Comedy | Best New York Comedy

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 1/24/12

January 24, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Saturday Night Live's Vanessa Bayer performs at Sweet...

..and six comedic tales of "The Wilderness" are spun at Brooklyn's The Story Collider

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] 8:00 pm ($10): Six stories about The WIlderness from Robin Gelfenbein, Kerri Doherty, Hallie Haglund, David Gelles, Maija Miemisto, and Ari Daniel Shapiro performing at Brooklyn’sUnion Hall hosted by Erin Barker & Ben Lillie: The Story Collider

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The editors of The Onion—Joe Garden, Todd Hanson, and Baratunde Thurston—plus 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), and Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It) performing at Lolita Bar hosted by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comic book industry pros Danny Fingeroth (The Stan Lee Universe) and Sam Ball (Joann Sfar Draws From Memory) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club

8:00 pm ($5): Front Page Films (hilarious shorts by Pete Holmes, Matt McCarthy and Oren Brimer), Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show), Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV; writer for FUSE’s A Different Spin with Mark Hoppus), and musical guest Matthew Hemerlein performing at UCB East for a comedy variety show produced by Sara Schaefer & Scott Moran: Hot Dang

[$] 8:00 pm ($20): Storyteller Martin Dockery (The Moth, The Liar Show; acclaimed as “fantastic” byThe New York Times) performing a one-man show about LSD—or, as Martin describes it, “a comic monologue about peddling chemical truths”—at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway’s Christopher Street stop): The Bike Trip

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

8:00 pm ($5): This one-woman show at The PIT upstairs theatre “follows Leanne’s journey from Waukegan, Illinois to Vegas, baby! Doesn’t every woman want to move to Vegas, sell guns, and get married a few times? It would be completely made up if it weren’t totally true:” Lady Luck is a Whore

[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 & Rosencrantz

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Vanessa Bayer (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives, The Tony and Johnny Show), Eric Ledgin (staff writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon), and more performing atElla (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm (no cover, one drink min.): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), John Roy, Ashley Brooke, Roberts Zach Sims, Emily Heller, and Kristine Levine performing stand-up on tonight’s topic of Hell for this new weekly show at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) hosted by Josh Gondelman & George Gordon: The Afterlife

[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 Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1), and Violet Krumbein (30 Rock, hilarious sketch comic): The Tony and Johnny Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.) Al Madrigal, Robert Kelly, Godfrey, and hosts Joe DeRosa & Jared Logan performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club: 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.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Saturday Night Live, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The Story Collider, Vanessa Bayer | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 1/23/12

January 23, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For tonight only, Jeffrey Sweet reprises his tales of Nichols & May, Del Close, and other legends of comedy history in his fascinating one-man show "You Only Shoot the Ones You Love"

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

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 ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentaryMetaphyiscal Graffiti, High Times), and “a surprise guest (he has an accent)”—who I suspect is a visiting comic only off from his Brooklyn theatrical show on Mondays and whose name rhymes with Spaniel Blitzen, but I could be wrong—performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches, a sneak peek at Kurt’s new IFC show, 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15): Jeffrey Sweet, author of the seminal improv comedy book Something Wonderful Right Away, last year debuted his one-man FringeNYC show about Del Close, Nichols & May, Paul Sills, and other legendary comics whose work led to such comedy institutions as NYC’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, The Pit, and The Magnet. For this one night only, he’s reviving the show at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway’s Christopher Street stop). For my full review, please click here. If you have any interest in improv comedy history, this is an event not to be missed: You Only Shoot the Ones You Love

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Rogowsky (writer for The Onion, co-host of 12 Angry Mascots) returns to The PIT upstairs theatre to host “a unique talk show experience that needs to be experienced to be experienced. There will be plenty of bits, skits, chits and chats, and maybe that pretty girl you saw on the 6 train last night will be in the audience! It’s a big city, but you run into people,” with tonight’s wonderful guests 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), Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman), and Gabe Delahaye (senior editor of Videogum.com): Running Late with Scott Rogowsky

