NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 10/15/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
an all-star lineup including John Oliver, Reggie Watts, Cracked Out, and Corn Mo at Hot Tub (8:00 pm),
stand-up greats such as Aziz Ansari and John Mulaney bidding farewell to Mo Pitkins (8:30 pm),
and one of the funniest shows in NYC, which just happens to be free, tonight featuring
such stars as Mike Birbiglia and Leo Allen: Crash Test (11:00 pm).
Reggie Watts, John Oliver, and Cracked Out
Hosted by comedic masters Kurt Braunohler & Kristen Schaal (who's
been busy conquering LA, but is flying back to NYC for this show).
Tonight's amazing—and mostly musical—lineup includes
John Oliver (delightful news correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
and co-writer/star of The Department for BBC Radio 4),
Reggie Watts (scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, musician, and expert improvisor
who will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com),
Cracked Out (Jon Daly & Brett Gelman parodying a hip-hop group; for samples of their
mind-blowing videos, please click here and here, and see their album Fleetwood Cracked), and
Corn Mo (a.k.a. John Cunningham, who plays the accordion and keyboards,
and blows the roof off with such songs as Havi Nagilah Monster).
8:00 pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; tickets are $5
Aziz Ansari and John Mulaney
For the past two years, Mo Pitkins has been a major venue for NYC live comedy.
Unfortunately, due to financial woes, it'll be closing on October 21st.
This "Bye, Mo" show features some of the most brilliantly funny
stand-up comics to have ever graced the Mo Pitkins stage, including
Aziz Ansari (co-star of MTV hit comedy series Human Giant, and host of the
wonderful NYC weekly comedy show Crash Test, which is on later tonight), and
John Mulaney (VH1's Best Week Ever, Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
for stand-up samples, please click here and here).
8:30 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); tickets are $6
Post-Show Note: Aziz couldn't end up attending, as he was tied up shooting
the second season of Human Giant.; but the audience was treated to
exceptionally smart, funny routines from host John Mulaney;
a flawless performance from Todd Barry, whose quick mind,
sharp observations, and brilliance with words earned him unending laughs;
and a powerhouse show from Marc Maron, who virtually delivered a master class
on how to channel the pain and passion of one's personal life into a stand-up act.
Negin Farsad, Lizz Winstead, and David Rees
Lizz Winstead is co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show, and former Executive VP of Air America Radio. (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 interview guest is cartoonist David Rees, who creates political cartoon
series and books such as Get Your War On (for a sample, please click here).
And tonight's stand-up comedy guest is Negin Farsad (Laughing Liberally, Madame Funnypants, host of NYC weekly live comedy show The Dirty Immigrant Collective).
8:30 pm at Ace of Clubs, 9 Great Jones Street (3rd St. between Lafayette and Broadway);$10
This theatre is downstairs from the Acme restaurant. Nearest subway stops are
Bleecker Street on the #6 and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.
Michael Somerville, Craig Baldo, and Leo Allen
Stand-up comedy hosted by Dewey Banks & Brian McGuinness.
Tonight's scheduled guests are Craig Baldo (Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Last Comic Standing, The Onion),
Michael Somerville (Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central's
Premium Blend, Starz's Stand Up or Shut Up, VH1), and
Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with
Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, Ed, Sex and the City),
who will then be racing over to UCBT for tonight's Crash Test.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
John Lutz and Peter Grosz
Superb comics Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report, star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials, co-writer & co-star of UCBT sketch show The Steve Miller Band and Other Annoying Monsters) and John Lutz (writer & occasional actor on SNL since 2004; recurring character on 30 Rock) perform a two-man improv show (a version of their previous long-running and acclaimed Chicago show 4 Square, which also included Dan Bakkedahl and Rob Janas).
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Leo Allen, Aziz Ansari, and Mike Birbiglia
Hosted by Aziz Ansari (one of the best stand-up comics on the planet,
and co-star with fellow genius comics Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer
of MTV hit comedy series Human Giant).
Tonight's stellar lineup includes Mike Birbiglia (Late Show with David Letterman,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien, two Comedy Central Presents specials;
for sample stand-up videos, please click here and here), and
Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents, Ed, Sex and the City).
Guests are typically superb comedians trying out new material;
and tonight's show is likely to be among the flat-out funniest in New York.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 10/16/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
the final Mo Pitkins appearance of all-female stand-up show Chicks & Giggles (8:00 pm), and
world-class comics such as Rob Riggle and Larry Murphy at Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm).
