Anthony Atamanuik | Best New York Comedy

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 7/9/13

July 9, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

The Jeselnik Offensive is back! Watch it at 10:30 on Comedy Central.

Singing duo The Reformed Whores perform for a full 40 minutes at The Bowery Electric…

…and Anthony Atamanuik plays award-winning science fiction author Hugh Bue at The Tony Show

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Character-based solo sketch at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): Comedy Character Showcase

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, five of The Magnet’s singing improv groups make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion, followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv group to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comic book creators Ed Catto & Joe Ahearn (Captain Action) join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates (and if you can’t make it, watch in online here): Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): As a comics fan, I love this concept: an improv troupe will make up scenes while playing Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and other members of the Justice League of America at The PIT downstairs lounge: JLA Improv

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Stand-up Alex Koll (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central) tries out new material every night through Saturday at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Week At the Creek: Alex Koll

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): The delightful Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; new album Ladies Don’t Spit) sing and make you laugh for 40 minutes The Bowery Electric Map Room (327 Bowery, off 2nd Street): The Reformed Whores

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Shannon O’Neill (comedy genius), Morgan Grace Jarrett (wonderful comedic actress, member of red-hot improv group Grandma’s Ashes), Lydia Hensler (also member of Grandma’s Ashes), and/or Brandon Scott Jones (top sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox, red-hot improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes, top comedic play Death Wears Stilettos) play host to stand-up from Megan Neuringer, storytelling from Samantha Warnick, and who knows what else at the UCB East theatre: Ladies Night: Men Welcome

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Amy Schumer (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; star of Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, great new DVD/CD Amy Schumer: Mostly Sex Stuff), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno, Comedy Central), and Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson (FX’s Louie, The Chris Rock Show): Amy Schumer, Ryan Hamilton, Lenny Marcus, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): “Ever wonder what happened to the characters in your favorite Fairy Tale after the story ended: if Ariel’s father ever re-married; if Simba and Nala ever had marital problems; if Goldilocks ever got her comeuppance for all that breaking and entering? Tell us your favorite fairy tale and we’ll improvise where the end of the story left off” at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Punctual Drunks

[$] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Movie & TV star Janeane Garofalo, plus fresh faces you might not have seen before, all performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie’s Gone): Jessica Kirson’s New Talent Night

8:00 pm ($8): Sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre from National Scandal

8:00 pm ($5): Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV’s Pranked), Jason Saenz (sketch troupe Onassis, co-host of Late Night Trash), Tanisha Long (MTV2’s Girl Code), Griffin Newman (MTV’s Nikki & Sara Live), and Jared Freid (MTV’s Failosophy) performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for this show hosted by Calvin Cole & Sharron Paul that calls attention to its inexpensive price: Cheap Date

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera, plus Charles Gould and Dan Licata: Dan + Joe + Charles’ Show

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Adam Cayton-Holland (Conan O’Brien, ABC’s Happy Endings, co-host of Grawlix), maybe Nick Swardson (Comedy Central’s Pretend Time with Nick Swardson, two Comedy Central specials, Grown Ups 2), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) 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 GoodGirl, Graceland, and Grammer—plus advanced improv students perform The Way of the Samurai—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliantly innovative comic Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, The Nights of Our Lives) plays oddball characters in a mix of sketch and improv. Tonight he’s “seminal science fiction author Hugh Bue doing readings from some of his Space-Eros classics, including the Nebula Award & Hugo Award winning novel Cosmic Bus. There will be a Q&A session, as well as a live performance of a Hugh Bue story interpreted into a short play. Also these comedians will be performing during Hugh Bue’s Methadone breaks.” And in between will be performances from comics Julia Wiedeman (one-woman show Naked People, host of Happy Hour Open-Mic Storytelling), Morgan Miller (Lloyd Night), and Aaron Glaser (Tosh.0). Friends, if I wasn’t seeing Daniel Kitson’s sold out show tonight, I’d be at the UCB East theatre for The Tony Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Half Hour; podcast You Had to Be There), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle’s Show, For the Love of the Game), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson (FX’s Louie, The Chris Rock Show): Judah Friedlander, Nick Griffin, Nikki Glaser, Gregg Rogell, and More

[$] 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), Brian Scolaro (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, AMC’s Mad Men, TBS’ Sullivan and Son), Jessimae Peluso (MTV’s Girl Code, Failosophy; Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, Tyra Banks, TruTV), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1, host of Nick Turner & Acquaintances), Scott Krinsky (NBC’s Chuck, Transformers), Derek Gaines, Chris Millhouse, and Mike Citera performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: ComedyJuice

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Luis J. Gomez, Dave Smith, and other NYC stand-ups performing live on stage for this podcast show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Legion of Skanks

