NYC Comedy Picks for Week of July 14, 2008

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 7/14/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] stellar stand-ups Leo Allen (SNL, Conan O'Brien), Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1),

Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1), Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien, VH1), and Sean Donnelly

(Ochi's Motel, Don't Touch Me There) at Liam McEneaney's free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

political sketch comedy, plus an interview with Amy Goodman (host of daily show Democracy Now!

and author of new book Stand Up to the Madness) at Liz Winstead's Shoot the Messenger (8:00 pm),

three hours of new sketch comedy by UCBT students tried out before your eyes—and hosted by

brilliant comic Dave Hill (VH1, Spike, TLC, MOJO)—at Maude Night (8:00 pm & 9:30 pm),

[MEGA-TOP PICK] and brilliant storyteller and stand-up comic Mike Birbiglia (David Letterman,

Conan O'Brien, three Comedy Central specials) performing for $5 one of the best shows

you'll see at any price—in preparation for an off-Broadway run—mixing Mike's years of

stellar laugh-a-minute material with a Broadway-caliber tale of sleepwalking and life choices,

under the deceptively humble title 80 Minutes of New Comedy (11:00 pm).

Ophira Eisenberg, Leo Allen, and Rob Paravonian...

...and Craig Baldo, Sean Donnelly, and Liam McEneaney

Tell Your Friends

This free weekly comedy show is produced by Liam McEneaney

(VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,

former writer for Standup Nation with Greg Giraldo).

Tonight's host is Sean Donnelly (co-host of weekly NYC open mic live comedy show Ochi's Motel; member of sketch comedy & funny short film troupe Don't Touch Me There;

for a stand-up video, please click here).

And the fine guests are

Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials, Ed, Sex and the City).

Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Fresh Faces of Comedy, VH1's Best Week Ever and All Access; E!, Oxygen Network, Discovery Channel; Fashion Police writer for US Weekly),

Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; frequently opened for George Carlin on tour;

to watch Rob's hit videos, including Pachelbel Rant which has been viewed by

over 4.5 million people on YouTube, please click here), and

Craig Baldo (performed numerous sketches for, and also recently did a stand-up set on, Late Night with Conan O'Brien; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Comic Remix, VH1's Best Week Ever, and Bravo; written for The Onion;

for Craig's Conan stand-up, please click here).

8:00ish pm at Lolita Bar, 226 Broome Street (between Allen and Orchard Streets); free

Nearest subway stops are Delancey Street via the F or Delancey-Essex via the J/M/Z.

Amy Goodman, and STM host Lizz Winstead

Shoot the Messenger

Lizz Winstead is co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; and a performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night. (She's also a character; e.g., for a memorable anti-apology after canceling her appearance on the NYC show Drink at Work, please click here.)

Tonight's guest is Amy Goodman, host of nationally syndicated daily TV & radio show Democracy Now!, and co-author of the new book Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times.

To get a feel for STM, please view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees by clicking here

and read a March 2008 New York Times article about the show by clicking here.

8:00 pm at The Green Room, 45 Bleecker Street (off Lafayette); tickets are $12.50

Nearest subway stop is Bleecker Street on the #6 (which brings you virtually to the door of the theatre)

 and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.

Maude Night

Writers, performers, and directors, most of whom are students at UCBT,

 try out their sketch comedy routines.

Tonight features four groups in two double-bill slots:

at the 8:00-9:15 pm show, The Skuntz and Stone Cold Fox;

and at the 9:30-10:45 pm show, mixtape '98 and 27 Kidneys.

Some of the material will probably be very funny.

And a lot of it probably won't.

But if you enjoy the raw energy of young artists trying out bits,

come and support tonight's experiments, live on stage.

And as an added incentive: tonight's lineup will be hosted by brilliant sketch/alternative comic

Dave Hill (written for The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie

Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written & starred in MOJO TV's King of Miami; written and performed for VH1, Spike TV, The Learning Channel, and the much-missed Smoking Gun TV series; hosts monthly UCBT live comedy extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—to learn more, please click here).

8:00 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5 per show

Mike Birbiglia: 80 Minutes of New Comedy

Mike Birbiglia is flat-out one of the funniest stand-up comedians in the country.

He's not loud or rude—just smart, relaxed, honest, and hilarious. (Sample line:

"If the best part of waking up is Folgers in my cup, I'm not sure I want to wake up.")

