NYC Comedy Picks for Week of September 15, 2008

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 9/15/08

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

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

[TOP PICK] superb and hilarious actress Amanda Duarte performing her one-woman show about working in  the entertainment biz in Lucky Pink Wonderland (7:00 pm),

stand-ups H. Alan Scott, Tom Ragu, and Mara Herron joining delightful hosts

Jackie Monahan, Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, & Gloria Bigelow at Dykes on Mics (7:00 pm),

the perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set

and around 30 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a double-bill with two of the brightest talents in NYC comedy, Charlie Sanders (Conan O'Brien, improv troupe Reuben Williams) and Dominic Dierkes (comedy troupe Derrick), performing what's likely to be spectacular one-man shows in White Muslim and Sketch Solo (8:00 pm),

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

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

[TOP PICK] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest stand-up comics in the country—who this week include Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, NBC, CNN), Eric Drysdale (writer for The Daily Show 2000-2005 and The Colbert Report 2005-present), and Arj Barker (HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents)—at Laughing with Leo Allen (11:00 pm).

A few of the faces of stellar actress/writer Amanda Duarte

Lucky Pink Wonderland

I first met Amanda Duarte when she was kind enough to visit my screenwriters workshop for an evening of cold readings. She was an exceptionally skilled and quick-thinking actress while performing the movie pages; but what was even more notable were her off-hand comments during our critiquing afterwards. At one point Amanda said a scene was "funny as balls." I remarked that I'd never realized balls were comedic. Amanda instantly replied, "Take my word, Hy. I've seen a lot more of them than you have." It was then I realized that in addition to being a stellar actress, Amanda is a razor-sharp wit.

Both qualities are in ample evidence in Amanda's one-woman show, which explores the crazy behavior of celebrities, and the highly unglamorous life of performers seeking to attain their own fame. Some sample moments:

Hollywood star teaching her 4-year-old adopted trophy-daughter the right values by ordering a Diet Coke: "Emma, what does Mommy say? It's not a diet, it's a live-it. Now drink it up and be pretty."

A fading star in a restaurant: "I'm just trying to have lunch with my friend here today, so no autographs, okay? Oh. Sorry. I'll have the garden salad."

Failed actress turned waitress trying to force alcohol at noon on a fellow waitress in AA who just landed a TV role: "Let's celebrate with a drink! Really, one little glass isn't gonna hurt, is it? Look, you're being rude. Well, glad I don't have to live like that. Thank God I don't have a drinking problem, 'cause I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't have a drink."

Like Amanda, the show is smart, funny, raunchy, memorable...and recommended.

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

Amy Beckerman, Gloria Bigelow, Jackie Monahan, and Leah Dubie

Dykes on Mics

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

as regulars/hosts, plus tonight's guests

H. Alan Scott, Tom Ragu, and Mara Herron.

7:00 pm at The Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street (at 7th Avenue South); free

Ochi's Motel

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 30+ 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.

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[at]gmail.com.

There are two shows tonight, at 6:30 and 9:00 pm (with entirely different sets of comics).

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)

Charlie Sanders and Dominic Dierkes

Charlie Sanders: White Muslim and Dominic Dierkes: Sketch Solo

Two brilliant comics—each performing his own complete one-man show—for a mere five bucks.

Charlie Sanders is an extraordinarily dynamic and committed comic who's performed numerous sketch comedy routines on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and is a star member of world-class improv troupes Reuben Williams, Buffoons, and C, C + C Improv Factory (which won the 2008 Cage Match Improv Championship). Tonight Charlie shows another side of his vast talents by telling jaw-dropping and hilarious —and entirely true—tales of his experiences growing up white in midwestern suburbia...as a Muslim.

Dominic Dierkes is one of the three quick-witted and razor-sharp members of star improv/sketch troupe Derrick. (For a sample of the group's wildly popular YouTube videos, please click here and here and here.) Tonight Dominic will be performing a series of inventive solo comedy sketches.

This show is likely to be memorable. Don't miss it.

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

Glennis & Eliza: I Eat Pandas

Glennis McMurray and Eliza Skinner are simply geniuses

at taking a suggestion from the audience and creating

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

immense talent, and the aid of their wonderful improv pianist

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

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

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

the duo won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group; and they

just starred in the Fringe festival hit Gem! A Truly Outrageous Parody,

which won two FringeNYC 2008 Awards.

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

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

Arj Barker, Leo Allen, and Jessi Klein

Laughing 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, this new show is produced by Jeremy.)