Tuesday Open Mics & Jams

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:15 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types providing 2 minutes for each performer (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Jay Dean and Tynan DeLong: Two Nice Guys Open MIc

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: This weekly 2-hour open-mic storytelling show allows each performer a full 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC’s The Creek downstairs lounge, with tonight’s guest co-host either Roman Rimer or Maddog Mattern (or both) and host Jake Hart: The Dump

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Tuesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:15: Sign up at 9:30 pm for the opportunity to make up a musical on the spot with members of some of The Magnet’s finest singing improv groups: Magnet Musical Improv Mixer

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): 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

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens’ Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world’s top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar’s sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: If you want to know what is happening in NYC comedy on a particular day, you gotta get hip to this dude Hy Bender and his site Best New York Comedy. The site is updated daily and features a super exhaustive look at what is happening in the NYC comedy world that particular day. The site is updated religiously…It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 5/21/13

May 21, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Top comics on TV: Watch Andrea Rosen’s new docuseries here,
check out Pete Holmes’ new Comedy Central special/DVD here,
and catch a new Inside Amy Schumer at 10:30 pm on Comedy Central.

Anthony Atamanuik is imprisoned on the UCB East stage at tonight’s The Tony Show…

Henry Zebrowski: Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell

…and Henry Zebrowski, co-star of Adult Swim’s “Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell,” talks pop culture at Comic Book Club

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] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open-mic show, each comic has 3 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): Imposter Open Mic

[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: Fisticuffs and Mint Condition (at 7:00), Aquarius and BEEES! (at 8:00), and Legend at 9:00 pm), followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv group to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Henry Zebrowski (star of new live action Adult Swim series Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell) and comics creator Charles Soule (taking over the writing of DC’s Swamp Thing) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): One of my favorite people, Julie Sharbutt—who’s performed with some of the greatest improvisors alive at UCBT’s Gravid Water—co-stars in this improvised Boston-flavored show described as follows: “Okay you fuckas. If you haven’t gotten a chance to see one of the awesomest, darkest improv shows this side of Mystic River, you’ve been missing out. It’s been a wicked fuckin run, but the Dennis Lehane-inspired south Boston crime noir improv show featuring a cast of Sox-lovas is drawing to an end, at least for a while, so come see Julie Sharbutt, Cathleen Carr, Micah Sherman, Erick Hellwig, and Chris Roberti unspool a suspenseful, heavily-accented mystery thrilla” at The PIT downstairs lounge: Mystic Improv

[FREE] 7:00 pm: This weekly 2-hour open-mic storytelling show allows each performer a full 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC’s The Creek downstairs lounge, tonight guest-hosted by David Arroyo (Along Came A Story) and hosted by Jake Hart: The Dump

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Mark Normand (hilarious rising star; Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; opens for Amy Schumer; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Cocoon Central Dance Team (comedic dance), and Har Mar Superstar performing at Brooklyn’s Union Pool (484 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars Camille Harris, Jordan Clifford, and Tim Skinner, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($35 using code CQUSTX online or at the box office): TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs a show he’s been developing for months for this off-Broadway run (through June 3rd) that looks at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway’s Christopher Street stop): Colin Quinn: Unconstitutional

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/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), Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle’s Show, For the Love of the Game), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), and Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno): John Mulaney, Tom Papa, Gregg Rogell, and More

8:00 pm ($5): Making great use of UCB East’s previous incarnation as an indie movie theatre, tonight features screenings of select films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots. The shorts receiving the most audience votes get to continue with additional episodes, while the others are “canceled” at Channel 101

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; head writer for Inside Amy Schumer,writer for Kroll Show, former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Michael Palashak (visiting from LA; David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Half Hour), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1, host of Nick Turner & Acquaintances), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) perform with composer Matt Garrisona’s four-piece jazz band playing in the background at Queens LIC’s The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Mike Finoia: Code Name: Comedy and Jazz

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups Graceland, Sherlock & Cookies, and Bucky—plus 16 advanced improv students perform “cool, weird Non-Traditional Harolds ranging from the Silent Movie Harold to the infamous Black Tuesday (Tragic) Harold”—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliantly innovative improvisor Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, The Nights of Our Lives) “has been kidnapped by an alien race and imprisoned in a cell that looks just like the UCB East stage. Will Tony be able to gain his freedom…or will he discover he’s actually been imprisoned his entire life?” Plus razor-sharp stand-ups Erin Lennox (host of DTF, co-host of The Orphanage), Michelle Wolf (adorable & irresistible dark comic; IFC), and Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream), all performing at UCB East with producer Andy Rocco: The Tony Show

[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

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Atamanuik, Comedy, Henry Zebrowski, Improv, New York Comedy, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 3/26/13

March 26, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Catch a new The Jeselnik Offensive at 10:30 on Comedy Central.

