Jessi Klein | Best New York Comedy

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wednesday 1/23/13

January 23, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For a review of Anthony Jeselnik’s new DVD Caligula, please click here.

Stellar stand-ups Jessi Klein (Hot Soup)…

…and John Mulaney (For the Hour)

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC’s Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing 3 minutes per comic at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Max Corbel & Benel Germosen: Cracking It

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Nintendo, Flower Girl, Horses, Brick, Bloomer, The Wrath, Dr. Champagne, and Chet Watkins performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Chet Watkins at 11:30 pm: The Magnet’s Megawatt

[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday

7:00 pm ($5): Matthew Robert Gehring (Political Subversities) and Sam Martin (gal musical improviser) perform duo sketch comedy at The PIT downstairs lounge: Matt & Sam

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features troupes City Mouse and Huxtable: Lloyd Night

8:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR’s trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another), Taylor Ketchum (Rooftop Comedy), Matt Maragno, Kerryn Feehan, and Ashlee Gilbert Voorsager performing stand-up at McSwiggan’s (393 Second Avenue off 23rd Street) hosted by Selena Coppock, Dan Cartwright, and/or Emily Epstein: Connotation

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups do sets “and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

[$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Adam Ferrara (cast member on FX’s Rescue Me and ABC’s The Job; co-host of History Channel’s Top Gear; Comedy Central Presents), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), and Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): Tom Papa, Adam Ferrara, and More

8:00 pm ($5): UCBT star & Chris Gethard Show icon Riley Soloner is a sweet and silly comic almost impossible to not like. His character Vacation Jason is over-the-top ridiculous, which means Riley has to walk a tightrope between getting laughs and creating a reality believable enough to make us care about what’s going on. This first attempt at a sketch show falters on the latter; and I’d encourage Riley to be bolder about doing sharp, smart comedy, even with dumb characters, as he moves forward with his young and promising career. But script aside, there are worse ways to spend 30 minutes then watch Riley on stage while you’re wearing a show-supplied Hawaiian lei of flowers around your neck: Vacation Jason’s Island Flavors…

…and in the other half of this UCB Chelsea double-bill, the debut of a sketch show I know absolutely nothing about: Former Business Partners: Everything Must Go

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Seating at 8:30, show at 9:00 pm (RSVP to confirm your spot at FreeComedyWednesdays@gmail.com): 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), Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), and Damien Lemon (MTV2’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, The Amazing Spider-Man) performing stand-up at Ella (9 Avenue A) produced by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Gary Vider, and Sachi Ezura: Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp rising star stand-up; HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Carole Montgomery (Comedy Central), Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, Chelsea Lately, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Sean Donnelly (MTV, FOX News; host of many shows), Hadiyah Robinson (BET’s Comic View), and Cory Jarvis performing stand-up at this free weekly comedy show at Lucky Jack’s Bar (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Superb improvisors—and actual brothers—Will Hines and Kevin Hines make use of their intimate knowledge of each other to gracefully invent scenes (hopefully sans sibling squabbling) at UCB East performing as duo The Brothers Hines

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A writer/performer for Saturday Night Live (for a sample, please click here) who’s also one of the very finest stand-ups in the country—with appearances on Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, VH1’s Best Week Ever, etc.—performing a deliciously long set that’s likely to leave you breathless with laughter and chuckling weeks later: John Mulaney: For the Hour

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:45 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie’s Gone), Adam Ferrara (cast member on FX’s Rescue Me and ABC’s The Job; co-host of History Channel’s Top Gear; Comedy Central Presents), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): Judah Friedlander, Jessica Kirson, Adam Ferrara, and More

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): The wonderful Julie Sharbutt (improv shows Gravid Water, Mystic Improv, The Scene, Birds) and Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show; improv shows What I Did For Love, HUNK, The Scene) perform duo improv “exploring a world of deeply felt character relationships while sitting in chairs” at The PIT downstairs lounge: Chairs

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB’s classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this new weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East, along with hosts Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Rising stand-up stars—Jared Logan, Mike Lawrence, Mark Normand, Dan. St. Germain, Pat Dixon, Emily Heller, Michael Che, Joe List, and/or Nick Turner—at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: The Regular Suspects

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: While the wonderful Sasheer Zamata preps for her one-woman UCBT show tomorrow at 6:30, her friend Charla Lauriston (semi-depressing stand-up) hosts as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that’s part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. (Tonight’s scheduled guests include Brandon Gulya, Phoebe Robinson, and Julia Wiedeman; for the complete list, please click here.) Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don’t forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

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

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Lynne Koplitz (Joan Know’s Best, IFC’s Z Rock, host of WB’s Life & Style), Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam): The Nasty Show: Big Jay Oakerson, Lynne Koplitz, Andrew Schultz, and More

From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: If you want to know what is happening in NYC comedy on a particular day, you gotta get hip to this dude Hy Bender and his site Best New York Comedy. The site is updated daily and features a super exhaustive look at what is happening in the NYC comedy world that particular day. The site is updated religiously…It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Hot Soup Comedy, Improv, Jessi Klein, John Mulaney: For the Hour, New York Comedy, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 1/6/13

