Comedy | Best New York Comedy

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...

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

...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 Standing; David 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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Camille Harris, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Eric Drysdale, Improv, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The New Yorker | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 3/4/12

March 4, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Improv genius Ed Herbstman and a small army of his Jewish improv friends gather to make fun of themselves at The Chosen Ones

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

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

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Jim Santangeli (The Curfew, Jim-a-Day), Pat Baer (UCBT institution), and MC Chris (Nerdcore Rising, Adult Swim) participating in “a weekly podcast that assembles a new 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] 6:00 pm: At this monthly show, “three improv teams swap two performers each, pick a long-form style out of a hat, and then perform with their new rosters” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Yankee Swap

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): “Jews in comedy have been ignored for too long. To combat this trend, The Magnet’s Jewish house team members have formed a Jewish super-group that will be performing around Jewish high holidays. Their Jewish shows will be based on Jewish monologues from a Jewish Rabbi about the upcoming Jewish holiday. For Purim we have monologist Rabbi Elli.” Among this small army of Jews is improv master Ed Herbstman—which is reason enough to come and enjoy The Chosen Ones

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

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

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Lang Fisher (The Onion), Damien Lemon, and Josh Gondelman performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Jimmy Fallon writer Casey Jost performs a one-man show in which he plays a myriad of characters revolving around a theme: Fooling Around with Casey Jost

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material (for a fun sample co-starring Danielle Tolley about dating a telemarketer, please click here): Alchemy

[$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who starred in his own Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour special, was host of Oxygen’s Love Games, and performed on ABC and Showtime headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Bret Ernst

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Erin Lennox (co-host of Fresh and The I Like You Too Show; for a sample of Erin’s dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here), Chesley Calloway (co-host of Comedy as a Second Language), Andrew Short, Eli Olsberg, and Chris Lay performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Brad Austin, Nate Fridson, and/or Adam Sokol: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

9:00 pm ($7): The dozen members of sketch troupe Company—which includes wonderful rising star Lauren Olson—performs a mini-play at The Magnet revolving around a public school: PS 2012

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups (not announced this week) performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) typically hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special): Comedy Night

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

9:30 pm ($5): 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), Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), improv troupe Student Driver, and more performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Daws of Jeath

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

10:00 pm ($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.

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: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Ed Herbstman, Improv, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The Chosen Ones: Improv by Jews about Jewish themes | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 3/3/12

March 3, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Julie Klausner joins Adam Wade and Jon Friedman in telling mindblowing Tales of the Cosmos...

...and Wyatt Cenac concludes his headlining run at Carolines

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

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 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 James Flames (Rebel Bingo), Blaise Allysen Kearsley (How I Learned storytelling series), Peter Lubell (IFC), and Gail Thomas (voiceover artist). 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) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Swagu, Ryanna, and Swartzlander at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[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 Julie Klausner (razor-sharp comic & storyteller, and author of I Don’t Care About Your Band), Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show), and Ted Travelstead: Tales of the Cosmos

7:00 pm ($7): Sketches, improv scenes, and videos from a small army of female comics at The PIT upstairs 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

[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, Brandon Gardner, Jed Resnik, and/or other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions at UCB Chelsea all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp writer/performer and star correspondent of The Daily Show headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Wyatt Cenac

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 & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who starred in his own Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour special, was host of Oxygen’s Love Games, and performed on ABC and Showtime headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Bret Ernst

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

8:30 pm ($10): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), and stand-ups including Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Kevin McCaffrey (David Letterman, TruTV), JC Coccoli , Yannis Pappas, and Jason Saenz performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [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): 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.), Aaron Berg, and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($7): The dozen members of sketch troupe Company—which includes wonderful rising star Lauren Olson—performs a mini-play at The Magnet revolving around a public school: PS 2012

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code SBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come to the Soho Playhouse tonight to see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy

[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): Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, D’Arcy Carden, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB Chelsea 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 ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

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

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East that includes superb NYC comics Jessica Delfino, Kevin Barnett, Chemda Khalili, Pat Cassels, and John F. O’Donnell —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

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Genius comics John Gemberling & Anthony Atamanuik playing a ventriloquist and his unsettling dummy, stand-ups Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream, 9 Am Meeting), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central), and Rob Stern, and musical guest Hardcore Boris performing at UCB Chelsea with host Andy Rocco at Underground Americana

Midnight ($10): Typically disturbing and semi-obscene sketches at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe FUCT

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

For 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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Adam Wade, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Julie Klausner, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Wyatt Cenac | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 3/2/12

March 2, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Star Wyatt Cenac headlines tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club...