Fearless storyteller Anthony Atamanuik tells of his days as an addict in one-man show Pissing Your Pants On Vine…

…and TV & movie star Justin Long (Mac commercials, Live Free or Die Hard) DJs at 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:

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): 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:” Pens & 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, four of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Aquarius and Fisticuffs (at 7:00), Legend and Mint Condition (at 8:30), and BEEES! (at 9:00 pm), followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv troupe to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs bits from a show he’s developing for an off-Broadway run that looks at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comic book creators joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

[FREE] 7:00 pm: This weekly 2-hour open-mic storytelling show allows each performer a full 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC’s The Creek downstairs lounge, tonight featuring guest co-host Neil Constantine (Cluster Fuck Radio) and host Jake Hart: The Dump

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Sherlock & Cookies, Rocks, and Guthrie at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Amazing improv beatbox from Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown), cartoon talk from New Yorker cartoonist Erik Bergstrom (also cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales and blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), stand-up from Janine Brito (staff writer/performer for FX’s Totally Biased), a story from Dawn Fraser (Barbershop Stories, The Moth), plus Michael Fisher (Movies I Slept Through), Austin Rodrigues (Comedy Central), and Rob Gorden (Onion News Network), all performing at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell and featuring Jill the Shrink Dancer and DJ Pandamonium: The Big Shrink

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), 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), Josh Gondelman, Allen Strickland Williams, and Sean Wilkinson performing stand-up on tonight’s theme What Are the Odds? at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon, and hosted tonight by Erin Judge (Comedy Central; for hilarious bit, please click here) and George Gordon: The Afterlife: What Are the Odds?

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Nick DiPaolo, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, and More

8:00 pm ($8): Improv troupe Adorable makes up a musical on the spot at The PIT upstairs theatre: Adorable Musical Improv

[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 ($5): Justin Long (NBC’s Ed, Galaxy Quest, Going the Distance, Live Free or Die Hard, the Mac in Apple Computer commercials), Colin Jost (Co-Head Writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon), Baratunde Thurston (author of How to Be Black, CNN pundit), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) 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 Salmon Diane, A Sparrow, and GoodGirl—plus an all-gal group of 16 advanced improv students challenge the male-dominated improv world to Suck My Dick—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Back from his recent trip to LA, brilliant and fearless storyteller Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) recounts for one night only his harrowing adventures as an addict—a one-man show that previously enjoyed a long run—at the UCB East theatre: Anthony Atamanuik: Pissing Your Pants on Vine

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): “Improvised one-acts in the style of prominent playwrights and genres, spontaneously generating an original and hilarious work of instantly important theater right before your eyes” at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Improvised Play

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime’s Dave’s Old Porn and Comedy Central’s Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code), and Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Dave Attell, Mark Normand, and More

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): 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

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Atamanuik, Comedy, Improv, Justin Long, New York Comedy, Pissing Your Pants on Vine, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wednesday 1/30/13

January 30, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Why watch Kroll Show tonight at 10:30? Please click here.

At UCB Chelsea, John Lutz performs genius improv in 2 Square…

…and then the wonderful and much beloved Anthony Atamanuik tells tales about being angry at The Nights of Our Lives

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: Super Free Wednesday

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC’s Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing 3 minutes per comic at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Max Corbel & Benel Germosen: Cracking It

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

7:00 pm ($5): “One day Katie Hartman (Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting) and Kevin Shimko (Classic Anne, Pyramid Scheme) ate some terrible sandwiches together. Now they do improv together. Join them, won’t you? Also featuring troupe Glitterface” at The PIT downstairs lounge: Kevin and Katie and Friends

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): John Lutz (cast member of 30 Rock; six years as staff writer for Saturday Night Live; John and Scott) and Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report, star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials) perform two-man improv as acclaimed duo 2 Square

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Amy Schumer (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock), Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Amy Schumer, Tom Papa, and More

[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 ($5): Comics who are sports junkies talk about their passion at The PIT downstairs lounge: Sports! Live!

