NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 5/21/12

May 21, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For upcoming hot shows, please click here.

Scott Adsit and John Lutz

30 Rock’s Scott Adsit and John Lutz will blow the roof off as genius improv duo John & Scott…

Hannibal Buress and Janeane Garofalo

…and Hannibal Buress and Janeane Garofalo perform stellar stand-up at the Morrison Motel

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: An open-mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($12; SOLD OUT, but there’s a slim chance of getting in via a stand-by line at the door): Jim O’Grady (WNYC), Ed Gavagan (The Moth, TED), Cammi Climaco (Ask Me Stories), Slash Coleman (NPR, Frigid Festival), and Michelle-Leona Godin telling tales about this month’s topic “Running on Fumes” at UNDER St. Marks with host Seth Lind (NPR’s This American Life): Told: Running on Fumes

7:00 pm ($8): Young improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Shady Bunch

7:00 pm ($5): Comics of a variety of races, views, and shoes perform a variety of comedy bits at The Magnet hosted by Chano Garcia: Stir the Pot

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

7:30 pm ($10; sign-up starts at 7:00 pm): Open mic for stand-ups, storytellers, singers, poets, actors, and more, with 5 minutes per performer and 25 slots available, at One and One Bar’s Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word’s Open Mic Joint

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-writer/director/producer & cast member of Adult Swim’s awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) teaming up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live) to form a super-smart and hilarious star improv duo that’s become one of the very best attractions at UCB Chelsea and should not be missed: John & Scott

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV’s I Want My Pants Back), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing, MTV’s Ridiculousness, VH1), Mike Racine (Comedy Central), and Casey Ley (San Francisco SketchFest) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety with Kurt & Kristen

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star of The King of Miami, The Dave Hill Explosion, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper; new book Tasteful Nudes), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), Kevin Barnett (College Humor), and John F. O’Donnell (College Humor) performing stand-up at UCB East with the blessings of a highly notable TV network: Comedy Central Corporate Retreat

[DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($11.34 [vs. $21.69] online using discount code LLED10): NYC stand-ups specializing in political humor make fun of our current election cycle at The Playroom Theater (151 West 46th Street); take advantage of discount code LLED10 to see this off-Broadway show for under $12: Laughing Liberally: Electile Dysfunction

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Murderfist (NYC’s fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Mara Herron (Web series That Chick Mara Herron), and more performing at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s Bar Matchless back room (557 Manhattan Avenue, near the G subway’s Nassau Avenue stop) hosted by Nimesh Patel, Mike Denyy, and/or Michael Che—and celebrating Michael Che’s birthday!: Broken Comedy

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

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($15 if you mention HyReviews.com [otherwise $20], which includes one drink; calling 212.989.9319 to reserve seats is essential as this show is very nearly sold out): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, 2012 Comedy Awards’ “Best Club Comic,” one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Jimmy Tingle, Andy de la Tour, and Johnny Watson performing stand-up at the Cornelia Street Cafe for John Morrison’s Morrison Motel

8:30 pm ($5): Improv at The Magnet that flows from moment to moment, with no sweeps or tag outs—”each exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper:” Scoresby

9:30 pm ($8): Performers of The PIT’s Thursday musical improv shows form entirely new one-night-only groups to make up yet more musicals: Musical Improv Mix-Em-Up

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

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Following a club format, hosts Nore Davis & Andrew Short perform stand-up throughout for a total of 25 minutes, two comics each perform a 15-minute set, and then a seasoned headliner closes out the show with a 20-minute set, all at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: On the Road

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Charlie Kasov, Kendra Cunningham, Joe Pontillo, Debbie Bazza, Troy Bynum, Richard James, and Miguel Dalmau performing at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host Pat O’Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid

10:00 pm ($5): A variety show in which comics perform characters, stand-up, and other bits at The Magnet hosted by Jon Bander: What’s to Get?

