August | 2012 | Best New York Comedy

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 8/11/12

August 11, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For comprehensive coverage of FringeNYC 2012, please click here.

Today’s comedies at FringeNYC 2012 include “The Underdeveloped and Overexposed Life and Death of Deena Domino” from delightful dark sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting

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:

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open-mic stand-up show (“starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one”) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Grandma Hates Technology, True Story, and Sad Kids at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An improv show that asks you to drop written suggestions into a box before it begins and then dips into the collection of suggestions throughout to propel new scenes: The Drop Box

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A comedy quiz show full of heavily researched quirky facts in which brilliant contestants (typically UCBT stars) get points if their answers are correct but get more points if their answers are “quite interesting” at UCB East created & hosted by Katey Healy-Wurzburg: The Fascinator…

…and in the other half of this double-bill, UCBT house manager and tech guy supreme Pat Baer hosts a show about the very medium you’re using to read this: 404ing It: Breaking (Down) the Internet

7:00 pm ($8): At this PIT double-bill, Dan Hodapp & Natasha Rothwell “bring more than five years of improv collaboration to stage for an evening of bold, committed characters and probably a fart joke for good measure” as Hodapp & Rothwell, and then all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

7:30 pm ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then “turn that town’s tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:” The Curfew: Not From Around Here

7:30 pm ($7): Andrew Yurman-Glaser and Dustin Drury perform at The Magnet as improv duo Upstate

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($30 & 2-drink min.) A former cast member of MAD TV who’s also performed on many other TV shows, including her own Comedy Central hour-long special, headlining tonight at the Gotham Comedy Club: Anjelah Johnson

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm & 12:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) Five stand-ups—Drew Fraser, Rob Stapleton, Gerald Kelly, Talent, and Capone—headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: New York Kings

8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill—and occasionally with comedy giants Kristen Schaal and/or Kurt Braunohler participating: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

8:30 pm ($10): Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!), Phoebe Robinson (100 TV Shows To See Before You Die), Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno), Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC’s My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Joe Machi (Jimmy Fallon), and Ben Kissel performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB Chelsea’s genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($8): From the producers of The Scene, improvisors—tonight including Casey Jost & Jodi Lennon— make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Act One

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Andrew Shultz (MTV2’s Guy Code and Hip Hop Squares), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

9:30 pm ($15): “A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics,” following sold out shows at Joe’s Pub and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities

[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] 10:00 pm ($11.34 online; or $10 at the door—but this show typically sells out in advance): Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), Kevin Barnett (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor), Meg Cupernall, Ashley Brooke Roberts, Tim Homayoon, Jeff Wesselschmidt, Eli Sairs, Zach Sims, Brad Austin, Jason Burke, and more performing for this show in which stand-up and burlesque are weirdly blended together based on the reasoning “The nude female form is truly a work of art. That’s why people the world over like to jerk off to it. Who are we to disagree with the world?”at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents): Pat Dixon’s (Nearly) Naked Lady Hour: Now with Bacon Bar

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to “take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter” at this newest UCB Chelsea show to be honored with a weekend time slot—and which is currently kicking ass at Cage Match: Grandma’s Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf—which in a phenomenal run has crushed 12 improv troupes in a row so far at Cage Match—makes stuff up at UCB East for an entire hour: Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

10:30 pm ($7): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

11:00 pm ($8): A young new all-guy improv troupe making stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gentlemen Party

Midnight ($5): “Jason Saenz and Riley Soloner have invited the worst people in NYC to come and talk about their sh*tty situations in front of a studio audience in hopes that they can better themselves and turn their lives around. HAHAHA! Just kidding! We’re exploiting these people of ratings! This month’s episode: Stop Bullying Me, You F@cking Asshole!” featuring nearly two dozen comics performing at UCB Chelsea, including Nicole Byer, Keisha Zollar, Ashley Brooke Roberts, and Dan Black: Late Night Trash

Midnight ($5): “A scandalous night of down-right-sexy improv at at The PIT downstairs lounge. Incorrigible performers team up to turn down the lights, slip into something a little more comfortable, and spend the good part of an hour tickling your funny boners. Beware of partial nudity, strong sexual themes, and the possibility to be dragged on stage for a not-so-wholesome game of Truth or Dare: Yes, Yes, Yes…And

[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine at The Magnet, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form “rare and wonderful one-night-only teams,” with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, FringeNYC 2012, Improv, Sketch, Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The Underdeveloped and Overexposed Life and Death of Deena Domino | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 8/10/12

August 10, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For comprehensive coverage of FringeNYC 2012, please click here.

FringeNYC 2012 kicks off today with comedies “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche”…

…”An Evening with Kirk Douglas,” and much more; for comprehensive coverage of this spectacular festival, please visit http://HyReviews.com/fringenyc2012.htm.