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Delightful & raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame (new album Ladies Don’t Spit) belt it out for an hour at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street): The Reformed Whores

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Adam Lash (The Daily Show), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), Andy Hendrickson, and Nathan Macintosh 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): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Adam Wade, Anthony Atamanuik, Michelle Markowitz, Eliot Glazer & Jackie Mancini, and wonderful host Dave Martin tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious revolving around this month’s highly promising theme Angriest at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Nights of Our Lives

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines perform color commentary on an improv set by other top improvisors at UCB East for this monthly event: The Brothers Hines: Play by Play

9:30 pm ($5): Comics Marina & Nicco create duo sketch comedy at The PIT downstairs lounge: Fever Dream

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:45 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Nick DiPaolo, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, and More

[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] 10:00 pm: Rising stand-up stars—Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Mark Normand, Dan. St. Germain, Pat Dixon, Emily Heller, Michael Che, Joe List, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regular Suspects

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: A jaw-dropping dark comedy group, which includes members of ace sketch troupe Murderfist, will terrify Manhattan for an hour at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street): The Cowmen

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: While the wonderful Sasheer Zamata is busy with other duties, her semi-depressing comedy pal Charla Lauriston 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 NPR storyteller Jeff Simmermon and TV Guide Network stand-up Phoebe Robinson; 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: 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), and Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: The Nasty Show: Big Jay Oakerson, Jena Friedman, Kurt Metzger, and More

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Atamanuik, Comedy, Improv, John Lutz, Kroll Show, New York Comedy, Nick Kroll, Sketch, Stand-Up | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 1/29/13

January 29, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For a review of Anthony Jeselnik’s new DVD Caligula, please click here.

Hamlett the Bedtime Story—An Interactive Play

Anthony Atamanuik and improv actor friends create interactive theatre “like Sleep No More if it had no budget” at this extra special edition of The Tony Show: “Hamlett the Bedtime Story—An Interactive Play”…

…while two of my all-time favorite comics, John Mulaney…

…and Chris Gethard—plus “a special guest”—perform at 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:

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open-mic show, each comic has 3 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PITdownstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger):Imposter Open Mic

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC’sThe 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, four of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Fisticuffs and Vulcan (at 7:00) and Aquarius and Mint Condition (at 8:30); followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with musical improv troupe Aquarius to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Karl Bollers & Brandon Perlow (comic book startup company New Paradigm Studios) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana’s (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

7:00 pm ($5): “Comics get into the Halloween spirit by performing some of their favorite musical numbers…that they have no chance of ever being cast in, due to gender or race. This is no parody show—we’ll be earnestly singing our favorite If Only songs in full costume. You will probably see a female Jean Valjean, a male Grizabella, and many more” at The PIT upstairs theatre: Broadway Costume Bash

[FREE] 7:00 pm: The debut of this weekly 2-hour open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a full 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC’s The Creek downstairs lounge hosted by Jake Hart: 8-Minute Open-Mic Storytelling

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award finalist), Mike Drucker (Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney’s), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), SuperSmall, and a special guest (too big to be advertised) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sharon Spell and featuring the Shrink Dancers: The Big Shrink

[$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nick DiPaolo (star stand-up, with numerous appearances on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Louie; Emmy-nominated comedy writer, talk show host), Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central,Wanda Sykes Show), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Nick DiPaolo, Tom Papa, and More

8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Kevin Barnett, Giulia Rozzi, JC Coccoli, Joe Zimmerman, and Josh Gondelman performing stand-up on this week’s theme Died in Your Arms at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon and hosted tonight by Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here): The Afterlife: Died in Your Arms

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera, plus Charles Gould and Dan Licata: Dan + Joe + Charles’ Show

8:00 pm ($8): A dozen writers & performers perform brand new sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre: Big Business

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Two of my favorite comics in the universe, 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 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), plus “a special guest / co-host,” and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Joe Pera (hilarious deadpan Andy Kaufman-like stand-up; one time I saw Joe sing beautifully and then smash three dozen plates to pieces; more recently he ended his set by slicing milk; for reasons to hire Joe, please click here), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Zach Broussard (sketch troupe Fambly), Josh Spear, and Anthony Devito 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 Sherlock & Cookies, The Regulars, and Salmon Diane—plus advanced improv students “are going to challenge themselves by performing a show that they only just learned,” summed up as Instant Gratification—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A special interactive theatre edition (“a ripoff of Sleep No More with no budget”) of this weekly wild experiment in dark comedy, blending sketch and improv, from brilliant, fearless, and innovative comic Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives). Tonight Anthony and loads of this improv actor friends create a weird version of Hamlet, with you participating” “Grab a mask and silently observe the dramatic machinations. Follow the characters you want to follow, sit at the bar and drink, explore the limited props that we will have littered around the theatre, listen to the music of Summer & Eve.” I’ll be attending this. If you’re brave, join me at UCB East for The Tony Show: Hamlett the Bedtime Story —An Interactive Play

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): 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.), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO,Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), 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), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, CNN, TBS): ComedyJuice: Ted Alexandro, Neal Brennan, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/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), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Michael Che (David Letterman, Comedy Central), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: John Mulaney, Neal Brennan, and More

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Amber Nelson, Reid Faylor, Missy Baker, Tim Warner, Jason Saenz, Bredndan Eyre, and Danny Cruz performing sets to be used as audition tapes—so they’ll be trying extra hard to make you laugh—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City:Caught on Tape

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): 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

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Atamanuik, Chris Gethard, Comedy, Improv, John Mulaney, New York Comedy, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 11/27/12

November 27, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

My favorite fast food place, Tuck Shop, got hit hard by Sandy. Please check out its amazing meat & veggie mini-pies; the 68 East 1st Street store is near UCB East and open very late…and is run by a fiery Aussie redhead who’s a delight.