8:00 pm ($5): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), and Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central’s Ugly Americans) performing at UCB Easthosted by Michael Che: Comedy Central Corporate Retreat

8:00 pm ($5): For this sketch double-bill at UCB Chelsea, first up is a a meta-comedy in which a real estate agent tries to convince a couple that the actual theatre you’re in would be a great home for them. He does this by putting on a series of scenes that are presented as a random sampling of what UCBT has to offer but that, directly or indirectly, each promote the stage as a wonderful residence. It’s a way fun idea—for a 5-minute sketch. However, this entire show is handled like a single multi-jointed sketch, and 30 minutes is a long time to essentially tell one joke. If the script was further developed to use the internal sketches as stepping stones to achieve a larger and emotionally compelling story, this could become something quite special. Even as is, though, it’s great fun at the start; and if you find it wearing out its welcome after that, you’ll still enjoy sporadic laughs from individual bits and performers—especially standouts Brandon Gulya and Brandon Scott Jones—in the a-bit-too-clever-for-its-own-good This is Not a Sketch Show—A Sketch Show…

…and second up is Sue Galloway performing a one-woman sketch show directed by UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern about women’s magazines and “how to live the perfect life:” Pose

8:00 pm ($5, which includes FREE BEER): Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1), Kevin Barnett (College Humor), Mara Herron (Web series That Chick Mara Herron), Yannis Pappas (Carolines), and Sabrina Jalees performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s Sandbox Underground (257 Grand Street, near the L subway’s Bedford stop) hosted by Mike Denny, Michael Che, and Nimesh Patel, and featuring free beer: Broken Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: PIT owner Ali Farahnakian and the school’s razor-sharp instructors perform improv at The PIT downstairs lounge in The Faculty Part 2: Electric Boogaloo; plus improv troupe Technicolor

9:30 pm ($5): Two brand new UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out fresh material: The Prom (which includes such talents as Sasheer Zamata, Stephen Soroka, Amber Nelson, and Ari Scott), and Everything Rabbits (which includes the lovely Violet Krumbein): Maude Night: The Prom &Everything Rabbits

9:30 pm ($5): Young improvisors at The PIT make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Shady Bunch

[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): A new variety show in which comics perform characters, stand-up, and other bits atThe Magnet hosted by Jon Bander: What’s to Get?

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[FREE] 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 include Daniel Kitson, James Adomian, John Roy, and Erik Bergstrom—performing at UCB Chelsea 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.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Barrow Street Theatre, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Jeffrey Sweet, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, You Only Shoot the Ones You Love | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 1/22/12

January 22, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Todd Barry guest-hosts Union Hall's Pretty Good Friends...

...and Myq Kaplan performs at both Sunday Night Stand-Up & Dr. Princess Lawyer

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

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Improv duo The Bedtime Brothers begin by making up scenes based on an audience member’s horrible dating or break-up experience, and end with scenes springboarding off an audience-supplied movie quote; and in between invited stand-ups and sketch comics perform. It all happens at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Love Sucks! Movies Rock!

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): John Gemberling (genius improvisor & comedic character actor; Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Death by Roo Roo, The Tony and Johnny Show), Anthony Atamanuik (genius improvisor & stellar storyteller; 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives, The Tony and Johnny Show), and Jake Fogelnest (MTV, Sirius XM) participate 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] 6:30 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material: Ripe Sketch Comedy

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

7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & 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): 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) guest hosting for Eugene Mirman, plus stand-up sets by Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1) and Kevin Barnett (College Humor), and hilariously odd amateur videos from the Found Footage Festival, all Brooklyn’s Union Hall: Pretty Good Friends

[$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle’s Showheadlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: 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), 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), Murderfist (NYC’s fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, writer forPlayboy.com), Seaton Smith, and Charlie Gaeta performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at theThree of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): Alexis Lambright performing a one-woman show at The Magnet about her quest to pop her cherry: Combating Adult Virginity

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge for a free weekly show typically hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): 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), John Roy (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It), and Doug Smith performing at UCB East hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup

[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 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 Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), Miguel Dalmau, Charles Gould, and Subhah Agarwal (birthday gal) 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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here) and Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central’s Ugly Americans) perform stand-up sets at The PIT, and then improv troupe Before the Accident makes up scenes springboarding off the material, at Daws of Jeath

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

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Adam Sank (who founded this show). Naomi Ekperigin, and Chris Doucette performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle:Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): “Aaron Glaser wrote a pilot. It’s a cartoon about a woman who is a doctor, a princess, and a lawyer. This is a staged reading where some very funny people will bring an old stack of paper to life. Also, there will be some stand up and videos.” The top comics performing at UCB East include James Adomian and Myq Kaplan: Dr. Princess Lawyer: An Animated Pilot Reading

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Myq Kaplan, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Todd Barry | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 1/21/12

January 21, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Sara Benincasa & friends share their tales of relatives at Family Hour...

Nick DiPaolo headlines at Carolines...

...and a memorably terrible martial arts film is dissected at Midnight Movie at Montoya’s: Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon

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 at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4

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

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Orange Augustus, Mr. Gorsky, and Honey at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8; includes free cookies): Emily Heller (staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Steve Heisler (writer for The Onion, Entertainment Weekly, Time Out Chicago), and Carmel Lobello (writer/editor for Death+Taxes) telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales about their relatives at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Sara Benincasa (NBC’s Today Show, The Joy Behar Show, CNN, MTV, The Sarah Palin Vlogs, Sex and Other Human Activities podcast, upcoming book Agorafabulous): Family Hour

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Todd Bieber (Commercial Interruption, Director of Content & Production for UCBComedy.com) hosts this monthly open-mic storytelling show at UCB East that at the end selects a favorite from the audience tales to be turned into an animated short film premiering the following month. Tonight’s special guests are Chris Kelly (writer for Saturday Night Live) and Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock): Animated Stories

[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 Magnetmaking up a play on the spot: Theory of Everything

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.): A star stand-up who’s performed on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and Jay Leno; performed three of his own Comedy Central Presentshalf-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 andLucky Louie, and was nominated twice for an Emmy award for his writing on The Chris Rock Show, headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Nick DiPaolo

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who performed the Comedy Central hour-long special The Things We Do For Love, and on David Letterman and Jay Leno, headlining one more night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Pete Correale

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): Two-person improv at The PIT downstairs lounge featuring Ashley Ward & Nate Starkey (married), Kevin Hines & Will Hines (brothers), and Matt B. Weir & Matt J. Weir (not related), with hosts Max & Michael Newman (don’t ask): Newman & Newman and Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman), Jordan Carlos (Comedy Central), Neal Stastny (Beers Comedy Show), Calvin Cato (Game Show Network), and many more performing stand-up at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Tom Steffen (CBC TV) : Shoot the Shite

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central’s Ugly Americans), Stuckey & Murray (Last Comic Standing, MTV, VH1, E!), and more performing stand-up 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] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Come celebrate the lovely Erin Lennox’s birthday along with sharp stand-ups Jared Logan, Dan Soder, Mike Recine, Sean Donnelly, Kevin Barnett, Scott Chaplain, and co-host Michelle Wolf performing at Brooklyn’s Belleville (330 5th Street), plus customized songs about each performer from adorable gal trio The Bandana Splits: Erin Lennox’s I Like You Too Show

[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): Judah Friedlander (30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Andrew Schulz, Mike Britt, and more performing 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($25): An award-winning sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar situations & rituals on their head (for a video about how boys will be girls, please click here): The Harvard Sailing Team

[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] 10:00 pm ($5): Comics performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight’s packed show featuring Adam Newman (College Humor), Henry Zebrowski (Comedy Central, Murderfist), Micah Sherman (Second City), Andrew Law (30 Rock), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing), Patrick Shepherd (The Baldwins), Annie Lederman (Mustache Party), Dave Bluvband, Shaun Diston, Alison Rich, and Alex Farlow, hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine

[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): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, 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 ($7): Vibrant improv at The Magnet from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duoTrike