This razor-sharp comic recently performed an hour-long Comedy Central special

titled What I Should Have Said is Nothing. Mike's also performed two

Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; appeared multiple times on

Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien;

and has released the comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live.

The latter was chosen by Time Out New York as the Comedy Album of the Year.

Tonight Mike will be mixing his stand-up and storytelling skills to craft a tour de force performance that results in one of the finest shows you'll ever see.

Mike's honing this material for an off-Broadway run; but it's already

Broadway caliber, and one of the best shows in New York.

You can wait until this production is at a theatre that appropriately

charges $40 and up a ticket; or you can see it tonight for a mere $5.

For sample stand-up videos, please click here and here;

and then come let Mike make you both laugh helplessly and feel deeply

in this extraordinary solo show about sleepwalking, bears, and life choices.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 7/15/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] Michael Ian Black (NBC's Ed, MTV's The State) performing a free reading

from his new humor essay book My Custom Van (7:00 pm),

a rare NYC appearance at Madison Square Garden by star Ricky Gervais (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing), Jesse Pop (Comedy Central), Dartanion London (popular

Seattle comic), and more at a hot new show mixing sketch & stand-up: Sweet Haven (8:00ish pm),

Brendan McGinley (writer of such Zuda series as Hannibal Goes to Rome)

joining in on a lively & fun discussion about comic books at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),

three full hours of improv for only five bucks at Harold Night (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] LA alternative comedy star Brent Weinbach (2007 Andy Kaufman award winner,

Comedians of Comedy) performing a 50-minute set; plus top stand-ups John Mulaney (Conan O'Brien,

VH1's Best Week Ever) and Jay Larson (Comedy Central, Craig Ferguson) at one of

the finest & funniest shows in NYC the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),

and two innovative improv troupes: Stray follows the twists & turns of an audience-selected object, and

Factory Factory demonstrates how actions in different locales affect each other, in Thread and Tracers (9:30 pm).

Michael Ian Black: My Custom Van

Michael Ian Black (MTV's The State, NBC's Ed, Stella comedy troupe)

is performing a free reading tonight from his new humor essay book

My Custom Van—And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays

That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face.

Some endorsements:

"Michael Ian Black has proven that even the most simple-minded among us can occasionally create works of genius."—Stephen Colbert

"Fun to read while you're pooping."—Sarah Silverman

Seating is first come, first served, so arriving early is recommended.

7:00 pm at Barnes & Noble: Tribeca, 97 Warren Street; free

Nearest subway stop is Chambers Street on the 1/2/3/A/C trains

Ricky Gervais Live at Madison Square Garden

UK comedy superstar Ricky Gervais will be performing tonight and Wednesday

at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Gervais is best known for creating, co-writing & co-directing

(with long-time collaborator Stephen Merchant) and also starring in

the BBC TV shows The Office (which led to the NBC hit sitcom)

and Extras (which was subsequently broadcast by HBO).

Gervais' razor-sharp work has been recognized with two Emmy awards, three Golden Globe awards, seven BAFTA awards...and enormous commercial success.

Plus, he's way funny.

This rare NYC appearance is pricey; tickets are $46, $56, or $66,

depending on seat location. (Plus, if you order online,

an outrageous additional $10.15 "service charge.")

But if you've got the cash and are a fan...

For a Jane Borden Time Out New York interview

with Gervais about this show, please click here.

7:30 pm at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater,

Four Pennsylvania Plaza (7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets);

tickets are $46, $56, or $66, plus $10.15 charge if ordering online

Sweet Haven

This exciting new show comes from sketch troupe Peoples Republic of Komedy, whose members learned how to be funny in Seattle and then sunk all their savings into making a mark in NYC. They're off to a great start with this new weekly extravaganza, which uses sketch (and even a theme song) to create a comedic framework for their stand-up guests.

Tonight's fine lineup consists of

Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1),

Jesse Popp (Comedy Central's Premium Blend; co-host of the

weekly NYC live Beauty Bar Comedy Show for 6 years running),

Dartanion London (popular Seattle-based comic; for stand-up video about how he got his name, please click here; for twisted Web medical game, please click here),

Brent Weinbach (LA alternative comedy star; 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; Comedians of Comedy tour; for stand-up video involving pants, please click here), and

Andy Wood (member of the Sweet Haven sketch troupe).

8:00ish pm (doors open at 7:30) at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); $5

Friend of Brendan McGinley (by artist Andres Ponce)

Comic Book Club

Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,

who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.

