NYC Comedy Picks for Week of March 31, 2008

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 3/31/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

stellar comics & actors—including brilliant improvisors Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Christina Gausas,

Anthony King, and more—crashing improv into classic theatre scenes at Gravid Water (8:00 pm),

stand-up comics Nick DiPaolo, Todd Levin, John Morrison, and Josh Comers

at Liam McEneaney's free show Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

political sketch comedy, plus an interview with popular radio talk show host

Ed Schultz, at Liz Winstead's Shoot the Messenger (8:00 pm),

Zach Galifianakis, one of the most fascinating and hilarious comics alive, showing home movies

and other videos, along with brother-sister duo Eliot & Ilana Glazer, at Baby Steps (9:30 pm),

and wonderful star comics Tim Minchin, Dave Hill, and more at one of the finest

 comedy shows in NYC—which just happens to be free—Cavalcade! (11:00 pm).

For details, please click here.

 

For NYC comedy club discounts and comedic theatre discounts, please click here.

Currently available are discounts for select Comix shows;

$10 off an acclaimed one-man show by star musical comic Tim Minchin;

and a 50% discount on all tickets for the Broadway Comedy Club.

 

 

Human Giant is back with Season 2!

And it's great.

Be sure  to watch one of the funniest sketch shows in TV history.

New episodes air Tuesdays at 11:00 pm on MTV.

And if you missed the first three—or, for that matter, any episodes

from Season 1—you can catch these comedy gems online by clicking here.

(Alternatively, you can buy Season 1 on DVD, and get a bunch of extra features, by clicking here.)

 

Comedy Albums of the Month:

Shayna Ferm is an enormously talented comedic singer/songwriter.

To learn more about the sexy and hilarious Shayna, please click here.

To hear sample tracks from and/or order Shay's debut CD Blonde, please click for her MySpace page.

 

One of the funniest men on the planet, Todd Barry is a stand-up master.

For a recent interview with Todd, please click here.

To order his new comedy CD From Heaven, please click here.

 

 

 

Acclaimed Australian musical comic Tim Minchin is working his magic

at New World Stages from March 3rd through April 12th.

A New York Times review by Neil Genzlinger has described the show as "refreshing" and

"dazzlingly daffy." It goes on, "Minchin, an Australian who looks like a character out of Sweeney Todd,

alternates between absurd, low-key monologues and incongruously comic songs,

accompanying himself with gleeful piano pyrotechnics. A love song starts, 'You grew on me

like a tumor' and later adds, 'Should have had you removed back when you were benign.'"

To access videos that provide a feel for Minchin's work, please visit his MySpace page.

For info on how to get $10 off tickets (except Monday and Saturday performances),

please click here.

 

 

   

Becky Drysdale, Christina Gausas, and Shelly Stover...

...and Anthony King, Tara Copeland, and Jeff Hiller

Gravid Water

Classic theatre scenes performed by professional actors who stay on book—

and an improv comic who hasn't read the play and has to make up lines on the fly.

Starring world-class improvisers (in alphabetical order):

Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member

of Adult Swim's brilliant & Emmy-winning Moral Orel),

Tara Copeland (always-inventive star at both UCBT and The Magnet; weekly shows include Mother: The Soundtrack, The Tiny Spectacular, Ms. Jackson, and The Made-Up Musical),

Becky Drysdale (stellar & charismatic performer; acclaimed one-woman show

One Woman in Several Pieces, Web video series Time Traveling Lesbian),

Christina Gausas (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Stepfathers, Dorff & Gausas),

Anthony King (brilliant UCBT-NY Artistic Director; Reuben Williams, Happy Hour,

Let's Have a Ball, off-Broadway show Gutenberg! The Musical), and

Shelly Stover (We Kate Shelly, As Sparks Fly Upward).

And also starring are some of NYC's top theatre actors: Jeff Hiller (Silence!), Jonathan Kaplan (Tony nominee for Falsettos), Steve Rosen (Spamalot, The Farnsworth Invention), and Amy Rutberg (The Jazz Age) .

Gravid Water is directed, hosted, and co-stars Stephen Ruddy...

and is one of the finest comedy productions in New York.

If you want to introduce an actor friend to the world of improv, start with this show.

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

 

 

Nick DiPaolo, Todd Levin, and John Morrison

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 Josh Comers (writes topical humor on his blog Jokes That Won't Matter Tomorrow).

And the guests are

Nick DiPaolo (three Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, HBO's Lucky Louie and The Sopranos, former writer for The Chris Rock Show,

creates periodic Web-based free audio shows for Blog Talk Radio),

John Morrison (host of monthly NYC live comedy show The Morrison Motel and producer of weekly NYC open mic show Ochi's Motel; for a stand-up video, please click here), and

Todd Levin (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, The Onion, popular blog Tremble,

host of NYC live comedy show Todd Levin's TV Book Club).

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 Beckerman, Gloria Bigelow, Jackie Monahan, and Leah Dubie

Dykes on Mics

Free gay-themed stand-up comedy show featuring the gals above

as regulars/hosts, plus tonight's guests:

Giulia Rozzi, Jamie Lee, Anne Neczypor, and Selena Coppack.