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: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

7:00 pm ($5): Improv that flows from moment to moment, with no sweeps or tag outs—”each exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper” at The PIT downstairs lounge: Scoresby

7:00 pm ($7): Performing at The Magnet, improv troupe Swartzlander

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups with various challenging disorders—anxiety attacks, OCD, Tourette’s, etc.—perform for this one-time-only event hosted by the lovely Chelsea White (MTV, VH1) and Evan Morgenstern (host of SNC), with guests Sue Funke, Raquel D’Apice, Jessica Loveless-Chandler, and Jeff Cerulli performing at 116 (116 MacDougal Street): Call Us Crazy

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its cast is one of the finest in comedy, with each performer strong enough for potential stardom. As for its writers, they sizzle when at their best; but at the moment I’d call their newest show, offering the benefit of the doubt, “a work in progress.” The “this show is about you” gimmick has zero resonance—it’s really not about you, or about anyone else; and the mix between improv and sketch is so confusing that I wasn’t sure whether a number of scenes were mediocre improv or flat-out bad scripting. Still, the cast is so strong—Fran Gillespie, John Murray, Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, D’Arcy Carden, and Johnathan Fernandez—that you’ll have a fun time regardless. (Honestly, the scary faces Molly Lloyd makes are worth the trip all by themselves…) Directed by ace improvisor Ryan Karels—who I’m expecting to make this show increasingly fine as it goes along: Stone Cold Fox: You Probably Think This Show Is About You

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), and more perform improv at UCB East springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas…who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson’s writing isn’t consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

8:00 pm ($5): Improvisors perform as duos at The PIT downstairs lounge: Couples’ Retreat

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) Five stand-ups—Drew Fraser, Rob Stapleton, Gerald Kelly, Talent, and Capone—headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: New York Kings

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that’s first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City downstairs lounge: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($7): Two of the most respected improvisors in the country, Magnet co-owner Armando DIaz and Christina Gausas team up as Diaz & Gausas

[$] 8:30 pm ($30 & 2-drink min.) A former cast member of MAD TV who’s also performed on many other TV shows, including her own Comedy Central hour-long special, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Anjelah Johnson

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from comedy geniuses Chris Gethard and Shannon O’Neill, plus stellar comics Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—Michael Kayne, Amber Petty, Ashley Ward, Morgan Phillips, and Winston Noel—making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

9:30 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Formerly titled Now That’s What I Call Musical Comedy—until a “cease and desist” order arrived from the attorneys at EMI Music—this show marches on 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), Tim Ellis (In the Moment, Joe’s Pub), and Marilyn Summers at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ben Lerman and Tim Dimond: Radio Shack: A Comedy Musical Showcase

10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

10:00 pm ($5): Oscar Montoya (host of deliciously bad cinema) and Jen Tullock (Second City) wrote & perform a duo sketch show about “a night at gay rehab for renewal, self-discovery, and occasional break dancing” at The PIT downstairs lounge: Pray It Away with Oscar & Jen

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Fran Gillespie, Jon Gabrus, Sue Galloway, Matt Fisher, Craig Rowin, Nate Lang, and other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

10:30 pm ($5): NYC comics (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D’Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): I’m not sure he’s in NYC tonight, but one of the finest improvisors alive, Joe Bill (Bassprov, iO, co-founder of the Annoyance Theatre) will either personally spearhead or lead in spirit a breathtakingly brilliant group of improvisors from Chicago and New York who will blow the roof off The PIT downstairs lounge with lightning-quick dark comedy unlike anything else in NYC. The other superb players typically are Doug Stoley (Conan O’Brien, The Scene), Amey Goerlich (Indie Cage Match, Krompf, The Scene), Jodi Lennon (Exit 57, Annoyance Theatre), Jed Resnik (Annoyance Theatre, UCB), Silvija Ozols (The Stepfathers), Betsy Stover (UCB), Ari Voukydis (VH1’s Best Week Ever, UCB), Russ Armstrong (iO Chicago, The Magnet), Micah Sherman (Second City, co-host of The Scene, host of Fun), Rick Andrews (Magnet teacher/performer), and Michael Burton (Act One, The Magnet), all declaring Chica Go Go

11:00 pm ($5): Sketch host Meredith Hackman and her many friends promise “Despair. Pride. Heartbreak. Comedy.” at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Saddest Sketch Show

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, top Maude sketch troupe Gramp’s, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

Midnight ($5): A three-person improv competition at UCB East hosted by Brian Glidewell, Josh Patten, and Ben Rameaka: Three for All

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it’s an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Plus it’s hosted by members of Maude troupe Fambly, typically including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, An Evening with Kirk Douglas, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, FringeNYC 2012, Improv, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 8/9/12

August 9, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For comprehensive coverage of FringeNYC 2012, please click here.

