NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 8/16/11

August 16, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For comprehensive coverage of the spectacular FringeNYC 2011 Festival, please click here.

Family Science

Ben Lillie and friends tell comedic tales about Family Science at this month's edition of The Story Collider...

Janeane Garofalo

...and Janeane Garofalo (above) and Jessi Klein perform at 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] 7:00 pm ($5): Improv genius Tara Copeland teams up with both comedy veterans and students to perform musical improv at The Program

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Allison Downey (singer/songwriter, storyteller, professor), Nelson Lugo (vaudevillian), Julie Kraut (writer), Kelli Porterfield (comic/writer/producer), Dana Rossi (storyteller/writer), Rachel Wecht (actress/improvisor), and host Ben Lillie tell funny tales at this nerdy monthly show that tonight focuses on Family Science at Brooklyn’s Pacific Standard (82 Fourth Avenue): The Story Collider

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Funny or Die, director/co-writer of Comedy Central’s Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Colin Jost (writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon), Bryan Tucker (writer/producer for Saturday Night Live), Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; to watch his hit video Pachelbel Rant, which has been viewed by over 9 million people on YouTube, please click here), Jon Savoy, and “special guests” performing at the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends

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

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Very Good Kiss, Dance Break, Grandma’s Ashes, American Cousin, and Airwolf—and at 11:00 pm advanced UCBT students acting weird—all at Harold Night

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC’s The Creek hosted by Jackie Zebrowski, Julia Johns, and Sharron Paul: Twat’s Up!

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Blowout show with movie & TV star Janeane Garofalo, Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Nate Bargatze (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), and musical guest Field Mouse performing at Brooklyn’s Public Assembly (70th North 6th Street, by the L subway’s Bedford Avenue stop) along with sketches from Moon regulars Jordan Clifford, Bryan Condon, Stephanie Fagan, Tim Skinner, and Tim Whitney, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles: The Moon Show

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Funny or Die, director/co-writer of Comedy Central’s Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Vic Henley, Adrienne Iapalucci, and more performing at the PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

[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 Saturday 7/30/11

July 30, 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.

Arden Myrin and Janeane Garofalo

Arden Myrin and Janeane Garofalo celebrate Arden's One-Year Anniversary of "The Party Machine"

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 ($5): Comedy veterans Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey), Jodi Lennon (Second City, Annoyance Theatre, iO, Exit 57), and Ari Voukydis (Conan O’Brien, VH1) performing an improvised play at The PIT’s downstairs lounge in What a Year!

7:00 pm ($5): Best friends Kathy Salerno (storyteller at Risk!) and Emily Altman (sketch comic forOnassis) form a sketch comedy duo directed by a friend of mine, the forever young and sexy Amanda Duarte: Total Sweethearts

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Joe Bill, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, Kay Cannon, Christina Gausas, and other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions—all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball

7:30 pm ($7): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Adam Newman (MTV,College Humor), Danny Solomon (Meatsteak), and musical guest Grace McLean performing at theMagnet Theatre for Adam Lerman’s and Willy Appleman’s Deep Traffic

[$] 8:00 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:30 am ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A comic who’s performed a Comedy Central Presents special and is a cast member of Ugly Americans, and has also appeared on Last Comic Standing, Showtime, and VH1, headlining tonight at the Carolines Comedy Club: Kurt Metzger

[$] 8:00 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who’s performed on 30 Rock, VH1, and his own Comedy Central Presents special headlining tonight at the Gotham Comedy Club: Godfrey

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

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): Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Eliot Chang, Tony Woods, Andrew Schulz, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club’s A-List

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): A rotating cast of improv veterans performing scenes springboarding off monologues by Magnet co-owner Armando Diaz: The Armando Diaz Experience

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] 10:00ish pm ($7.63 online—which may end up being the only way to get in, because this show will probably sell out): Arden Myrin (Conan O’Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here) and Lisa deLarios (Comedy Central) host this delightful monthly mix of stand-up and sketch, with tonight’s thoroughly wonderful guests TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Adira Amram (fresh, hilarious rising star singer/songwriter; winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Musical Act), Jena Friedman (newest staff writer for David Letterman), Bobby Tisdale (head writer for Jimmy Fallon), James Adomian (finalist on Last Comic Standing), Moshe Kasher (Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately, IFC), and Brent Weinbach performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall: The Party Machine: One Year Anniversary!

