NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 3/17/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
sharp comics including Andres du Bouchet (Conan, FOX), Eric Drysdale (writer for The Daily Show and The Colbert Report), Erin Foley (Comedy Central, film Almost Famous), plus questionably Irish musical group The Leprechaunquistadors, at Liam McEneaney's free show Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),
one of the most appealing & hilarious comedic actresses in NYC tackling eight wildly different characters,
plus a memorably silly play about a celebrity feud: Lennon Parham and Jen & Angie (8:00 pm),
political sketch comedy, plus an interview with Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, at Liz Winstead's Shoot the Messenger (8:30 pm),
an entirely improvised musical from magical duo Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner as I Eat Pandas (9:30 pm),
and the improvised annual and rather dangerous St. Patrick's Day Drunken Throwdown (11:00 pm).
For details, please click here.
Human Giant is back with Season 2!
And it's great.
Reviews to come when I can grab the time...but be sure
to watch one of the funniest sketch shows in TV history.
New episodes air Tuesdays at 11:00 pm on MTV.
And if you missed the first one from last week—or, for that matter, any episodes
from Season 1—you can catch these comedy gems online by clicking here.
Shayna Ferm is an enormously talented comedic singer/songwriter.
To learn more about the sexy and hilarious Shayna, please click here.
To hear sample tracks from and/or order Shay's debut CD Blonde, please click for her MySpace page.
One of the funniest men on the planet, Todd Barry is a stand-up master.
For a recent interview with Todd, please click here.
To order his new comedy CD From Heaven, please click here.
Eric Drysdale, Andres du Bouchet, and Erin Foley
This free weekly comedy show is produced by Liam McEneaney (VH1's Best Week Ever,
Comedy Central's Premium Blend, former writer for Standup Nation with Greg Giraldo).
Tonight's hosts are Andres du Bouchet (writer for & performer on FOX's Talkshow with Spike Feresten; Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn, Cheap Seats;
hosts monthly NYC live comedy show Andres du Bouchet Has Been Expecting You;
please click to check out his comedy videos), and Mike Birch (partner with Rick Homan
of comedic singer/songwriter duo Fish & Chips).
And the guests are
Eric Drysdale (writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 2000-2005; writer for
The Colbert Report 2005-2008; winner of five Emmy Awards),
Erin Foley (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Comics Unleashed; movie Almost Famous; Montreal Comedy Festival; for stand-up video, please click here),
Fiona Walsh (bona fide Irish stand-up comic),
and special musical guest The Leprechaunquistadors.
8:00ish pm at Lolita Bar, 226 Broome Street (between Allen and Orchard Streets); free
Nearest subway stops are Delancey Street via the F or Delancey-Essex via the J/M/Z.
Lennon Parham, and Christina Casa & Sara Chase in Jen & Angie
Lennon Parham Goes Solo and Jen & Angie
There are few performers, comedic or otherwise, as appealing as
the sexy, laid-back, wry, and hilarious Lennon Parham.
Whether she's playing Nomi Malone (see my review of her Showgirls parody), author JK Rowling (as the clear highlight of a Harry Potter parody, in which Rowling reveals all the novels are based on actual events in her life), Sandy Michaelson as a Solid Gold Dance understudy, or zillions of characters while delivering world-class improvisation every Saturday night as part of stellar troupe Reuben Williams, watching the wonderful Ms. Parham is always a treat.
Tonight she takes the stage to play eight wildly different characters in a show
directed by the razor-sharp Jason Mantzoukas. Stop by and fall in love with
one of the finest comedic actresses in New York.
The other half of this double-bill is Jen & Angie, a comedic play that imagines
what would happen if Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie were
stranded together on a desert island. It's a cute idea that's gotten the show some press.
Considering how fascinating and complex the real-life celebrities are,
I had problems with the shallowness of the script, which all too often made
easy and obvious choices. That said, it might've since been improved.
And there's definite pleasure to be had in the silliness of Christina Casa's portrayal
of Jolie as a husky-voiced android who speaks in short declarative sentences,
never uses contractions, and always calls her rival by her full name
(e.g., "Have some condor, Jennifer Aniston. It is good for you, Jennifer Aniston.").
The show co-stars Sara Chase as Aniston, and is directed by Susanah Becket.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Stand-up comedy hosted by Billy Reno (SNL's Weekend Update,
Carolines; for video samples, please click here and here).
Tonight's scheduled guests are
Sean Donnelly, Mike Drucker, Adrienne Iapalucci, Mike Lawrence,
Sean Lynch, Joe Pontillo, and Elon James White.