A breathtaking collection of hilarious film clips is screened by Kevin Maher when Kevin Geeks Out About Sharks

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] 6:00 pm: SM Shrake (NPR’s This American Life, Mortified, The Moth) is tonight’s guest yarn-spinner at this weekly open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): The promising The 2017 Tony Awards, which I caught a bit of at School Night and is likely to be way fun, plus The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: A Comedy, audition for a regular spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea schedule: Spank

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT mix with novices on the downstairs lounge stage at Pitch

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics’ names drawn from a bucket and each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Corby Haas

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV’s NewNowNext, Sirius Radio’s Frank DeCaro Show) joins a delightful comedic singing duo (according to Molly, “really smart, funny, talented, awesome people with great bods; Molly is bitter, heavily medicated and she reads poetry”) performing at 92Y Tribeca for an intimate hour of music and more: Mel & El: Our Time of the Month

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Hot Diner and THEM

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Hello Laser to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): At this UCB East improv double-bill, first ace all-gal troupe Doppelganger makes up scenes based around audience tattoos in Doppelganger Gets Inked; and then Sandino—which includes Don Fanelli, Brandon Gulya, and Kate Riley—interviews an audience member about some puzzle and then acts out scenes providing an unexpected answer: Sandino: Unsolved Mysteries

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A glorious collection of hilarious movie clips about sharks from super-fan Kevin Maher and filmmaker Matt Glasson which is summed up by this trailer. This special event is “an obsessive look at dozens of classic (and some not-so-classic) movies that preceded and followed in the wake of Jaws, including the Italian knockoff that Universal banned from the US, the inevitable mermaid porno Gums, and incredible scenes of sharks going against zombies, superheroes, giant apes, Jackie Chan, Burt Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, the Olsen Twins, and the Harlem Globetrotters.” There are hours of clips, but the show will run a tight 70 minutes, with you and the rest of the audience choosing which scenes to see—e.g., Bo Derek in Orca the Killer Whale or Karen Black in Killer Fish. Don’t miss this wonderful toothy treat at the Brooklyn Observatory (543 Union Street; take the N to Union Street or F/G to Carroll Street): Kevin Geeks Out About Sharks

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Stand-up and stage magic are combined at UCB Chelsea by Harrison Greenbaum, a comic who’s devoted a lot of time and passion to both fields, resulting in both laughs and tricks you won’t have a clue how he pulled off: Harrison Greenbaum: What Just Happened?

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: The East Side Orphan Riot and Harvey

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes The Boss, Hello Laser, Junior Varsity, and Phooka performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Rick Andrews directing The Weave (organic freeform improv “with no rules”), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component), featuring last week’s winner against Human Pyramid: The Magnet’s Night Out

[FREE] 8:00 pm: “A stand-up comedy showcase and baking competition—come to eat or come to compete” at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Cody Hess & Jessica Gross: Cookies!

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Andrew Shultz (MTV2’s Guy Code and Hip Hop Squares), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($15): The Daily Show producer Rory Albanese, and performers & writers of the show Al Madrigal, Michael Hogan, and Michael Eisner, plus special guest Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), performing stand-up at 92Y Tribeca: The Daily Show Does Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up), Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Emmy Blotnick (Jimmy Fallon), Kevin Barnett (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor), and Brian Frange performing at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover: Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced by 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): UCBT stars Neil Casey (Death by Roo Roo) and Will Hines (The Stepfathers) in a two-man sketch show at UCB Chelsea directed by Michael Delaney: Small Men

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge for The Scene

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (lineup not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Justin Williams: Death Comedy Jam

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Good Dad, comprised of such superstars as Neil Casey, Fran Gillespie, and Jon Gabrus, laid to rest Graceland last week 114-60. Tonight it hits the waves with troupe Surfing as these two teams compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): A musical/rap improv group performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Boombox Kids

11:00 pm ($5): “Secret movie screenings of movies you probably haven’t seen and/or should see again” at UCB East (which used to be a movie theatre) hosted by Ryan Karels (Grandma’s Ashes, Krompf), Connor Ratliff (The Stepfathers), JD Amato (Harold Night), and Mike Roth (Two Boots Video): Secret Movie Show Presented by Two Boots Video

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Kevin Geeks Out About Sharks, Kevin Maher, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wednesday 8/8/12

August 8, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For comprehensive coverage of FringeNYC 2012, please click here.

Sean Donnelly headlines for one night only at Carolines…

…and improv genius John Lutz (above) performs with fellow genius Scott Adsit as John & Scott

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 upstairs theatre for PIT Super Free Wednesday

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing four minutes per comic, with “15 people chosen randomly through e-mail, and five walk-ins; and a guaranteed spot to anyone who performs in character as a famous explorer” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedic Exploration Club of Long Island City, West

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes The Party Lions, Silver Fox, Featherweight, Brick, The Wrath, Chet Watkins, Leviathan, and Horses performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Silver Fox at 11:30 pm: The Magnet’s Megawatt

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($5 if you use code BREAKOUT, plus 2-drink min.) One of the nicest guys in comedy—who has hosted more shows around NYC than almost anyone—headlines tonight, with openers Giulia Rozzi, Matt Wayne, and Dennis Rooney, for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Sean Donnelly

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features troupes Kinsey and Hoops: Lloyd Night

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-writer/director/producer & 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 star improv duo that’s become one of the very best attractions at UCB Chelsea and should not be missed: John & Scott

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Several delightful female comics are on tonight’s lineup: Calise Hawkins, Phoebe Robinson, Bridgid Ryan, Meg Ferrill, Rae Sanni, and Jim Tews, all performing at the Niagra Bar (112 Avenue A & 7th Street) for this biweekly show hosted by Charla Lauriston: Fun Comedy Good Times Why Not?!

