August 11, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
A stellar cast, including Kristen Schaal and Chris Gethard, tonight read Joe Mande's screenplay adaptation of Glenn Beck's novel The Overton Window
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—with two installments running back to back every Wednesday at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel
[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): “Seven family members, friends, coworkers and a neighbor of seven weeks accidentally ruin their final goodbyes,” performed by such stellar talents as Lennon Parham and Leslie Meisel; and “seemingly unrelated or meaningless episodes of multiple personalities, bizarre delusion, and general perversion, suggesting a deranged mind,” co-written and performed by Paul W. Downs, in the double-bill Oh My God, I Heard You’re Dying! and The Paul Downs Syndrome
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: TV & film star T.J. Miller (David Letterman, Opie & Anthony; co-star of ABC sitcom Carpoolers; co-star of numerous movies including Cloverfield and Get Him to the Greek), superb storyteller Cyndi Freeman, and NYC stand-ups Ray Devito, Myka Fox, Bruce Cherry, Garry Hannon, and Dave Ritz performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Jenny Slate (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Ali Wong (comedy dynamo; MTV), Mike Lawrence, and Jake Young performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup) hosted by Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($5): “Glenn Beck’s new bestselling political thriller, The Overton Window, was so inspiring to comedian Joe Mande that he sat down and rewrote the story for the big screen. Come watch as Mande and a few of his friends read the script on stage for the first time in hopes of getting a movie deal”—with such stellar talents as Kristen Schaal, Chris Gethard, John Gemberling, John Mulaney, Hannibal Buress, and Will Hines: A Reading of Joe Mande’s Screenplay Adaptation of Glenn Beck’s Novel
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, 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; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don’t forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | 
Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Chris Gethard, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Glenn Beck, Improv, Improvisation, Joe Mande, Kristen Schaal, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Overton Window, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | 
Permalink
Posted by hybender
August 10, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Adira Amram (above) performs tonight with Ted Alexandro, Christian Finnegan, and more at Punch Up Your Life
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Andrea Rosen (Comedy Central, Variety SHAC, The Nights of Our LIves), Julian McCullough (Comedy Central Presents), Sean O’Connor, Jamie Lee, and James Harris performing at Brooklyn’s Bell House Front Lounge guest-hosted by the gorgeous Brooke Van Poppelen: Get Off Your Knees
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club
8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Monstro, Badman, DeCoster, Bastian, and Robber Baron; and at 11:00 pm advanced UCBT students improving scenes taking place simultaneously—all at Harold Night
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Rob Cantrell, Becky Yamamoto, Ben Kissel, Dan Hirshon, Todd Montesi, and Jc Coccoli performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($3): Adira Amram (fresh, sexy, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; CD Hot Jams for Teens), Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials), Christian Finnegan (three Comedy Central specials, commentator on MNBC’s Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1’s Best Week Ever; Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), and Mike Drucker (writer for SNL) performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for an almost-free weekly show hosted by Joe DeRosa (new comedy CD The Depression Auction) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Punch Up Your Life
9:30 pm ($5): Stellar storyteller Leslie Goshko, plus Darcy Burke, Amy Dixon, Joel Jones, and Jay Dixit, spin yarns at Campfire Stories
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open-mic stand-up show that’s seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Adira Amram, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Hot Jams for Teens, Housingworks, Improv, Improvisation, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Punch Up Your Life, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
August 9, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Kurt Braunohler & Kristen Schaal tonight resurrect their legendary weekly comedy show: Hot Tub Variety
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) hosts this free open-mic show for storytellers, in which you can put your name in a hat for the chance to tell a five-minute true story…and if it’s a good one, possibly be included in Kevin’s popular podcasts on the Web: Risk! Storyslam
