December 11, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Sean Donnelly will struggle to stay awake as he hosts a free and spectacular all-night comedy marathon featuring over 25 superb NYC stand-ups (Sean Patton, Matt McCarthy, and many more) at "Lil' Seany Boy is Up All 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:
7:00 pm ($8): Jessica Marasco and Becky Flaum performing two-gal sketch comedy as Geek Dreams
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Becky Drysdale, and more—including writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A wild all-night comedy showcase that mixes laughs with insomnia, as Sean Donnelly struggles to stay awake hosting over 25 superb NYC stand-ups including Sean Patton, Victor Varnado, Matt McCarthy, Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Liz Miele, Julian McCullough, Pat Dixon, Pat Stango, Nick Turner, Mark Normand, Mike Recine, and many more performing at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City for Lil’ Seany Boy is Up All Night
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($46.50 & 2-drink min.): A comedy superstar headlining tonight and Sunday at Carolines: D.L. Hughley
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—and the Cage Match Champion for two years in a row!—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!
9:30 pm ($10): “A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics,” following sold out shows at Joe’s Pub: Political Subversities
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount codeSBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award last year for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event by catching tonight’s edition of Baby Wants Candy
[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams
10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): “It’s going to be a Festival of Fights as UCBW MegaStars do battle in Eight Crazy Matches at this annual holiday season spectacular!” Featuring Jay Leno vs. Conan O’Brien, Old Man Winter vs. Beach Cop, Holy Ghost vs. God with special referee Jesus Christ, Helen Keller vs. Annie The Miracle Worker Sullivan, and much much more. As crazy as professional wrestling is, this show takes things to a whole other level. Physical sketch comedy to the extreme, it’s UCBW: Hanukkaos
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, Lil' Seany Boy is Up All Night, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Pat Stango, Sean Donnelly, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Creek and the Cave, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | 
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Posted by hybender
December 10, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
D. L. Hughley headlines through Sunday at Carolines; and Chicago-based improv star Joe Bob makes a rare NYC appearance tonight at a Magnet mashup titled, for no particular reason, Lights Out, Shirley!
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Comedy veterans Laura Krafft (former writer for The Colbert Report), Jodi Lennon (Exit 57), and Miriam Tolan (The Daily Show) perform an improvised play in What a Year!
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): “John Haskell and Arthur Meyer are two men who like to have fun. Sometimes they sing songs and sometimes they talk loudly, but they always have fun. In this sketch comedy show, they don’t just have regular boring fun, but they have FUN TIME BABY OH YES!!” in the debut of Two Fun Men; plus a show I haven’t seen but have heard good things about,The Paul Downs Syndrome
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Star comics Wyatt Cenac, Christian Finnegan, Joe Mande, Costaki Economopoulos, Mara Herron, Louis Katz, Rob Cantrell, and more performing at Brooklyn’s Happy Ending for wonderful stand-up/comedic rapper host Carolyn Castiglia’s Splurge!
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($46.50 & 2-drink min.): A comedy superstar headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: D.L. Hughley
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen’s Class: The Harvard Sailing Team
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other fine improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] 11:15 pm ($5): A spectacular collection of veteran improvisors from Chicago and New York performing for one night only—including Joe Bill (Bassprov, iO teacher, Annoyance co-founder), Jodi Lennon (Comedy Central’s Exit 57), Ari Voukydis (UCB instructor, VH!’s Best Week Ever), Doug Stoley (Conan O’Brien, UCB), Rick Andrews (Magnet performer), Mark Grenier (Magnet teacher), Jen Sanders (Magnet performer), and Chet Siegel (Magnet performer)— Lights Out, Shirley!
