December 17, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Two incredible midnight shows tonight (don't know how to choose, but for goodness sakes see one of them): Blaine Swen doing improv at Tony Wayne and Kate McKinnon performing sketch at Neil Casey's Sentimental Irish Christmas
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 ($7): Comedy veterans Laura Krafft (former writer for The Colbert Report), Jodi Lennon (Exit 57), and Miriam Tolan (The Daily Show) perform an improvised play in What a Year!
[FREE] 7:00 pm: 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 coolerblog; to get a feel for Jessica’s amazing range and talent, please click here), stand-ups Leighann Lord (Fox News, Huffington Post) and Jane Galvin-Lewis, illusionist Lee Alan Barrett, and band The Summer Replacements performing at Otto’s Shrunken Head (538 East 14th Street, between Avenues A and B) hosted by Eric Vetter: No Name and A Bag O’ Chips
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): A delightful tale of heartbreak by Leslie Meisel—who manages the impressive feat of being adorable, sexy, and hilarious all at the same time, and is a sharp comedic talent very much worth keeping an eye on—quite ably abetted by co-writer Megan Neuringer in one of the smartest theatrical shows to grace UCBT this year: Love Can Suck a Dick…and So Can I
plus for the second half of this double bill, young talents perform a loud and mildly amusing sketch show about cops in The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Sara Benincasa (Comedy Central, YouTube star, upcoming author), Luke Cunningham (Comedy Central’s new Norm Macdonald Show), Barry Rothbart (Comedy Central, Men of a Certain Age), Kara Klenk (Spike TV), Sean Donnelly (Lil’ Seany Boy), DTMT sketch troupe Steve Bossous, Gregg Zehentner, and Roger Hailes, and musical group Fortress of Attitude—followed by “a drunken, makeout-filled dance party”—performing at Karma Lounge with hosts Pat Stango & Blaine Perry for this endearingly oddball monthly comedy show: Don’t Touch Me There
[$] 8:00 pm pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A Curb Your Enthusiasm star and superb stand-up headlining tonight and Saturday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Susie Essman
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($51.27 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): Ray Romano’s big brother on the eternal classic sitcom Everybody Loves Raymondproving he also has stand-up chops by headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Brad Garrett
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:30 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
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other fine improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Kate McKinnon is one of the funniest sketch comics alive. Tonight Kate joins one of the best deadpan comics in the biz, Neil Casey, and terrific improv/sketch performer Nate Lang, for “an evening of whiskey-soaked sketch comedy, music, and poorly remembered stories recounted slurringly in celebration of the anniversary of the Incarnation of the Child Christ,” written by Neil Casey, Michael Trapp, and David White, and directed by Neil’s wonderful Krompf improv partner Ryan Karels: Neil Casey’s Sentimental Irish Christmas
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Genius improvisor Blaine Swen—founder & head of my favorite improv troupe in the universe, The Improvised Shakespeare Company—and Blaine’s childhood friend Jeff Lepine perform duo improv as Tony Wayne
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
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Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Blaine Swen, 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, Kate McKinnon, Neil Casey's Sentimental Irish Christmas, 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 Improvised Shakespeare Company, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, Tony Wayne, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | 
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Posted by hybender
December 16, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Wonderful stand-ups Ted Alexandro and Brooke Van Poppelen tell tales of hitting sexual rock bottom tonight at Stripped Stories
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 ($5): Ding Dong Meow and The Super Mario Bros. Show are two comedy shows I know nothing about, but they both sound cool. If you’re getting off work early, come check them out as they audition for a regular UCBT run at Spank
7:00 pm ($5): “Ever wonder how you become a writer for an Emmy winning TV show? So does J. D. Durkin. Since no one has told him, here is his one-man show performing all original material to become a writer for The Colbert Report. Durkin channels Colbert live on stage to present political punditry as only The PIT could do it…and only The PIT, since he was escorted off the Comedy Central premises:” Stephen Colbert: Hire Me
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler “relates how he destroyed a 13-year relationship in the dumbest, most complicated way possible, with bar fights, naked men, walruses, and an audition for Sasha Baron Cohen” in the one-man show The Amish Guide to Fucking
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Razor-sharp female musical comics Mindy Raf, Becky Yamamoto, and Glennis McMurray celebrating the one-year anniversary of their monthly comedy show, with tonight’s guests delightful storytellers Leslie Goshko and Ilana Glazer, and more, performing at Brooklyn’s The Royal Oak: Supercream Supreme
8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors play with “elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde” in Sleepover
