NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 5/31/14

May 31, 2014

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Myq & Micah

Singing duo Myq & Micah…

Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan

…genius human beatbox Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan, and much more on this final day of Jessica Delfino’s NY Funny Songs Festival

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12.50 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 1:30 pm-11:30 pm ($12 per show): The Third Annual NY Funny Songs Festival concludes its three-day run at a variety of locations. Check out the full schedule here: NY Funny Songs Festival

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (possibly 9:00 pm only), 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; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight’s lineups include Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, Dov Davidoff, and Lynne Koplitz at the 7:00 show; Judah Friedlander, Dov Davidoff, and Lynne Koplitz at the 8:45 show; Judah Friedlander, Greer Barnes, and Ryan Hamilton at the 9:15 show; and Dave Attell, Greer Barnes, Ryan Hamilton, and Dan Soder at the 12:15 show, with four of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 7:15 and 9:15 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Saturday

7:00 pm ($10): All-female character & sketch comedy performing at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Carly Ann Filbin: Lady Parts

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

7:30 pm ($10): Sharp Magnet improvisors “perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:” The Weave

[$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($42 & 2-drink min.)  A comic best known for his appearances on Comedy Central celebrity roasts, but who’s also performed on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, The Today Show, The View, HBO, CNN, MSNBC—and even ABC’s Dancing with the Stars!—headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jeffrey Ross

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($10 online using code TEACH; no min.): Great lineup of 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; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Kurt Metzger (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Marina Franklin (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle’s Show, VH1), and Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC) performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Judah Friedlander, Mike Lawrence, Kurt Metzger, Marina Franklin, and Big Jay Oakerson

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Improv groups Big Black Car (which includes Chris Grace, Nate Starkey, and Ashley Ward) and The Baldwins (which includes Micah Sherman Brigid Boyle, and Sarah Nowak) make stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: BBC and The Baldwins

8:00 pm ($10): A freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe takes the stage for nearly an hour at The PIT downstairs lounge: North Coast

[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) hosted by Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here): Comedy at Irish Exit

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

9:00 pm ($10): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

9:30 pm ($8): Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting (fearless, innovative dark sketch comedy gal duo Leah Rudick & Katie Hartman) and more perform at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Luke Ward & Kevin Shimko: The Two-Night Show

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($12.50 online using code TEACH; no min.): Strong lineup of 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; comedy album I Did It; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Kurt Metzger (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Marina Franklin (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle’s Show, VH1), Adrienne Iapalucci (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, VH1), and Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC) performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Judah Friedlander, Kurt Metzger, Marina Franklin, Adrienne Iapalucci, and Big Jay Oakerson

[TOP PICK]10:00 pm ($10): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Aaron Jackson (Newsadoozies), and more form an improv troupe at UCB East that won this year’s prestigious Cage Match championship by springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv group Grandma’s Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—takes your written secrets and turns them into very funny improv scenes: Grandma’s Ashes: We Won’t Tell

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney perform sharp improv at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Two sketch groups, Garlic Jackson and The Talent, compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea hosted by sketch troupe Sidecar: Backyard Brawl

[FREE] Midnight: Stand-up from Charla Lauriston & Rae Sanni, music from Tee Leigh, improv from Natasha Rothwell & Jackie Jennings, and an audience improv jam at this free monthly variety show at UCB East hosted by Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger), Anna Suzuki, and/or Emily Schorr Lesnick: The Soul Glo Jam

Saturday Open Mics and Jams

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Walk-in open mic comedy show—stand-up, character, or funny story—providing 5 minutes per comic at The Fifth Estate Bar (506 5th Avenue, off 12th Street) hosted by Meghan O’Keefe: Open Mic-hael Douglas

5:30 pm ($5): Walk-in open mic, with sign-up at 5:15 pm and each stand-up performing for 5 minutes, at the Comedy Village Comedy Club (107 MacDougal Street): Comedy Village

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.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 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.