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: This free show at The PIT upstairs theatre does a great job of describing itself: “Bad movies. We can’t stop watching them. Is it because the plot is so enjoyably paper-thin? Or maybe the acting is so deliciously cheesy? Whatever the reason may be, Oscar Montoya (Local 154, Aquarius) is inviting you to his house to watch all of his favorite so-bad-they’re-awesome movies.” Joining him is Lucas Hazlett (Stranger).Tonight’s feature is a famously silly martial arts film: Midnight Movie at Montoya’s Presents: Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon

[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 new monthly UCB Chelsea event is helmed by the wonderful Shannon O’Neill (The Stepfathers): The Lady Jam

[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

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, with hosts Andy Haynes & Nick Turner 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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 1/20/12

January 20, 2012

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Carmen Lynch performs at Beautiful Comedy...

...and sharp improvisors provide the answers you've been seeking at Search Engine

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 Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine (Comedy Central) and Annie Lederman (Comedy Central): The Shinebox

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star;Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1), Carmen Lynch (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Damien Lemon (MTV2), Josh Carter (College Humor, SiriusXM), and George Gordon 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): A Magnet one-man show by Justin Peters about—wait for it—condiments. “Mitch ‘Packets’ Franco has demonstrated condiments at groceries, farmers’ markets, superstores, and gas stations in all 50 states; over the course of 25 minutes, he’ll give you the inside squeeze on how all your favorite condiments are marketed, shipped, distributed, and sold; how to seduce a checkout girl; how to tell a supermarket by its odor; and other lessons learned during his wild life in America’s grocery aisles:” Confessions of a Condiment Hustler

7:00 pm ($5): PIT improvisors Nate Starkey & Chris Grace makes stuff up as Starkey & Grace

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It more than earned the slot with its first Friday effort, This is Not Art, which was one of the very best comedy shows of 2011. Last week it debuted its second show, Crisistown—which so far is a mixed bag. The good news is the cast has developed into one of the finest in comedy, with each performer strong enough to be a star on his or her own. However, the writing was often sloppy and repetitive rather than tight and sharp. Perhaps the problem is the new format: “A scripted interactive comedy show that puts you, the audience, in charge. You get to vote on what happens next.” It’s a fun approach designed to tempt audiences to see the show repeatedly (just as people will return to a favorite improv group week after week). But it means generating a lot more material than will be performed on any given show; and spreading the writing out like that has, so far, resulted in a lot of weak scenes. The up side of the open-ended structure is it’s never too late to improve the writing, and to even entirely replace dull scenes with great ones. Meanwhile, between the material that’s solid and the all-star cast, this top troupe is still delivering a quite enjoyable way to kick off your Friday evening: Stone Cold Fox: Crisistown

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

8:00 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle’s Show headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

[$] [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] 8:00 pm: At this unique show, comics play videos they’ve made about themselves and then perform sets, with tonight’s guests James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), Emily Heller, Keith Alberstadt, Greg Stone, and J.F. Harris performing at Queens LIC’s The Creekupstairs theatre hosted by Charlie Kasov & Gabe Pacheco: Anecdotal Evidence

[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] 8:30 pm ($5): This new Magnet improv show makes clever use of the Web: “Give us a topic, a name, a question on any subject and the cast—including ace improvisors Alex Marino and Jesse Falcon—will answer it using the full power of the Internet and the combined mental acumen of five intellectual juggernauts. Also, maybe some improv. What you will learn cannot be unlearned! What do you want to know?”: Search Engine

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who performed the Comedy Central hour-long special The Things We Do For Love, and on David Letterman and Jay Leno, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Pete Correale

[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): The writers and correspondents of Web site HelloGiggles.com performing at UCB East to discuss their Growing Pains

9:30 pm ($5): “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” at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Vigilante

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, Nate Lang, Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, 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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($8): J Hobart welcomes NYC talents for a TV morning talk show—that’s happening at The PIT upstairs theatre late at night—with guests Taylor Negron (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Better Off Dead), twin comedians Stone & Stone (Last Comic Standing), and musical guests Function for Fiction: The Morning Show

11:30 pm ($10): improvisers Bianca Casusöl as Madam Ant, Nina Klemow as Fanny Price, and Alex Marino as Larry Lazlo use burlesque dancing at The Magnet to tell a story “and titillate the audience with some seductively fun choreographed burlesque numbers:” Whisky Tango Foxtrot: Burlesque Improv Revue

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 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 the Carolines Comedy Club: Paul Mooney

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 1/19/12

January 19, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Genius stand-up Daniel Kitson plays around with new material in ways only he can at Work in Progress...

