NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 5/7/12

May 7, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Marina Squerciati

The gorgeous and brilliantly talented Marina Squerciati tries out a one-woman show at The PIT…

My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

…and true tales of young romance doomed to failure (“Gurl, I can smize better than you!”), accompanied by singing & piano playing from the irresistible Camille Harris, at “My High School Boyfriend Was Gay”

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

[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

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with each of the four audience members chosen from the bucket of names getting to tell tales for 7 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Jake Hart: The Dump

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

[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 ($5): Inspired by the popular blog My High School Boyfriend Was Gay, this superb show at UCB East “celebrates our most tragic, hilarious, and heinous teenage memories, full of chaste hugs, Grease sing-alongs, and trips to the stage door to accost the cast of Rent,” with true stories tonight from Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Rachel Shukert (author of Everything is Going to be GreatNew York Magazine’s “Smash Recaps”), and Elaine Carroll (Very Mary Kate) hosted by Damian Bellino, and the super-delightful Camille Harris whose piano playing and singing will make you grin and dance in your seat (keep an eye out for her upcoming first CD): My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act), Shane Mauss (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents) , Ryan Knighton (NPR’s This American Life), and Allison Castillo (Comedy Central) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by one of the sharpest and funniest comics alive, Kristen Schaal: Hot Tub Variety

8:00 pm ($8): Improv performed by talented duos at The PIT upstairs theatre: Ampers&nd

8:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Phoebe Robinson, Jared Freid, Monroe Martin, Joyelle Johnson, Luis J. Gomez, and Andrew Schulz performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway’s Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Mike Denny, Michael Che, and Nimesh Patel, and often featuring free beer: Broken Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): This showcase for the wonderful Jen Nails’ Do It Yourself class tonight features one of the all-time favorite comedic actresses, the breathtakingly talented Marina Squerciati, who was the breakout star at the 2010 FringeNYC in the play Just in Time: The Judy Holiday Story. Tonight Marina—who is currently a cast member on Gossip Girl—tests out the first draft of a one-woman show titled The Bathtub Diaries

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Andy Blitz (comedy genius best known for being an Emmy-nominated and long-time writer/performer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien; has also written for Comedy Central’s Important Things, MTV’s Human Giant, etc.; a thoroughly unique stand-up whose sets—ranging from talking peanut butter to jet-flying cats—tend to be unforgettable), John Roy (Conan O’Brien), Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion), and Mike Racine (Comedy Central) performing at UCB East for this new show hosted by Bridey Elliott and Greg Johnson: The Price of Pleasure: A Stand-Up Comedy Show

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

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), Mara Herron (VH1), Reg Ferguson, Travis Irvine, Chris Lamberth, Paul Hooper, Koretta Gray, and Daralyn Kelleher performing at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host Pat O’Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid

[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 haven’t been announced yet for tonight, but you can check for an update by clicking here—performing at UCB Chelsea and hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (HBO, Saturday Night LiveConan O’Brien, Comedy Central): Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should beWhiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open-mic at The PITupstairs theatre hosted by Erin Lennox & Michelle Wolf: Fresh

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.


NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 4/2/12

April 22, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

TV stars Janeane Garofalo (above) and Christian Finnegan are interviewed at Running Late with Scott Rogowsky...

Camille Harris

...and wonderful comedic musicians including Camille Harris (above) and Pendulum Swings perform at Vintage Vantage Variety 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:

[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

6:00 pm ($5): A weekly podcast that assembles a panel of comedians “and weird characters” to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people’s problems with their own stories, at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material: Ripe Sketch Comedy

[FREE] 6:00 pm: “Are ready for something sweet and something spicy? Long form improv that will satisfy your hunger” hosted by sharp UCBT comic Andy Rocco at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Candy Taco Improv Hour

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea’s signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

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

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7.61 online with code RUNNINGLATE, $8 at the door): 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 TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, 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 Amir Blumenfeld: Running Late with Scott Rogowsky