Musical Superheroine Adira Amram
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's industry guests are Steve Wacker (former editor of DC's 52,
Jonah Hex, and Legion of Super-Heroes, and now at Marvel
editing such series as Silent War and World War Hulk),
and Mike Martz (DC's Countdown).
And tonight's comedy/musical guest is Adira Amram (brilliantly funny
and sexy writer/singer, currently co-starring in UCBT's Get Psyched!;
for sample songs & videos, please click here).
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Carolyn Castiglia hosts a lineup of talented female comics.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced,
but this is C&G's final show at Mo Pitkins (which is closing
due to financial woes), so hopefully it'll be a special one.
Chicks & Giggles will go on, by the way; starting next week,
its new home will be Ochi's Lounge at Comix.
8:00 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); free
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, five improv troupes—Raynard,
Bastian, 1985, fwand, and Beverly Hills—
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
Craig Baldo, Rob Riggle, Larry Murphy, Biz Ellis, and Livia Scott
Hosted by the sharp & witty Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Tonight's wonderful guests include Rob Riggle (correspondent for The Daily Show
with Jon Stewart; Saturday Night Live, The Office, Arrested Development),
Larry Murphy (co-host of NYC weekly live comedy show Power Hour;
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),
Craig Baldo (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's
Premium Blend, Last Comic Standing, The Onion), and
Biz Ellis & Livia Scott, who are half of the world-class sketch group Meat and
have just spun off into their own sketch duo named Dirty Jeans and the Thunder Chief.
Plus, Seth's mom—who called in funny material from the hospital last week—
is reportedly feeling much better and will likely have new anecdotes to share.
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 10/17/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
Ben Karlin, former executive producer of The Daily Show & The Colbert Report, at Inside Joke (8:00 pm),
some of the best comics in NYC at Eugene Mirman's & Bobby Tisdale's Invite Them Up (9:00 pm),
an entirely improvised musical from genius improv duo I Eat Pandas (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
Free stand-up comedy hosted by the very funny Matthew McCarthy (above).
Tonight's guests haven't been announced,
but this is Max's final show at Mo Pitkins (which is closing
due to financial woes), so hopefully it'll be a special one.
Max! will go on, by the way; starting next week,
its new home will be Ochi's Lounge at Comix.
7:30 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); free
Ben Karlin, winning one of his eight Emmy Awards with Jon Stewart, and interviewer Carl Arnheiter
Host Carl Arnheiter (writer for ABC News, The Discovery Channel,
People Magazine, Time Out New York) interviews 8-time Emmy Award winner
Ben Karlin, who's the former executive producer of The Daily Show
with Jon Stewart, co-creator of The Colbert Report (along with Jon Stewart
and Stephen Colbert), co-editor of the megaselling America (The Book),
former writer for The Onion and Space Ghost Coast to Coast,
and currently working on a comedic book anthology titled
Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me.
To listen to a National Public Radio interview with Karlin
from April 2006, please click here.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Hosted by comedy greats Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale (above).
The lineup—which is usually stellar—tends to be posted late afternoon
on the day of the show. To check whether the Web page
has been updated yet, please click here.
9:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Glennis & Eliza: I Eat Pandas and Film Noir: Improv in Black & White
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.
Kudos to UCBT for giving them a stage; and don't miss
this chance to enjoy these comedic wizards at play.
The other half of this double bill is Film Noir, in which
an improv troupe pretends it's living in a 1940s/50s B movie.
The group members are Marcus Bishop-Wright, Guy Cohen,
Kassi Dougherty, Nick Gibbons, Amey Goerlich, Birch Harms,
LeMar McLean, and J.B. Roté; the group coach is Jackie Clarke;
and the sound/lighting director is Peter Olson.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Kurt Braunohler and Kimmy Gatewood
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.
Afterwards, house improv troupe Sid Viscous takes the stage for another 30.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
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 10/18/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a superb one-woman play and delightful two-man sketch show, from Amy Heidt, and DeCoster & Hines (8:00 pm),
a brilliant mix of comedy and music from Reggie Watts & Adira Amram (8:00 pm),
a show about food obsessions from stellar writer/performers Jackie Clarke & Julie Klausner (9:30 pm),
and another exciting night of improv combat at Cage Match (11:00).
