NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 10/20/08
Matt Walsh (Whiplash), Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas), and Eugene Mirman (Whiplash)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
the perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set
and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, who tonight include Joe DeVito, Jared Logan, Blaine Perry,
Helen Hong, Amy Beckerman, Matt Ruby, Luke Cunningham, and Margie Kment—
at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),
stand-ups Chesslee Calloway, Charlie Ballard, and Cara Kilduff joining delightful hosts
Jackie Monahan, Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, and Gloria Bigelow at Dykes on Mics (7:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] sharp comedy writers for The Daily Show, Indecision 2008, The Onion, and 23/6 discuss
the upcoming election, moderated by MSNBC's Dan Abrams: Funny Writers Talk Politics (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] a comedic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, and more) as shared by their original authors in the hit storytelling show Mortified (8:00 pm),
a new, free weekly comedy show in Brooklyn featuring stand-up, sketch, music, and more,
hosted by the razor-sharp Jena Friedman: Entertaining Tammy (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] an entirely improvised musical from genius duo Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner, plus a clever
improvised soap opera, in the double-bill I Eat Pandas and Hot Lather: As the Diamond Burns (9:30 pm),
master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler in his new one-man show
A Meditation on Dum Dums and B-Holes (9:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest comics in the country—who tonight include legendary Upright Citizens Brigade co-founder Matt Walsh, and stellar stand-ups Eugene Mirman (HBO, Comedy Central), Chelsea Peretti (Comedy Central, Variety SHAC), and Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show, HBO)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central) at Whiplash (11:00 pm).
Lottery-style open mic for stand-up comics trying out material,
with 4½ minutes per performer...in return for a $5 contribution to the weekly prize kitty.
(In addition, Ochi's 1-item food or drink minimum applies to everyone.)
A breathtaking 25 comics perform in this 2½ hour show; producer
John Morrison (above) has described it as "comedy on crack."
If you're seeking consistent laughs, this might not be the best way to spend
your evening. But if you're patient and adventurous, it's a potentially wild ride.
And if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.
Plus if you stick around till the show's end to support your fellow comics,
you have a chance at winning the cash from the kitty, along with smaller prizes.
There are two shows, at 6:30 and 9:00 pm (with entirely different sets of comics).
Tonight's 6:30 lineup includes such fine stand-ups as Joe DeVito, Blaine Perry, Helen Hong, David Cope, and Sue Funke.
And the 9:00 pm show includes such talents as Jared Logan, Amy Beckerman, Blaine Perry, Matt Ruby, Luke Cunningham, and Margie Kment.
Ochi's Motel is hosted & booked by Sean Donnelly and Joe Powers.
To be entered into the weekly random drawing for performers,
please send email to ochismotel@gmail.com.
6:30 pm & 9:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Gloria Bigelow, Amy Beckerman, Leah Dubie, and Jackie Monahan
Free gay-themed stand-up comedy show featuring the gals above
as regulars/hosts, plus tonight's guests
Chesslee Calloway, Charlie Ballard, and Cara Kilduff.
7:00 pm at The Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street (at 7th Avenue South); free
23/6 and Indecision 2008 Present: Funny Writers Talk Politics
Popular comedy Web site 236.com and Comedy Central's Indecision 2008 presents a panel of TV & Web comedy writers who make politics even funnier than it normally is:
Kevin Bleyer (The Daily Show), Dennis DiClaudio (Indecision 2008), Baratunde Thurston (The Onion), Jason Reich (236.com), and moderator Dan Abrams (MSNBC).
With Election Day approaching, this promises to be both illuminating and fun.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Mortified has been hailed as a "cultural phenomenon" by Newsweek, and celebrated by This American Life, The Today Show, The Onion AV Club, Esquire, Entertainment Weekly, and Daily Candy. The show is a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) as shared by their original authors before total strangers. As the largest and longest-running project of its kind, its grassroots comedy collective has spent years sifting through hundreds of otherwise forgotten notebooks on a mission to celebrate the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Mortified is co-produced in New York by Brandy Barber & Anne Altman.
Please Note: You can save $5 off the $20 cover (i.e., pay $15 per ticket)
by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.
Please also note there's a two-item minimum;
with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.
8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
$15 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum
Jena Friedman
Entertaining Tammy with Jena Friedman
Razor-sharp and delightfully dark stand-up comic Jena Friedman (playwright of 2008 FringeNYC show Refugee Girls; for a stand-up video about sexual predators, eggs, and Tai food, please click here) hosts this new and entirely free weekly comedy show in Brooklyn. This is actually a version of an acclaimed show Jena used to do in a Chicago bar run by a gal named Tammy. (When the bar started out it was often near-empty, so Jena began the show to entertain her friend and develop steady traffic. On both counts, it was a wild success.)
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're typically a mix of talented stand-ups, sketch comedy performers, and musicians.
8:00 pm at Sound Fix Records, 110 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg Brooklyn; free
Take the L subway to Bedford Avenue and walk four blocks to N 11th Street
Glennis & Eliza: I Eat Pandas and Hot Lather: As the Diamond Burns
Two unique improvisation shows for a mere five bucks.
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; and they
recently starred in the Fringe festival hit Gem! A Truly Outrageous Parody,
which won two FringeNYC 2008 Awards.
Eliza will soon be moving to LA. Don't miss one of your final chances
to enjoy these comedic wizards at play on an NYC stage.