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)
Paul Rieckhoff's book Chasing Ghosts, and STM 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 Paul Rieckhoff, founder and Executive Director of the organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. According to his official bio, Rieckhoff's Army platoon "conducted over 1,000 dismounted and mounted combat patrols, and was centered in the Adamiyah section of central Baghdad." Rieckhoff will be discussing his 2006 book Chasing Ghosts: Failures and Facades in Iraq—A Soldier's Perspective. To view his February 2008 appearance on Bill Maher's HBO show Real Time, please click here.
To get a feel for STM, view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees by clicking here.
8:30 pm at The Green Room, 45 Bleecker Street (off Lafayette); tickets are $12.50
Nearest subway stop is Bleecker Street on the #6 (which brings you virtually to the door of the theatre)
and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.
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 just won this year's ECNY Award for Best Improv Group.
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
A celebration of St. Patrick's Day written by BJ Gallagher, with music by Chris Caniglia, and performed by John Flynn, Jacob Brown, Yang Miller and Kirk Damato. The official description:
"In 1963 Irish folk band The Irish Peddlers was formed...in Canada! Join brothers Paddy, Maddy, Laddy, and the boys for a look at their rollicking career from rainbow's beginning to pot o' gold ending. Watch and listen as The Irish Peddlers themselves enchant you with original music and tales spun in traditional Irish yarn. One lucky audience member will win a Potato Surprise!"
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
The St. Patrick's Day Drunken Throwdown
No words of mine can match the official description: "Some of your favorite UCBT improvisers will drink all day long on St. Patrick's Day and then take to the stage to show off how friggin' awesome they are at improv. Drinking only makes them stronger."
This promises to be rather special.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 3/18/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
brilliantly talented musical comics Shayna Ferm, Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner of I Eat Pandas,
plus Ann Carr, Darlene Rae Heller & Jason B. Schmidt of The Parodivas—and someone
performing stand-up for the very first time—at Carolyn Castiglia's Chicks & Giggles (8:00 pm),
lively & fun discussions about comic books, with guests David Gallaher & Steve Ellis of the Web-based
High Moon (a comic about cowboys vs. werewolves), at the laugh-packed Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),
five women performing an improvised, and possibly tipsy, parody of The View at Focus (8:00 pm),
and three top comics who all happen to be Irish—the superb Tom Shillue, John Mulaney, and Matt McCarthy
—at one of the finest comedy shows in NYC, the fabulous Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm).
Shayna Ferm, Carolyn Castiglia, and Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner of I Eat Pandas
The wonderful Carolyn Castiglia (VH1, MTV2, Sirius Satellite Radio,
The Huffington Post) hosts a lineup of talented female comics.
In a fun twist, tonight's guests—who are extraordinary—will be performing anything
but stand-up...with the sole exception of Jen MacNeil, who's never performed stand-up before!
The spectacular lineup consists of
Shayna Ferm (one of the sharpest and finest comedic singer/songwriters in the biz; recently released her first album, Blonde; member of world-class sketch group Fearsome; for samples of Shay's songs, please click here),
Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas duo, who are 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...which is why they won the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group),
Ann Carr (Comedy Central Motherload's Honesty Wedding, UCBT's High School Talent Show,
The PIT's Keith & Donna's Grateful Dead Listening Hour),
Darlene Rae Heller & Jason B. Schmidt (musical comedy duo The Parodivas "who specialize in butchering songs until they are funny enough to knock you off your bar stool and/or make you drunk-text your friends, 'OMG you've gotta seeb deez diva peeples!' in the middle of the show. They have written and starred in five full-length NYC comedy variety shows, as well as their very own experimental poetry piece Onomatopoeia"), and
Jen MacNeil (for her In the New project, MacNeil does something she's never done before every day for a year; tonight, she'll be performing stand-up for the very first time).
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)
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's guests are writer David Gallaher & artist Steve Ellis, the creators
of Zuda Comics High Moon, a comic book that's published on the Web.
(To read the comic, please simply click here.)
To get a feel for the smart, fun vibe of Comic Book Club, please check out its podcasts—
that is, audio recordings of previous shows in their entirety—by clicking here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
This new weekly comedy show is a parody of The View that's mostly improvised by performers
Brigid Boyle, Emily Bryan, Nicole Cascio, Caroline Ficksman, and Alexis Saarela.
The official description:
"Hey, Darlings! Come sit down with a cup of coffee (or perhaps a martini) and join the panel
of five of New York's most talkative and opinionated women as they discuss the week's events,
and interview alluring guests from the worlds of literature, politics, comedy, and more.