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Cultural pundit 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), musicians Jonah Bayer (Alternative Press, Fuse) and Geoff Garlock (Orchid, Panthers), and more joining “opinionated audiophile John Frusciante hosting a revolving panel of music-loving comedians, writers, and musicians for a live monthly discussion about the state of music past and present, what you should and shouldn’t be listening to, and why KISS sucks so much. It is a guarantee that your favorite band will at some point be brought up, dissected, and either praised to the rafters or dismissed with the wave of a hand that knows how to properly handle vinyl:” Break Up Your Band
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, D. L. Hughley, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Joe Bob, Lights Out Shirley!, 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
December 9, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Tonight breathtakingly talented comedic actress Pamela Murphy performs a one-woman show about disease and triumph in "The C Word," and master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler practices his one-man show for the Edinburgh Festival in "The Amish Guide to Fucking"
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 ($5): Comedy troupe Sandino performs a sketch show that has something to do with reading in The Sandino Book Club: Catcher in the Rye, plus comedy troupe MADCAR performs a sketch show titled Dave n’ Brenda’s Wedding, at tonight’s double-bill installment of the audition series Spank
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight include Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Ryan Paulson (one-man shows Pentecostal Wisconsin and I’m Uncomfortable), Lee Camp (The Huffington Post, The Green Room with Paul Provenza), Benjamen Walker (WFMU’s Too Much Information), Jo Weldon (The Burlesque Handbook), and Gemma Clarke—joining brilliant sketch comic and storyteller Kevin Allison (The State) to share tales on tonight’s theme “Eye of the Beholder” at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler “relates how he destroyed a 13-year relationship in the dumbest, most complicated way possible, with bar fights, naked men, walruses, and an audition for Sasha Baron Cohen” in the one-man show The Amish Guide to F*cking
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
8:00 pm ($5): Lennon Parham demonstrates her comedy genius by utterly stealing this show with just a few minutes of performance time—via Skype video from LA!—while other talented performers on stage struggle with a sadly underdeveloped script…though Marcy Jarreau somehow manages to rise above the material, and is the other standout to look for (in the scene with the mirror…); plus young talents perform a loud and mildly amusing sketch show about cops, in the double-bill Oh My God, I Heard You’re Dying! and The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour
[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing stand-up on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killerset on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Comedy as a Second Language
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; commentator on MNBC’s Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1’s Best Week Ever; Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Hari Kondabolu (John Oliver’s New York Standup Show, Jimmy Kimmel), Mark Normand (co-host of We’re All Friends Here), and Ken Schultz performing at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a show hosted & produced by just-engaged couple Sean Crespo & Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle
[TOP PICK] [$] 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
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Comedy genius Pam Murphy proving herself to be a star in this not-to-be-missed autobiographical show that’s the best-scripted one-act to grace UCBT this year, performed with wit, grace, and pitch-perfect comedic timing (for video samples of Murphy’s work, please click here); and Nicole Shabtai performing a one-woman show about “an illustrious 13-year-old socialite and notorious Upper East Side private schooler we all love to hate,” in the double-bill Pam Murphy: The C Word and Citizen Rothstein
9:30 pm ($8): “An improvised spoof on the process of rehearsing and performing a scripted play takes the audience through the table read, bits of one of the rehearsals, and the opening night performance of a play that’s never been performed before and never will be again:” The Play Format
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Star improv troupe Reuben William and UCBT Harold Night troupe Badman competing for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match
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, Kurt Braunohler, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Pam Murphy, Pamela Murphy, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The C Word, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 8, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
"30 Rock" stars Scott Adsit & John Lutz perform tonight as exciting new improv duo John & Scott...
...and razor-sharp comedy duo Dan St. Germain & Jared Logan debut their sketch show "They Hated Each Other"
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): Justin Tyler, Matt Fisher, and Alden Ford performing their favorite sketches (for a sample, please click here) as comedy troupe Sidecar: The Immaculate Collection
[TOP PICK] 7:30ish pm ($10 at the door or $12.75 online): Top storytellers telling a personal tale that in some way incorporates a lesson learned at college (for a write-up of the amazing debut, please click here)—with tonight’s lineup consisting of host Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Liar Show), Carter Edwards, Katherine Wessling, Peter Aguero, and Michele Carlo—performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for producer Adam Magazine’s You Went to College For That?