...and birthday gal Leslie Goshko and four other stellar storytellers attempt to fool you at The Liar Show

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Naomi Ekperigin (stand-up/improvisor/actress; Huffington Post) 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

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows about which I know nothing audition for a regular spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea schedule: Dog Fleet and Newsadoozies. These might be great or awful; but at $2.50 per show, you can’t go far wrong either way. That’s part of the fun of Spank

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($12): Five funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true…but two of them are a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! Tonight’s yarn-spinners are birthday gal Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Manhattan Monologue Slam Champ, host of Sideshow Goshko), Jim O’Grady (WNYC, The New York Times), Kambri Crews (author ofBurn Down The Ground), Tracy Rowland (TV writer and producer), and Colin Dempsey (ComedyLand) performing at the 92YTribeca with host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, WFUV’s CityScape, Moth GrandSlam Champion): The Liar Show

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

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door or $11.78 in advance online): At this all-musical edition, top musicians Ted Leo, Corn Mo, and the Gregory Brothers (famed for auto-tuning the news) share memorable tales of their material being turned down at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) for Jon Friedman’s wonderful The Rejection Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Comedy duo Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney perform new sketches atUCB Chelsea, as well as host stand-up and improv guests: BriTANicK: The Monthly Mankerthon

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes, Hot Diner and THEM, make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT upstairs theatre for the most on-the-nose show title tonight: Improvised Musical

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet co-owner helming The Armando Diaz Experience, plus house troupes The Boss, Junior Varsity, Hello Laser, and Phooka performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with Leviathan and last week’s winner competing at 11:00 pm: The Magnet’s Night Out

[$] 8:00 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle’s Showheadlining tonight, Friday, and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

8:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Jon Rineman (Jimmy Fallon), Luke Thayer (MTV, Tyra Banks), Yvonne Orji, and Marvin Izquierdo, plus freestyle hip-hopper James Robilotta, performing at The PITdownstairs lounge hosted by comedic rapper Andrew Singer and Kara Klenk: Positively Awesome

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): 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), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan’s breakup, please click here), Ryan Conner, Neruda Williams, and Darrin Rose performing stand-up at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for this weekly comedy show hosted by Sean Crespo & Dan Wilbur and produced by Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and/or comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

9:00 pm ($5): Typically terrific stand-ups (not yet announced) performing at UCB East with host Noah Garfinkel (co-host Joe Mande is at UCBT-LA this week): Totally J/K

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

9:30 pm ($5): Ashley Ward & Chris Grace host indie musical improv troupes, and also perform themselves as A/C, a musical monoscene duo, at The PIT upstairs theatre: Playlist

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($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 the Carolines Comedy Club: Paul Mooney

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): One of the quickest and sharpest minds in comedy plays around with the audience in ways only he can at UCB East while developing new material for an international stand-up tour: Daniel Kitson: Work in Progress

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Genius improv trio Outlook of the Poet and ace musical improv troupe Diamond Lion compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wednesday 1/18/12

January 18, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Todd Bieber tells hilarious true tales about his days creating microbudget local TV ads: Commercial Interruption...

