September 30, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
John Hodgman (above) and Moby are tonight's guests at The Dave Hill Explosion...
..plus hilarious and beloved sketch comics including Katherine Bryant Flaherty and Shayna Ferm (above) debut their spectacular 45-minute comedic musical at The PIT: "Grease 3: Threase"
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:
6:00 pm ($5): Three shows auditioning for a run at UCBT, including Corinne Fisher performing her one-woman show I Stalk You, all for five bucks at the showcase Spank
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight are Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central, Penelope Princess of Pets, co-host of Hot Tub Variety), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Totally J/K; author of Look at This F*cking Hipster), Matt Higgins (Centralia), and Emily Gould (The New York Times, Gawker)—joining brilliant sketch comic and storyteller Kevin Allison (The State) to share tales on tonight’s theme “Dreams: Adventures in the Unconscious” at the Fall season opener of one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): Stellar Australian comic who’s been a regular onOpie & Anthony and who performed his own HBO special, I Swear To God, headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Jim Jefferies
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($32.40 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): The co-author of He’s Just Not That Into You and It’s Called A Breakup Because It’s Broken, and star of HBO’s Mantastic, headlining tonight through Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Greg Behrendt
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 ($8): The thoroughly wonderful comics of sketch troupe Fearsome—Shayna Ferm, Katherine Bryant Flaherty, Alex Goldberg, and Chris O’Connor—are joined by such other immense talents as Livia Scott and Amy Heidt to perform a new comedic musical that’s very, very loosely based on a classic Travolta/Newton John vehicle: Grease 3: Threase
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Young talents doing a sketch show about cops, and Peter Blomquist and Jeff Wiens performing an all-new multimedia sketch show, in the double-bill The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour and Franco & Billy: Diamonds of Fire
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($12): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Julian McCullough (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Craig Baldo (Conan O’Brien), Costaki Economopoulos, and the hilarious Found Footage Festival performing at 92Y Tribeca’s Comedy Below Canal
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): John Hodgman (Daily Show commentator, bestselling author of The Areas of My Expertise and More Information Than You Require, and the underrated PC in Apple Computer ads), music superstar Moby with band Diamondsnake, and surprises from host Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, star of The King of Miami, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Salon, Big in Japan), all at The Dave Hill Explosion
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:30 pm ($12.89 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): Top stand-ups including Ted Alexandro, Amy Schumer, Joe DeRosa, Cipha Sounds, and Rob Cantrell performing at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Still Standing Up
[$] 10:00 pm ($24.50 & 2-drink min.): Maddog Mattern hosts a show with unhappy stand-ups—most notably including Judah Friedlander—tonight only at Carolines: Miserable Men of Comedy
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two vibrant improv troupes, Dog Court and Johnny Cash Money, compete for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
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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, Dave Hill, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, John Hodgman, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Dave Hill Explosion, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | 
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Posted by hybender
September 29, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Rory Scovel performs stand-up tonight at Molly Gets Along
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 to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Universal Record Database, Ben Curtis (the Dell Dude), and Serious Lunch (Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon) share their tales of material being turned down at Jon Friedman’s wonderful The Rejection Show
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Molly Knefel (newest member of superb theatrical improv troupe Naked in a Fishbowl) hosts this monthly comedy show, with tonight’s guests Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), Susan Prekel (Comedy Central), NIck Turner (co-host of Too Cool for School), and John F. O’Donnell performing stand-up at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, off Thompson Street):Molly Gets Along
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Storyteller Brad Lawrence, and stand-ups Keith Alberstadt, Kristeen von Hagen, Rachael Parenta, and Kat Herskovic, performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell:Shrink
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Treasured Time Out New York Comedy Editor Jane Borden, master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets), Ryan Hamilton (Last Comic Standing), James Harris (Adult Swim), NIck Turner (co-host ofToo Cool for School), Kara Klenk (Spike TV), and more performing at the East Village’s Angels and Kings with delightful dark humor host Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Dave Hill, Jeff Ross, Jordan Rubin, and more celebrate a legendary NYC weekly comedy show debuting at a new night and venue—Wednesdays at Arlene’s Grocery (95 Stanton Street)—hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Jaw-droppingly bad commercials are the springboard for improv from UCBT house troupes Badman, Bastian, and Ragnarock, hosted by sketch troupe Sidecar, at Night of 1000 Bad Commercials