8:00 pm at RubyFruit Bar & Grill, 531 Hudson Street (between West 10th & Charles);

no cover, one item (food or drink) minimum

 

 

 

Nationally syndicated radio host Ed Schultz, 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 live NYC show Drink at Work, please click here.)

Tonight's guest is Ed Schultz, host of the nationally syndicated radio program The Ed Schultz Show, which airs on over 100 affiliate stations across the country, including nine of the top 10 largest markets. According to his bio, "In an industry where the conservative voice is king, Ed Schultz's popularity, talent and progressive political bent has helped him become the dominant progressive radio voice of the nation." His show promises "straight talk from the heartland" from a "gun-totin', red meat-eatin' lefty."

To get a feel for STM, view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees 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.

 

 

 

Zach Galifianakis, and Ilana & Eliot Glazer

Baby Steps and Friends of Mine

Two comedy shows for a mere five bucks.

Baby Steps lets comics show videos—including home movies—they were in

or made themselves. Tonight's wonderful auteurs are

Zach Galifianakis (flat-out comedy genius, and one of the giants of the biz;

numerous credits include Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel; film & tour Comedians of Comedy; Comedy Central's Dog Bites Man,

Reno 911!, and The Sarah Silverman Program; Adult Swim's Tim and Eric Awesome Show

and Tom Goes to the Mayor; FOX's Boston Common and Tru Calling; upcoming

feature films What Happens in Vegas..., G-Force, and Little Fish, Strange Pond), and

Eliot & Ilana Glazer (brother-sister duo whose credits include the popular

UCBT extravaganza High School Talent Show).

The other half of this double-bill is a show titled Friends of Mine.

I have no idea what it is; but come and see whose friends join in to create fun.

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

 

 

 

Cheryl Smallman: Dreamless and Rob Lenihan: Breathe with Me

Solo Performances: Breathe With Me and Dreamlesss

Two thoughtful one-person shows for five bucks.

The top half of this double-bill is Rob Lenihan performing

his sobering one-man show Breathe With Me. It begins:

"I dreamed one night that my father was still alive...

As I guided him into the bathroom to give him his shower,

like I had so many times before, I felt confused rather than elated at seeing

my father among the living. I thought I didn't have to do this anymore,

I said to myself. I thought I was free..."

Cheryl Smallman then performs her one-woman show Dreamless about when

she "unexpectedly became someone's mother, and she got three choices:

A) Corporate mommy

B) Stay at home mommy

C) None of the above."

9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5

 

 

Concerned citizens, Tim Minchin, and Dave Hill

Cavalcade!

This razor-sharp stand-up extravaganza is no place for the innocent.

However, it's enormous fun.

Tonight's wonderful guests include

Tim Minchin (acclaimed Australian musical comic who's doing a show at New World Stages

through April 12th. A New York Times review by Neil Genzlinger described it as "refreshing" and "dazzlingly daffy," saying "Minchin, an Australian who looks like a character out of Sweeney Todd, alternates between absurd, low-key monologues and incongruously comic songs, accompanying himself with gleeful piano pyrotechnics. A love song starts, 'You grew on me like a tumor' and later adds, 'Should have had you removed back when you were benign.'" To access videos that provide a feel for Minchin's work, please visit his MySpace page. For info on how to get $10 off tickets (except Monday and Saturday performances), please click here), and

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

Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written and performed for VH1, Spike TV,

The Learning Channel, and the fabulous Smoking Gun TV series; hosts monthly

UCBT extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—to learn more, please click here).

Tonight's show is likely to be one of the funniest in NYC.

And it's free.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 4/1/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

the stars of MTV hit comedy series Human Giant performing on stage, being interviewed

by Eugene Mirman, and being joined by special guests, at Human Giant Live (6:00 pm),

lively & fun discussions about comic books, with four creators whose work runs the gamut from

lively & fun discussions about comic books, with four creators whose work runs the gamut from

writing a history of the period when comic books were demonized (The Ten-Cent Plague) to reviving

an obscure and very silly comic strip (The Laugh-Out-Loud-Cats), at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),

superb storytellers, including Martin Dockery (five-time Moth GrandSLAM finalist), at SpeakEasy (8:30 pm),

stellar comics Demetri Martin, Pete Holmes, Heather Lawless, and John Roberts

at one of the finest comedy shows in NYC, the fabulous Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),

the final two rounds of an annual contest in which stand-up comics compete for

 audience votes at Carolines' March Comedy Madness 2008 (9:30 pm),

and a free East Village show featuring fine stand-up comics Matt McCarthy, Jesse Popp,

Jamie Lee, and more at Matt Ruby's Flying Carpet (10:00 pm).

For details, please click here.

 

For NYC comedy club discounts and comedic theatre discounts, please click here.

Currently available are discounts for select Comix shows;

$10 off an acclaimed one-man show by star musical comic Tim Minchin;

and a 50% discount on all tickets for the Broadway Comedy Club.

 

 

Human Giant is back with Season 2!

And it's great.

Be sure  to watch one of the funniest sketch shows in TV history.

New episodes air Tuesdays at 11:00 pm on MTV.

And if you missed the first three—or, for that matter, any episodes

from Season 1—you can catch these comedy gems online by clicking here.

(Alternatively, you can buy Season 1 on DVD, and get a bunch of extra features, by clicking here.)