...and comedy treasure DC Pierson briefly returns to NYC to share with us his stories of failure: DC Pierson is Bad at Girls

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

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing four minutes per comic, with “15 people chosen randomly through e-mail, and five walk-ins; and a guaranteed spot to anyone who performs in character as a famous explorer” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedic Exploration Club of Long Island City, West

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

7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Kevin McCaffrey (TruTV), Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It), Scott Reynods (McSweeneys), George Gordon, and Katie Compa, performing at Luca 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 ($5): Wonderful writer/improvisor/sketch comic DC Pierson (Derrick, Mystery Team, author of The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To) briefly returns to NYC and UCB Chelsea to perform a one-man show about how “he’s good at comedy but bad at girls; join him tonight for an hour of stories about completely blowing it:” DC Pierson is Bad at Girls

[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at the only notable weekly comedy show I know of taking place in Astoria Queens—specifically, the Astoria Brewhouse (2850 31st Street): Brewhouse Comedy

[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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Todd Bieber, the razor-sharp Director of Content & Production for UCBComedy.com, has had his video/film work viewed over 25 million times via such sites asYouTube.com, NewYorkTimes.com, and EntertainmentWeekly.com. But before his success, Todd spent a couple of years churning out, as he bluntly puts it, “shitty local commercials in rural Pennsylvania.” If you’re a filmmaker, a fan of ridiculously awful late-night TV ads, or someone who likes to laugh, come enjoy this fascinating and hilarious insider look at microbudget commercials and the creative process. Directed by UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, this debuted in December and was instantly one of the very best solo shows of 2011: Commercial Interruption…

…and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, a parody of The Bachelor written by Leila Cohan-Miccio & Caitlin Bitzegaio and directed by Beth Appel: Romance, Roses, and Romance

[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. Tonight’s scheduled lineup includes Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman), Brandon Gulya (Stone Cold Fox, Sandino, This is Not a Sketch Show), and David Cope (co-host of Hot Soup); for the complete list, please click here. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don’t forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

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

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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 1/17/12

January 17, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Anthony Atamanuik and John Gemberling in The Tony and Johnny Show

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): A very special audience interactive edition spinning off the long-running off-Broadway improv hit Tony & Tina’s Wedding, from two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives), performing at UCB East with tonight’s singing guest MC Chris. Tony & Johnny add, “We worked a long time on this, so please come to the fucking wedding!:” The Tony and Johnny Show: Tony & Johnny’s Wedding

[FREE] 10:00 pm: “Want to see your favorite stand-up comics get slapped by Satan himself? He only hosts bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne and Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man’s shoes and put NYC’s finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls? Come see for yourself in this monthly showcase” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell

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

[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open-mic stand-up show at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

[FREE] 11:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

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

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 1/15/12

January 15, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

James Eason returns from LA to NYC and performs with ace improvisors tonight at Eason & Friends...

...while Helen Hong performs one of her last NYC shows before moving to LA at Electro Shock 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:

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 4:00 pm ($25 at the box office or $28 online): UK-based Daniel Kitson is one of the sharpest and most respected writer/performers alive. This is a rare opportunity to spend an intimate 90 minutes with a true genius of both stand-up and storytelling. This show is the latter—a carefully constructed, detail-packed theatrical tale of two people and the small, quiet moments that make up their lives. Daniel says it’s “about everything and nothing,” and that’s precisely right. After you see it, you may find it hard to not consider all the small moments lived by any person you pass by…and what the moments of your own life add up to. This one-man show played to packed houses at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and is now running every day except Mondays through January 29th at Brooklyn’s St. Ann’s Warehouse (38 Water Street). Read the review from The New York Times, and the grab tickets for It’s Always Right Now, Until It’s Later

[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): Christine Nangle (writer for Saturday Night Live), Caitlin Bitzegaio (MTV, PBS, ESPN, writer or director of numerous UCBT sketch shows), and Shaun Diston (VH1, Still Mike) participate 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: “Short-form improv teams battle it out for the most points and a prize. C’mon, admit it! You miss the quick-witted fun and audience involvement of short-form improv. A different short-form team joins Mishmash! each month and struts their stuff for a panel of judges (including one judge chosen from the audience) until a winner emerges. There will be a series of completely improvised scenes, stories and musicals all based on your suggestions. Come ready to shout out suggestions, and even shout at the judges,” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Scrimmage