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who haven’t yet been announced, but you can check for an update here—performing at UCB Chelsea and probably hosted by comedy genius Chris Gethard: Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! 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 exceptionally supportive stand-up open-mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by the Thelma & Louise of comedy, Michelle Wolf & Erin Lennox: Fresh

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 5/13/12

May 13, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Sean Patton

Comedy treasures Sean Patton and…

Hannibal Buress

…Hannibal Buress perform at Comedy Night…

Colin Quinn

…and TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn is at Comedy at the Beauty Bar

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] 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

[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

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), Danny Kallas, Kate Hendricks, and Kenny DeForest performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

[$] 8:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.)  An energetic regular on Chelsea Lately who’s also appeared on Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, VH1, and his own Comedy Central special headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jo Koy

8:00 pm ($5): Matt B. Weir & Matt J. Weir perform an hour of sketch comedy at The Magnet theatre: We’re Matt Weir: Hot Nights

8:00 pm ($7): Katina Corrao, Eliza Skinner, and Kevin Barnett performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall guest-hosted tonight by Greg Johnson: Pretty Good Friends

8:00 pm ($8): NYC stand-ups Emmy Blotnik, John Early, Gabe Liedman, Bobby Finger, and Mike Lacher at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by “disappointing gay best friends” Mikala Bierma & Tyler Coates: IRL

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Nore Davis, Mike Troy, Josh Gondelman, and Danny Kallas performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, 2012 Comedy Awards’ “Best Club Comic,” one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace): Comedy Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), and more performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing sets at The PIT, and then improv troupe Before the Accident making up scenes springboarding off the material, at Daws of Jeath

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

9:30 pm ($5): “When Charlie Tickertape is cozily nestled in his converted cabinet-drawer bed, and Irv Newberg has fallen asleep on a giant pile of money, they dream about Tim Allen, butlers who are brothers, Alfred Hitchcock, Ronald Reagan, and Paris Hilton. It’s Listen, Kid!’s first-ever sketch show:” Listen, Kid! Presents Hollyweird Dreams

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Rachael Parenta (Gawker.com, contributor to book What Was I Thinking?: Bad Boyfriend Stories; for sample video, please click here), and H. Alan Scott (one of coemdy’s finest cookie bakers) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy (348 West 52nd Street) hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 4/15/12

April 15, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Hannibal Buress

Hannibal Buress completes his smash headlining run at Carolines (which I caught last night, and can fully recommend you see)...

Wyatt Cenac

...and Wyatt Cenac performs at Pretty Good Friends

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!

6:00 pm ($5): Andrew Beckerman & Mark Bisi (hosts of the Beginnings podcast), plus a “surprise guest,” 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 ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): A former staff writer for Saturday Night Live and writer/performer for 30 Rock who’s also performed on David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, and an upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special—and who, at 29, has already developed into a world-class stand-up you should go and enjoy experiencing, as I gratefully did last night—headlining one last evening at the Carolines Comedy Club: Hannibal Buress

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up; staff writer for David Letterman), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, Comedy Central, FOX), and Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here) performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV), Molly Knefel (Naked in a Fishbowl, John & Molly Get Along), Nore Davis (Comedy Central’s Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus), and more performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast recently clobbered some of the best improv troupes in NYC at UCBT’s Cage Match. Tonight come enjoy this troupe perform on its own for a full hour at The Magnet theatre: North Coast

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

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

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) with a guest host (because Hannibal’s completing his run at Carolines tonight): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Kara Klenk (host of If You Build It), Monroe Martin, Scott Chaplain, and more performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times) and Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour) performing sets at The PIT, and then improv troupe Before the Accident making up scenes springboarding off the material, at Daws of Jeath

9:30 pm ($5): A monthly screening of new short filmed sketch and comedy produced by members of The Magnet Theatre comedy community: Flick Video Showcase

[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: All-gal lineup of Allison Castillo (VH1), Erika Wasser (MTV), and Kate Hendricks (North Carolina Comedy Festival) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy (348 West 52nd Street) hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you know anyone who might have a thyroid problem, please tell them about my latest book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 4/13/12

April 13, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For best TJ Miller comedy videos, please click here.

