September | 2012 | Best New York Comedy

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 9/20/12

September 20, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

New Yorker cartoonists Paul Noth (above and below)…

…Christopher Weyant, and Drew Dernavich are interviewed at “Running Late with Scott Rogowsky”…

…Dave Hill performs on Tom Shillue’s “Funny Story”…

…and a classic 1968 Monkees film is dissected at “Head”

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: Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT 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

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows I know nothing about—We Don’t Have Money to Pay Our Rent and Our First Orgy—audition for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. At $2.50 per show, it’s hard to go wrong with Spank

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Blowout show with comedic authors Jonathan Ames (creator of HBO’s Bored to Death; author of Wake Up, Sir), 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), and Todd Hanson (long-time head writer of The Onion) performing at Brooklyn’s Public Assembly (70th North 6th Street, by the L subway’s Bedford Avenue stop), plus free books from Forbidden Planet, and sketches from Moon regulars Camille Harris, Jordan Clifford, Tim Skinner, and Tim Whitney, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show: Tribute to Books

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Davy and Peter Rothbart, the owners of Found Magazine, are touring the country to celebrate the mag’s 10th Anniversary. Join them for their one-night-only show at UCB East as they tell stories, sing, and show you cool stuff they’ve discovered: My Heart Is An Idiot: Found Magazine’s 10th Anniversary Tour

7:00 pm ($8): Improv troupe Maybe Sherman makes up scenes involving mobsters at The PITupstairs theatre: MafiaProv

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill atThe 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 Junior Varsity to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm: A comedy force of nature—tough, smart, honest, hilarious—who is one of the very finest stand-ups ever (for video samples, please click here) performs tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club. All performances are sold out, but you can try for a stand-by line: Bill Burr

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($18 at the door or $21.95 online): “The trippiest psychedelic cult film of all time,” Head, written by Jack Nicholson and starring The Monkees, is screened at Brooklyn’s The Bell House (149 7th Street, between Second and Third Avenues) and then dissected by Kurt Loder (The Good, the Bad and the Godawful), Julie Klausner (razor-sharp comic & storyteller; host of How Was Your Week podcast; author of I Don’t Care About Your Band), Monkees historian Eric Lefcowitz (Monkee Business: The Revolutionary Made-For-TV Band), music journalist Rob Sheffield (Rolling Stone), and “other special guests:” Night of the Living: Head

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10, which includes a free beer): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) gathers top comics to tell funny stories at the Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th Street), with tonight’s guests Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, The Dave Hill Explosion, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, champion rapper; new book Tasteful Nudes), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), and Garrett Oliver: Tom Shillue’s Funny Story

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a delightful dark musical about the rich consuming the poor—literally. Witty songs from Brian Glidewell, Marcy Jarreau, and Kevin Carter, a uniformly strong cast (Megan Maes, Aaron Jackson, Michael Martin, Katie Schorr, Dan Hodapp, Brian Glidewell, and Stephanie Streisand), and sharp direction from Christopher Gladysz and Lauren Conlin Adams make this 30-minute surreal parody of Newsies a winner as a UCBT comedy, and recommended. That said, right now the story is paper-thin and the characters cardboard. While the latter is turned into an asset (e.g., a leg-injured character is hilariously named “Cripply”), I’m hoping the creators consider making all the elements deeper and more nuanced, and expanding the production to a 90-minute legit theatre length. Meanwhile, enjoy this remarkably compact version that delivers a quick, sharp punch to the gut you’re likely to remember: Newsadoozies: A Man-Eating Musical…

…and in the other half of this double-bill, 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 duoBoF: Friends Without Benefits

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

8:00 pm ($8): A monthly variety show that “features longform puppet improv, collaborations with special guests, choose-your-own-adventures, give-aways, and more” at The PIT upstairs theatre:An Existential Sing-Along

8:00 pm ($5; includes free beer): A charming monthly comedy variety show, tonight featuring Jeffrey Joseph (stand-up), Charla Lauriston (storyteller), Youth Group (improv troupe), and more performing at ABC No Rio (156 Rivington Street, between Suffolk and Clinton) hosted by Bridgid Ryan and her improv/sketch troupe Chester (Bridgid Ryan, Sunita Mani, Bryan Rucker, Zack Willis, Caitlin Steitzer, and Adam Jacobson): Don’t You Find Us Charming?