This show will keep you in Focus. Let's talk about issues, over drinks!"
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, five improv troupes—
DeCoster, Twelve Thousand Dollars, fwand, 1985, and Bastian—
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
Tom Shillue, John Mulaney, Matt McCarthy, and Seth Herzog
Hosted by the razor-sharp, dynamic, and hilarious Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
This is one of the finest comedy shows in NYC.
Tonight's superb—and all-Irish!—lineup consists of
John Mulaney (one of the best stand-up comics around; VH1's Best Week Ever,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien; for video stand-up samples, please click here and here),
Tom Shillue (acclaimed comedic storyteller; former The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
correspondent; Comedy Central Presents ½-hour special; Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
storytelling podcasts; host of NYC monthly comedy show Moonwork;
comedy CD Overconfident!; for stand-up samples, please click here and here), and
Matt McCarthy (very funny stand-up, and host of NYC live comedy show Max!).
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 3/19/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
TV writers for such hit shows as Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report,
and Saturday Night Live at Todd Levin's TV Book Club (8:00 pm),
NYC political comics marking the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq in Laughing Liberally (8:30),
open-mic stand-up in Queens' LIC at John F. O'Donnell's The Kingdom of Heaven (8:30),
a wonderful show combining storytelling, alcohol, and improv, with players from 30 Rock,
The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Mad TV, and more: Happy Hour (9:30 pm),
and comedy giant & Upright Citizens Brigade member Matt Besser offering a myriad of
hilarious routines he's developed over the years at Matt Besser's Magical Sack of Dump (11:00).
As Sparks Fly Upward: Stories->Improv->Sketch
This comedy troupe tells stories off the top of their heads, then improvises
scenes based on the tales...which may later turn into scripted sketches.
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,
Chris Caniglia, Scott Eckert, Sarah Nowak, Nate Starkey, and Shelly Stover.
6:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
CBS/NYC Presents: Todd Levin's TV Book Club
Stand-up and other funny business from television's top comedy writers,
hosted by Todd Levin (above, reading pile of books with his fingers).
Tonight's brilliant guests are
Michael Koman (writer & sketch performer since 2001 for Late Night with Conan O'Brien),
Laura Krafft (superb stand-up comic who's also a staff writer for The Colbert Report, former writer
for Comedy Central's Crossballs, acted on such shows as on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm,
and performs live comedy Saturday nights at UCBT's hit improv show Let's Have a Ball),
Andres du Bouchet (writer & performer for FOX's Talkshow with Spike Feresten.;
Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn, Cheap Seats;
hosts monthly NYC live comedy show Andres du Bouchet Has Been Expecting You;
please click to check out his comedy videos), and
Simon Rich (writer for Saturday Night Live; author of the 2007 book
Ant Farm And Other Desperate Situations).
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Big Black Car and Fancy Dragon
This free weekly show features the two PIT improv teams above,
each of which performs for about 30 minutes. For a video sample of Big Black Car,
please click here; and for a video sample of Fancy Dragon, please click here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Laughing Liberally: The Iraq War 5th Anniversary Comedy Hour
Political humor, New York style, tonight focused on the 5th Anniversary
of the war in Iraq. And "while wood is the traditional gift,
we're delivering laughter instead...We laugh liberally to keep from crying."
Scheduled comics are Lee Camp, Negin Farsad, Katie Halper,
Harry Terjanian, Baratunde Thurston, and Roger Weaver.
Hosted by and Elon James White.
8:30 pm at The Tank, 279 Church Street (bet. Franklin & White Streets); tickets are $10
John F. O'Donnell and Sean O'Connor
Free open-mic stand-up comedy show in Queens' Long Island City
(just one stop from Manhattan on the #7 train).
Hosted by John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central's Fresh Faces; for stand-up video, please click here),
a wild man who will make you love him...and who genuinely loves comedy and fellow comics.
If you're looking for stage time, John makes this a very friendly place to perform.
Sign-up for the open mic is at 7:30.
Tonight's guest headliner is Sean O'Connor (VH1; New York Posts Top 20 Entertainers to Watch For in 2006;
upcoming album Shmeat is Shmurder; for hilarious stand-up samples, please click here and here).
8:30 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.
Becky Drysdale, Thomas Middleditch, Miriam Tolan, Tami Sagher...
...and Anthony King, Chris Gethard, and Jason Mantzoukas
This new show is a wonderful blend of storytelling and improv.
A group of stellar comics take an audience suggestion and, while sipping beers, start telling personal tales related to it—with an emphasis on the ribald and ridiculous, just like what you'd want to hear from your friends while hanging out at a bar. Helping enormously with this is Chris Gethard, who's one of the most talented and brilliant storytellers in New York.