Hannibal Buress

Star stand-up Hannibal Buress continues his headlining run at Carolines...

Brandon Scott Jones

...and Brandon Scott Jones is among the top sketch comics in Crisistown

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

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

7:00 pm ($8): At this PIT double-bill, Dan Hodapp & Natasha Rothwell “bring more than five years of improv collaboration to stage for an evening of bold, committed characters and probably a fart joke for good measure” as Hodapp & Rothwell, and then all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

7:00 pm ($5): All-gal Improvisors who’ve previously created viral sketch videos performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Candy Slice Comedy

[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’s earned this slot because its cast is one of the finest in comedy, with each performer strong enough for potential stardom; and, at their best, the troupe’s writers sizzle too. Both strengths are evident inCrisistown, an interactive sketch show in which the audience is periodically asked to choose which of two paths it wants to go down next. This highly playful approach puts you in charge; and it also tempts you to see the show repeatedly (just as you might return to a favorite improv group week after week), because each performance is a never-to-be-repeated event. A vibrant, brilliant cast and mostly terrific comedy writing—plus what was probably a near-superhuman directorial effort by comedy giant Shannon O’Neil—equals a wonderful way to kick off your Friday evening:Stone Cold Fox: Crisistown

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot:Diamond Lion

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): A former staff writer for Saturday Night Live and writer/performer for 30 Rock who’s also performed on David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, and an upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Hannibal Buress

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): 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?

[FREE] 8:00 pm: The third annual comedy tournament featuring 40 improv groups…only one of which will triumph. Tonight four improv troupes battle for superiority, pride, and glory at The Creekupstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by James Ferrarella: The Arena, Round 5

[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 & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): The co-author of He’s Just Not That Into You and It’s Called A Breakup Because It’s Broken, and a comic who’s performed on HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and Jay Leno, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Greg Behrendt

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

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): DC Benny, Mike Britt, “and others” performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted tonight by David Cope: Hot Soup

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

9:30 pm ($5): All-gal improv at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe Goldie and the Hawns (Jennifer Bild, Christine DeNoon, Julianne Dunn, and Brandy Mitchell), plus guest stand-up and sketch gal comics: Boneless! A Night of Women in Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: An all-musical comedy night with unforgettable dark comedy band The Cowmen, plus The Parodivas, Jeffrey Kornberg, Phoebe Kreutz, and David Cope with “Harp Secrets”performing at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ben Lerman and Tim Dimond: Now That’s What I Call Musical Comedy

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, Sue Galloway, Matt Fisher, Craig Rowin, Nate Lang, 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 ($10): 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] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail

[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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you know anyone who might have a thyroid problem, please tell them about my latest book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 4/13/12

April 13, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For best TJ Miller comedy videos, please click here.

Hannibal Buress

Star stand-up Hannibal Buress continues his headlining run at Carolines...

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

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

7:00 pm ($8): At this PIT double-bill, Dan Hodapp & Natasha Rothwell “bring more than five years of improv collaboration to stage for an evening of bold, committed characters and probably a fart joke for good measure” as Hodapp & Rothwell, and then all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

7:00 pm ($5): All-gal Improvisors who’ve previously created viral sketch videos performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Candy Slice Comedy

[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’s earned this slot because its cast is one of the finest in comedy, with each performer strong enough for potential stardom; and, at their best, the troupe’s writers sizzle too. Both strengths are evident inCrisistown, an interactive sketch show in which the audience is periodically asked to choose which of two paths it wants to go down next. This highly playful approach puts you in charge; and it also tempts you to see the show repeatedly (just as you might return to a favorite improv group week after week), because each performance is a never-to-be-repeated event. A vibrant, brilliant cast and mostly terrific comedy writing—plus what was probably a near-superhuman directorial effort by comedy giant Shannon O’Neil—equals a wonderful way to kick off your Friday evening:Stone Cold Fox: Crisistown

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot:Diamond Lion

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): A former staff writer for Saturday Night Live and writer/performer for 30 Rock who’s also performed on David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, and an upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Hannibal Buress

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): 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?