[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: 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, Molly Gets Along, Molly Knefel, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Rory Scovel, 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
September 28, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Daily Show stars Wyatt Cenac (above) and Kristen Schaal perform tonight in Brooklyn at Sara Schaefer's Get Off Your Knees
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:
7:00 pm ($5): “From the invocation of a name pulled from the obituary pages, the recently deceased gets a final chance to have his or her story told on stage through a series of improvised scenes.” Come celebrate the life and death of a complete stranger—good taste optional—at Dearly Beloved Presents The Wake
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A blowout debut for this terrific weekly show that’s just switched venues: wonderful The Daily Show correspondents Kristen Schaal and Wyatt Cenac, Nick Turner (co-host of Too Cool for School), and more performing at Brooklyn’s Southpaw Downstairs Lounge DownSouth (125 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope), hosted by the breathtaking Sara Schaefer (Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon): Get Off Your Knees
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: An all-musical edition, with brilliantly funny writer/singer Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CD Dirty Folk Rock;created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; has a cool MySpace page, and an even cooler blog; to get a feel for Jessica’s amazing range and talent, please click here) and Esther Ku (seemingly bubble-headed finalist on the 2008 edition of Last Comic Standing) performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The creative team of comics series Feeding Ground—Michael Lapinski, Swifty Lang, and Chris Mangun—join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in alively & 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 Bastian, The Opera, Badman, Ragnaröck, and Robber Baron; and at 11:00 pm UCBT students make up a story taking place in a single location in real time (i.e., Death by Roo Roo’s near-unbeatable technique at Cage Match)—all at Harold Night
8:30 pm ($5—but you get free pizza from New PIzza Town!): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted, hilarious stand-up; for reenactment of Dan’s breakup, please click here), Stone and Stone (Last Comic Standing), and Katina Corrao (Comedy Central) performing at the Magnet Theatre for Adam Lerman’s and Willy Appleman’s Deep Traffic
8:30 pm ($3): Adam Lowitt (producer of The Daily Show, co-host of It Is It!), Yannis Pappas, and more performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for an almost-free weekly show hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, 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.
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, DownSouth, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Get Off Your Knees, Improv, Improvisation, Kristen Schaal, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sara Schaefer, Sketch Comedy, Southpaw, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade, Wyatt Cenac | Permalink
Posted by hybender
September 27, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Brilliant and beloved British comics John Oliver and Josie Long (above) head a blowout lineup tonight at Leo Allen's Whiplash
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
[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stands-up David Foster (HBO, Showtime), Nick Vatterott, Amanda Baramki, and David Lee Nelson performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: 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): Improv crashes into classic theatre scenes at this amazing show featuring some of the very best improvisors and theatrical actors in NYC: Gravid Water
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Myq Kaplan (finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Dan St. Germain (razor-sharp, quick-witted rising star; College Humor), and Amanda Melson performing at this free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Adam Lowitt and Matt Goldich: It Is It
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 online or $8 at the door): Heather Lawless (Comedy Central, Wonder Showzen, Variety SHAC), visiting UK comedy star Maeve Higgins, and Marcus Monroe (juggler who wowed the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Ted Alexandro (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials), Shane Mauss (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central), Michael Lawrence, and Jessica Watkin performing at Aces & Eights (34 Avenue A, off 3rd Street) for John Szeluga’s Not Friday
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), John Fugelsang (former host of America’s Funniest Home Videos), Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; to see his hit video Pachelbel Rant, which has been viewed by over 8 million people on YouTube, please click here,), Ray DeVito (MTV, Lifetime) and Aparna Nancherla (Last Comic Standing) performing stand-up in the Lolita Bar for Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of my favorite UK performers, who I adore for saying such things as “But perhaps what I like best about America are your wonderful snacks” and “If you’re low on cash and have to choose between food and a good book, always choose the book,” making a rare NYC appearance that should not be missed (and Josie, I will be bringing some snacks), along with fellow UK comics Maeve Higgins and Claudia O’Doherty: Josie Long: Be Honourable
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Four sharp comedic talents each performing a monologue, with tonight’s players Matt Higgins (Centralia), Katie Northlich (four-time National Monologue Champion), Shawn Williams (National Monologue Champion), and Walter Murphy: The PIT-ologues