Please feel encouraged to reach out to tell me about comedy shows, hire me for book or screenplay work, or for any other reason by emailing me at hy@hyreviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 1/12/13

January 12, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Amy Schumer

Rising superstar Amy Schumer performs three times tonight at Comedy Cellar (with the 7:30 show extra special, as it also features SNL’s Darrell Hammond and ace stand-up Ted Alexandro)…

Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan

…phenom human beatbox Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan joins wonderful hosts Amber Nelson & Ashley Brooke Roberts at The Dream Show…

NYC Podcast Festival

…and for around 8 hours today and Sunday, The PIT celebrates online comedy with the first-ever NYC Podcast Festival

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

 [MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 3:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($28 at the door or online with code BBOX): The return of one of the funniest comedies—and finest comedic ensembles—to grace New York, and what ended up as the very best show of this year’s FringeNYC Festival, playing at the Soho Playhouse’s upstairs theatre. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this opportunity to see the Chicago-based 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 3:30 pm-12:30 am ($45): A mammoth two-day festival devoted to comedy podcasts runs simultaneously at The PIT upstairs and downstairs theatres, running both today and Sunday from 3:30 pm till past midnight, with individual shows $8 but by far the best deal being a festival pass for $45 (to nab one online, please click here): The PIT’s NYC Podcast Festival

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

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Tooth and Nail, Warren, and Petting Zoo at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[$] 6:30 pm ($20): Sue Costello (Last Comic Standing finalist, star of 1998 FOX sitcom Costello) performs a 90-minute one-woman show at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Minus 32 Million Words

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

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 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), Darrell Hammond (Saturday Night Live star), 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.), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), and Tony Woods (David Letterman) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson: Amy Schumer, Darrell Hammond, Ted Alexandro, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Wonderful sketch comics Amber Nelson & Ashley Brooke Roberts host a free variety show featuring stand-up, character acts, music, and who knows what else, with tonight’s stellar guests Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (amazing human boombox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown), Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon), Henry Zebrowski (award-winning sketch troupe Murderfist, College Humor), and Pete Lee (Comedy Central Half Hour) performing at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street): The Dream Show

[$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.): A comic who’s been a cast member of MAD TV and The Howard Stern Show, acted in a bunch of feature films, and is currently co-host of FOX News Radio’s The Nick and Artie Show headlining for one night only at the Gotham Comedy Club: Artie Lange

7:30 pm ($7): Sharp Magnet improvisors “perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules:” The Weave

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door or $12.75 online): Stand-ups Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim) and Adam Lowitt (Co-Executive Producer of The Daily Show), musical guest New Beard, and astrophysicist Maryam Modjaz performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for a show hosted by Greg Barris: Heart of Darkness

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($42 & 2-drink min.) A writer/comic who plays Leon Black on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, and has performed on Saturday Night Live, FOX, Comedy Central, MTV, The Chris Rock Show, and in such feature films as Pootie Tang and Mr. Deeds, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: JB Smoove

8:30 pm ($10): 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), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Adam Lowitt (Co-Executive Producer of The Daily Show), Joe Machi (Jimmy Fallon), MC Mr. Napkins (white rapper; VH1, E!), and Nate Fridson (co-host of Comedy at the Beauty Bar) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($20 plus 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), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!, host of Nearly Naked Lady Comedy Hour), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Neal Brennan, Nikki Glaser, and More

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:15 pm ($24 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), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Tony Woods (David Letterman), 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 William Stephenson: Amy Schumer, Neal Brennan, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to “take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter:” Grandma’s Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford—makes stuff up at UCB East based on hellish experiences of audience members: Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:00 pm ($24 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), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, ABC’s The Unusuals), 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 Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color, MTV, Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show): Amy Schumer, Neal Brennan, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Improv is dominated by guys…and for no good reason. A way to help remedy this situation are shows like this one, which is an open improv jam for any gal wanting to participate, at any experience level. This monthly UCB Chelsea event is helmed by the wonderful Shannon O’Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Chris Gethard Show, The Stepfathers, ASSSSCAT 3000, Strangers Wanted, Ladies Night): The Lady Jam

