NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 9/19/11
Ace sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox will be trying out new bits at Maude Night
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): Katie Hartman, who's half of hilarious sketch comedy duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, going solo tonight with "a menagerie of bizarre and bewildering characters in the shittiest parade you've ever seen. But not a literal parade. Please don't expect a parade:" Unhuggable
7:00 pm ($5): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, movie star; host of Sweet), and Carmen Lynch (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) performing stand-up at the Magnet Theatre for Adam Lerman's and Willy Appleman's Deep Traffic
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC; co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Ryan Johnson, and Alex Carbano performing stand-up 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
8:00 pm ($5): A UCBT sketch show by Leah Gotcsik & Marty Johnson: Somebody's in the Doghouse; and in the other half of this double-bill, a mini-play that pleased the college-age audience I saw it with, but that I wish wasn't written to be so calculating and by-the-numbers (e.g., the ending was dead obvious within the first few minutes)...but is probably worth seeing if only for the genuinely fresh & funny tailor scene: Brad Sacks Gets a Handjob
8:00 pm ($5): Any show ballsy enough to begin its description with "Have you ever loved a mop? Susan-Kate Heaney has..." is worth exploring. This one-woman show is happening at The PIT: Confessions of a Mop-oholic
8:00 pm ($5): 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), Rob Stern, Matt Koff, Erik Tanouye, and Boris Khaykin performing stand-up at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B) hosted by ace improvisor and aspiring stand-up Will Hines: Wheelhouse
[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; to watch his hit video Pachelbel Rant, which has been viewed by over 9 million people on YouTube, please click here), Chelsea White (MTV, College Humor, co-host of It's Not That Serious), Jaqi Furback, Erik Bergstrom, Adam Chisnall, Jessimae ,Troy Bynum, and Adam Chisnall performing at Pat O'Shea's free biweekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue): Ed Sullivan on Acid
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): UCB West has developed several terrific in-house sketch comedy troupes, but only two of them currently rival the finest sketch groups in the country. One is Kate McKinnon's Gramp's; and the other, Stone Cold Fox, is performing tonight. Stone Cold Fox has a stellar "best of" show virtually every Friday at 7:30 pm, which I highly recommend catching. Tonight the troupe tries out new bits, some of which will hit the mark and some of which will misfire; but hopefully the whole experience will be fun. Also on this double-bill is house troupe Arbuckle, which isn't in the same league, but includes such notable performers as Violet Krumbein (currently in a national TV ad for an investment firm)—all at Maude Night
9:30 pm ($5): "A drama written by teen Jerome McDonough that teaches teens about the evils of alcohol abuse. A talented and twistedly funny group of adults (the Marumsco Valley Players) will present the hard-hitting play, stage directions and all—while under the influence!:" Alky
10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner & Chelsea Clarke hosting a show with guest improvisors at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B): Improv Nerds
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic sketch, stand-up, improv, videos, and anything else quick & comedic, at The Magnet with host Leanne Linsky: Casual Sketch
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest stand-ups in the world—who haven't been announced for tonight, but with top comics in town for this past weekend's comedy festival a strong lineup is likely—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central) at Whiplash
[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 9/20/11
Sean Patton performs stand-up at Sweet, Myq Kaplan does the same at Tell Your Friends...
...Tom Shillue tells sexy tales at Stripped Stories, and Shayna Ferm sings at Twat's Up!
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): A one-man show by Andrew Fafoutakis about his life in Minnesota that's "part comedy, part storytelling, and part rock concert:" Prince and a Pauper
[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 ($10 suggested donation): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), star stand-up Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents), and Andy Ross (Real Characters) joining sensual hosts Margot Leitman (VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com, co-host of Dive Comedy) in telling raunchy comedic tales—plus hot songs from Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act)—at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC, which tonight is putting on a special edition for Planned Parenthood of New York City at Babeland Soho (43 Mercer Street, near the #6 subway's Spring Street stop and the N/R Canal Street stop): Stripped Stories
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Jon Rineman (writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon), Eric Ledgin (writer for Jimmy Fallon), and Costaki Economopoulos (Showtime, Sirius XM) performing at the Lolita Bar with producer Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): 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.), musical guest Mike Doughty (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien; formerly of band Soul Coughing; solo album Sad Man Happy Man), and more performing at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B) 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): 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's downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club
8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Grandma's Ashes, Mr. Crime, Sandino, Dance Break, and Very Good Kiss—and at 11:00 pm advanced UCBT students making up movies—all at Harold Night
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Wonderful singer/songwriter Shayna Ferm (sketch troupe Fearsome, musical Grease 3: Threase), and stand-ups R. G. Daniels (host of Sunday Night Stand-Up), Hadiyah Robinson, Andy Sandford, and Annie Lederman performing at Queens LIC's The Creek hosted by Jackie Zebrowski, Julia Johns, and Sharron Paul: Twat's Up!