Comics try to sell TV shows in Brooklyn at Fancy Pitch Meeting…

…and John Gemberling reunites with Anthony Atamanuik for the holidays to host The Tony and Johnny Show, which tonight focuses on a Deep Sea Adventure

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): A comedic play about one of the most tragic events in American history, written & directed by Brandon Gardener (The Curfew, Improv Nerds), and featuring Brandon Scott Jones as Miss Laura Keene, at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: A Comedy

[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] 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: Atticus and Aquarius (at 7:00) and The Montels and Mint Condition (at 8:30); followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with musical improv troupe Mint Condition ! to make up stories in song: Musical Magnet Mixer

7:00 pm ($5): Comics who are sports junkies talk about their passion at The PIT downstairs lounge: Sports! Live!

7:00 pm ($8): All-gal sketch/improv troupe Vacation hosts a variety show featuring Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting (duo sketch), Sarah Grodsky (solo character sketch), and Charla Laurlston (stand-up) performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Lady Business

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door or $12.75 online): “As a busy TV executive you get soooo tired of sitting through shitty pitches so we’ve done you the favor of condensing the very best ideas from the most hilarious minds in the city and bringing them to you in one sitting. You, after all, are the ones sitting on piles of money (not really, but feel free to check under your seat for a stray bill… you never know) needed to turn their ridiculous dreams into hit TV shows” at Brooklyn’s Union Hall, with pitches from Jeffrey Joseph, Kate Berlant, Adam Newman, Dan Wilber, and more hosted by Caroline Creaghead: Fancy Pitch Meeting

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): 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), 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), Trey Galyon, and more performing stand-up at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon and hosted tonight by George Gordon: The Afterlife

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($65 retail or $40 here): This isn’t pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen’s two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you’re likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen’s world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) in the West Village: The Old Man and the Moon

8:00 pm ($5): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV’s Pranked), Maddog Mattern (Sirius Radio, Howard Stern TV; to see Maddog handle a heckler, please click here), and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by “weirdo” Mike Bocchetti : Being Normal Sucks

8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): NYC stand-ups (not yet announced, but for an update please click here) at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon: The Afterlife

8:00 pm ($5): Sketch comics Jenny Donoghue, Matthew Robert Gehring, Josh Lay, and Melissa Klein each showing off his or her best solo character work, plus music from the lovely Reformed Whores, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sam Martin & Branson Reese: Comedy Expo

8:00 pm ($8): A dozen sharp talents deliver brand new sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre: Big Business

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by the wonderful Joe Pera, Dan Licata, and Charles Gould: Dan + Joe + Charles’ Show

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): 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), Eugene Mirman (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, FOX’s Bob’s Burgers, Adult Swim’s Delocated, VH1; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), Chris Barron (leader singer of The Spin Doctors; brought shaggy beards and Peruvian hats into vogue in the 90’s), and more performing stand-up at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Joe Zimmerman (The Beards of Comedy), Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE’s A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Matt Nedostup, and David Agyekum 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 Sherlock & Cookies, The Regulars, and Guthrie—plus advanced improv students “strips the Harold down to its component parts and rearranges them into a rhythmically complex, mashup-inspired performance piece” for a form called Scramble NYC—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 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 (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)—with tonight’s theme “Deep Sea Adventure”—at UCB East, plus tonight’s guests Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream, 9 Am Meeting), and Michelle Wolf (IFC’s Bunk), as well as producer Andy Rocco: The Tony and Johnny Show

9:30 pm ($8): A variety show based on the Middlenotes podcast at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Ryan Beck & Kyle Ayers: Middlenotes Comedy Show

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: 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Kyle Dunnigan (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Half Hour, The Sarah Silverman Program), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Alison Forns (writer for Saturday Night Live), and Josh Rabinowitz (MTV’s I Just want My Pants Back) performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

11:00 pm ($1): 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

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Atamanuik, Comedy, Improv, John Gemberling, John Jameson Irish Whiskey, New York Comedy, Sketch, Stand-Up | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 8/14/12

August 14, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For FringeNYC 2012 shows rated & reviewed, please click here.

