NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 5/5/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
the delightful & razor-sharp Heather Lawless (HBO, Comedy Central, Variety SHAC),
plus Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents, Chappelle's Show, VH1), and
Todd Levin (Comedy Central, The Onion) at Andres du Bouchet Has Been Expecting You (7:30 pm),
brilliant stand-up Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central),
plus Chris Mata (Comedy Central, The Huffington Post), Matt Taylor (MTV),
and more at Liam McEneaney's free show Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),
inventive nationally touring sketch duo Andrew Connor & Mike Mathieu in
a rare NYC performance of their acclaimed The Cody Rivers Show (8:00 pm),
stand-up guests Pembroke & Lu, Lisa Kaplan, Tom Ragu, and Bev Reese joining delightful hosts
Jackie Monahan, Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, and Gloria Bigelow at Dykes on Mics (8:00ish pm),
political sketch comedy, plus an interview with star political analyst and bestselling author
Jeff Greenfield, at Liz Winstead's Shoot the Messenger (8:00 pm),
10 exceptional comics working extra hard for your laughs at a public audition for the upcoming
DC Comedy Festival, with performers including Matt McCarthy, Pete Grosz, Thomas Middleditch,
Joselyn Hughes, Brooke Van Poppelen, and Deb Downing at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (9:00 pm),
and nerdcore rapper MC Chris, plus stellar stand-ups Leo Allen (SNL, Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien),
Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents, Chappelle's Show, VH1), and Bobby Tisdale (Invite Them Up)
at one of the finest comedy shows in NYC—which just happens to be free—Cavalcade! (11:00 pm).
Heather Lawless, Andres du Bouchet, and Christian Finnegan
Andres du Bouchet Has Been Expecting You
Comedy show playing on the first Monday of each month, hosted by
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;
live NYC comedy show Giant Tuesday; comedy videos).
Tonight's lineup includes
Heather Lawless (brilliantly funny and sexy stand-up comic; winner of the 2005 ECNY Award
for Best Female Stand-Up; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,
MTV2's Wonder Showzen, 2007 feature film Be Kind Rewind; "I like to wear a neck brace to the gym because it makes my efforts on the treadmill appear heroic;" member of superb female
comedy group Variety Shac; for brief video about Heather's new book, please click here),
Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show, host of TVLand's Game Time, former staff writer for Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; comedy CD Two For Flinching; for stand-up videos on how to get rid of a boring guy and what your movie choices say about you, please click here and here), and
Todd Levin (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, The Onion, popular blog Tremble,
host of NYC live comedy show Todd Levin's TV Book Club).
7:30 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)
Todd Barry and Liam McEneaney
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),
and tonight is hosted by Mike Birch (partner with Rick Homan
of comedic singer/songwriter duo Fish & Chips).
This evening's superb guests are
Todd Barry (wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz;
Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Lucky Louie, and Sex in the City;
Comedy Central's Freak Show, Dr. Katz, and Shorties Watching Shorties;
Adult Swim's Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Tom Goes To The Mayor;
check out his newest comedy CD From Heaven),
Chris Mata (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, mun2's Loco Comedy Jam,
SITV's Latino Laugh Festival; blogs for 236.com and The Huffington Post),
Matt Taylor (MTV's Parental Control; host of Astoria, Queens show Tuesday Night Comedy),
and musical guests A Brief View of the Hudson
and Los Navegantes de Morelos (a two-man mariachi band).
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.
Andrew Connor and Mike Mathieu
Acclaimed two-man sketch group Andrew Connor & Mike Mathieu,
who call themselves The Cody Rivers Show,
have received glowing reviews and are well worth checking out.
This nationally touring duo perform at UCBT pretty rarely—for 2008, it might be
just tonight and Wednesday night—for if you're at all interested
in catching these inventive and colorful performers, grab the chance this week.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Amy Beckerman, Gloria Bigelow, Jackie Monahan, and Leah Dubie
Free gay-themed stand-up comedy show featuring the gals above
as regulars/hosts, plus tonight's terrific guests:
Pembroke and Lu, Lisa Kaplan, Tom Ragu, and Bev Reese.
8:00 pm at RubyFruit Bar & Grill, 531 Hudson Street (between West 10th & Charles);
no cover, one item (food or drink) minimum
Political analyst and author Jeff Greenfield, 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 political pundit Jeff Greenfield, who will undoubtedly share his views about the continually fascinating Democratic primary race. Greenfield was Political and Media Analyst for ABC News from 1983 to 1997; Senior Analyst at CNN from 1998 to 2007; and is now Senior Political Correspondent for CBS News. Greenfield has written for Time Magazine and The New York Times; and his 11 books include the 1996 bestselling novel The People's Choice.