January 6, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Jessi Klein, Dave Hill, and Ted Travelstead

Jessi Klein, Dave Hill, Ted Travelstead (posing with Dave’s book), and Eugene Mirman perform at a new weekly Brooklyn comedy show (replacing Eugene’s Pretty Good Friends): Creaghead & Company…

…while W. Kamau Bell and Neal Brennan perform at Hannibal Buress’ weekly Brooklyn show 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:

[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: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there’ll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and/or Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer

6:00 pm ($5): Open-mic stand-up that includes professional feedback on each comic’s 5-minute set at Queens LIC’s Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Mic-Shop: Open Mic Workshop

7:00 pm ($8): Comics make up funny commentary about oddball short films—industrials, educationals, etc.—at The PIT upstairs theatre: Down in Front

[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 such as Chris Gethard, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): 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), Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, The Dave Hill Explosion, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, champion rapper; book Tasteful Nudes), Ted Travelstead (Vanity Fair, author of Sex: Our Bodies, Our Junk), Eugene Mirman (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, FOX’s Bob’s Burgers, Adult Swim’s Delocated, VH1; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by Caroline Creaghead (who’s taking over the time slot for Eugene Mirman’s previous show Pretty Good Friends): Creaghead & Company

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): All-gal storytelling show of “true tales with feelings; so many feelings…,” with tonight’s guests Erin Barker, Ruby Karp, and Stacy Antoville performing at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Caitlin Brodnick and Lisa Kleinman: Shut Up: An All-Female Storytelling Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): A famed Yale comedy troupe that performs innovative short-form and long-form improv visits NYC to perform at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Viola Question

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors—including the wonderful the brilliant and delightful Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at FringeNYC; brilliant writer, actress, and improvisor)—make up a one-act play on the spot at The Magnet theatre: Tonight’s Performance

[$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials), Matt Simonds (David Letterman, Jay Leno), Modi (HBO’s The Sopranos, Comedy Central), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Tom Papa and More

[$] 8:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A comic who won Last Comic Standing Season 3, has performed on Jay Leno, and starred in his own Showtime one-hour special Who’s Paying Attention?, headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Alonzo Bodden

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Phoebe Robinson (TV Guide’s 100 TV Shows To See Before You Die, Huffington Post), Sean Donnelly (Comedy Central; host of many shows), and more performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Christian Finnegan (Conan O’Brien, 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 the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Mike Drucker (freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney’s), Abbi Crutchfield (MTV, VH1; co-host of Positively Awesome and The Living Room), Luke Thayer (Tyra Banks; co-host of The Living Room), Taylor Clark, and Tanner Inman 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] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co -creator of Chappelle’s Show), W. Kamau Bell (host of FX’s Totally Biased), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Josh Spear, and Eman El Husseini performing stand-up, plus music from DJ Roofeeo, at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, Animal Furnace): Comedy Night

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] 9:30 pm ($5): All-gal storytelling show of “true tales with feelings; so many feelings…,” tonight starring Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR’s trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another), Malaika Gordon, and Anita Flores at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Caitlin Brodnick and Lisa Kleinman: Shut Up: An All-Female Storytelling Show

9:30 pm ($5): Magnet sketch comedy teams try out new material, hosted by Jamaal Sedayao & Chet Siegel: Magnet Sketch Sunday

[ALMOST FREE] 9:30 pm ($1): Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:45 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), and Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Nikki Glaser, Nick Griffin, Mark Normand, and More

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:30 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Al Madrigal (correspondent for The Daily Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1), Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code), and Sam Morril (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua: Al Madrigal, Neal Brennan, Rachel Feinstein, and More

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Creaghead & Company, Dave Hill, Improv, Jessi Klein, Neal Brennan, New York Comedy, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Ted Travelstead, W. Kamau Bell | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 12/22/12

December 22, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Jessi Klein performs at If You Build It…

…and Sara Benincasa (above) and Claudia Cogan each perform a 30-minute stand-up set at Elf Actualization

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

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open-mic stand-up show (“starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one”) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Alejandro Kolleeny performs a sensitive reading at The PIT downstairs lounge of the Glenn Beck holiday classic The Christmas Sweater

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Petting Zoo, Feitelophone, and Rubin at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

7:00 ($5): UCBT Harold team GoodGirl performs sketches, songs, and other assorted bits related to the holidays at UCB East for one night only: A Very GoodGirl Christmas

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): Musical improv from one of The Magnet’s best troupes: Choral Rage

7:30 pm ($10): Talented improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then “turn that town’s tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:” The Curfew: Not From Around Here

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Sean Donnelly (Comedy Central), and many more performing stand-up at Karma Lounge hosted by Sean Lynch (MTV): Karma Christmas Comedy Show

8:00 pm ($5): Christmas songs and holiday-related sketches at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Christmas Musical Comedy Variety Show