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.): A finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing, and who’s also performed on Jay Leno and his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, headlining tonight at Carolines: Myq Kaplan
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Very smart and very funny comics Dan St. Germain (MTV; quick-witted rising star) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill) teaming up to debut a two-man sketch show about history’s most infamous rivalries; and an indescribable multimedia sketch show from Peter Blomquist and Jeff Wiens, in the double-bill They Hated Each Other and Franco & Billy: Diamonds of Fire
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Delightful comedic singing/songwriting duo Tim Ellis and Matthew Park performing their best songs for an hour at music venue National Underground (159 East Houston Street, between Eldridge & Allen Streets): Ellis & Park
8:00 pm ($5): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (VH1,Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories) hosting this free weekly NYC stand-up comedy show (lineup not yet announced) at Brooklyn’s Hank’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Saloon (46 Third Avenue at Atlantic): Dive Comedy
8:00 pm ($5; includes copious homemade treats): Mindy Raf (brilliant musical & sketch comic), Nick Vatterot (Jimmy Fallon), Sean Donnelly (host of Lil’ Seany Boy), Evan Jacobs, and Mara Herron performing stand-up at at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with hosts Aalap Patel and the delightful Chelsea White (MTV, College Humor) at It’s Not That Serious
[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Sean Crespo, Sue Funke, Jarret Berenstein, Kara Klenk, Peter de Giglio, and Nate Min performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Larry Murphy (genius voiceover/character comic; Adult Swim’sDelocated, Assy McGee, Bob’s Burgers), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; MTV, Comedy Central), and Greg Johnson (Sirius Radio) performing at this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn’s Cameo (behind Lovin’ Cup) hosted by Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Adsit & Gausas have virtually become legends as one of the most brilliant and passionate duos in improv comedy for making up theatrical scenes on the spot with breathtaking skill. They recently decided to refresh their palettes via other couplings; for example, Christina Gausas last month paired with Becky Drysdale, and will likely do so again early next year (keep an eye on the UCBT schedule). Meanwhile, Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim’s awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) tonight buddies up with fellow 30 Rock actor John Lutz (who previously spent six years as a staff writer for Saturday Night Live), forming what’s likely to be another magical improv pair: John & Scott
[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: 30 Rock, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Dan St. Germain, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Jared Logan, John & Scott, John Lutz, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Scott Adsit, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, They Hate Each Other, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 7, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
"Slang" is tonight's topic at the smart, witty comedic lecture show Adult Education
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] 8:00 pm ($5): A special show devoted to stand-up from the staff writers of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon—in alphabetical order, David Angelo, Patrick Borelli, Eric Ledgin, Morgan Murphy, Jon Rineman, Sara Schaeffer, and Justin Shane—performing in the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month’s topic “Slang”—e.g., filmmaker Heather Quinlan exploring the immigrant contribution to NYC slang, playwright Jason Grote providing a tour of the great double-entendres of the Silver Age of comics,The Nation blogger Leslie Savan examining the role of pop language in our lives, and tour guide Mark Roberts making you blush with salty nautical origins of everyday words—at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for Charles Star’s comedic show Adult Education
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Eliot Chang (Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately), Dave Waite (Comedy Central), Nore Davis (MTV), Lane Moore (The Onion), Jon Savoy, Shatara Curry, and Lianna Carerra performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Robber Baron, Bastian, Ragnaröck, DeCoster, and Badman, followed by small groups of UCBT students each performing long scenes that seem to have nothing in common with each other but magically converge at the end, all at Harold Night
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Amazing musical improv troupe Free Love Supreme, stand-up 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), plus music from Camille Harris (creator of FringeNYC 2009’s Muffin Man), and comedic opera singers Carla Wesby and Nick Packard 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
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Carmen Lynch (Last Comic Standing, headliner at Caroline’s), Ryan Hamilton (Last Comic Standing), Yannis Papas, and “secret special guests” performing 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, comedy CD The Depression Auction) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill
[TOP PICK] 9:00 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, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper; The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Dave Hill Explosion), Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Louie, Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[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: Adult Education, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Charles Star, 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, Sketch Comedy, Slang, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 6, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
World-class stand-up Ted Alexandro performs tonight at Whiplash, brilliant improvisor Jeff Hiller makes up a musical on the spot at Diamond Lion...