Tonight's guest is Brendan McGinley (writer of such Zuda comics as Hannibal Goes To Rome).

To get a feel for the smart, playful vibe of Comic Book Club, please check out its podcasts—

that is, audio recordings of previous shows in their entirety—by clicking here.

(And for my fave, a delightful show with Kevin "Batman" Conroy, please click here).

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5

Harold Night

The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.

Tonight, five improv troupes—

Bastian, RAGNARÖCK, The Scam, Bangs, and DeCoster—

each give it a go for 30 minutes, with

short breaks in between, for a total of 3 hours.

Some of the groups are great; some are less so. And this show

is designed more for students of improv than the general public.

But if you're interested, and patient, a mere $5 will buy you

a full evening's education...and periodic solid laughs.

8:00-11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Brent Weinbach and John Mulaney...

...and Seth Herzog and Jay Larson

Sweet

Hosted by the razor-sharp, dynamic, and hilarious Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).

Seth is one of the finest hosts around—and this is one of the best comedy shows in NYC.

Tonight's wonderful guests are

Brent Weinbach (LA alternative comedy star; 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; Comedians of Comedy tour; for stand-up video involving pants, please click here), who'll be performing a 50-minute set;

John Mulaney (one of the finest and most razor-sharp stand-ups around; VH1's Best Week Ever, Late Night with Conan O'Brien; for John's Conan sets, please click here and here); and

Jay Larson (Variety's "Comics to Watch;" Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, CBS' Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson; upcoming Web series The Steamer;

for stand-up video about uncomfortable anniversaries, please kick here).

9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street  (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5

Stray: Thread and Factory Factory: Tracers

Two unique improv shows for just five bucks.

First, improv troupe Stray performs a show titled Thread: "After getting a physical, tangible object from the audience, Stray follows this object as though a camera were trained on it, catching the action that happens around it. Whether the object stays in one place or moves through a variety of different people and places, you're along for the ride." The group consists of Jill Farris, Wendy Herlich, Kristy Kershaw, and Stefan Schick.

The double-bill then continues with Chicago troupe Factory Factory demonstrating a fascinating new improv form called Tracers. The official description: "Two young lovers sneak into the boys locker room for a forbidden kiss. Morris, a retiring janitor, inadvisably tries out for the school play in the theater. The sound of a lot of broken glass rings out from the parking lot. The roar of a yeti is heard coming from the direction of the gym...Tracers allows the audience to see all of those locations over the same time period, and how they affect one another. When you fire a bullet into the next room, where does it go? With Tracers, the mystery is revealed." Factory Factory consists of Jon Bander, Karsten Cross, Luke Franklin, Megan Gray, Leslie Korein, Garrett Palm, and Morgan Phillips.

9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 7/16/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] Michael Ian Black (NBC's Ed, MTV's The State) performing a free reading

from his new humor essay book My Custom Van (12:30 pm),

a rare NYC appearance at Madison Square Garden by star Ricky Gervais (7:30 pm),

open mic stand-up in Queens' LIC, with guest headliner Jacqueline Novak and

host John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central) at The Kingdom of Heaven (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] typically stellar stand-up comics mixed with sketch comedy

(most of which is improvised!) at Gelmania (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] several entirely improvised musicals from genius duo Glennis McMurray

& Eliza Skinner (accompanied by pianist Frank Spitznagel) as I Eat Pandas (9:30 pm),

and a laid-back free variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).

For details, please click here.

TV Alert: South Park is one of the funniest shows in TV history—

and also one of the most consistently superb, over an amazing 11 seasons.

On tonight's repeat, a Cartman prank makes it look like Butters

engaged in gay sex...and gets the poor kid sent to a camp

intended to "straighten him out."

Set your TiVo to 10:00 pm or midnight at Comedy Central

to learn about alternative lifestyles.

Michael Ian Black: My Custom Van

Michael Ian Black (MTV's The State, NBC's Ed, Stella comedy troupe)

is performing a free reading tonight from his new humor essay book

My Custom Van—And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays

That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face.

Some endorsements:

"Michael Ian Black has proven that even the most simple-minded among us can occasionally create works of genius."—Stephen Colbert

"Fun to read while you're pooping."—Sarah Silverman

Seating is first come, first served, so arriving early is recommended.

