November 4, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For the best of Bill Hicks, please click here.
One of the finest comics of all time performs a not-to-be-missed show tonight at Carnegie Hall: "Louis C.K.: Word"
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:
6:30 pm ($5): Young talents make up comedy scenes based on a popular board game in Clue: The Improvised Edition
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): The invaluable Jane Borden (Comedy Editor for Time Out New York) presents her picks for some of the finest comics in NYC—genius storytellers Chris Gethard and Adam Wade, sketch master Kurt Braunohler, stand-ups Joe DeRosa, Sara Schaefer, and Mike Vecchione, and more—performing at Time Out Live
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($35-$55, depending on seat location): One of the finest stand-ups in the history of comedy, who’s currently also making television history with his phenomenal FX series Louie, performing at the bargain cover price of $35-$55 (and I’m not just saying that, I gratefully purchased my $55 ticket months ago…)—and with “openers” including world-class stand-up Ted Alexandro—for one night only at the legendary Carnegie Hall: Louis C.K.: Word
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15): W. Kamau Bell (FringeNYC one-man show Ending Racism in About an Hour), Bridget Everett (cabaret show At Least It’s Pink), and Jeff Kreisler (Get Rich Cheating) performing in the triple-bill The Three Party: A Night of One-Person Shows
8:00 pm ($8 at the door, $5 online with discount code Supermango): Victor Varnado, W. Kamau Bell, Greg Leitman, and Marc Theobald performing at Dan Allen’s & Ray Devito’s monthly comedy event ¡Sacapuntas!
8:00 pm ($8): The Magnet’s co-owner Armando Diaz performs monologues on the spot and improvisors then act out scenes based on them at The Armando Diaz Experience
[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing stand-up on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killerset on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Comedy as a Second Language
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A blowout lineup of Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials) and Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim) joining sensual hosts Margot Leitman (VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com) in telling true tales about their sex lives—plus comedic songs from superb duo Stuckey & Murray—at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Stripped Stories
[$] 9:30 pm pm ($16.50 & 2-drink min.) Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; MTV, Comedy Central), Josh Rabinowitz, and Nick Vatterott performing stand-up at the Carolines Comedy Club’s Breakout Artist Comedy Series
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the country—who tonight include phenomenal comics Anthony Jeselnik (writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O’Brien, HBO,Comedy Central Presents; debut comedy CD Shakespeare), Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials), and John Mulaney (writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, VH1’sBest Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here)—with guest host Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake;Magic Box of Stories, The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of book Weird New York) at Whiplash
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For the best of Bill Hicks, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | 
Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carnegie Hall, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, FX, FX's Louie, Improv, Improvisation, Louie, Louis C.K., Louis C.K.: Word, Louis CK, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | 
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Posted by hybender
November 3, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For the best of Bill Hicks, please click here.
Interviews with two extraordinary comics tonight: Louis C.K. (above) at the Paley Center for Media, and Lewis Black at Union Square Barnes & Noble
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 in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Star Daily Show commentator and author of the new book I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas interviewed by Bill Scheft at the Barnes & Noble at Union Square (33 East 17th Street): Lewis Black
[TOP PICK] 7:30ish pm ($10 at the door or $12.75 online): A monthly comedy show in which top storytellers tell a personal tale that in some way incorporates a lesson learned at college (for a write-up of last month’s amazing debut, please click here)—with tonight’s lineup consisting of host Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Liar Show), Martin Dockery, (London Fringe Festival award winner), Brad Lawrence (Moth GrandSlam Champion), Andy Ross, and Tracy Rowland—performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for producer Adam Magazine’s You Went to College For That?
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Superb sketch troupes The Harvard Sailing Team, The Franco & Billy Show, BoF, and Paul Downs performing at this special event: Best of NY Sketch
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Gavin Speiller, Neil Casey, Jon Gabrus, and more performing at this special event: UCBT Improv All-Stars
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($25 live, $10 via closed circuit viewing room): An interview about the extraordinary FX series Louie with its creator/writer/director/editor/star at the Paley Center for Media: A Conversation with Louis C.K.