 

Comedy DVD of the Month:

It's notoriously difficult to make pure stage improv work on film.

That's why this ASSSSCAT! DVD is so special...and exhilarating.

As far as I know, it's the best state-of-the-art improv comedy

ever captured by a camera and available for enjoyment & scrutiny at your leisure.

The direction is so unobtrusive that you almost feel like

you're there in the theatre watching it happen live.

It was performed in 2007 by the comedy geniuses of the Upright Citizens Brigade

Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh

along with some friends at the UCB Theatre in LA.

If you've ever wondered why there's so much interest in improv—

or, conversely, have tried to explain the appeal to a friend or loved one—

this DVD is the answer.

For further details and/or to purchase a copy, please click here.

To learn more about the Upright Citizens Brigade—

as well as about its newest cool Web site—please click here.

 

Human Giant Live

MTV hit comedy series Human Giant is one of the best sketch comedy shows in TV history.

But the gang—Aziz Ansari , Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer—are equally brilliant live on stage.

They'll be demonstrating precisely that this evening, accompanied by

their phenomenal director Jason Woliner.

If that's not enough, the moderator is another comedy giant: Eugene Mirman.

Plus, "special guests."

Season 2 episodes are currently premiering Tuesdays at 11:00 pm on MTV.

You can watch the comedy gems that have aired to date—

as well as all the episodes from Season 1—by clicking here.

Then again, if you'd like to own Season 1, you can buy the DVD by clicking here.

Seats in the room where the guys are performing this evening appear to be sold out,

but you can nab a "closed circuit viewing room" seat for only $5.

To do so online (for additional $1.50 service charge), please click here.

6:00 pm at The Paley Center for Media, 25 West 52 Street (off Sixth Avenue);

"closed circuit" tickets are $5

 

 

    

Pseudo-resurrection of a comic strip: Meet the Laugh-Out-Loud-Cats; and a look back at an unsettling time: The Ten-Cent Plague

Comic Book Club

Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,

who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.

Tonight's guests are Adam Koford (Laugh Out Loud Cats, a strip Adam creates but pretends is an obscure series he rediscovered), Andrew W.K. (The Wolf), Mike Oeming (Powers, Mice Templar), and David Hadju (The Ten-Cent Plague).

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.

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—

Raynard, DeCoster, fwand, 1985, and Twelve Thousand Dollars—

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

 

 

Les Encompetent

A new sketch comedy show by Lizzie Goldberg-Redner, Dave Maulbeck,

Lauren Olson, and Jana Schmieding. The official description:

"Inept characters and human folly give rise to this original compilation of sketches.

Employing witty transitions and the occasional dance number, Les Encompentent

is a fresh reminder of how silly sketch can become. "

8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

 

 

SpeakEasy: Stories from the Back Room

There is little as satisfying as a well-told funny story...

that is, unless you can have an entire evening packed with them.

Sherry Weaver hosts this lovely show, which she says she created because

"she couldn't convince people to climb into bed with her at night and tell her stories."

Tonight's yarn-spinners are Sara Barron, Martin Dockery, Cyndi Freeman,

Mark Katz, Michaela Murphy, and Emily Epstein.

For performer bios, please click here.

8:30 pm at Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street (between West 4th Street and Bleecker);

$10 ticket plus one item (food or drink) minimum

 

 

Pete Holmes, Demetri Martin, and Heather Lawless

Sweet

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

This is one of the finest comedy shows in NYC.

Tonight's thoroughly wonderful guests include

Demetri Martin (immensely popular stand-up star with his own segment, Trendspotting,

on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart  [13 appearances]; Late Night with Conan O'Brien

[4 appearances]; Comedy Central Presents 30-minute special; Comedy Central 2007 one-hour special Demetri Martin. Person. [both specials now available on DVD]; These Are Jokes CD/DVD),

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

Motherload; writer for CollegeHumor.com; cartoonist for mags ranging from

The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl; host of UCBT's monthly open mic extravaganza Gutbucket),

Heather Lawless (winner of the 2005 ECNY Award for Best Female Stand-Up; Comedy Central's Premium Blend, MTV2's Wonder Showzen, 2007 feature film Be Kind Rewind; member of superb female comedy group Variety Shac), and

John Roberts (member of acclaimed comedy troupe Pu-Pu Platter, and half of sketch troupe The Dregs...which was recently nominated for a broadband Emmy;

for video samples from this YouTube star, please click here and here and here).

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

 

 

March Comedy Madness 2008

In this annual event, stand-up comics compete for audience votes.

The first four rounds were on March 11th (with 64 comics getting 1 minute each),

March 18th (with the surviving 32 comics getting 2 minutes each),

and March 25th (with the remaining 16 comics getting 3 minutes each,

and then the eight surviving comics getting 4 minutes each).

The final two rounds are tonight, featuring four comics at 7 minutes each,

and then two comics going head to head at 10 minutes each.

It's sort of like Last Comic Standing without the intrigue.

Hosted by Bryan Kennedy and Josh Filipowski.

9:30 pm at Carolines, 1626  Broadway (between 49th and 50th Streets);

$16.25 cover charge, plus two-drink minimum (with tip, figure an additional $12 or up)

 

 

Flying Carpet

Matt Ruby's free monthly comedy show tonight stars

Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham),

Jesse Popp (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, co-producer of the

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

Jamie Lee (VH1's Best Night Ever, Archers of Ha),

Joe Powers (co-host of weekly NYC open mic comedy show Ochi's Motel),

Phil O'Reilly, and Luke Thayer.

10:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); free

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 4/2/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

comedy legend David Cross, comedic music genius Reggie Watts, sharp stand-ups,

plus sketch comedy fun & surprises at Andres du Bouchet Has Been Expecting You (8:00 pm),

brilliant stand-up comics including Eugene Mirman, Jon Glaser, Laurie Kilmartin, and Lee Camp,

plus top comedy videos from Web site 236.com, at 23/6: Starved for Attention (8:00 pm),

an entirely improvised musical from magical duo Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner as I Eat Pandas (9:30 pm),

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

 

David Cross, Andres du Bouchet, and Reggie Watts

Andres du Bouchet Has Been Expecting You

Comedy show playing on the first Wednesday of each month, hosted by

Andres du Bouchet (writer for & performer on FOX's Talkshow with Spike Feresten;

Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn, Cheap Seats;

live NYC comedy show Giant Tuesday; comedy videos).

Tonight's thoroughly wonderful guests are

David Cross (comedy genius, and one of the most respected guys in the biz;

credits as writer, actor, and comic include HBO's Mr. Show, FOX's Arrested Development, Comedy Central's Freak Show, Adult Swim's Tom Goes to the Mayor and Tim and Eric Awesome Show...and scores of other TV and feature film roles),

Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; winner of 3rd Annual Andy Kaufman Award; scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician whose unique skills will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com), and

Lisa deLarios (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham;

for stand-up video about clothing, please click here).

8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

 

 

Eugene Mirman and Jon Glaser

23/6: Starved for Attention

Popular comedy Web site 236.com extends to a live stage tonight, showing off

some of its favorite videos and performers. Tonight's stellar comics include:

Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special,

Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1,

The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman and En Garde, Society! comedy albums,

co-host of acclaimed weekly Brooklyn live comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya),

Jon Glaser (long-time writer & sketch performer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien;

writer/performer for ESPN's Cheap Seats; frequent performer on Human Giant;

voiceover actor for such animated series as David Cross' Freak Show, and

Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Stroker & Hoop (as Stroker),

and, with Eugene Mirman, Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil (playing Jesus);

writer/star of Comedy Central's online show Tiny Hands; writer/filmmaker

partner with stellar VO actor/comic Jon Benjamin in Midnight Pajama Jam;

and—with Todd Barry, Jon Benjamin, James McNew, and Tom Shillue—

member of NYC comedic band A Matter of Trust);

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

Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, CBS' The Late Late Show,

for stand-up video about hookers and dating, please click here), and

Lee Camp (Sometimes Funny Hurts DVD; SharkBaby Comedy News Webcast; Spike TV,

 E!, Law and Order: SVU; for stand-up video on political hypocrisy, please click here).

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

 

 

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

 

 

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 just won this year's 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

 

 

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); free

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 4/3/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

stellar storyteller Kambri Crews, plus such fine stand-up comics as Claudia Cogan and Jamie Kilstein,

telling funny and sometimes poignant tales about their relatives at Sara Benincasa's Family Hour (7:30 pm),

Chevy Chase, a Saturday Night Live icon, engaging in a probing (and funny) discussion

about his career with superb interviewer Carl Arnheiter at Inside Joke (8:00 pm),

one of the most charming & entertaining groups in NYC, recently off a sold-out three-city tour and winning

the ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act, debuting a show about April Fools: The Apple Sisters (8:00 pm),

terrific comics Tom McCaffrey, Matt McCarthy, Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate, and Brent Sullivan

at the hilarious Joe Mande's & Noah Garfinkel's Totally J/K (8:30 pm),

super-talented raunchy singer/songwriter Jessica Delfino, and popular comics artist & musician Dame Darcy,

hosting a comedy/music party like no other, with scheduled guests including Margot Leitman,

"hot sailors, sexy mermaid babes, and dancing till the place shuts down:" The Naughty Nautical Night (9:00 pm),

unique stand-ups Matt Higgins and Danny Cohen joining the fresh, sexy, and razor-sharp gals of Variety Shac (9:30 pm),

and brilliant improv troupe The Stepfathers competing tonight against Thank You, Robot

for audience laughs and votes at Cage Match (11:00 pm).

 

Happy children with "Aunt" Sara Benincasa...

...and Jamie Kilstein, Kambri Crews, and Claudia Cogan

Family Hour with Auntie Sara

A stand-up comedy show in which everyone tells jokes and/or stories related to

their family. Hosted by comic/actress Sara Benincasa (MTV's Choose or Lose Campaign;

host of Tub Talk with Sara B. on Nerve.com; for video sample, please click here).

Tonight's guests are

Kambri Crews (luminous performer, stellar publicist & producer, and one of the most sharp, charming, and heartfelt comedic storytellers working in NYC; for Kambri's correspondence with her deaf dad, who's in a Texas prison for trying to  stab his wife to death, please visit Web site LoveDaddy.org; for a video of Kambri reading her jailed dad's wedding toast, please click here),

Claudia Cogan (ECNY Award nominee for Best Female Stand-Up;

Logo Network, Sirius OutQ; for stand-up video about Claudia's aspirations to be

a stripper, please click here; for video about her being unemployed, please click here),

Jamie Kilstein (2007 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival; has opened for Lewis Black,

Dave Chappelle, Dave Attel, and Marc Maron),

Bex Schwartz (all over VH1),

Andrew Wright (Still Born in the USA).