The double-bill then continues with Hot Lather, an improv group that specializes
in the soap opera format. Its members include some powerhouse performers:
Mike Cavanaugh, Matt Fisher, Jon Gutierrez, Molly Lloyd, Anna Rubanova, Achilles Stamatelaky, Mike Still, Abra Tabak, Andree Vermeulen, and Paul Welsh,
with direction by Rob Webber.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Kurt Braunohler's One Man Show: A Meditation on Dum Dums and B-Holes
Kurt Braunohler is a frequent comedy partner of Kristen Schaal, performing sketches that are hilariously indescribable. He's also a co-star of Web series Penelope, Princess of Pets, for which Kurt won the 2008 ECNY Award as Best Director; and
co-host with Kristen of NYC/LA comedy show Hot Tub Variety Show.
Tonight, however, Kurt will perform solo (not counting occasional fish cameos), demonstrating he's a formidable comic on his own as well.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Matt Walsh and Eugene Mirman...
...and Leo Allen, Wyatt Cenac, and Chelsea Peretti
Whiplash with Leo Allen: The Finest in Stand-Up Comedy, Free
Leo Allen is one of the most sharp, honest, and likeable stand-ups working in NYC. Leo was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 2002 through 2005. He's also performed two Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour specials (one by himself and one with his writing partner Eric Slovin); done stand-up on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.; and acted on Ed and Sex and the City. Leo has now taken over the Monday-at-11:00 pm UCBT spot made super-special by Aziz Ansari's Crash Test and Jeremy Levenbach's Cavalcade! (in fact, Whiplash is produced by Jeremy).
Tonight's thoroughly wonderful guests are
Matt Walsh (founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, and one of the finest improvisors in the history of comedy; TV credits include co-starring in Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade and Dog Bites Man, being a correspondent for The Daily Show, performing in numerous sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and acting on MTV's Human Giant; numerous film credits include Old School, Elf, Step Brothers, Semi-Pro, Bad Santa, Be Kind Rewind, School for Scoundrels, Starsky & Hutch, and Martin & Orloff),
Tonight's wonderful guests are
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,
award-winning co-host of weekly Brooklyn comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya),
Chelsea Peretti (exceptionally fresh, smart stand-up comic; Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; member of superb comedy troupe Variety Shac; writer for Village Voice, Details, Playgirl, Jest,
blackpeopleloveus.com, and Rejection Line: 212/479-7990), and
Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; cast member on upcoming HBO Kanye West show; star of upcoming indie feature film Medicine for Melancholy; former staff writer/editor for three years on King of the Hill; for a blacks vs. gays competition, please click here).
If you love comedy, make a habit of attending this wonderful free weekly extravaganza.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 10/21/08
Margie Kment (Hold for the Laughs), Violet Krumbein (Harold troupe Whorenado), and Kambri Crews (Speakeasy)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
comics getting rid of their stuff by telling tales about the items
and then selling to the highest bidder at Auction! (7:30 pm),
the editors of Comic Foundry, a magazine focused on the biz—and who'll be
giving out a free copy to every audience member—joining in on a
lively & hilarious discussion about comic books at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),
three full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes
Whorenado, Ragnaröck, Law Firm, The Scam, and DeCoster—at Harold Night (8:00 pm),
superb storytellers, including Kambri Crews and Giulia Rozzi, at SpeakEasy (8:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] superb stand-up comics Jeff Ross (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno),
Laura Krafft (Emmy-winning writer for The Colbert Report), Kumail Nanjiani (Comedy Central),
and Erik Weiner (HBO, MTV) at one of the finest and funniest shows in NYC,
the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] an exciting new monthly event bringing NYC theatre and comedy folks together,
tonight featuring a networking party at 9:00, and then a comedy show at 10:00—featuring
such sharp stand-ups as Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents), Dan St. Germain (MTV),
and quirky ventriloquist Carla Rhodes—at Margie Kment's Hold for the Laughs (9:00 pm),
fine stand-ups Michelle Collins (VH1, MTV U), Dan Curry (Drunk on a Bike),
Laura Mannino (FOX, WE), and Eliot Glazer (New York Sh*tty) at a show pretending to be
from the Pennsylvania heartland: Skip & Sparkle Variety (9:00 pm),
and former Kissing Booth hosts Brandy Barber and Sara Jo Allocco performing a sketch show directed by the superb Owen Brimer: Jar Full of Roaches (9:30 pm).
This new show "acts as an alternative to the impersonality of eBay and the seriousness of The Antiques Road Show. At Auction!, comedians bring hilarious stories along with their objects, and you bring riot gear and a few bucks for the bid wars that follow." Hosted by Chris Sifflet.
7:30 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Tim Leong and Laura Hudson, editors of Comic Foundry
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's guests are Tim Leong and Laura Hudson, the editors of
Comic Foundry, a magazine about the comic book biz
that's celebrating its one-year anniversary.
Freebie Alert: All audience members will receive a free copy of the magazine!
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 two current faves, a delightful visit from Kevin "Batman" Conroy and a hilarious evening with Daily Show writer Eliot Kalan, please click here and here.)