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($16.50 & two-drink min.): Stand-ups Morgan Murphy, Donnell Rawlings, Joe Mande, Kurt Metzger, and host Bobby Lee performing at the Carolines Comedy Club (while being broadcast on Comedy Central’s Jokes.com!): Jokes.com Live
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include UK star Glenn Wool and Jon Glaser (star of Adult Swim’s Delocated)—guest-hosted by comedy genius Sean Patton (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1) at Whiplash
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For the best of Bill Hicks, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, FX, Improv, Improvisation, Lewis Black, Louie, Louis C.K., New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Paley Center for Media, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Union Square Barnes & Noblle, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
November 2, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For the best of Bill Hicks, please click here.
Kristen Schaal hosts six comics competing at the Gotham Comedy Club for this year's presitigious Andy Kaufman Award
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
7:00 pm ($5): Jenny Dunne and Rick Andrews improvise a single moment in two characters’ lives again and again, exploring three parallel realities, and the difference that a look or tone can make; and Rob Penty & Marcy Jarreau perform duo improv, in the double-bill The Cascade and Scout and Handsome Rob
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.) Kristen Schaal hosts a show making final judgments (following last night’s semi-finals) of six contestants competing for one of the most prestigious awards in comedy at the Gotham Comedy Club: Sixth Annual Andy Kaufman Awards Finals
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month’s topic “Money”—e.g., Jimmy Fallon staff writer David Angelo explains how your money comes from garbage, and book authors Michael Hudson & Alyssa Katz explore scams & salesmanship—at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for Charles Star’s comedic show Adult Education
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; commentator on MNBC’s Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1’s Best Week Ever; Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Tom Shillue (world-class storyteller; Comedy Central,The Daily Show), Marina Franklin (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Colin Jost (writer for Saturday Night Live), and “a secret guest” performing in the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros Nikki Cook (Memoir) and Miss Lasko-Gross (Escape From “Special”), plus comedic storyteller & improvisor Jon Gabrus (Spike TV, College Humor, The Nights of Our Lives, The Law Firm), join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-up dynamo Ali Wong, sketch duo Rue Brutalia, dummy PuppeTyrany, stand-up Greg Johnson, rock opera singers Pass Kontrol, and “a special secret surprise guest” performing at Brooklyn’s The Royal Oak (594 Union Avenue) along with sketches from Moon regulars such as co-producer Jordan Clifford and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show
8:00 pm to 11:00 pm ($5): Three full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Monstro, Sandino, DeCoster, Ragnaröck, and The Opera—at Harold Night
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Stand-ups Helen Hong, Christian Polanco, Chad Plaines, Connor Barrett, and Kelly & Lindsey performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Top stand-ups Sean Patton, Amy Schumer, and Victor Varnado, plus fearless sketch troupe Murderfist, celebrating the debut of a new Tuesday comedy show at the Ace of Clubs (9 Great Jones Street, underneath Acme Bar & Grill) hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, new comedy CD The Depression Auction) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill
[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): “An informative 22-minute multimedia presentation on the ins and outs of taping things off the radio taught by Dennis Steiger”—actually, Justin Peters—”a qualified instructor with decades worth of radio-taping experience. He will present a historical overview of this well-beloved hobby, demonstrate various methods of taping things off the radio, and offer suggestions for what to tape. If time permits, he will take questions from the audience, and offer anecdotes drawn from his personal experience with the pastime known as ‘the sport of kings.’ In sum, attendees will come away from this presentation with a solid grasp on the fundamentals they need to participate in a great lifelong hobby:” How to Tape Things Off the Radio
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Myq Kaplan (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central Presents), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films, The Other Guys, comedy CDCome Clean), and more performing at new venue Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): A rare performance from one of the country’s finest four-person improv troupes: Neil Casey (Death by Roo Roo), Ryan Karels (Conan O’Brien), Amey Goerlich (Wicked Fuckin\’ Queeah) , and Joe Wengert (Reuben Williams), plus an experimental improv show involving 1970s swinging with keys, in the double-bill: Krompf and Key Party
[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open-mic stand-up show hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For the best of Bill Hicks, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Andy Kaufman Award, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Gotham Comedy Club, Improv, Improvisation, Kristen Schaal, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
November 1, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For the best of Bill Hicks, please click here.
