups (not announced this week) perform at UCB East hosted by rising stars Jim Tews (Louie, Last Comic Standing, host of Homeschooled, New York Times bestselling author of Felines of New York) and/or Ashley Brooke Roberts (energetic, enormously likeable stand-up; writer for Nat Geo and MTV's Guy Code blog): Fresh Out
[TOP PICK] 9:00 ($7): Gary DeNoia plays movie icon Nic Cage delivering a lecture about physical intimacy at The PIT Underground: Nic Cage Teaches Sex to Adults
9:00 pm ($5): Sean Donnelly (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, MTV), Mike Recine (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour), Sydnee Washington (MTV2's Vidiots), and Abby Rosenquist perform extreme stand-up at Brooklyn's Cantina Royal (58 North 3rd Street, between Wythe and Kent) hosted by David Piccolomini: Nerdy Dirty Dark
[FREE] 9:00 pm: A show hosted by the lovely Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Katy Frame & Marie Cecile Anderson), with guests Jordan Temple (writer for MTV's Decoded), Maria Heinegg (host of podcast The Worst Thing), and Kevin James Doyle (30 Year Old Virgin at 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival) performing at Brooklyn's The Cobra Club (6 Wyckoff Avenue: Up N' Coming
9:15 pm ($10): Sketch comics Titi the Clown, Andrers Lee, Nick Freeman, and group Sunday School Dropouts perform for this monthly show at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Paul Valenti: Sketch Block
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($7): Last week improv duo 2 Puerto Ricans (Taylor Gonzalez & Will Martinez) proved their initial win was no fluke, as they clobbered UCB Friday night group Bucky by 64 votes to 37. Tonight the two-time champion faces Slingshot, which used to be a UCB Lloyd Night team (Adrian Frimpong, Ali Gordon, Bridget Holmes, Shenovia Large, Daniel Lee, Elizabeth-Ann Moss, Sean O'Reilly, and Bob Vulfov), competing for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea's raucous Cage Match
11:00 pm ($5): Stand-ups Blair Socci, Cole Escola, Anthony Oberbeck, Sarah Sherman, and Whitmer Thomas perform for this show that mixes Brooklyn & Manhattan comics at UCB East hosted by Alyssa Stonoha: Taste Flavor
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/15/17
A beloved annual comedy festival that began as a one-time joke kicks off its 10th Anniversary, running today through Tuesday at Brooklyn's The Bell House and Union Hall. Tonight's shows are:
• 7:00 pm ($15): Hosts Blythe Roberson (The Onion, McSweeney's, TheNewYorker.com) & Madelyn Freed (The Annoyance) give a comedic lecture on a scientific topic, aided by tonight's guests Harris Mayersohn, Jaboukie Young-White, and Bennett Ferris, and then bring on stage an actual scientist who will point out all the things they got wrong at Brooklyn's Union Hall (702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street): The Scientists
• [TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($20): Comics who are parents vent by telling mean stories about their children, with tonight's cruel jokesters H. Jon Benjamin (hilarious star comic; FOX's Bob's Burgers, FX's Archer, Comedy Central's Jon Benjamin Has a Van, Dr. Katz, Home Movies), Emily Flake (star cartoonist for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Time, Forbes, etc.; author of books Mama Tried, Lulu Eightball, and These Things Ain't Gonna Smoke Themselves), Ben Schwartz (written for David Letterman, The Oscars, The New Yorker), Jordan Carlos (HBO's Girls, Comedy Central's Broad City and The Nightly Show, Showtime, MTV), and Eugene Mirman (if you don't know, you're at the wrong festival) performing at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street) hosted by the wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (NBC's The Today Show, CBS' The Late Late Show, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, bestselling book Screw Everyone, comedy album Bangs!): Sh!tshow
• [TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($15): A showcase for superb stand-ups with unique approaches to comedy, featuring Emmy Blotnick (brilliant rising star stand-up; staff writer for Comedy Central's The President Show; former writer for Comedy Central's @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV's Nikki and Sara Live, VH1's Best Week Ever), Julio Torres (marvelously nuanced, outside-the-box stand-up; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Billy on the Street, HBO's High Maintenance, Louis C.K.’s Horace and Pete), Kyle Ayers (Fuse's Uproarious; written for CBS, Comedy Central, TBS, BBC, The New York Times), Shalewa Sharpe (Keith and the Girl; comedy album Stay Eating Cookies), and Tanael Joachim performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall (702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street) with stellar host Ashley Brooke Roberts (energetic, enormously likeable stand-up; writer for Nat Geo and MTV's Guy Code, co-host of Fresh Out): These Comics Will Be The Stars Of Some Weird, Helmet-Based VR Platform
• [MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($25): An all-star lineup of top comics, including Reggie Watts, Gary Gulman, Jo Firestone, Josie Long, Charlie Pickering, Janelle James, and Eugene Mirman performing at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street) hosted by comedy genius Chris Gethard: These Comedians Would Rather Buy a New Air Conditioner Than Repair Their Old One
For explore the complete list of festival shows, and/or to buy tickets for subsequent nights, please click Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival 2017...