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes The Boss, Hello Laser, Brick, and Junior Varsity performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Neil McNamara directing Deep Dish (long-form improv interspersed with character monologues), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challengecomponent): 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] [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 comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

9:00 pm ($5): Reid Faylor (co-host of hilarious Creek show Underbelly), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host ofHot Soup and We’re All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Katie Compa, and George Gordon performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover & Emily Heller: Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10 at the door, $11.34 in advance online): New Yorker cartoonists Paul Noth, Christopher Weyant, and Drew Dernavich share their work and insider stories about the legendary magazine with host Scott Rogowsky (writer for The Onion) at The PIT upstairs theatre, plus interviews with portrait painter Jonathan Blum and storyteller Andy Ross: Running Late with Scott Rogowsky

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): The Emmy-winning writers of The Colbert Report gather on the UCB West stage to perform an all-improvised show at Seize the Mustard

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

[FREE] 9:30 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Good Dad, comprised of such superstars as Neil Casey, Fran Gillespie, and Jon Gabrus, outplayed The Improvised Play last week, scoring 77-48 for its 8th consecutive win. Tonight Good Dad plans to kill with kindness UCB East group What I Did for Love, as these two teams compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two iO Chicago improv veterans, Alex Eilhauer & Marla Caceres, repeat a scene multiple times, “twisting and re-envisioning it until they squeeze out every last drop of hilarity from it” for one night only at The PIT downstairs lounge: Alex Eilhauer & Marla Caceres: Endlessly Repeating Improv

11:00 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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Dave Hill, Improv, Paul Noth, Scott Rogowsky, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The Monkees: Head, The New Yorker cartoonists, Tom Shillue's Funny Story | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wednesday 9/19/12

September 19, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Comedy superstar Sarah Silverman is slated to perform…

…at UCB East for “Big Long Sets”

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 downstairs lounge (at 6:00 pm) and upstairs theatre (7:00 pm on) for 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 ($5): Charles Star (host of Adult Education), Giulio Galarotti (MTV), Subhah Agarwal, and Jay Nog performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by the delightful Abbi Crutchfield (VH1) and comedic rapper Andrew Singer (Atom TV): Positively Awesome

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Nintendo, Dr. Champagne, The Wrath, Brick, Featherweight, Chet Watkins, Flower Girl, and Bloomer performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Bloomer at 11:30 pm: The Magnet’s Megawatt

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

8:00 pm ($5): Two sketch shows I haven’t yet seen at UCB Chelsea: Brent Sullivan presents fake profiles he used to communicate via social networks with people he’d normally be terrified to contact at Profiles in Cowardice; and a (mostly) one-man show by George Kareman titled Incredibly Extreme and Extremely Incredible

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups perform for a show sponsored by Carolines at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Nick Turner: Comics to Watch Showcase

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically terrific NYC comics (not announced) performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup) typically hosted by Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman, and/or Max Silvestri: Big Terrific

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): A weekly wild experiment in dark comedy, blending sketch and improv, from two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (briefly back from LA; Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) at UCB East with tonight’s guests John Flynn (superb storyteller/actor/host; The Nights of Our Lives, host of Oh, Hey Guys!) and Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV, VH1), plus producer Andy Rocco: The Tony and Johnny Show

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), J.R. Havlan (writer for The Daily Show), Josh Spear (NBC’s The Today Show), TJ Young (The Beards of Comedy), and Grant Gordon performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack’s Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): “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…

…and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, red-hot rising star Mamrie Hart, plus a bunch of guys, perform a variety show extolling the wonders of nectar written by & starring Colin Elzie, Pat O’Brien, and Ben Wietmarschen: The Honeymen: A Salute to Honey

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:00 ($5): Good god. Comedy superstar Sara Silverman is slated to perform a comedy club-length set at UCB East, along with Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX’s In Living Color, Comedy Central), hosted by Adam Newman (Comedy Central, College Humor). Thank you, UCBT: Big Long Sets

[FREE] 10:00 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger) hosts 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 performers include Sasheer & A Snail, Brandon Gulya, and Goofy Bitches; for the complete 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: 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: Big Long Sets, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Sarah Silverman, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 9/18/12