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star of The King of Miami, The Dave Hill Explosion, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper; upcoming book Tasteful Nudes), Mike Racine (Comedy Central), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon), and Jacqueline Novak performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Louis Katz (HBO, Comedy Central), Pete Lee (Comedy Central Presents), Phoebe Robinson (100 TV Shows To See Before You Die), John Knefel (co-host of Radio Dispatch and John and Molly Get Along; Huffington Post), and Amanda Baramki performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A veteran comedic actor in both TV and feature films headlining through Sunday at Carolines: John Witherspoon

8:00 pm ($5): Short-form improv at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Sunday ShortForm Show

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($8): A musical comedy evening with the wonderful Camille Harris (rising star singer/sketch comic/cutie; featured player on The Moon Show, co-host of My High School Boyfriend Was Gay), superb jazz band Pendulum Swings, David Cope playing the harp, and Aaron Glaser performing non-musical stand-up at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue) hosted by Kyle Supley: Vintage Vantage Variety Show

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

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Phoebe Robinson (100 TV Shows To See Before You Die), Michael Che, Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon), and Jim Tews performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) with guest host Al Jackson (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced this week) 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): A sketch/variety show at The PIT upstairs theatre operating from a fun dark premise: “When Vincent Welles died and went to Hell, he soon found out his punishment was to host a variety talk show for all eternity in the fiery underworld. Join Vincent as he, along with his demonic producers and werewolf sidekick Warren Talbot, host special guests and surprises:” Welcome to Hell with Vincent Welles

9:30 pm ($5): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Yamaneika (TruTV), Jessie Geller, and Frank Liotti performing stand-up at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.


NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 3/5/12

March 5, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

New Yorker editor David Remnick hosts a panel of the renowned magazine's newest cartoonists at The Future of Funny...

Eric Drysdale

...wonderful comedy writer Eric Drysdale (Daily Show, Colbert Report) performs at Hot Tub Variety...

My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

...and true tales of young romance doomed to failure, accompanied by songs & piano music from the irresistible Camille Harris, at My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

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

[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

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with each of the four audience members chosen from the bucket of names getting to tell tales for 7 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Jake Hart: Storytelling Jam

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE; but only a few tickets left, so show up way early if you want to get in…] 7:00 pm: David Remnick, Editor of The New Yorker, hosts a showcase of the beloved magazine’s newest cartoonists at the Highline Ballroom (431 West 16th Street): The Future of Funny

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Confessional storytelling about a first kiss, a first hook-up, and other traumatic events by the delightful Michelle Markowitz & Saida Cooper at Shetler Studios (244 West 54th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue): Hookups & Hangups

7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4 minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2 hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for Carol Hartsell’s & John Morrison’s Motel Luca

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, first up is a witty and ultimately exhilarating exploration of baring it all by fabulous long-time nudist Julia Wiedeman (who I had the great fortune of seeing about a decade ago as she walked around with zero clothing, like a glorious tigress, in broad daylight on the streets of the East Village): Naked People

…and in the second half of this double-bill, a one-woman show by Sue Smith about anger, directed by the always inventive and delightful Laura Grey: Minimum Rage

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Eric Drysdale (brilliant writer for such comedy shows as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), Lane Moore (writer for The Onion), and James Patterson (Comedy Central) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, and Brandon Scott Jones—promises to “take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter” as this UCB East show: Grandma’s Ashes Get Dark

8:30 pm ($5): At The Magnet, a mini-play from Chris Nester & Ross Taylor about aspiring Country Western musicians: The Oakwood Boys; and in the other half of this double-bill, Kevin Cobbs & Alessandro King perform sketch or improv set in old-time Hollywood: Listen, Kid!