...or come see a superb solo show by Jamie Aderski that provides exceptionally honest and funny tales of what it was like for Jamie to become a mom (for a trailer, place click here): Cry Baby: My (Reluctant) Journey Into Motherhood (7:00 pm; $7, The PIT Mainstage at 123 East 24th Street)...
...and while you're at The PIT, enjoy dynamite comedy duo Jen Jamula & Allison Goldberg (just back in NYC after conquering LA; producers & stars of Blogologues) share audience break-up texts, plus screen shots of their favorite relationship dumps found on the Net, in this fast-paced and hilarious interactive show: How to Break Up By Text (8:00 pm, $15, The PIT Mainstage at 123 East 24th Street)
Other notable shows this Friday include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): A play co-written & performed by Elana Fishbein & Elena Skopetosunique, and co-written & directed by Peter McNerney, about a family’s reluctant reunion received a rave from The New York Times' Elise Czajkowski, and is being briefly revived for three Saturdays this month at The Magnet theatre: Sisters Three
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($15 cover for FBPL shows, $24 cover for CC & VU shows, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), the 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Comedy Cellar Friday
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($12): One of the very best shows at UCB Chelsea is by Jay Malsky, a super-charged & hilarious character comic who also sings beautifully. This 25-minute solo musical shows off all of Jay's strengths, as he plays a variety of women whose boyfriends he stole. With musical direction by Jody Shelton, choreography by Zak Sommerfield, and taped vocals by David Carl & Taylor Ortega, this production establishes Jay Malsky as a vibrant rising star with a great comedy career ahead of him. If you're in the industry and looking for fresh talent, come check this out: Jay Malsky Slept With My Boyfriend! (on a double-bill with Obama Daughters)
7:30 pm ($7): Lend your laughter to Will Abeles recording 30 minutes of stand-up for an upcoming comedy album, with an opening set by Joe Pera (Conan O'Brien, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), at The PIT Underground hosted by Caitlin Peluffo: Will Abeles Album Recording
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A historical period or major event is explored comedically via stand-up, sketch, trivia contests, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue) hosted by Justin Auslaender & Lindsay Boling: Annal Revue
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Phoebe Tyers and Sebastian Conelli: The Friday Night Sh*w
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($12): Some of the finest improv in the country from brilliant comics Connor Ratliff, Shannon O'Neill, Alexandra Dickson, Michael Delaney, and/or Silvija Ozols forming a seamless and hilarious group mind at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($12): Cipha Sounds (Hot 97, Chappelle's Show) thought it would be cool if a hip-hop star told tales and then improvisors made up scenes based on them. This monthly show is the result, with a "secret" music celebrity "mesmerizing the crowd with amazing stories and linguistic darts to spark the creativity of some of the best improvisers in NYC," the latter being Anthony Atamanuik, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Lydia Hensler, Christian Capozzoli, and/or Shaun Diston at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): "When a very famous New York Times theatre critic writes a scathing review of New Team Honeybear's latest play, calling it, "Not a play at all," Jeff and Anthony are forced to question everything. Is it a play? Can they work together to prove the critic wrong? Will their friendship survive?" by sketch duo Jeff Mondoro & Anthony Jackson directed by Kevin Laibson at The PIT Underground: That's Not a Play: A Play by New Team Honeybear
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): A comedic play written and starring Ian Lockwood & Sophie Zucker, and directed by Philip Markle, in which "Baby Jessica was the first child to fall down a well, thereby capturing the nation’s attention and becoming America’s sweetheart overnight. Baby Ian will be the second" at The PIT Mainstage: Baby Ian Falls Down a Well
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): Musical improv group Premiere—which typically features the best improv piano player in the biz, Frank Spitznagel—springboards off an audience suggestion to create a complete story with song and dance at The Magnet theatre: Premiere: The Improvised Musical
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($12): Superb improvisors James Dwyer, Craig Rowin, Connor O'Malley, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and Shaun Diston make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($7): In this unique spin on musical improv, comedy duo Maggie Lalley & Jillian Vitko ask the audience to suggest a location, a victim, and a crime, and then make up a musical that tells the story of that felony at The PIT Mainstage: True Crime: The Musical
11:00 pm ($10): 1995 video game movie Mortal Kombat is screened and mercilessly savaged by comics Brian McGuinness, Derek Humphrey, Peter Bandyk, and FreddyG at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Chris Gersback: Movies R Dumb: Mortal Kombat
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($7): A unique show based on the premise "Let's be honest, love doesn't exist, couples suck, and Valentine's Day is bullshit. We test real life couples to see if they are meant to be together (they aren't). The couple with the least amount of points at the end of the night will have to break up, because we all die alone anyway and what's the point of anything really? It'll be fun!" at UCB East hosted by Carly Ann Filbin: Let Me Break You Up: An Anti-Dating Game Show