[FREE] 8:00 pm: The third annual comedy tournament featuring 40 improv groups…only one of which will triumph. Tonight four improv troupes battle for superiority, pride, and glory at The Creekupstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by James Ferrarella: The Arena, Round 5

[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 & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): The co-author of He’s Just Not That Into You and It’s Called A Breakup Because It’s Broken, and a comic who’s performed on HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and Jay Leno, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Greg Behrendt

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

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): DC Benny, Mike Britt, “and others” performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted tonight by David Cope: Hot Soup

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

9:30 pm ($5): All-gal improv at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe Goldie and the Hawns (Jennifer Bild, Christine DeNoon, Julianne Dunn, and Brandy Mitchell), plus guest stand-up and sketch gal comics: Boneless! A Night of Women in Comedy

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: An all-musical comedy night with unforgettable dark comedy band The Cowmen, plus The Parodivas, Jeffrey Kornberg, Phoebe Kreutz, and David Cope with “Harp Secrets”performing at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ben Lerman and Tim Dimond: Now That’s What I Call Musical Comedy

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, Sue Galloway, Matt Fisher, Craig Rowin, Nate Lang, 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 ($10): 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] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail

[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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you know anyone who might have a thyroid problem, please tell them about my latest book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 4/12/12

April 12, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Hannibal Burress

Red-hot stand-up Hannibal Buress headlines through Sunday at Carolines...

Sue Galloway

...and UCBT's Sue Galloway singlehandedly delivers one of the best sketch shows of the year in "Pose"

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: Andy Ross (written for Mad Magazine, The Onion News Network) 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 (memorably featured here): 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 prestigiousUCB Chelsea schedule: Five Finger Discount and Profiles in Cowardice. 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 ($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 92Y Tribeca(200 Hudson Street): Mortified

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

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

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) gathers top comics to tell funny stories at UCB Chelsea, with tonight’s all-star guests Jeannie Gaffigan (Jim Gaffigan’s partner in crime), Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Tales of the Cosmos and The Adam Wade show; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here), and Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s This American Life): Tom Shillue’s Funny Story

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): It was a sad time for me when UCBT sketch comedy genius Kate McKinnon moved late last year to LA. No one in NYC has really stepped into the void Kate left…but this show is the closest I’ve seen so far as a contender. Sue Galloway delivers smart, organic, beautifully crafted physical & verbal comedy that’s fresh, specific, at times surreal, and very funny. It’s no easy thing to walk the tightrope between darkness and hilarity, but Sue manages it here with impressive grace. Kudos also go to UCBT’s Artistic Director Nate Dern, who did a brilliant job of providing guidance and judgment as the show’s director. Ignore this production’s lame title and official description, which don’t do it justice, and simply come to see one of the best one-woman sketch shows of 2012: Pose

…and in the other half of this double-bill at UCB Chelsea, unique and relentlessly silly performer Brandon Gulya does a one-man sketch show at that’s at times hilarious (the restaurant bit, which is an instant classic) , and at other times less so, in the hope that Brandon Gulya Will Be Famous Soon

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): A former staff writer for Saturday Night Live and writer/performer for 30 Rock who’s also performed on David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, and an upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special headlining tonight through Sunday at theCarolines Comedy Club: Hannibal Buress

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

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes The Boss, Hello Laser, Junior Varsity, and Phooka performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Mark Grenier directing The Bat (improvised scenes that happen entirely in the dark), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with troupe Upstate battling troupe Listen, Weirs! for laughs & votes: The Magnet’s Night Out

8:00 pm ($5): Layer by layer, improvisers build a town based on an audience member’s suggestion for the town’s name, while artist Asher Rogers paints a large map of the town based on the improvisers’ descriptions. This cool-sounding new show is at The PIT downstairs lounge: Our Town