The yarn spinning is great fun; but on top of that, when the performers hear a story that especially tickles them, they jump up and instantly create scenes revolving around it. And because these talents are razor-sharp improvisors, the results are hilarious.
The players include
Deb Downing (improv at Second City),
Becky Drysdale (acclaimed one-woman show One Woman in Several Pieces,
Web video series Time Traveling Lesbian),
Chris Gethard (The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of book Weird New York),
Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report; famed for performing numerous Sonic commercials),
Anthony King (UCBT-NY Artistic Director, Reuben Williams, Let's Have a Ball,
Gravid Water, off-Broadway show Gutenberg! The Musical),
Jason Mantzoukas (Mother: The Soundtrack, We Used to Go Out, The Mantzoukas Brothers),
Thomas Middleditch (Second City, 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),
Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006), and
Miriam Tolan (sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien 1993-1994, correspondent on The Daily Show 2000-2001, acted on The Office as "fake Tina Fey").
At one of its first productions, Becky Drysdale asked audience members to "please spread the word if you liked the show; and if you didn't, well, why are you talking about it?"
No worries, Becky. You're a treasure; and this show is a winner.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Kurt Braunohler, Pat Shay, and Kimmy Gatewood
The Faculty and The Baldwins and Sid Viscous
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.
And opening for them will be house improv troupes The Baldwins and Sid Viscous.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Matt Besser's Magical Sack of Dump
Matt Besser, one of the four members of the acclaimed Upright Citizens Brigade—
and co-owner of UCBT—shares selections from several years of his comedy material. These might include Matt's hilarious parody of MySpace Tom; Q&As with the Pope, and with Mark Dunn ("King of the Three-Way"); highlights from Matt's TV show Crossballs; and excerpts from his parody of Last Comic Standing that include Jason Yellow, the blind, deaf, armless comedian.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 3/20/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
Kumail Nanjiani and Rob Cantrell performing stand-up while Matt Ruby types comments projected behind
their backs, plus sketch duo Spellman & Clements: Scrolling Ticker and Ultimate Roommates (6:30 pm),
one of the most charming & entertaining groups in NYC, fresh off a sold-out three-city tour and winning
the ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act, debuting an Irish-themed show: The Apple Sisters (8:00 pm),
UK comics famed for their special mix of stand-up & sketch, joined by stellar guests
Dave Hill, Leo Allen, and singer Andrew Thompson: Bishop and Douch (8:00 pm),
Dave Hill demonstrating he's one of the sharpest, freshest, funniest comics around, with guests Moby
(yes, music superstar Moby) and Ira Glass (host of This American Life) at The Dave Hill Explosion (9:30 pm),
disturbingly odd sketch comedy from inventive troupes Rue Brutalia and Murderfist (9:30 pm),
and two of the most brilliantly hilarious improv troupes in the country, The Stepfathers and
Reuben Williams, competing for audience laughs & votes at Cage Match (11:00 pm).
VCR/TiVo Alert: Comedy Central will be airing three episodes of
The Upright Citizens Brigade series tonight from 2:30 am through 4:00 am;
and also UCB's 2005 comedy special A.S.S.S.S.C.A.T.: Improv
on Friday night from 1:00 am through 2:30 am. Worth checking out.
Rob Cantrell and Kumail Nanjiani
Scrolling Ticker with Matt Ruby and Ultimate Roommates
Two comedy shows for five bucks.
This evening kicks off with Scrolling Ticker, a stand-up comedy party in which
Matt Ruby spontaneously types funny comments that are displayed
on a screen behind the superb performing comics. The latter include
Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS's Late Late Show, VH1), and
Kumail Nanjiani (rising stand-up comedy star; just premiered terrific one-man show
Unpronounceable at UCBT about "a very personal, eye-opening and hilarious recounting
of life growing up in Pakistan;" 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).
The other half of the double-bill is a new sketch show titled Ultimate Roommates,
written and performed by comedy duo Joe Spellman & Sean Clements.
6:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Photo on left: Rebekka Johnson, Kimmy Gatewood, and Sarah Lowe
Photo on right: Sarah Lowe, Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood
The Apple Sisters: Irish You Luck
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 has been one of the great successes of 2007, having done nine original shows, sold-out performances at comedy festivals around the country, and recently winning the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act.
Tonight debuts Irish You Luck, a St. Patrick's Day homage featuring booze and little green men.
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 consistently sells out, so it's recommended you buy an advance ticket