12:30 pm at Bryant Park Reading Room, West 42nd Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues); free

Ricky Gervais Live at Madison Square Garden

UK comedy superstar Ricky Gervais will be completing his run tonight

at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Gervais is best known for creating, co-writing & co-directing

(with long-time collaborator Stephen Merchant) and also starring in

the BBC TV shows The Office (which led to the NBC hit sitcom)

and Extras (which was subsequently broadcast by HBO).

Gervais' razor-sharp work has been recognized with two Emmy awards, three Golden Globe awards, seven BAFTA awards...and enormous commercial success.

Plus, he's way funny.

This rare NYC appearance is pricey; tickets are $46, $56, or $66,

depending on seat location. (Plus, if you order online,

an outrageous additional $10.15 "service charge.")

But if you've got the cash, and are a fan...

For a Jane Borden Time Out New York interview

with Gervais about this show, please click here.

7:30 pm at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theater,

Four Pennsylvania Plaza (7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets);

tickets are $46, $56, or $66, plus $10.15 charge if ordering online

Big Black Car and Fancy Dragon

This free weekly show features the two PIT improv teams above,

each of which performs for about 30 minutes. For a video sample of Big Black Car,

please click here; and for a video sample of Fancy Dragon, please click here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free

John F. O'Donnell and Jacqueline Novak

The Kingdom of Heaven

Free open mic stand-up comedy show in Queens' Long Island City

(just one stop from Manhattan on the #7 train).

Hosted by John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central's Fresh Faces; for stand-up video, please click here),

a wild man who will make you love him...and who genuinely loves comedy and fellow comics.

If you're looking for stage time, John makes this a very friendly place to perform.

Sign-up for the open mic is at 7:30.

Tonight's guest headliner is Jacqueline Novak (for her

"response to heckler" video, please click here).

8:30 pm at The Creek and The Cave, 10-93 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens; free

From Manhattan, take the #7 subway to the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue stop (one stop after Grand Central);

exit on Jackson Avenue and walk one block north to 49th Avenue.

Gelmania

Tonight's lineup hasn't been announced; but as you can see from

the poster above, the comics tend to be superb.

9:00 pm (doors open at 8:00) at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); $5

Glennis & Eliza: I Eat Pandas

Glennis McMurray and Eliza Skinner are simply geniuses

at taking a suggestion from the audience and creating

an entire musical based around it, using only their imaginations,

immense talent, and the aid of their wonderful improv pianist

Frank Spitznagel. Each of these gals is a powerhouse performer;

what they manage to create together tends to be sheer magic.

You don't have to take my word for it, either;

the duo won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group.

Don't miss any chance to enjoy these comedic wizards at play.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Kurt Braunohler, Pat Shay, and Kimmy Gatewood

The Faculty and The Baldwins and Sid Viscous

Some of the PIT's instructors—who include such talents as Ali Farahnakian,

Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Matt Donnelly, Kevin Scott,

Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood—perform improv for around 30 minutes.

And opening for them will be house improv troupes The Baldwins and Sid Viscous.

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free

Justin Purnell

School Night

Host Justin Purnell provides a mix of guests who perform stand-up, improv, music,

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.

Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,

that this free show makes possible.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 7/17/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

a very odd but intriguing sketch troupe, and a one-woman show involving a Rubenesque

woman and a genie, in Murderfist and Your Fat Girlfriend (6:30 pm),

Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell relating their YouTube-documented romantic adventures

live on stage—possibly accompanied by visits from some of the gals—on Double Date Us (7:00 pm),

acclaimed comedy duo Joe Schiappa & Nathan Phillips performing improv in Project:Projekt (8:00 pm),

original, manic, and very funny comic Rick Shapiro (HBO's Lucky Louie) performing

a long stand-up set in his one-man show Wild Card (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] typically stellar stand-ups at the hilarious Joe Mande's & Noah Garfinkel's Totally J/K (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] Dave Hill demonstrating he's one of the sharpest, freshest, funniest comics around,

accompanied this evening by exceptionally wonderful guests—brilliant & iconic actress Martha Plimpton,

and breathtakingly talented singer-songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche—at The Dave Hill Explosion (9:30 pm),

sketch troupe As Sparks Fly Upward, which uses personal anecdotes and improv

as a means for building complex stories, debuting their latest work tonight:

a tale of learning to let go of old wounds titled Escape from Past Mountain (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and energetic & inventive improv troupes Death by Roo Roo and The F*cking Kennedys

competing for audience laughs & votes at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).

For details, please click here.

On TV: Many have a love/hate relationship with NBC's Last Comic Standing. The show can make careers; but it can also opt for shallow nonsense over substance.