...and Ted Alexandro headlines tonight and Saturday at the Eastville Comedy 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:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups start at 5:30 pm) at The Creekupstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine (Comedy Central) and Annie Lederman (Comedy Central): The Shinebox

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup andWe’re All Friends Here), Carla Rhodes (rock ‘n roll ventriloquist; 30 Rock), Joe Machi (Comedy Central), Josh Carter (College Humor), Amanda Baramki, Gabe Pacheco, and Sam Morril performing at Beauty Bar (231 East 14th Street) for this biweekly stand-up show hosted by Peter Ostrovski & Ilya Gofshteyn: Beautiful Comedy

7:00 pm ($5): Improv revolving around “the anticipation, the fall-out, that fragile moment when love blooms or dies” in Double Date; and in the other half of this Magnet double-bill, the young and silly improvisors of Honey

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a troupe specializing in meta-comedy—that is, comedy about the process of making comedy—performs their most meta show yet, which is billed as a “best of” show but actually is a series of internal spats that delay any of the promised sketches from being performed. It’s smart and clever, and all four members of the group are highly appealing. But it’s such a purely “from the head, not the heart” show that it feels increasingly repetitive and one-note as it goes on. I wish the guys had been less concerned with the purity of their one-joke idea and more with creating an emotional rollercoaster experience for the audience. (The reason their best sketch ever is a spelling bee for fart jokes is because it’s a perfect blend of their conceptual approach with laugh-out-loud funny. Sadly, no such sketch is in this show…) If you like concept comedy, though, these guys are great at it; and you’re likely to enjoy at least the first 10 minutes before the novelty wears off from Pangea 3000: 12 Years of Hard Work…

…and in the second half of this double-bill, a one-woman show by Sue Galloway about a woman’s publication: POSE Magazine

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups delivering their A game—since they’re being videotaped as they perform sets—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, with a different host each week: Mixed Tape

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 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?

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp writer/performer and star correspondent of The Daily Show headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Wyatt Cenac

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

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30ish pm: Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice), Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Sabrina Jalees (Last Comic Standing), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Nate Fernald (Team Submarine), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central’s Ugly Americans), Jeff Wesselschmidt (Rooftop Comedy), and Jacqeline Novak performing at Brooklyn’s Red Star (37 Greenpoint Avenue) hosted by Amber Nelson, Annie Lederman, and/or Ashley Brooke Roberts: Pirate Party

8:30 pm ($7): The dozen members of sketch troupe Company—which includes wonderful rising starLauren Olson—performs a mini-play at The Magnet revolving around a public school: PS 2012

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who starred in his own Comedy Central Presents 1/2-hour special, was host of Oxygen’s Love Games, and performed on ABC and Showtime headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Bret Ernst

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB Chelsea’s all-star members of The Stepfathers

9:00 pm ($10): UCB East hosts “Thin Skin Jonny. They had it all. They were icons, legends, anti-folk superstars. However, tragedy struck and they broke up, citing an alleged statutory charge, gay porn addiction, and Four Loko abuse. Now, two months later, they’re back to do one last show—a benefit! Can they find a way to get along long enough to raise the money needed to re-animate the corpse of Bea Arthur? Maybe, with your help!” Performers include Ari Scott, with direction from Pam Murphy: Thin Skin Jonny: Farewell Reunion Tour