8:00 pm ($5): Lennon Parham demonstrates her comedy genius by utterly stealing this show with just a few minutes of performance time—via Skype video from LA!—while other talented performers on stage struggle with a sadly underdeveloped script…though Marcy Jarreau somehow manages to rise above the material, and is the other standout to look for (in the scene with the mirror…); plus likeable and talented comedy duo Geoff Garlock & Emily Strachan should probably work with a tough editor who insists on a bit more structure and discipline for a tale which currently has as its highlight a dog who licks himself (on the nose, but still…), in the double-bill Oh My God, I Heard You’re Dying! and Gettin’ Quaid
[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set onJimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Comedy as a Second Language
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Stand-ups Adrienne Iapalucci, Jordan Carlos, David Smithyman, and more performing at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a show hosted & produced by just-engaged couple Sean Crespo & Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A blowout lineup of 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) and Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC, Maxim and Cosmo Radio; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) joining sensual hosts Margot Leitman (VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com) in telling true tales on tonight’s theme “Low Points”—plus comedic songs from Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central)—at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Stripped Stories
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): An annual gathering of NYC comedy talent to prepare us for the holidays, with tonight’s guests including Dave Hill and Stuckey & Murray, at The 37th Annual J Hobart B All-Star Christmas Spectacular
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupes The Brothers Hines and Dog Court competing 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: Brooke Van Poppelen, 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, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, Stripped Stories, Ted Alexandro, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 15, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
The irresistable Mamrie Hart mourns the passing of Mariah Carey at tonight's "Celebrity Funeral"
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 at The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): “It is with deepest sympathy, and a deeper neckline, that I inform of the passing of one of America’s greatest voices, Mariah Carey. Her 5 octave vocal range has been captivating a generation and sending dogs into a frenzy since 1990. We’ve been there through all the breakdowns and breakups, now let’s set this ‘Butterfly’ free.” The comedy talents helping us to mourn include Hannibal Buress, Justin Purnell, Katie Schorr, Ilana & Eliot Glazer , and many more joining the wonderful sketch comic who’s making it all happen, the unsinkable Mamrie Hart, inCelebrity Funeral: Mariah Carey
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scientists, nerds, and/or comics Eugene Ashton-Gonzalez, Moran Cerf, Luke Davin, Joe Evans III, Susie Tozier, Robin Wachsberger, and host Ben Lillie become comedic storytellers at this monthly show that tonight focuses on the intriguing topic My Science Project at Brooklyn’s Pacific Standard (82 Fourth Avenue): The Story Collider
8:00 pm ($5): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (VH1,Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories) hosting this free weekly NYC stand-up comedy show, with tonight’s guests Amy Beckerman, Brent Sullivan, Dan Wilbur, Jessie Geller, and David Smithyman, performing at Brooklyn’s Hank’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Saloon (46 Third Avenue at Atlantic):Dive Comedy
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Pat O’Shea, Aaron Glaser, Wiliam Mullin, Malaika Gordon, Kat Herskovic, and Mike Cotayo performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim’s awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious new improv duo who should not be missed: John & Scott
[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, Celebrity Funeral, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Mamrie Hart, Mariah Carey, 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
December 14, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Top comics with top comedy albums in 2010 perform stand-up tonight at Righteous Kill
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] 8:00 pm ($5): Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Louie, Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC’s My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets), Tony Camin (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, The Marijuana-logues), and Lane Moore (The Onion) performing in the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—includes free food, drinks, and prizes!): Fourth Anniversary show—and the last one at The PIT’s current location—featuring comics industry pros Jeff Newelt a.k.a JahFurry (comics editor of Smith, Heeb, Royal Flush; editor of Harvey Pekar Project; twitter.com/jahfurry), Mike Geszel (writer of Tribes: The Dog Years), and Seth Kushner (creator ofCulturePOP photocomix) joining 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 Bastian, Sandino, Ragnaröck, DeCoster, and The Opera; and at 11:00 pm improv geniuses Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik make up an entire feature film at The Two-Man Movie, plus Laura Grey, Jordan Klepper, and two guest improvisors reenact a 1970s ritual in Key Party—all at Harold Night