Frowned Upon, a sketch troupe whose core is Devon Coleman & DArcy Erokan, have created a new show written by Coleman and performed by Erokan along with Jason Garden, John Murray, and Tracy Weller. For a video sample of Frowned Upon oddness, please click here;
and for a review of tonight's show, please click here.
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Amy Heidt delivers tour-de-force performances as a group of distinctly different women; and...
Matt DeCoster and Will Hines play a bunch of combative guys
Amy Heidt: Booze Cruise and Hines & DeCoster: 7 Fights
This great double-bill runs the gamut from character-driven comedy to concept-driven hilarity.
The cutesy title Booze Cruise doesn't do justice to this superbly performed one-woman show by Amy Heidt. The setting is a corporate cruise with five very different women who work together but couldn't be more far apart. Heidt brings them to life with smart observational writing, and comedic acting that's so layered and on-target that you may want to give her a standing ovation at the end (I did...). For video samples, please click here and here. Heidt has the makings of a star, and this show is highly recommended.
The other half of this double-bill is a hilarious sketch show written and performed by Will Hines & Matt DeCoster, formerly of acclaimed improv group Monkeydick (plus Will burned up the stage a few months ago with sibling Kevin as The Brothers Hines at UCBT's Cage Match).
Titled 7 Fights, the show includes such scenes of contention as a political debate in which a guy with a bloody harpoon through him blithely denies he's been impaled. In a word, fun.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
An Evening with Reggie Watts, with Guest Star Adira Amram
Reggie Watts is a comic and improvisor so original that he won the 3rd Annual
Andy Kaufman Award. He's also a scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician
who will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com.
Adding even more energy and sex appeal to the show will be
Adira Amram, a brilliantly funny songwriter/singer who's currently co-starring
in UCBT's Get Psyched!; for sample songs & videos, please click here.
8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues); 2-item minimum,
plus $15 cover at the door or $10 cover if you buy online using promotional code CMXRW
This one-man show by Paden Fallis tells the comedic story of a football coach "in the final three minutes of the defining game of his career...(when his) world comes crashing down around him. As the clock ticks away, the coach comes head-to-head with a backstabbing assistant, a gifted adversary, a God-like referee, and a mysterious stranger who repeatedly phones down to the bench—all the while trying to pull his team through to victory."
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $10
Julie Klausner and Jackie Clarke are hilarious writer/performers
creating some of the freshest & most disturbing material in NYC—
please check out their recent short films by clicking here.
Tonight's topic is food; and scheduled guests are
Chelsea Peretti (Village Voice, Details, Playgirl, Jest,
blackpeopleloveus.com, and Rejection Line: 212/479-7990),
and rapper/competitive eater Eric "Badlands" Booker.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Sketch show that was an official selection of the 2007 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival,
written & performed by Marianne Fichtel, Jason Kalter, Jon Pack, and Jessie Strauss.
Odd, surreal, unnerving. For video samples, please click here and here and here.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
vs. 
Cage Match: Derrick vs. Raynard
This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating the
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...).
Last week may make it necessary for champions Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson to change their troupe's name from Derrick to Juggernaut. The guys clobbered the young improvisors of Loretta by an audience vote of 101 to 16. This gives Derrick 9 wins in a row, as well as title of all-time leader for votes per show (to date, an average of 110 per battle).
Testing its mettle against Derrick tonight will be newbie UCBT Harold team Raynard, consisting of John Adam, Robert Cuthill, Spike Friedman, Aaron Glaser, Hallie Haglund, Zhubin Parang, Amber Petty, and Will Storie. The wild card? Amber Petty, who helped her other new troupe, Working Girls, create the biggest Cage Match upset of the year by defeating Omlette Vision.
Amber won't have pseudo-New Jersey secretaries on her side this time,
which makes another underdog victory unlikely. But you can never be sure
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 10/19/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a lively, tuneful, and yet spooky tribute to Halloween from The Apple Sisters (7:00 pm),
the best of three years of sketch comedy from Rogue Elephant (8:00 pm),
some of the finest improv comedy in NYC from The Stepfathers (9:30 pm) and Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm),
and genius star comics such as David Cross at The Benson Interruption (midnight).
Photo on left: Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood, and Sarah Lowe
The Apple Sisters: Spooky Halloween Show
The lovely Kimmy Gatewood, who is an exceptionally talented writer, director, and comedic performer, demonstrates that she's also great at singing and dancing—partnered beautifully with Rebekka Johnson and Sarah Lowe, and Tom Thomsen on keyboard—in this homage to 1940s girl groups like The Andrew Sisters. 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 show, please click here & here & here & here.