Also be sure to watch a Penguin vs. Batman debate that uncannily predicted John McCain's recent campaign strategy by clicking here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, five improv troupes—
Whorenado, Ragnaröck, Law Firm, The Scam, 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
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 wonderful yarn-spinners include
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; and keep an eye out for Kambri's first autobiographical book in 2009),
Giulia Rozzi (VH1's Best Night Ever podcasts; monthly video series The Message Board, which makes fun of brides, on ComedyNet.com; co-producer of East coast version of hit national show Mortified; co-host of red-hot comedy show Stripped Stories;
for a video sample, please click here), and
James Braly (NPR; two-time winner of The Moth Storytelling GrandSLAM).
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
Jeff Ross and Kumail Nanjiani...
...and Seth Herzog and Laura Krafft
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 terrific guests are
Jeff Ross (Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central roastmaster),
Kumail Nanjiani (rising stand-up star; Comedy Central's Open Mic Fight; terrific one-man show Unpronounceable about experiences with Islam—for my review, please click here; co-host of monthly NYC live comedy show Game Bros. Live!; 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),
Laura Krafft (Emmy-winning former staff writer for The Colbert Report; former writer for Comedy Central's Crossballs; acted on such series as on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm), and
Erik Weiner (writer for Adult Swim's brilliant Robot Chicken; co-wrote off-Broadway play The Bomb-itty of Errors; acted in MTV's Scratch N Burn, HBO's Unscripted, feature film Brown Sugar).
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
Carla Rhodes (with friend Cecil) and Christian Finnegan...
...and Margie Kment, Dan St. Germain, and Chelsea White
This new show is an exciting attempt to mix NYC's vibrant comedy and theatre worlds together.
It opens at 9:00 pm with a networking event in which theatre and comedy folks can meet each other, and also get to know the artists involved in upcoming theatrical shows produced by the sponsor, Small Pond Entertainment.
It then shifts gears at 10:00 pm with a full-blown comedy show hosted by the
lovely Margie Kment (for stand-up video about dating a stoner, please click here).
Tonight's fine comics are
Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show, host of TVLand's Game Time, former staff writer for Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; comedy CD Two For Flinching; for stand-up videos on how to get rid of a boring guy and what your movie choices say about you, please click here and here),
Carla Rhodes ("rock 'n roll ventriloquist;" for shout-out from David Letterman, please click here; for act with "Keith Richards," please click here),
Dan St. Germain (MTV; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here),
Chelsea White (MTV; for video in which Chelsea tells Mike Meyers to "get in my belly," please click here), and
Mark Normand (co-host of monthly Queens LIC live comedy show We're All Friends Here).
9:00 pm for networking, 10:00 pm for comedy show at the Sage Theatre,
711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor (between 47th & 48th Streets);
tickets are $10 if you reserve by emailing holdforthelaughs@gmail.com, $12 at the door
The Skip & Sparkle Variety Show
In this new show, "Pennsylvania's favorite jokester song-and-dance team, Skip Lickdale and Sparkle Montgomery, and that ol' biz workhorse Ron Phoenixville, bring you the most fun cast of characters that New York has to offer. Gags, singing-n-dancing, ukuleles and more!"
Tonight's lineup includes terrific stand-ups
Michelle Collins (VH1's Best Week Ever and All Access, MTV U, The Al Franken Show, YouCantMakeItUp.org; for a memorable chat about the power of penises over vaginas, please click here),
Dan Curry (author of book Drunk on a Bike; for a stand-up video about Christians, please click here),
Laura Mannino (FOX, WE; Carolines; co-creator of MintyFresh Comedy), and
Eliot Glazer (co-creator of UCBT extravaganza High School Talent Show and of storytelling show New York Sh*tty).
9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Former Kissing Booth hosts Brandy Barber and Sara Jo Allocco wrote & perform
this sketch show, directed by acclaimed comedy short film director Orem Brimer.
The official description: "Some simp may have said that life is just a bowl full of cherries, but Brandy & Sara think it's more like a jar full of roaches. Will there be demented workout videos? Seething hostility expressed through offers of kindness? Screeching? You betcha. And one lucky guest will win his or her very own Jar Full Of Roaches at each and every show."
So even if you don't like the show, the price is clearly worth it for the raffle entry...
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 10/22/08
Charlie Sanders (The Nights of Our Lives), Rachel Feinstein (Offensive Women), and Elna Baker (Rejection Show)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
[TOP PICK] nearly two hours of world-class improvisation in a rare "home stage" appearance by the Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company (6:00 pm),
five free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday (7:00 pm-midnight),
a mix of stand-up and music in Intermission (7:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] a breathtaking collection of some of the finest comedic talent in NYC—freestyle beatbox
genius Reggie Watts, brilliant storyteller Elna Baker, world-class stand-up Pete Holmes,
master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler, and more—at an extravaganza in which
top performers tell very funny tales of woe about their material being turned down
at the wonderful Jon Friedman's The Rejection Show (8:00 pm),
fine female stand-ups Rachel Feinstein (Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman), Maureen Langan
(opens for Joy Behar), Ann Carr (Comedy Central, VH1), Fiona Walsh (Sundays at Seven), Sherry Davey
(NBC, Comedy Central), and host Bernadette Pauley (Comedy Central, VH1) at Offensive Women (8:00ish pm),
superb stand-up comics Todd Barry, Leo Allen, Tony Camin, and host Rob Cantrell providing comedic advice on how to survive the coming hard times in Recession Tips (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] some of most razor-sharp and uproariously funny storytellers in the country—John Flynn, Chris Gethard, Curtis Gwinn, Dave Martin, and Charlie Sanders—celebrating Halloween early by telling "Tales of Terror and the Supernatural" at one of the finest shows in NYC, The Nights of Our Lives (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] and a free, laid-back, and occasionally magical variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
The Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company
The comics who train, teach, and perform at UCBT are among the finest improvisors in the world. The UCB Touring Company consists of the cream of the crop, with the mission of showing audiences beyond those visiting UCB's theatres in NYC and LA what improv is all about.
