NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 9/27/09

September 27, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For FringeNYC 2009 Encore Series coverage, please click here.

Jessica Delfino and Ben Lerman head an all-star cast for tonight's Match Game Live!

Jessica Delfino and Ben Lerman head an all-star cast at tonight's Match Game Live!

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] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT’s signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Brilliant stand-ups Anthony Jeselnik (writer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Hannibal Burress (writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, Craig Ferguson, concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy), Mike Dobbins (ECNY nominee, unique stream of consciousness comic), Jesse Pop (Comedy Central, co-host of Beauty Bar Comedy), and Craig Baldo (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion) performing at a weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Greg Johnson: The Comedians

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Jessica Delfino (hilarious raunchy singer & stand-up; Good Morning America, FOX News), Sara Benincasa (Sirius Radio, 236.com, MTV), Michael Musto (Village Voice), John Devore (Playboy.com, Cracked.com), Claudia Cogan (HereTV, Logo, AfterEllen.com), and Joe Garden (The Onion, The New Vampire’s Handbook) at a new East Village version of a classic game show at the Bowery Poetry Club hosted by wonderful comedic singer Ben Lerman: Match Game Live!

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sharp NYC comics Joe Matarese (David Letterman, E!’s Chelsea Lately), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central), Dan Soder, Mike Lawrence, and Nick Vatterott performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups Sean Patton, Allison Castillo, Ellyn Daniels, and Jay Welch performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar at Vince Averill’s & Jesse Popp’s free weekly stand-up show Beauty Bar Comedy

[FREE] 10:00 pm: All-gal lineup of human dynamo Ali Wong, Kendra Cunningham, Joanna Ross, and Adrienne Iapalucci performing stand-up at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For FringeNYC 2009 Encore Series coverage, please click here.


NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 6/28/09

June 28, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Jessica Delfino and Ben Lerman lead an all-star cast in tonight's Match Game Live
Jessica Delfino and Ben Lerman lead an all-star cast in tonight’s Match Game Live

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] UCBT’s playground for celebrities and ace improvisors, ASSSSCAT 3000 (paid show at 7:30 pm, free show at 9:30 pm),

Matt McCarthy, Roger Hailes, and other fine stand-ups at a free weekly LES show hosted by Greg Johnson & Jacqueline Novak: The Comedians (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] Ben Lerman hosts a stellar group of comics—Jessica Delfino, Michael Musto, Hannibal Buress, Judy Gold, Frank DeCaro, and Becky Donohue—at a new East Village version of a classic game show: Match Game Live (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central, Craig Ferguson, concert film The Awkward Kings of Comedy), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, CBS, VH1), Liam McEneaney (VH1’s Best Week Ever, Comedy Central, host of Tell Your Friends), Abbi Crutchfield (delightful, energetic stand-up and character actress), and Dan Goodman at RG Daniels’ free Sunday Night Stand-Up (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] one of the finest stand-up comics in the country concluding his current run tonight: Ted Alexandro Headlining at Gotham (8:30 pm),

[FREE] Chris Jurek, Dan Newbower, Jay Bois, and Peter Kassnove performing at Vince Averill’s & Jesse Popp’s free stand-up show Beauty Bar Comedy (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] and a “Battle of the Gaylebrities” as Adam Sank, the original creator/host of this gay-themed stand-up show, returns for one night only to battle the current host, Brad Loekle, for audience laughs and votes at Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour (10:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.


NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 3/23/09

March 23, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Long-time Conan O'Brien writer Brian Kiley...

Long-time Conan O'Brien writer Brian Kiley...

Andy Blitz

...and long-time Conan O'Brien writer Andy Blitz

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:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] a show showcasing rejected material by top writers and comedic performers who were then rejected again by Jon Friedman when submitting to his recently-published book Rejected: Tales of the Failed, Dumped, and Canceled—plus performances and readings from contributors who were actually accepted into the book—at a special free edition of The Rejection Show (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] some of the most lightning-quick & hilarious stand-up comics in the country—including Anthony Jeselnik (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; HBO, Comedy Central), Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1, The New Yorker), Big Jay Oakerson (HBO, Comedy Central, Showtime, MTV), and many more—relating tales of when they used to support their art by working as waiters: Service Not Included! (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] a going-away party for Brian Kiley (brilliant writer for Conan O’Brien since 1994; David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Christian Finnegan (two Comedy Central specials, commentator on MNBC’s Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1’s Best Week Ever; Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Jason Reich (four-time Emmy winner for The Daily Show), Joe Garden (Features Editor for The Onion; co-author of The Devious Book for Cats), and more at Liam McEneaney’s free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Jessica Delfino (brilliantly funny and stunning rising star comedic writer/singer), Hannibal Burress (Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson), Dan St. Germain (MTV), RG Daniels (host of Sunday Night Stand-Up), and more performing at a free weekly variety show in Brooklyn hosted by endearing dark comedy stand-up Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] an entirely improvised musical from genius improv duo Eliza Skinner and Glennis McMurray, and an improvised soap opera, in the double-bill I Eat Pandas and Hot Lather: As the Diamond Burns (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest comics in the country—who tonight include as guest-hosts magical comedy duo Kristen Schaal (The Daily Show, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords) & Kurt Braunohler (Penelope, Princess of Pets; 2008 ECNY Award for Best Director), plus guests Andy Blitz (comedy genius; writer & performer for Conan O’Brien since 1999), Seth Herzog (VH1’s Best Week Ever, host of Sweet), and Liam McEneaney (Comedy Central, VH1, host of Tell Your Friends)—at Whiplash (11:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.


NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 2/9/09

February 9, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Schaal

Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Schaal

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:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] genius comedy duo Kristen Schaal (co-star of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, correspondent for The Daily Show) & Kurt Braunohler (Penelope, Princess of Pets; ECNY Award winner), Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show), guitar comic Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1), ventriloquist Carla Rhodes, star songwriter Eytan Mirsky, and more at Liam McEneaney’s free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

three hours of fresh new sketch comedy by talented young UCBT writer/performers at Maude Night (8:00 pm & 9:30 pm),

brilliant, sexy comedic singer/songwriter Jessica Delfino (I Wanna Be Famous YouTube star), Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report), Pat Stango (Don’t Touch Me There), Charles Star (Adult Education), and more performing at a free weekly variety show in Brooklyn hosted by the razor-sharp Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest comics in the country—who tonight include movie & TV comedy stars Zach Galifianakis (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Comedians of Comedy), Kristen Schaal (co-star of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, correspondent for The Daily Show…and racing over from her gig at tonight’s Tell Your Friends), Eugene Mirman (HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central) at Whiplash (11:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.