[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 interviews an audience member about where he or she grew up and then creates an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

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

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): “Thin Skin Jonny. They had it all. They were icons, legends, anti-folk superstars. However, tragedy struck and they broke up, citing an alleged statutory charge, gay porn addiction, and Four Loko abuse. Now, two months later, they’re back to do one last show—a benefit! Can they find a way to get along long enough to raise the money needed to re-animate the corpse of Bea Arthur? Maybe, with your help!” Performers include Ari Scott, with direction from Pam Murphy: Thin Skin Jonny: Farewell Reunion Tour

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

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 3/29/11

March 29, 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.

Naked in a Fishbowl

Wonderful improvisor/actresses who normally appear in pricey theatres perform tonight for mere $5 tickets at The PIT: "Naked in a Fishbowl..."

Janeane Garofalo

...and Janeane Garofalo performs stand-up tonight at Seth Herzog's "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): 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): 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.

Although every episode is a wonderful theatrical event—and normally costs theatrical prices—tonight you can catch the gals at The PIT for a mere $5. Don’t miss this chance to experience the always fresh and surprising Naked in a Fishbowl

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics author & reporter Amber Delaney, and folks from Pronto Comics, joining by super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($35.50): 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 Badman, Very Good Kiss, Sandino, Ragnaröck, and Dybbuk; and at 11:00 pm UCBT students mix it up with veteran improvisors—all at Harold Night

8:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Emily Epstein, Nat Towsen, Abbi Crutchfield, Don Stahl, and Danny Solomon performing at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free weekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; TLC, blogger for trutV; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1,Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Stripped Stories): Dive Comedy

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 & BEEES!

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness), star singer Angela McClusky, and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:30 pm ($5): “Six strangers are summoned to an unusual meeting by their mysterious host, Mr. Body. When Mr. Body is found dead, these strangers become suspects, each with their own devious motive. Who killed Mr. Body? In which room? And with which weapon?” Young talents make up comedy scenes based on a popular board game in Clue-Prov

[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 Monday 3/28/11

March 28, 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.

Janeane Garofalo and Julie Sharbutt

Janeane Garofalo does stand-up tonight at Hot Tub Variety, while some of NYC's best actors (such as Julie Sharbutt above) and world-class improvisors crash together at Gravid Water

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: 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

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Jeffrey Joseph (HBO, Jay Leno), Katina Corrao (HBO, Comedy Central), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Harrison Greenbaum (Carolines), Kara Klenk, and Damien Lemon performing stand-up at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($6.50 online or $8 at the door): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Nate Bargatze (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), Craig Baldo (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing), and Dan Moore (TV comedy writer visiting from Australia) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Broadway & off-Broadway stars Opal Alladin (Hedda Gabler, On Golden Pond), Jonathan Kaplan (Tony nominee for Falsettos; Diary of Anne Frank), Katie Meister (The Clean House, Picnic), Michael Patrick O’Brien (Saturday Night Live, Misled), and Julie Sharbutt (Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night) mixing it up with some of the best  improvisors in the world—Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Orel, John & Scott), Michael Delaney (Conan O’Brien, The Other Guys, The Stepfathers), and John Lutz (30 Rock, Saturday Night Live)—as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at actor/director Stephen Ruddy’s Gravid Water

8:00 pm ($5): Robert King performing a one-man show about growing up biracial: Halfrican American

9:30 pm ($5): Two of UCBT’s fine house sketch comedy troupes, Neighbor Boy and Fambly, trying out new bits at Maude Night

