NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/10/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
hilarious hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande presenting such wonderful comics as
The Daily Show's Demetri Martin and beatbox master Reggie Watts at Totally J/K (8:15ish pm),
one of the most interesting comedic performer/writers in NYC, Mary Theresa Archbold,
doing her new one-woman show What I Did for Love?, plus Rob Lenihan performing
his sobering new one-man show Breathe with Me, at Singles Night: Solo Performances (9:30 pm),
and such comedy giants as Eugene Mirman and Leo Allen, plus brilliant UK star Daniel Kitson,
at one of the funniest stand-up shows in NYC—which just happens to be free—Cavalcade! (11:00 pm).
Reggie Watts, hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande, Demetri Martin...
...Ani Raya-Flores, Scott Bateman, and surprise guests
Hosted by quick-witted and enormously funny best buds Joe Mande and Noah Garfinkel
(for dueling birthday videos, please click here and here; and for other videos,
please click here and here). Tonight's wonderful guests include
Demetri Martin (The Daily Show: Trendspotting, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents special, Comedy Central's Demetri Martin. Person.,
These Are Jokes CD/DVD),
Reggie Watts (winner of 3rd Annual Andy Kaufman Award; scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician who will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com),
Scott Bateman (cartoonist who produced an animated short a day for a year; Plum TV's Scott Bateman Presents Scott Bateman Presents; Salon.com weekly animated series), and
Ani Raya-Flores (member of Zebra comedy troupe).
8:15ish pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Stand-up comedy hosted by Billy Reno (SNL's Weekend Update,
Caroline's; for video samples, please click here and here).
Tonight's scheduled guests are
RG Daniels, Mike Dobbins, Helen Hong, Rachel Parenta, and Baratunde Thurston.
8:00ish pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Anne Meara (with husband & comedy partner Jerry Stiller), and host Lizz Winstead
Lizz Winstead is co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; and a performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night. (She's also a character; e.g., for a memorable anti-apology after canceling her appearance on the live NYC show Drink at Work, please click here.)
Tonight's guest is Anne Meara of classic comedy duo Stiller & Meara.
To get a feel for STM, view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees by clicking here.
To buy tickets online (each $10 plus $2.50 service charge), please click here.
8:30 pm at Ace of Clubs, 9 Great Jones Street (3rd St. between Lafayette and Broadway); $10
This theatre is downstairs from the Acme restaurant. Nearest subway stops are
Bleecker Street on the #6 and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.
Mary Theresa Archbold: What I Did for Love? and Rob Lenihan: Breathe with Me
Singles Night: Solo Performances
It's cool enough to get two one-person shows for five bucks.
But when one of them is from the luminous Mary Theresa Archbold,
this becomes a can't-miss event.
A few months ago, Mary Archbold proved herself one of the most sharp, engaging,
and endearing performers to grace the 2007 FringeNYC Festival.
In fact, she won a Best Actor Award, beating out literally
hundreds of other terrific talents from around the country.
(For my review of her funny & touching FringeNYC production, please click here.)
Tonight Mary will be performing a brand new show titled What I Did for Love?
The other half of this double-bill is Rob Lenihan performing
his one-man show Breathe With Me. It begins:
"I dreamed one night that my father was still alive...
As I guided him into the bathroom to give him his shower,
like I had so many times before, I felt confused rather than elated at seeing
my father among the living. I thought I didn't have to do this anymore,
I said to myself. I thought I was free..."
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
The inventive Sue Galloway (Free to Be Friends, band member
of Stickerbook) will be showing off her solo material;
and a new act called Robert's 2nd
will be filling the second half of this double-bill.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
John F. O'Donnell, Leo Allen, and Eugene Mirman...
...and Daniel Kitson
This razor-sharp stand-up extravaganza is no place for the innocent.
However, it's enormous fun.