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Relentlessly silly Brandon Gulya performs a one-man sketch show that’s at times hilarious (the restaurant bit is an instant classic) but other times settles too quickly for the lightweight (the “does she like me” diary). A lot more hard, disciplined work is needed before his show’s title comes true; but this is a promising start from a comic with a unique and memorable style, genuine potential, and the faith that Brandon Gulya Will Be Famous Soon

…and in the other half of this UCB East double-bill, Inspired by the popular blog My High School Boyfriend Was Gay, this superb show “celebrates our most tragic, hilarious, and heinous teenage memories, full of chaste hugs, Grease sing-alongs, and trips to the stage door to accost the cast ofRent,” with true stories tonight from Brian Fass (The Law Firm), Tricia Olds (Viralcom), and H. Alan Scott (stand-up and ace baker) hosted by Damian Bellino and the super-delightful Camille Harris (whose piano playing and singing will make you grin and dance in your seat): My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Improv spinning off stand-up sets by Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic StandingDavid Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), with the improvisors including such talents as Micah Sherman, Cathleen Carr, Nick Vatterott, and Sarah Nowak, all performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with host Micah Sherman: Fun

9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: Gramp’s (which was the best sketch troupe at UCBT when spearheaded by Kate McKinnon—who’s now living in LA—but hopefully will get back to glory with the recent addition of such talents as Laura Grey, Abbi Crutchfield, and Don Fanelli) and Onassis (which has seldom been strong on the writing side but includes such talents as Lauren Conlin Adams): Maude Night: Gramp’s and Onassis

[FREE] 9:30 pm: 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), Hilary Schwartz, Nimesh Patel, Maggie Nuthall, Kevin McCaffrey, Ray DeVito, Bob Powers, and Matt Nagin performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host Pat O’Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid

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

[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 haven’t been announced yet for tonight, but you can check for an update by clicking here—performing at UCB Chelsea and possibly hosted by comedy genius Chris Gethard: Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should beWhiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open-mic at The PITupstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin’s dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

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.


NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 2/7/12

February 7, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Camille Harris

Tonight at The PIT rising comedic musical star Camille Harris nourishes and entertains you at So Pumped!...

Michelle Markowitz

...and then Michelle Markowitz hosts stellar storytellers telling tales of being jilted at Failing Our Twenties

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Comedic songs from super-delightful rising star Camille Harris (FringeNYC, co-host of My High School Boyfriend Was Gay) and Glennis McCarthy (GLOC) and the band Summer & Eve at The PIT upstairs theatre: So Pumped!

7:00 pm ($5): A romantic comedy play about dating in New York City debuting at The Magnet:Please Don’t Let Me Die Alone

[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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about a wide range of topics, which this month range from How to Make Money From Occupy Wall Street to The Closest Thing We Have to Thor to What I’ve Learned From The New York Times Corner Office, at theHousingworks Bookstore Cafe for Charles Star’s comedic show Adult Education

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comedian and comic book fan Greg Stone joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop cultureat The PIT downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club

8:00 pm ($5): Stuckey & Murray (terrific comedic singing duo; Chelsea Lately, NBC, VH1, Fuse), Sabrina Jalees, Jacqueline Novak, David Smithyman, and Kara Klenk performing at UCB East for a comedy variety show hosted by the delightful Sara Schaefer and 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 Dance Break, Mr. Crime, Sandino, Grandma’s Ashes, and Very Good Kiss—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

8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improv troupe SidViscous debuts a change-of-pace scripted comedic play about “what happens when a gay single father gets caught in a lie and has to pretend his daughter is his wife whenever these mobsters are around, but can’t let his ex-wife or the private investigator she’s hired find out what he’s up to” at The PIT upstairs theatre: My Daughter, My Wife

[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] 8:30 pm ($10 at the door, $12.75 online): A new monthly storytelling show from Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s This American Life), Cyndi Freeman (The Moth, burlesque star) and Brad Lawrence (Moth GrandSlam champion), with tonight’s guests Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; VH1, Showtime, host of TV pilot of The Liar Show), “Bob” (HBO’s Real Sex), Schaffer The Darklord (Epic Win Burlesque), and Chris McDaniel (world champion trick roper) performing at Brooklyn’s Union HallAnd 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: Aquarius and Mint Condition