Renowned acrobat Rudi Macaggi performs at Sweet; and Anthony Atamanuik requests your company during his last night of freedom at The Tony Show

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-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: Legend and the Montels (at 7:00) and BEEES! and Atticus (at 8:30); followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with musical improv troupe Atticus to make up stories in song on the spot: Magnet Musical Megawatt

7:00 pm-9:00 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Johnny Romance, The Regulars, and Surfing at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A delightful musical foursome at UCB East describing itself as “Female-fronted folky-pop band. Hyper-articulate, nerdy, post-modern sort of musical comedy. Folk singalongs and catchy pop jams are merely the metaphorical table holding up the buffet of wordplay, sarcastic wit, and rapid-fire pop culture references:” Summer & Eve: Folky-Pop Musical Comedy

8:00 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

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

[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] 9:00 pm ($5): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), Rudi Macaggi (world-renowned third-generation acrobat; Jay Leno, America’s Got Talent; “everything you see is real and nothing is what you thought it would be;” for video samples, please click here and here), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A)—plus an Olympics-style competition!—hosted by Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): 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), JC Coccoli (MTV, VH1, WB; looks great in a hat), Greg Warren, David Smithyman, and George Gordon performing on this week’s topic Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) hosted tonight by Emily Heller: The Afterlife: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Good Girl, Bucky, 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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) reveals he’s about to go to prison. Please join him for his last night of freedom, along with guests Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Adam Newman (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Sam Henderson (SpongeBob Squarepants, Magic Whistle) and producer Andy Rocco at UCB East building upon the mythology that is The Tony Show

9:30 pm ($5): Tom DiMenna (one-man show Who Loves You, Baby? at Soho Playhouse), Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team, The Baldwins, Jen & Steve), Robin Cloud, and Fariaz Rabbiani performing 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.): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Michael Blaustein (MTV’s new version of Punkd!), Shang, and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), Thu Tran (creator of IFC’s Food Party), and more 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

[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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Atamanuik, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Rudi Macaggi, Seth Herzog's Sweet, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 5/1/12

May 1, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For a review of Broadway’s Seminar, please click here.

For some of NYC’s greatest storytellers, please click here.

Andy Blitz, Adira Amram, Sara Schaefer, Jon Glaser, Jared Logan, Eric Slovin, Tom Shillue, and over 90 other comedians perform at a fundraiser for Occupy Wall Street: 99 Comics For The 99%...

...and the lovely Amy Schumer performs at ComedyJuice

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] 7:00 pm: Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month’s topic “Characters,” which range from Feeding Descriptions of Literary characters into Police Composite Sketch Software to How Actors’ Faces, Bodies, and Hair Color Define Their Careers at theHousingworks Bookstore Cafe for Charles Star’s comedic show Adult Education

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast clobbered some of the best improv troupes in NYC earlier this year at UCBT’s Cage Match. Tonight come see this troupe perform on its own for a full hour at The Magnet: North Coast

7:00 pm ($5): Improv scenes at The PIT downstairs lounge springboarding off Mother’s Day cards supplied by the audience: Mother May I

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Comedy genius Chris Gethard and Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussionabout four-color pop culture The debut of this wonderful show about comic books at its brand new location Pianos (158 Ludlow Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5.90 in advance online): A breathtaking 99 comics—including Andy Blitz, Adira Amram, Sara Schaefer, Jared Logan, Eric Slovin, Jon Glaser, Tom Shillue, Sasheer Zamata, John Flynn, Jon Friedman, John Frusciante, Jon Gabrus, Rob Cantrell, Mike Lawrence, Stuckey & Murray, Summer & Eve, Seth Herzog, Streeter Seidell, sketch troupe Murderfist, sketch troupe Fambly, Amber Nelson, Craig Rowin, Jamie Kilstein, Giulia Rozzi, Abbi Crutchfield, Erin Lennox, Adam Newman, Adam Lowitt, Phoebe Robinson, Negin Farsad, Will Hines, RG Daniels, Selena Coppock, and Sean Hart—performing for around three hours straight at UCB East hosted by Anthony Atamanuik & John Gemberling (The Tony & Johnny Show): 99 Comics For The 99%

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and NBC’s 30 Rock; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; co-author of bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), Harrison Greenbaum (writer for Mad Magazine; head writer of Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro on NBCU/Telemundo; winner of the 2010 Andy Kaufman Award), and Dan Crossley (semi-finalist of the 2011 Kaufman Awards) performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Andy Kaufman Fun House

8:00 pm ($5): Retta (Donna on NBC’s Parks and Recreation), Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Aidan Bishop (visiting from Dublin), and more performing at Lolita Bar hosted by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends

8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes The Regulars, Bucky, The Pox, Surfing, Johnny Romance, and Sandino—and at 11:00 pm advanced improv students clash theatre into improv via the wonderful form Gravid Water—all at Harold Night