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A monthly storytelling show from the wonderful Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 15-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of Real Tales of College; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here), with guest storyteller Brad Lawrence and improv illustrator Sharon Spell at Under St. Marks: The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($17.50 online with discount code NIFF): My #1 pick for the2007 FringeNYC Festival, this wonderful group of actresses/improvisors portray characters as if they were in a play, but improvise everything they say and do. The luminous performers include Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg, and Lauren Seikaly, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they’ve all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title’s Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest and nuanced improvised shows you’ll ever see. Check out some videos of previous episodes here; and then nab tickets for tonight’s 10th installment at the Soho Playhouse of what’s been extended to a 12-week Monday night run: Naked in a Fishbowl
[FREE] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Julia Segal, Louis Katz, Gregg Zehentner, Scott Moran, and Laura Prangley performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson (Last Comic Standing): Case of the Mondays Comedy
7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street)—at John Morrison’s Motel Luca
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-author of new bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex) and master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central Presents; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets) tonight bring back their legendary weekly sketch & stand-up comedy show, with guests Eugene Mirman, Andea Rosen, Mike Lawrence, and John Roberts performing at Brooklyn’sLittlefield (622 Degraw Street): Hot Tub Variety
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Hannibal Buress (Variety’s 2010 Top 10 Comics to Watch; staff writer forSaturday Night Live; Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson, George Lopez; 2010 ECNY Award for Best Male Stand-Up; new comedy CD My Name is Hannibal), Morgan Murphy (brilliant stand-up; The Comedians of Comedy; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, former staff writer for Jimmy Kimmel and Crank Yankers), Joe Derosa (Comedy Central Presents special), Mike Birch, Asie Mohtarez—plus musical guest Scott Gibson—performing in the Lolita Bar for producer Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: John Mulaney (writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Ali Waller (writer for Jimmy Fallon), Julian McCullough (Comedy Central), and Kevin Bartini (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at a free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Adam Lowitt (producer of The Daily Show) and Matt Goldich (Comedy Central, VH1): It Is It
8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT’s fine house sketch comedy troupes, Stone Cold Fox and Gorilla Gorilla, trying out new bits at Maude Night
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—Thomas Middleditch, Eliza Skinner, Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Jeff Hiller, Mike Still, and Kevin Hines—making up a musical on the spot at Diamond Lion
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the country—tonight including TV & film star T.J. Miller (David Letterman, Opie & Anthony; co-star of ABC sitcom Carpoolers; co-star of numerous movies including Cloverfield and Get Him to the Greek), Jesse Popp (Comedy Central, co-host of Beauty Bar Comedy), and Mike Drucker (before leaving NYC)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Hot Tub Variety, Improv, Improvisation, Kristen Schaal, Kurt & Kristen, Kurt Braunohler, Littlefield, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
August 8, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
- Hannibal Buress celebrates the release of his stand-up CD “My Name is Hannibal” along with comedy giants John Oliver and Reggie Watts at his Brooklyn show Comedy Night
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT’s signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000
[$] 8:00 pm ($21.25 & 2-drink min.): An Australian comic who’s acted on HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and performed stand-up on Comedy Central headlining for one night only at Carolines:James Smith
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Jesse Popp (Comedy Central, co-host of Beauty Bar Comedy), Nick Vatterott, Katie Crown, Sam Morril, and Annie Lederman performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at theThree of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: The release party for Hannibal Buress’ first comedy CD My Name is Hannibal, featuring John Oliver (star correspondent of The Daily Show and genius stand-up comic), Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; cast member of the new Electric Company;Jimmy Fallon; for video samples, please click here), Kurt Metzger, Hari Kondabolu, Rory Scovel, and George Gordon performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan) hosted by Hannibal: Comedy Night
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Fourth Year Anniversary blowout show, with Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Funny or Die, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films, The Other Guys, comedy CD Come Clean), Sean Donnelly (Don’t Touch Me There, Lil’ Seany Boy), and JC Coccoli performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar at Vince Averill’s & Jesse Popp’s free weekly extravaganza Beauty Bar Comedy
[TOP PICK] [FREE—plus A FREE BEER!] 10:00 pm: Powerhouse stand-ups bidding bon voyage to Mike Drucker, including John Mulaney (writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Mark Normand, and Zach Sims—with Mike buying everyone a free beer, and giving away his stuff so he can travel light!—at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City: Mike Drucker’s Going Away Party