Tonight's extravaganza will feature spooky stuff in anticipation of Halloween,
and will guest-star Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever,
wonderful NYC weekly live comedy show Sweet).
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street; tickets are $10 at the door,
or you can pay $9.19 (including service charge) buying online by clicking here
Now That's What I Call Rogue Elephant
Sketch comedy group Rogue Elephant performs its best routines from the past three years.
For a sample, please click here. Cast members are Susannah Becket and Silvija Ozols of Working Girls, and Tim Curcio, Eddie Dunn, Jim Santangeli, Nate Smith, and Gavin Speiller.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Larry Murphy, Greg Johnson, and apparent fan of the show
Hosted by 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),
and Greg Johnson (being hugged above; the photo says it all...).
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they'll probably be superb.
And the razor-sharp Johnson & Murphy are by themselves worth the trip to the East Village.
8:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
"They're all street, all the time." Five women—pictured left to right, Jessica Allen, Bayne Gibby, Stephanie Kasen, Caitlin Miller, and Tara Copeland—who've won the 2004 ECNY award for Best Improv Group, and have repeatedly been a Time Out New York Critic's Pick.
8:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Some of the best improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney, Christina Gausas,
Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols,
and Zach Woods—make stuff up, and make you laugh.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Desiree Burch and Livia Scott
Chicks & Giggles—Hell's Angels
This weekly all-female stand-up show from Chicks & Giggles
is hosted tonight by Desiree Burch.
The scheduled lineup includes Livia Scott (Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
world-class sketch group Meat, Livia's Castle of Enchantment),
Judy McGuire, Michelle Dobrawsky, and Michelle Buteau.
10:00 pm at Time Out NY Lounge at New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
Stacy Mayer, Laura Dillman, and Jeremiah Murphy
Manhattan Comedy Collective: Dogville Game Show
If you'd like to experience a gentler, more relaxed, but still quite smart type of improv, visit the Manhattan Comedy Collective run by the wonderful Stacy Mayer (who's quick as lightning, but much funnier). Every Friday features Character Dogville, in which performers dress up as odd characters and spontaneously interact with each other.
Tonight also includes a game show and a sketch group.
10:00 pm at the Sage Theatre, 711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor (between 47th and 48th Streets);
tickets are $8 online (with no service charge) and $10 at the door
Veteran improvisors Scott Glover and John O'Donnell,
accompanied by a rotating cast that might include
such superb talents as Eliza Skinner or Tara Copeland or Jeff Hiller
—and with Frank Spitznagel on piano—
turn an interview with an audience member
into a musical they make up on the spot.
10:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Death by Roo Roo: Your F*cked Up Family
Comedic powerhouses Jackie Clarke, Curtis Gwinn, Brett Gelman, Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, and John Gemberling interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story via improv scenes. Scary and funny.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Aziz Ansari, Paul Scheer, and David Cross
Doug Benson hosts—and periodically interrupts—some of the best comics around.
Tonight's all-star lineup consists of David Cross (Mr. Show, Freak Show), Paul Scheer (co-star of MTV hit comedy series Human Giant, Best Week Ever), Aziz Ansari (also a co-star of Human Giant, and host of UCBT's Crash Test), and Tony Camin (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, The Marijuana-logues).
Understandably, advance reservations quickly sold out; but you might be able to nab tickets
at the door if you're cool with arriving early and waiting on a standby line.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 10/20/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
razor-sharp improv comedy from 30 Rock duo Scott Adsit & Tami Sagher (7:30 pm),
a hilarious sketch show revolving around physical comedy from troupe Drop Six (8:00 pm),
star-packed improv comedy from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,
and The Daily show who joyously declare Let's Have a Ball (9:00 pm),
and a variety show with ace stand-up comic Seth Herzog, improv geniuses The Buffoons, and
the host, sketch troupe Olde English, which promises to deliver comedy that's Very Fresh (Midnight).
Writer/producer/performer Tami Sagher and writer/director/performer Scott Adsit
Scott Adsit (cast member of the Emmy-winning 30 Rock, writer, co-director,
and cast member [voice of the dad] of Adult Swim's brilliant & Emmy-winning
Moral Orel; formerly acted on TV series Mr. Show and Tenacious D) and
Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006;
also wrote for HBO's Lucky Louie and USA's Psych) revive their
popular long-form improv show, which they used to perform in LA.