Tonight's stellar guests are

Jessi Klein (deliciously honest, brilliant, hilarious stand-up star; Rolling Stones' comedy "Hot List;" Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn;

VH1's Best Week Ever; NBC's The Today Show; CNN; The Showbiz Show with David Spade;

voice of Lucy on Adult Swim's Lucy the Daughter of the Devil;

for a video stand-up sample about which celebrity would save

 the most Jews, and on email etiquette, please click here and here),

Eric Drysdale (writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 2000-2005; writer for

The Colbert Report 2005-2008; contributor to blockbuster bestsellers America the Book

and I Am America (And So Can You!); winner of five Emmy Awards),

Arj Barker (cast member on HBO's Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien; off-Broadway show The Marijuana-Logues), and

Josh Howie (UK comic visiting NYC; The World Stands Up).

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 9/16/08

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

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

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

[TOP PICK] and Michael Showalter (legendary troupe Stella, MTV's The State,

feature film The Baxter), Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show),

Seth Morris (former Artistic Director of UCBT-LA), and more at one of the

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

Harold Night

The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.

Tonight, five improv troupes—

Whorenado, Ragnaröck, The Law Firm, Bastian, and Bangs—

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

Michael Showalter and Aasif Mandvi...

...and Seth Herzog and Seth Morris

Sweet

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

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

Tonight's terrific guests include

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,

award-winning co-host of weekly Brooklyn comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya),

Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show; also acted on CBS' Jericho, NBC's ER), and

Seth Morris (former Artistic Director of UCBT-LA; Human Giant, Curb Your Enthusiasm, film Step Brothers).

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 9/17/08

Matt Goldich, Judah Friedlander, and Roger Hailes

CBS/NYC Presents: Best Onion Ever!

Writers and performers for The Onion and VH1's Best Week Ever perform material they weren't allowed to use. Scheduled comics include

Judah Friedlander (hilarious stand-up; cast member of 30 Rock; Meet the Parents, Zoolander, Full Grown Men),

Roger Hailes (exceptionally sharp, personable stand-up; Chappelle's Show,

VH1's All Access; writer for Comedy Central and MTV;

for sample videos, please click here and here),

Matt Goldich (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, NY1's The Call, contributor to book  Bar Mitzvah Disco; for a stand-up sample, please click here), and

Adam Cole-Kelly ("If your friend ever calls and says, 'Hey, wanna come over

and watch Cinderella Man?', it's important to determine whether or not

there is a comma between Cinderella and Man.").

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

Ophira Eisenberg, Laurie Kilmartin, and Kate McKinnon

Offensive Women

This monthly event hosted by Julie Goldman (cast member of Logo TV's

The Big Gay Sketch Show) spotlights top female comics.

Tonight's superb stand-up guests are

Kate McKinnon (sharp, witty actress who "gets" both verbal and physical comedy down to her bones; cast member of Logo TV's The Big Gay Sketch Show; one-woman UCBT show Disenchanted: "Watch the beloved fairy princesses of your childhood pop a few Klonopins and eat themselves into a coma"),

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

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

FOX, 236.com, for stand-up video about hookers and dating, please click here),

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), and

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

E!; Fashion Police writer for US Weekly).

8:00ish pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street  (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $10

Justin Purnell

School Night

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

and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly—

but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun.

Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,

that this typically wonderful free show makes possible.

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

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 9/18/08

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

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

genius comic Nick Kroll (star of ABC's Cavemen, VH1, MTV), stand-up Julian McCullough

(Comedy Central), and more at a show of occasionally uncomfortable comedy

hosted by Blaine Perry & Pat Stango: Don't Touch Me There (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a double-bill of one-woman shows from two of the funniest comedic performers

in New York, Kimmy Gatewood and Alicia Levy, in Totally Worth It (8:00 pm),

sharp NYC comics Kumail Nanjiani (Comedy Central), Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien,

Last Comic Standing), Becky Donohue (Comedy Central), Sean Patton, and Brent Sullivan

in the Comix Comedy Club stand-up showcase Hot Comix (8:00 pm),

rising star Thomas Middleditch (member of genius improv troupe Baby Wants Candy)

showing off a myriad of comedic characters via a one-man show, and sketch duo Rory & Craig,

in Littlebitch and Our Internet Knowledge (8:00 pm),

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

accompanied this evening by star guests—Steve Guttenberg (Police Academy, Cocoon),

Chris March (Project Runway), and Tab the Band—at The Dave Hill Explosion (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and energetic & inventive improv troupe Death by Roo Roo vs. the irresistible Ben Rodgers

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

Nick Kroll, and Blaine Perry & Pat Stango

Don't Touch Me There

Blaine Perry and Pat Stango host this comedy show

that doesn't mind being unsettling.