8:00 pm ($5): Anne Johnson & Scott Lawrie "combine Eastern religions with Western bass beats to create the duo's patented dance therapy" at The PIT for Work it Out with Anne and Scott
8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet's singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Mint Condition and Rosencrantz
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Rory Scovel (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central), Eric Ledgin (writer for Jimmy Fallon), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, Comedy Central), Justin Silver, Ari Shaffir, and more performing stand-up at the PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill
9:30 pm ($5): "Ever watch an improv set and think, Geeze, I want to know everything about how that show came together: What were the performers thinking about? How did they approach each scene? What notes will their coach give them? Yep, us too. Presenting a post-show panel discussion, Q&A session, and debriefing that dissects, explores, and explains some of the ins and outs of improv" at The PIT, with tonight focusing on troupe House Team Stranger and coach Jeff Lepine: The Operation Theater
[FREE] 9:30 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
10:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (lineup not announced) at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B) hosted by Adam Lowitt (Producer at The Daily Show): It Is It
[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free show, audience members can join in with veteran musical improv talents to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer
[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open mic stand-up show hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It
[FREE] MIdnight: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B) hosted by Boris Khaykin: Tuesdays at Midnight
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 9/21/11
John Hartman takes you to the edge in his one-man show Your
Friends and Enemies, while
Rachel Sklar and many others talk about being Jewish using six
words in Oy!
Only Six? Why Not More?
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 to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($12):"Storytellers on the intense, amazing, compelling, and kvelling concept of Jewish Life: from identity to mother issues to unfettered love of kugel to inner conflict over Israel to the sheer joy of discussion and debate. Each performer begins with a Six-Word Memoir and then has up to six minutes to recount its backstory. The evening ends with an audience participation Six-World Slam: you’re invited to share your own six words on the Jewish Life, such as: "Found Jewish princess. Good-bye succulent pork.” “One small Jew, one loud family." “Born Mormon, intellectually Jewish, emotionally Zen.” “First Shabbat, Western Wall, tears falling.” "Overstuffing is part of my aesthetic."It all happens at 92Y Tribeca (200 Hudson Street): Oy! Only Six? Why Not More?
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B), 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 another genius improv troupe consisting of trio Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) performs as Outlook of the Poet
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Chicago-based John Hartman (Second City Touring Company, Baby Wants Candy) performs a one-man show for one night only "about the creepy, marginalized, and perverse; the dark and ridiculous; the poignant and silly lives of people you like and people you hate, despite the fact they may be one in the same" at UCB West: Your Friends and Enemies
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Emily Epstein (Comedy Central), Amanda Melson (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Katie Halper (MSNBC), and Gabe Morales performing stand-up at the East Village's Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad's & Amy Albert's free weekly show Comedy School Dropout
8:00 pm, 9:00 pm, and 10:00 pm ($7): Magnet house troupes performing improv, followed by a free show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt
8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free drink!): Typically terrific NYC stand-ups (sadly, not announced this week) performing at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Nick Turner: Monsters
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Open mic stand-up (with sign-up starting at 8:00) at Brooklyn's Belleville (330 5th Street) hosted by Josh Guarino: The Belleville Mic
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B), Nicole Byer, Sasheer Zamata, and Keisha Zollar are first up as the energetic & entertaining all-gal improv troupe Doppelganger; and then UCBT Harold Night house troupes Mr. Crime and Grandma's Ashes make up scenes without relying on the usual long-form "Harold" rules at Cheating on Harold
[FREE] 9:00ish pm: NYC stand-ups Katina Corrao (HBO, Comedy Central), Kat Herskovic (NBC), Boris Khaykin (Comedy Central's Atom TV), and H. Alan Scott (Oprah), plus The Shrink Dancers, performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
9:30 pm ($5): Two of the finest comedic actors in NYC, Amy Heidt and Jeff Hiller, perform sketches about love and murder that aren't nearly as good as they are (don't know how that happened, as Amy is also a brilliant writer), but come for the pleasure of seeing these two on stage at The Last Resort; and in the other half of this UCB West double-bill, the superb Ryan Karels (Conan O'Brien, Krompf) performs a sketch show I haven't yet seen titled Radio Rogue
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:30 pm (just a $5 cover if you call 212.757.4100 for a reservation and mention Mike Recine's name, plus 2-drink min.): Fresh faces from NYC downtown comedy—the wonderful Erin Lennox (host of I Like You Too), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon), and Jeff Wesselschmidt performing tonight at the Carolines Comedy Club, with Mike Recine headlining: Mike Recine and Erin Lennox
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rob Cantrell is an organic and delightful pothead stand-up who's performed on Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, and VH1, and written for High Times. Tonight he debuts a monthly show featuring all-new material, with guest stand-up Hari Kondabolu (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central), at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Rob Cantrell: All In
[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 West (307 West 26th Street) 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 (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B) 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 9/22/11
It's a night for storytellers, with Chris Gethard performing at Totally J/K...