[FREE] Midnight: Stand-up and sketch (performers not announced) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Kingmaker Sketch

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

[$] 12:45 am ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Tony Woods (David Letterman), Modi (HBO’s The Sopranos, Comedy Central), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Nikki Glaser, Nick Griffin, Mark Normand, and More

 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 Saturday 11/5/11

November 5, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Mindy Raf and Chris Sullivan (Shockwave)

Brilliant & hilarious comics Mindy Raf (above), Myq Kaplan, and more compete on phenom human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan's midnight rap contest The BEATdown

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm ($35 using discount code FTBBOX online or at the box office): One of my favorite FringeNYC shows (for my 2006 review, please click here) is finally enjoying a commercial run. The mostly-true tale of a man who became the toast of Paris by making music with his ass is playing at Sofia’s Downstairs Theater (221 West 46th Street): The Fartiste

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open-mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4

[$] 5:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 9:00 pm, and 11:00 pm ($15 per show): Double-bills at The Magnet for singing improv troupes making up a musical on the spot based on audience suggestions, including Reset List (Chicago) & Proverbial Loons (NYC), Girls Girls Girls (Austin) & Mansical (Chicago), Jill Bernard’s Drum Machine (Minneapolis) & A Tale of Two Genres (San Francisco), and McMurray’s Dream Machine (NYC) & A/C (NYC), : The 2011 New York Musical Improv Festival

[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true…but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening’s yarn-spinners are David Dickerson (NPR’sThis American Life, The Atlantic), Lisa Kirchner (Washington Post, Salon.com), Robin Gelfenbien (Sirius Radio, FringeNYC), and Joey Novick (Politics Unusual). Come to the West Village’s Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam Champion, exceptionally nice guy) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): “Stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe,” hosted at UCB East by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here), and featuring storytellers Dave Martin, Diana Spechler, and Seth Lind, plus musical guest Shonali Bhowmik (Variety SHAC): Tales of the Cosmos

7:00 pm ($7): Sketches, improv scenes, and videos from a small army of female comics at The PITupstairs theatre that answer such questions as “Why can’t you touch a black girl’s hair? Why do some of us burn our cheating man’s clothes in his car and can’t wait to exhale? How did Foxy Brown know how to get down? Why can two play that game? Why do mad black women write so many diaries?” and more: Mrs Jones

7:00 pm ($5): In-house The PIT sketch comedy troupes show off the videos they’ve created (in the downstairs lounge) for the theatre’s new online TV showcase: The PIT TV Show

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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Joe Bill, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, Kay Cannon, Christina Gausas, and/or other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions, at UCB West all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball

7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft at The Magnetmaking up a play on the spot: Theory of Everything

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) An Iranian-American stand-up (for a sample set, please click here) who’s a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour that featured top Middle Eastern-American comics, and an actor who’s performed on ABC’ s Better off Ted andKnights of Prosperity, FOX’ s Life on a Stick, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC’s The West Wingand ER, and many other shows & feature films, headlining tonight and Sunday at the CarolinesComedy Club: Maz Jobrani

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who’s starred in his ownComedy Central Presents special, and has performed on Conan O’Brien, ABC, VH1, FOX, CNN, and MSNBC, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Paul Mecurio

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Star storyteller Tom Shillue, and fine stand-ups Helen Hong, Dan Soder, and Dean Obeidallagh, performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City for a podcast that’s a free way to get therapy for host Joe Matarese: Fixing Joe

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

8:00 pm ($5): A YouTube star tries out an hour’s worth of new material at The PIT downstairs lounge: John Roberts

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1’s Best Week Ever, Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents), Sabrina Jalees (Last Comic Standing, Logo’s Year End Review), and Jeff Wesselschmidt performing stand-up at UCB East, hosted by Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It