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest stand-ups in the world—who tonight include Morgan Murphy (fresh, original, and fearlessly dark; The Comedians of Comedy; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon) and Alex Koll (San Francisco-based stand-up and filmmaker; Comedy Central, Super Deluxe, IFC.com)—hosted by the wonderful Chris Gethard (star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, The Chris Gethard Show, author of book Weird New York) at 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 stand-up open-mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin’s dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

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 Thursday 7/1/10

July 1, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Dave Hill and Janeane Garofalo

Comedy giants Dave Hill and Janeane Garofalo perform tonight at Comedy Below Canal

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:

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($12): A news-based show with comedy games and funny conversation hosted by by Faith Salie (CBS Sunday Morning), tonight with writer/producer Gideon Evans (The Daily Show), writer/commentator Alison Rosen (McSweeney’s, podcast Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend), and more: The News Distillery

7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): “Some people have amazing stories of wild nights and daring feats. Others have to make it all up. Andy Ross hosts the city’s best stand-ups and storytellers, some presenting written characters, others just characters themselves” in Ochi’s Lounge at Real Characters

7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces,” and veteran improvisors play with “elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde,” in the double-bill The Deconstruction and Sleepover

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comedy geniuses Gavin Speiller (Death by Roo Roo, Rogue Elephant), Ben Rodgers (Reuben Williams, co-host of Cage Match), and Jon Gabrus (Conan O’Brien, Best Week Ever, The Nights of Our Lives) perform as one of the most hilarious improv trios in NYC:Outlook of the Poet; and two more improv masters, Zach Woods (NBC’s The Office, Reuben Williams) and luminous comedic chameleon Lennon Parham (CBS’ Accidentally on Purpose, Reuben Williams) perform as duo Skinny Business

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($37.50 online or at the box office using discount codeALIEN): Sharp comics and 80 Henson puppets collaborating on a show that’s partly scripted and partly improvised: Stuffed and Unstrung

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($12): A blowout lineup with movie & TV star Janeane Garofalo, comedy genius Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, star of The King of Miami, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Salon, The Dave Hill Explosion), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Totally J/K; author of new book Look at This F*cking Hipster), John Roberts (YouTube star), and Matt Goldich (David Letterman, Comedy Central) at 92Y Tribeca’s Comedy Below Canal

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show), 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), Tony Camin, and Amy Miles joining the fresh, sexy, and razor-sharp gals of comedy group Variety SHAC

[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

11:00 pm ($5): Two vibrant troupe troupes, Doppelganger and. Belgian Rattlesnake, competing for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 6/8/10

June 8, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of genius comedic actress Kate McKinnon, click here.

Chris Gethard

New Comedy Central star Chris Gethard (above) and eternal star Janeane Garofalo perform tonight 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:

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Hilarious comics Patrick Borelli (Conan O’Brien, SuperDeluxe, author of book Holy Headshot!), Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central’s Awkward Comedy Show), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel), Jamie Lee (VH1, producer of Diamonds in the Fluff), and Scott Moran performing at Brooklyn’s Bell House Front Lounge hosted by the breathtaking Sara Schaefer (Jimmy Fallon): Get Off Your Knees

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

[FREE] 8:00 pm: All all-novice night—described by the hosts as “an exciting chance for a bunch of newcomers to get their feet wet in the world of stand-up comedy; come watch them sink or swim”—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): Three full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes The Opera, Badman, Ragnaröck, Bastian, and Monstro—at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm ($3): Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of in-the-works TV version of The Liar Show), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Totally J/K; author of new book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Katina Corrao, David Cope, and Dan Wilbur performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for an almost-free weekly show hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO, Comedy Central, Carson Daly, Insomniac Tour) and Jared Logan (Comedy Central): Punch Up Your Life