7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Magnet instructors & Second City veterans such as Rachel Hamilton, Ed Herbstman, Abby Sher, and Miriam Tolan, plus stars of Mother: The Soundtrack 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
Drop Six is a superb NYC-based sketch troupe that makes great use of physical comedy.
The troupe—consisting of Marcus Bonnée, Tim Girrbach, Alicia Levy, Rodney Umble, and director Larry Rosen—was awarded Best of the Fest by Second City at the 2006 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. And their Drop Six: Mr. Lucky show killed at August's FringeNYC, placing in my top 15 of the festival (out of 188 wildly diverse & competitive productions). Recommended.
Sharing the hour with Drop Six will be sketch group Totally Awesome Victory.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.
Tonight's scheduled participants are 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 (One Woman in Several Pieces, HBO.com's upcoming 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).
9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Reuben Williams: As Seen on TV
Anthony King demonstrates that in addition to running UCBT-NY brilliantly, he's a formidable improv performer. Joining him are stellar talents Lennon Parham (see my review of her Showgirls parody), Chris Kula, Charlie Sanders, Eric Scott, Kate Spencer, Charlie Todd, and Joe Wengert.
10:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Olde English hosts an old-fashioned variety show
Very Fresh with Olde English
Comedy group and prodigious generator of funny videos Olde English
(Caleb Bark, Ben Popik, David Segal, Adam Conover, and Raphael Bob-Waksberg)
host a variety show with sketches, stand-up, short films, and more.
Tonight's guests are The Buffoons (sketch group consisting of brilliant comics
Eugene Cordero, Bobby Moynihan, and Charlie Sanders),
Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever, host of wonderful NYC weekly live comedy show Sweet),
Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Shorties Watchin' Shorties),
and Julia Segal (sketch comedy performer/producer who works with Olde English).
12:00 midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 10/21/07
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),
an all-star comics gathering in Brooklyn with Aziz Ansari, Dave Hill, Demetri Martin, and
hosts Eugene Mirman & Michael Showalter who will be Tearing the Veil of Maya (7:45ish pm),
and a free show bidding farewell to one of the NYC's best comedy venues for the past two years,
the very last—and talent-packed (scheduled guests include Moby)—show at Mo Pitkins (8:00 pm).
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. 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)
Eugene Mirman and Michael Showalter host...
Aziz Ansari, Dave Hill, and Demetri Martin
If you live in Brooklyn, or simply don't mind going a few subway stops
beyond Manhattan, some of the best comedy minds in New York can be found
at this weekly show hosted by Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, 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 (MTV's The State, Stella comedy troupe,
co-writer & co-star of comedy feature film Wet Hot American Summer).
Tonight's all-star lineup consists of Aziz Ansari (co-star of MTV hit comedy series
Human Giant; genius stand-up comic and host of UCBT's Crash Test),
Dave Hill (Variety Magazine's 2007 pick for 10 Comics to Watch; written for The New York Times,
Salon, HBO, and the eerie Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written & performed for VH1,
Spike TV, The Learning Channel, and the fabulous Smoking Gun TV series), and
Demetri Martin (The Daily Show: Trendspotting, Comedy Central Presents,
Comedy Central's Demetri Martin. Person., Conan O'Brien, These Are Jokes CD/DVD).
7:45ish 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.
Seth Herzog hosts a farewell party crammed with comedy & music talent, including Moby
After two years, and hundreds of wonderful shows, one of the finest homes
for both comedy and music in the East Village is closing due to financial problems.
Tonight will be the very last production at Mo's—and promises
to be a blowout. Hosted by ace comic Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever,
wonderful NYC weekly live comedy show Sweet),
guests include talents who've performed numerous times at MP,
including Margot Leitman & Giulia Rozzi of Stripped Stories,
Matt McCarthy & Jenny Rubin of Max!,
Murray Hill of The Murray Hill Show,
the gals at Chicks & Giggles...
and even Moby!
For the full lineup, please click here.
Please note this show is free and likely to attract lots of people,
so consider arriving early to ensure getting in and nabbing a seat.
8:00 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); free
A showcase for talented improvisation twosomes.
Tonight's duos are Chelsea Clarke & Marcy Jarreau,
Peter McNerney & Garrett Palm,
George Basil & Christian Capozzoli,
and Erin Rose Foley & Mary Regan.
And this evening's host is Alex Marino.
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
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.
Return to Previous NYC Comedy Picks
Copyright © 2007 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