Tonight's star comedic lineup includes the great
Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's
Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1,
The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman and En Garde, Society! comedy albums),
Daniel Kitson (brilliant UK comedic performer; winner of multiple Edinburgh Festival Awards; host of weekly London radio show The Listening Club),
Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents, Ed, Sex and the City), and
John F. O'Donnell (wild man who will make you love him; Comedy Central's Fresh Faces;
host of biweekly Long Island City comedy show The Kingdom of Heaven).
Tonight's show is likely to be one of the flat-out funniest in NYC.
And it's free.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/11/07
Heather Fink, Jackie Monahan, and Raquel D'Apice
Carolyn Castiglia hosts a lineup of talented female stand-up comics.
Tonight's scheduled guests are
Heather Fink (host of monthly NYC live comedy show Street Meat),
Jackie Monahan (Dykes on Mics at Rubyfruit, Lesbians of Laughter Tour;
for sharp stand-up video, please click here),
Raquel D'Apice (writes blog titled The Ugly Volvo; for touching video
about lesbians who met in Eastern Europe, please click here),
Jacquetta Szathmari (for stand-up video, please click here).
Brooke Van Poppelen (for a video sample, please click here), and
Robin Cloud (for a blue Q&A about eating out, please click here).
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Green Lantern writer Ron Marz; and cover of Green Lantern: Rebirth #5, drawn by Ethan Van Sciver
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's guests are controversial comics writer Ron Marz
(Green Lantern, Silver Surfer, Witchblade); and, via phone,
illustrator Ethan Van Sciver (Green Lantern, Superman/Batman).
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—
Twelve Thousand Dollars, Tantrum, 1985, fwand, and Raynard
—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
John Morrison, Kristen Schaal, and John Oliver...
...and Joe DeVito, Mike Drucker, and Thomas Middleditch
John Morrison (host of NYC weekly open-mic show Ochi's Motel)
welcomes thoroughly wonderful star comics
Kristen Schaal (one of the most talented and inventive comedy performers around;
co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; co-host of NYC biweekly Hot Tub Variety Show) and
John Oliver (brilliant stand-up comic, wonderful news correspondent for
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, co-writer/star of The Department for BBC Radio 4); plus
Mike Drucker (winner of Disney's 2007 So You Think You're Funny competition
and performer on Comedy Central's The Watchlist; for Drucker's explanation of
how life is like video games and comic books, please click here; and to learn
why Drucker's girlfriend wouldn't give him a gold star, please click here),
Joe DeVito (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; written for MTV, FUSE, film Super Size Me;
for Last Comic Standing video, please click here),
Eric Alexander (Showtime at the Apollo, Last Call With Carson Daly, Spike TV;
for stand-up video that asks WWTDD? [What Would Tony Danza Do?], please click here),
Thomas Middleditch (improv at Second City and Baby Wants Candy;
for cartoon that prompted the comment "wow i think i actually feel
my intelligence melting away as i watch this," please click here), and
Nick Cobb (AMC's Date Night, member of sketch troupe Turn Left).
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
Three couples, three situations, six degrees of separation—all improvised.
Starring Megan Gray, Mark Grenier, Corey Grimes,
Louis Kornfeld, Leanne Linsky, and Charles Whitcroft.
9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Krompf and Outlook of the Poet
Krompf is one of NYC's finest comedy troupes: Neil Casey (member of UCBT's weekly hit show Death by Roo Roo), Ryan Karels, Amey Goerlich, and Joe Wengert (member of UCBT's weekly hit show Reuben Williams). At a recent appearance at Cage Match, these improvisors took the kickoff suggestion Christendom to heights of delicious absurdity, in which young children about to be initiated into Catholicism are made to wear suits of armor and engage in swordplay while a voracious winged monster (played memorably by Ryan Karels) perches ready to gobble up the head of any who show hints of wavering. And in another subplot, Neil Casey was hilarious as a perpetually grieving cab driver who tells every passenger about his bride dying on their wedding day. At the end, we learn that as he backed up the cab preparing to drive them both to the Church, he accidentally ran her over...
Outlook of the Poet was the runner-up of last month's thrilling 2007 3-on-3 Improv Tournament. The troupe consists of Jonathan Gabrus (fwand), Ben Rodgers (1985), and Gavin Speiller (1985).
