NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/17/07
Look for holiday comedy blow-outs over the next two weeks.
A prime example was last night's Tearing the Veil of Maya
at Brooklyn's Union Hall, hosted by national treasure Eugene Mirman.
The announced guests were genius comics Aziz Ansari, Jon Glaser,
and Mike Birbiglia, which is a damn impressive lineup.
But surprise added guests were David Cross and Daniel Kitson,
both of whom performed deliciously long and semi-improvised sets...
and were hysterically funny.
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a holiday blow-out & farewell show, with stars Cracked Out and John Mulaney, at Gabe & Jenny (8:00ish pm),
ghosts of rock legends hosting a comedic musical extravaganza, with the wonderful
Dave Hill and Reggie Watts, at Keith & Donna's Grateful Dead Listening Hour (8:00 pm),
and stand-up comedy treasures Anthony Jeselnik, A.D. Miles, and Larry Murphy at what's bound to be
one of the funniest shows in NYC—and just happens to be free—starring and hosted by Human Giant (11:00 pm).
John Mulaney, Gabe & Jenny, and Cracked Out
Hosted by the adorable and foul-mouthed Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate.
Expect the unexpected; and to be entertained by this sly, funny pair.
For a hilarious video starring the very sexy Jenny, please click here.
After a two-year run, tonight is the last evening Gabe & Jenny will be
doing their show at Rififi. In 2008, they'll be moving to Thursdays in Brooklyn.
Come catch this combination holiday blow-out & farewell party.
Tonight's wonderful and razor-sharp guests include
John Mulaney (VH1's Best Week Ever, Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
for stand-up samples, please click here and here),
Cracked Out (artfully shocking chameleons Jon Daly & Brett Gelman
parodying a hip-hop group; for samples of the duo's mind-blowing videos,
please click here and here, and check out their album Fleetwood Cracked), and
Eric Slovin (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Comedy Central Presents,
Premium Blend, Spin City; half of comedy duo Slovin & Allen with partner Leo Allen).
8:00sh pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Keith & Donna's Grateful Dead Listening Hour
Join your hosts Keith and Donna (Matt McCarthy & Ann Carr)
"as they take you on a fun-filled journey of merry-making and music-making.
Keith may be dead, but that hasn't stopped them from reminiscing about
their days with Jerry and serenading you with the occasional impromptu tune
that never made it to record." Tonight's guests are
Dave Hill (member of band Valley Lodge; written for The New York Times, Salon,
HBO, and the eerie Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written and performed for VH1, Spike TV,
The Learning Channel, and the fabulous Smoking Gun TV series; hosts monthly
UCBT extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—to learn more, please click here), and
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).
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Five fine NYC comics—Katina Corrao, Anthony DeVito, Joe DeVito, Giulia Rozzi, Law Tarello—
"who all just happen to have roots in the country shaped like a boot. Featuring stand-up,
sketches, stories, videos, special guests, and whatever else they want to do.
If theres an altern-italian comedy scene, this show is its Vatican City.
Not Italian? No problem. After all, nobody's perfect."
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)
Rachel Maddow, 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 Rachel Maddow, host of The Rachel Maddow Show on Air America Radio.
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.
Singles Night: Solo Performances
Two one-man shows for five bucks.
Tonight's performers are
George Clark: Storked—A Journey into Fatherhood, and
Steve Kornstein: In Search of Little Red Rosenberg.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer, and Aziz Ansari (a.k.a. Human Giant)...
...and A.D. Miles, Anthony Jeselnik (being lauded by Robin Williams), and Larry Murphy
Tonight's show is likely to be a holiday blow-out extravaganza.
Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer, the wonderful stars
of MTV comedy hit Human Giant, will be showing off clips-in-progress
for their upcoming second season (slated to air in March 2008).
There's no one better at working an audience than these guys;
and their first season was, in my opinion, one of the funniest shows in TV history.
(For details, please click here.)
In case that's not enough, helping the gang throw a great party will be
Anthony Jeselnik (phenomenal comic specializing in darkly shocking jokes,
and already one of my favorite stand-ups ever;
Comedy Central's Premium Blend, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live,
NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, MTV's Walk of Shame;
for a video stand-up sample, please click here),
Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor who performs all the
key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other TV series include
Home Movies, O'Grady, Cheapseats, Computer Lab, Puppets N Such;
co-host of superb NYC comedy show Power Hour every Friday night at Rififi;
for an animated VO reel, please click here), and
A.D. Miles (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dog Bites Man, Human Giant,
Reno 911, TV Funhouse, legendary comedy troupe Stella).
Suffice to say, this is likely to be one of the flat-out funniest shows in NYC.
And it's free.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/18/07
Look for holiday comedy blow-outs over the next two weeks.
A prime example was Sunday night's Tearing the Veil of Maya
at Brooklyn's Union Hall, hosted by national treasure Eugene Mirman.