- Brilliant spinners of comedic mini-musicals Micah Bucey & Nicholas Williams perform at Joe’s Pub as The Gay Agenda
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) hosts this free open-mic show for storytellers, in which you can put your name in a hat for the chance to tell a five-minute true story…and if it’s a good one, possibly be included in Kevin’s popular podcasts on the Web: Risk! Storyslam
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($15 at the door on $18.50 online with discount codeFISHFAN): My #1 pick for the 2007 FringeNYC Festival, this wonderful group of actresses/improvisors portray characters as if they were in a play, but improvise everything they say and do. The luminous performers include Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg, Lauren Seikaly, and Molly Knefel, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they’ve all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title’s Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest & nuanced improvised shows you’ll ever see.
In last week’s show, Katharine Heller dressed like a tea-partier and Molly Knefel was Justin Bieber, while Lauren Seikaly’s character fretted over her husband possibly having an affair, and Lynne Rosenberg’s character broke up with her wimpy boyfriend over the phone so she could pursue a one-night stand, in an episode titled Trick or Cheating.
Although every episode is a wonderful theatrical event, readers of this site no longer have to pay theatrical prices; you can see this show for a mere $15 by mentioning code FISHFAN at the door. Check out some videos of previous episodes here; and then get in the habit of attending the Soho Playhouse to experience the always fresh and surprising Naked in a Fishbowl
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; MTV, Comedy Central), Colin Jost (writer for SNL), Sean O’Connor (MTV, This American Life), Chris Lambert performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street)—at John Morrison’s Motel Luca
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.) Judge Kristen Schaal, host Bonnie McFarlane, and talents including Tim Ellis and Leslie Goshko on a show judging contestants for one of the most prestigious awards in comedy at the Gotham Comedy Club: Sixth Annual Andy Kaufman Awards Semi-Finals
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): NYC dog-owning comics appear on stage with their pooches to tell canine tales and/or do tricks, with performers including Ophira Eisenberg, Brandy Barber, Kambri Crews, Dan Curry, Tony Camin, Giulia Rozzi, Sean Crespo & Carol Hartsell, Eliot Glazer, and Glennis McMurray in a show that just makes me say “God bless UCBT:” Yappy Hour
8:00 pm ($5): Brothers Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel) and Ashok Kondabolu (Dap in Das Racist) host a talk show, with tonight’s guest W. Kamau Bell (FringeNYC one-man show W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour): The Untitled Kondabolu Brothers Project
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15 at the door or $18 online, plus $12 min. if you sit at a table): Brilliant comedic singer/songwriter/actor Micah Bucey and his partner Nicholas Williams performing a tour de force series of parodies in the form of mini-musicals at Joe’s Pub for their intimate and joyful show The Gay Agenda
9:30 pm ($5): Young UCBT talents mock the extremist right in this one-night-only sketch show: The Tea Party’s Rockin’ Midterm Election Eve
10:00 pm ($5): “From the invocation of a name pulled from the obituary pages, the recently deceased gets a final chance to have his or her story told on stage through a series of improvised scenes.” Come celebrate the life and death of a complete stranger—good taste optional—at Dearly Beloved Presents The Wake
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: “Glenn Beck’s new bestselling political thriller, The Overton Window, was so inspiring to comedian Joe Mande that he sat down and rewrote the story for the big screen. Come watch as Mande and a few of his friends read the script on stage in hopes of getting a movie deal”—with such stellar talents as Dave Hill, John Mulaney, Julie Klausner, Matt McCarthy, Gabe Liedman, and Max Silvestri: A Reading of Joe Mande’s Screenplay Adaptation of Glenn Beck’s Novel
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Stand-up open-mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and Erin Lennox: Fresh
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
For the best of Bill Hicks, please click here.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Bill Hicks, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Joe's Pub, Micah Bucey, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, Nicholas Williams, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Gay Agenda, The Gay Agenda Conquers Joe’s Pub, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
October 31, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
The history of vampires in Colonial Pennsylvania is performed to the music of Paula Abdul tonight at Straight Up Vampire
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15 at the door or $18 online, plus $12 min. if you sit at a table): “The history of vampires in Colonial Pennsylvania as performed to the music of Paula Abdul,” with Katina Corrao, Philip Taratula, Tanya O’Debra, Drae Campbell, Justin Noble, Jason Quarles, Megan Stern, Emily Simoness, Luis Moreno and Corn-Mo as Benjamin Franklin: Straight Up Vampire