Here's their message for this week: "I'm in a bit of a pickle with the FBI because apparently (and this came as news to me) you're not supposed to send naked pictures of yourself with the phrase 'Bear My Children' written 40 times in bear excrement to a current United States Vice Presidential candidate. But what can I say...I loves me some Joe Biden! OHHHHHH, see what I did there? You thought I was talking about Sarah Palin, and then I switched it around on ya! I am so smart. That's why I always win the Guess the Fart contest at local carnivals. Because I'm smart."

If that made you laugh, you're a Don't Touch Me There kind of person.

Tonight's superb guests are

Nick Kroll (one of the most razor-sharp and hilarious comics working today;

co-star, and clear highlight, of ABC's Cavemen sitcom; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,

VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV's Human Giant; winner of the 2008 ECNY Award

for Best One-Person Show—Fabrice Fabrice, which was among

the funniest shows I've ever seen; for a few videos, please click here),

Julian McCullough (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Montreal Comedy Festival's New Faces), and

Charlie Kasov (Drunken Focus Group), and Dan St. Germaine (MTV).

7:00 pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; tickets are $5

Kimmy Gatewood and Alicia Levy

Totally Worth It

In this stellar double-bill, two of the funniest comics in NYC perform one-woman shows.

Alicia Levy is a member of world-class sketch troupe Drop Six, which is famed for its wonderful mix of physical comedy and music. Alicia provides both in abundance as she plays such characters as a painfully clumsy stripper, an insanely cautious expert on child safety, and a splendorous fairy contemplating a wing reduction. The material isn't always balanced—for example, the baby expert is a running joke that's done to death—but Alicia's performances are consistently energetic and fearless, making her an up-and-comer worth keeping an eye on.

Kimmy Gatewood is a member of one of the finest sketch groups in the country, The Apple Sisters, which has appeared on Comedy Central and won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act. Kimmy has devoted herself intensely to improv and sketch; and all her hard, smart work shines through in The Engagement, for which she plays a series of characters offering advice to a bride on her wedding day. I first saw this show a year ago, and was impressed with Kimmy as an actress but less than thrilled with her script. I'm not sure the material has significantly changed—but Kimmy's performances are now so brilliant that I no longer even care. Combining hilarious over-the-top comedy with nuanced, organic acting, Kimmy is proving herself a star who couldn't be more ready for a break on Broadway, TV, or film. If you're in the industry, hire this rare jewel before someone else is wise enough to snatch her up.

And if you're not, simply come to this show to be dazzled and enchanted...

and to enjoy 75 minutes packed with laughs.

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

Kumail Nanjiani, Becky Donohue, and Craig Baldo

Hot Comix: Kumail Nanjiani, Craig Baldo, Becky Donohue, Sean Patton, Brent Sullivan

Sharp stand-up comics perform in this showcase

praised by New York Magazine and The Gothamist.

Tonight's superb comedians are

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),

Craig Baldo (performed over 30 sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Comic Remix; VH1, Bravo, The Onion;

for Craig's recent stand-up set on Conan O'Brien, please click here),

Becky Donohue (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and

Shorties Watchin' Shorties; TLC's Trading Spaces; Fashion Police writer for US Weekly),

Sean Patton (LES' The Tommy Danger Show, founder of the New Orleans Comedy Festival;

for a stand-up audio clip about vitamin-coated condoms, please click here),

Brent Sullivan (for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, 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 food or drink 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 minimum

A couple of the many faces of Thomas Middleditch; and Rory Panagotopulos & Craig Rowin

Thomas Middleditch: Littlebitch and Rory and Craig: Our Internet Knowledge

Two sketch comedy shows for a mere five bucks.

The festivities kick off with Thomas Middleditch, a quick-witted organic talent who honed his improv & comedy skills at Second City and iO Chicago, and is currently a member of superb improv troupes Baby Wants Candy, Broad Shoulders, and The Improvised Shakespeare Co. Thomas is also the star of the upcoming film Splinterheads; the co-host of monthly UCBT show Game Bros. Live!; and a wildly popular character performer at the monthly Morrison Motel. It's the latter skills Thomas will be drawing on for this one-man show as he literally jumps around on stage, and switches among different voices and body postures in split seconds, to create a small mob of colorful people interacting with each other—and, at one point, even physically fighting each other! Come catch this rapidly rising star.