September 18, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Comedy stars David Wain and…

…Ted Alexandro are among the comedy stars celebrating the 8th Anniversary of Seth Herzog’s “Sweet”

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 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] 6:30 pm ($5): Ace all-gal improv troupe Doppelganger makes up scenes based around audience tattoos at UCB Chelsea in Doppelganger Gets Inked

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, four of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Mint Condition and Aquarius (at 7:00) and Atticus 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: Musical Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Calista Brill (Senior Editor of First Second Books) and comedian Scott Eckert joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage for a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comic books and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Stand-up from Irish comic David O’Doherty and the delightful Camille Harris, magic from Vinny DePonto, rock from Quiet Loudly, Andrew W.K. (party-rock icon), and comic book giveaways from Forbidden Planet at Brooklyn’s Union Pool (484 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars Camille Harris, Jordan Clifford, James Beard, Tim Skinner, and Tim Whitney, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A beloved show that brings dead celebrities back to life at UCB East, with magical comedic chameleon Livia Scott (Conan O’Brien, Law & Order, Dirty Movie) hosting tonight as a delightfully diverse grouping of Maria Callas, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Christopher Hitchens! Joining the party are Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV’s NewNowNext, Sirius Radio’s Frank DeCaro Show), John Early (30 Rock), and sketch troupe Rejected Pitches: Livia’s Castle of Enchantment

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Erin Judge (Comedy Central; comedy album So Many Choices; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing, MTV’s Ridiculousness, VH1), Amber Nelson (fearless rising star; sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Late Night Stand and Mustache Party), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel, FX’s Totally Biased), and “a guest so special and sooo secret they won’t even tell me who he/she is” performing on this week’s topic Going to Live on the Farm at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) hosted tonight by Emily Heller (Comedy Central): The Afterlife: Going to Live on the Farm

8:00 pm ($8): Head writer & director Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team, The Baldwins, Jen & Steve) and a dozen other talents perform brand new sketch comedy at The PIT downstairs lounge: Big Business

[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

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically sharp NYC stand-ups (for an update, please click here) performing at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, notable hair): Crime & Punishment

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($15 at the door or $18.83 online): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), David Wain (member of seminal MTV sketch show The State and comedy group Stella; writer/director whose work includes feature films Wanderlust, Role Models, Little Big Men, The Ten, Wet Hot American Summer), Will Forte (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock), and “very special guests” performing at The Studio at Webster Hall (125 East 11th Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues) for the Eighth Anniversary of this wonderful comedy show hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes The Pox, Good Girl, and Sandino—plus advanced improv students mash up forms LaRonde and Montage by starting with a series of unlikely pairings and then ending “somewhere deep inside a pile of hilarious character” for a hybrid form called LaRONTAGE—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

9:30 pm ($5): Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno, Comedy Central, MTV’s Punk’d, IFC’s Do Whatever) performs a one-man show at UCB East consisting of stand-up, stories, and characters: Barry Rothbart’s Evening of Evening Comedy

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

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at this monthly gay-themed show at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Tom Steffen: Rapier Wit

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Rich Vos (stand-up star on two seasons of Last Comic Standing and on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; Comedy Central Presents; Opie & Anthony radio show), Bonnie McFarlane (HBO, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Maronzio Vance (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and Sean O’Connor (Conan O’Brien, The Sports Show with Norm MacDonald) performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: 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, David Wain, Improv, Seth Herzog's Sweet, Sketch, Stand-Up, Ted Alexandro | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 9/17/12

September 17, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Todd Barry—plus, with luck, a superstar “mystery guest”—is at Hot Tub Variety…

…and stunningly talented & fearless comedic singer Jessica Delfino performs at Comedy Central Corporate Retreat

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: Weekly hour-long 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 host Jake Hart: The Dump

6:00 pm ($5 cover for comics—no cover for audience members if you mention code HyReviews—and $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 ($5): Chris Nester & Ross Taylor are aspiring Country Western musicians who “sneak laughs and toe-tapping-tunes in between serious moral lessons based on suggestions from the audience (sinners welcome!)” at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Oakwood Boys: MoralityProv