8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink minimum): “All-virgin show” consisting of folks who’ve never performed stand-up before, with the awkwardness happening at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) enabled by delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Four top stand-ups selected by Punchline Magazine as creating one of the Top 10 Comedy Albums of 2010: Anthony Jeselnik (album Shakespeare), Hannibal Burress (album My Name is Hannibal), Myq Kaplan (album Vegan Mind Meld), and co-host Joe DeRosa (album The Depression Auction) performing at the Ace of Clubs (9 Great Jones Street, underneath Acme Bar & Grill) hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Michael Showalter (MTV’s The State, comedy troupe Stella, writer/star of feature films The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer and Comedy Central’s Michael & MIchael Have Issues), God’s Pottery (hilarious pretend Christian folk rock duo), Craig Baldo (Conan O’Brien, VH1), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
9:30 pm ($5): “Six strangers are summoned to an unusual meeting by their mysterious host, Mr. Body. When Mr. Body is found dead, these strangers become suspects, each with their own devious motive. Who killed Mr. Body? In which room? And with which weapon?” Young talents make up comedy scenes based on a popular board game in Clue-Prov
[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open-mic stand-up show hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Ace of Clubs, Anthony Jeselnik, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy album Shakespeare, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Hannibal Buress, Improv, Improvisation, My Name is Hannibal, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Righteous Kill, 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
December 13, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
SNL's phenom impersonator Jay Pharoah performs stand-up tonight at 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 $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) hosts this free open-mic show for storytellers, in which you can put your name in a hat for the chance to tell a five-minute true story…and if it’s a good one, possibly be included in Kevin’s popular podcasts on the Web: Risk! Storyslam
6:30 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 6:30 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street): John Morrison’s Motel Luca
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($10 at the door or online with discount code RUSH): My #1 pick for the 2007 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, Lauren Seikaly, and Molly Knefel, 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 & nuanced improvised shows you’ll ever see.
In last week’s episode, there were hilarious arguments about holiday gift-giving…and the character played by Katharine Heller got engaged while watching Shaun of the Dead! (Yay, zombies! Yay, Katharine!!!)
Although every episode is a wonderful theatrical event, readers of this site no longer have to pay theatrical prices; you can see tonight’s season finale for a mere $10 by mentioning code RUSH at the door or when ordering online. Check out some videos of previous episodes here; and then get in the habit of attending the Soho Playhouse to experience the always fresh and surprising Naked in a Fishbowl
[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Adam Newman (College Humor), Nick Turner (co-host of Too Cool for School), Susan Alexander, Sean Wilkinson, and Nick Cobb performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
7:00 pm ($5): Young, adorable performers make up a musical on the spot as Zamboni Musical Improv
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 online or $8 at the door): Pioneering UK comedy star Andy de la Tour (The Young Ones), Moshe Kasher (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately), Jamie Kilstein (Conan O’Brien, The Onion), and Shaina and Mary Feinberg (“mother/daughter cha-cha sensation”) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety
8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT’s fine house sketch comedy troupes, Thunder Gulch and Gramp’s, trying out new bits at Maude Night
8:00 pm ($5): Nate Bargatze (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon), Zach & Zach (Zach and Zach Save The Community Center), and Charles Gould performing at the White Rabbit (145 East Houston Street) for John Szeluga’s Not Friday
8:00 pm ($8): A talk show with guests Myq Kaplan (finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents), Maureen Langan (Fox News, MSNBC), and Baratunde Thurston (The Onion) hosted by Boston-based radio host & comic Brian Joyce: A Live Talk Show To Be Named Later
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15 at the door or $18 online, plus $12 min. if you sit at a table): Brilliant comedic singer/songwriter/actor Micah Bucey and his partner Nicholas Williams performing a tour de force series of parodies in the form of mini-musicals at Joe’s Pub for their intimate and joyful show The Gay Agenda
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Jeff Hiller, Mike Still, Ashley Ward, and tonight’s guest John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo)—making up a musical on the spot along with virtuoso improv pianist Frank Spitznagel:Diamond Lion
10:00 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers: Rap Crimes Division
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Anthony Jeselnik (one of my all-time favorite stand-ups; writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents; debut comedy CD Shakespeare), Jay Pharoah (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Moshe Kasher (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately), Karen Kilgariff (former head writer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show), and more—guest-hosted by the wonderful Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1) at Whiplash