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): A cast member of the much-missed Chappelle’s Show headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Donnell Rawlings

8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill at the upstairs theatre: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at this monthly gay-themed show at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Tom Steffen: Rapier Wit

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): 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), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), Ashley Brooke Roberts (co-host of The Dream Show), Kerri Lendo, and Jake Young performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): Killer line-up of stars Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Judah Friedlander, Ted Alexandro, Rachel Feinstein, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

9:00 pm ($7): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Sara Benincasa (NBC’s Today Show, The Joy Behar Show, CNN, MTV, The Sarah Palin Vlogs, Sex and Other Human Activities podcast, host of Family Hour, author of Agorafabulous) and Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV) each perform 30-minute stand-up sets at The PIT upstairs theatre: Elf Actualization

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), and Charles Gould performing sets and then being interviewed about their personal lives at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Matt Ruby & Mark Normand (who says “all these guys were hand-picked because they’re funny and have some serious problems; when you read this lineup you’re gonna be like ‘oh yeah, that guy is a mess'”): We’re All Friends Here

[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

10:00 pm ($5): Improvisors make up a Quentin Tarantino movie at The PIT downstairs lounge—”If you like Grindhouse, Kung Fu, Spaghetti Western, Noir, and the entire 1970s, you’ll want to check out:” The Tarantino

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—promises to “take your stories of the tragic and depraved and scatter them into laughter” at this newest UCB Chelsea show to be honored with a weekend time slot: Grandma’s Ashes Gets Dark

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv troupe Airwolf—which includes such talents as John Frusciante, Molly Lloyd, Tim Martin, and Emily Axford, and has so far crushed 10 improv groups in a row at Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

10:30 pm ($7): Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney performing at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Original comedic songs are showcased, with tonight’s performers Jon Bander, J Hobart B, The ParoDivas, Julie Feltman,a nd Kathleen Armenti at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Justin Perez & Shaina Stigler: Totally Requesty

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Improv is dominated by guys…and for no good reason. A way to help remedy this situation are shows like this one at UCB Chelsea, which is a monthly open improv jam for any female wanting to participate, at any experience level—and which has a very special and communal “gal energy” you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. The show’s creator, the wonderful Shannon O’Neill, is out of town this weekend, but it’s still likely to be good thanks to the participation of other top UCBT gal improv stars: The Lady Jam

Midnight ($5): Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger, host of The Soul Glo Project, Andy Kaufman Award finalist) hosts a variety show at UCB East that’s a mix of forms, with tonight’s performers Narinder Singh (stand-up), Megan Sass (music), and jams with teams led by Jon Monje and Carly Ann Filbin: The Soul Glo Project

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

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Elf Actualization, Improv, Jessi Klein, New York Comedy, Sara Benincasa, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 7/16/12

July 16, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
Grab tickets to see SNL’s Kate McKinnon on stage by clicking here.

Ace stand-ups Jessi Klein and Dave Hill perform at….

…Jena Friedman’s “Entertaining the Bartender”

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: John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives, host of storytelling show Oh, Hey Guys!) is tonight’s guest at this weekly open-mic storytelling show, with audience members chosen from a bucket of names getting to tell tales for 8 minutes each at The PIT downstairs lounge along with host Jake Hart: The Dump

[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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($12 at the door or $11.30 online): Storytellers Jim O’Grady, Ed Gavagan, Micaela Blei, and Michele Carlo telling tales about this month’s topic “Rotten Apple: Tales of NYC” at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place) with host Seth Lind (NPR’s This American Life): Told:Rotten Apple

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

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): UCBT stars Neil Casey (Death by Roo Roo) and Will Hines (The Stepfathers) in a two-man sketch show at UCB Chelsea directed by Michael Delaney: Small Men

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): Josh Howie (visiting from the UK), Pat Burtscher (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Chris Rozzi (DirecTV’s The Fuzz), and more performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Kurt Braunohler (IFC’s Bunk): Hot Tub Variety with Kurt & Kristen

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

8:00 pm ($5): A showcase of NYC stand-ups not yet represented by a manager or agent (i.e., fresh meat) at UCB East hosted by Luke Thayer & Nick Cobb: Unmanageable Stand-Ups

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, The Dave Hill Explosion, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, champion rapper; new book Tasteful Nudes), 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), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), and more performing at the Ace Hotel lobby (20 West 29th Street, between Fifth Avenue & Broadway) for this monthly stand-up show hosted by wonderful dark humor comic Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman) : Entertaining the Bartender

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($8): One of my favorite people, Julie Sharbutt—who’s performed with some of the greatest improvisors alive at UCBT’s Gravid Water—goes for improv gold herself with comedy partner Cathleen Carr (Birds, The Scene, Dos Experimentos) as they “hope to establish themselves as the leading voices in contemporary South Boston crime noir improv comedy. Watch them, along with special guests Bob Kulhan and Chris Roberti, unspool a suspenseful, heavily-accented mystery thrilla” at The PIT upstairs theatre: Mystic Improv