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

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): 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] 9:00 pm ($5): John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here),Starlee Kine (sharp storyteller; NPR’s This American Life), and Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives, The Tony and Johnny Show) performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K

[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 ($15): The Daily Show producers Rory Albanese and Adam Lowitt, and writers Michael Hogan, JR Havlan, and Jenna Kim Jones, performing stand-up at 92Y Tribeca: The Daily ShowDoes Stand-Up

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups Jess Dweck, Kevin Seccia, and Michael Che 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] 9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, first up is a witty and ultimately exhilarating exploration of baring it all by fabulous long-time nudist Julia Wiedeman (who I had the great fortune of seeing about a decade ago as she walked around with zero clothing, like a glorious tigress, in broad daylight on the streets of the East Village). Check out promo videos here and here, and then run to see Naked People…

…and in the other half of this double-bill, a one-man sketch show by George Kareman about which I know nothing, but the title alone makes the pulse race: Incredibly Extreme and Extremely Incredible

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

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($7; or FREE COVER if you show up 30-60 minutes early and buy $7 worth of snacks/drinks): Mystery Science Theater 3000 goes blaxploitation in this delightful new series by Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show) and Donwill (hip-hop group Tanya Morgan) in which the boys watch a black cinema cult classic and yell comments at it throughout. It all happens at Brooklyn’s reRun (147 Front Street, between Pearl & Jay Streets), with tonight’s film a happy surprise: Shouting at the Screen

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($22 & 2-drink min.): A veteran NYC stand-up who’s performed on HBO, Comedy Central, and IFC headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Big Jay Oakerson

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Ouch. Last week Airwolf crushed and humiliated Sandino, beating it with a stick 110-38. This gives Airwolf three consecutive wins, but it’s no time to get cocky because tonight’s challenger is formidable troupe The Law Firm. Don’t miss the bloodshed as they compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): Nick Offerman (NBC’s Parks and Recreation) and musical legend Corn Mo performing at UCB East offering “cautionary tales, woodworking tips, and minor nudity:” American Ham

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you know anyone who might have a thyroid problem, please tell them about my latest book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 1/10/12

January 10, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Hannibal Buress

Hannibal Buress performs stand-up at Hot Dang...

Justin Long

...and Justin Long is at Sweet

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): In this unique new improv show, the audience texts the improvisers on stage their lines—i.e., it’s “the only show that won’t tell you to put away your cell phones.” Troupe Student Driver performs this fun interactive stunt at The PIT upstairs theatre: Text Me My Line

7:00 pm ($5): Two mini-plays (with no descriptions, so your guess is as good as mine) auditioning for a spot on The Magnet’s schedule: Love Songs Gone Wrong and How Did I Get Here?

[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

[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): It’s Always Right Now, Until It’s Later

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics artist Jamal Igle (DC Comics’ The Ray) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop cultureat The PIT downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special), Mike Doughty (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien; formerly of band Soul Coughing; solo album Sad Man Happy Man), Ann Carr (Comedy Central, VH1, Web series The Actress),  and Craig Baldo (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion) performing at UCB East for a comedy variety show hosted by the delightful Sara Schaefer and Scott Moran: Hot Dang

8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Deckard, Sandino, Dance Break, Grandma’s Ashes, and Still Mike—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: This weekly show features “a swarthy selection of fine stand-up comics and mildly entertaining recurring segments” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by Jim Tews & Brendan Eyre: Chest Hair

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:15ish pm: NYC treasure Kurt Braunohler is the producer and host of this comedic “anti-game-show” game show aimed at becoming a TV series. It  involves three comedic contestants being asked ridiculous questions so they can provide even more ridiculous answers. The winner, judged by Kurt, is then awarded points—which are meaningless, because no one ultimately wins and there are no prizes. Being taped Brooklyn’s Union Hall, it’s Pointless Live

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: Rosencrantz and BEEES!