Katie Riffey, Matt Rittberg, and H. Alan Scott.

7:30 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

 

 

 

Chevy Chase, and interviewer Carl Arnheiter

Inside Joke: SNL's Chevy Chase

Host Carl Arnheiter (writer for ABC News, The Discovery Channel,

People Magazine, Time Out New York, and a superb interviewer)

has a well-researched and thoughtful chat with one of the rare comics who

helped define his generation, Saturday Night Live icon Chevy Chase.

This show's seats are sold out, but if you're okay with standing

come and experience what's likely to be a probing and memorable interview.

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

 

 

Photo on left: Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood, and Sarah Lowe

Photo on right: Sarah Lowe, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood

The Apple Sisters: It's April, Fool

The delicious Apple SistersKimmy Gatewood, Rebekka Johnson, and Sarah Lowe, with Tom Thomsen on keyboard—have sung, danced, and naughtily joked their ways into New York City's heart. This homage to 1940s girl groups like The Andrew Sisters has been one of the great successes of 2007, having done 10 original shows, sold-out performances at comedy festivals around the country, and recently winning the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act.

Tonight debuts It's April, Fool, a show likely to be full of fun and surprises.

From the official description: "The Apple Sisters are Candy, Cora, and Seedy. Their mother, Ms. Reddy Apple, was a vaudeville star and she passed down the legacy to her three girls! The trio present their live show, broadcast on WXYZ AM Radio, straight to the troops in Germany, and present the show on stage at the Peoples Improv Theater in their first and favorite home, the Big Apple! Be a chum and always use Doramad Toothpaste, now with Thorium!"

To get a feel for the production, please click here & here & here & here.

The show tends to sell out, so it's recommended you buy an advance ticket

online ($9.19, including service charge) by clicking here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street; tickets are $8 at the door

 

 

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; and

 for other videos, please click here and here.)

Tonight's superb guests include

Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Shorties Watchin' Shorties),

Matt McCarthy (razor-sharp comic; Comedy Central's Live at Gotham),

adorable and foul-mouthed Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate (co-hosts of monthly Brooklyn live comedy show At Night with Gabe & Jenny; for hilarious Jenny video, please click here), and

Brent Sullivan (for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here).

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

 

 

 

The Naughty Nautical Night

Monthly comedy & music show with a nautical theme, described as

"a cabaret/carnival that turns into a dance party...with something

for everyone's fishy side." The hosts are two phenomenally talented sirens:

Jessica Delfino (brilliantly funny and stunning writer/singer; enjoys singing songs

about her vagina, as demonstrated by her acclaimed CD Dirty Folk Rock;

created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous;

toured the country with the wonderful Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players;

was a big hit at the Edinburgh Festival this summer; has a cool MySpace page, and

an even cooler blog; to get a feel for Jessica's amazing range and talent, please click here), and

Dame Darcy (acclaimed comic book artist whose graphic novels include The Illustrated Jane Eyre, Frightful Fairytales, Gasoline, and Dame Darcy's Meat Cake Compilation;

also rocks in her band Death By Doll).

Tonight's scheduled guests & activities are, as Jessy describes it:

"Magin Schantz, uke-ist of the high seas,

Ben Lerman, hot sailors,

Margot Leitman enlightens us with a tale of the briny sea,

a vast assortment of sexy mermaid babes including burlesque

featuring Victoria Kuper and friends,

belly dancing babes,

Diane O'Debra will jolly roger the place up,

house band Anchor Panky rocks the boat,

DJ Kai keeps the tide high,

fun surprises and treats for best sea-themed costumes

 (so come all dolled up pirate / sailor / sea-theme style),

a boardwalk carnival where wares shall be hocked,

really strange ocean themed drinks,

 damn, even puppets by Jared Whitcomb.

It's like a children's show on acid, and not that junky acid that hurts your back,

the real good shit that is so fresh and clean and when you wake up the next morning,

it's like it was all a dream."

Wow.

Plus "midnight dancing till the place shuts down."

9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street  (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $10

 

 

Jenny Rubin, Dave Rubin, Paul Case, and Shawn Hollenbach

The Back Room

Gay-themed comedy, hosted by Jenny Rubin.

Tonight's scheduled guests are

the delightful Jackie Monahan (Dykes on Mics at Rubyfruit,

Lesbians of Laughter Tour; for sharp stand-up video, please click here),

Robin Cloud (Under the Pink Carpet)

soce, the elemental wizard (MTV, Howard Stern)

Back Room co-producer Paul Case (MTV),

Back Room co-producer Shawn Hollenbach (here! tv.com), and

Back Room co-producer Dave Rubin (here! tv.com).

9:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);

no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)

 

 

Heather Lawless, Chelsea Peretti, Andrea Rosen, and Shonali Bhowmik

Variety Shac

The hard-to-resist members of this hilarious group are musical host Shonali Bhowmik, and

superbly quirky comics Heather Lawless, Chelsea Peretti, and Andrea Rosen. The show features songs, brilliant stand-up comedy, and funny short films made by the foursome; for samples of the latter, please click here and here.