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

9:30 pm ($5): Stand-ups Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Bunk; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Ben Kissel (Spike TV), Morgan Miller (Rooftop Comedy), and The Lucas Brothers, plus sketch from Matt Hobby & Mary Grill (Comedy Central), performing at The PITdownstairs lounge with host Jeremy Wein: Undefined

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Dave Stone (Adult Swim’s Squidbillies), Andy Sanford (TBS), Joe Zimmerman (Rooftop Comedy), and TJ Young “deliver an original brand of humor that’s deeply rooted in stand-up and lightly blended with avant-garde elements of music, sketch and improv.”Tonight they’re joined by stand-up guests Katie East, Kristen Becker, Nate Fridson, Josh Gondelman, Steve Forrest, and Taylor Ketchum, all performing at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: The Beards of Comedy & Friends

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

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

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

11:00 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv at The PIT downstairs theatre from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers: Rap Crimes Division

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): One of the finest improvisors alive, Joe Bill (Bassprov, iO, co-founder of the Annoyance Theatre) spearheads a breathtakingly brilliant group of improvisors from Chicago and New York who’ll blow the roof off The Magnet with lightning-quick dark comedy unlike anything else in NYC. Chicago-based Joe tends to visit NYC at the start of every month, so he’ll probably be at tonight’s performance. But either way, the other superb players are Jordan Klepper (Klepper & Grey, iO, ), Jodi Lennon (Comedy Central’s Exit 57), Ari Voukydis (UCB instructor, VH!’s Best Week Ever), Doug Stoley (Conan O’Brien, UCB), Rick Andrews (Magnet performer), Mark Grenier (Magnet instructor), Jen Sanders (Magnet performer), and Chet Siegel (Magnet performer), all declaring Lights Out, Shirley!

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, with host Andy Haynes promising “a rowdy late night comedy melee with beers being thrown, jokes being told, partial nudity, audience participation…there’s no telling what might happen:” Midnight Run

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it’s an amazing opportunity if you want to try out sketches for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigiousUCB Chelsea stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

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.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 3/1/12

March 1, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

It's storytelling night, with Leslie Goshko at Shut Up!, Jeff Simmermon at Oh Hey Guys and Failing Our Twenties...

...Tom Shillue at Lasers in the Jungle, and Chris Gethard at Lollygaggin' with David Rees

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: Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s The American Life, Moth StorySlam Champion, host ofAnd I Am Not Lying) is tonight’s guest at this weekly open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item 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), Livia Scott (unique character actress & comedic chameleon; host of Livia’s Castle of Enchantment), and Kambri Crews (whose first book was just released) performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with cartoonist host David Rees: Lollygaggin’ with David Rees

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

7:00 pm ($5): Improv duo Steve Soroka (BoF) & Jen Curran team with improv troupe The Imposters at The PIT downstairs lounge to kick off your Evening Bliss

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($24.50 & 2-drink min.) A one-of-a-kind comedy star headlining at the Carolines Comedy Club: Gilbert Gottfried

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): A musical show 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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Some of UCB Chelsea’s funniest sketch comedy & stand-up performers at an all-you-can-watch revue: UCBT’s I’m Cool Showcase

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Storytellers Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s The American Life, Moth StorySlam Champion, host of And I Am Not Lying) and Boris Khaykin (improv troupe North Coast—see Cage Match at 11:00) tell tales of Travel and Other Trips at The PIT downstairs lounge along with hosts Michelle Markowitz & Bryan Rucker, who are now in their thirties but still say they’re Failing Our Twenties

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill a tThe PIT upstairs theatre: Frogmen and Harvey

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 Alan Fessenden directing The Monoscene (an improvised play that takes place entirely in one location with no edits of any kind), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with Grappler and BEEES! competing: The Magnet’s Night Out

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

[$] [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?