To get a feel for STM, please view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees by clicking here
and read a March 2008 New York Times article about the show by clicking here.
8:00 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.
Thomas Middleditch, Joselyn Hughes, and Brooke Van Poppelen...
...and Peter Grosz, John Morrison, and Matt McCarthy
Ochi's Motel: DC Comedy Festival Auditions
This show is usually a lottery-style open mic, but tonight will serve as a
dazzling showcase for 10 comics trying out for the DC Comedy Festival.
The extravaganza will be emceed by Ochi's Motel co-host Sean Donnelly.
The superb lineup (in alphabetical order):
Meg Cupernall (co-host of The Lighthouse)
Deb Downing (Second City)
Pete Grosz (Second City, The Colbert Report)
Joselyn Hughes (Second City, UCBT)
Matt McCarthy (2007 Montreal Comedy Festival)
Thomas Middleditch (Second City, Baby Wants Candy)
Greg Mills (Primetime Glick)
Blaine Perry (co-host of Don't Touch Me There)
Brooke Van Poppelen (co-host of Slumber Party)
Joe Powers (co-host of Ochi's Motel)
If you'd enjoy seeing a bunch of exceptional comedians trying their best
to entertain and impress, tonight's show is a great choice.
Ochi's Motel is produced by John Morrison, and normally
hosted & booked by Sean Donnelly and Joe Powers.
To be entered into the random drawing for next week's open mic shows,
please send email to ochismotel[at]gmail.com.
9:00 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)
Bobby Tisdale, Leo Allen, and Christian Finnegan...
...and concerned citizens eyeing nerdcore rapper MC Chris at Disneyland
This razor-sharp stand-up extravaganza is no place for the innocent.
However, it's enormous fun.
Tonight's superb guests are
Bobby Tisdale (comedy great who for five years has hosted the wonderful
NYC weekly live comedy show Invite Them Up; Comedy Central album;
film Junebug; HBO's Hysterical Blindness; show on SuperDeluxe.com),
Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents, Ed, Sex and the City),
MC Chris (a.k.a. Christopher Ward; popular & fun nerdcore hip hop singer; animator, voice artist, writer, and/or producer on such Adult Swim series as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021, The Brak Show, and the upcoming Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge; just released new album mc chris is dead), and
Christian Finnegan Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show, host of TVLand's Game Time, former staff writer for Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; comedy CD Two For Flinching; for stand-up videos on how to get rid of a boring guy and what your movie choices say about you, please click here and here).
Tonight's show—produced by Jeremy Levenbach—is likely to be one of the 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 5/6/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
comics Rob O'Reilly, Liz Miele, Eliza Faria-Santos, and Chris Laker battling on stage for
audience laughs & votes in the stand-up competition Eric I's Comedy Showdown (7:00ish pm)
a rare opportunity to catch four of the most brilliant and hilarious improv troupes in the country—
The Stepfathers, Mother, Reuben Williams, and Death by Roo Roo—performing
back to back in two shows at Harold Night (8:00 pm & 9:30 pm),
Matt Evans & Frank Campanella performing a new sketch show, plus the acclaimed Adrianne Frost
creating a unique show based on improvised character monologues, at Suit Yourself and Be (8:00 pm)
lively & fun discussions about comic books at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),
superb storytellers, including Adam Wade (Moth GrandSlam Champion), at SpeakEasy (8:30 pm),
comedy giants Eugene Mirman (HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim) and Michael Showalter
(MTV, films The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer); witty political cartoonist David Rees
(Get Your War On); plus a rare screening of a 25-minute documentary about wonderful host
Seth Herzog that's likely to be a treat, at one of the finest comedy shows in NYC: Sweet (9:00 pm),
the unique & hilarious Dave Hill, plus stand-ups including Greg Barris (MTV2's All That Rocks)
and DJ Hazard (Fuel TV's American Misfits) at Carol Hartsell's and Sean Crespo's Drink at Work (9:00 pm),
a comedic play about an unusual folk band: The Song of the Irish Peddler (9:30 pm),
an innovative new improv form, plus a one-woman show, in Tracers and Big, Bad, and Pink (9:30 pm),
and a free East Village show celebrating its one-year anniversary with superb comics
Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas, 2008 ECNY Award winners), Joe Mande (also a
2008 ECNY Award winner), Eric Andre (Comedy Central), and more at Matt Ruby's Flying Carpet (10:00 pm).
Liz Miele and Rob O'Reilly
This new biweekly extravaganza is a comedy competition hosted by Eric I.
Four established NYC comics, plus two up-and-coming comics selected at the show's start
from the audience, each get 8 minutes on stage to be funny. The audience then votes
on who it believes was most hilarious. The winner receives an additional 5 minutes
of stage time to make comedic fun of the losers; and also moves on to a semi-final round in June to determine a season champion (with a prize of $500, and bragging rights).