The announced guests were genius comics Aziz Ansari, Jon Glaser,
and Mike Birbiglia, which is a damn impressive lineup.
But surprise added guests were David Cross and Daniel Kitson,
both of whom performed deliciously long and semi-improvised sets...
and were hysterically funny.
And another example is tomorrow night's South Toward Home fundraiser to
help repair the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. The awesome scheduled lineup
includes comedy stars David Cross, Janeane Garofalo, John Oliver, and Dave Hill.
To learn more—and save $10 per ticket if you buy today
rather than the day of the show—please click here.
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC comedy include
the wonderful Sara Schaefer premiering a free comedy event at Brooklyn's Union Hall: One Sara Show (8:00ish pm),
Charles Star hosting a free stand-up show at Brooklyn's Magnetic Field, with guests including Tom McCaffrey,
Rob Cantrell, Michelle Buteau, and 2007 Aspen Comedy Fest winner Shane Mauss at Pant-Hoot (8:00ish pm),
and superb comics Pete Holmes, Reggie Watts, AD Miles, and Chris Hardwick at Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm).
Jenny Rubin, Katina Corrao, and Kimmy Gatewood
Carolyn Castiglia hosts a lineup of talented female stand-up comics.
Tonight's scheduled guests are
Kimmy Gatewood (rushing over from her conflicting gig at Comic Book Club;
highly talented writer, director, and comedic performer, and
one-third of stellar musical comedy group The Apple Sisters),
Katina Corrao (HBO's Daddy, Comedy Central; for video samples, please click here and here),
Jenny Rubin (co-host of weekly NYC live comedy show Max!),
Anne Altman (Mortified), Emily Epstein (Laugh Lounge),
and Carla Rhodes (ventriloquist; The Cutting Room).
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)
Bill Hader of Saturday Night Live; and Kimmy Gatewood having fun out of her element
Comic Book Club: One Year Anniversary Show! (And Sorta Sold Out...)
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's extra-special show celebrates Comic Book Club's
one-year anniversary—and is a holiday blow-out.
The scheduled comedy guest is Bill Hader, one of the stars of Saturday Night Live;
the comedic musical guest is the wonderful Kimmy Gatewood
(Apple Sisters Variety Show, and singer/songwriter of the Comic Book Club theme);
and the industry guests are Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers),
Ed Brubaker (Captain America, X-Men), and Matt Fraction (Iron Fist, Casanova).
Please note this show is sold out.
However, there may be a few tickets available
if you arrive early and put yourself on a waiting list.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Longest Harold Night of the Year
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, the emphasis is on long, as no less than eight improv troupes
perform over the course of four hours!
The schedule is:
8:00 pm: Twelve Thousand Dollars
8:30 pm: Raynard
9:00 pm: DeCoster
9:30 pm: T.R.U.C.K.S.
10:00 pm: Bastian
10:30 pm: Tantrum
11:00 pm: 1985
11:30 pm: fwand
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 very full
evening's worth of education & entertainment, and periodic hearty laughs.
8:00 pm - Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Sara Schaefer's One Sara Show: Premiere!
The wonderful Sara Schaefer (VH1's Best Week Ever, E! Network's Rise of the Geeks;
UCBT's Video Gaga) tonight kicks off a brand new comedy show in Brooklyn.
For a video teaser, please click here.
Directed by Jon Friedman (The Rejection Show), with music from The Lisps.
I don't know much about this, but have yet to see anything from
Ms. Schaefer that wasn't special. And tonight's extravaganza is free.
8:00 pm at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn; free
Take the R train to Union Street and walk 1 block east; or take
the F train to 4th Avenue, walk north on 4th Avenue and turn right on Union Street, and go 1 block up;
or take the 2/3/4/5/Q train to Atlantic Avenue, walk south on 5th Avenue, and make a left on Union Street.
Michelle Buteau and Raquel D'Apice...
...and Tom McCaffrey, Rob Cantrell, and Charles Star
Pant-Hoot: Terrific Free Comedy in Brooklyn
This free monthly comedy show in Brooklyn is hosted by
Charles Star (Onion News Network, Stay Free! Daily blog).
Tonight's fine lineup includes
Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Shorties Watchin' Shorties),
Shane Mauss (Late Night with Conan O'Brien [2 appearances]; won Best Stand-Up Comic award
at 2007 HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen; for stand-up videos, please click here and here);
Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1),
Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend;
for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, 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), and
Andrew Wright (Still Born in the USA).
8:00 pm at Brooklyn Height's Magnetic Field, 97 Atlantic Avenue (between Hicks & Henry); free
Llama Toe with Bobby and Friends
Hosted by comedy great Bobby Tisdale.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're usually stellar;
and this is the last edition of the show that'll be free.