Tonight's terrific guests include

Matt Higgins (Comedy Central, PSNBC; former improv instructor at

Yale School of Drama; founding member of improv troupe Burn Manhattan and

acclaimed improv troupe Centralia; three-time finalist for the Andy Kaufman award;

for a uniquely quirky stand-up video, please click here), and

Danny Cohen (Comedy Central's Premium Blend; co-creator and co-host of

Spin Cycle Comedy, a weekly NYC comedy/variety show held in a laundromat

that was covered nationally by The New York Times, Newsweek, ABC news, CNN, MTV, etc.;

first runner-up in the search for America's Wackiest Comedian;

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

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

 

 

vs.

Cage Match: The Stepfathers vs. Thank You, Robot

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...).

The Stepfathers consists of some of the sharpest & funniest improv comics

in the country—Michael Delaney, Christina Gausas, Chris Gethard, Will Hines,

Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols, and Zach Woods.

Some of these folks are comedy geniuses; and they're on stage practicing their craft

in front of rapt audiences every Friday at 9:30 pm at UCBT.

Tonight's challenger is Thank You, Robot, which rolled off the assembly line in 2006 and consists of shining young comics Jeremy Bent, Seth Lind, Matt Little, Casey Savage, Christopher Scott, Abra Tabak, and John Robert Wilson. For their video about the cool new game "Volcano Blast," please click here; and to get a feel for their improv style, please click here.

These are both talented groups, and there's no telling what will 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 4/4/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

a Christian folk music duo using their songs to make a difference in God's Pottery Saves The World! (8:00 pm),

typically stellar stand-up comics 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),

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

and one of my all-time favorite improv troupes, the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm).

 

Jeremiah Smallchild and Gideon Lamb are on a mission from God

God's Pottery Saves The World!

While visiting NYC last summer, Gideon Lamb and Jeremiah Smallchild got lost on the subway and ended up in Harlem, where they met a small boy named LaVert Washington who informed them he had cancer. They quickly moved to raise money for the lad with their now-famed The Concert for LaVert. It later turned out the boy was healthy and had lied through his teeth; but the incident made Gideon and Jeremiah appreciate the impact they almost had on his life...and the impact they could have on literally millions of more lives if they saved the entire world. Therefore, the duo have created this new show, in which they tackle global issues such as adoption, drug addiction, and Africa in an effort to rescue all mankind through the power of song, true belief, and a PowerPoint" presentation.

According to their Web site,"God's Pottery is a Christian acoustic duo formed to spread the Word (using) their unique blend of music, people-skills and Biblical know-how to inspire all who are willing to listen with open hearts." Some in the secular world have called them Wilson Hall and

Krister Johnson; others have called them harsher things. But most have called them very funny.

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

 

 

The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show

This is one of the best comedy shows in New York.

Hosted by Greg Johnson (sharp, quick-witted stand-up comic)

and Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor who performs all the

key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other TV series include

Home Movies, O'Grady, Cheapseats, Computer Lab, Puppets N Such;

for an animated VO reel, please click here).

Tonight's lineup hasn't been announced yet, but it's usually stellar.

To check for a last-minute update, please click here.

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

 

 

Bobby Moynihan, Zach Woods, Christina Gausas, Michael Delaney, and Chris Gethard

The Stepfathers

Some of the smartest & finest improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney, Christina Gausas,

Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols,

and Zach Woods—make up a series of scenes from a one-word audience suggestion.

With art and grace, these star talents will make you laugh—a lot.

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

 

 

Death by Roo Roo: Your F*cked Up Family

Arguably the gutsiest improv troupe in NYC, the brilliant comics of Death by Roo RooAnthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn—interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story

via improvised scenes. Sometimes scary, and usually hilarious.

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

 

 

Girly Girl Burleskapades and Naked Boys Improvising

This double-bill begins with traditional burlesque—that is, woman stripping—

though with the emphasis a bit more on the side of laughter than titillation.

The show then continues with five guys who seem very nice and sharp but

perform only so-so improvisation and, in the process, invent reasons to take off articles

of clothing. By the last couple of minutes, they're completely naked.

It's not great comedy; but if you're in the right mood, it's harmless fun

that provides something of visual interest to both men and women.

11:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10

 

 

Liquid Courage

The ultimate in audience participation: any group can submit a sketch and perform it!

If all you want is to be entertained, this show probably isn't a good choice.

But if you'd like to act on the UCBT stage, and/or have your sketch writing judged by an exceptionally savvy audience, this is a golden opportunity.

Sign-up begins at 10:30 pm and runs till 11:45 pm; sketches will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's wise to arrive early. For a complete list of the rules, please click here.

12:15ish am at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 4/5/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,

and The Daily show who joyously declare Let's Have a Ball (7:30 pm),

Second City veterans, Magnet instructors, UCBT stars, and occasional celebs

at the Magnet's signature improv show, The Tiny Spectacular (7:30 pm),

comics experiencing the rush of performing with no clothes on in The Naked Comedy Showcase (8:00 pm),

improv comedy mixed with audience-supplied music at the rockin' Mother: The Soundtrack (9:00 pm),

inventive & hilarious sketch comedy from The Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),

improvised TV shows about audience members via world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),

world-class sketch troupes including The Apple Sisters, Drop Six, and host Party Central USA

each performing one new or favorite sketch in Sketchubator NYC (11:00 pm),

and a joyously silly celebration of school days with top comedic performers in High School Talent Show (midnight).

