NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 12/4/12

December 4, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Joe DeRosa

Joe DeRosa performs at Seth Herzog’s Sweet…

Space Exploration

…and NASA’s latest efforts are explored at The Tony and Johnny 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:

6:00 pm ($1): Open-mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT downstairs lounge, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT “sketch-perts:” Pens & Pencils

[FREE] 6:30 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 Chesley Calloway (co-host of renowned Comedy as a Second Language): The Ches Club

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, each of four of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: BEEES! and Mint Condition (at 7:00) and Vulcan and Fisticuffs (at 8:30); followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with musical improv troupe Fisticuffs to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

7:00 pm ($5): Two-person improv scenes from Matthew Yeackel & Alex Grass, Darcy Burke & Grant Norva, and more at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Donna Lobello: I Trust (Two-Prov)

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Sherlock & Cookies, A Sparrow, and Salmon Diane at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): TV & Broadway star Colin Quinn, Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Colin Quinn, Judah Friedlander, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Frank Conniff (Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000, Cinematic Titanic), aratunde Thurston (author of How to Be Black; writer for The Onion), and Jean Grae (Blacksmith Records) are interviewed about “their earliest creative experiences and the nuances of having a creative career” for a weekly podcast that once a month goes live on the UCB East stage with hosts Andy Beckerman & Mark Bisi: Beginnings

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Keyboard Kathy (for a video sample, please click here) and more performing at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by the wonderful Joe Pera, Charles Gould, and Dan Licata: Dan + Joe + Charles’ Show

8:00ish pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Aparna Nancherla (FX’s Totally Biased), Janine Brito (FX’s Totally Biased), and Karl Hess performing on this week’s topic A Year in Heaven at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) produced by Chenoa Estrada, Emily Heller, and George Gordon and hosted tonight by Josh Gondelman: The Afterlife: A Year in Heaven

8:00 pm ($8): A house sketch troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre: National Scandal

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($15 plus 2-drink min.): Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Carmen Lynch (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Dave Smith, and Luis J. Gomez performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) for the Legion of Skanks Live Podcast

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Typically sharp NYC stand-ups (for an update, please click here) performing at Cake Shop (152 Ludlow Street, between Rivington & Stanton) hosted by Kate Berlant (MTV, CNN, notable hair): Crime & Punishment

[FREE] 8:30 pm: Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, MTV, Second City, 2012 Andy Kaufman Award), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Andy Hendrickson, Taylor Clark, Matt Fulchiron, and Josh Gondelman performing at Lolita Bar hosted by Steven Forrest, Taylor Ketchum, and/or Andy Sandford: Shipwreck Kelly

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): 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), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman, host of Entertaining the Bartender), Rudi Macaggi (acrobat; Jay Leno, three seasons of America’s Got Talent), Dan Wilbur (author of How Not to Read), and more performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Brooke Van Poppelen (writer for MTV’s Epic Fall; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Sachi Ezura, Aaron Glaser, Doug Smith, Karl Hess, and Sean Wilkinson performing stand-up at this weekly show at Brooklyn’s The Alligator Lounge (600 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Sean Donnelly, Steve O’Brien, Robert Dean, and/or Kevin McCaffrey: Comedy at Alligator Lounge

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house troupes Rocks, GoodGirl, and Bucky—plus advanced improv students “are going to challenge themselves by performing a show that they only just learned,” summed up as Instant Gratification—at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A weekly wild experiment in dark comedy, blending sketch and improv, from two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives)—with tonight’s theme “the latest NASA space program”—at UCB East, plus tonight’s guests Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), Matt Ruby (MTV; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here, blog Sandpaper Suit), and Robert Petric, as well as producer Andy Rocco: The Tony and Johnny Show

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): 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.), Dave Attell (star of Comedy Central’s Insomniac, David Letterman, IFC), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Lynn Koplitz (IFC’s Z Rock, host of WB’s Life & Style), and more performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Ted Alexandro, Dave Attell, and More