For just this evening, however, UCB TourCo will be strutting its stuff on the UCBT-NY stage for nearly two hours. This is likely to be a wonderful event, and is highly recommended.
6:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Kurt Braunohler, Pat Shay, and Kimmy Gatewood
The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
For four hours every Wednesday, The PIT provides free shows featuring its improv house troupes. Vacation Island and The Wilhelm perform at 7:00 pm; Big Black Car and Fancy Dragon go on at 8:00 pm; and The Baldwins and Sid Viscous show their stuff at 9:30. Rounding out the evening are The Faculty, consisting of The PIT's superb improv instructors, including such talents as Ali Farahnakian, Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Matt Donnelly, Kevin Scott, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood.
If you then feel sufficiently inspired, you can participate in the free show Improdome at 11:00 pm, which allows audience members to get on stage and improvise with each other in trios for 5-7 minute sets.
7:00 pm-midnight at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Mo Diggs and Matt Nagin
This new monthly show mixes stand-up with two intermissions for performances by its musical guest. It therefore claims to be "like SNL, but with stand-up instead of sketch." It's hosted by
Mo Diggs (contributing writer to TheApiary.com and Dead-Frog.com) and
Matt Nagin (Gotham, Standup New York, Comic Strip).
Tonight's lineup hasn't been announced.
7:30 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Pete Holmes and Kurt Braunohler...
...Patrick Borelli and Matt McCarthy...
...and Elna Baker, Jon Friedman, and Reggie Watts
In this fascinating extravaganza, Jon Friedman hosts a parade of exceptional comedic performers showing you material they created that was rejected, accompanied by hilarious behind-the-scenes stories.
Tonight Jon has outdone himself, gathering together some of the most brilliant comedic talent in NYC. The thoroughly wonderful guests are
Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; winner of 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; cast member of the new Electric Company; scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician whose unique skills will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com; for video samples of what Reggie does, please click here and here and here; and keep an eye out Reggie's upcoming new album),
Elna Baker (brilliant writer, storyteller, improvisor, and comics creator whose If You See Something was best one-woman show at FringeNYC 2006; This American Life, Elle Magazine; currently writing a book about her experiences living and dating as a Mormon in NYC; according to HBO Comedy Development's Dan Gregor, "Elna Baker tells stories with so much effortless charm and natural humor that you almost forget she's on a stage and you're not just sharing a beer. Endearing, funny, and unique—I think everyone in the audience was secretly hoping her next story would include them"),
Pete Holmes (razor-sharp & lightning-fast mind, and one of the finest stand-ups in the country;
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),
Kurt Braunohler (frequent comedy partner of Kristen Schaal, performing sketches that are hilariously indescribable; also a co-star of Web series Penelope, Princess of Pets, for which Kurt won the 2008 ECNY Award as Best Director; and
co-host with Kristen of NYC/LA comedy extravaganza Hot Tub Variety Show),
Patrick Borelli (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,
ESPN's Cheap Seats, SuperDeluxe's Thunderpoint, Video Power Hour),
Matt McCarthy (razor-sharp comic; Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; co-host of biweekly LIC live comedy extravaganza The Matt and Katina Show),
Oren Brimer (writer/director/producer of short funny films for SuperDeluxe.com
and YouTube.com; for numerous samples, please click here), and
music from fabulous comedic rockabilly band The Defibulators.
The caliber of talent gathered for tonight is breathtaking. Any one of these comics could perform a stellar show by himself or herself (and most of them already have...). Highly recommended.
Please Note: Comix's usual two-item minimum has been waived for this event.
Save $5 off the $17 cover (i.e., $12 per ticket)
with discount code HYREVIEWS. To order, please click here.
8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
Ann Carr, Maureen Langan, and Rachel Feinstein
This monthly event is hosted tonight by Bernadette Pauley (Comedy Central, VH1) and spotlights top female comics. Tonight's superb stand-up guests are
Rachel Feinstein (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Samurai Love God, Court TV's
Parko PI, regular on Sirius Satellite Radio, written for The Onion and Heeb Magazine,
opens for Sarah Silverman on tour),
Maureen Langan ( winner of the Bud Light "Ladies of Laughter" Contest; opens for
Joy Behar; named by Backstage as one of the "Ten Standout Stand-ups Worth Watching"),
Ann Carr (VH1's The Winners Circle, Comedy Central Motherload's Honesty Wedding, UCBT's High School Talent Show,The Pit's Keith & Donna's Grateful Dead Listening Hour),
Fiona Walsh (Irish Galway Comedy Festival, co-producer of monthly NYC live comedy show Sundays at Seven), and
Sherry Davey (NBC's The Today Show, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Nick at Nite's Search for America's Funniest Mom).
8:00ish pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $10
Rob Cantrell
CBS/NYC Presents: Rob Cantrell and Friends' Recession Tips
This one-night-only event is hosted by Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1; off-Broadway show The Marijuana-Logues).