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do sets “and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

8:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), Nimesh Patel (co-host of Broken Comedy), Team Submarine, Jay Nog (Rooftop Comedy), Meghan Hanley, and Craig Mahoney performing at McSwiggan’s (393 Second Avenue off 23rd Street) hosted by Selena Coppock, Dan Cartwright, and Emily Epstein: Connotation

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film at UCB East as The Two-Man Movie

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5 if you say “Cherry Bomb,” otherwise $8): Stand-up Adam Lash, solo sketch from Andrew Drinnan, and group sketch from Heady Tonic, The Preservation Society, Desperate Times, and the Wrestling Team performing at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Naomi Ekperigin.: August Sketch Block

9:00 pm ($5): Mindy Raf (brilliant comedic singer/songwriter; VH1, College Humor, YA novelist; often performs as alter ego Leibya Rogers), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), and Michael Che (Comedy Central) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Leah Bonnema & Jessimae Peluso: The K-Hole Comedy Show

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer created Broad City as a Web series, which was then picked up for development as a TV series for FX…and is also a monthly stage show at UCB Chelsea. Tonight’s theme is Musical Revue, so expect singing and dancing in this “delicately crafted hour of fun:” Broad City Live

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB’s classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this new weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East, along with hosts Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: 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. (Tonight’s scheduled guests include Bridey Elliot and Becky Yamamoto; for the full lineup, please click here.) Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don’t forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house troupe Grandma’s Ashes: The Improv Jam

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up running until 1:00 am, with time divided evenly between performers (up to five minutes), at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City with host Rob Stern: Bucket ‘O Buckets

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, John and Scott, John Lutz, Sean Donnelly, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 8/7/12

August 7, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For comprehensive coverage of FringeNYC 2012, please click here.

SNL’s John Mulaney headlines at ComedyJuice…

…and Ted Travelstead performs at Brooklyn’s Geeking Out

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: Open-mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT downstairs lounge, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT “sketch-perts:” Pen & Pencils

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Chesley Calloway (co-host of renowned Comedy as a Second Language): The Ches Club

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, each of four of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Atticus and Aquarius at 7:00 and Mint Condition and The Montels at 8:30; followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with musical improv troupe The Montels to make up stories in song on the spot: Magnet Tuesday Musical Megawatt

7:00 pm ($8): Three members of UCBT sketch troupe Fambly—Veronica Osorio, Ben Wietmarschen, and Pat O’Brien—perform sketch and then improv at The PIT upstairs theatre: Dirty Old

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Creature, The Pox, and Surfing at this first half (see 9:15 pm for more) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door or $12.75 online): A show featuring storytellers, book & TV writers, and stand-ups focusing on various aspects of being a fan, with tonight’s guests Ted Travelstead (Vanity Fair, author of Sex: Our Bodies, Our Junk), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), Robin Gelfenbien (host of storytelling show Yum’s the Word; VH1, Sirius Satellite Radio, FringeNYC), Steve Heisler (The Onion A.V. Club, New York Magazine), and Ranmaru the Cosplayer performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall with hosts Kerri Doherty & Nate Fernald: Geeking Out

8:00 pm ($10): Alternative comics—not announced, but probably including Andy Kaufman Award winners and nominees—performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Andy Kaufman Fun House

8:00 pm ($8): A house sketch troupe performs at The PIT downstairs lounge: National Scandal

8:00 pm ($5): A showcase of NYC stand-ups not yet represented by a manager or agent (i.e., fresh meat) at UCB East hosted by Luke Thayer & Nick Cobb: Unmanageable Stand-Ups

[FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly show features “a swarthy selection of fine stand-up comics and mildly entertaining recurring segments” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by Jim Tews & Brendan Eyre: Chest Hair

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Mike Racine (Comedy Central), Aaron Glaser, and Shalewa Sharpe performing stand-up at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) produced by Kate Berlant and guest-hosted tonight by John F. O’Donnell: Crime & Punishment

9:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Jermaine Fowler (cast member of FOX’s In Living Color), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Adam Conover (College Humor, host of Fresh Out), and Jacqueline Novak (DoucheChillz.com) performing on this week’s topic Died in Your Arms Tonight at Sidewalk NYC(94 Avenue A) hosted tonight by Josh Gondelman: The Afterlife: Died in Your Arms Tonight

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes The Regulars, Johnny Romance, and Sandino—plus advanced improv students make up a story in which the first scene is the last scene for a form called The Evente—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

9:30 pm ($5): All-gal lineup Sasheer Zamata (highly charming, innovative rising star; host of School Night, member of red-hot improv troupe Doppelganger and sketch troupe The Prom), Jane Borden (former Comedy Editor of Time Out New York, author of I Totally Meant to Do That), Asie Moharetz, Ray Marshall, and Abby Feldman performing at UCB East hosted by Ilana Glazer: Bunch a Pussies

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Matt Fulchiron (Comedy Central Presents, Tosh.O), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open-mic stand-up show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Geeking Out, Improv, John Mulaney, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Ted Travelstead | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 8/6/12

August 6, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For comprehensive coverage of FringeNYC 2012, please click here.