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

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

[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 ($5): Veteran improvisor James Eason (Conan O’Brien, NBC’s Kidnapped,renowned improv troupe Mother), after a long absence, returns to NYC and tonight performs at The Magnet with his ace improvisor friends, who include Jesse Falcon, Doug Moe, and Magnet owner Alex Marino: James Eason & Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, Comedy Central, FOX), Jay Pharoah (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Danny Lobell (host of Comical Radio), Michelle Wolf (co-host ofFresh), and Gonzalo Cordova performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cupslounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge for a free weekly show typically hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): 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), Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), Will Hines (The Stepfathers, Funny or Die), and Yannis Pappas (VH1, Carolines) performing at UCB East hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentaryMetaphyiscal Graffiti, High Times), Kevin Barnett (College Humor), Danny Lobell, and Tirrell Abraham performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) guest-hosted tonight by Victor Varnado: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Danny Solomon (soon moving to LA; for stand-up video about the price of NYC drinks, please click here), Dean Masello, Ryan Conner, and Ashley Brooke Roberts 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 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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Helen Hong (Logo’s Setup Squad, Comedy Central, TLC; one of her last shows before moving to LA), Adam Lehman. and Jason Baker performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy guest-hosted tonight by the show’s founder Adam Sank: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Eason & Friends, Helen Hong, Improv, James Eason, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 1/14/12

January 14, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

A small army of comics will entertain audiences for 8+ hours at a comedy marathon hosted by Queens LIC's The Creek

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 at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4

[FREE] 5:00 pm-1:30 am: A marathon featuring 30-60 minutes from almost every major show playing at at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City. The schedule: 5:00: Corby Haas; 6:00: Dean’s List; 7:00: Short Bus; 7:30: We’re All Friends Here; 8:00: Underbelly; 8:30: Hey We Live Here; 9:00: Savage Practice; 9:30: Too Cool for School; 10:00: Chest Hair; 10:30: Sex & Other Human Activities; 11:00: Too Late w/ Zach Sims; 11:30: Comics Off The Leash; 12:00: Last Night; 12:30: See You in Hell; 1:00: Midnight Run. That’s over eight hours of free comedy…and will feature such sharp NYC comics as Tom Shillue, James Adomian, Rob Cantrell, Jared Logan, Mark Normand, Henry Zebrowski, Sara Benincasa, Molly Knefel, Mike Recine, Joe Pera, Robbie Collier, Amber Nelson, Sean Donnelly, Nick Turner, and Eric Bergstrom. For additional details, please click Creek Starter

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Deleted Scenes, Old Timey Radio Show, and Double Date at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A comedy quiz show full of heavily researched quirky facts in whichcontestants Connor Ratliff, Nicole Drespel, and more get 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

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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: From the producers of The Scene, improvisors at The PIT downstairs lounge make up one-act plays on the spot: Act One

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Ace storytellers Tom Shillue and Ophira Eisenberg, superb stand-ups Mike Lawrence and Victor Varnado, and more performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[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.), Mike Yard (Comedy Central), Aaron Berg, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): A sharp Magnet musical improv troupe makes up stories with song and dance based on an audience suggestion: Choral Rage

[TOP PICK] 11:00 ($8): NYC’s heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which doesn’t always ht the mark but provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and won last year’s ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group, tonight joined by guest sketch duo Rue Brutalia: Murderfist: Late and Dirty

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

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

Midnight ($5): Caitlin Tegart directed this UCB Chelsea sketch show that’s “a super-positive lifestyle program for teenage girls hosted by two guys with a huge passion for glossy pop music, Lisa Frank school supplies, and all that the world presents as ‘hip’ to young women during the melodramatic years of adolescence. With help from their outstanding panel of experts, Dan Chamberlain & Jason Flowers rap about entertainment, fashion, boys, and more in an effort to bring empowerment and enlightenment to the teen girl inside all of us:” Cool Show 4 Teen Girlz

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Creek Starter, Improv, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The Creek Comedy Marathon | Permalink
Posted by hybender

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