Tonight's four battling veteran comics are
Rob O'Reilly (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; Live At Gotham; took second place out of 64 comics in this year's March Comedy Madness stand-up competition at Carolines;
for stand-up video about why you shouldn't trust Trojans, please click here);
Liz Miele (Comedy Central; took third place at the March Comedy Madness competition;
for 12-minute set at Carolines, please click here),
Eliza Faria-Santos (Comedy Central; for sketch about stalking celebrities, please click here),
and Chris Laker.
Expect sparks to fly.
7:00ish 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)
UCBT's Very Best, Together For Harold Night
Wow. Mother, The Stepfathers, Reuben Williams, and Death by Roo Roo are UCBT's finest improv groups—which means they're among the very best improvisors in the country.
And they'll all be performing the long form of improv known as Harold this evening, with Mother and The Stepfathers going from 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm, and Reuben Williams and Death by Roo Roo from 9:30 pm to 11:00 pm.
This is a wonderful opportunity to catch four of the finest troupes in NYC in a row.
If you have any interest in improv, don't miss it.
(If I didn't have my screenwriters workshop tonight, I'd be there myself...)
8:00 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue);
tickets are $5 per show (i.e., $10 total)
A two-man sketch show and one-woman improv show for just five bucks.
First, skilled comics Matt Evans and Frank Campanella perform what they describe as "A sketch show we wrote for you. Save the date and stop by to watch! Oh... you have to work late that night? You have a blind date? You have a cold? Fine. Suit yourself..."
The double-bill then continues with a one-woman improvised show by veteran comic Adrianne Frost, who'll use suggestions from the audience to craft complex and unique character monologues on the spot. Frost has previously performed similar show to great acclaim at the Toronto Improv Festival. Her many credits include The Daily Show, VH1s Best Week Ever, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and the book I Hate Other Peoples Kids.
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Matt Loux's Salt Water Taffy, and the Timony Brothers
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's guests are Matt Loux (Salt Water Taffy, Sidescrollers)
and The Timony Brothers (Night Owls).
To get a feel for the smart, playful vibe of Comic Book Club, please check out its podcasts—
that is, audio recordings of previous shows in their entirety—by clicking here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
SpeakEasy: Stories from the Back Room
There is little as satisfying as a well-told funny story...
that is, unless you can have an entire evening packed with them.
Sherry Weaver hosts this lovely show, which she says she created because
"she couldn't convince people to climb into bed with her at night and tell her stories."
Tonight's yarn-spinners are Kimmi Auerbach, James Braly, Lisa Haas, Andy Christie,
Jim O'Grady, and extra-special guest Adam Wade (Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion;
credits include a fiction story in The New York Times Magazine and writing a column
for ReallySmallTalk.com). For all performer bios, please click here.
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
Eugene Mirman and David Rees...
...and best buds Seth Herzog and Michael Showalter
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 thoroughly wonderful guests are
Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special,
Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1,
The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman and En Garde, Society! comedy albums;
co-host with Michael of the award-winning weekly NYC live comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya),
Michael Showalter (Michael Showalter (MTV's seminal sketch show The State, legendary comedy troupe Stella,
writer/director/star of feature film The Baxter, co-writer/co-star of feature film Wet Hot American Summer;
co-host with Eugene of the award-winning weekly NYC live comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya), and
David Rees (political cartoonist who creates such popular series as
Get Your War On, which is a Web site that's garnered 8 million hits, has been turned into
a book, and is now also a play that'll be running at this year's Edinburgh Festival;
for an interview clip, please click here).
In addition, Seth will be screening a 25-minute documentary made about him
that's likely to be highly entertaining and worth the price of admission all by itself.
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
Carol Hartsell, Dave Hill, and Sean Crespo
Weekly show produced by Carol Hartsell and hosted by Sean Crespo
(stand-up comic and prolific filmmaker; for samples, please click here & here & here).
Tonight's scheduled guests include
Dave Hill (one of the sharpest and freshest comics in NYC, 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),
DJ Hazard (cast member of Fuel TV's American Misfits), and
Greg Barris (MTV2's All That Rocks, Carolines).
9:00 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)
A sketch show written by BJ Gallagher, with music by Chris Caniglia, and performed by John Flynn, Jacob Brown, Kirk Damato, and Chris Manley. 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
Factory Factory: Tracers and Ali Bernstein: Big, Bad, and Pink
An innovative sketch troupe and one-woman sketch show for five bucks.