Comedy genius Chris Gethard will impress you with his fashion sense while hosting tonight’s Hot Tub Variety…

…and “Stephen was attracted to Danielle’s bold use of color and risk taking!” is just one example of what you’ll experience at the invaluable monthly show My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

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] 6:00 pm: Open-mic storytelling show, with audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 8 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge, along with tonight’s guest storyteller Gavin Starr Kendall (UCBT improvisor) joining host Jake Hart: The Dump

6:00 pm ($5 cover & $5 drink min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4 1/2 minutes per set and 20 comics crammed into 2 hours—at the Greenwich Village Comedy Club (99 MacDougal Street) for John Morrison’s Village Motel

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

7:00 pm ($8): “What really goes on inside the mind of an 11-year-old girl from Long Island who’s obsessed with sleepaway camp, Madonna, and everything that her sexually promiscuous older sister does?” A one-woman show by Ali Bernstein: J.A.P.

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Four improvisers form teams with comics they’ve never performed with before at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Kaleidoscope

7:30 pm ($10; sign-up starts at 7:00 pm): Open mic for stand-ups, storytellers, singers, poets, actors, and more, with 5 minutes per performer and 25 slots available, at One and One Bar’s Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word’s Open Mic Joint

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Comedy genius Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake and Manhattan Cable Access’ The Chris Gethard Show; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of new bestseller A Bad Idea I’m About to Do and Weird New York) hosts this edition of Hot Tub, with guests Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), MIchael Che (IFC’s Bunk), Die Roten Punk (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and Simon Fielder (BBC New Comedy Awards) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Inspired by the popular blog My High School Boyfriend Was Gay, this superb show at UCB East “celebrates our most tragic, hilarious, and heinous teenage memories, full of chaste hugs, Grease sing-alongs, and trips to the stage door to accost the cast of Rent,” with true stories tonight from Sharon Spell (host of The Big Shrink), David Smithyman (We’re Nice People), Michael Hartney (So I Like Superman: A One-Nerd Show), and “special guests,” with hosts Damian Bellino, and the super-delightful Camille Harris whose piano playing and singing will make you grin and dance in your seat: My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: Gramp’s (the finest of UCBT’s Maude sketch troupes, thanks to such talents as Laura Grey, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Abbi Crutchfield, Don Fanelli, and Eddie Dunn, and a strong writing team) and Onassis (which has seldom been strong on the writing side but includes superb actress Lauren Conlin Adams): Maude Night: Gramp’s and Onassis

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): This show begins with a delightful concept—Top Gun performed as if written by William Shakespeare—and then executes it with the joyful craft only a sharp, tight theatrical ensemble can create. Everyone in the cast is terrific, but among the most memorable are Dan Hartley as Maverick, and Vayu O’Donnell who steals every scene he appears in with his hilariously deadpan delivery as Iceman. While this is playing at The PIT upstairs theatre for a mere $10, it’s really legit Fringe theatre, and I hope it eventually makes its way to FringeNYC or Edinburgh—or better yet, develops more songs and gets a commercial run as a musical. Meanwhile, don’t miss this opportunity to see a way fun parody of a cult classic for about half of what you oughta be paying: Jester’s Dead

[DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($11.34 [vs. $21.69] online using discount code LLED10): NYC stand-ups specializing in political humor make fun of our current election cycle at The Playroom Theater (151 West 46th Street); take advantage of discount code LLED10 to see this off-Broadway show for under $12: Laughing Liberally: Electile Dysfunction

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Team Submarine, Tim Warner, Trey Galyon, and Missy Baker performing stand-up at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s Matchless (557 Manhattan Avenue) hosted by Mike Denny, Michael Che, and/or Nimesh Patel: Broken Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out new bits: Fambly (which includes wonderful rising star Mamrie Hart, Nicole Byer, Dan Chamberlain, Veronica Osorio, and a sharp crew of writers), and Neighbor Boy (which tends to be weak on material, but includes such talents as Tim Dunn and Beth Appel, and may get a shot in the arm with the addition of writer Caitlin Bitzegaio): Maude Night: Neighbor Boy & Fambly

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Sketch comics John Early (30 Rock), Rachel Wenitsky (Story PIrates), Andrew Farmer (Gentleman Party), and Marisa Parry (withlovemarisajade.blogspot.com) each show off their solo character work for this unique show at The PIT upstairs theatre, hosted by Sam Martin & Matthew Robert Gehring: Comedy Expo