[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): Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Mike Racine (Comedy Central), and more 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.): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), and stand-ups Ross Hyzer, Julia Lundy, and Meghan O’Keefe performing 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 ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp writer/performer and star correspondent for The Daily Show headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Wyatt Cenac

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Eugene Mirman (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, VH1, Adult Swim; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), and Michael Che performing at UCB 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

9:30 pm ($8): “A 17-person middle school talent show created and performed by two people—Jo Firestone and Dylan Marron—who like themselves more now that they’re older. A comedic tribute to the best three years of our lives, and a comedic play for anyone who ever thought it couldn’t get any better than prank calls and slow-dancing” at The PIT upstairs theatre: Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite

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

[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): Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Manhattan Monologue Slam Champ, host of Sideshow Goshko), Sue Smith (one-woman showMinimum Rage), and Amey Goerlich (Krompf, co-host of Indie Cage Match) telling comedic tales atUCB East hosted by Caitlin Brodnick and Erin Barker: Shut Up: An All-Female Storytelling Show

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): In a major upset, last week improv troupe North Coast ended the impressive winning streak of Fuck That Shit with a 94-70 victory. Tonight North Coast defends its new crown against Mr. Crime, competing for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): Madmen meets improv in this show at The PIT downstairs lounge in which scenes are made up by Jonathan Desley & Yang Miller based around an advertising agency: Desley-Miller

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.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wednesday 2/29/12

February 29, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi talks about having a dreamy job at Employee of the Month...

...brilliant off-the-wall comics Jon Benjamin (above), Larry Murphy, and more perform at genius storyteller & host Elna Baker's The Talent Show...

...and Dave Martin hosts his show's very best stories to celebrate the Sixth Anniversary of The Nights of Our Lives

[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Five 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

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet brand new house troupes Consider the Thief, Between the Trees, Acceptance, Forever Changed, Across the Sky, Pocket Full of Rocks, Newboys, and The Wedding performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with The Surge at 11:30 pm: The Magnet’s Megawatt

7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups Jessie Geller, Ray Devito, and more performing atLuca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with host Selena Coppock: Connotation

[TOP PICK] 7:30 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 genius improvisors Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) perform as Outlook of the Poet

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7 at the door, or $8.44 in advance online—the latter is recommended because this show usually sells out): Genius storyteller/writer Elna Baker hosts New York Magazine’s 2011 pick for Best Variety Show, with tonight’s guests Jon Benjamin, Larry Murphy, Patrick Borelli, The Lady Aye, musical trio Ménage à Twang, and more at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street): The Talent Show: The Leap Year Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Sloane Crosley (author of I Was Told There’d Be Cake, How Did You Get This Number?), and Paul Marcarelli (The Verizon Guy) describing what it’s like to have a dreamy job at UCB Chelsea to host Catie Lazarus with musical accompaniment by Chris Sullivan (a.k.a., Shockwave; amazing human boombox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown) & Arthur Lewis: Employee of the Month

[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

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

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

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Storyteller Nisse Greenberg (The Moth, Drawn Out Storytelling), sketch from Katie Hartman (Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting), and stand-ups Greg Barris (MTV, host of Heart of Darkness), Calvin S. Cato (host of The Pregame Show), and Carrie Gravenson performing at this free biweekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[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, John Flynn, Jon Gabrus, Christian Cappazoli, and host Dave Martin—tell tales that are brutally honest and utterly hilarious at UCB Chelsea, with tonight’s theme Sixth Anniversary Show: Greatest Hits: The Nights of Our Lives

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

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

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

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

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:

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: Aasif Mandvi, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Dave Martin's The Nights of Our Lives, Improv, Jon Benjamin, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 2/28/12

February 28, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman) performs at The Tony and Johnny Show...