The double-bill then continues with duo Rory Panagotopulos and Craig Rowin, who teach you all you need to know about the newfangled InterWeb, plus sports sweats (for a video about the latter, please click here).

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

Steve Guttenberg, Dave Hill, and Tab the Band

The Dave Hill Explosion

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

Dave's star guests tonight are

Steve Guttenberg (numerous feature film hits include Cocoon, Police Academy, Short Circuit, Three Men and a Baby; recent contestant on ABC's Dancing with the Stars),

Chris March (Project Runway), and

Tab the Band (rockin' Boston music group).

This show will almost certainly sell out. To make your reservation, please click here.

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

vs.

Cage Match: Death by Roo Roo vs. Ben Rodgers

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

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

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

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

The current reining champ is arguably the gutsiest improv group in NYC: Death by Roo Roo, consisting of uniformly brilliant comics Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn. So far this season, DBRR has trounced 17 troupes in a row—handily breaking the previous Cage Match winning streak record of 14 set by Optimist International in 2002! And this juggernaut doesn't merely walk over opponents, it pounds them into the ground: DBRR has won a total of 1,760 audience votes vs. a mere 675 for all its opponents combined.

Tonight's contender is Ben Rodgers who, as the photo above indicates, is a UCBT heartthrob. As Dominic Dierkes commented on this apparent troupe vs. solo improvisor match via the Improv Resource Center, "I would say Rodgers is an underdog, but he's so goddamn good-looking." I know nothing beyond this—except tonight is bound to be fun.

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

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

Great Inexpensive Live Comedy

For other terrific low-cost NYC comedy, please visit the Web sites of

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

The Peoples Improv Theater

Ochi's Lounge at Comix

The Magnet

Comedy Club Discounts

If you'd enjoy an elegant evening at an NYC comedy club

but also want to save some money, please click here.

Currently available are discounts for select shows at the Comix Comedy Club

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

Upcoming Hot Club Show: Harland Williams on September 19-20

($10 off the $35 cover charge for HyReviews.com readers before day of show)

Upcoming Special Comedy Events

The magical Livia Scott, and the hilarious Anthony Jeselnik being lauded by Robin Williams...

...and Margie Kment, Jamie Lee, and Sean Patton

Hold for the Laughs

To raise funds for a theatre project, some of NYC's finest comedians are getting together to entertain you. The lineup is stellar, so please help out—and save yourself a couple of bucks by buying in advance online ($10 per ticket vs. $12 at the door).

This event is produced and hosted by Margie Kment (for stand-up video about dating a stoner, please click here).

And the wonderful comics are

Anthony Jeselnik (phenomenal comic specializing in darkly shocking jokes and one of

my favorite stand-ups ever; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, upcoming Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour special, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live,  NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, MTV's Most Valuable Players;

for stand-up videos, please click here and here),

Livia Scott (brilliant comedic chameleon who's a stellar stand-up and sketch comic, and also an extraordinary actress; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, world-class sketch groups Meat and Dirty Jeans & Thunderchief, host of NYC comedy show Livia's Castle of Enchantment, 2008 ECNY Award-nominated one-woman show Goodnight, O.J.),

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

Sean Patton (2008 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, LES' The Tommy Danger Show, founder of the New Orleans Comedy Festival; for a stand-up audio clip about vitamin-coated condoms, please click here),

Taylor Williamson (Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, MTV, Fuel TV's The Daily Habit,

for sample stand-up video, please click here), and

Barry Rothbart (member of sketch troupe The StraightMen; for video about a robot roommate, please click here).

Tuesday September 23rd at 10:00 pm at the Sage Theatre, 711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor

(between 47th and 48th Streets); tickets are $10 in advance online, $12 at door

New York Magazine Presents Campfire on the Canal with José González and The UCB Touring Company

New York Magazine is celebrating 40 years of publication with an evening of music and comedy provided by star singer/guitarist José González (performing a full set) and the hilarious world-class comics of the Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company (telling spooky campfire stories and tales of sleepaway camp, performing improv, and lord knows what else). Plus, free beer.

Seats will be first come, first served on the evening of the event. To order a ticket ($23.75, which includes a year's subscription to New York Magazine), please click here.