[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should beWhiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills on this new stand-up open-mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and Erin Lennox: Fresh
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, Jay Pharoah, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Saturday Night Live, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade, Whiplash | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 12, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
"A teeny weeny bean" who pleads "Eat me! I'll be good for you!" is among the many joys of this revival of the smash hit FringeNYC 2010 comedy enjoying a brief run Sundays at 5:00 pm: Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 5:00 pm ($18 online using discount code FAYB ): One of the very best shows at FringeNYC 2010 was an award-winning comedy from NYC’s own Faye Lane, a luminous storyteller and singer who will charm your socks off—and possibly give you a moon pie to boot—at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this brief revival on Sundays this December to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane’s Beauty Shop Stories
[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 & 10:30 pm ($46.50 & 2-drink min.): A comedy superstar headlining tonight and Sunday at Carolines: D.L. Hughley
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($12 at the door or online—except advance sales have sold out): Annual holiday blowout edition, with thoroughly wonderful comics Kristen Schaal, John Mulaney, Hannibal Buress, Jon Glaser, and more performing at Brooklyn’s Bell House hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman. If you already have a ticket, you’re set. If not, and you’re okay with taking a risk, you can try for a stand-by line at Pretty Good Friends: Holiday Show
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; MTV), Mike Vecchione (Comedy Central Presents), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing), Michael Che (host ofRoundtable Of Gentlemen podcast), and Yannis Pappas 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: Carolyn Castiglia (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Erin Jackson, Damien Lemon, and more performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (writer for 30 Rock and SNL): Comedy Night
[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Allison Castillo (VH1, Comedy Central), Giulia Rozzi (Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing; co-host of Stripped Stories and Dive Comedy), and M. Dickson performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy tonight 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, Faye Lane, Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Soho Playhouse, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 11, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Sean Donnelly will struggle to stay awake as he hosts a free and spectacular all-night comedy marathon featuring over 25 superb NYC stand-ups (Sean Patton, Matt McCarthy, and many more) at "Lil' Seany Boy is Up All 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:
7:00 pm ($8): Jessica Marasco and Becky Flaum performing two-gal sketch comedy as Geek Dreams
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Becky Drysdale, and more—including writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A wild all-night comedy showcase that mixes laughs with insomnia, as Sean Donnelly struggles to stay awake hosting over 25 superb NYC stand-ups including Sean Patton, Victor Varnado, Matt McCarthy, Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Liz Miele, Julian McCullough, Pat Dixon, Pat Stango, Nick Turner, Mark Normand, Mike Recine, and many more performing at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City for Lil’ Seany Boy is Up All Night
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($46.50 & 2-drink min.): A comedy superstar headlining tonight and Sunday at Carolines: D.L. Hughley
[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 ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!
9:30 pm ($10): “A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics,” following sold out shows at Joe’s Pub: Political Subversities
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount codeSBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award last year for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event by catching tonight’s edition of Baby Wants Candy
[TOP PICK] [$] 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
[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
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): “It’s going to be a Festival of Fights as UCBW MegaStars do battle in Eight Crazy Matches at this annual holiday season spectacular!” Featuring Jay Leno vs. Conan O’Brien, Old Man Winter vs. Beach Cop, Holy Ghost vs. God with special referee Jesus Christ, Helen Keller vs. Annie The Miracle Worker Sullivan, and much much more. As crazy as professional wrestling is, this show takes things to a whole other level. Physical sketch comedy to the extreme, it’s UCBW: Hanukkaos
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, Lil' Seany Boy is Up All Night, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Pat Stango, Sean Donnelly, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Creek and the Cave, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 10, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
D. L. Hughley headlines through Sunday at Carolines; and Chicago-based improv star Joe Bob makes a rare NYC appearance tonight at a Magnet mashup titled, for no particular reason, Lights Out, Shirley!