Ashley Wren Collins in Mother Eve's Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood

...and stellar comedic actress Ashley Wren Collins sings & dances in the musical Mother Eve's Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood

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

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): “Jonathan Blank and Samara Doucette say what everyone else thinks on dates, but never says; so join them and guest comedians as they divulge all of their wildest and most embarrassing dating stories. This monthly storytelling show contains the truth and nothing but the truth, but most of the stories are more surreal than if David Lynch directed romantic comedies. Everything from wild hookups to emotional breakups are on the table.” Tonight’s storytelling guests at The PIT upstairs theatre are Michelle Markowitz (co-host of Failing Our Twenties) and Jennifer Oman (Sparrowtree Productions): This is Awkward: Stories of Injuries

7:00 pm ($7): Theatrical sketch comedy at The Magnet that features “three cowboys settling their score the old-fashioned way; an old Broadway star attempting her long-anticipated comeback; in a blatantly self-referential sketch, a young comedian trying to convince his friend to come see his show,” and more at Citizen Models

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Lizz Winstead (Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, Air America), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), Charles Star (host of Adult Education), and Laura Prangley performing at Lolita Bar hosted by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): This monthly show at UCB East describes itself as featuring “the next generation of performers who epitomize Andy Kaufman’s alternative, bizarre, and envelope-pushing sense of humor.” Tonight’s guests are Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Bunk; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), 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 Tim Ellis (co-host of In the Moment), capped off by a short Andy Kaufman film: Andy Kaufman’s Fun House

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comic book artist David Fernandez 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—plus, for tonight only, giveaways including advance screening passes to SF Martian adventure film John Carter: Comic Book Club

8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Very Good Kiss, Creature, Dance Break, Sandino, and Still Mike—and at 11:00 pm advanced improv students play with reverse chronology in which the show starts with the last scene and ends with the first—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

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: Mint Condition and BEEES!

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Eugene Mirman (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, VH1, Adult Swim; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Bunk; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Alex Koll (Comedy Central), Jorma Taccone (movie & TV director of MacGruber, Parks and Recreation), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker), Joe List (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and Kevin Barnett (College Humor) performing stand-up at this new weekly show at Brooklyn’s The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Steve O’Brien and produced by Sean Donnelly: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): An award-winning musical gracing The PIT upstairs lounge with a fun story, songs, and dance, and a terrific mostly-gal cast including wonderful star and choreographer Ashley Wren Collins: Mother Eve’s Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood

[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 ($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 Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up; staff writer for David Letterman), 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), and Jim Santangeli (The Curfew) : The Tony and Johnny Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Steve Rannazzisi (FX’s The League), Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Jesse Joyce (Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan: ComedyJuice

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe Mint Condition 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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Ashley Wren Collins, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Jena Friedman, Mother Eve's Secret Garden of Sensual Sisterhood, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 2/27/12

February 27, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Julie Sharbutt, Jennifer Grace, and Sandy Rustin

Stellar actresses Julie Sharbutt, Jennifer Grace, Sandy Rustin, and more crash theatre into improv at Gravid Water

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Willy Appelman guest-hosts a show at The Magnet that’s “like watching the characters of The Wonder Years and Freaks & Geeks all grown up and telling coming-of-age tales of love, lost, regret, and redemption,” with tonight’s guests Anoush Froundjian, Chris Pappas, and Adrian Sexton: Whatever Happened to the Nerds?

[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): Broadway & off-Broadway stars Jennifer Grace (Theatre World Award Winner for Our Town), Marc Kudisch (NBC’s Smash; Tony nominee for 9 to 5; Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Stephen Ruddy (Skype Duet, Chekhov’s Gun), Sandy Rustin (Fat Pig on Broadway, Rated P for Parenthood, Don’t Quit Your Night Job), and Julie Sharbutt (Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night, Maladies) mixing it up with stellar improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel, John & Scott), Kay Cannon (30 Rock, Second City), Michael Delaney (Conan O’Brien, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Stepfathers), John Lutz (30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, John & Scott), and Michael O’Brien (Saturday Night Live, 7 Minutes in Heaven) as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at UCB Chelsea for actor/director Stephen Ruddy’s Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Eugene Mirman (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, VH1, Adult Swim; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), Found Footage Festival (sharing hilariously odd amateur videos), Molly Knefel (Naked in a Fishbowl, John & Molly Get Along), Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream, 9 Am Meeting), Alex Koll, and musical guest Nicole Atkins 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 with Kurt & Kristen