 

 

Becky Drysdale, Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Peter Gwinn, and Tami Sagher

Let's Have a Ball

Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.

The players typically include Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim's brilliant & Emmy-winning Moral Orel), Kay Cannon (writer for 30 Rock), Becky Drysdale (acclaimed one-woman show One Woman in Several Pieces, Web video series Time Traveling Lesbian), Christina Gausas (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Stepfathers, Dorff & Gausas), Peter Gwinn (writer for The Colbert Report), Anthony King (UCBT-NY Artistic Director, Reuben Williams, Gutenberg! The Musical), Laura Krafft (writer for The Colbert Report), Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006), and Rob Riggle (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; Saturday Night Live, The Office).

7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

 

 

The Tiny Spectacular

Magnet instructors & Second City veterans such as Rachel Hamilton, Ed Herbstman, Abby Sher, and Miriam Tolan, plus stars of Mother: The Soundtrack (see below) Jason Mantzoukas, Tara Copeland, James Eason, Christine Walters, plus occasional special guests (such as superstar Mike Meyers), turn a tiny suggestion into larger-than-life improvised scenes.

7:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

 

 

Andy Ofiesh, creator of The Naked Comedy Showcase

The Naked Comedy Showcase

Oddly enough, this is just what it sounds like;

stand-up, sketch, and improv comics performing in the buff.

A reviewer from The Boston Globe observed, "The dynamic of nude comedian

and clothed audience added an extra dimension to self-deprecating material."

For a New York Magazine review, please click here.

8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10

 

 

Mother: The Soundtrack

Jason Mantzoukas leads a vibrant team of improv comics—Scot Armstrong, Tara Copeland, Jon Daly, James Eason, Jesse Falcon, Doug Moe, and Christine Walters—who make up scenes based on CD tracks contributed by the audience. One of UCBT's most beloved shows.

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

 

 

The Harvard Sailing Team: A Hundred Years of Song and Dance

The Harvard Sailing Team, which just won the ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Group,

performs their special brand of fresh, imaginative comedy

that turns familiar rituals on their head. (For a video about awkward goodbyes

at the end of a party, please click here.) The very talented troupe consists of

Rebecca Brey, Jen Curran, Clayton Early, Faryn Einhorn, Katie Larson,

Adam Lustick, Chris Smith, Billy Scafuri, and Sara Taylor.

This new collection of sketches, titled

A Hundred Years of Song and Dance, covers such topics

as Melissa Etheridge, Duck Tales, and American Gladiators.

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

 

 

Reuben Williams: As Seen on TV

Anthony King demonstrates that in addition to running UCBT-NY brilliantly, he's a superb improvisor and actor. Joining him are stellar talents Eugene Cordero, Lennon Parham, Charlie Sanders, Eric Scott, Kate Spencer, Charlie Todd, and Joe Wengert. Together, they interview an audience member, and then use the answers as the basis for a new TV show...which this fiercely talented comedy troupe creates & performs for you on the spot.

10:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8

 

 

4 Track!

Springboarding from a word suggested by the audience,

George Basil, Frank Campanella, Christian Capozzoli, and Matt Evans

perform organic & energetic long-form improv for about 40 minutes.

Basil is a stand-out, but they're all sharp, committed improvisors.

There's also a warm chemistry between the men, which is especially evident

if you arrive early to watch them getting ready on stage: They toss a ball

back and forth, and then toss each other back and forth...sending

a body message of "If you throw an improv concept at me, you can trust me

to not let it drop..." One of the Magnet's most popular shows.

10:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

 

 

Drop Six, The Apple Sisters, and Party Central USA

Sketchubator NYC

Sketchubator is a popular monthly show that allows a bunch of terrific comedy groups to each perform one new or favorite sketch. It's hosted by Party Central USA, a hilarious troupe that consists of Mike Condrick, Patrick Dall'Occhio, Brianne Halverson, and Michael Terry,

and whose motto is "Life is a fluffy buttermilk pancake filled with glass dust."

(For PCU's sharply written & performed videos about father-son chats, trying to get fired,

and a special bachelor party, please click here and here and here.)

Tonight's scheduled sketch groups are

The Apple Sisters, Drop Six, Kape, Oren Brimer and Friends, and Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting.

11:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8

 

 

Rob Lathan, Shawn Hollenbach, Ann Carr, and Carolyn Castiglia...

 

...and Ilana & Eliot Glazer, and Mindy Raf

High School Talent Show

A fun extravaganza from brother-sister duo Eliot & Ilana Glazer  in which

"Upper Central High School's brightest stars take to the stage to deliver rabble-rousing performances in song, dance, magic, slam poetry, stilts, and more!" The cast of enormously talented comics playing high school students includes Ann Carr, Carolyn Castiglia, Shawn Hollenbach, Rob Lathan, and brilliant writer/singer Mindy Raf.