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 ($7): Comedy veterans Laura Krafft (former writer for The Colbert Report), Jodi Lennon (Exit 57), and Miriam Tolan (The Daily Show) perform an improvised play in What a Year!
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): “John Haskell and Arthur Meyer are two men who like to have fun. Sometimes they sing songs and sometimes they talk loudly, but they always have fun. In this sketch comedy show, they don’t just have regular boring fun, but they have FUN TIME BABY OH YES!!” in the debut of Two Fun Men; plus a show I haven’t seen but have heard good things about,The Paul Downs Syndrome
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Star comics Wyatt Cenac, Christian Finnegan, Joe Mande, Costaki Economopoulos, Mara Herron, Louis Katz, Rob Cantrell, and more performing at Brooklyn’s Happy Ending for wonderful stand-up/comedic rapper host Carolyn Castiglia’s Splurge!
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($46.50 & 2-drink min.): A comedy superstar headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: D.L. Hughley
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:30 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
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other fine improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] 11:15 pm ($5): A spectacular collection of veteran improvisors from Chicago and New York performing for one night only—including Joe Bill (Bassprov, iO teacher, Annoyance co-founder), Jodi Lennon (Comedy Central’s Exit 57), Ari Voukydis (UCB instructor, VH!’s Best Week Ever), Doug Stoley (Conan O’Brien, UCB), Rick Andrews (Magnet performer), Mark Grenier (Magnet teacher), Jen Sanders (Magnet performer), and Chet Siegel (Magnet performer)— Lights Out, Shirley!
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Cultural pundit 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), musicians Jonah Bayer (Alternative Press, Fuse) and Geoff Garlock (Orchid, Panthers), and more joining “opinionated audiophile John Frusciante hosting a revolving panel of music-loving comedians, writers, and musicians for a live monthly discussion about the state of music past and present, what you should and shouldn’t be listening to, and why KISS sucks so much. It is a guarantee that your favorite band will at some point be brought up, dissected, and either praised to the rafters or dismissed with the wave of a hand that knows how to properly handle vinyl:” Break Up Your Band
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, D. L. Hughley, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Joe Bob, Lights Out Shirley!, 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
December 9, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Tonight breathtakingly talented comedic actress Pamela Murphy performs a one-woman show about disease and triumph in "The C Word," and master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler practices his one-man show for the Edinburgh Festival in "The Amish Guide to Fucking"
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 ($5): Comedy troupe Sandino performs a sketch show that has something to do with reading in The Sandino Book Club: Catcher in the Rye, plus comedy troupe MADCAR performs a sketch show titled Dave n’ Brenda’s Wedding, at tonight’s double-bill installment of the audition series Spank
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight include Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Ryan Paulson (one-man shows Pentecostal Wisconsin and I’m Uncomfortable), Lee Camp (The Huffington Post, The Green Room with Paul Provenza), Benjamen Walker (WFMU’s Too Much Information), Jo Weldon (The Burlesque Handbook), and Gemma Clarke—joining brilliant sketch comic and storyteller Kevin Allison (The State) to share tales on tonight’s theme “Eye of the Beholder” at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler “relates how he destroyed a 13-year relationship in the dumbest, most complicated way possible, with bar fights, naked men, walruses, and an audition for Sasha Baron Cohen” in the one-man show The Amish Guide to F*cking
8:00 pm ($8): The Magnet’s co-owner Armando Diaz performs monologues on the spot and improvisors then act out scenes based on them at The Armando Diaz Experience
8:00 pm ($5): Lennon Parham demonstrates her comedy genius by utterly stealing this show with just a few minutes of performance time—via Skype video from LA!—while other talented performers on stage struggle with a sadly underdeveloped script…though Marcy Jarreau somehow manages to rise above the material, and is the other standout to look for (in the scene with the mirror…); plus young talents perform a loud and mildly amusing sketch show about cops, in the double-bill Oh My God, I Heard You’re Dying! and The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour
[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing stand-up on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killerset on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Comedy as a Second Language
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; commentator on MNBC’s Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1’s Best Week Ever; Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Hari Kondabolu (John Oliver’s New York Standup Show, Jimmy Kimmel), Mark Normand (co-host of We’re All Friends Here), and Ken Schultz performing at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a show hosted & produced by just-engaged couple Sean Crespo & Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($15): A comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) are shared by their original authors before total strangers at Mortified
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Comedy genius Pam Murphy proving herself to be a star in this not-to-be-missed autobiographical show that’s the best-scripted one-act to grace UCBT this year, performed with wit, grace, and pitch-perfect comedic timing (for video samples of Murphy’s work, please click here); and Nicole Shabtai performing a one-woman show about “an illustrious 13-year-old socialite and notorious Upper East Side private schooler we all love to hate,” in the double-bill Pam Murphy: The C Word and Citizen Rothstein
9:30 pm ($8): “An improvised spoof on the process of rehearsing and performing a scripted play takes the audience through the table read, bits of one of the rehearsals, and the opening night performance of a play that’s never been performed before and never will be again:” The Play Format
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Star improv troupe Reuben William and UCBT Harold Night troupe Badman competing 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: 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, Kurt Braunohler, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Pam Murphy, Pamela Murphy, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The C Word, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 8, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
"30 Rock" stars Scott Adsit & John Lutz perform tonight as exciting new improv duo John & Scott...