[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), Justin Long (NBC’s Ed, Galaxy Quest, Going the Distance, Live Free or Die Hard, the Mac in Apple Computer commercials), Murderfist (NYC’s fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon; co-host of Too Cool For School and If You Build It), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Jackie Monahan (Dykes on Mics, Hot Gay Comics, LOL Tour), Ken Shultz, and Josh Rosen 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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Typically terrific NYC stand-ups (not yet announced, but you can check for an update here) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

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: 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):At UCB East, “This show is hosted by two humans named Anthony Atamanuik and John Gemberling. It is a human variety show. It is very funny to humans, but not to robots like me. I am a robot that Tony & Johnny programmed to write their descriptions on the internet. I do not think the show is funny because I am incapable of experiencing humor. I wish I could. Wait a minute…if I can wish, then I can experience hope. Hope…then joy….joy….then humor! I can experience humor! I still don’t think Tony & Johnny are funny, though.” Anyway, this week’s organic guests are Matt McCarthy (HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death, host of AMC’s Action Pack, Comedy Central, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys, host of Marking Out), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Comedy Central’s John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up), and Nimesh Patel (co-host of The Broken Comedy Show): The Tony and Johnny Show

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

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 4/19/11

April 19, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you know anyone who might have a thyroid problem, please tell them about my new book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Leo Allen and Hannibal Buress

Stellar stand-ups Leo Allen and Hannibal Buress (above), plus hilarious storyteller Adam Wade, perform tonight at Brooklyn's "The Moon 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] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in New York—Kate McKinnon, Neil Casey, Leslie Meisel, and more—preview shows they’ll be performing on the prestigiious UCBT schedule over the coming weeks at UCBT’S Spring Showcase

7:00 pm ($5): Six improvisors play themselves on stage (similar to Naked in a Fishbowl) in Self Image; and in the second half of this double-bill, 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, in The Cascade

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Todd Barry (HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), 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), and more performing at theLolita Bar at Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Comics creator Chris Hastings (Dr. McNinjas) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop cultureat Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($35.50 with discount code BIRBIG): One of the finest comics in the country, Mike Birbiglia’s credits include the hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing; two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O’Brien; comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live; the book Sleepwalk with Me & Other Painfully True Stories; and his hit off-Broadway show Sleepwalk with Me. Mike’s now returned to the stage, once again creating his unique blend of stand-up and storytelling, for an all-new one-man show at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway’s Christopher Street stop) slated to run through May 15th: Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes CAPTCHA, Badman, Sandino, Ragnaröck, and Standard Oil, and at 11:00 pm UCBT improv students performing with Harold Night veterans at The Lottery—all at Harold Night

8:00 pm ($10): The worlds of “magic, mind-reading, and mutilation” are explored by Matthew Holtzclaw and Prakash Puru: Strange Things

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Thoroughly wonderful guests Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, Comedy Central), Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Funny or Die, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 15-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here), musical guest Kenny Pickett, and more 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

8:30 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: Rebound and The Sound & the Fury

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Colin Quinn (too many credits to name; Colin’s recent Broadway show Long Story Short is now playing on HBO), Will Miles (stand-up visiting from Chicago), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:30 pm ($5): An improv troupe I haven’t yet seen but has received acclaim: The Chainsaw Boys

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free show, audience members can join in with veteran musical improv talents 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 hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you know anyone who might have a thyroid problem, please tell them about my new book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 1/30/11

January 30, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For my all-time favorite oddball comedy videos, please click here.