With two such great teams performing, this show promises to be memorable.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 12/12/07
Tonight is overflowing with great shows.
Recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a fascinating free view of a sketch troupe constructing material via entertaining anecdotes
and improv, featuring superb talents such as Elna Baker and Pat Shay, at Red (6:00 pm),
great writers including as Colin Jost of SNL, Annabelle Gurwitch of Fired!, and
cartoonist David Rees telling very funny tales of woe at Jon Friedman's The Rejection Show (8:00 pm),
all-star sketch & stand-up comedy, featuring such wonderful talents as Biz Ellis & Livia Scott,
Leo Allen, Olde English, and Family Guy's John Viener at Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),
Eugene Mirman's & Bobby Tisdale's usually superb stand-up showcase Invite Them Up (9:00 pm),
mind-blowing mix of stand-up, sketch, and comedic music, from such awesome talents as
beatboxer Reggie Watts, singer/writer Jessica Delfino, stand-up comics John Mulaney and
Chelsea Peretti, and hosts Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler at their Hot Tub Variety Show (9:30ish pm),
the delightful Amber Petty, Jessie Schupack, and Tricia McAlpin of Penny, along with
duo Rubin & Munoz, in the sketch double-bill White Orphans/The Lance and Ray Show (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
Due to some cosmic quirk, there are enough amazing shows tonight to fill an entire week.
If forced to choose only one, I'd personally pick Kristen's & Kurt's Hot Tub Variety Show.
But whatever your preference, for goodness sakes, go out tonight and enjoy hours of laughter...
Pat Shay and Elna Baker
Comedy troupe Red tells stories off the top of their heads, then improvises scenes
based on the tales; and also perform sketches from material they improvised the previous week.
It's a clever way of crafting a sketch show organically, week by week—and you can watch the whole process, at no charge. The group consists of Kevin Allison, Elna Baker, Chris Caniglia, Scott Eckert, Sarah Lowe, Sarah Nowak, Pat Shay, Nate Starkey, Shelly Stover, and Kevin Townley.
6:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
great writers including as Colin Jost of SNL, Annabelle Gurwitch of Fired!, and
cartoonist David Rees telling very funny tales of woe at Jon Friedman's The Rejection Show (8:00 pm),
Jon Friedman, Annabelle Gurwitch, and David Rees
Jon Friedman hosts a delightful parade of rejected material
by exceptional writers and performers. Tonight's guests include
Colin Jost (writer for Saturday Night Live),
Annabelle Gurwitch (author of both book and documentary Fired!;
host of TBS TV series Dinner and a Movie),
David Rees, who creates political cartoon series and books
such as Get Your War On (to read some of his cartoons, please click here;
to view a fun interview with Lizz Winstead, please click here), and
Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1; US Magazine's Fashion Police).
There'll also be music from fabulous comedic rockabilly band The Defibulators.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Hayes Hargrove, hosts Jenny Rubin & Matt McCarthy, and Giulia Rozzi
Stand-up comedy hosted by the very funny Jenny Rubin and Matt McCarthy.
Tonight's stand-up guests are
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;
delightful co-host of monthly NYC red-hot live comedy show Stripped Stories;
for a video sample, please click here),
Hayes Hargrove (This Is Spinal Tap, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Larry Sanders Show,
The Muppets, The Office (UK), gobeyondthepale.com),
Mike Burns (contributor to Blerds.com),
Carla Rhodes and her dummy Cecil (The Cutting Room), and
Eliot Glazer (co-author of UCBT's High School Talent Show).
To get a feel for the show overall, please click here.
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Ready to tackle your holiday anxieties are Paul Downs, Alan Fessenden, Elana Fishbein, Marcy Jarreau, Leslie Korein, Louis Kornfeld, and Peter McNerney, who improvise a show based on "an audience member's confession."
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Sketch troupe Olde English...