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Ali Wong (comedy dynamo; MTV), Adam Sank (Last Comic Standing, TruTV), and Nancy Witter (Nick at Nite’s Funniest Mom in America) celebrating the Sixth Year Anniversary of this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy originally hosted by Adam Sank and—for the past two years, and running—hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining at Carolines: Paul Mooney
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Brooklyn, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comedy Night, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Hannibal Buress, Improv, Improvisation, Knitting Factory, My Name is Hannibal, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
August 7, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Amy Schumer is among the Last Comic Standing performers appearing tonight at Comix for Still Standing Up
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15 including one drink; reservations via calling Cornelia Street Cafe at 212.989.9319 highly recommended): Four world-class writer/performers tell personal stories. Three of them are true…but one is a pack of lies. Then the audience asks questions to try to figure out who’s fibbing. Tonight’s yarn-spinners are Jim O’Grady (The New York Times, The Huffington Post), Dan Allen (razor-sharp stand-up; Comedy Central), Michele Carlo (author of new book Fish Out of Agua), and Peter Aguero (Moth Grandslam Champion—and tonight’s guest host) at The Liar Show
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisor Christina Gausas and friends she originally made in Chicago—which include writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($19.33 online if you use code VIPAUG, plus 2-item minimum): Past and current contestants of NBC’s Last Comic Standing—including Amy Schumer, Rachel Feinstein, and Calise Hawkins—perform at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Still Standing Up: A Last Comic Standing Showcase
7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Gorgeous Brooke Van Poppelen (TLC’s American Chopper, Maxim and Cosmo Radio, So-Low Show; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here andhere), Ben Kissel, Scott Moran, John F. O’Donnell, and Harrison Greenbaum performing in Ochi’s Lounge at Lil’ Seany Boy
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): The host of the Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref who’s appeared numerous times on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and Jay Leno, and has performed two Comedy Central specials (with a third in the works) headlining at Carolines: Tom Papa
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm Tuesday-Saturday ($39.50 online or at the box office using discount code PPBBOX): This is a show for which I have enormous affection; although my joy came from watching not only what occurred on stage, but the faces of the women in the audience turning stonier and stonier as they visibly projected the thought, “Dick tricks? This entire show really consists of dick tricks? All my suspicions about men have just been confirmed…” If you cherish bravery in performers, go forth to the 45 Bleecker Theatre (right next to the #6 subway’s Bleecker Street stop) and experience Puppetry of The Penis
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—and the Cage Match Champion for two years in a row!—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
9:00 pm ($5): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!
9:30 pm ($10): “A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics,” following sold out shows at Joe’s Pub: Political Subversities
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams
10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike
Midnight ($5): Sketch troupes Wrestling Team and Ninja Sex Party, stand-up Jake Young, musical guest Sciryl, and more “celebrate the seedy and urbane life in America; think of us as The Prairie Home Companion, just a little more fucked up” at Andy Rocco’s Underground Americana
[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Amy Schumer, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Last Comic Standing, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Still Standing Up, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
August 6, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Star stand-up Tom Papa headlines tonight and Saturday at Carolines
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): In this fun show, 16 musical performers turn an audience member’s suggestion into two musical fairy tales that tell what happened from the viewpoint of first the hero and then the villain, with “all the music and magic of a Disney flick…plus the darkness of the Brothers Grimm:” Once Upon a Time
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($19.33 online if you use code VIPAUG, plus 2-item minimum): Past and current contestants of NBC’s Last Comic Standing—including the stand-up who may well win next week, Myq Kaplan—perform tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Still Standing Up: A Last Comic Standing Showcase
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Hannibal Buress (Variety’s 2010 Top 10 Comics to Watch; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson, George Lopez; 2010 ECNY Award for Best Male Stand-Up), Sara Schaefer (brilliant, inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever), Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, The BEATdown), Aparna Nancherla, Jodie Wasserman, Charlie Kasov, and Joe List performing at Brooklyn’s Happy Ending for wonderful stand-up/comedic rapper host Carolyn Castiglia’s Splurge!