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Following a club format, hosts Nore Davis & Andrew Short perform stand-up throughout for a total of 25 minutes, two comics each perform a 15-minute set, and then a seasoned headliner closes out the show with a 20-minute set, all at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: On the Road

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Phoebe Robinson, Tom Steffen, Nate Rand, Oni Perez, Ken Schultz, and Zach Broussard performing at Pat O’Shea’s free biweekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy’s Backroom (627 5th Avenue): Ed Sullivan on Acid

9:30 pm ($5): The debut of the only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic storytelling show at The Magnet hosted by Kelly Buttermore: Storytelling Mixer

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Karaoke plus Mad Libs—in which the audience chooses a list of words to swap into a popular song—at the UCB East Bar hosted by karaoke experts Alan Starzinski and Amy Jo Jackson, plus live keyboard accompaniment by Joe McGinty: Karaoke Night at the Hot Chicks Room

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who are no longer being announced in advance, but it’s virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by someone wonderful (while usual wonderful host Leo Allen is in LA): Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! 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 at this exceptionally supportive stand-up open-mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jared Reed: Fresh

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Chris Gethard, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Hot Tub Variety Show, Improv, My High School Boyfriend Was Gay, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 8/5/12

August 5, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For best video previews of FringeNYC 2012 shows, please click here.

Ace storyteller Melanie Hamlett returns from her South American adventures to be the monologist tonight at both editions of UCB Chelsea’s ASSSCAT 3000

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] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase

[FREE] 6:00 pm: “Improvising from life to life, putting things right that once went wrong, kicking ass, and hoping each time that the next kick ass jump will be the kick ass jump home” from troupe IRTE at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: IRTE: That Kick Ass Time Jump Show

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea’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—and tonight features stellar storyteller Melanie Hamlett as the monologist who tells tales serving as the springboard for improv scenes: ASSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) Judah Friedlander is a hilarious stand-up and occasional agent of chaos. Judah is a cast member of 30 Rock, and has also performed on VH1’s Best Week Ever, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, MTV’s Wonder Showzen, and Jay Leno. In addition, Judah has acted in over 20 films, including such hit comedies as Meet the Parents, Zoolander, and Full Grown Men. Judah was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his role in American Splendor. When asked in an interview about his influences, Judah responded: “Audiences. They are often the forgotten ingredient in stand-up comedy. Stand-up is live entertainment, and a live audience is needed. Also, whatever is happening at the moment. I play off of that. The moment is a big influence. If you’re not playing the moment you’re not doing stand-up comedy–someone just reciting material but not responding with what’s going on in the room is not stand-up comedy.” This playful, anarchic, in-the-moment comedy veteran—and author of the book How to Beat Up Anybody—is headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead) and adorable band Supercute! (Rachel Trachtenberg and her young gal pals) performing at The PIT upstairs theatre with host Casey Jost (writer for Jimmy Fallon): Fooling Around with Casey Jost

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Jane Borden (former Comedy Editor of Time Out New York, author of I Totally Meant to Do That), Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Greg Warren, Paul Hooper, and Chris Burns performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), John Early, David Bernstein, and Mallory Schlossberg performing stand-up, storytelling, and more at The Magnet hosted by Willy Appelman: The Willy Appelman Variety Show

9:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Typically stellar stand-ups performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress or (if he’s out of town) a guest host: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon), , Ashley Brooke Roberts, Doug Smith, Shalewa Sharpe, and Nick Maritato performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Sharp Chicago-trained improvisors led by Susan Messing make up scenes at The PIT, with tonight’s guests including Christina Gausas (Conan O’Brien, 30 Rock, Louie): Messing with New York

9:30 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comics performing their best material: Sketch Sundays

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Leah Bonnema, and Raquel D’Aspice performing stand-up at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with improvisors taken from the audience…and who may include you: Improv Nerds Jam

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: ASSSCAT 3000, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Melanie Hamlett, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 8/4/12

August 4, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For best video previews of FringeNYC 2012 shows, please click here.

Judah Friedlander continues his headlining run at Carolines…

…and Janeane Garofalo performs at Fresh Fisch

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): Improv troupes The Bartender, Eaglefox, and Orange Augustus at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Stellar storytellers Ted Travelstead (Vanity Fair, author of Sex: Our Bodies, Our Junk), Jim O’Grady (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion), and Erin Barker (Moth GrandSlam champion, co-host of The Story Collider) tell “stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe,” hosted at UCB East by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas The Adam Wade Show and Whatever Happened to the Nerds?; for a sampling of Adam’s award-winning tales, please click here), : Tales of the Cosmos

7:00 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv at The PIT downstairs lounge from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers: Rap Crimes Division

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic solo performances—storytelling, sketch, and whatever else isn’t stand-up or improv—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Bill Stiteler & Adam Schwartz: Wank