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): A blowout lineup: movie & TV comedy superstar Janeane Garofalo, new Comedy Central Big Lake star Chris Gethard, superb musical guest Corn Mo, and a “one of the most fabulous co-hosts we’ve had” performing at The Slipper Room for the LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open-mic stand-up show that’s seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the best of genius comedic actress Kate McKinnon, click here.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 5/25/10

May 25, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Arden Myrin

Breathtaking comics Arden Myrin (above) and Brooke Van Poppelen host a new show focused on female stand-ups, which tonight includes Janeane Garofalo: Powersuit

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): Comics industry pros join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: A special all-Jews edition (who knew there were enough funny Jews in New York to fill a whole line-up…), with terrific stand-ups Emily Epstein, Jena Friedman, Amy Beckerman, Gilad Foss, and Ben Rosenfeld performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome

8:00 pm to 11:00 pm ($5): Three full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Bastian, DeCoster, Monstro, Badman, and Robber Baron—at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm ($3): Brooke Van Poppelen (TLC’s American Chopper, Maxim and Cosmo Radio, co-host of Powersuit, So-Low Show; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com andRockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Dan St. Germain (Onion News Network), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, CollegeHumor, co-host of Too Cool for School), Jen Grant (Just for Laughs festival), John Roy (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing), and “a surprise guest or two” performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for an almost-free weekly show hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO, Comedy Central,Carson Daly, Insomniac Tour): Punch Up Your Life

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Baron Vaughn (in one of his final appearances before moving to LA), Mickey Rapkin and a whole bunch of folks from his new book Theater Geek, and more performing at The Slipper Room for the LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Delightful stand-ups Leah Dubie and Amy Beckerman hosting Patricia Villetto and other stand-ups performing in Ochi’s Lounge at Dykes on Mics

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): World-class storyteller Tom Shillue, sketch comic Ann Carr, and Ryan Paulson (one-man show I’m Uncomfortable) performing with delightful sketch comedy & musical duo Tim Ellis and Matthew Park hosting Of the Moment

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Movie & TV star Janeane Garofalo, Andrea Rosen (Variety SHAC, lots of TV ads), and Giulia Rozzi (co-host of Stripped Stories) performing at the debut of a new monthly all-female stand-up comedy show hosted by the gorgeous Brooke Van Poppelen (TLC’s American Chopper, Maxim and Cosmo Radio, So-Low Show; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com andRockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) and Arden Myrin (Conan O’Brien, Mad TV, numerous other TV shows & films; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here): Powersuit

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open-mic stand-up show that’s seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 5/1/10

May 1, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Tonight's the last chance to catch comedy superstars Janeane Garofalo...

...and Marc Maron headline at the Comix Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): A musical about “a pious Pope framed for a crime he didn’t commit…betrayal, Holy War, foot-stompin’ musical numbers” and everything else it takes “to entertain the Hell right out of you” in Pope: The Musical

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisor Christina Gausas and friends she originally made in Chicago—which include 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

7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups Mike Drucker, Giulia Rozzi, Brent Sullivan, Chris Thayer, Kevin Barnett, and Justin Silver performing in Ochi’s Lounge at Lil’ Seany Boy

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($36.66 online if you use code VIPMAY, plus 2-item minimum): Two comedy legends, Janeane Garofalo and Marc Maron, headline tonight at a not-to-be-missed event at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Marc Maron and Janeane Garofalo

8:00 pm ($10): In this unique monthly show, stand-up comics perform in the buff. A reviewer fromThe Boston Globe observed, “The dynamic of nude comedian and clothed audience added an extra dimension to self-deprecating material.” For a New York Magazine review, please click here; or simply come see for yourself at The Naked Comedy Showcase

[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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): “Second City veteran and 30 Rock writer Tami Sagher teams up with her twin sister Margot” (actually, comedy genius Ed Herbstman) as not-to-be-missed improv duo The Sagher Sisters