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch troupes try out new bits: Fambly (which includes wonderful rising star Mamrie Hart, Nicole Byer, Dan Chamberlain, Veronica Osorio, and a sharp crew of writers), and Neighbor Boy (which tends to be weak on material, but includes such talents as Tim Dunn and Beth Appel, and may get a shot in the arm with the addition of writer Caitlin Bitzegaio): Maude Night: Neighbor Boy & Fambly

[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 Justy Dodge, Luke Thayer, Jay Nog, Jordon Ferber, Lance Weiss, Matt Fulchiron, and Jason Marcus performing at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Backroom (627 5th Avenue) with host Pat O’Shea: Ed Sullivan on Acid

9:30 pm ($5): The debut of the only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam

10:00 pm ($8): “A takeoff on the Paul Lynde Halloween Special starring in-your-face lady comic Connie Howe instead of a delightful gay, plus witches, wishes, comedy, and even jazzy disco music.” Tonight’s guests are Chris Doucette, Brandy Rowell, Taylor Clark, Kate Weber, Todd Dakotah Briscoe, and Marilyn Summers performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Connie’s Howe-aween Special

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: Karaoke plus Mad Libs—in which the audience chooses a list of words to swap into a popular song—at the UCB East Bar hosted by karaoke experts Alan Starzinski and Amy Jo Jackson, plus live keyboard accompaniment by Joe McGinty: Karaoke Night at the Hot Chicks Room

[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 are no longer being announced in advance, but it’s virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea probably hosted by the wonderful Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host ofComedyJuice): Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should beWhiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this exceptionally supportive stand-up open-mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Jared Reed: Fresh

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 6/23/12

June 23, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For excerpts from Dave Hill’s new bestselling book, please click here.

Ted Alexandro co-headlines one last night with Janeane Garofalo at Eastville; Jessi Klein headlines at If You Build It…

…and very special filmmaker John Waters performs one last night at City Winery

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): Improv troupes Johnny Velvet, Human Pyramid, and GCA at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): What I’m assuming is a sketch show at UCB East based on this fun premise: “For fans of great TV shows, the end of a beloved series is the beginning of a painful mourning period. Knowing you’ll never see those characters again, watch them overcome new obstacles or learn what happened with unresolved plot points is hard to accept. Thankfully, a team of TV executives have heard your cries and are willing to explore these lost treasures one series at a time. They will tie up loose ends, catch up with the characters, and most importantly provide catharsis so the healing process can finally begin:” Executive Decision: Twin Peaks

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, D’Arcy Carden, Chelsea Clarke, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then “turn that town’s tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:” The Curfew: Not From Around Here

8:30 pm ($5): At The Magnet, Kevin Cobbs & Alessandro King perform sketch or improv set in old-time Hollywood: Listen, Kid!

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($45 and up): A film parody icon performs a one-man show about his career at the City Winery (155 Varick Street): John Waters

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who’s hosted MTV’s Numbnuts andMoney From Strangers, and starred in a Comedy Central Presents special, headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jeff Dye

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who’s performed on Last Comic Standing, Jay Leno, Comedy Central, and more headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jessica Kirson

8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill—and occasionally with comedy giants Kristen Schaal and/or Kurt Braunohler participating: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Jesse Joyce (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), singing duo Myq & Micah, and Kat Radley performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Sketch duo Chris & Paul perform at The PIT downstairs lounge before taking their new show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival: The Chris & Paul Show

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.; might be 9:00 pm only), TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

9:30 pm ($15): “A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics,” following sold out shows at Joe’s Pub and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: The comics of a popular podcast celebrate its Second Year Anniversary at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Roundtable Of Gentlemen Live: Two Years of Chaos and Horror

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($11.34 online; or $10 at the door—but this show typically sells out in advance): Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, Comedy Central’sIndecision 2012), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please clickhere), Kevin Barnett (Comedy Central, MTV, College Humor), Meg Cupernall, Ashley Brooke Roberts, Tim Homayoon, Jeff Wesselschmidt, Eli Sairs, Zach Sims, Brad Austin, Jason Burke, and more performing for this show in which stand-up and burlesque are weirdly blended together based on the reasoning “The nude female form is truly a work of art. That’s why people the world over like to jerk off to it. Who are we to disagree with the world?”at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents): Pat Dixon’s (Nearly) Naked Lady Hour: Now with Bacon Bar

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): Given that this new Magnet show is described as “a very special movie night with Ed Herbstman, Chet Siegel, Woody Fu, Alex Marino, and Christian Paluck,” I’m guessing Ed—who is a master improvisor—and his friends will be making up a movie on the spot. But if not, anything with Ed in it is going to be good regardless: The Movie