7:30 pm ($7): Andrew Yurman-Glaser and Dustin Drury perform at The Magnet as improv duo Upstate

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door or $11.34 in advance online): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Jon Glaser (star of Adult Swim’s Delocated; long-time writer/performer for Conan O’Brien), Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Bill Stiteler (The Newlywed Game), and Sagar Bhatt performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Tyler Fischer: Fresh Fisch

[FREE] 8:00 pm: “Want to see your favorite stand-up comics get slapped by Satan himself? He only hosts bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne and Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man’s shoes and put NYC’s finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls? Come see for yourself in this monthly showcase” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s performed on David Letterman and Jay Leno, and starred in two Comedy Central specials, headlining tonight and Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Mitch Fatel

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Joe List (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE’s A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), Jeff Wesselschmidt, and Nick Maritato performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Todd Barry (might be 9:00 pm only), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

9:30 pm ($5): “A monthly show featuring long form improv of three diverse schools of thought and culminating in a cross-team closing” at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sharif Ali and Kelly Ann Rockwell: World’s Fair

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Hilarious, organic show in which stand-ups Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV), Adam Conover (College Humor, host of Fresh Out), Greg Stone, Team Submarine, Eli Sairs, Gonzalo Cordova, Luis Gomez, and Kris Tinkle perform anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can’t even imagine—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City produced by Kelly Fastuca, Reid Faylor, and Andrew Short: Underbelly

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf—which in a phenomenal run crushed over a dozen improv troupes in a row this year at Cage Match—makes stuff up at UCB East for an entire hour: Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

10:30 pm ($7): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

11:00 pm ($5): All-gal improv at The PIT upstairs theatre from troupe Goldie and the Hawns (Jennifer Bild, Christine DeNoon, Julianne Dunn, and Brandy Mitchell), plus guest stand-up and sketch gal comics: Boneless! A Night of Women in Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: The delightful Amber Nelson (sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Late Night Stand and Mustache Party) debuts with Kat Toledo in a sketch show Amber mostly wrote (with help from Jill Morris, Kat Toledo, and Jeff Seal) that “explores the moment before a breakdown, the breakdown, and what happens after” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Snapped

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), and Sam Morril performing stand-up at UCB Chelsea with host Andy Rocco: Underground Americana

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East that includes typically includes superb NYC comics—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Janeane Garofalo, Judah Friedlander, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Tyler Fischer's Fresh Fisch | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 8/3/12

August 3, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For best video previews of FringeNYC 2012 shows, please click here.

Judah Friedlander headlines at Carolines…

…and JC Coccoli performs at Annie Lederman’s “Pirate Party;” The PIT’s “Undefined” and UCB East’s “Gentrify”

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: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($10 plus 1 drink min.): “Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theater, a shark swims right into your heart.” Beloved storyteller/stand-up/sketch comic John Flynn stars—superbly—as a singing shark, along with two wonderful finds, powerhouse singer Laura Daniel and comedy dynamo Brett Douglas, in this 40-minute musical written & composed by Wayne Henry at the Broadway Comedy Club (318 West 53rd Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues) that really should be doubled in length via a second act but in the meantime is worth catching as is (running tonight and just a few other dates): Jaws: The Musical

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): One of my favorite writer/actress/improvisors, the brilliant and luminous Lauren Olson, teams with Jon Bander and Karsten Cross at The Magnet to perform as improv trio Mr. Gorsky; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv troupe Swartzlander

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Comedy genius Shannon O’Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Stepfathers, Diamond Lion) does a monthly show at UCB Chelsea based on nothing but interviews with the audience and sheer guts: Strangers Wanted with Shannon O’Neill

8:00 pm ($5): “It may be made up on the spot, but there is a method to the madness. In this show players explore the structure of improv by performing unique forms provided by the community and abroad” at The PIT downstairs lounge: True to Form

8:00 pm ($5): D&D-style epic fantasy improv, plus nerdy stand-up, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Eric Grundhauserled as your Dungeon Master

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that’s first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($7): Two of the most respected improvisors in the country, Magnet co-owner Armando DIaz and Christina Gausas team up as Diaz & Gausas

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s performed on David Letterman and Jay Leno, and starred in two Comedy Central specials, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Mitch Fatel

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30ish pm: Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), and Adam Conover (College Humor, host of Fresh Out) performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) hosted by Annie Lederman—followed by wild Karaoke party!: Pirate Party

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—Michael Kayne, Amber Petty, Ashley Ward, Morgan Phillips, and Winston Noel—plus tonight’s guests Fran Gillespie (ASSSSCAT 3000, Stone Cold Fox, The Law Firm, The Living Room), Lauren Adams (Newsadoozies, Onassis), and Tim Martin (Airwolf) making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), TV & movie star Todd Barry (might be 9:00 pm only), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($5): The Lucas Bros (Jimmy Fallon), JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), and Harrison Greenbaum (writer for Mad Magazine; head writer of Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro on NBCU/Telemundo; winner of the 2010 Andy Kaufman Award) performing stand-up, plus others doing sketch, improv, and who knows what else, at The PIT downstairs lounge with host Jeremy Wein: Undefined