[$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): James Davis (FOX’s new In Living Color, Chelsea Lately, Barack Obama in this viral video), Sean O’Connor (Conan O’Brien, writer for MTV Music Awards), Kevin Bozeman (Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, MTV), Brian Moylan (Gawker), and Ned Hepburn participating in a talk show at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Brandon Wetherbee: You, Me, Them, Everybody Live

11:00 pm ($1): 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

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.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 10/20/12

October 20, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Joe DeRosa and Maysoon Zayid

Joe DeRosa performs at UCB East’s /r/standup, then joins Maysoon Zayid for the final night of the 9th Annual Arab-American Comedy Festival

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 & 8:00 pm ($65): This isn’t pure comedy, but an enchanting hodgepodge of original tall tales fueled by laughs. The 2-hour play from the wonderful guys of PigPen blends shadow puppetry, songs, inventive staging, and more to create living dreams. For my review of PigPen’s two previous shows at FringeNYC, please click here and here. This newest work is their most ambitious, and that sometimes results in the story feeling too slow or padded; but it also yields a deeper emotional payoff. And even though not all the bits hit the mark, so many of them do that you’re likely to feel satisfied—and missing PigPen’s world after the show is over. The production is at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) through November 26th: The Old Man and the Moon

[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

[FREE] 5:30 pm: “Are ready for something sweet and something spicy? Long form improv that will satisfy your hunger” hosted by sharp UCBT comic Andy Rocco at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Andy Rocco’s Candy Taco Improv Hour

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 ($5): Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Mikes K, and Nathan Anderson performing stand-up at UCB East as part of the Reddit.com online community, hosted by Adam Lash (The Daily Show, HBO, Showtime): /r/standup

[$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): If you’d care for a different perspective on both culture and comedy—or simply for the opportunity to see superb stand-ups such as Joe DeRosa and Maysoon Zayid (while enduring some comics not as good)—check out the 9th Annual Arab-American Comedy Festival, which has two big shows left tonight on the main stage of the Gotham Comedy Club: Arab-American Comedy Festival

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

7:30 pm ($7): Seven sharp improvisors “perform organic freeform improvisation in two mind-blowing parts; the only rule is that there are no rules” at The Magnet theatre: The Weave

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s starred in his own Comedy Central Presents special, is a cast member of the NBC sitcom Whitney (starring the wonderful Whitney Cummings), and has performed on Showtime’s Live Nude Comedy (to view his set, please click here) and TBS’ Glory Daze, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Chris D’Elia

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and/or Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite

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

8:30 pm ($10): Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Kevin McCaffrey, Day McCoy, George Gordon, and Matt Wayne performing stand-up at UCB East produced by Kara Klenk and hosted by Nick Turner: 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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Judah Friendlander (9:00 pm only), Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents), 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

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 and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities

9:30 pm ($5): “A monthly show featuring long form improv of three diverse schools of thought and culminating in a cross-team closing” at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sharif Ali and Kelly Ann Rockwell: World’s Fair

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($20): The return of one of the funniest comedies—and finest comedic ensembles—to grace New York, and what ended up as the very best show of this year’s FringeNYC Festival, playing at the Soho Playhouse’s upstairs theatre. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this opportunity to see the Chicago-based 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

10:00 pm ($5): A small army of comics performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Stand-up, sketch, and who knows what else at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by a stand-up/sketch duo: Team Submarine and Friends

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): Improv master Ed Herbstman teams with Peter McNerney for one night only at The Magnet to form comedy duo Trike

[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 this year crushed 12 improv groups in a row at Cage Match, entirely owns the UCB East stage tonight at Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

11:00 pm ($8): All-gal improv from Jennifer Bild, Christine DeNoon, Julianne Dunn, and Brandy Mitchell, plus guest stand-up and sketch gal comics, performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Goldie and the Hawns: Boneless! A Night of Women in Comedy