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

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1’s Best Week Ever, Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central Presents), Aaron Berg, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village:Eastville Comedy Club

9:30 pm ($10): “A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics” atThe PIT, following sold out shows at Joe’s Pub: Political Subversities

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[FREE] 10:00 pm: A sketch & interview show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Zach Sims: Too Late With Zachary Sims

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB West interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then create an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duo Trike

10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

11:00 pm ($8): An improv troupe that’s performed with Cirque de Soleil and appeared in the filmMystery Team performing at The PIT upstairs lounge, opening with a blind date with a member of our audience and then making up scenes based on what they’ve learned: Gentleman Party

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East that includes superb NYC comics—who tonight are brilliant singer/songwriter Mindy Raf, brilliant stand-up Myq Kaplan, Joyelle Johnson, Luke Meginsky, and Mr. Dead—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown

[FREE] Midnight: Along the lines of Mystery Science Theater 3000, NYC comics make comments about a terrible movie at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Big Fat Scary Saturday

For full details, 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.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 3/4/11

March 4, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you have a thyroid, or know someone with a thyroid, please consider buying my latest book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Jawnee Conroy

Hysterical force of nature Jawnee Conroy will be stirring things up tonight at "The BEATdown"

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Some of The Magnet’s finest comics—including the brilliant and delightful Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at last year’s FringeNYC)—team up with Magnet co-owner Armando Diaz to deliver sketch comedy in Good Morning, Ladies!

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Pamela Murphy’s autobiographical show is the best-scripted one-act to grace UCBT in the past year, performed with wit, grace, and pitch-perfect comedic timing (for video samples of Pam’s work, please click here). Don’t miss Jane Borden of Time Out New York‘s pick forBest Solo Show of 2010: Pamela Murphy: The C Word

…and for the other half of this double-bill, sketch troupe Bleak! performs a show about internal strife: Stomachtown

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($26.75 & 2-drink min.)  An award-winning stand-up who’s performed onConan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Craig Ferguson, and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Al Madrigal

8:00 pm ($5; includes copious homemade treats): Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; co-host ofTotally J/K; author of new book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist of terrific book Grimmer Tales), and Michael Terry (Onion News Network, Party Central USA) performing stand-up at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with hosts Aalap Patel and the delightful Chelsea White (MTV, College Humor): It’s Not That Serious

[$] 8:00 pm ($20): A benefit for cancer research with Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents), Rob Cantrell (CBS, Marijuana-logues), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon), and Seaton Smith (Opie and Anthony) performing at Brooklyn’s Coco 66 for hosts Nick Turner’s & Jason Saenz’s Too Cool for School

8:00 pm ($10): Improvised scenes based on the “Missed Connections” section of Craigslist at Missed Connections Two-Prov

8:00 pm ($7): “In March of 2009 a gaggle of performers were born. Some died, some wandered off into the woods, others went to work in the private sector. Those that remained grew strong by feeding on the nectar of specific choices and the gruel of strong character work. The not quite 2-year-old terror that exists today is akin to watching a Tsunami of hair and teeth attack a baby Blue Whale and destroy it with the will of a thousand hungry Burnese Mountain Dogs. What does it all mean? We don’t know.” Tonight is the Second Anniversary of these sharp improvisors making stuff up as troupe Chet Watkins

[FREE—plus trivia game chances to win free drinks] 8:00 pm: Pat O’Shea (VH1, host of Ed Sullivan on Acid), Justy Dodge, Todd Montesi, Carolina Hidalgo, Robyn Candyce-Schlau, and “a surprise guest” performing at Brooklyn’s The Royal Oak (594 Union Avenue) with host Calvin S. Cato: The Pregame Comedy Show

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at O’Hanlon’s (14th Street off 1st Avenue): Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s written for ABC, TruTV, feature films, and performed his own hour-long Comedy Central special You’ve Changedheadlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Michael Loftus