[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): 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), Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It), and a mystery guest (who the show poster hints at being—let’s just say a very, very famous female comic) performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice): Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CDs Dirty Folk Rock and I Wanna Be Famous; created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; to get a feel for Jessica’s range and talent, please click here), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; former staff writer for David Letterman), Summer & Eve (terrific comedic musical group), and Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV): Comedy Central Corporate Retreat

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Winner of the 2008 Edinburgh Comedy Award, Irish comic David O’Doherty briefly visits NYC and shares with us his one-man show at UCB Chelsea for one night only: Seize The David O’Doherty

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Storytellers Cammi Climaco (Ask Me Stories), Kambri Crews (author of Burn Down the Ground), Abbi Crutchfield (Positively Awesome), William Mullin (Santa Fe Comedy Festival), Improv performed by talented duos at The PIT upstairs theatre: Bare! True Stories of Sex, Desire and Romance

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (writer for MTV’s Epic Fall; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX’s In Living Color, Comedy Central), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), and more performing stand-up at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway’s Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Nimesh Patel, Mike Denny, and/or Michael Che: 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 Biege (which includes Dan Hodapp, who recently co-starred in FringeNYC smash hit Tail! Spin!): Maude Night: Fambly and Beige

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] 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 Kendra Cunningham, Sean Donnelly, Carrie Gravenson, John Mooney, Jason Marcus,Justin Murray, Peter Moses and Nick Marito performing at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host Pat O’Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid

10:00 pm ($5): A variety show in which comics perform characters, stand-up, and other bits at The Magnet hosted by Jon Bander: What’s to Get?

[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 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: Comedy, Comedy Central Corporate Retreat, Comedy NYC Tonight, Hot Tub Variety Show, Jessica Delfino, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Todd Barry | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 9/16/12

September 16, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Eugene Mirman (above) and Bobby Tisdale host stars who are likely to includie…

…comedy genius Daniel Kitson on this final day of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival

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

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm-11:00 pm ($10-$20): A comedy shorts screening and a top comics showcase, in Brooklyn’s Union Hall and Bell House, for this final evening of the Fifth Annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there’ll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Comics and other artists present their actual work from high school and earlier—video, poetry, plays, short stories, songs, etc.—at The PIT’s upstairs theatre curated by Chris Aurilio : Some of Our Early Work

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A unique organic talent who’s a regular guest on Conan O’Brien, and co-stared in the Comedians of Comedy tour and Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program, headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Brian Posehn

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBwest’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

[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 ($8): “Magician Michael Feldman pulls back the curtain, giving you a glimpse into the secret worlds of sleight-of-hand performers and psychic charlatans” at The PIT’s upstairs theatre: The Importance of Being Gullible

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson), Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream, 9 Am Meeting), and Charlie Kasov (MTV’s Guy Code) performing at RG’s free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5):Sketch comedy from a Magnet team directed by Chet Siegel and with a nerdy Jewish name: Darth Vader Ginsburg

8:00 pm ($5): Two improv troupes performing at The PIT’s downstairs lounge: Herschel and Gameface

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Kate Hendricks, Zach McGovern, Joe Zimmerman, and Rob Haze performing 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

9:30 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comedy teams try out new material at this show with the on-the-nose title Magnet Sketch Teams

[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

[$] 10:00 pm (call 212.757.4100 for cover price, plus 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s performed on Comedy Central, and has some fine bits about cigarettes and pedophiles, headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Mike Recine

[FREE] 10:00 pm:Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Allison Castillo , and Hadiyah Robinson performing stand-up for this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 9/15/12

September 15, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Comedy stars Colin Quinn, Janeane Garofalo, and a mystery guest perform stand-up at “If You Build It”…

…Brian Posehn headlines at Carolines, and Amy Schumer headlines at Gotham (earlier shows are sold out, but nab tickets for Amy’s finale at 11:45 pm)

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 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

[TOP PICK] 4:30 pm-11:00 pm ($15-$20): Top comics from NYC and elsewhere—including UK phenom Daniel Kitson—gather tonight for three different shows, in Brooklyn’s Union Hall and Bell House, for the next-to-last day of the Fifth Annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival

[TOP PICK] 5:30 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: Jaws: The Musical

[FREE] 5:30 pm: New improv teams experimenting with new forms at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Andy Rocco and Jon Monje: Anybody Vs. Everybody: An Improv Show for You