Adira Amram

Unique & hilarious singer/songwriter Adira Amram will be performing at Hannibal Buress' Comedy Night

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): “Edwina Debooveman is a handsome woman with a rich memory unaffected by her constant intake of muscle relaxers. With the help of a financial backer, a talented creative team, a rolodex of contacts to fill the house, and a flimsy show premise she will be performing her own one woman show” at I Remember: Edwina Debooveman’s One Woman Show; plus in the second half of this double-bill, a show auditioning at The Magnet with no description whatsoever and an instantly forgettable title (good luck with that…): Riot Act

7:00 pm ($5): Christina Casa debuts a one-woman show that intriguingly explains “Some candy is good & some candy is bad & some candy is full of Satan’s razor blades forged by 10,000 tortured souls in the bowels of the underworld. Hooray!” directed by Lorie Steele: Eat the Candy

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Rory Albanese (Executive Producer of The Daily Show), Jamie Kilstein (Conan O’Brien), Reese Waters, and more performing at this free LES stand-up show at Pianos hosted by Adam Lowitt (Producer at The Daily Show): It Is It

[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

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): “Live music and some amazing actors perform new school radio drama, complete with sound effects.” Created and starring Melanie Hoopes, with performer genius Ed Herbstman (Melanie’s husband), Arthur Aulisi, Jenny Bacon, and Kelly Park, plus tonight’s musical guest composer Konrad Meissner, in a show that’s getting buzz (and barring mishaps, I’ll finally see it tonight): Laurie Stanton’s Sound Diet

8:00 pm ($7): Typically stellar stand-ups (not yet announced, but you might find an update by clicking here) performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[$] 8:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.)  A long-time cast member of MAD TV headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bobby Lee

8:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not yet announced) performing stand-up at The PIT for a free weekly show typically hosted by Sean Donnelly and Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[TOP PICK]  [FREE] 9:00 pm: Brilliant & hilarious musical guest Adira Amram, plus superb stand-ups Dan St. Germain, Mike DeStefano, Godfrey, and Ryan Hamilton, all performing at Brooklyn’sKnitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, Comedy Central): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Mike Dobbins (unique stream of consciousness comic), Sean Donnelly (host ofLil’ Seany Boy), Nick Turner (host of Too Cool for School), and Mike Birch performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar at Vince Averill’s & Jesse Popp’s free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Streeter Seidell (College Humor), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents), Sarah Tollemache (Last Comic Standing), and Kevin Barnett (host of Round Table of Gentlemen) performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

9:30 pm ($5): Two improv groups compete for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with less well-known troupes, plus there’s an escalating challenge component—atMagnet Inferno

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Ali Wong (comedy human dynamo who’s always worth catching; MTV), Rachael Parenta (Gawker.com), and Shawn Hollenbach (Here! TV’s Hot Gay Comics) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

For my all-time favorite oddball comedy videos, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 12/19/10

December 19, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Morgan Murphy and Hannibal Buress

Stand-up stars Morgan Murphy, Hannibal Buress, and more perform at a blowout holiday edition of Comedy Night

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 5:00 pm ($18 online using discount code FAYB ): One of the very best shows at FringeNYC 2010 was an award-winning comedy from NYC’s own Faye Lane, a luminous storyteller and singer who will charm your socks off—and possibly give you a moon pie to boot—at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this brief revival on Sundays this December to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane’s Beauty Shop Stories

[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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Nikki Glaser (film I Am Comic), Jamie Kilstein (Huffington Post; co-host of Citizen Radio), Dan Soder (Comedy Central), Jamie Machi, and Gabe Pacheco performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Blowout holiday show with Morgan Murphy (fresh, original, and fearlessly dark; The Comedians of Comedy; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), Kumail Nanjiani (David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel, writer/performer for Comedy Central’s Michael & Michael Have Issues), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Louie, Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), Sean Conroy (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, member of legendary improv troupe The Swarm), Tim Warner, Sean O’Connor, and Jeffrey Joseph performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) guest-hosted by the wonderful Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Brent Sullivan, Chris Jurek, Ryan Conner, and Alex Grubard performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar at Vince Averill’s & Jesse Popp’s free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jessimae (Hometown Comedy Tour), Adam Sank (Last Comic Standing, TruTV; original host of this show), and Brian Barry (Star Search finalist) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy tonight hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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