[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, which is an 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. This new monthly UCB Chelsea event is led by the wonderful Shannon O’Neill Shannon O’Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Stepfathers, Diamond Lion) and typically also includes other UCBT gal improv stars: The Lady Jam

Midnight ($5): Frank Hejl and Geoff Garlock will nerdily defend the merits of the universally panned film Halloween III: Season of the Witch at this sketch show at UCB East featuring a small mob of young performers: Frank and Geoff Defend Halloween III

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Nick Turner: Midnight Run

Midnight ($5): “A scandalous night of down-right-sexy improv at at The PIT downstairs lounge. Incorrigible performers team up to turn down the lights, slip into something a little more comfortable, and spend the good part of an hour tickling your funny boners. Beware of partial nudity, strong sexual themes, and the possibility to be dragged on stage for a not-so-wholesome game of Truth or Dare:” Yes, Yes, Yes…And

[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

 For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 9/1/12

September 1, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For FringeNYC Encore Series coverage, please click here.

Joe DeRosa and Marina Franklin

Joe DeRosa headlines and Marina Franklin opens at the Gotham Comedy Club…

Ophira Eisenberg and Tracy Rowland

…and storytellers Ophira Eisenberg and Tracy Rowland attempt to deceive you at Andy Christie’s The Liar 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:

[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 ($15, which includes 1 drink; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true…but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening’s yarn-spinners are Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of NPR’s trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another), Martin Dockery (five-time Moth GrandSlam finalist), Andy Ross (credits include Mad Magazine), and Tracy Rowland (TV writer & producer). Come to the West Village’s Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam champion, exceptionally nice guy) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Bottom Gun, Timmy & Mark Eat Food, and Johnny Velvet & The Moonbeams at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): “Stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe,” hosted at UCB East by Adam Wade Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas The Adam Wade Show and Whatever Happened to the Nerds?; for a sampling of Adam’s award-winning tales, please click here), and featuring tonight’s guest storytellers Elna Baker (genius storyteller, and bestselling author of the comedic book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance; writer for Glamour, Elle; NPR’s This American Life; co-host of red-hot The Talent Show; for sample tales, please click here), David Crabb, and David Martin: Tales of the Cosmos

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): Two of the most respected improvisors in the country, Magnet co-owner Armando DIaz and Christina Gausas team up as Diaz & Gausas

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp comic who’s performed on HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, stars in a Comedy Central Presents special, and released comedy CD The Depression Auction, headlining one last night—with the wonderful Marina Franklin as opener—at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joe DeRosa

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($43.75 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up starring in Comedy Central special I’m Starvin’ and upcoming Comedy Central special Still Hungry, and who’s acted in such feature films as Junior, Dear God, Duets, and The Punisher, TV series including Seinfeld and Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, and Broadway smash Hairspray headlining at the Carolines Comedy Club: John Pinette

8:00 pm ($10): NYC stand-ups Michelle Wolf, Brad Howe, Josh Rabinowitz, Luke Younger, Missy Baker, Tomas Delgado, Brandon Scott Keller, and Charles Gould performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Tyler Fischer: Fresh Fisch

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—at the upstairs theatre: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

[FREE] 8:00 pm: “Want to see your favorite stand-up comics get slapped by Satan himself? He only hosts bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne and Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man’s shoes and put NYC’s finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls? Come see for yourself in this monthly showcase” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell

8:30 pm ($10): Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX’s In Living Color, Comedy Central), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012), Sam Morril (Sirius XM Radio), Dan Wilbur, Shanti Charan, and Dave Rosinsky performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[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

[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.), Mike Yard (Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

9:30 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

9:30 pm ($5): A comedy variety show featuring stand-up, improv, character scenes, music, and more from a variety of NYC comic at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Michael Newman: Minority Report