[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: If you're looking for something different: Former porn star Alia Janine hosts this show featuring sex workers ranging from dancers to strip club bouncers performing stand-up, plus more conventional comics, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Hardcore Comedy Show
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 9/16/17
It's Day #2 of a beloved Brooklyn comedy festival celebrating its 10th Anniversary (and which is being marketed as its final year, but who knows what the future will hold...), running through Tuesday at Brooklyn's The Bell House and Union Hall. Today's three shows not yet sold out are:
• [MEGA-TOP PICK] 5:00 pm ($15): In this unique show, animators spontaneously bring the jokes of guest stand-ups to visual life with lightning speed & wit. Plus the comics don’t know what the animators are drawing and the animators don’t know how the comics will react. Tonight's superb comedy lineup consists of Reggie Watts, Sean Patton, Clare O'Kane, Matteo Lane, Mehran Khaghani, and Dulcé Sloan performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall (702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street), produced by Sam Varela & Brandie Posey and hosted by Ian Fidance: Picture This!
• [MEGA-TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($20): A reverse roast battle, in which comics compete to deliver the best compliments to their opponent, with an incredible lineup of Daniel Kitson, Scott Adsit, Eugene Mirman, Jean Grae, Elna Baker, and Matt Koff, plus music from DJ WIll Winner, all performing at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street) hosted by Kyle Ayers: Boast Battle
• 8:00 pm ($15): Casey James Salengo (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents), Joel Kim Booster (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special, Billy on the Street; for Joel's Conan set, please click here), Phoebe Angle, Cole Escola, and Sarah Lazarus perform stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall (702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street) hosted by Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV): Yikes! Most Of These Comedians Were Born After Police Academy 2 Was In Theaters
There's also a 9:00 pm show at Bell House, but it's sold out.
To explore the complete list of festival shows, and/or to buy tickets for subsequent nights before they sell out, please click Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival 2017
Other notable shows this Saturday include:
[TOP PICK] [$] Noon-MIdnight ($11 or $16 per show, or $31 for an all-you-can-see pass): For 12 hours, The PIT Mainstage and The PIT Underground host scores of comedy shows, all starring female comics. For the most comprehensive and up-to-date list of these festival shows, please click here; and then come enjoy the She Makes Me Laugh Femme Fest
[TOP PICK] [$] 2:00 pm ($20; typically includes free brownies baked by the multi-talented Carl himself): David Carl (hilarious, charismatic co-star of Point Break Live) is best known for his solo show Gary Busey's One Man Hamlet (As Performed by David Carl), which nabbed raves and awards during its debut in the 2014 FringeNYC Festival and subsequent international tour (for my review, please click here). Three years later, Carl has created this second solo show as a weird sort of meta-sequel. For my full description & review of this new production, please click here. David Carl is a special comic, and this show at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) is worth experiencing: Trump Lear
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:15 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), the 7:15, 9:15, and 11:15 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Comedy Cellar Saturday
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($12): Improv powerhouses Charlie Todd, Jeff Hiller, Jim Santangeli, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, Kevin Hines, Erik Tanouye, and John Timothy 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] 7:30 pm ($10): Liz Miele (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, animated webseries Damaged, comedy album Mind Over Melee), Lauren Maul (comic & musician), and Jackson Sturkey (singer, actor, and writer) perform at Astoria Queens comedy venue QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; to watch his hit video Pachelbel Rant, which has been viewed by over 13 million people on YouTube, please click here): Don't Feed the Musicians
8:00 pm ($7): Monday PIT house improv group The Department (which includes the superb Dana Shulman) shifts gears with this show devoted to sketch comedy based on the theme Sabotage at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): The Department of Sabotage
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($12): Improv group Airwolf—with big talents Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, Achilles Stamatelaky, Eddie Dunn, Ben Rameaka, and Adam Fruccie—make up scenes about terrible audience experiences related to a home at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Brilliant comic Adrian Sexton (superb Unauthorized: The Musical series, improv groups The Community Players, Ouiser & Clairee, George/Martha, and The Darklings; host of Pet Prov) and Tamara Young host a variety show that incorporates tarot cards—show up an hour early for a free reading!—at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Tamara's & Adrian's Tarot Variety Show