It'll feature Rob's stand-up comedy friends, including Todd Barry, Leo Allen, and Tony Camin.
In addition, there'll be short comedy films revolving around the theme of how to make your dollar last during these tough times. You can start with this show...which is a mere five bucks.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Nights of Our Lives: Tales of Terror and the Supernatural
This is one of the best shows in New York.
The format is simple: A bunch of razor-sharp writer/performers tell stories
about themselves revolving around the evening's theme—which tonight,
in honor of around-the-corner Halloween, is "Tales of Terror and the Supernatural."
The only rules of the show are that the tales must be true, and must be funny.
The brutal honesty, and jarring bravery, of some the participants can be hair-raising.
What they offer aren't merely jokes, but resonant, humane perspectives on life.
At the same time, there are very few shows, on or off Broadway,
that will make you laugh as consistently and as loud.
Enormous kudos go to host David Martin; and to brilliant storytellers
Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn, Chris Gethard, Curtis Gwinn, Anthony King,
Margot Leitman, Adam Pally, and the other comedy soldiers who've bared
some of their darkest and funniest secrets on the Nights of Our Lives stage.
This evening's scheduled yarn-spinners are stellar core regulars John Flynn, Chris Gethard, Curtis Gwinn, and Dave Martin, plus equally brilliant storyteller Charles Sanders (who recently wowed audiences with his thoroughly hilarious one-man show about growing up Muslin in Minnesota). Expect a highly memorable evening.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Justin Purnell
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 typically wonderful free show makes possible.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 10/23/08
Michael Showalter (All Jew Revue), The Apple Sisters (Ghoul's Night Out), and Ben Schwartz (Cage Match)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
brilliant comics John Gemberling, Curtis Gwinn, Charlie Sanders, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, and more
perform improv while celebrating their Adult Swim TV series Fat Guy Stuck in Internet (6:00 pm),
stellar comic Patrick Borelli (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central) creating a party & show to debut his fascinating humor book Holy Headshot! (bar mixer at 6:00 pm, show at 7:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] The Apple Sisters, who are winners of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act,
and one of the most charming & entertaining groups in NYC, in one of their final shows
performing a Halloween musical: Ghoul's Night Out (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] comedy TV & film stars Michael Showalter (MTV, Stella) and Paul F. Tompkins (HBO,
ABC, Comedy Central, VH1) visit Jessica Chaffin & Jamie Denbo playing book authors offering
sage advice to Jewish singles at Ronna & Beverly's All Jew Revue (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] Daily Show star correspondent John Oliver (Comedy Central's Terrifying Times),
world-class hilarious stand-up Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1, The New Yorker),
Daily Show staffer Adam Lowitt (host of This is It!), and more at a show created by the former
Co-Executive Producer of The Daily Show: Rory Albanese and Friends (8:00 pm),
a very popular comedy site's talents coming out from behind the Net tonight,
accompanied by stellar NYC comics Reggie Watts, Joe Mande, and
Dominic Dierkes, at CollegeHumor.com, Live on Stage (9:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] and two vibrant & hilarious improv troupes, Hot Sauce and Iron Ruckus,
competing for audience laughs & votes at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).
Series creators, writers, and co-stars Curtis Gwinn and John Gemberling...
...and Jackie Clarke, Charlie Sanders, and Neil Casey
Fat Guy in the Internet Improv All-Stars
If you're not already tuning into Adult Swim on Monday nights for its new series Fat Guy Stuck in Internet, maybe this show will convince you to. It's improv from the brilliant comedic performers of the series—many of whom are members of UCBT's world-class improv troupe Death by Roo Roo. Come let hilarious comics John Gemberling and Curtis Gwinn (the creators/writers), along with Charlie Sanders, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Will Hines, Andy Rocco, and Jesse Falcon spin incredible tales on the spot, and make you laugh a whole lot.
6:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Holy Headshot! Book Release Party & Talent Showcase
Superb NYC comic Patrick Borelli (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, ESPN's Cheap Seats, SuperDeluxe's Thunderpoint, Video Power Hour) and show biz photographer Douglas Gorenstein have teamed up to create the hilarious book Holy Headshot!: A Celebration of America's Undiscovered Talent, a collection of the oddest and funniest performers' headshots & resumes you're ever likely to see. Patrick and Douglas poured over 50,000 headshots to put together this remarkable gallery, which showcases everyone from aspiring amateurs striving to live out Hollywood dreams to seasoned professionals you might recognize from the big screen. A celebration of our national obsession with getting famous, Holy Headshot! offers up plenty of "What were they thinking!?" chuckles, but you'll also find yourself rooting for the performers who populate its pages. This combination show & cocktail party shows off the contents of the book and lets you actually meet some of the characters it includes.
Please Note: You can save $5 off the $13 cover (i.e., pay $8 per ticket)
by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.
Please also note there's a two-item minimum;
with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.
Happy Hour at 6:00 pm; Show runs 7:00-8:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues); $8 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum
Photo on left: Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood, and Sarah Lowe
Photo on right: Sarah Lowe, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood
The Apple Sisters: Ghoul's Night Out
The delicious Apple Sisters—Kimmy 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 is one of the great successes in NYC alternative comedy, performing on Comedy Central and the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival, and winning the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act.
Tonight the gals perform a brand new show about Halloween involving spooky magic
and lots of crows.