...and Leslie Goshko (above), Adam Wade, John Flynn, and Jim O'Grady relating their Tales of the Cosmos
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): The audition of three comedic one-act plays, which include Pig: A Restaurant, a one-woman show performed by Lauren Conlin Adams, written by Leila Cohan-Miccio, and directed by Caitlin Tegart about "the opening party for East Gowanus' hottest new restaurant. Join luminaries like sex-obsessed food critic The Ravenous Foodie, the editor of email blast Experience Junkie, and model/actress/hostess Aurora as they usher Brooklyn's porkiest new eatery restaurant into the spotlight," all at UCB West's showcase Spank
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A and B) hosted by John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics drawing names from a bucket, with each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Corby Haas
[FREE] 6:30 pm: In this free show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with veteran improv talents to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): "Stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe," hosted by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), and featuring superb storytellers Leslie Goshko, John Flynn, and Jim O'Grady performing at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B): Tales of the Cosmos
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): A rotating cast of veteran improvisors make up scenes based on the improvised monologues of the co-owner of the Magnet Theatre: The Armando Diaz Experience
8:00 pm ($5): Jew-themed improv at The PIT's downstairs lounge: Mordechai Cohen's Old Testament Improvisors present The Rosh Hashana Show
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Liz Miele (Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central), Jeff Wesselschmidt, Cody Hess, and Stephanie Holmes performing at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City accompanied by banjo music from Doug Goldstein and hosted by Andy Kleinman: Happy Sounds Comedy
[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] 9:00 pm ($5): Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake and UCBT's The Chris Gethard Show; Magic Box of Stories, The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of book Weird New York; winner of 2011 ECNY Award for Best Tweeter), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), and Lisa deLarios (Comedy Central, co-host of The Party Machine) performing UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B) with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): The Emmy-winning writers of The Colbert Report gather on the UCB West stage to perform an all-improvised show at Seize the Mustard
9:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups Pete Lee, Paul Mecurio, and Alice Wetterlund performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for Sean Crespo's & Carol Hartsell's weekly comedy show Lasers in the Jungle
9:30 pm ($10): Musicians help inspire Improvisors to create scenes in Beauty Love Truth
9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT's downstairs lounge for The Scene
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Stellar improv troupe Rogue Elephant competing with challenger Code Red for audience laughs and votes at UCB West (307 West 26th Street) for the raucous Cage Match
11:00 pm ($5): Magnet improv troupes Ransom Family and Phooka compete for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component—at Inspirado
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly open mic stand-up show, with each comic given five minutes, at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A and B) hosted by Rob Stern & Amber Nelson: Gutbucket
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/23/11
Mamrie mourns the passing of Gwyneth at Celebrity Funeral, and Rich Vos headlines at Gotham Comedy
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups start at 5:30 pm) at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox
7:00 pm ($8): Award-winning improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan make stuff up with "a celebrity guest improvisor' at Swords, while all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme
7:00 pm ($5): A one-woman show by Alexis Lambright about her quest to pop her cherry: Combating Adult Virginity
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): "Called 'a seedbed for mighty comedy talents' by Time Out, this UK sketch comedy troupe has helped launch such stars as Monty Python, Hugh Laurie, Peter Cook, Stephen Fry, Douglas Adams, Emma Thompson, and Sacha Baron Cohen...This current show has already played a string of prestigious London venues and a sell-out month at the Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Festival. Now it transfers to the US, stopping off at Second City (Chicago), iO West (Los Angeles), and UCB West (New York):" Cambridge Footlights' International Tour Show: Pretty Little Panic