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:30 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount codePISANO, otherwise $20): A Chicago-based troupe that’s wowed audiences around the world with their skill at creating a completely improvised hour-long musical. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment; even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are made up on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award last August for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event at the magical Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with 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

11:00 pm ($5): Daily Show producer Jimmy Donn, Black20.com performers Jessie Cantrell &, Sarah Walker, Mike & Ted O’Gorman and Pat Driscoll perform sketch comedy designed to make you “laugh, be slightly offended, laugh again, cough once or twice, recall a repressed memory, and drink :” The Dan Ryan

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Andy Rocco’s extravaganza of sketch comedy, music, dancing, free t-shirts, and special guests—who tonight include Tom Schiller (SNL), Joshua Suzanne (Rags A Gogo Vintage Shop), and The Coolest Person in NYC Contest: The Hipster Show

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 4/30/10

April 30, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Comedy legends Marc Maron and Janeane Garofalo headline tonight and Saturday at the Comix Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Delightful sketch comedy & musical duo Tim Ellis and Matthew Park returning to the PIT stage, with tonight’s guests Sandra Bauleo (MTV pilot The John Roberts Show; YouTube star as country singer Sandy Belle), The Chris & Paul Show (very fun sketch duo), and Phil Yanos (of the band Dangaru, on guitar) all performing In the Moment

7:00 pm ($10): An NYC improv troupe, headed by Duncan Murdoch, making up scenes following not only an audience suggestion but the riffs of an instrumental jazz quartet: FACE

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($36.66 online if you use code VIPAPRIL, plus 2-item minimum): Two comedy legends, Janeane Garofalo and Marc Maron, headline tonight and Saturday at a not-to-be-missed event at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Marc Maron and Janeane Garofalo

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A spectacular and unforgettable demonstration of the artful power of mime when combined with a wickedly sharp modern sensibility, executed with great wit and style. Street performers have given mime a bad rep; but if you think about it, what mime does is boil a situation down to its essential elements, and then express those elements in a manner that’s instantly and universally understood. That’s really what art is all about; and that’s also what Billy the Mime does, often brilliantly. (For my review of his FringeNYC show in 2006, please click here.): Billy the Mime

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A groundbreaking and surreal improv/sketch troupe performing with new guests each Friday and making a valid complaint: Centralia: We Were Supposed To Have Flying Cars By Now

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

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

11:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy troupes HammerkatzNYU vs. Inside Joke Films compete for audience laughs and votes in Backyard Brawl

[FREE] 12:20ish am: Your opportunity to perform on the UCBT stage with improv veterans, hosted by stellar troupe The Law Firm: Jammin’ with Ralph

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 4/29/10

April 29, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Comedy giants Marc Maron and Janeane Garofalo tonight perform a live taping at the Comix Comedy Club of Marc's podcast WTF

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:

7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces,” and veteran improvisors play with “elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde,” in the double-bill The Deconstruction and Sleepover

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($36.66 online if you use code VIPAPRIL, plus 2-item minimum): Two comedy legends, Marc Maron and Janeane Garofalo, taping an episode of Marc’s podcast live on stage at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Marc Maron’s WTF with Janeane Garofalo

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Amy Heidt’s one-woman show was one of the very best productions at this past August’s FringeNYC Festival (for my review, please click here)—if you didn’t catch it then, don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to see Amy demonstrate her brilliance as both actress and writer; plus real-life married couple James Eason & Jessica Allen, who are both superb veteran improvisors, stretching themselves with a scripted sketch show directed by Rachel Hamilton, in the double-bill Amy Heidt: Dominate Yourself! and D-Bags, A-Holes & Lovers

8:00 pm ($8): Elizabeth Blue performing a new one-woman show: Am I Blue

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Comedy giant Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, star of The King of Miami, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Salon, The Dave Hill Explosion) spends an hour telling charming and hilarious tales of his musical tour overseas at Dave Hill: Big in Japan

[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): A battle of improv titans tonight when Reuben Williams competes with The Stepfathers for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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