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Joe List (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Brendan Fitzgibbons, Jen Remauro, and Adam Chisnall performing at the One and One Bar (1st Street & First Avenue) for this free weekly stand-up show hosted by Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, TruTV, Tyra Banks) & Sergio Chicon: Comedy Punch

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10 at the door, $12.75 online): A monthly storytelling show from Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s This American Life), Cyndi Freeman (The Moth, burlesque star) and Brad Lawrence (Moth GrandSlam champion) at Brooklyn’s Union Hall, with tonight’s guests stand-up Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), and burlesque star & storyteller duo Mat Fraser & Julie Atlas Muz: And I Am Not Lying

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Rosencrantz and Aquarius

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV’s NewNowNext, Sirius Radio’s Frank DeCaro Show), Retta (Donna on NBC’s Parks and Recreation), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

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: 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer (red-hot rising star; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock), Christian Finnegan (Conan O’Brien, co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1’sBest Week Ever, Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Gene Pompa (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, In Living Color), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe Aquarius to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer

[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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: 99 Comics For The 99%, Amy Schumer, Anthony Atamanuik, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, John Gemberling, Occupy Wall Street, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 2/2/12

February 2, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Stellar improvisors Becky Drysdale....

...Anthony Atamanuik, Christina Gausas, Jim Santangeli, and more are trapped in a scene they must recreate over and over at Groundhog Day

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: Katina Corrao (HBO, Logo) is tonight’s guest at this weekly open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB Easthosted by John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

[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

7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Jacqueline Novak (Comedy Central, College Humor, host of Spirit of Comedy; for “response to heckler” video, please click here), Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific), and more performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with cartoonist host David Rees: Lollygaggin’ with David Rees

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): “If you were alive in the 70’s, you may have attended some ‘Key Parties’ where you were randomly paired with someone to go home with and engage in free spirited coitus. (Today we either stay at home alone or congregate at an improv theater.) Key Party combines the 70’s arrangement with modern anxiety, exploring the rich moments leading up to that act of coupling and the fallout that follows” at UCB East with stellar comics Jordan Klepper, Laura Grey (delightful old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm), and guest improvisors: Key Party; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv based on the iPods, CDs, and mp3 players provided by audience members, executed by superb performers Fran Gillespie, Ryan Karels, Megan Neuringer, Jesse Falcon, Silvija Ozols, Doug Moe, Lou Perez, Sue Galloway, and Emily Axford: Soundtrack USA

[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 forSaturday 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] 8:00 pm ($15 online; buying in advance highly recommended as this will probably sell out): Sandra Bernhard, Tom Scharpling, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, and more performing at Brooklyn’s The Bell House hosted by Julie Klausner (author of I Don’t Care About Your Band) :How Was Your Week Live

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: “A panel of comedians give their hilarious takes on the more grim/sensational crime stories taken from NYC’s daily newspapers. It’s live comedy with a streak of yellow journalism and dark New York flavor”—not to mention a monthly podcast—at Queens LIC’sThe Creek hosted by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents): The New York City Crime Report

[$] 8:00 pm ($20): Storyteller Martin Dockery (The Moth, The Liar Show; acclaimed as “fantastic” byThe New York Times) and Canadian actress Vanessa Quesnelle performing a self-described “high-energy, high-comedy, highly surreal play about a guy trying to get a girl into his flying bed. Tempting her with the forbidden promise of a wild flight through paradise, they must negotiate a bizarre and harrowing journey through a wilderness of seduction, temptation, and betrayal at theUnder St. Marks Theatre (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): Oh, That Wily Snake

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($20 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BOOK): 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-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv troupes Hello Laser, Junior Varsity, The Boss, and Phooka performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by something called The Movie directed by comedy genius Ed Herbstman, and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with last week’s winner and BEEES! competing: The Magnet’s Night 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] 9:00 pm ($5): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Comedy Central’s John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up), Kevin Barnett (College Humor), and Starlee Kine (delightful storyteller; NPR’s This American Life) performing at UCB Eastwith best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster): Totally J/K

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Comedy Central’s John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up), Desiree Burch (VH1’sBest Night Ever, Joe’s Pub, Ambiguously Brown Comedy Hour), Marianne Schaberg, and Ken Schultz performing stand-up at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for this weekly comedy show hosted by Sean Crespo & Dan Wilbur and produced by Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live), The Wagstaff Municipal Theatra, and the Cocoon Dance Team performing atUCB West with delightful hosts Shonali Bhowmik (leader of musical group Tigers & Monkeys) and Andrea Rosen (brilliant stand-up & storyteller; HBO, Comedy Central, winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up): Variety SHAC

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Sharp improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and/or more try their hand at stand-up at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City: Improvisers Standing Up

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—including Becky Drysdale, Anthony Atamanuik, Christina Gausas, and Jim Santangeli—are trapped in the same improv scene and must reinvent it over and over again at UCB East in this show honoringGroundhog Day

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two stellar improv troupes, Fuck That Shit and The Curfew, compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you know anyone who might have a thyroid problem, please tell them about my latest book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Atamanuik, Becky Drysdale, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Groundhog Day, Improv, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 1/17/12

January 17, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For my favorite stand-up jokes, please click here.