Please note that Sarah Lowe won't be performing...because she just joined the cast of Jersey Boys in Vegas! Taking her place will be Broadway actress Vanessa Ray (Spelling Bee, Mama Mia). This may be one of the final performances of The Apple Sisters; don't miss it.
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
($10.22, including service charge, using discount code APPLEFAN) by clicking here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street; tickets are $10 at the door
Paul F. Tompkins and Michael Showalter...
...and Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbo
Ronna & Beverly's All Jew Revue
Hosted by Jessica Chaffin & Jamie Denbo play Ronna Glickman & Beverly Kahn, the bestselling authors of You'll Do a Little Better Next Time: A Guide to Marriage and Remarriage for Jewish Singles. To get a feel for the act, please visit ronnaandbeverly.com.
Tonight's comedy star guests are
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,
co-host of award-winning weekly Brooklyn comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya), and
Paul F. Tompkins (numerous TV credits include Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, The Daily Show, The Root of All Evil, HBO's Mr. Show, Tenacious D, and Real Time with Bill Maher, VH1's Best Week Ever, ABC's Pushing Daisies; feature film credits include Anchorman, Magnolia, and Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
John Oliver, Rory Albanese, and Pete Holmes
The Daily Show's Rory Albanese and Friends
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart's former Co-Executive Producer Rory Albanese performs stand-up with top NYC comics and, typically, correspondents from The Daily Show.
Tonight's spectacular scheduled lineup includes
John Oliver (genius who's one of the very finest—and nicest—stand-up comics in the biz;
delightful & hilarious news correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart;
recently aired a superb hour-long Comedy Central special, Terrifying Times; is co-writer/star
of The Department for BBC Radio 4, and host/star of BBC stand-up radio show Political Animal),
Pete Holmes (razor-sharp & lightning-fast mind, and one of the finest stand-ups in the country;
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), and
Adam Lowitt (staffer at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; host of NYC live comedy show It Is It!; for a video stand-up sample, please click here).
Please Note: You can save $5 off the $20 cover (i.e., pay $15 per ticket)
by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.
Please also note there's a two-item minimum;
with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.
9:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
$15 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum
CollegeHumor.com, Live on Stage
The folks behind highly popular Web site CollegeHumor.com get on stage tonight, along with top NYC comics Reggie Watts, Joe Mande, and Dominic Dierkes.
Please note the comedy of CollegeHumor.com isn't for every taste—like, for example, mine. But the site clearly understands its audience; and if you're one of the folks it appeals to, this is a great opportunity to hear behind-the-scenes stories and watch material too raw even for the Web.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
vs. 
Cage Match: Hot Sauce vs. Iron Ruckus
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.)
Last week the sharp-witted & lightning-quick 2006 Cage Match champions, Hot Sauce, recaptured their spot on the show. If history is any guide, their rein could last for quite a while. The troupe consists of Gil Ozeri (SNL; animator and creator of Team Gibba), Adam Pally (written for ABC; performed for MTV, Comedy Central, UCBT's The Nights of Our Lives), and Ben Schwartz (freelance writer for SNL's Weekend Update and Late Show's David Letterman monologues; staff writer for Adult Swim's wonderful Robot Chicken; short filmmaker for SuperDeluxe.com; co-author of upcoming humor postcard book Grandma's Dead: Breaking Bad News with Baby Animals). For video samples of these amazing guys' work, please click here and here.
Tonight's contender is Iron Ruckus, a very new troupe (formed April 2008). It consists of Dan Black, Dave Bluvband, Dustin Drury, Frank Hejl, Domenico Manzolillo, Bryce Richardson, Brett White, and Laura Zeis.
While the odds appear to enormously favor Hot Sauce, there's really 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 10/24/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
Kate Hess and Andy Secunda creating what's likely to be a hilarious political parody
at the Palin Family All-Star Review and Election Spectacular (7:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] one of the best and most respected stand-up comics in the biz
performing a deliciously long headlining set: Marc Maron at Comix (8:00 pm and 10:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] exceptionally sexy sketch comedy writer/performers Sidse Ploug Soerensen and Sandra Bauleo,
Ryan Paulson (Pentecostal Wisconsin), and Phil Yanos (guitarist for Dangaru) at a show mixing
comedy and music: Tim Ellis' & Matthew Park's Of the Moment (9:30 pm),
Derrick hosting two sketch comedy troupes, Chubby Skinny Kids and Murderfist,
competing for audience laugh & votes at Backyard Brawl (8:00 pm),
a gay-themed stand-up comedy show hosted by Jenny Rubin: The Back Room (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),
likeable sketch troupe Party Central USA in their all-new show Riding an Inflatable Hotdog (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 this season broke the Cage Match record
for winning streaks with 17 wins in a row—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm),
and a sketch show in which Matt DeCoster, Rob Lathan, Andy Rocco, Mike Still, and Dave Thunder
combat evil lizard aliens who've taken over Hollywood in The Freedom Network ((12:20ish am).
Palin Family All-Star Review and Election Spectacular
Kate Hess (half of UCBT sketch show We Kate Shelly) and genius comic Andy Secunda team up to bring you this romp about the most fun political figure to parody since Dan Quayle. The official description: "Join Bristol, Track, and Willow Palin as they sing, dance, and aggressively misinform their way into your hearts and The White House. Come on down and get to know the soon-to-be first second family as they realize their lifelong dreams of being stars! God bless America! Thanks but no thanks! I put it on eBay!"