9:30 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Joe Zimmerman (Rooftop Comedy), Dave Stone (Adult Swim’s Squidbillies), Andy Sanford (TBS), and TJ Young “deliver an original brand of humor that’s deeply rooted in stand-up and lightly blended with avant-garde elements of music, sketch and improv.” This bearded quartet’s credits include the album Cardio Mix from Comedy Central Records. Tonight they’re joined by NYC stand-ups performing at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: The Beards of Comedy & Friends

10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

10:00 pm ($5): A one-man show about a port-a-john manager seeking advice from a variety of oddball sources, written & performed by Tim Leuzarder at The PIT downstairs lounge: Mentor-ized: Looking For Help In All The Wrong Places

10:30 pm ($10): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), JC Coccoli (Key & Peele; looks great in a hat), Team Submarine, and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D’Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

11:00 pm ($5): Where else can you find a late-night improvised exorcism besides The PIT downstairs lounge?: The Exorcism of Lucas Hazlett

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail

Midnight ($5): A three-person improv competition at UCB East hosted by Brian Glidewell, Josh Patten, and Ben Rameaka: Three for All

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it’s an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Plus it’s hosted by members of Maude troupe Fambly, often including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, JC Coccoli, Judah Friedlander, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 8/2/12

August 2, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

John Mulaney (above), Janeane Garofalo, Adam Newman, and more perform stand-up & raise funds at tonight’s Fresh Out

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] 6:00 pm: Jane Borden (former Comedy Editor of Time Out New York, author of I Totally Meant to Do That) is tonight’s guest co-host at this weekly open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn (memorably featured here): Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT downstairs lounge mix with novices on-stage at Pitch

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics’ names drawn from a bucket and each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Corby Haas

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, “all of the badass-ness of a baddass action film brought to you live on stage” by Brandon Gulya (writer/co-star), Brandon Scott Jones, Leslie Meisel, Kristen Acimovic, Eddie Dunn, Tim Martin, and Evan Greenspoon in The Unbreakable Gun; and in the other half of this double-bill, a show I know nothing about titled The Infinity Brothers

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): One of my favorite people, Julie Sharbutt—who’s performed with some of the greatest improvisors alive at UCBT’s Gravid Water—goes for improv gold herself with comedy partner Cathleen Carr (Birds, The Scene, Dos Experimentos) as they “hope to establish themselves as the leading voices in contemporary South Boston crime noir improv comedy. Watch them, along with special guests Bob Kulhan and Chris Roberti, unspool a suspenseful, heavily-accented mystery thrilla” at The PIT upstairs theatre: Mystic Improv

7:00 pm ($5): Two one-night-only singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Musical Improv Mix-Em-Up: Dorothy and Blanche

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe The Boss to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Mamrie Hart is a rising star who somehow manages to be razor-sharp and immensely warm & accessible at the same time—and is always worth catching. Mamrie and her superb comedy partner Stephen Soroka tonight perform puns, wild facial expressions, dance, rock trivia, audience pranks, murder reenactments, and more as sketch duo BoF: Friends Without Benefits…

…plus in the other half of this double-bill, “For over a year, Patrick Waldo scrawled his moustache tag on countless advertisements around New York City, entertaining commuters and causing thousands of dollars in damage. After a three month investigation, the NYPD put an end to his spree when they arrested Waldo under felony charges of graffiti, criminal mischief, and fucking shit up,” written & starring Patrick Waldo, and directed by Nate Dern & John Flynn: Moustache Man: Confessions of a NYC Graffiti Artist

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Superb comics—including Adira Amram, Doppelganger, and Annie Lederman—perform at The PIT upstairs theatre for judges of this Andy Kaufman Award Auditions

8:00 pm ($5): Two one-night-only singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Musical Improv Mix-Em-Up: Sophia and Rose

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, TV & movie star Todd Barry, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and/or comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), and more performing stand-up and raising fund at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover: Fresh Out

9:30 pm ($8): Rory Albanese (Executive Producer for The Daily Show), Jeff Maurer (Last Comic Standing), Jim Tews, and Emily Epstein performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge co-produced by Meg Cupernall and hosted by Ryan Conner (freelance writer for SNL, BBC): Free Healthcare

9:30 pm ($5): Aat UCB Chelsea, an improvised movie from troupe The Buffs and then improv scenes based on a series of audiene suggestions from troupe The Pad

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge for The Scene

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Wow. In a major upset, shiny new Lloyd team Graceland defeated world-class troupe Doppelganger last week 92-54. I didn’t see it, but you can read a report from blog Improv Observations here. Can Graceland keep it up against tonight’s killer challenger Good Dad, comprised of such superstars as Neil Casey, Fran Gillespie, and Jon Gabrus? Come find out as these two teams compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, John Mulaney, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

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