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($8): “Jack Dishel is best known as a songwriter and musician, touring all over the world performing as Only Son and also playing lead guitar in The Moldy Peaches. This year he’s exploded onto the comedy scene, doing a two-month run of hour-long shows at the Sidewalk Cafe—without ever repeating material. It’s sometimes hilarious, sometimes dark, but always interesting. Whether speaking as one of his many characters or in his own voice, his ideas come through loud and clear, and it’s a fast hour. Let’s see what happens when Dishel brings the drunken night club insanity into The PIT upstairs theatre:” Jack Dishel: And Then Things Got Weird

[TOP PICK] 10:00 ($5): Superb NYC stand-ups Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice), Erin Lennox (co-host of The Orphanage), Annie Lederman (Comedy Central, co-host of Pirate Party), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV, VH1), and Danny Jolles celebrate the 35th birthday of a singer/songwriter/surfer at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Peggy O’Leary & Michael Antonucci: Happy Birthday, Jason Mraz

Midnight ($5): Two relatively obscure sketch troupes, Dinner For One and Coker & Stratton, competing for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea hosted by sketch troupe Sidecar: Backyard Brawl

Midnight ($5): Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger) and Poupak Sepehri (runs UCB’s Difference Blog) host a variety show at UCB East that’s a mix of stand-up, sketch, improv, dance, music, and video: The Soul Glo Project

Midnight ($10): Typically disturbing and semi-obscene sketches at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe FUCT

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 6/19/12

June 19, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For excerpts from Dave Hill’s new bestselling book, please click here.

Tell Your Friends Finale and Jessi Klein

A star-studded farewell, including Kurt & Kristen and Wyatt Cenac, to the long-running Tell Your Friends; and Jessi Klein performs 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:

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC’sThe Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Chesley Calloway (co-host of renowned Comedy as a Second Language): The Ches Club

7:00 pm-9:00 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes The Regulars, Johnny Romance, and The Pox at this first half of Harold Night

7:00 pm ($5): In this double-bill at The Magnet, first improvisors make up scenes about objects provided by the audience in Anoush Talks to Stuff; and then “Of all mankind’s achievements throughout history, the most impressive was definitely…landing on the moon. But the invention of the letter is a close second. Come see what God had to say in his eviction notice to Adam and Eve, why the Declaration of Independence was written in invisible ink, and the reason you should never write an email describing your masturbation habits unless you fully intend to send it:” The History of the Letter

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The final edition of this long-running show at Lolita Bar hosted by Liam McEneaney, with tonight’s blowout lineup TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and NBC’s 30 Rock; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; FOX’s Bob’s Burgers; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; co-author of bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Bunk; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Bryan Tucker (writer for Saturday Night Live), and “a secret famous comedian,” plus musical guests Eden & John’s East River String Band and A Brief View of the Hudson: Tell Your Friends

8:00 pm ($8): Head writer & director Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team, The Baldwins, Jen & Steve) and a dozen other talents perform brand new sketch comedy at The PIT downstairs lounge: Big Business

8:00 pm ($5): A mostly-gal lineup of stand-ups (unfortunately, not announced, which kind of defeats the purpose of doing an alternative show like this) performing at UCB East hosted by Ilana Glazer: Bunch a Pussies

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 Mint Condition

[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), Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Bunk; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), Greg Barris (host of Heart of Darkness, MTV), “a special guest,” and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not yet announced, but you can check for an update here) at Brooklyn’s The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Steve O’Brien and produced by Sean Donnelly: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Bucky, Surfing, and Sandino—plus at 11:00 pm four separate three-person groups of advanced students each perform one long scene in a form called The Three-Hander—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) and tonight’s co-host Andy Rocco (Underground Americana) mix dark sketch with dark character-based improv at UCB East as they welcome guests Justin Shanes (writer for Jimmy Fallon), Emmy Blotnick (blogger for Jimmy Fallon), and Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV): The Tony and Andy Show

9:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from a troupe born in a Boston college but tonight performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Astronaut Theatre

9:30 pm ($5): Tom DiMenna (one-man show Who Loves You, Baby? at Soho Playhouse), Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team, The Baldwins, Jen & Steve), Robin Cloud, and Fariaz Rabbiani performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV’sNewNowNext, Sirius Radio’s Frank DeCaro Show), Jen Mutascio (NBC, HBO), Gabe Morales, and William Mullin performing stand-up at this monthly gay-themed show at Queens LIC’s The Creekupstairs theatre hosted by Tom Steffen: Rapier Wit

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Bryan Callen (The Hangover 1 and 2, Warrior, HBO, Comedy Central, Mad TV), Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno, MTV’s new Punk’d, TBS’ Men of a Certain Age), Lee Camp (Showtime, The Onion, CNN, MSNBC), and more performing stand-up at theGotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

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

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

[FREE] 11:00 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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Jessi Klein, Kurt & Kristen, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Wyatt Cenac | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 2/19/12

February 19, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Jessi Klein performs stand-up at Pretty Good Friends...

...and Brooke Van Poppelen performs stand-up 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:

[TOP PICK] 2:00 pm ($8): Select best clips of Muppets in films screened at Brooklyn’s Union Hall, plus Muppet-themed drink specials, cool giveaways, sing-along fun, and more:” The Muppet Vault: Movies!