7:00 pm ($5): Zombies, blood, and improv: The Halloween Horror Bang
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT’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
8:00 pm ($5): “Each year at this time, when the moon grows full and the foul baying of the hounds of Hell echoes through the night sky, the eight members of SidViscous! rise from their graves to deliver another terrifying, hilarious, fully-improvised Halloween special for a new audience of cursed souls:” The 4th Annual SidViscous! Halloween Spooktacular
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Phoebe Robinson (host of Case of the Mondays Comedy), Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live), and Harris Stanton performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (writer for 30 Rock and SNL):Comedy Night
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Mike Dobbins, Kenny Zimlinghaus, Dan Curry, and Dan Goodman performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar at Vince Averill’s & Jesse Popp’s free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy
[$] 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 at Carolines: Paul Mooney
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Joe's Pub, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Paula Abdul, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, Straight Up Vampire, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
October 30, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
A scene from a previous production of the Halloween comedy/horror tradition concluding tonight at UCBT: "Killgore: The New Blood"
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
7:00 pm ($8): Daily Show producer Jimmy Donn, Black20.com performers Jessie Cantrell &, Sarah Walker, Mike & Ted O’Gorman and Pat Driscoll perform sketch comedy designed to make you “laugh, be slightly offended, laugh again, cough once or twice, recall a repressed memory, and drink:” The Dan Ryan
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($35.57 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): A star of MTV, Road Trip, and Freddy Got Fingered headlining tonight and Saturday at the Comix Comedy Club: Tom Green
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & midnight ($15): “In ancient times, an evil spirit would rise from hell every Halloween and appear incarnate at the UCB Theater…where he would soak the stage (and parts of the audience) with a ridiculous amount of fake blood. Now that demon is back, ready to unleash a gory, hopelessly bloody torrent of vengeance…and a ridiculous amount of fake blood. Fortunately, the beast only slaughters those who are rife with selfishness, greed, hatred, and a few people who just suck (though a little bit of fake blood sometimes gets on the audience). That demon’s name is Killgore.” This show is written by legendary UCB co-founder Matt Walsh and stars such comedy geniuses as Anthony Atamanuik & Neil Casey (Death by Roo Roo, Two Man Movie), and will run three times tonight and tomorrow night to celebrate Halloween. Come wearing cheap washable clothes and enjoy Killgore: The New Blood
9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!
9:30 pm ($10): “A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics,” following sold out shows at Joe’s Pub: Political Subversities
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; Comedy Central special; Jimmy Fallon; Electric Company; Conan O’Brien’s Legally Prohibited tour; for video samples, please clickhere), W. Kamau Bell (FringeNYC), and Jesse Popp (Comedy Central) performing at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City with host Sean Donnelly: Halloween Eve
10:00 pm ($10 at the door or online): Jena Friedman revives her dark musical comedic parody of the American Girl Dolls, which includes such brilliant talents from the NYC comedy community as Jessica Delfino, Ben Lerman, and Jena herself at Theatre 80 (80 St. Marks Place off 1st Avenue):The Refugee Girls Revue
10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike
[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Charlie Sanders, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Eugene Cordero, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Killgore, Killgore: The New Blood, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
October 29, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Comedic horror written by Matt Walsh and performed by such scary-smart stars as Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik: "Killgore: The New Blood"
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Marc Bonnée, member of acclaimed sketch troupe Drop Six, goes solo with this show consisting of character bits and one-man sketches loosely tied to the theme of excess: Too…
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($35.57 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): A star of MTV, Road Trip, and Freddy Got Fingered headlining tonight and Saturday at the Comix Comedy Club: Tom Green