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors—tonight featuring guests Fran Gillespie, Jim Santangeli, and Ari Scott—making up a musical on the spot at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B): Diamond Lion
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 online or at the box office using discount code TMAN): One of the very best shows at FringeNYC 2010 was an award-winning comedy from NYC's own Faye Lane, a luminous storyteller and singer who will charm your socks off—and possibly give you a moon pie to boot—at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. This marvelous event recently received a 2011 Bistro Award for Musical Comedy and 2011 MAC Award for Special Production. Please read my review by clicking here, watch Faye make a pecan pie by clicking here, see Faye be a Green Bean by clicking here, and then take advantage of this revival running Friday nights to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories
8:00 pm ($10): An improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello
[FREE] 8:00 pm:Three sketch teams compete, with the winner decided by combining audience votes with that of a panel of judges. And while the votes are being tallied, a well-known sketch troupe outside of the competition will perform. Tonight's show is part of a 15-team sketch tournament at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Arena Sketch League Finals
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A writer/comic who's currently playing Leon Black on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and has performed on Saturday Night Live, FOX, Comedy Central, MTV, The Chris Rock Show, and such feature films as Pootie Tang and Mr. Deeds, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: JB Smoove
[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's starred on two seasons of Last Comic Standing; has performed a very popular Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; was a regular on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; was the first white comic on Def Jam; wrote for Chris Rock; played Lenny Bruce on NBC's American Dreams; was an unlikely guest on The View; and is a regular on the Opie and Anthony radio show, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Rich Vos
8:30 pm ($7): Sketch comedy, sometimes interwoven with a live band: Citizen Models
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB West's all-star members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): The unsinkable Mamrie Hart (rising star who's snared over 180,000 visits to date with her Harry Potter viral video) hosts eulogies for Gwyneth Paltrow, with participants including Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show), Henry Zebrowski (Murderfist), Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, and a small army of other comics at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B): Celebrity Funeral: Gwyneth Paltrow
[$] [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): Gary Gulman, Jon Fisch, Wil Sylvince, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15): An award-winning sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar situations & rituals on their head (for a video about how boys will be girls, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team
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): Jon Gabrus, Nate Lang, Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Fran Gillespie Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at UCB West's The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
11:00 pm ($5): NYC comics Sad on Vacation, John Hartman, and Uber Luber Death Metal (Adam Newman & Trevor Williams) performing at UCBeast (UCB East, 155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B): Gentrify
[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): One of the finest improvisors alive, Joe Bill (Bassprov, iO, co-founder of the Annoyance Theatre) spearheads a breathtakingly brilliant group of improvisors from Chicago and New York who'll blow the roof off with lightning-quick dark comedy unlike anything else in NYC. Chicago-based Joe visits NYC only once a month; if he's at this performance, upgrade it to "MEGA-TOP PICK." Either way, the other superb players are Jordan Klepper (Klepper & Grey, iO, ), Jodi Lennon (Comedy Central's Exit 57), Ari Voukydis (UCB instructor, VH!'s Best Week Ever), Doug Stoley (Conan O'Brien, UCB), Rick Andrews (Magnet performer), Mark Grenier (Magnet instructor), Jen Sanders (Magnet performer), and Chet Siegel (Magnet performer), all declaring Lights Out, Shirley!
[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
[FREE] Midnight: This show typically isn't much fun for audience members—which is why it hasn't been on the UCBT schedule for a long time—but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB West stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 9/24/11
Arden Myrin and Adira Amram are among the stellar talents at The Party Machine....