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the country—with tonight’s killer blowout edition featuring comedy genius John Oliver (star correspondent of The Daily Show), brilliant & irresistible UK comic Josie Long (see 9:30 listing), Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killerset on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Myq Kaplan (finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), and more—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
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, Josie Long, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, 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
September 26, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Tonight at 7:00 is your last chance to enjoy the funniest comedy of FringeNYC 2010, a fast-paced play about fantasy role-play gaming starring the wonderful Kerry Flanagan: Saving Throw Versus Love
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($18): The absolute funniest comedy at FringeNYC 2010 was a play about the world of D&D role-play gaming. It’s a smart, hilarious production that’s exceptionally well-written and directed with razor-sharp timing. For my review, please click here; and then don’t miss this final encore performance of the extraordinary Saving Throw Versus Love
[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
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Visiting UK comedy stars Maeve Higgins and Claudia O’Doherty, plus “a special guest,” performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman:Tearing the Veil of Maya
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films, The Other Guys, comedy CD Come Clean), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films, The Other Guys, comedy CD Come Clean), Colin Jost (writer for Saturday Night Live), Myka Fox (co-host of Comical Radio), and Sean O’Connor (NPR’s This American Life) performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Comedy Central), Rob Cantrell (Comedy Central), Dave Lester, and Pat Brown performing at Brooklyn’sKnitting Factory (361 Metropolitan) hosted by Hannibal Buress (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock):Comedy Night
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, new comedy CDThe Depression Auction), Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), James Harris, Annie Lederman, and The Cowmen performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar at Vince Averill’s & Jesse Popp’s free weekly extravaganza Beauty Bar Comedy
[FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-ups Allison Castillo (HBO), Robin Fox, and Alejandro Morales performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
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, Kerry Flanagan, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Saving Throw Versus Love, 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
September 25, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Wry, quick-witted, hilarious Natasha Leggero concludes her not-to-be-missed run tonight headlining at Comix...
...while the champion of feminism Leibya Rogers performs for her comedy CD recording Leibya Fair Live...
...and the absolute funniest show (out of 197) at last month's FringeNYC—a comedic play about fantasy role-play gaming—has its final encore performances tonight and Sunday: Saving Throw Versus Love
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 ($8): Brilliant comedic singer/songwriter Mindy Raf lets loose as her best-known character, ultra-feminist Leibya Rogers, singing songs for freedom in “a loving parody of Ani Difranco and the singer-songwriters of the 90’s,” to record Leibya’s first comedy CD—with the help of comedy genius Kate McKinnon—at Arlene’s Grocery (95 Stanton Street): Leibya Fair Live
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($26.95 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on this summer’sLast Comic Standing; who’s performed on Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FX, Chelsea Lately, and more (for samples, please click here); and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing a not-to-be-missed headlining set at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisor Christina Gausas and friends she originally made in Chicago—which include writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s appeared on HBO’s Down and Dirty, performed his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, co-hosts the weekly Tuesday NYC comedy show Punch Up Your Life, and recently released his comedy CDThe Depression Auction, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joe DeRosa
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15 at the door, $13.99 online): NYC improv and sketch troupes—many of whom perform at The PIT—competing against each other via this unusual annual contest in which each group, regardless of specialty, will perform both improv and sketch…as well as a comedy form known as sketchprov using the Second City routine The Pad. This final night of the week-long competition features the best of the groups, and will probably sell out, so buying in advance onlineis recommended: SketchProv
[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
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Visiting Irish comedy star Maeve Higgins, master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets), Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV; for sample video, please click here), and more performing at Brooklyn’s Sycamore with hosts Caroline Creaghead and Anne Johnson: Rope Swing
9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($18): The absolute funniest comedy at FringeNYC 2010 was a play about the world of D&D role-play gaming. It’s a smart, hilarious production that’s exceptionally well-written and directed with razor-sharp timing. For my review, please click here; and then don’t miss this second chance provided by the FringeNYC Encore Series to experience the extraordinarySaving Throw Versus Love
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer
10:30 pm ($10): While Reuben Williams plays a gig in Las Vegas, improv troupe Bastian fills in with an intriguing-sounding show springboarding off audience fantasies: Why Don’t You Do What You Dream?