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase

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

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Stellar comics Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-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 clickhere), John Murray (30 Rock, Death by Roo Roo, Stone Cold Fox), and Frank Hejl (Dance Break, Onassis) 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

6:30 pm ($5): Two tough guys from the 1930s explaining the ins and outs of Hollywood at Magnetimprov show Listen Kid!

[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

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): 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), Liam McEneaney (host of Tell Your Friends), and Michael Che performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), Annie Lederman (Comedy Central), Danny Kallas, Matt Wayne, 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

8:00 pm ($5): At The Magnet, a mini-play from Chris Nester & Ross Taylor about aspiring Country Western musicians: The Oakwood Boys

[FREE] 8:00 pm: “Funny people on the Internet being funny on stage” at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Mikala Bierma & Tyler Coates: IRL

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

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 John Moses, Damien Lemon, Jacqueline Novak, Danny Kallas, and Joey Gay performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) with guest host Hadiyah Robinson: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Chris Waelti, Lucas Molandes. and Michael Sanchez performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Brad Austin, Nate Fridson, and/or Adam Sokol: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (sadly, not announced this month; the Joe & Marina lineup listed is from way back last year…) perform sets at The PIT, and then improv troupe Before the Accident makes up scenes springboarding off the material, at Daws of Jeath

9:30 pm ($5): Jarret Berenstein performs a one-man show at The Magnet that “mixes stand-up, sketch, and poorly executed animation:” Boosh. Kla-Klau.

[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: Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; VH1, Showtime, host of TV pilot of The Liar Show), Liz Miele (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), Adam Lehman (Here! TV’sHot Gay Comics), and Neil Thornton (host of Standup @ Rock Bar) performing stand-up at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Brooke Van Poppelen, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Eugene Mirman's Pretty Good Friends, Improv, Jessi Klein, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 12/1/11

December 1, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen and former SNL writer Jessi Klein perform tonight at Variety SHAC...

...and Richard Lewis headlines tonight through Sunday at the Carolines 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:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Weekly open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives) and tonight’s guest host Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories): 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

[FREE] 6:30 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Phooka to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[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): “What really goes on inside the mind of an 11-year-old girl from Long Island who’s obsessed with sleepaway camp, Madonna, and everything that her sexually promiscuous older sister does?” A one-woman show by Ali Bernstein: J.A.P.

7:00 pm ($5): The audition of a comedic one-act play about “an iconic R&B recording artist back for a one-night-only sensual live performance after more than a decade out of the spotlight; watch as Johnny recounts his storied past, confronts his personal demons, and plays his most popular hits” at this UCB Chelsea trial showcase: Johnny Tables Unplugged

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) A comedy star who’s snared just about every major credit a comic can—and is a long-time cast member of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm—headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Richard Lewis

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): One of UCB Chelsea’s best house sketch troupes, Fambly (spearheaded by rising star Mamrie Hart), performing an entire sketch show reolving around a Sting song (which “isn’t even Sting’s most popular”): Fambly Presents Sting’s Brand New Day

…and in the second half of this double-bill, an 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): Naked People

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15): This acclaimed 10-year-and-counting sketch troupe has “amassed a cultish following and a cast who blindly throw themselves into the most questionable of onstage situations, bless their black little hearts….join them for a hilariously unsettling look at growing older, having children, killing your dreams, and settling.” For examples of the troupe’s work, please clickhere and here, and then come to The PIT downstairs lounge to see Spurn

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet co-owner helming The Armando Diaz Experience, plus house troupes Hello Laser, Phooka, The Boss, and Junior Varsity performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with agame-like challenge component) with Everyone vs. Shawn Wickens at 11:00 pm: The Magnet’s Night Out

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): David Bluvband (Onion News Network, Jimmy Fallon) and Saida Cooper (Lights Off at The Players Theatre) tell tales revolving this month’s theme, Holidays, at The PITdownstairs lounge along with young hosts Michelle Markowitz & Bryan Rucker, who say they’re Failing Our Twenties

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (for tonight’s lineup, please click here) performing at The Creek’supstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City accompanied by banjo music from Doug Goldstein and hosted by Andy Kleinman: Happy Sounds Comedy

[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, upcoming book), Starlee Kine (NPR’s This American Life), Jon Friedman (Jimmy Fallon, The Rejection Show), Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s This American Life), and Paul Oddo (The Paul-cast) performing UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) for this extra special to-be-taped edition: The Best of Totally J/K

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Emmy Blotnick (Jimmy Fallon), Jason Roeder (The Onion; Our Bodies, Our Junk), Mike Dobbins (unique stream-of-consciousness stand-up), and more performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a weekly comedy show with hosts Dan Wllber & Sean Crespo and producer Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Fred Armisen (cast member of Saturday Night Live; co-creator & co-star of IFC sketch series Portlandia), 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), Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), and Nimesh Patel (co-host of Broken Comedy) performing at UCB West with delightful hosts Shonali Bhowmik (leader of musical group Tigers & Monkeys) and new mom Andrea RosenAndrea Rosen (brilliant stand-up & storyteller; HBO, Comedy Central, winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up): Variety SHAC