8:00 pm ($5): Writers from the UCB community were asked to invent a Web series and create a pilot script for it. The three scripts selected as the best will be performed as staged readings tonight at UCB East, which the one receiving the most audience votes going on to a finalist showdown in May: Creative Control: Web Series Edition

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Brian Cichocki, Kendra Cunningham, Seaton C. Smith, Emma Willmann, and Ray Gibbs performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway’s Nassau Avenue stop) guest-hosted tonight by Kate Hendricks: Broken Comedy

8:00 pm ($10): Twins Todd & Adam Stone perform stand-up and more at this monthly show at The PIT, along with comedy guests (not announced): Stone and Stone Show

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Adam Newman (MTV, College Humor, comedy CD Not for Horses), Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Amber Nelson (sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Late Night Stand and Mustache Party), Anton Shuford, and Michael Che Plus performing stand-up, plus musical guest Sweet Soubrette, at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free biweekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; TLC, trutV; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Terrific comedy duo Leah Rudick & Katie Hartman, a.k.a. Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, back from their second year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where they were proclaimed “biggest revelation” by the Guardian, performing a new sketch show about reality TV at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Underdeveloped and Overexposed Life and Death of Deena Domino

9:30 pm ($5): Two brand new UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: Charlemagne (which includes such talents as Leslie Meisel) and Beige: Maude Night: Beige &Charlemagne

9:30 pm ($5): Some of NYC’s best independent improv troupes show off what they can do at UCB East: Indie Improv Showcase

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Long-form improv from troupe Casual Sex Offenders at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: CSO Improv Comedy

10:00 pm ($5): Improv is dominated by guys, so this is a rare treat—a dozen female improvisors “for an evening of comedy that will delight men, women, babies, and kittens” at The Magnet hosted by Megan Gray: We Might Just Kiss

10:00 pm ($5): Rob Lathan (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, ABC, Stinson’s Awesome Movie Night) and more performing at UCB East hosted by Chris Wilkes (Thunder Gulch): After Dark

[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 tonight haven’t yet been announced, but you can check for an update here—performing at UCB Chelsea and probably 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 PIT upstairs 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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Gravid Water, Improv, Jennifer Grace, Julie Sharbutt, Sandy Rustin, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 2/26/12

February 26, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Enjoy The Oscars tonight with snarky comics at The PIT or very gay comics at Therapy

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] [$] 1:00 pm ($15):Actor/storyteller John Grady (Blue Man Group; one-man showSpalding Gray: Stories Left To Tell; NPR; Moth champion) performs a one-man show at The Kraine Theatre (85 East 4th Street, off Second Avenue) about “the peculiar and misguided true adventures of a man and his therapy dog; a tale of true love and overcoming obstacles, while staring fear in the face:” Fear Factor: Canine Edition

[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): The debut of a sketch comedy radio show/podcast live on the UCB East stage, with tonight’s guests Kelly Hudson, Kate Riley, Riley Soloner, and Vacation Jason Killer and regulars Adam Bozarth, Dan Chamberlain, Matt Little, Taylor Moore, and Anna Rubanova: Left Handed Radio

[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

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Instead of watching tonight’s Academy Awards by yourself at home, why not see it with an audience at The PIT upstairs theatre and enjoy a bunch of comics making fun of it throughout? The latter will include J Hobart, Chris Grace, and Scott Eckert as the hosts, plus some surprise guests: The Oscar Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Instead of watching tonight’s Academy Awards by yourself at home, why not see it with a very gay audience at Therapy hosted by stand-up Brad Loekle? “To add to the drama, let’s bet on it: whoever’s Oscar ballot has the most correct predictions will win a cash Grand Prize! There’ll also be trivia drinking games, snacks to help keep you going all night, and two of Brad’s favorite muscle boys helping to serve up pure beefcake and Oscar Mayer Wiener!” It all happens at the Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour: The Oscars Edition

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.): A razor-sharp comic and pitch-perfect impressionist who’s also a movie star in such classics as The Usual Suspects headlining one more night at theCarolines Comedy Club: Kevin Pollak