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & midnight ($15): “In ancient times, an evil spirit would rise from hell every Halloween and appear incarnate at the UCB Theater…where he would soak the stage (and parts of the audience) with a ridiculous amount of fake blood. Now that demon is back, ready to unleash a gory, hopelessly bloody torrent of vengeance…and a ridiculous amount of fake blood. Fortunately, the beast only slaughters those who are rife with selfishness, greed, hatred, and a few people who just suck (though a little bit of fake blood sometimes gets on the audience). That demon’s name is Killgore.” This show is written by legendary UCB co-founder Matt Walsh and stars such comedy geniuses as Anthony Atamanuik & Neil Casey (Death by Roo Roo, Two Man Movie), and will run three times tonight and tomorrow night to celebrate Halloween. Come wearing cheap washable clothes and enjoy Killgore: The New Blood
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A blowout One Year Anniversary edition, with phenomenal comedy talents Sean Patton, Reggie Watts, Hannibal Buress, and Jesse Popp performing at O’Hanlon’s(14th Street off 1st Avenue), hosted by Matt Ruby: Hot Soup
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A groundbreaking and surreal improv/sketch troupe performing with new guests each Friday and making a valid complaint: Centralia: We Were Supposed To Have Flying Cars By Now
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen’s Class: The Harvard Sailing Team
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
[TOP PICK] 11:30 ($5): “In 1976, 1977, and 1978, Paul annually taped his zany Halloween show. Now, through the use of Doc Brown’s time machine, Paul will travel to the future—all the way to the year 1985—to bring his light-hearted satirical look at television variety specials with a new generation of celebrities. Join Paul and his guests, Christa McAuliffe, Gary Coleman, Sammy Davis, Jr., Soleil Moon Frye, Hulk Hogan, Cyndi Lauper, and Vincent Price as they celebrate the Halloween season as only Paul can” at The Paul Lynde Halloween Special: 1985
[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Atamanuik, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Killgore, Matt Walsh, Neil Casey, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
October 28, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Michael Showalter is among the wonderful storytellers at tonight's edition of "Risk!"
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 ($5): An oddball triple bill of sketch comedy—the potentially quite good Dystopia Gardens, the quite silly EC-comics inspired Orson Welles’ Basement of Terror, and the even way sillier Rob Lathan playlet A Benefit for Permanent Nutface Gary—all at tonight’s UCBT audition show Spank
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight are the thoroughly wonderful Michael Showalter (The State, Stella, Wet Hot American Summer), Starlee Kine (This American Life, The New York Times), Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show), Nick Prueher (Found Footage Festival), and Keri Heidecker (Freak Magnet)—joining brilliant sketch comic and storyteller Kevin Allison (The State) to share tales on tonight’s theme “The Chase” at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Molly Knefel (newest member of superb theatrical improv troupeNaked in a Fishbowl) and her brother John Knefel host this monthly comedy show, with tonight’s guests Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; popular blogsNYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Dan Curry (Last Comic Standing), Ben Kissel (Roundtable of Gentlemen), and Jeff Kreisler performing stand-up at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, off Thompson Street): John and Molly Get Along
[$] 8:00 pm pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A Curb Your Enthusiasm star and superb stand-up headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Susie Essman
8:00 pm ($5): The Magnet’s co-owner Armando Diaz performs monologues on the spot and improvisors then act out scenes based on them at The Armando Diaz Experience
[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($12.89 online with code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): NYC stand-ups Vic Henley, Mike Lawrence, Veronica Mosey, Mike Recine, Warren Holstein, and Russ Meneve performing at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Still Standing Up
8:00 pm ($5): A musical sketch comedy show, and a one-woman show about breast cancer, in the double-bill Sing Out, Louie! and Pam Murphy: The C Word
[TOP PICK] [$] 9:00 pm ($15): A comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) are shared by their original authors before total strangers at Mortified
[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing stand-up on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killerset on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Comedy as a Second Language
9:30 pm ($5): In homage to Halloween, UCBT house sketch troupe Thunder Gulch presents aSaturday Night Live-inspired show that stars Frankenstein, Elvira, and Freddy Krueger: Monster Night LIve
[$] 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 Carolines: Paul Mooney
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupe The Beatles (Mike Still, Jim Santangeli, Achilles Stamatelaky, and Dan Klein) and genius improv troupe Outlook of the Poet (Gavin Speiller, Ben Rodgers, and Jonathan Gabrus) compete for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
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Posted by hybender
October 27, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Mike Birbiglia puts on a nearly-free show of what's likely to be amazing new material at "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend," and comics dress up & perform as other comics at the awesome annual event "Schtick Or Treat"