Last week was a good example of both sides of the coin. Among the comics eliminated was
Esther Ku...who, if what we saw on the show is representative, should never have made it past the first round. (One of her jokes essentially says that all Asians really do look alike...) It's hard to believe Ku was a choice based on talent as opposed to "reality show" considerations about building in contestant conflict. There were only two women picked for the top dozen this season...which by itself is shameful. That one of those spots was tossed away on Ku adds insult to injury for the many sharp female comics working today.

On the other hand, Wilson Hall & Krister Johnson (a.k.a. Jeremiah Smallchild & Gideon Lamb of God's Pottery) were a breath of fresh air this season. While a "one-joke" act, these guys were consistently quick-witted, energetic,and entertaining. I'm not shocked they were eliminated; an LA audience at a mainstream stand-up club is more likely to vote for a mainstream LA stand-up. (Plus Iliza Shlesinger, unlike Ku, has genuine comedy chops.) But Hall & Krister carved the foundation for mass media success from their performances; and Last Comic Standing deserves kudos for giving them that opportunity.

The comic who most impressed last week, however, was Jim Tavaré (above right). Any Brit who can win a "yo mama" contest is someone quite special. (And he didn't even use his bass...)

For all the show's flaws, I want to see what happens next.

If you do too, tune in tonight from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm on NBC.

Some of the guises of sketch troupe Murderfist; and Katie Cunningham, member of Your Fat Girlfriend

Murderfist and Your Fat Girlfriend

Two sketch comedy shows for a mere five bucks.

Murderfist creates sketches that are very odd and unsettling.

For example, to watch a somewhat grueling tale of an unlikely gay couple done in

the style of a silent film, please click here. The troupe will be performing a show next month at the New York International Fringe Festival for $15. Catch them tonight for, effectively, $2.50.

The double-bill then continues with sketch troupe Your Fat Girlfriend, which includes comedic writer & actress Katie Cunningham playing a murderous genie. To get a feel for Katie, check out her Christmas suicide song and Emo Chick show by clicking here and here.

6:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Dave and Ethan: Double Date Us

Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell challenged pairs of women to double date them,

then documented the results on YouTube. Tonight they relate their tales live on stage...

along with guest appearances. "And possibly even a live date."

7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5

Rick Shapiro

Rick Shapiro: Wild Card

At his best, Rick Shapiro is a hilarious hyper & unrestrained stand-up who's a breath of fresh air. That said, Rick can also be wildly inconsistent, so there's no telling what to expect when you see him.

Rick's impressive credits include HBO's Lucky Louie and PoCreations Radio; a hit show at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival; performances at virtually all the top comedy clubs in NYC; and a comedy CD titled Unconditional Love.

If you're feeling adventurous, come experience this manic, honest comic deliver an extended set.

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

Project:Projekt

Respected improv comedy duo Project:Projekt consists of Joe Schiappa (comedic actor, and director of numerous fun productions including the off-Broadway comedy Matt and Ben) and Nathan Phillips (CBS, CNN, BBC; one-man show Bill the Billboard).

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5

Totally J/K

Hosted by quick-witted best buds Noah Garfinkel and

Joe Mande, the 2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic.

(For dueling birthday videos, please click here and here; for their

recent appearance on The McLaughlin Group, please click here;

and for other videos, please click here and here.)

Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're typically superb comics.

8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5

Martha Plimpton, Dave Hill, and Lucy Wainwright Roche

The Dave Hill Explosion

Dave Hill has written for The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie Web site Black Metal Dialogues. Dave has also written and performed for VH1, Spike TV, The Learning Channel, and the much-missed Smoking Gun TV series; starred in the MOJO Network TV series The King of Miami; creates comedic short films for both SuperDeluxe.com and Bud.com; and hosts this monthly extravaganza (to learn more, please click here). Dave says, "Sometimes I miss being able to walk into the free clinic and stuff without being harassed by people who watch television really late at night, but for the most part I gotta say this 'fame thing' suits me well. Really, really well." Indeed it does; Dave is an enormously witty, razor-sharp comic.