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Gunther, Big Fat Liars, and Sad Kids at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): The UK’s renowned Cambridge University is known for great scholarly achievement…but also a comedy troupe named The Footlights that helped launch the careers of John Cleese (Monty Python), Hugh Laurie (House), Emma Thompson (Love Actually), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), and more. The 2012 edition of this group performs tonight at UCB East as part of a world tour: Cambridge Footlights: Perfect Strangers

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Original comedic songs are showcased, with tonight’s superb performers Jessica Delfino (I Wanna Be Famous album), Amy Albert (Delilah Dix and her Bag of Tricks), Juliet Jeske (Huffington Post video blogger), Ashley Brooke Roberts, and Kathleen Armenti at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Justin Perez & Shaina Stigler: Totally Requesty

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

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A unique organic talent who’s a regular guest on Conan O’Brien, and co-stared in the Comedians of Comedy tour and Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program, headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Brian Posehn

8:00 pm ($5): Katie Hartman (Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting), Jon Bander (Harvey), and Jenn Dodd (Buttski and Glasscock’s Talent Blowout) perform comedic characters at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Delilah Dix: What a Bunch Of Dix!

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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing stand-up at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and/or Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, “a very special guest we can’t even name,” and more celebrating the One Year Anniversary of this weekly stand-up show at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: 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] [$] [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): Comedy stars Ted Alexandro (possibly just 9:00 pm), Christian Finnegan, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($5): “Ashley Rebecca King and Gregory von Portz present a post-dinner poolside party for their hippest and most sophisticated friends. Menthol-cool musical stylings and intellectual discourse abound as you are treated to a floor show with a carefully chosen set list, curated by the world’s foremost cover-band artists, that changes monthly. Dip in; it’s never the same dive twice” at The PIT downstairs lounge: Moon Pools

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

10:00 pm ($5): Comics performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight’s show featuring Matt McCarthy and probably a small army of others, hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-up, sketch, and who knows what else at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by a stand-up/sketch duo: Team Submarine and Friends

[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): 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: Grandma’s Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and has so far crushed 10 improv groups in a row at Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): For a change of pace, improv master Ed Herbstman joins Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney performing 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

[TOP PICK] 11:30 ($8): NYC’s heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which doesn’t always ht the mark but provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and won an ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group—performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Murderfist: Late and Dirty

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer is one of the very finest stand-ups in the country, with performances on Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, and more; and Amy’s just getting started with a career that’s likely to skyrocket. Amy’s headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club. Tickets are mostly sold out, but there are still some left for the 11:45 pm finale; grab them while you can…: Amy Schumer

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 for ratings!” Featuring over a dozen comics performing at UCB Chelsea, including Nicole Byer and Rob Lathan: Late Night Trash

Midnight ($5): Screenings at UCB East (which used to be an indie film theatre) of brand new comedy videos that haven’t yet been released: Test Screening

[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.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 9/14/12

September 14, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Sarah Silverman and Daniel Kitson are among the stars at this year’s Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival

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 at The Magnet 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:” Scoresby

7:00 pm ($8): Young improvisors at The PIT downstairs lounge make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Shady Bunch

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there’ll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by Nate Dern and Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm-11:00 pm ($15-$20): Top comics from NYC and elsewhere gather tonight for two different shows, in Brooklyn’s Union Hall and Bell House, for this weekend’s Fifth Annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): The UK’s renowned Cambridge University is known for great scholarly achievement…but also a comedy troupe named The Footlights that helped launch the careers of John Cleese (Monty Python), Hugh Laurie (House), Emma Thompson (Love Actually), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), and more. The 2012 edition of this group performs tonight at UCB Chelsea as part of a world tour: Cambridge Footlights: Perfect Strangers

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A unique organic talent who’s a regular guest on Conan O’Brien, and co-stared in the Comedians of Comedy tour and Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Brian Posehn

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-up, sketch, videos, and more at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre with Jeffrey Joseph and hosts Ron Krasnow & Joel Walkowski: The Short Bus

[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

8:30 pm ($7): Five veteran improvisors make stuff up at The Magnet as troupe Lead McEnroe

[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): Killer great lineup of TV & movie stars Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Ted Alexandro (possibly 9:00 pm only), Christian Finnegan, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[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

9:00 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

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 terrific comedic musical performers 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