9:30 pm ($10): Storytellers share tales of relationships in front of a panel of comics and therapy experts, who then give advice, with tonight's guests Jake Fromm, Tiana Miller, and Wilson McDermut at Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell (27-16 23rd Avenue) hosted by Lynn Bixenspan & Morgan Pielli: Relationshit
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12): A powerhouse group of improvisors—Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Natasha Vaynblat (one-woman show United Federation of Teachers), Casey Jost (former writer for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and TruTV's Impractical Jokers), and Lui Vega—springboard scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life at the UCB East theatre: What I Did For Love
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Long form improv about the behavior of a theatrical troupe both on-stage and off-stage, revolving around a different show biz theme each week at The Magnet theatre: The Cast
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($12): At UCB Chelsea, improv group Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—takes your written secrets and turns them into very funny improv scenes: Grandma's Ashes: We Won't Tell
11:30 ($7): Dan Lee & Alex Song host a variety show that aims to feature especially notable Asian comics from NYC and LA at the UCB East theatre: Asian AF
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 9/17/17
It's Day #3 of a beloved Brooklyn comedy festival celebrating its 10th Anniversary, running through Tuesday at Brooklyn's The Bell House and Union Hall. Today's four shows are:
• [TOP PICK] 2:00 pm ($20): Michael Showalter, Roy Wood Jr., and Sarah Kay demonstrate their brilliance at thinking on their feet by hilariously answering questions at this live taping of Chris Duffy's excellent podcast at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street): You're the Expert
• [TOP PICK] 4:30 pm ($25): Ira Glass, Michael Showalter, and Caroline Rhea tell stories at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street) while periodically being interrupted by Eugene Mirman asking them questions to elicit funny details for this live taping of Eugene's podcast: Hold On
• [MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($25): Wyatt Cenac & Sarah Vowell (above) host an incredible lineup of Daniel Kitson, T.J. Miller, Todd Barry, Eugene Mirman, and more at Brooklyn's The Bell House (149 7th Street) for this benefit for 826NYC (an nonprofit that helps students ages 6-18 with their writing): Please Help the Next Salman Rushdie Who is Only 9 Years Old and Currently Writes Like a Slightly Drunk John Grisham
• [TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Seth Herzog brings his legendary LES show to Brooklyn for one night only, with T.J. Miller, Brett Davis, Greg Barris, and more performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall (702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street): Sweet
To explore the complete list of festival shows, and/or to buy tickets for subsequent nights before they sell out, please click Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival 2017
Other notable shows this Sunday include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 1:30 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among five shows, with four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Sunday
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($8 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nimesh Patel (exceptionally sharp stand-up; Comedy Central, TruTV; written for Chris Rock hosting the 2016 Oscars; co-host of Broken Comedy) headlines a stand-up show at the West Village's Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): The Darjeeling Limited
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($12) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes superstars in the improv world such as Shannon O'Neill and Anthony Atamanuik, and sometimes network TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSSCAT 3000
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of HBO's Crashing and Netflix's Master of None; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There), Matteo Lane (Seth Meyers, Comedy Central, MTV's Guy Code & Girl Code), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, co-host of Battlicious), Jules Posner, Maria Heinegg, and Jess Salomon perform stand-up at UCB East produced by Kara Klenk (writer for MTV's Girl Code & Guy Code and contributor to Broad City) and hosted by Joe Zimmerman (Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing): If You Build It
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1, feature film Wifed Out; former co-host of Esquire Network's Best Bars in America), Christi Chiello (Comedy Central's Roast Battle, MTV's Girl Code, TruTV, co-host of Battle of the Divas), and more perform stand-up for this free weekly show at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Will Miles, Clark Jones, and/or Kenny DeForest: Comedy Night at the Knit
9:30 pm ($7): Jena Friedman (wry dark political stand-up; Stephen Colbert, @midnight, The New Yorker, Adult Swim, Netflix mockumentary Undecided; former staff writer for David Letterman, former producer for The Daily Show), Gianmarco Soresi (Seeso; sketch group Uncle Function; acclaimed FringeNYC play <50%), and more perform stand-up at The PIT Underground: hosted by Jay Schmidt: The Last Laugh
Copyright © 2017 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
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