[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

[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): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host ofWhiplash) and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall guest-hosted by Greg Johnson:Pretty Good Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing)Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno, Comedy Central, IFC), Sean Crespo (Conan O’Brien, The Onion), and John F. O’Donnell (50 First Jokes) performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): At The Magnet, a mini-play from Chris Nester & Ross Taylor about aspiring Country Western musicians: The Oakwood Boys

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Baratunde Thurston (The Onion), Charlotte Macdonald, Alex Koll, and Kyle Bostic performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jaqi Furback, Neil Constantine, Nathan Anderson, and Mike Kaiser performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Brad Austin, Nate Fridson, and/or Adam Sokol: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

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

10:30 pm ($5): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

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: 2012 Academy Awards, Brad Loekle, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The Oscars | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 2/25/12

February 25, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Week after week, world-class improv is delivered by the gutsy stars at Death by Roo Roo; and week after week, a stellar comedy troupe makes up a musical on the spot at Baby Wants Candy...

...while Kevin Pollak continues to slay at Carolines

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

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes GCA, Ryanna, and Double Date at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic storytelling at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City with host Eugene Aston-Gonzalez: 1001 Nights

7:00 pm ($5): Improvisors Jeremy Bent, Seth Lind, Matt Little, Chris Scott, and John Robert Wilson celebrate their Fifth Year Anniversary as a troupe at UCB East along with surprise guests: Thank You Robot 5th Year Anniversary

[FREE…plus FREE DINNER!] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups David Sidorov, Jack Quaid, Hallie Haglund, Andrew Tavin, Mookie Thompson, and Lucas Molandes performing at CultureFix (9 Clinton Street; take F subway to Delancey or J/M/Z to Essex) hosted by Aaron Glaser & Danny Jolles…plus “come at 6:30 and get some free dinner! CultureFix opens its one pot staff dinner to the public, but you gotta get there early cause it goes fast. Last time it was shrimp stew over grits; CultureFix does not fuck around:” Comedy Night at CultureFix

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-item min.): A razor-sharp comic and pitch-perfect impressionist who’s also a movie star in such classics as The Usual Suspects headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Kevin Pollak

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC comics performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City for this talk & stand-up show hosted by Sarah Tollemache: Last Night

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.):A TV movie star who was a cast member ofMad TV, and has also performed on NBC and HBO, headlining tonight at the Gotham Comedy Club: Aries Spears

8:30 pm ($10): Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host ofComedyJuice), Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City), Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing), Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE’s A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), and Chris Wilkes (SNL, Thunder Gulch) performing stand-up atUCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[$] [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): DC Benny, Mike Yard, Dan Soder, and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village:Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Musical improv from one of The Magnet’s best troupes: Choral Rage

9:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from a troupe born in a Boston college but tonight performing at atThe PIT downstairs lounge: Astronaut Theatre

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount codeSBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come to the Soho Playhouse tonight to see why BWC won aFringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Sharp NYC stand-ups are invited to perform anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can’t even imagine—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Kelly Fastuca, Reid Faylor, and Andrew Short: Underbelly

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

10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv at The Magnet from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duoTrike

11:00 pm ($5): Four sketch troupes compete for audience approval at The PIT, hosted by Bleak Comedy: Iron Sketch

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A talk show at UCB East hosted by the razor-sharp writer/performers of Pangea 3000 (who also write for The Onion), with guests Steve Saturn (actor), Michael Che (stand-up), and Amy Vlastelica (junior exhibition & lighting designer at the American Museum of Natural History): The Night Night Show with Pangea 3000

Midnight ($5): Two sketch troupes, Dinner For One and Gentleman Party, competing for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea hosted by sketch troupe Sidecar: Backyard Brawl

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) participate in the fake taping of a bad late-night TV comedy show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with host Brad Steuernagel: Comedians Off Of the Leash

Midnight ($10): Typically disturbing and semi-obscene sketches at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe FUCT

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: Baby Wants Candy, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Death by Roo Roo, Improv, Kevin Pollak, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

Best New York Comedy

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