5:00-9:00 pm on Sunday, September 28th at The Yard, 388-400 Carroll Street in Brooklyn;

take the F/G subway to Carroll Street or N/R subway to Union Street;

ticket is $23.75 online (includes 46-issue subscription to New York Magazine)

Legendary comedy troupe Stella: David Wain, Michael Showalter, and Michael Ian Black

New York Magazine Celebrates 40 Years with The National and Grizzly Bear, hosted by Stella

New York Magazine is celebrating 40 years of publication with an extra-special evening of music and comedy provided by superb Brooklyn-based bands The National and Grizzly Bear, and a rare appearance by seminal & beloved comedy troupe Stella: Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain.

Seats will be first come, first served on the evening of the event. To order a ticket ($38.75, which includes a year's subscription to New York Magazine), please click here.

8:00 pm on Friday Oct. 10th at Hammerstein Ballroom, 234 West 34th St. (bet. 8th & 9th Aves.);

ticket is $38.75 online (includes 46-issue subscription to New York Magazine)

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/19/08

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

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

[TOP PICK] razor-sharp writer/comic Joe Mande, with the aid of superb performers Chris Gethard and

Jenny Slate, recreating on stage Joe's experiences interning for The Maury Povich Show, plus a

one-woman show from Katie Schorr, in Workdays with Maury and Take Me. Seriously. (8:00 pm),

superb stand-up comics Pete Holmes, Jared Logan, and more being asked personal questions on stage

at a free Queens LIC show hosted by Matt Ruby & Mark Normand: We're All Friends Here (8:00ish pm),

stand-ups Ann Design, Danny Leary, Danny McWilliams, and more at a gay-themed 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),

brilliant & sexy singer/songwriter Adira Amram (Jane), Matthew Diffee (cartoonist for

The New Yorker), and Dan Dratch (writer for Chris Rock) at a show mixing

comedy and music: Tim Ellis' & Matthew Park's Of the Moment (9:30 pm),

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

[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which has currently trounced 17

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

a promising new show mixing top sketch/improv comics with stand-ups and storytelling,

and tonight includes Dominic Dierkes and Donald Glover of star troupe Derrick,

Rob Lathan, and Elon James White, at Harry Terjanian's After Dark (11:00 pm),

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

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

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

Joe Mande's Workdays with Maury and Katie Schorr's Take Me. Seriously.

A superb comedy mini-play, plus a one-woman show, for 10 bucks.

Workdays with Maury is a hilarious memoir about interning on The Maury Povich Show. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to pursue your dreams by moving to NYC and end up working for free on a seedy talk show, don't miss this smartly written true-life tale written and starring Joe Mande (winner of the 2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic; co-host of superb weekly NYC show Totally J/K).

The mini-play also co-stars these two razor-sharp comedic actors:

Chris Gethard (one of the most talented and brilliant storytellers and improvisors in New York; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, Happy Hour, author of book Weird New York), and

Jenny Slate (VH1; co-host of Brooklyn live comedy show A New Experience with Gabe & Jenny;

for very funny video, please click here).

The double-bill then continues with a one-woman show from actress Katie Schorr

who "gets inside the heads and hearts of four 17-year old girls."

The writing is so-so, but Schorr creates some nice comedic moments as a performer.

8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10

Pete Holmes and Jared Logan

We're All Friends Here

Matt Ruby (host of monthly NYC live comedy extravaganza Flying Carpet)

and Mark Normand emcee this free show in which stand-up comics perform...

and then are asked personal questions on stage!!

It's at Queens' Long Island City (just one stop from Manhattan on the #7 train).

Tonight's terrific guests are

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),

Jared Logan (hilarious kinetic comic; named Best Comedian by the Chicago Comedy Awards; won Detroit's contest for Comedy Idol; for stand-up video about fast food and comic books, please click here; for set on scary things, including toy ads for girls, please click here),

Josh Homer (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham), and

Dan Goodman (for stand-up video on making sports more lively, please click here).

8:00ish 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

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

The Back Room

Gay-themed comedy (with both gay & straight comics),

hosted by the charming Jenny Rubin (WE TV).