[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

[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

[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): Comics (not announced) debating various topics, mixed with sketch and who knows what else, at UCB East hosted by Michael Shawki, Jeff Wesselschimdt, and Dan Licata: The Great Debate

[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: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, Improv, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 9/13/12

September 13, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

The lovely & brilliant Amy Schumer headlines at Gotham (nearly sold out, but tickets still available for Saturday at 11:45 pm)…

…and mega-selling author R. L. Stine is interviewed at Running Late with Scott Rogowsky

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; and tonight only, FREE PIZZA!] 6:00 pm: An “exciting mystery guest” helps celebrate the One Year Anniversary of 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!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT 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

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows I know nothing about but sound cool—Rewrite Movie Night and Bedtime Sketches—audition for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: Spank

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 The Boss to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines make use of their intimate knowledge of each other to gracefully make scenes up (hopefully without any fighting) at UCB East performing as duo The Brothers Hines

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer is one of the very finest stand-ups in the country, with performances on Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, and more; and Amy’s just getting started with a career that’s likely to skyrocket. Amy’s headlining tonight through Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club. Tickets are mostly sold out, but there are still some left for Saturday at 11:45; grab them while you can…: Amy Schumer

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, The Wrath, and Junior Varsity performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Neil McNamara directing Deep Dish (long-form improv interspersed with character monologues), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component): The Magnet’s Night Out

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-ups Leah Bonnema, Adam Lash, Adam Lehman, and Aalap Patel performing in Astoria Queens’ Mosaic Cafe & Lounge (25-19 24th Avenue) hosted by Liz Simons & Jenn Wehrung: Laugh It Up, Astoria

[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 and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon), Ashley Brooke Roberts, Josh Gondelman, Jono Zalay, Damien Lemon, and Nato Green 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 and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm: The wonderful Ben Schwartz (NBC’s Parks and Recreation, Showtime’s House of Lies, written for SNL and David Letterman, was member of brilliant sketch/improv troupe Hot Sauce) briefly returns from LA to improvise with some of his friends at UCB Chelsea in “a show that has nothing to do with snowpants:” Ben Schwartz Presents Snowpants

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10 at the door, $11.34 in advance online): Scott Rogowsky (writer for The Onion, co-host of 12 Angry Mascots) returns to The PIT upstairs theatre to host “a unique talk show experience that needs to be experienced to be experienced. There will be plenty of bits, skits, chits and chats, and maybe that pretty girl you saw on the 6 train last night will be in the audience! It’s a big city, but you run into people,” with tonight’s guests mega-bestselling horror author R. L. Stine (Goosebumps), Emmy Award winning journalist David Shuster (CNN, MSNBC, host of Take Action News), Dan Klein & Kelly Hudson (creators of Rejected Pitches on the Above Average Channel), and comedy duo twins Stone & Stone (Last Comic Standing): Running Late with Scott Rogowsky

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: 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, did something really difficult last week by crushing Diamond Lion—specifically, 137-29. Sorry I missed that; but tonight provides another chance, when the champion vies with The Improvised Play (performing every Saturday night at The Soho Playhouse). Come experience these two formidable teams compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): A mock Presidential fundraiser at UCB East featuring Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Connor Ratliff, Don Fanelli, and many more: The Concert for Ratliff 35/2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Amy Schumer, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Goosebumps, Improv, R. L. Stine, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wednesday 9/12/12

September 12, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

At UCB Chelsea, one of the country’s finest sketch troupes retires tonight at Gramp’s: The FInale…

…and then improv genius Scott Adsit (above right) teams with fellow genius John Lutz 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:

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A special final performance of Gramp’s, which at its height with Kate McKinnon (now a cast member of Saturday Night Live) was not only the finest of UCBT’s Maude teams but one of the best sketch comedy groups in the country. Kate’s busy rehearsing tonight for SNL (which returns this Saturday 9/15), but Gramp’s writers and 20 superb performers will help blow the roof off at UCB Chelsea for Gramp’s: The Finale

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Indigo, Egg White, Plaid, Brick, Featherweight, Chet Watkins, Rose Petal, and Horses performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Egg White at 11:30 pm: The Magnet’s Megawatt

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Four free hours of improvisation at The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday

7:00 pm ($8): “Desperation, dictatorship, and punches to the testicles are just some of the themes in the second run of the sketch show written by Gabe Capone (National Scandal) and Ryan Darden (Nuns on the Run). It’s silly, cerebral, and unapologetically dark” at The PIT downstairs lounge: Gabe and Ryan’s Facebook Timeline

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: A live recording of host 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) and nearly a dozen NYC stand-ups—including Reid Faylor, Lee Camp, Dave Waite, and Danny Lobell—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Stand-Up Records

8:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Livia Scott (magical comedic chameleon; Conan O’Brien, Livia’s Castle of Enchantment), Josh Gondelman (G4’s Attack of the Show), Aalap Patel, Calvin S. Cato, and Nathan Rand performing at McSwiggan’s (393 Second Avenue off 23rd Street) hosted by Selena Coppock, Dan Cartwright, and/or 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

9:00 pm ($5 if you say “Double Dutch Bus,” otherwise $8): Stand-up Brendan McLaughlin, music from Jen Kwok, character comedy from Adam Haway, and sketch from troupes The Chris & Paul Show, The Release, and Sketch Tiger performing at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Annie Solstad Laferriere: September Sketch Block

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice), Calise Hawkins (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, writer for Playboy.com), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Mike Cannon (MTV), and Dan Hirshon performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack’s Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

9:00 pm ($5): Mindy Raf (brilliant comedic singer/songwriter; VH1, College Humor, YA novelist; often performs as alter ego Leibya Rogers), Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It), and Thomas Dale 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 Oprah for 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: The wonderful Sasheer Zamata (Doppelganger) hosts 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 Jena Friedman, Casey Jost, and Emmy Blotnick; for the complete list, 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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Gramp's: The Finale, Improv, John and Scott, John Lutz, Scott Adsit, Sketch, Stand-Up | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 9/11/12

September 11, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Matt Graham returns with his acclaimed FringeNYC one-man show “This Too Shall Suck”…

…and Sean Patton performs at “The Afterlife: Where Were You When?”

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] 6:30 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: BEEES! and Aquarius (at 7:00) and Mint Condition and Legend (at 8:30); followed at 10:15 by performers from a variety of improv teams joining for One Night Only to create a musical on the spot: Magnet Musical Megawatt

7:00 pm ($5; includes FREE COOKIES): Mostly-gal improv “specializing in upbeat montages that explore real human emotions in a fun way,” plus free cookies, at The PIT downstairs lounge: Baked by MMDK

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($18): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performed a one-man show at last month’s FringeNYC—and it’s now enjoying an extended run as part of the FringeNYC Encore Series. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman’s New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show and Air America Radio), David Rees (cartoonist of Get Your War On and How to Sharpen Pencils), and musical guest A.C. Newman (The New Pornographers) are interviewed about “their earliest creative experiences and the nuances of having a creative career” for a weekly podcast that once a month goes live on the UCB East stage with hosts Andy Beckerman & Mark Bisi: Beginnings

[TOP PICK] 8:00ish pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): 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), Anna Drezen, Joe Zimmerman, George Gordon, and Chris Waelti performing on this week’s topic Where Were You When? at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon and hosted tonight by Josh Gondelman: The Afterlife: Where Were You When?

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): 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 downstairs lounge: Mystic Improv

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

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (writer for MTV’s Epic Fall; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Emmy Blotnick (Jimmy Fallon), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Jason Saenz (sketch troupe Onassis), and Sachi Ezura performing stand-up at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Steve O’Brien, Robert Dean, and/or Kevin McCaffrey: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Creature, The Regulars, and Sandino—plus advanced improv students mash up forms LaRonde and Montage by starting with a series of unlikely pairings and then ending “somewhere deep inside a pile of hilarious character” for a hybrid form called LaRONTAGE—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Jess Dweck (writer for Jimmy Fallon), Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s New In Living Color), and Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here) are tonight’s guests at UCB East for a unique dark mix of improv and sketch provided by host Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) and producer Andy Rocco: The Tony Show

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

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up and sketch at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre, typically hosted by sketch troupes Savage Animal and/or Jerk Practice: Savage Animal

[$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Christian Finnegan (Conan O’Brien, co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1’s Best Week Ever, Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: 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, Improv, Matt Graham, Sean Patton, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, This Too Shall Suck | Permalink
Posted by hybender

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