First, Chicago troupe Factory Factory demonstrates a fascinating new improv form called Tracers. The official description: "Two young lovers sneak into the boys locker room for a forbidden kiss. Morris, a retiring janitor, inadvisably tries out for the school play in the theater. The sound of a lot of broken glass rings out from the parking lot. The roar of a yeti is heard coming from the direction of the gym...Tracers allows the audience to see all of those locations over the same time period, and how they affect one another. When you fire a bullet into the next room, where does it go? With Tracers, the mystery is revealed." Factory Factory consists of Jon Bander, Karsten Cross, Luke Franklin, Megan Gray, Leslie Korein, Garrett Palm, and Morgan Phillips.
The double-bill then continues with a one-woman sketch show
written and performed by Ali Bernstein (and directed by Joe Schiappa).
9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Matt Ruby's free monthly comedy show celebrates its
one-year anniversary tonight with these wonderful guests:
I Eat Pandas (Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner, who 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; winners of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group),
Joe Mande (2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic;
co-host of weekly NYC live comedy show Totally J/K),
Eric Andre (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; 2007 HBO Aspen Comedy Festival;
Geico caveman; for a video sample, please click here),
Myq Kaplan (for superb stand-up video about religion, gay marriage, and dumplings,
please click here),
Ken Zimlinghaus (can be heard regularly on Sirius Satellite Radio's Wake Up With Cosmo;
hosts weekly NYC live comedy show Fat Tuesday),
Ryan Conner (for hilarious stand-up video about public bathroom issues, please click here), and
Micah Sherman (for a reel that includes him playing a cheese & steak sandwich, please click here).
10:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 5/7/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
the magical Livia Scott delivering a series of brilliant performances in her
ECNY-nominated one-woman show about OJ Simpson fans: Goodnight, O.J. (7:00 pm),
inventive nationally touring sketch duo Andrew Connor & Mike Mathieu in
a rare NYC performance of their acclaimed The Cody Rivers Show (8:00 pm),
a small army of brilliant comics—Eugene Mirman, Jon Daly, Julie & Jackie, Anthony Atamanuik,
John Gemberling, Neil Casey, Craig Baldo, Patrick Borelli, Matt Hall, and more—joining comedic
chameleon Brett Gelman (Cracked Out, NY Lotto's "Little Bit of Luck") at Gelmania (8:30 pm),
open-mic stand-up in Queens' LIC, with wonderful comic & Sweet host Seth Herzog
as guest headliner, at John F. O'Donnell's The Kingdom of Heaven (8:30 pm),
an entirely improvised musical from genius duo Glennis McMurray & Eliza Skinner, and
a soap opera improv troupe, in the double-bill I Eat Pandas and Hot Lather (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
For details, please click here.
TV Alert: South Park is one of the funniest shows in TV history, and this season
has been especially superb—which, considering the series is in its 11th year,
is little short of astonishing. On tonight's repeat, Cartman contracts a terrible disease...and then
does something shockingly wrong, even for him. If you aren't already tuning in, for goodness sakes,
set your TiVo for Comedy Central at 10:00 pm and discover the latest catch-phrase
South Park has contributed to our culture: "I'm not only sure, I'm HIV-positive..."
Brilliant comedic chameleon Livia Scott (Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
world-class sketch group Meat, Livia's Castle of Enchantment), wrote and performs
this superb ECNY Award-nominated one-woman show, described as follows:
"In 1994, while he was in prison and on trial for murder, O.J. Simpson received
over 300,000 letters. To help pay for his defense and gain public support,
he had them published in a book called I Want to Tell You by O.J. Simpson: My Response
to Your Letters, Your Messages, Your Questions. Alternately humorous, disturbing,
and poignant, Goodnight, O.J. explores the minds of the people who wrote him."
(P.S. The book became a blockbuster bestseller.)
The idea is clever; but Livia's thoughtful choices and
hilarious performances make this truly special...and recommended.
For a video sample, please click here.
Directed by Baron Vaughn (MTV's The Gamekillers,
VH1's Best Week Ever, Shoot the Messenger).
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Margot & Giulia are two fun-lovin' gals...who are world-class storytellers
Stripped Stories: Sexual Surprises
Sexual storytelling with a comedic slant.
Tonight's theme is sexual surprises: literally, "What the f*ck!?"
Offering frank confessions will be comedy guests Chris Gethard (one of the finest and funniest storytellers in the country), Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend), and music from Reggie Watts (genius improv beatboxer who'll amaze you); plus the two sensual hosts, Giulia Rozzi (VH1's Best Night Ever podcasts) and Margot Leitman (Late Night With Conan O'Brien). In addition, there'll be "audience interviews, sex games, and hookups...hopefully."
This is a wonderful show, and highly recommended.
8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
$15 online with code EBLAST, plus two-item food or drink minimum