...and Biz Ellis & Livia Scott, Leo Allen, and host Seth Herzog
Hosted by the razor-sharp & witty Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Please note: This weekly show is usually on Tuesdays. It's been shifted to
Wednesday for this evening only (to accommodate a Slipper Room Christmas party...).
Tonight's all-star guests include
the wonderful Biz Ellis & Livia Scott (half of world-class sketch group Meat,
and now also their own spin-off sketch duo Dirty Jeans and the Thunder Chief),
Leo Allen (writer for /Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents, Ed, Sex and the City),
Olde English (sketch troupe and prodigious generator of funny videos;
ABC's Good Morning America, MSNBC, hosts UCBT variety show Very Fresh;
on Entertainment Weekly's" Must See" list; members are Caleb Bark,
Ben Popik, David Segal, Adam Conover, and Raphael Bob-Waksberg), and
John Viener (staff writer & VO actor for FOX's Family Guy; HBO's Entourage,
NBC's Law & Order, The Gilda Radner Story TV movie [playing Chevy Chase],
and upcoming feature film The Untitled Onion Movie).
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
Hosted by comedy greats Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale (above).
The lineup—which is usually stellar—tends to be posted late afternoon
on the day of the show. To check whether the Web page
has been updated yet, please click here.
9:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Reggie Watts, Chelsea Peretti, and Jessica Delfino...
...and Michael Portnoy (to the right of Bob Dylan), Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler, and John Mulaney
Hosted by Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler, who are phenomenally talented
and inventive comedic performers. The lovely & brilliant Kristen is
co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; and she and Kurt
co-star in such stuff as the Web series Penelope, Princess of Pets
and sketches that are hilariously indescribable.
Tonight's flat-out awesome lineup includes
Reggie Watts (scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, musician, and expert improvisor
who will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com),
Jessica Delfino (brilliant & stunning singer/songwriter/stand-up; to get
a sense of what Jessica can do, please click here),
John Mulaney (razor-sharp stand-up who's a favorite on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
and VH1's Best Week Ever; for video samples, please click here and here),
Chelsea Peretti (exceptionally fresh, smart stand-up comic; member of great
comedy troupe Variety Shac; writer for Village Voice, Details, Playgirl, Jest,
blackpeopleloveus.com, and Rejection Line: 212/479-7990),
Michael Portnoy (famed performance artist/dancer/singer/comic),
Todd & Adam Stone (twins comedy duo whose signature style is double breasted blazers),
Jon Benjamin (maker of hilarious and potentially offensive videos;
for samples, please click here and here and here and here), and
Jesse Novak (musician who specializes in scoring funny videos).
9:30ish pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; tickets are $8
Comedy troupe Penny (Amber Petty, Jessie Schupack and Tricia McAlpin) in White Orphans...
...and Lance Rubin & Ray Munoz in The Lance & Ray Show
Penny: White Orphans and The Lance & Ray Show
Sketch/improv group Penny consists of the adorable & very funny comedy trio
Amber Petty, Trisha McAlpin, and Jessie Schupack. In tonight's show, the gals
promise to "guide you through their wonderful world of art, music, and laughter.
You'll laugh till you cry, cry till you laugh, and be moved enough that you too
will want a white orphan for your very own." Directed by Susannah Beckett.
The double-bill then continues with Lance Rubin & Ray Munoz,
who perform sketch comedy as The Lance & Ray Show.
Tonight's bits reportedly include "a spin-off of The West Wing,
a visit to Seal World, Lance's work with an acting coach on a monologue
for a big audition, an interpretive ballet to the soulful sounds of Nick Lachey,
and a super-huge fight between Lance and Ray! On stage! Seriously!"
Plus DVD commentary.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Pat Shay and Kimmy Gatewood
Some of the PIT's instructors—who include such talents as Ali Farahnakian,
Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Matt Donnelly, Kevin Scott,
Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood—perform improv for around 30 minutes.
Afterwards, house improv troupe The Baldwins takes the stage.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Host Justin Purnell provides a mix of guests who perform stand-up, improv, music,
and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly—
but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun.
Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,
that this free show makes possible.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 12/13/07