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

9:00 pm ($7): Comedy friends who, by a wild coincidence, have the same name, debuting a sketch show about pioneers: We’re Matt Weir: Trailblazers

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen’s Class: The Harvard Sailing Team

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

10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other fine improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): 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; 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), and TV & movie star Todd Barry (HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), plus wonderful musical guest Ted Leo, performing at this monthly comedy talk show hosted by the Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central, Hot Tub Variety): Night of the Living with Kurt Braunohler

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC—who tonight include Jawnee Conroy (a force of nature who was a hilarious agent of chaos on his last appearance), Josh Ruben (College Humor), Alan Fessenden (member of improv troupe 4Track), and stand-ups Joyelle Johnson and Remy Benice —plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien,Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you have a thyroid, or know someone with a thyroid, please consider buying my latest book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 9/3/10

September 3, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan

Genius human beatbox Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan (above) co-hosts with genius musical improvisor Eliza Skinner at midnight's The BEATdown

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): In this fun show, 16 musical performers turn an audience member’s suggestion into two musical fairy tales that tell what happened from the viewpoint of first the hero and then the villain, with “all the music and magic of a Disney flick…plus the darkness of the Brothers Grimm:” Once Upon a Time

7:00 pm ($8): “Where there is a stage and a piano, she will be there. Where there are strangers with embarrassing stories, she will be there. Where there is a group of people willing to sit and watch someone make up songs, she will be there. A one-woman musical improv journey through the lives of the audience. You tell the story, Rebecca Vigil sings the soundtrack:” The Vigilante

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Kurt Braunohler practices a stand-up set designed for a TV special; and Peter Blomquist and Jeff Wiens performing a multimedia sketch show, in the double-bill Kurt Braunohler’s Special Stand-Up and Franco & Billy: Diamonds of Fire

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A groundbreaking and surreal improv/sketch troupe performing with new guests each Friday and making a valid complaint: Centralia: We Were Supposed To Have Flying Cars By Now

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm; Next to Last Show! ($19.50 online using discount code8PUPPET): This is a show for which I have enormous affection; although my joy came from watching not only what occurred on stage, but the faces of the women in the audience turning stonier and stonier as they visibly projected the thought, “Dick tricks? This entire show really consists of dick tricks? All my suspicions about men have just been confirmed…” If you cherish bravery in performers, go forth to the 45 Bleecker Theatre (right next to the #6 subway’s Bleecker Street stop) and experience Puppetry of the Penis

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Ace storyteller Kevin Allison (The State, Risk!), and stand-ups Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), Kevin McCaffrey (David Letterman), Ryan Hamilton (Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing), Ron Babcock (visiting from LA), and Sam Morrill performing at Brooklyn’s Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) for hosts Nick Turner’s & Jason Saenz’s Too Cool for School

[FREE] 8:00: NYC stand-ups Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), Colin Jost (writer for SNL), Louis Katz (Comedy Central), Dan Wilbur (College Humor), and Alex Grubard (Sirius Radio) performing atO’Hanlon’s (14th Street off 1st Avenue), hosted by Matt Ruby: Hot Soup

[$] 8:00 pm ($53 & 2-drink min.)  A TV & film star whose credits include Undercover Brother, Deuce Bigalow, and Scary Movie 3 headlining through Saturday at Carolines: Eddie Griffin

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

9:30 pm ($8): Pat Shepherd thought he was getting married. He was wrong. Learn the details in his one-man show Disengaged

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Thomas Middleditch, Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

11:15 ($5):Roman Rimer performs a one-man show about “inspirational and comedic true stories intertwining spirituality, sex, laws, identity, drug busts, discomfort, fear and discovery from a spontaneous road trip down South” in Evolution

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the sharpest comics in NYC—Rachel Bloom, Jermaine Fowler, Michael Kayne, Nat Towsen, and Alan Starzinski—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius comedic musical performers Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (Freestyle Love Supreme) and Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas), all at The BEATdown

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 8/12/10

August 12, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.

Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan

Phenomenal human beatboxer Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan is among the talents performing tonight at Stripped Stories

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

7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces,” and veteran improvisors play with “elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde,” in the double-bill The Deconstruction and Sleepover

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Genius Death by Roo Roo improvisors Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik create an epic film on the spot based on an audience suggestion; and young talents do a sketch show about cops, in the double-bill The Two-Man Movie and The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm Tuesday-Saturday ($39.50 online or at the box office using discount code PPBBOX): This is a show for which I have enormous affection; although my joy came from watching not only what occurred on stage, but the faces of the women in the audience turning stonier and stonier as they visibly projected the thought, “Dick tricks? This entire show really consists of dick tricks? All my suspicions about men have just been confirmed…” If you cherish bravery in performers, go forth to the 45 Bleecker Theatre (right next to the #6 subway’s Bleecker Street stop) and experience Puppetry of The Penis

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($12): John Mulaney (writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Totally J/K; author of new book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Hari Kondabolu, Greg Walloch, and musical guest Corn Mo Central), Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), Scott Moran, and Andy Haynes performing at 92Y Tribeca’s Comedy Below Canal

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Elna Baker (brilliant storyteller, talented cartoonist, and bestselling author of the comedic book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance) and stand-up Jamie Kilstein tell tales on tonight’s theme “Celebrities” at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC, with awesome human beatbox Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, The BEATdown), hosted by the sensual Margot Leitman (VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com): Stripped Stories

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($19.33 online if you use code VIPAUG, plus 2-item minimum): A popular stand-up and friends performing at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Colin Kane Unzipped

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two vibrant troupe troupes, Doppelganger and Zamboni, competing for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For Hy’s pre-festival coverage of FringeNYC 2010, please click here.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 5/7/10

May 7, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan and Eliza Skinner host one of my favorite monthly shows, a comedic rap battle now at the Friday midnight slot at UCBT: The BEATdown

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: Some of the finest sketch troupes in NYC, including The Harvard Sailing Team and Murderfist, audition for a prestigious comedy festival: The Just for LaughsShowcase

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): In this fun show, 16 musical performers turn an audience member’s suggestion into two musical fairy tales that tell what happened from the viewpoint of first the hero and then the villain, with “all the music and magic of a Disney flick…plus the darkness of the Brothers Grimm:” Once Upon a Time

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): A groundbreaking and surreal improv/sketch troupe performing with new guests each Friday and making a valid complaint: The Secret Donald Glover Show

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($24.78 online with code VIPMAY, plus 2-drink min.) A YouTube star & Mad TV star headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Anjelah Johnson

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Wonderful comics Kumail Nanjiani, Ben Lerman, Rob Cantrell, Louis Katz, Jason Weems, and more performing at Brooklyn’s Coco 66 for hosts Nick Turner’s & Jason Saenz’s Too Cool for School

[$] 8:00 pm ($49 & 2-drink min.) A TV and movie star who first earned fame on Chappelle’s Showheadlining through Sunday at Carolines: Charlie Murphy

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): In this new show, Thomas Middleditch, Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

11:00 pm ($5): Dan Hodapp & Natasha Rothwell, champions of the Magnet Theater’s 2009 Improv Duo Tournament, bring nearly five years of improv collaboration to stage “for an evening of bold, committed characters and truthful, grounded scenework” at Hodapp & Rothwell

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC…who tonight are Sara Schaefer (Jimmy Fallon), Victor Varnado (Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show), Mara Herron (That Chick Mara Herron), Tom McCaffrey (VH1’s Best Week Ever), and Sara Jo Allocco (Dream Role)—hosted by genius comedic musical performers Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (Freestyle Love Supreme) and Eliza Skinner (Baby Wants Candy) at The BEATdown

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 1/21/10

January 21, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan and Eliza Skinner host tonight's Finals to determine the 2009 Champion of comedic rap competition The BEATdown