Written by Kate Hess; directed by Andrew Secunda; performed by Kate, Andy, Beth White, Ari Scott, and Ryan Karels; and choreographed by Adina Grigore.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Marc Maron is a star comic who's a frequent guest on Late Show with David Letterman
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Marc has performed a solo comedy special for
HBO Comedy Half-Hour, and two solo specials for Comedy Central Presents.
Marc's many other TV appearances include being a regular on
Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn.
In addition, Marc performed a popular off-Broadway one-man show,
Jerusalem Syndrome, which he then turned into a 2001 book;
and he co-hosted Morning Sedition on Air America Radio, and hosted
The Marc Maron Show on LA's KTLK-AM.
Marc is a comic's comic, highly respected for his observations
about culture, politics, and life in general.
Don't miss the opportunity to catch this top comedian perform a headlining set.
Please Note: You can save $5 off the $32 cover (i.e., pay $27 per ticket)
by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.
Please also note there's also a two-item minimum;
with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.
8:00 pm & 10:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
$27 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum
Seductive comedic actresses Sidse Ploug Soerensen and Sandra Bauleo, and hosts Tim Ellis & Matthew Park
Tim Ellis & Matthew Park host this show mixing comedy and music
(for the duo's unique version of "The Sound of Silence," please click here).
Tonight's exceptional guests are
Sidse Ploug Soerensen (gorgeous Danish comedic writer/actress; co-writer & co-star of 2006 NYC play Double Occupancy, and of August 2008 Ars Nova sketch show Deluded; for video about shoe modeling, please click here),
Sandra Bauleo (sketch comedy performer for Pupu Platter and The Dregs; for funny and hot music video, please click here),
Ryan Paulson (actor/musical performer; CBS' Early Show;
one-man show Pentecostal Wisconsin), and
Phil Yanos (guitarist for the band Dangaru).
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
vs. 
Backyard Brawl: Chubby Skinny Kids vs. Murderfist
In this new show—a scripted comedy version of UCBT's wildly popular improv battles at Cage Match—two sketch comedy troupes compete for audience laughs & votes.
The brawl is hosted by Derrick: enormously appealing performers Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson, who are sketch comedy stars via their wildly popular
YouTube videos (for some samples, please click here and here and here).
Tonight's contenders are Chubby Skinny Kids: Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, and Adam Pally (for a video clearly shot before the current real estate crisis, please click here), and
Murderfist: Jeff Darland, Tim Dean, Carly Goodspeed, Ed Larson, Mick Maguire, Kelan Maloney,
Holden McNeely, John Moreno, Madelyn Osten, Walter Replogle, Henry Zebrowski, Jackie Zebrowski,
and Jared Warner (for a video about a robot lawyer, please click here).
Can this show match the excitement and popularity of Cage Match? Come check it out and see.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10
Jenny Rubin, Dave Rubin, Paul Case, and Shawn Hollenbach
Gay-themed comedy (with both gay & straight comics),
hosted by the charming Jenny Rubin (WE TV).
Tonight's stand-ups include
Back Room co-producer Paul Case (MTV, D-Listed Radio),
Back Room co-producer Shawn Hollenbach (here! TV's Busted), and
Back Room co-producer Dave Rubin (here! TV's Dave Rubin Project and Hot Gay Comics).
9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Back: Will Hines, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, and Bobby Moynihan
Front: Chris Gethard, Shannon O'Neill, and Silvija Ozols
Some of the smartest & finest improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney,
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 $10
Party Central USA: Riding an Inflatable Hotdog
Party Central USA is an enjoyable sketch troupe consisting 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 show is about "when normal people look inside themselves to find the strength to rise above them gut wrenching situations."
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Veteran improvisor John O'Donnell is accompanied
by a rotating cast that might include such superb talents as
Tara Copeland, Scott Glover, Alex Marino, Louis Kornfeld,
Jessica Allen, Robin Rothman, and Megan Gray
—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 $7
Death by Roo Roo: Your F*cked Up Family
Arguably the gutsiest improv troupe in NYC, the brilliant comics of Death by Roo Roo—Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, John Gemberling, Curtis Gwinn, Adam Pally, and Gavin Speiller—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 $10
A new sketch show from Rob Lathan, Andy Rocco, Mike Still, and Dave Thunder,
tonight guest-starring Matt DeCoster. The official description:
"Extraterrestrial humanoid lizards disguised as humans have taken over Hollywood. Their goal: To use asinine reality shows and poorly conceived movie remakes to lull the human populace into submission. Hidden in their underground bunker, deep beneath Gristedes, The Freedom Network hacks into satellites to broadcast their own shows and movies in an effort to un-brainwash the populace." Who could fail to support such a laudable goal?
12:20ish am at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 10/25/08
Eric Scott & Ben Rodgers (UCBW AutumnSlamn), Marc Maron (headlining at Comix), and Lennon Parham (Reuben Williams)
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
UK rising comedy star Tom Allen performing a one-man show about
searching for his roots: A Voyage Around My Mother (7:30 pm),
Second City veterans, Magnet instructors, and occasional celebs
at the Magnet's signature improv show The Tiny Spectacular (7:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,
and The Daily show who joyously declare Let's Have a Ball (9:00 pm),
organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track! (9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] improvised TV shows about audience members via world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),
and raucous physical sketch comedy in the form of comedic wrestling
at the no-holds-barred action of UCBW AutumnSlamn (Midnight).