...and Brenna Palughi (left) and Daliya Karnofsky (right) tonight may once again subtly express skepticism at the plans of the breathtaking Lauren Seikaly at the wonderful theatrical improv show Naked in a Fishbowl
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 episode, Brenna Palughi provided an unforgettable description of her experience drinking a liter of salt water to achieve a “master cleanse.” With that warning, watch the video and be forever altered…
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
[FREE] 7:00 pm: Fine NYC stand-ups Roger Hailes (Comedy Central), Mark Normand (Last Comic Standing; co-host of We’re All Friends Here), Myka Fox (Comical Radio), Mara Herron (Sirius Radio), and Kevin Barnett (College Humor) performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
7:00 pm ($5): An all-gal improv troupe consisting of Jennifer Bild, Christine DeNoon, Julianne Dunn, and Brandy Mitchell, with tonight’s guest guy improvisor Paul Wielunski (Bad Luck Rising), performing as Goldie and the Hawns
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 ($5 online or $8 at the door): Myq Kaplan (finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Adam Lowitt (Producer at The Daily Show, co-host of stand-up show It Is It), and musical guest Amy Miles (Michael Showalter’s The Baxter, David Wain’s The Ten, Children’s Hospital) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety
8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT’s fine house sketch comedy troupes, Stone Cold Fox and Gorilla Gorilla, trying out new bits at Maude Night
8:00 pm ($5): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever), Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host ofRighteous Kill), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel), and Ben Kissel (Roundtable of Gentlemen) performing at the White Rabbit (145 East Houston Street) for John Szeluga’s Not Friday
8:00 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
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Jeff Hiller, Mike Still, Ashley Ward, and tonight’s guest Jon Gabrus (The Law Firm)—making up a musical on the spot along with virtuoso improv pianist Frank Spitznagel: Diamond Lion
10:00 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers: Rap Crimes Division
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials, recent perfect set at Carnegie Hall opening for Louis C.K.), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Louie, Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), and more—guest-hosted by the wonderful Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1) at Whiplash
[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should beWhiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills on this new stand-up open-mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and Erin Lennox: Fresh
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Brenna Palughi, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Daliya Karnofsky, Diamond Lion, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Jeff Hiller, Lauren Seikaly, Naked in a Fishbowl, 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, Ted Alexandro, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade, Whiplash | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 5, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
One of the very finest comedies of FringeNYC 2010 enjoys a brief revival this December on Sundays at 5:00 pm: Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] [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 ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT’s signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($60 & 2-drink min.): A co-star of 30 Rock who’s one of the most hilarious guys in the biz headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Tracy Morgan
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Typically stellar stand-ups (not yet announced) performing at Brooklyn’sUnion Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman, who’s joined by his Pretty Good Friends
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon), Giulia Rozzi (VH1, co-host ofStripped Stories and Dive Comedy), Dave Lester, and Nick Maritato performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Ben Kronberg, Del Harrison, Nick Vatterott, and Danny Kallas performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (writer for30 Rock and SNL): Comedy Night
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Storyteller/sketch performer Ilana Glazer, and stand-up Kevin Barnett, Sean O’Connor, and Neal Stastny, performing 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 Robin Fox, Paul Case, and Hilary Schwartz 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.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: aye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Faye Lane, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Huron Club, Improv, Improvisation, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Sketch Comedy, Soho Playhouse, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 4, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Tonight Judah Friedlander headlines at Comix, Jim Gaffigan headlines at the Best Buy Theater...
...Tracy Morgan headlines at Carolines, and Melanie Hamlett bids adieu to NYC at The Going Away Show
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true…but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening’s yarn-spinners are Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller and host of The Liar Show TV pilot; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Jim O’Grady (NPR’s This American Life), Peter Lubell (IFC writer/producer), and Martin Dockery (Best of Fest winner at Winnipeg Fringe Festival). Come let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm & 9:30 pm ($40-$50): A comedy superstar who delights in observational humor about food (his Hot Pockets routine is a classic) and mundane things we take for granted (“I like escalators because they can never break, only become stairs”). As accessible as any mainstream performer alive, while simultaneously a sharp deconstructionist who can work any alternative comedy room with ease, his appeal is deep and universal. He’s appeared over a dozen times on David Letterman, over two dozen times on Conan O’Brien (for which he created the animated series Pale Force), performed his own Comedy Central Presents special, and created aBeyond the Pale comedy album that’s been certified Platinum (the CD and DVD versions have each sold over 150,000 copies). And he’s headlining one more night at the Best Buy Theater (1515 Broadway at 44th Street): Jim Gaffigan
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Becky Drysdale, and more—including writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, andThe Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($60 & 2-drink min.): A co-star of 30 Rock who’s one of the most hilarious guys in the biz headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Tracy Morgan
[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.22 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): A cast member of 30 Rock, and a performer on VH1’s Best Week Ever, HBO’sCurb Your Enthusiasm, MTV’s Wonder Showzen, NBC’s The Tonight Show, and over 20 films headlining for one night only at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: One of the finest storytellers in the country, the unique, brilliant, and hilarious Melanie Hamlett (Moth GrandSlam Champion), is heading off to the New Mexico desert for several months to focus on her first book. But before she goes, she’s having a blowout show, party, and auction for comedy services. Don’t miss Kevin Allison (sketch comic of legendary The State, host of Risk!), John Flynn (The Nights of Our LIves), Daisy Rosario (NPR), Shannon O’Neill (The Stepfathers), and more performing at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City for Melanie Hamlett’s Going-Away Party and Show
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Brilliantly funny writer/singer Jessica Delfino (enjoys singing songs about her vagina, as demonstrated by her CD Dirty Folk Rock; created the hilarious and wildly popular YouTube animated short film I Wanna Be Famous; has a cool MySpace page, and an even cooler blog; to get a feel for Jessica’s amazing range and talent, please click here), and NYC stand-ups Nick Turner, Matt Ruby, Dan HIrshon, Doug Smith, Damien Lemon, and John Szeluga, performing at The Triple Crown Alehouse & Restaurant (330 7th Aveue, between 28th and 29th Streets) at Sean Donnelly’s Lil’ Seany Boy
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—and the Cage Match Champion for two years in a row!—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo
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] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams
10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike
[TOP PICK] 11:00 ($8): NYC’s heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which doesn’t always ht the mark but provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and won this year’s ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group: Murderfist: Late and Dirty
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Best Buy Theater, 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, Jim Gaffigan, Judah Friedlander, Melanie Hamlett, 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 Creek, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, Tracy Morgan, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 3, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Tracy Morgan continues his headlining run tonight at Carolines...