9:30 pm ($8): “A 17-person middle school talent show created and performed by two people—Jo Firestone and Dylan Marron—who like themselves more now that they’re older. A comedic tribute to the best three years of our lives, and a comedic play for anyone who ever thought it couldn’t get any better than prank calls and slow-dancing” at The PIT: Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PITdownstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Sharp improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and/or more try their hand at stand-up at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City: Improvisers Standing Up

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Two star improv troupes, Rogue Elephant and Doppelgänger, competing for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea’s raucous Cage Match

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly open-mic stand-up show, with each comic given five minutes, at UCB East hosted by Rob Stern & Amber Nelson: Gutbucket

For full details, 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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines Comedy Club, Comedy NYC Tonight, Fred Armisen, Improv, Jessi Klein, Richard Lewis, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 10/6/11

October 6, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Storyteller Cyndi Freeman chronicles her journey to burlesque in "Wonder Woman: A How To Guide For Little Jewish Girls," John Hodgman reads from his upcoming new book at "Lollygaggin' with David Rees"...

...David Cross and brand new mom Andrea Rosen are at "Variety SHAC" ...

...and stand-ups Jessi Klein and Ali Wong perform at "Totally J/K "

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): The auditions of two comedic one-act plays hoping to get on the UCB West schedule, and about which I know nothing except they have cool titles: Kate Riley is Not a Lady andMinnesota Bitch

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Weekly open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives) and tonight’s guest-host Jon Gabrus (Conan O’Brien, Best Week Ever, The Law Firm, The Nights of Our Lives; co-creator & co-star of Spike TV’s Mocap, LLC): Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics drawing names from a bucket, with each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Corby Haas

[FREE] 6:30 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe The Boss to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): John Hodgman (Daily Show commentator, bestselling author of The Areas of My Expertise and More Information Than You Require, and the underrated PC in Apple Computer ads), Todd Hanson (head writer for The Onion; Adult Swim’s Squidbilliesand Aqua Teen Hunger Force; The Aristocrats), and more performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with cartoonist host David Rees: Lollygaggin’ with David Rees

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Sharp NYC comics tell tales of “the role that got away” in these behind-the-scenes audience of broken dreams at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok: Role Call

7:00 pm ($5): “No sweeps, no tag outs, no Baldwins. Inspired by Chicago’s JTS Brown, this improv troupe formlessly flows from moment to moment. Each entrance and exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions in order to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper” at The PIT upstairs theatre: Scoresby

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): A one-hour monthly show at UCB East featuring “a compilation of my favorite stories and home videos that I’ve been working on for the past two years” from storytelling giant Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-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): Adam Wade’s Big Heart

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20): Delightful storyteller & burlesque performer Cyndi Freeman (MothSlam champion, two-time FringeNYC award winner) performs a one-woman show that “traces her journey from a little suburban Jewish girl obsessed with Wonder Woman to a fabulous burlesque queen in NYC, recounting tales of personal heroics while joyfully spewing trivia about America’s first and favorite female superhero. Join her on a crusade to right wrongs while wearing fabulous outfits, directed by Obie Award winner David Drake” at Stage Left Studios (214 West 30th Street, 6th floor): Wonder Woman: A How To Guide For Little Jewish Girls

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comedic storyteller Cameron Esposito performing her acclaimed hour-long solo show at UCB West for one night only: Side Mullet Nation

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Bridgid Ryan (Chester) and Ted McAdams (1001 Nights) tell tales revolving this month’s theme, Bad Jobs, at The PIT downstairs lounge along with young hosts Michelle Markowitz & Bryan Rucker, who say they’re Failing Our Twenties

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($30 & 2-drink min.): A TV & movie star who created & hosted Last Comic Standing, was a cast member of CBS’ Gary Unmarried and Ghost Whisperer, has done extensive sports broadcasting for ESPN, and has appeared in such feature films as Jerry MacGuire, Pay It Forward, and Hereafter (opposite Matt Damon) headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jay Mohr

8:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes The Boss (with special guest Armando Diaz), Hello Laser, The Boss, Dunk, and Junior Varsity performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with last week’s winner pitted against Hello Laser at 11:00 pm: The Magnet’s Night Out

8:00 pm ($5): Any show ballsy enough to begin its description with “Have you ever loved a mop? Susan-Kate Heaney has…” is worth exploring. This one-woman show is happening at The PITupstairs theatre: Confessions of a Mop-oholic

[$] 8:00 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s been called “The African King of Comedy,” and has performed on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and Bad Boys of Comedy, BET’s ComedyView, and the feature film Next Friday headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Michael Blackson

[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), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, cast member of upcoming NBC sitcom Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea; upcoming Oliver Stone film Savages; headlining this weekend at Carolines), and Baron Vaughn (co-star of USA’sFacing Kate and Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; MTV, VH1) performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster): Totally J/K