Dave's guests tonight are stars, and both awesome:

Martha Plimpton (one of my favorite actresses; her more than two dozen feature films include Running on Empty, Another Woman, Parenthood, Stanley & Iris, Samantha, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, I Shot Andy Warhol, Beautiful Girls, I'm Not Rappaport, 200 Cigarettes, and Dante's Inferno) and

Lucy Wainwright Roche (superb singer-songwriter who The New York Times said has the best qualities of both her parents—Loudon Wainwright & Suzzy Roche—and a voice “clear as a bell;” has also been described as "a refreshing, pure alternative to pop" and "sincere and raw, at times recalling Joni Mitchell and Patty Griffin, Roche's bittersweet voice leaps out; she paints an indelible image;" has performed solo shows, and opened for musicians ranging from Dar Williams to her brother Rufus Wainwright; has released two albums, 8 Songs and 8 More).

I can't believe this show hasn't already sold out...! To make your reservation, please click here.

9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

As Sparks Fly Upward: Escape From Past Mountain

Comedy troupe As Sparks Fly Upward tells stories off the top of their heads, then improvises

 scenes based on the tales...which may later turn into scripted sketches.

It's a clever way of crafting a sketch show organically, week by week—

and tonight you can watch the results.

The show is titled Escape From Past Mountain...and has nothing to do with orphan children with extraordinary powers. Instead, it's "about how our pasts can catch up with us, unless we choose the hard road of forgiveness. From moment to moment this show isn't afraid to be heady, physical, dark, or boldly juvenile. Most of all, it's funny.".

The writer/performers are Chris Caniglia, Scott Eckert, Sarah Nowak,

Nate Starkey and Shelly Stover; and they're directed by Ptolemy Slocum.

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

vs.

Cage Match: Death by Roo Roo vs. The F*cking Kennedys

This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating the

atmosphere of a professional wrestling arena—and providing such side-shows

as a bout to the death between guys costumed as an alcoholic wolf and TV's Alf.

(For a spirited weekly report on the wrestling aspect of Cage Match, please click here.)

The current reining champ at Cage Match is arguably the gutsiest improv group in NYC: Death by Roo Roo, consisting of uniformly brilliant comics Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn. This juggernaut doesn't merely walk over opponents, it pounds them into the ground. So far this season, DBRR has trounced nine troupes, winning a total of 861 audience votes vs. a mere 305 for all its opponents combined.

Tonight's contender is UCBT Harold team The F*cking Kennedys, which consists of Devlyn Corrigan, Brian Berrebbi, Sean Clements, Brian Faas, John Frusciante, Jon Gutierrez, Ben Schwartz, and Nate Smith.

Will the audience prefer Roo Roo to F*cking? Or will it like the Kennedys more than Death?

There's no telling what'll happen...which is one of the great pleasures of this extravaganza.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 7/18/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy

(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

sketch comedy routines airing past grudges in Rue Brutalia: Dirty Laundry (7:00 pm),

a parody romp through this summer's top flicks at The Blockbuster Movie Spectacular (7:30 pm),

sketch comedy from troupe Les Encompetent in its new show Luxury (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] some of the sharpest stand-ups in the country, including Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1),

Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien), Andrea Rosen (Comedy Central, VH1, Variety SHAC),

DC Benny (Last Comic Standing finalist), and more at one of the funniest productions in NYC—and

winner of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Variety Show—The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),

a groundbreaking and surreal improv troupe—Centralia: Au Bon Panic! (9:30 pm),

singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical (10:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which has currently trounced 10

challengers in a row at Cage Match—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] and UCBT's free monthly open mic stand-up show, where deliciously odd things

tend to happen around 1:30 am, hosted by lightning-quick & hilarious Pete Holmes

(Comedy Central, VH1; one of the finest comics in the country) at Gutbucket (12:20ish am).

Rue Brutalia: Dirty Laundry

Rue Brutalia is comedy duo Jon Pack and Jason Kalter,

who tonight air grievances...and attempt to get even.

To obtain a feel for these guys' odd work, check out a saga

about a cartoon character with no balls, and another about two guys

who are the same man, by clicking here and here.

7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

The Blockbuster Movie Spectacular

This one-shot extravaganza is described as follows: "Join your favorite (and least favorite) characters from this summer's blockbuster movies along with critics, fans, and other film nerds as we celebrate all things we love to hate paying money to see."

Expect lots of bad impersonations, hit-and-miss jokes, and considerable fun.

The small army of a cast includes Emily Axford, Pat Baer, Kirk Damato, Jill Donnelly, Pam Murphy, John Murray, Zhubin Parang, sketch troupe Sidecar, and Will Storie.

And the festivities will be hosted by Aaron Glaser and John Frusciante.