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): The host of the Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref who’s appeared numerous times on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and Jay Leno, and has performed two Comedy Central specials (with a third in the works) headlining tonight and tomorrow at Carolines: Tom Papa
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A groundbreaking and surreal improv/sketch troupe performing with new guests each Friday and making a valid complaint: Centralia: We Were Supposed To Have Flying Cars By Now
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups David Angelo (writer for Jimmy Fallon), Dave Rosinsky (Whitest Kids ‘U Know), Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Craig Baldo (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), and Nate Bargatze (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central) performing at Brooklyn’s Coco 66 for hosts Nick Turner’s & Neal Stasny’s Too Cool for School
[FREE] 8:00: NYC stand-ups Mike Lawrence, Jesse Popp, Dan Soder, Joe Machi, and Andy Haynes performing at O’Hanlon’s (14th Street off 1st Avenue), hosted by Mark Normand: Hot Soup
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Thomas Middleditch, Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC—John Frusciante, Mike Still, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Myka Fox, and Sara Jo Allocco—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius comedic musical performers Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (Freestyle Love Supreme) and Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas), all at The BEATdown
[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, Tom Papa, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
August 5, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
Jimmy Fallon writer Morgan Murphy (above) headlines along with Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead tonight at Comix
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:
7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces,” and veteran improvisors play with “elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde,” in the double-bill The Deconstruction and Sleepover
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-author of new bookThe Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; 2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act and 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; cast member of the new Electric Company; Jimmy Fallon; for video samples, please click here), and Carolyn Castiglia (VH1’s White Rapper Miss CKC) joining the fresh, sexy, and razor-sharp gals of Variety SHAC
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.): The host of the Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedyThe Marriage Ref who’s appeared numerous times on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and Jay Leno, and has performed two Comedy Central specials (with a third in the works) headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Tom Papa
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($22.60 online if you use code VIPAUG, plus 2-item minimum): The co-creator of The Daily Show shares a double-bill with an acclaimed stand-up and writer for Jimmy Fallon, both headlining tonight only at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Lizz Winstead and Morgan Murphy
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($12): Sara Schaefer (brilliant, inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever), Nate Bargatze (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), Scott Moran, and Andy Haynes performing at 92Y Tribeca’s Comedy Below Canal
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($20): One of the finest stand-ups & storytellers in the country performs a fundraiser for The Nature Conservatory: Mike Birbiglia’s Sleepwalk Unplugged
9:30 pm ($5): Daily Show producer Jimmy Donn, Black20.com performers Jessie Cantrell &, Sarah Walker, Mike & Ted O’Gorman and Pat Driscoll perform sketch comedy designed to make you “laugh, be slightly offended, laugh again, cough once or twice, recall a repressed memory, and drink :” The Dan Ryan
[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two vibrant troupe troupes, Doppelganger and Classic Masculinity, competing for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s take on Last Comic Standing, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Morgan Murphy, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
August 4, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
World-class storytellers Faye Lane (above), Ophira Eisenberg, Andy Christie, Jim O'Grady, and Ben Lillie tonight share lessons learned—plus free vodka!—at You Went to College for That?
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—with two installments running back to back every Wednesday at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel
[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Zoe Jarman performs a one-woman show about a junior in high school dealing with “distracted classmates, frazzled teachers, and insane family members as she attempts to form an afterschool club;” and improv geniuses Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of Reuben Williams, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm form one of the finest comedy troupes in NYC, in the double-bill Mr. Bradshaw is a Flipping Dipstick and Outlook of the Poet
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Kristeen von Hagen, Athena Reich, Katrin Hier, Kat Herskovic, Jeff Cerulli, and Jennifer Murphy performing at this free weekly show—celebrating its 100th edition!—hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] 7:30 open bar with free Absolut Brooklyn Vodka, 8:15 pm show ($10): The debut of a monthly comedy show in which top storytellers tell a personal tale that in some way incorporates a lesson learned at college—with tonight’s blowout lineup consisting of world-class storytellers Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Faye Lane (performing red-hot show Faye Lane’s Beauty Shop Stories at this month’s FringeNYC 2010), Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion, host ofThe Liar Show) Jim O’Grady (The New York Times, Huffington Post), and Ben Lillie (The Story Collider)—performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall: You Went to College For That?