Tonight's stand-ups are

Ann Design (Sundays at 7),

Danny Leary (MTV, host of weekly NYC comedy show On the Rocks),

Adam Lehman (here! TV's Hot Gay Comics)

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

The Stepfathers

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

New Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffee, stellar comedic singer/songwriter Adira Amram, and hosts Tim Ellis & Matthew Park

Of the Moment

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 superb guests are

Adira Amram (brilliantly funny and sexy songwriter/singer; Jane Magazine Editor's Choice;

co-star of UCBT's Get Psyched!; for sample songs & videos, please click here),

Daniel Dratch (writer for The Chris Rock Show, The Man Show, Monk), and

Matthew Diffee (cartoonist for The New Yorker—when not telling jokes

and playing the banjo; for sample cartoons, please click here).

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

The Made-Up Musical

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, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn—interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story

via improvised scenes. Sometimes scary, and usually hilarious.

11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10

After Dark

This new show, hosted by Harry Terjanian (Laughing Liberally, UCBT), provides a mix of great NYC stand-ups, sketch performers, and improvisors—and at the end asks every comic to tell a story.

Tonight's guests include brilliant sketch/improv performers Dominic Dierkes and Donald Glover of star troupe Derrick; fearless sketch comic Rob Lathan who co-stars in UCBT's Get Psyched!; and stand-ups Elon James White, Luke Thayer, and Joseph Roche.

This show has great promise. If you're in the area at 11:00 pm, come check it out and support its innovative format.

11:00 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)

Pete Holmes

Gutbucket

UCBT's monthly open mic show for stand-up comics.

If you're simply looking to laugh, this show can be

lots of fun, or deadly, depending on who turns up.

But if you're a comic yourself, it's a fine opportunity

to perform in front of an exceptionally sharp audience.

And in my opinion, it's well worth sitting through five minutes of

a dreadful comic to get even 30 seconds of hilarious comments

about the set afterwards from brilliant host Pete Holmes (VH1's Best Week Ever,

Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Motherload; writer for CollegeHumor.com;

cartoonist for mags ranging from The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl).

Holmes' lightning-fast mind will generate more perfect remarks

in a few moments than most comics can manage in a week.

Watching a master like Pete Holmes is a great treat;

and this show is free.

On top of that, the fact Gutbucket runs from roughly 12:20 am to 2:00 am

adds a surreal, drunken spin to the festivities that usually results in something

weird and memorable happening with either an amateur comic or an audience member.

For all these reasons, this is my favorite open mic show; and if you're both

patient and adventurous, it's highly recommended.

12:20ish am at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 9/20/08

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

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

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

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

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

a small mob of talented stand-up comics—including Ben Lerman, Claudia Cogan, Matt Goldich, and Rob O’Reilly—telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales

about their relatives at the gorgeous Sara Benincasa's Family Hour (9:00 pm),

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

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

organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track! (10:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and brilliant storyteller Elna Baker, hilariously razor-sharp sketch troupe Pangea 3000,

sly stand-ups Heather Fink and Sean Patton, and ace sketch troupe & host Olde English

performing all-new material for a show that's Very Fresh (Midnight).

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

Let's Have a Ball

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

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).

7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10

The Tiny Spectacular

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

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

Mother: The Soundtrack

Jason Mantzoukas leads a vibrant team of improv comics—Scot Armstrong, Tara Copeland, Jon Daly, James Eason, Jesse Falcon, Doug Moe, and Christine Walters—who make up scenes based on CD tracks contributed by the audience. One of UCBT's most beloved shows—and, because many of its cast members are moving to LA, a troupe that next week will be ending the longest run in UCBT history. Be sure to catch these talents while you still can.

9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $10

Claudia Cogan, "Auntie" Sara Benincasa, and Ben Lerman

Family Hour with Auntie Sara

In this unique weekly comedy show, everyone tells jokes and/or stories related to

their family. It's hosted by stand-up comic Sara Benincasa, whose many credits include correspondent for MTV's Choose or Lose Campaign and host of Tub Talk with Sara B. on Nerve.com. (Sara is also a fine comedic actress; to watch her be hilarious as Sarah Palin and as a yoga instructor, please click  here & here and here.)

Plus—if luck is with you—there will be free and highly delicious

Eleni's cupcakes, topped with packaged condoms.

(Sara recently got a job at Planned Parenthood...)

Tonight's terrific comics are, in alphabetical order, Neil Charles, Claudia Cogan, Dan Frigolette, Matt Goldich, Merritt Gurley, Helen Hong, Thomas J. Kelly, Jeff Kreisler, Ben Lerman, Francesco Marciuliano, Sean Murphy, and Rob O’Reilly.

Expect good times.

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)