...and razor-sharp comedy duo Dan St. Germain & Jared Logan debut their sketch show "They Hated Each Other"
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 ($5): Justin Tyler, Matt Fisher, and Alden Ford performing their favorite sketches (for a sample, please click here) as comedy troupe Sidecar: The Immaculate Collection
[TOP PICK] 7:30ish pm ($10 at the door or $12.75 online): Top storytellers telling a personal tale that in some way incorporates a lesson learned at college (for a write-up of the amazing debut, please click here)—with tonight’s lineup consisting of host Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Liar Show), Carter Edwards, Katherine Wessling, Peter Aguero, and Michele Carlo—performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for producer Adam Magazine’s You Went to College For That?
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.): A finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing, and who’s also performed on Jay Leno and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, headlining tonight at Carolines: Myq Kaplan
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Very smart and very funny comics Dan St. Germain (MTV; quick-witted rising star) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill) teaming up to debut a two-man sketch show about history’s most infamous rivalries; and an indescribable multimedia sketch show from Peter Blomquist and Jeff Wiens, in the double-bill They Hated Each Other and Franco & Billy: Diamonds of Fire
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Delightful comedic singing/songwriting duo Tim Ellis and Matthew Park performing their best songs for an hour at music venue National Underground (159 East Houston Street, between Eldridge & Allen Streets): Ellis & Park
8:00 pm ($5): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (VH1,Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories) hosting this free weekly NYC stand-up comedy show (lineup not yet announced) at Brooklyn’s Hank’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Saloon (46 Third Avenue at Atlantic): Dive Comedy
8:00 pm ($5; includes copious homemade treats): Mindy Raf (brilliant musical & sketch comic), Nick Vatterot (Jimmy Fallon), Sean Donnelly (host of Lil’ Seany Boy), Evan Jacobs, and Mara Herron performing stand-up at at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with hosts Aalap Patel and the delightful Chelsea White (MTV, College Humor) at It’s Not That Serious
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Sean Crespo, Sue Funke, Jarret Berenstein, Kara Klenk, Peter de Giglio, and Nate Min performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Larry Murphy (genius voiceover/character comic; Adult Swim’sDelocated, Assy McGee, Bob’s Burgers), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; MTV, Comedy Central), and Greg Johnson (Sirius Radio) performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup) hosted by Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Adsit & Gausas have virtually become legends as one of the most brilliant and passionate duos in improv comedy for making up theatrical scenes on the spot with breathtaking skill. They recently decided to refresh their palettes via other couplings; for example, Christina Gausas last month paired with Becky Drysdale, and will likely do so again early next year (keep an eye on the UCBT schedule). Meanwhile, Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim’s awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) tonight buddies up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live), forming what’s likely to be another magical improv pair: John & Scott
[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: 30 Rock, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Dan St. Germain, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Jared Logan, John & Scott, John Lutz, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Scott Adsit, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, They Hate Each Other, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
Best New York Comedy 