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 in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($8): For the third year of this fabulous annual event, over 30 NYC comics get two minutes each to do a set as a famous comedian. Tonight’s agenda includes Matt McCarthy as Bill Hicks, Erik Bergstrom as Lisa Lampanelli, Nick Turner and Ariel Bitran as Tenacious D, George Gordon as Eddie Murphy, Laura Prangley as Joan Rivers, Jared Logan as Soupy Sales, Dan Soder as Rodney Dangerfield…and much more (full lineup here) performing atArlene’s Grocery (95 Stanton Street), hosted by Matt Ruby as Andrew Dice Clay & Mark Normand as Norm MacDonald: The 3rd Annual Schtick Or Treat
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of the finest stand-ups & storytellers in the country tries out new material—delivering a show that’s likely worth $40+ tonight for a mere $5—in Mike Birbiglia’s My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Murderfist (NYC’s fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), and Boris Khaykin (UCB, Atom.com) performing at Brooklyn’s Legion Bar for a monthly show hosted by sketch duo Mark Bisi & Andrew Beckerman: The Weeping Skull
[FREE] 8:30 pm: Laura Krafft (The Colbert Report), Brendan McGlaughlin (Conan O’Brien), Andy Hendrickson (30 Rock), Danny Lobell, and Selena Coppock performing at the East Village’s Angels and Kings with delightful dark humor host Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Wonderful comics Jessica Delfino, Kurt Braunohler, Jena Friedman & Ben Kronberg, LandlineTV, and Serious Lunch share their tales of being turned down—with tonight’s theme Cease & Desist—at Jon Friedman’s wonderful The Rejection Show
[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Arden Myrin (Conan O’Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets), Matt Higgins (Centralia), and more creepily performing pre-Halloween at Arlene’s Grocery (95 Stanton Street) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that’s part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don’t forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Arlene's Grocery, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Mike Birbiglia, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Schtick Or Treat, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
October 26, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Mischievous comedy genius Sean Patton helps usher in R. G. Daniels' new show tonight at "Mothaf*@%!n' Comedy"
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
7:00 pm ($5): Jenny Dunne and Rick Andrews improvise a single moment in two characters’ lives again and again, exploring three parallel realities, and the difference that a look or tone can make; and Willy Appelman, Tom Costello, Ben Furnas, David Ross, and Ross Taylor make stuff up, in the double-bill The Cascade and Thunderbirds 4Life
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Thoroughly wonderful stand-ups Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killerset on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; MTV, Comedy Central), and Julian McCullough (Comedy Central Presents) usher in this new monthly show at The Kraine Theatre (85 East 4th Street) hosted by R. G. Daniels (Sunday Night Stand-Up): Mothaf*@%!n’ Comedy
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Hari Kondabolu (upcoming Comedy Central Presents special), Jared Logan (Comedy Central, co-host of new show Righteous Kill), Laura Prangley, and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Southpaw Downstairs Lounge DownSouth (125 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope), hosted by the breathtaking Sara Schaefer (Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon): Get Off Your Knees
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club
8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Robber Baron, Badman, Bastian, Ragnaröck, and The Opera; and at 11:00 pm UCBT students studying under improv genius Neil Casey using an audience suggestion to make up an entire move (a la Neil’s and Anthony Atamanuik’s hilarious Two Man Movie)—all at Harold Night
8:30 pm ($5): Delightfully raunchy singer/songwriter Ben Lerman, and sharp stand-ups Julian McCullough and Brent Sullivan, performing at the Magnet Theatre for Adam Lerman’s and Willy Appleman’s variety show Deep Traffic
[FREE] 8:00 pm: An all-parents lineup—”they hired a babysitter and are out here entertaining you!”—with hilarious stand-up & white rapper Carolyn Castiglia (VH1, Splurge), and NYC stand-ups Dave T. Koenig, Kevin Tor, and Vinny Fallon, performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
9:30 pm ($5): “Best friends Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell created an Internet phenomenon by challenging pairs of women to double date them and documenting the hilarious results for YouTubers everywhere. Two hundred dates later, their experiences were translated into reenactments, educational songs, and valuable lessons in everything from dancing to kissing. Tonight, these dating experts employ audience-recounted horror stories as inspiration for improvised scenes, in an attempt to enlighten you on the art of romance:” Dating Coaches
[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open-mic stand-up show hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sean Patton, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
Best New York Comedy 