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): A now-rare opportunity to see the one-woman show that less than a year ago helped propel NYC comedy jewel Jenny Slate to stardom as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Jenny’s production “takes place during my funeral, if I died right now as an eccentric millionaire and left 300 million dollars to my dog;” and it shows off Jenny’s immense sweetness, darkness, and wit, with treasured moments ranging from cheese thrown with deadly force to Jenny’s unforgettable pronouncement regarding men and porn. Directed by the witty and razor-sharp John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives). Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to see Jenny Slate live in Dead Millionaire

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($23 online today, or $18 for Friday & Saturday, if you use code VIPJAN [otherwise $30], plus 2-item minimum):A star stand-up who’s performed on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and Jay Leno; performed three of his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; was a regular on Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn and Shorties Watchin’ Shorties; is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show and the Opie and Anthony radio show; hosted his own radio program on NYC’s 92.3 Free FM; creates periodic Web-based free audio shows for Blog Talk Radio; and has acted on such TV shows as HBO’s The Sopranos and Lucky Louie, and was nominated twice for an Emmy award for his writing on The Chris Rock Show, headlinilng tonight through Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Nick DiPaolo

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The delightful Andrée Vermeulen performing her new more-or-less one-woman show: “After applying for The Greatest French Person in the World Award, Andrée uncovers a dark family secret (she may actually be…Belgian!), and is forced to decide whether or not believing in something is enough to make it true”—for a hint of how much fun you’re likely to have, view a video scene with Andrée and her real-life boyfriend Thomas Middleditch by clicking here; and superb sketch troupe Trophy Dad performing a comedic play about a college buddy returning after 10 years to ruin his friend’s life, in the double-bill French Toast and The Worst Guy Ever!

8:00 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces,” and veteran improvisors play with “elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde,” in the double-bill The Deconstruction and Sleepover

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($15): All all-star lineup of top stand-ups—Colin Quinn, Wyatt Cenac, and Morgan Murphy—plus musical guest Bridget Barkan, all performing at Comedy Below Canal

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC…who tonight are five winners of last year’s monthly contests, battling it out for the Championship crown in tonight’s Finals match—Carolyn Castiglia, Rebecca Drysdale, Utkarsh Ambudka, Bob Kulhan, and Michael Kayne—hosted by genius comedic musical performers Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (Freestyle Love Supreme) and Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas) at The BEATdown

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupes Hot Sauce and The Brothers Hines battling for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Genius improvisors Jason Mantzoukas (We Used to Go Out, Mother, Baby Mama) and Ed Herbstman (co-founder of the Magnet Theater) show off how breathtakingly quick-witted and skillful they are at creating scenes from air. Time Out New York named these guys Best Improv Duo of 2006. Take advantage of this one-night-only opportunity to see these improvisation comedy stars shine in an intimate setting as The Mantzoukas Brothers

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 2/13/09

February 13, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Judah Friedlander

Judah Friedlander

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:

a world-class improvisor and utterly unique comic trying out his special brand of silliness in a solo show (on a double-bill with character comic Nick Ross): Eugene Cordero (6:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] a star stand-up comic who’s a cast member on the smash hit sitcom 30 Rock, has also performed on Jay Leno, HBO, VH1, and MTV, and is headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

stand-ups Amy Beckerman, H. Alan Scott, Michael Brill, Bob Smith, and Soce the Elemental Wizard at a gay-themed comedy show hosted by Jenny Rubin: The Back Room (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),

singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical (10:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a comedic freestyle rap contest, tonight including brilliant comics Jessica Delfino, Livia Scott, Victor Varnado, Rob Cantrell, and Billy Scafuri, hosted by genius comedic musical hosts Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (Freestyle Love Supreme) and Eliza Skinner (I Eat Pandas), at The BEATdown (11:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] and UCBT’s free monthly open-mic stand-up show, where deliciously odd things tend to happen around 1:30 am, hosted by lightning-quick & hilarious Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1; one of the finest comics in the country) at Gutbucket (12:20ish am).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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