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): TV & movie star David Cross (HBO’s Mr. Show, FOX’s Arrested Development, Comedy Central’s Freak Show, Adult Swim’s Tom Goes to the Mayor and Tim and Eric Awesome Show…and scores of other TV and feature film roles), star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), and Edmond Hawkins (animator for Jimmy Fallon, Wonder Showzen, Superjail!) performing at UCB West with delightful hosts Shonali Bhowmik and brand new mom Andrea Rosen: Variety SHAC

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here), John Knefel (Huffington Post; co-host of John & Molly Get Along), Neil Charles, and John Moses performing stand-up at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for Sean Crespo’s & Carol Hartsell’s weekly comedy show Lasers in the Jungle

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PITdownstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Sharp improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and/or more try their hand at stand-up at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City: Improvisers Standing Up

[$] 10:00 pm ($22 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s performed on Conan O’Brien and starred in his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Nate Bargatze

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Stellar improv troupe Rogue Elephant competing with challenger Dog Court for audience laughs and votes at UCB West for the raucous Cage Match

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly open-mic stand-up show at UCB East, with each comic given five minutes, hosted by Rob Stern & Amber Nelson: Gutbucket

For full details, 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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Ali Wong, Andrea Rosen, Comedy NYC Tonight, David Cross, Improv, Jessi Klein, John Hodgman, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Wonder Woman: A How To Guide For Little Jewish Girls | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 9/13/11

September 13, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For comprehensive coverage of the FringeNYC 2011 Encore Series, please click here.

Jessi Klein headlines at the MTV Comedy Showcase, Janeane Garofalo performs at both Tell Your Friends and After Hours with Gene Hackman...

...Wyatt Cenac does stand-up at It Is It, and Rich Vos jokes around at Righteous Kill

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted) include:

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A one-man show by Justin Peters about—wait for it—condiments. “Mitch ‘Packets’ Franco has demonstrated condiments at groceries, farmers’ markets, superstores, and gas stations in all 50 states; over the course of 25 minutes, he’ll give you the inside squeeze on how all your favorite condiments are marketed, shipped, distributed, and sold; how to seduce a checkout girl; how to tell a supermarket by its odor; and other lessons learned during his wild life in America’s grocery aisles” at The Magnet: Confessions of a Condiment Hustler

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Blowout line-up of TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, Comedy Central), 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), “secret guests who cannot be named,” plus musical guests Sean Bones and A Brief View of the Hudson, all performing at the Lolita Bar to celebrate the Sixth Anniversary of Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The debut of a comedy variety show produced by Sara Schaefer & Scott Moran on behalf of the late great Gene Hackman, with tonight’s guests TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, stand-up Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), sketch duo Team Submarine, singer Amy Miles, tweeter Alex Baze, and more performing at UCBeast (UCB East at 155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B): After Hours with Gene Hackman and Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: 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), Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host of Righteous Kill), James Adomian (talented impressionist; finalist on last summer’s Last Comic Standing), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Dan Soder, Michael Che, Reese Waters, and host Andy Haynes performing at Webster Hall’s Marlin Room (125 East 11th Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues) for the one-night-only MTV Comedy Showcase

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Marc Bernardin (writer for SyFy Channel’s Aphas) 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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: At this unique show, comics play videos they’ve made about themselves and then perform sets, with tonight’s guests musical duo The Reformed Whores, plus stand-ups RG Daniels, Andy Haynes, and Tom Sibley at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Anecdotal Evidence

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Mr. Crime, American Cousin, Dance Break, Sandino, and Standard Oil—and at 11:00 pm advanced UCBT students making up movies—all at Harold Night

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): Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, Comedy Central), Julian McCullough (fiercely funny rising star; Comedy Central Presents, MTV, VH1), Colin Jost (writer for Saturday Night Live), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) celebrate the birthdays of Harrison Greenberg and Baratunde Thurston at Bar 82 (136 Second Avenue, between 9th & St. Marks Streets): Happy Birthday Harrison & Baratunde

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Rich Vos (stand-up star on two seasons of Last Comic Standing and on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and currently on the Opie & Anthony radio show), Bonnie MacFarlane (Comedy Central, Cheat), Jane Borden (treasured Comedy Editor of Time Out New York, author of I Totally Meant to Do That), and Tim Dimond performing at the PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

9:30 pm ($5): This showcase for the wonderful Jen Nails’ Do It Yourself class tonight features debuts of the one-person shows How I Learned to Love Getting Fired and And That Responsibility Is Overrated, both with the theme of Blown Jobs

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): A stellar stand-up show hosted by Adam Lowitt (Producer at The Daily Show) moves to UCBeast (UCB East at 155 East 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B), with tonight’s guests Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent for The Daily Show), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on last summer’s Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), and Henry Phillips: It Is It

[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.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Janeane Garofalo, Jessi Klein, Rich Vos, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Wyatt Cenac | Permalink
Posted by hybender

Best New York Comedy

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