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Typically stellar comics (unusually, not announced yet, but please check for an update by clicking here) performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Storytelling titans Seth Lind (NPR’s This American Life, host of Told) and Dave Martin (host of The Nights of Our Lives) anticipate Valentine’s Day with tales of being Jilted atThe PIT downstairs lounge along with hosts Michelle Markowitz & Bryan Rucker, who say they’reFailing Our Twenties

[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 ($5): 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), team up to create their special dark version of a comedy variety show at UCB East. Tonight’s guests are Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzasTales of the Cosmos and The Adam Wade show; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here), Roger Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE’s A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), and Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic StandingDavid Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), and Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It): The Tony and Johnny Show

[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

[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.

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.


NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wed. 10/26/11

October 26, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

My High School Boyfriend Was Gay

True tales of young romance doomed to failure at the UCB West debut of "My High School Boyfriend Was Gay"...

Lauren Conlin Adams in Pig: A Restaurant

...and Lauren Conlin Adams performs a witty sketch-based play by Leila Cohan-Miccio: "Pig: A Restaurant"

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday

[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

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Inspired by the popular blog My High School Boyfriend Was Gay, this new show “celebrates our most tragic, hilarious, and heinous teenage memories, full of chaste hugs, Grease sing-alongs, and trips to the stage door to accost the cast of Rent,” with true stories from the witty John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives, host of Oh, Hey Guys), the delightful Camille Harris (sketch writer/comic on The Moon Show; writer of FringeNYC musical Muffin Man), and the ever young Amanda Duarte (sharp comedic writer/actress/director; HBO, NBC) at UCB West, hosted by Damian Bellino: My High School Boyfriend Was Gay; plus even though that’s more than enough for $5, there’s also the audition of a second show titled Aaron & Danny Love Sports

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie; and another genius improv troupe consisting of trio Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) performs as Outlook of the Poet

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Remember how your father totally screwed you up? Imagine if you were brought up by Doug Moe: Doug Moe is a Bad Dad; and in the other half of this UCB West double-bill, a sketch play about the opening of a trendy restaurant that serves nothing but raw pig, written with wit and bite by Leila Cohan-Miccio (Stone Cold Fox), directed with style by Caitlin Tegart (MTV, PBS, ESPN), and performed superbly by hot comedic actress Lauren Conlin Adams: Pig: A Restaurant

[FREE—plus FREE PIZZA for first 30 people, from Artichoke Pizza!] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Emma Willman (Get Out of Town), Adam Conover (host of UCB East’s Fresh Out), Christian Polanco (Offstage podcast), and Scott Moran performing at the East Village’s Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad’s & Amy Albert’s free weekly show Comedy School Dropout

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic StandingDavid Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, E!), John Roy (Jay Leno), Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon), Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno), and Nick Prueher (Found Footage Festival) performing stand-up at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Nick Turner’s & Jason Sáenz, who as of tonight move their Friday show in Brooklyn to Wednesdays in Queens: Too Cool for School

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star of The King of Miami, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper; The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Dave Hill Explosion), Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Manhattan Monologue Slam Champ, host of Sideshow Goshko), musical duo The Reformed Whores, improv troupe Crimedog , and “the Shrink dancers” performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, Nicole Byer, Sasheer Zamata, and Keisha Zollar are first up as the fiercely energetic & entertaining all-gal improv troupe Doppelganger; and then UCBT Harold Night house troupes Very Good Kiss and Mr. Crime make up scenes without relying on the usual long-form “Harold” rules at Cheating on Harold

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): A dark comedy sketch group that includes beloved East Village performer Tanya O’Debra and ace singer/songwriter Ben Lerman tries to frighten you while making you laugh at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): Beaches 2 Scary!

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the finest comedic storytelling shows in the country, in which brilliant writer/performers—who tonight are Anthony Atamanuik, Christian Capazzoli, Jon Gabrus, Ryan Paulson, and wonderful host David Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious at UCB West, with tonight’s highly promising theme ReligionThe Nights of Our Lives

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: As many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that’s part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB West makes possible—and don’t forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

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

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

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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.