...and Jim Gafffigan headlines tonight and Saturday at the Best Buy Theater
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 & 9:30 pm ($40-$50): A comedy superstar who delights in observational humor about food (his Hot Pockets routine is a classic) and mundane things we take for granted (“I like escalators because they can never break, only become stairs”). As accessible as any mainstream performer alive, while simultaneously a sharp deconstructionist who can work any alternative comedy room with ease, his appeal is deep and universal. He’s appeared over a dozen times on David Letterman, over two dozen times on Conan O’Brien (for which he created the animated series Pale Force), performed his own Comedy Central Presents special, and created aBeyond the Pale comedy album that’s been certified Platinum (the CD and DVD versions have each sold over 150,000 copies). And he’s headlining tonight and Saturday at the Best Buy Theater (1515 Broadway at 44th Street): Jim Gaffigan
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Comedy veterans Laura Krafft (former writer for The Colbert Report), Jodi Lennon (Exit 57), and Miriam Tolan (The Daily Show) perform an improvised play in What a Year!
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): A delightful tale of heartbreak by Leslie Meisel—who manages the impressive feat of being adorable, sexy, and hilarious all at the same time, and is a sharp comedic talent very much worth keeping an eye on—quite ably abetted by co-writer Megan Neuringer in one of the smartest theatrical shows to grace UCBT this year: Love Can Suck a Dick…and So Can I
…and for the other half of this double-bill, a musical sketch comedy show revolving around Broadway in Sing Out, Louise!
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($60 & 2-drink min.): A co-star of 30 Rock who’s one of the most hilarious guys in the biz headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Tracy Morgan
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen’s Class: The Harvard Sailing Team
10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical
10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other fine improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder
[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A comedic freestyle rap contest featuring some of the funniest & sharpest comics in NYC—who tonight include Adira Amram (fresh, sexy, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter), Utkarsh Ambudkar (Freestyle Love Supreme), Adam Newman (College Humor), and more—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius comedic musical performers Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) all at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Best Buy Theater, 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, Jim Gaffigan, 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, Tracy Morgan, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
December 2, 2010
For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.
Tracy Morgan headlines tonight through Sunday at Carolines
Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
6:30 pm ($5): Jena Friedman boils down her dark musical comedic parody of the American Girl Dolls to a 30-minute UCBT format, starring such brilliant talents from the NYC comedy community as Jessica Delfino, Ben Lerman, and Jena herself, in The Refugee Girls Revue; plus troupe Bleak debuts a “best-of” sketch show, all at tonight’s installment of the audition series Spank
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($60 & 2-drink min.): A co-star of 30 Rock who’s one of the most hilarious guys in the biz headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Tracy Morgan
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler “relates how he destroyed a 13-year relationship in the dumbest, most complicated way possible, with bar fights, naked men, walruses, and an audition for Sasha Baron Cohen” in the one-man show The Amish Guide to F*cking
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
9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Pioneering UK comedy star Andy de la Tour (The Young Ones), Michael Che, Alex Grubarb, and David Cope performing at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a show hosted & produced by just-engaged couple Sean Crespo & Carol Hartsell:Lasers in the Jungle
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), John Flynn (stellar storyteller; The Nights of Our Lives), Julian McCullough (Comedy Central Presents), and Ann Carr (Louie) joining hosts Andrea Rosen and Shonali Bhowmik for Variety SHAC
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Genius improv troupe Outlook of the Poet (Gavin Speiller, Ben Rodgers, and Jonathan Gabrus) and surprise breakout hit Doppelganger (Nicole Byer, Sasheer Zamata, and Keisha Zollar) compete for audience laughs and votes in what’s likely to be one of the most exciting editions of the raucous Cage Match
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, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, Tracy Morgan, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender
Best New York Comedy 