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

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 4/6/08

Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include

UCBT's playground for celebrities and ace improvisors, ASSSSCAT 3000 (7:30 & 9:30 pm),

superb stand-up comics Kumail Nanjiani, Marjorie Malpass, Bryan Olsen, Dave Rosinsky, and more

at Timmy Williams' & Sam Brown's Scum and Villainy (8:00 pm),

top Denver comedian Adam Cayton-Holland, plus "special guests" (Eugene's code phrase

for star comics) joining comedy giants Eugene Mirman & Michael Showalter at their

award-winning weekly Brooklyn show Tearing the Veil of Maya (8:00 pm),

and the delightful Sara Schaefer testing your musical ear in her free Brooklyn show

featuring prizes and fun, Name That Tune (9:15ish pm).

 

 

ASSSSCAT 3000

The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre's signature show, which features a monologist telling stories based on audience suggestions and a group of top improvisers (sometimes including stars such as SNL's Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz) creating scenes based on the stories. There are two shows every Sunday which share the same format, but are otherwise entirely different because everything is improvised. The 7:30 pm show is $8; advance tickets might be sold out by the time you read this, but a limited number of seats are available at the door for

those who arrive early enough to nab 'em...and even more tickets are available for those willing to watch the show standing. The 9:30 show is free, with tickets distributed outside the theatre

 at 8:15 pm; but again, you may need to come early and wait on line to ensure getting into

this first come,  first served performance.

7:30 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue)

 

 

   

Marjorie Malpass, Timmy Williams & Sam Brown, and Kumail Nanjiani

Scum and Villainy

This free weekly show is hosted by Timmy Williams and Sam Brown, members of popular comedy group The Whitest Kids U' Know (currently starring in a TV show on IFC).

Tonight's scheduled guests are

Kumail Nanjiani (rising stand-up comedy star; recently premiered terrific one-man show

about his being an atheist—for my review, please click here; to get a feel for Kumail's style,

please check out his very funny stand-up about the dark side of video games, odd memories,

and the many ways cell phones are eliminated in horror films by clicking here),

Marjorie Malpass (award-winning stand-up, improvisor, theatre performer; voiceover actress for such animated series as Dragon Tales, First Gundam, and Tonka Town),

Bryan Olsen (multiple appearances on Chappelle's Show),

Dave Rosinsky (co-host of former NYC comedy show Cashmonkey), and

Ryan McKee (for stand-up video about weight reduction, avoiding fights,

and nakedness at night, please click here).

8:00 pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; free

 

 

Ampers&nd

A showcase for talented improvisation twosomes.

Tonight's duos haven't been announced,

but some fine scenes usually arise from this show.

8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5

 

 

 

Adam Cayton-Holland (with Janice), and Michael Showalter & Eugene Mirman

Tearing the Veil of Maya

If you live in Brooklyn, or simply don't mind going a few subway stops beyond Manhattan,

some of the best funny minds in New York can be found at this weekly show

run by these two comedy giants (winners of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Hosts):

Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special,

Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1,

The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman and En Garde, Society! comedy albums) and

Michael Showalter (Michael Showalter (MTV's seminal sketch show The State, legendary comedy troupe Stella,

writer/director/star of feature film The Baxter, co-writer/co-star of feature film Wet Hot American Summer).

Tonight's lineup includes

Adam Cayton-Holland (top Denver stand-up comic; writes weekly humor column "What's So Funny?" in Denver alternative newspaper Westword; for stand-up video about baseball, please click here), and

"Special Guests." If experience is any guide, the latter means "comedy stars who will wow you."

8:00 pm at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn; tickets are $7

Take the R train to Union Street and walk 1 block east; or take

the F train to 4th Avenue, walk north on 4th Avenue and turn right on Union Street, and go 1 block up;

or take the  2/3/4/5/Q train to Atlantic Avenue, walk south on 5th Avenue, and make a left on Union Street.

 

 

Name That Tune with Sara Schaefer

The delightful Sara Schaefer (VH1's Best Week Ever, E! Network's Rise of the Geeks;

UCBT's Video Gaga) hosts this free comedic musical game show in Brooklyn,

complete with silly prizes. Expect fun.

9:15ish pm at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn; free

Take the R train to Union Street and walk 1 block east; or take

the F train to 4th Avenue, walk north on 4th Avenue and turn right on Union Street, and go 1 block up;

or take the  2/3/4/5/Q train to Atlantic Avenue, walk south on 5th Avenue, and make a left on Union Street.

 

 

The Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

Adam Sank (former TV news producer for FOX and WABC-TV; written

for The New York Times, Esquire Magazine, and The San Francisco Sentinel)

hosts this free gay-themed stand-up comedy show.

Tonight's scheduled guests are

Chris Doucette, Rachel Feinstein, Adrienne Iapalucci, Jay Nog, and Reese Waters.

To get a feel for the show, please click here.

10:00 pm at Therapy, 348 West 52nd Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues); free

 

 

Alternatively, consider seeing a funny and/or musical

Broadway, off-Broadway, or off-off-Broadway show.

To learn how theatre tickets can be purchased for around 50% off—

or, in some cases, for as little as $3 each—

please read Hy on Theatre Discounts.

 

 

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Copyright © 2008 Hy Bender

Email: hy@hyreviews.com