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Thoroughly wonderful comics Adira Amram (fresh, sexy, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter), Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Funny or Die, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Ali Wong (hilarious comedy dynamo; Comedy Central), Mike Patrick O’Brien (SNL), Jen Kwok ( Atom.com), and Mike Amato (Huffington Post) performing at the East Village’s Angels and Kings with delightful dark humor host Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s become one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Adam Lowitt (Producer for The Daily Show, co-host of It Is It!), and Rory Scovel performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup) hosted by Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($20): One of the finest stand-ups & storytellers in the country performs a fundraiser for The Nature Conservatory: Mike Birbiglia’s Sleepwalk Unplugged
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, 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; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don’t forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Absolut Brooklyn Vodka, Absolut Vodka, Beauty Shop Stories, Brooklyn's Union Hall, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Faye Lane, Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories, Free Comedy, free vodka, FringeNYC 2010, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Union Hall, Upright Citizens Brigade, You Went to College for That? | Permalink
Posted by hybender
August 3, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s coverage of this past weekend’s magical Del Close Marathon, please click here.
TV & film star T.J. Miller (above right) performs tonight with Sara Schaefer, Julian McCullough, and more at Punch Up Your Life
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of upcoming Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake; Magic Box of Stories, The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of book Weird New York), Giulia Rozzi (VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host ofStripped Stories), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), and John F. O’Donnell performing at Brooklyn’s Bell House Front Lounge guest-hosted by the gorgeous Brooke Van Poppelen: Get Off Your Knees
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: John Mulaney (writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, host of Sweet), hilarious musical duo Stuckey & Murray, and more performing at Brooklyn’s The Royal Oak with host Jordan Clifford: The Moon Show
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club
8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes The Opera, Sandino, DeCoster, Bastian, and Monstro; and at 11:00 pm advanced UCBT students improving scenes taking place simultaneously—all at Harold Night
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Becky Yamamoto, Jason Saenz, Kibibi Dillon, and Jason Verlaine performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($3): TV & film star T.J. Miller (David Letterman, Opie & Anthony; co-star of ABC sitcom Carpoolers; co-star of numerous movies including Cloverfield and Get Him to the Greek), Sara Schaefer (brilliant, inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever), Julian McCullough (Comedy Central Presents), and Hari Kondabolu (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for an almost-free weekly show hosted by Joe DeRosa (new comedy CD The Depression Auction) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Punch Up Your Life
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open-mic stand-up show that’s seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For Hy’s coverage of this past weekend’s magical Del Close Marathon, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Housingworks, Housingworks Bookstore Cafe, Improv, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, T.J. Miller, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
August 2, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Amy Schumer (above) performs tonight with Sean Patton, P.J. Miller, and more at It Is It!
Please note: UCBT is closed today so it can recover from this weekend’s magical non-stop 12th Annual Del Close Improv Marathon. For my coverage of DCM 12, please click here.
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) hosts this free open-mic show for storytellers, in which you can put your name in a hat for the chance to tell a five-minute true story…and if it’s a good one, possibly be included in Kevin’s popular podcasts on the Web: Risk! Storyslam
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($17.50 online with discount code NIFF): My #1 pick for the2007 FringeNYC Festival, this wonderful group of actresses/improvisors portray characters as if they were in a play, but improvise everything they say and do. The luminous performers include Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg, and Lauren Seikaly, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they’ve all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title’s Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest and nuanced improvised shows you’ll ever see. Check out some videos of previous episodes here; and then nab tickets for tonight’s ninth installment at the Soho Playhouse of what’s been extended to a 12-week Monday night run: Naked in a Fishbowl
[FREE] 7:30 pm: Ace storyteller John Flynn (UCBT’s The Nights of Our Lives), plus NYC stand-ups Mike Drucker (writer for SNL, Nintendo), Sabrina Jalees, Lance Weiss, and Vlad Caamano performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson (Last Comic Standing): Case of the Mondays Comedy
7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street)—at John Morrison’s Motel Luca
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), TV & movie star T.J. Miller (Cloverfield, Get Him to the Greek), Amy Schumer (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Fallon), and Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films, comedy CD Come Clean) performing stand-up at a free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Adam Lowitt (producer of The Daily Show) and Matt Goldich (Comedy Central, VH1): It Is It
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Christian Finnegan, Kurt Braunohler, Victor Varnado, Myka Fox, and more performing in the Lolita Bar—and celebrating host Liam McEneaney’s birthday!—at Tell Your Friends
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Amy Schumer, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, It Is It, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
Best New York Comedy 