10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): “The most fabulous show on Earth,” hosted by Tim Gunn (John Flynn) and Tim Gunn (Michael Hartney), tonight featuring Project Runway Season 5 contestants Jennifer Diederich and Wesley Nault, plus superb comedic performers (both straight and gay)—including Megan Neuringer, Andy Rocco, Brian Faas, Sue Galloway, Eliot Glazer, Chris Kelly, Matt Pavlovich, and Thorgi—and two audience members who’ll be selected to compete in a design challenge, at The Same Sex-Tacular
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Arlene's Grocery, 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, Kerry Flanagan, Leibya Rogers, LeibyaFair Live, Mindy Raf, Natasha Leggero, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Saving Throw Versus Love, 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
September 24, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
The wonderful Natasha Leggero heats up NYC tonight and Saturday headlining at Comix...
...and beloved comedy stars Paul Scheer (above) and Nick Kroll team up for a live version of their FX TV series The League
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 ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen’s Class: The Harvard Sailing Team
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Brilliant improvisor and storyteller Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives) performing a one-man autobiographical show about doing drugs and booze while writing for children’s television; and Nicole Shabtai performing a one-woman show about “illustrious a 13-year-old socialite and notorious Upper East Side private schooler we all love to hate,” in the double-bill Pissing My Pants on Vine and Citizen Rothstein
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($24.78 online with discount code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): Genius improvisors and comedic character actors Paul Scheer and Nick Kroll (both dearly loved NYC comics who moved to LA for TV & movie careers), along with some of their fellow cast members from the FX TV series The League, performing live on stage for one night only at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, and More at FX’s The League Live
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): The phenomenal Tara Copeland and veteran comic Jessica Allen performing as an improv duo at Tara & Jess
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; commentator on MNBC’s Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1’s Best Week Ever; Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Julian McCullough (Comedy Central Presents), Phil Hanley, Matt Donaher, and Jessie Geller performing stand-up with host David Cope: Hot Soup
8:00 pm & 9:30 pm ($12 at the door, $10.98 per show online): NYC improv and sketch troupes—many of whom perform at The PIT—compete against each other via this unusual annual contest in which each group, regardless of specialty, will perform both improv and sketch…as well as a comedy form known as sketchprov using the Second City routine The Pad. The competition, running through Saturday, is SketchProv
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s appeared on HBO’sDown and Dirty, performed his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, co-hosts the weekly Tuesday NYC comedy show Punch Up Your Life, and recently released his comedy CD The Depression Auction, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joe DeRosa
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($26.95 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; who’s performed on Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FX, Chelsea Lately, and more (for samples, please click here); and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing not-to-be-missed headlining sets tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
[$] 10:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) A comic perhaps best known for his appearances on celebrity roasts, but who’s also performed on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, and more, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Jeffrey Ross
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
11:30 ($5): Improvisors Brigid Boyle, Emily Bryan, Nicole Cascio, Caroline Ficksman, and Alexis Saarela parodying The View in a show self-described as “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. Let’s talk about issues, over drinks!” This show will keep you in Focus
Midnight ($5): Sketch comedy troupes Boat and Dependable Felons compete for audience laughs and votes, with troupe Sidecar hosting, in Backyard Brawl
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
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, FX The League, FX's The League, Improv, Improvisation, Natasha Leggero, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Paul Scheer, Paul Scheer as Captain Kirk, Paul Scheer in Star Trek, 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
September 23, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Todd Barry (above with Koala bear in cuteness contest) performs tonight with Kurt Braunohler, Ben Lerman, and more at Comedy Below Canal
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:
7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces,” and veteran improvisors play with “elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde,” in the double-bill The Deconstruction and Sleepover
[$] 7:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A comic perhaps best known for his appearances on celebrity roasts, but who’s also performed on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, and more, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Jeffrey Ross
[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
8:00 pm & 9:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($5 at the door, $5.99 per show online): NYC improv and sketch troupes—many of whom perform at The PIT—compete against each other via this unusual annual contest in which each group, regardless of specialty, will perform both improv and sketch…as well as a comedy form known as sketchprov using the Second City routine The Pad. The competition, running through Saturday, is SketchProv
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($12): Todd Barry (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets), hilarious comedic singer/songwriter Ben Lerman, Jiwon Lee, and David Angelo performing at 92Y Tribeca’s Comedy Below Canal