(In 2008, it'll become a paid show running on the last Thursday of every month.)
8:15ish pm at Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow Street (between Rivington & Stanton); tickets are $5
A.D. Miles and Reggie Watts...
...and Seth Herzog and Pete Holmes
Hosted by the sharp & witty Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Tonight's stellar guests include
Pete Holmes (brilliant, lightning-fast stand-up; 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 stand-up show Gutbucket),
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),
AD Miles (Human Giant, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dog Bites Man,
Reno 911, TV Funhouse, legendary comedy troupe Stella), and
Chris Hardwick (host of MTV's Singled Out and the cult reality show Shipmates;
musical comedy show & blog Hard 'N Phirm).
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
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
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 12/19/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC 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),
a holiday fundraiser to help repair the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, with comedy superstars
David Cross, Janeane Garofalo, John Oliver, and Dave Hill at the South Toward Home Benefit (7:30 pm),
a showcase for both established comedy stars and promising talent, tonight including superb stand-ups
Tom Shillue, Chelsea Peretti, and Rob Cantrell, and the hilarious God's Pottery, at CBS/NYC Presents (8:00 pm),
Eugene Mirman's & Bobby Tisdale's usually superb stand-up showcase Invite Them Up (9:00 pm),
the great Horatio Sanz (SNL) pretending to host a talk show in The Mervin Douglas Show (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
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
Janeane Garofalo and David Cross...
...and Dave Hill and John Oliver
South Toward Home Comedy Benefit Blow-Out
The nonprofit organization South Toward Home, which is a charity designed to repair and rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, hosts this show featuring some of the finest comedy talent in the county. The awesome lineup includes:
David Cross
Janeane Garofalo
John Oliver
Dave Hill
In a word: Wow.
Tickets are $45 (plus an $8.90 service charge if you buy online).
Doors open at 6:30 pm, show begins at 7:30 pm.
Blender Theater at Gramercy, 127 East 23rd Street (between Lexington and Park Avenue South)
Tom Shillue, Chelsea Peretti, Rob Cantrell, and God's Pottery
Tonight's showcase for both established stars and upcoming talent includes
Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with
Jon Stewart, storytelling podcasts; for stand-up 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),
Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1),
God's Pottery (Wilson Hall & Krister Johnson's delightful parody of a Christian folk singing duo),
Jordan Carlos (Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, Live at Gotham, and Stella; VH1, E!, Spike TV;
for stand-up video about telling President Clinton a brainteaser, please click here), and
Julian McCullough (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; Montreal Comedy Festival's New Faces).
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Jon Friedman, Jenny Rubin & Matt McCarthy, and Sara Benincasa
Stand-up comedy hosted by the very funny Jenny Rubin and Matt McCarthy.
Tonight's stand-up guests are
Jon Friedman (host of the superb NYC monthly live comedy extravaganza The Rejection Show
and author of the upcoming book Rejected: Tales of the Failed, Dumped, and Canceled),
Sara Benincasa (host of the NYC weekly live comedy show Family Hour with Auntie Sara;
for hilarious video sample, please click here),
Jamie Lee (VH1's Best Night Ever), and Matt Little (loves unicorns).
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)
Note: This show ended up canceled as a result of a private event held at Comix.
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
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
Horatio Sanz
The brilliantly funny Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live, founding member
of the Upright Citizens Brigade) hosts a pseudo talk show.
Hilarity is sure to ensue.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Kurt Braunohler, 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 Sid Viscous 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 12/20/07
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC comedy include
stellar comics & actors—special guest Jason Sudeikis of Saturday Night Live,
plus brilliant improvisors Michael Delaney, Becky Drysdale, Peter Gwinn, Anthony King,
and many more—crashing improv into classic theatre scenes at Gravid Water (8:00 pm),
a variety show featuring sparkling sketch performers The Apple Sisters, The Harvard Sailing Team,
and Kurt Braunohler at The 34th Annual J Hobart B All-Star Christmas Spectacular (8:00 pm),
superb storytellers, including Margot Leitman (co-host of the red-hot NYC show Stripped Stories)
and Martin Dockery (five-time Moth GrandSLAM finalist) in Brooklyn at SpeakEasy (8:30 pm),
the great Horatio Sanz (SNL) pretending to host a talk show in The Mervin Douglas Show (9:30 pm),
and the return of Derrick, this year's champion competitive improv troupe, at Cage Match (11:00 pm).
Comedic actress & improvisor Aubrey Plaza presents a sketch show.
To get a feel for this young performer, check her out playing Liz Cackowski's daughter
on the hilarious YouTube series The Jeannie Tate Show (in an episode co-starring
SNL's Bill Hader) by clicking here; and to see her as a sex-crazed teen in
a parody of MTV's insipid dating show Next!, please click here.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Anthony King, Michael Delaney, and Jason Sudeikis