Anthony Atamanuik and John Gemberling in The Tony and Johnny Show

Improv comedy geniuses Anthony Atamanuik & John Gemberling stage their wedding, with audience interaction a la Tony & Tina's Wedding, at this very special edition of The Tony & Johnny Show

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Such superb comics as Neil Casey, Leslie Meisel, Laura Grey, and Sasheer Zamata test character bits at UCB East at this delightful change of pace show that helps performers prep for upcoming sketches and solo shows, or simply give a fresh idea a try: UCBT Character Showcase

7:00 pm ($5): Sketch troupe Shelby Company performs oddball bits for this Magnet audition show that promises two-timing monsters and presidential ninjas: Ephemerama

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC’sThe Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Robert Dean: The Dean’s List

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($25 at the box office or $28 online): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 90 minutes with a true genius of both stand-up and storytelling. This show is the latter—a carefully constructed, detail-packed theatrical tale of two people and the small, quiet moments that make up their lives. Daniel says it’s “about everything and nothing,” and that’s precisely right. After you see it, you may find it hard to not consider all the small moments lived by any person you pass by…and what the moments of your own life add up to. This one-man show played to packed houses at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and is now running every day except Mondays through January 29th at Brooklyn’s St. Ann’s Warehouse (38 Water Street). Read the review from The New York Times, and the grab tickets for It’s Always Right Now, Until It’s Later

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics & TV writer Greg Pak (World War Hulk, Dr. Strange, Dead Man’s Run) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club

8:00 pm ($5): Stand-ups Katina Corrao, Sheng Wang, Dan Black, and “a special guest,” plus musical guest Tanner Walle, performing at UCB East for a comedy variety show produced by Sara Schaefer & Scott Moran: Hot Dang

8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Still Mike, Creature, Very Good Kiss, Grandma’s Ashes, and Sandino—and at 11:00 pm advanced improv students perform scenes in which a very small occurrence can produce unpredictable and sometimes explosive results—all at Harold Night

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Del Harrison, Adam Chisnall, Kate Wolff, Chris DiStefano, and Kristine Levine performing at the One and One Bar (1st Street & First Avenue) for this free weekly stand-up show hosted by Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, TruTV, Tyra Banks) & Sergio Chicon: Comedy Punch

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5 at the door or $7.63 online): Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star ofThe King of Miami, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper), Mike Albo, John Roberts, and more performing for this monthly show at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by Gabe Delahaye (Senior Editor of Videogum.com): Mr. Coconuts Comedy Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing), Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s This American Life, The Moth), and Jacob D’Eustachio (Circus Zoppe, Bindlestiff Cavalcade of Youth) performing at Brooklyn’s Union Pool (484 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars Camille Harris, Jordan Clifford, Bryan Condon, James Beard, Tim Skinner, and Timothy Whitney, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Aquarius and BEEES!

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Eliza Skinner (Conan O’Brien, Showtime, MTV, TBS, AMC, co-host of weekly stand-up show Magic Bag with DC Pierson in LA), Darrin Rose (stand-up visiting from Canada), “a very special guest,” and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, one drink min.): Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; VH1, Showtime, host of TV pilot of The Liar Show), Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It), Vince Averill, and Andy Sanford performing stand-up for this new weekly show at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) hosted by Josh Gondelman & George Gordon: The Afterlife

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Dan Allen (Comedy Central; host of hit show Sacapuntas; claims to be writing Kevin Bacon’s biography in the sixth person), Francoise Gordon, Tyler Gildin, and Charlie Kasau performing stand-up at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by twins Adam & Todd Stone, who for this weekly show leave behind their trademark suits: Jackets Off

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge typically hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): A very special audience interactive edition spinning off the long-running off-Broadway improv hit Tony & Tina’s Wedding, from two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (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), performing at UCB East with tonight’s singing guest MC Chris. Tony & Johnny add, “We worked a long time on this, so please come to the fucking wedding!:” The Tony and Johnny Show: Tony & Johnny’s Wedding

[FREE] 10:00 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

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe BEEES! to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer

[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] 11:30 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.

For my favorite stand-up jokes, please click here.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Atamanuik, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, John Gemberling, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The Tony and Johnny Show | Permalink
Posted by hybender

Best New York Comedy

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