9:30 pm ($5): If you’re a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it on stage—along with stand-ups Sheng Wang, Calise Hawkins, Dan Gurewitch, The Gregory Brother, and hosts Streeter and Jeff—at CollegeHumor Live
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Brilliant improv troupe Rogue Elephant, which has crushed five opponents in a row, tonight competes with improv troupe Dog Court for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: 92 Y Tribeca, 92Y Tribeca, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Below Canal, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Kurt Braunohler, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, Todd Barry, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
September 22, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Visiting Irish comedy star Maeve Higgins (above) performs tonight with Chris Gethard and Andrea Rosen at Totally J/K
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm: Two free hours of improvisation in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($18): The absolute funniest comedy at FringeNYC 2010 was a play about the world of D&D role-play gaming. It’s a smart, hilarious production that’s exceptionally well-written and directed with razor-sharp timing. For my review, please click here; and then don’t miss this second chance provided by the FringeNYC Encore Series to experience the extraordinary Saving Throw Versus Love
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): 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), Andrea Rosen (Comedy Central’s Stella, Variety SHAC), and Maeve Higgins (visiting Irish comedy star) join best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Brian Longwell, Joe Yoga, Subhah Agarwal, Mike Cotayo, Nathan Min, and Joe Pera performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
8:00 pm & 9:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($5 at the door, $5.99 per show online): NYC improv and sketch troupes—many of whom perform at The PIT—compete against each other via this unusual annual contest in which each group, regardless of specialty, will perform both improv and sketch…as well as a comedy form known as sketchprov using the Second City routine The Pad. The competition, running through Saturday, is SketchProv
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Anthony Atamanuik, Andrea Rosen, Jon Gabrus, Adam Newman, and wonderful host David Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious, with tonight’s theme Defending Myself, at The Nights of Our Lives
[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: 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, Maeve Higgins, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, Totally J/K, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
September 21, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Genius comedic storytellers Elna Baker (above) and Chris Gethard, plus The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac, perform tonight at Brooklyn's The Moon Show
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): “An informative 22-minute multimedia presentation on the ins and outs of taping things off the radio taught by Dennis Steiger”—actually, Justin Peters—”a qualified instructor with decades worth of radio-taping experience. He will present a historical overview of this well-beloved hobby, demonstrate various methods of taping things off the radio, and offer suggestions for what to tape. If time permits, he will take questions from the audience, and offer anecdotes drawn from his personal experience with the pastime known as ‘the sport of kings.’ In sum, attendees will come away from this presentation with a solid grasp on the fundamentals they need to participate in a great lifelong hobby:” How to Tape Things Off the Radio
7:00 pm & 8:00 pm & 9:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($5 at the door, $5.99 per show online): NYC improv and sketch troupes—many of whom perform at The PIT—compete against each other via this unusual annual contest in which each group, regardless of specialty, will perform both improv and sketch…as well as a comedy form known as sketchprov using the Second City routine The Pad. The competition, running through Saturday, is SketchProv
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Blowout show with Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show), genius storytellers Chris Gethard (star of Comedy Central’s Big Lake; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of book Weird New York) and Elna Baker (bestselling author of the comedic book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance), and musical guest Steph Fagan performing at Brooklyn’s The Royal Oak (594 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars such as co-producer Jordan Clifford and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): World-class storyteller 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) hosts a show that’s “like watching the characters of The Wonder Years and Freaks & Geeks all grown up and telling coming-of-age tales of love, lost, regret, and redemption, with John Flynn (The Nights of Our LIves), Mark Grenier, Tim Welsh, and Courtney Wielgus: Adam Wade’s Whatever Happened to the Nerds?
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Arden Myrin (Conan O’Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Joe Devito (Last Comic Standing), Ray Devito, and Gabe Pacheco performing at Cellar 58(58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes DeCoster, Ragnaröck, Badman, Sandino, and Monstro; and at 11:00 pm UCBT students make up a story taking place in a single location in real time (i.e., Death by Roo Roo’snear-unbeatable technique at Cage Match)—all at Harold Night
8:30 pm ($3): Treasured Time Out NY Comedy Editor Jane Borden, Russ Meneve, Nick Griffin, and more performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for an almost-free weekly show hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, 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.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Bob Walles, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Elna Baker, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Jordan Clifford, Nat Towsen, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Moon Show, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
Best New York Comedy 