Tom Allen: A Voyage Around My Mother
UK rising comedy star Tom Allen is the winner of both the BBC New Comedy Award and the UK's prestigious So You Think You're Funny Award. He performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2006 and on the radio show Bleak Expectations in 2007. Tonight he performs a one-man show about searching for his origins by traveling to Ireland...with his parents. The result, according to the official description, is "a comedy show packed full of serenely hilarious tales and adventures."
7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10
Magnet instructors & Second City veterans, plus occasional celebrity guests, turn a tiny suggestion into larger-than-life improvised scenes. One of the Magnet's signature shows.
7:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $7
Marc Maron is a star comic who's a frequent guest on Late Show with David Letterman
and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Marc has performed a solo comedy special for
HBO Comedy Half-Hour, and two solo specials for Comedy Central Presents.
Marc's many other TV appearances include being a regular on
Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn.
In addition, Marc performed a popular off-Broadway one-man show,
Jerusalem Syndrome, which he then turned into a 2001 book;
and he co-hosted Morning Sedition on Air America Radio, and hosted
The Marc Maron Show on LA's KTLK-AM.
Marc is a comic's comic, highly respected for his observations
about culture, politics, and life in general.
Don't miss the opportunity to catch this top comedian perform a headlining set.
Please Note: You can save $5 off the $32 cover (i.e., pay $27 per ticket)
by ordering online with discount code HyReviews.
Please also note there's also a two-item minimum;
with tax & tip, figure on spending an additional $13 or up.
8:00 pm & 10:30 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
$27 online using code HYREVIEWS, plus two-item food or drink minimum
Becky Drysdale, Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Peter Gwinn, and Tami Sagher
Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.
Among the players often performing 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 (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).
9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10
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.
9:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
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 $10
The wonderful folks from Cage Match—
Ben Rodgers, Eric Scott, Charlie Todd, Pat Baer, Neil Casey,
Eugene Cordero, C. LeMar McLean, Adam Pally, and many more—
bring you a hybrid of old-school wrestling and physical sketch comedy, live on stage!
Here's the official description:
"There are sure to be plenty of tricks and treats at the biggest brawl of the fall—UCBW AUTUMNSLAMN! All your favorite UCBW MegaStars are going back to school in the can't-miss knocktoberfest of the season! Can Uncle Eddie go green and retain his UCBW Championship against former partner and oil magnate emperor, the evil Constantine? Can Marz and Pu Kang Kang (The Unfukwitables) retain the Tag Team Championship and stop the relentless SuperFraternity from terrorizing the UCBW fans? Can The Grocer defeat Chuck McMahon for the building deed to the UCBW Arena, effectively shutting down comedy wrestling as we know it? Will Referee Pat Baer finally dance? Also in action: Wall Street, The Mountain Men, Kirk Cameron, Punchmug, The King of Hearts, and many more! Hosted by the voices of the UCBW, TT Billingsworth & The Captain. Only 14,000 seats are available, so get your tickets now before the UCBW Arena sells out!"
In a word: Wow.
To get a taste of what the evening will be like, please visit the UCBW News Center
by clicking here; watch the trailer for tonight's show by clicking here; and also view a couple
of fabulous matches from previous wrestling extravaganzas—Frat Boy vs. Rock 'n' Roll Kid,
and Bad Medicine vs. John 3:16 and Son—by clicking here and here.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 10/26/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
[TOP PICK] UCBT's playground for celebrities and ace improvisors,
ASSSSCAT 3000 (7:30 pm and 9:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] typically stellar stand-up comics joining comedy giants Eugene Mirman & Michael Showalter—winners of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Hosts—for their weekly shindig at Brooklyn's Union Hall: Tearing the Veil of Maya (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] typically stellar stand-ups 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 (8:00 pm),
and sharp NYC comics at a free stand-up comedy show hosted by star sketch/improv troupe Derrick in Queens' Long Island City: This Is New York (9:00 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...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)
Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy
The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show
This is one of the best comedy shows in New York.
It's hosted by Greg Johnson (sharp, quick-witted stand-up comic) and
Larry Murphy (genius comedic chameleon & voiceover actor who performs all the
key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other animated TV series include
Home Movies, O'Grady, Computer Lab, Word Girl, and Sunday Pants;
sketch performer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; announcer for
ESPN's Cheap Seats; for an animated VO reel, please click here).
Tonight's stand-up comics haven't been announced, but the lineup is usually stellar.
8:00 pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; free
Michael Showalter & Eugene Mirman
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 (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 guests haven't been announced, but they're usually world-class stand-up comics.
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.
Donald Glover, DC Pierson, and Dominic Dierkes of Derrick
Derrick is three sharp and enormously appealing performers,
Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson, who are sketch comedy
stars via their wildly popular YouTube videos—
for some samples, please click here and here and here.
The guys have also just finished shooting their first feature comedy film—
to view the trailer, please click here.
And in this weekly free show in Queens' Long Island City, these impressively
multi-talented comics host a comedy showcase featuring NYC stand-ups
...and also themselves performing both stand-up and sketch.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're typically fine NYC comics.
9:00 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
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 $3.50 each—
please read Hy on Theatre Discounts.
Return to Previous NYC Comedy Picks
Copyright © 2008 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