...ace sketch troupe Pangea 3000 debuts The Night Night Show, and Top Gun goes Shakespearean in Jester's Dead
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 at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4
6:00 pm ($5): Terrific improv troupe Listen, Kid!, plus troupes Bobby Teenager and Scoresby, kicking off your Saturday evening at The Magnet Theater's The Rundown
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Joe Bill, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, Kay Cannon, Christina Gausas, and other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions—at UCB West all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball
7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft making up a play on the spot at The Magnet: Theory of Everything
7:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B): Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who's starred on two seasons of Last Comic Standing; has performed a very popular Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; was a regular on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; was the first white comic on Def Jam; wrote for Chris Rock; played Lenny Bruce on NBC's American Dreams; was an unlikely guest on The View; and is a regular on the Opie and Anthony radio show, headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club: Rich Vos
[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A writer/comic who's currently playing Leon Black on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and has performed on Saturday Night Live, FOX, Comedy Central, MTV, The Chris Rock Show, and such feature films as Pootie Tang and Mr. Deeds, headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: JB Smoove
[FREE] 8:00 pm: 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), Joe List, and Gary Vider performing stand-up at One and One (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) at Sean Donnelly's Lil' Seany Boy
[TOP PICK] 8:30 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 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), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; host of Joe Mande Presents at Carolines, co-host of Totally J/K; author of book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Chaz Kangus (rapper) performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall: The Party Machine: Slumber Party Edition
[FREE—plus FREE BEER!] 8:00 pm: A variety show of stand-up, storytelling, and sketch that's not only free, but promises to give each of the first 25 audience members who arrive a free beer! Unfortunately, the lineup is virtually never announced in advance; but if you'd care to take a chance, join hosts Ray Combs Jr., Evan Jacobs, and Aalap Patel as they provide you a drink On the House
[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—UCBwest's genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): James Adomian (talented impressionist; finalist on last summer's Last Comic Standing), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and Annie Lederman performing stand-up at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B) hosted by Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It
[$] [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): Gary Gulman, Jon Fisch, Wil Sylvince, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club
9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub and now at The PIT: Political Subversities
[TOP PICK] [$] 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): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and other stellar improvisors interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then create an entire show based on the mini-bio at UCBwest's The Curfew: Not From Around Here
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): A sharp musical improv troupe makes up stories with song and dance based on an audience suggestion at The Magnet's Choral Rage
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): Top Gun performed as if written by William Shakespeare. I haven't seen it, but this sketch-based parody is likely to be great. Debuting tonight at The PIT: Jester's Dead
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): A sharp improv troupe consisting of writers for The Onion and Jimmy Fallon debuting a late night talk show—sort of—at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B): The Night Night Show with Pangea 3000
[FREE] Midnight: A broad mix of comedy acts at the debut of this monthly variety show at The PIT: Late Night with Taylor Clark
Midnight ($5): Sketch comedy troupe Hammerkatz NYU and some (presumably obscure) sketch troupe TBA compete for audience laughs and votes, with troupe Sidecar hosting, in Backyard Brawl
[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form "rare and wonderful one-night-only teams," with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 9/25/11
Patton Oswalt is slated to drop in at Gotham Comedy; and the NY Arab-American Comedy Festival kicks off with sketch at The PIT
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open mic stand-up show (for details, please click here) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase
[$] 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm ($20): The 8th Annual NY Arab-American Comedy Festival kicks off tonight with sketch, both live and via film clips, from Arab-American actors who've appeared on HBO, NBC, MTV, and CNN, and in such films as The Visitor, House of Saddam, You Don't Mess with Zohan, The Interpreter, and Sex in the City 2, "bringing the comedy revolution from the Middle East to The PIT; it's actually more funny than sketchy:" Sketchy Arabs
[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): 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), Dan McCoy (The Daily Show), and Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon) 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 155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B) hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help
[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
7:30 pm ($5): Sketch duo Two Fun Men, and Ray Munoz telling true stories about growing up in NYC, in a double-bill at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B): Two Fun Men and Off the Cuff
[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Rory Scovel (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here), Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, co-host of podcast You Had to Be There), Nore Davis, and Kate Berlant performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
8:00 pm ($7): Typically stellar stand-ups (not announced this week) performing at Brooklyn's Union Hall for comedy giant Eugene Mirman's Pretty Good Friends
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sketch troupes The Weirs, Jamaal Sedayao, Paul Barker, Russ Armstrong, and/or Good Morning Ladies performing new material at The Magnet: Ripe Sketch Comedy
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT's downstairs lounge for a free weekly show typically hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.): Comedy legend Patton Oswalt, and NYC fave 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), are opening tonight for a show headlined by Eddie Pepitone (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) at the Gotham Comedy Club: Patton Oswalt, Leo Allen, and Eddie Pepitone
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Music from the unforgettable dark comedy group The Cowmen and more at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Murderfist's Holden McNeely & Ed Larson: Stage Fright
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): James Adomian (talented impressionist; finalist on last summer's Last Comic Standing), Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon), Trevor Williams, and Michael Che performing stand-up at UCB East (155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B) hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Andy Haynes, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup
9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors team up with poets at The Magnet's Kiss*Punch*Poem
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Maureen Langan (Jay Leno, Joy Behar), Emily Epstein, and Adam Lehman performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 4 minutes per comic, at The PIT's downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Vicious Cycle
11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes not associated with a particular comedy theatre: Indie Improv Showcase
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Email: hy@hyreviews.com