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Hilarious, organic show in which stand-ups Emily Heller, Adam Conover, Josh Gondelman, Robert Dean & Zach Broussard, Jake Young, Andy Sandford, and John F. O’Donnell perform anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can’t even imagine—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Reid Faylor, Kelly Fastuca, and/or Andrew Short: Underbelly

[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): 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 perform at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

11:00 pm ($8): A young all-guy improv troupe making stuff up at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gentlemen Party

Midnight ($5): Interns at UCB Chelsea show off their improv and sketch chops at Mop it Like It’s Hot: The UCB Intern Showcase

Midnight ($5): Sharp improv troupes not affiliated with any school/theatre—tonight including Funkle Todd—performing at UCB East for Indie Improv Showcase

[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

 For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 8/31/12

August 31, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For FringeNYC Encore Series coverage, please click here.

Ted Alexandro

Ted Alexandro continues his headlining run at the Eastville Comedy Club…

Joe DeRosa

…and Joe DeRosa headlines this weekend at the Gotham 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: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): 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 downstairs lounge: Mystic Improv

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): One of my favorite writer/actress/improvisors, the brilliant and luminous Lauren Olson, teams with Jon Bander and Karsten Cross at The Magnet to perform as improv trio Mr. Gorsky; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv troupe LD50

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Improv geniuses Chris Gethard and Gavin Speiller are tonight’s guests with regulars Nate Dern (UCBT Artistic Director), Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), and more at UCB East making up scenes based on interviews with audience members about their love lifes: What I Did For Love

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its cast is one of the finest in comedy, with each performer strong enough for potential stardom. As for its writers, they sizzle when at their best; but when I saw this new show about two months ago, it was a work in progress. Regardless of the current state of the script, you’re virtually guaranteed a good time from the all-star cast—Fran Gillespie, John Murray, Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, D’Arcy Carden, and Johnathan Fernandez. (The scary faces Molly Lloyd makes are worth the trip all by themselves…) Directed by ace improvisor Ryan Karels: Stone Cold Fox: You Probably Think This Show Is About You

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that’s first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp comic who’s performed on HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, stars in a Comedy Central Presents special, and released comedy CD The Depression Auction), headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joe DeRosa

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($7): A rotating cast of veteran improvisors make up scenes based on the improvised monologues of the co-owner of The Magnet Theatre: The Armando Diaz Experience

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from comedy geniuses Chris Gethard and Shannon O’Neill, plus stellar comics Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—Amber Petty, Ashley Ward, Morgan Phillips, Michael Kayne, and Winston Noel—making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

[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.), Mike Yard (Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm : 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, book Agorafabulous) is moving to LA. Come party one last time with her in NYC at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Sara Benicasa’s Going Away Bash

10:00 pm ($5): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast recently clobbered some of the best improv groups in NYC at UCBT’s Cage Match. Tonight come see it perform without the pressure of competition at The PIT upstairs theatre, and also catch an improv group that includes Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): North Coast and Nobody’s Token

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas…who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson’s writing isn’t consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Fran Gillespie, Jon Gabrus, Sue Galloway, Matt Fisher, Craig Rowin, Nate Lang, and other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

10:30 pm ($5): NYC comics (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D’Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): NYC comics John Knefel, Angel Yau, Jeff & Buttons, Jason Quarles, Marcy Currier, and Meg Ferrill performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by terrific sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting (Leah Rudick and Katie Hartman) : Daddy’s Basement: A Comedy Variety Freakshow

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, top Maude sketch troupe Gramp’s, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, with host Andy Haynes promising “a rowdy late night comedy melee with beers being thrown, jokes being told, partial nudity, audience participation…there’s no telling what might happen:” Midnight Run

Midnight ($5): A three-person improv competition at UCB East hosted by Brian Glidewell, Josh Patten, and Ben Rameaka: Three for All

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it’s an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Plus it’s hosted by members of Maude troupe Fambly, typically including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 4/8/12

April 8, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Joe DeRosa

Celebrate the holiday weekend with Joe DeRosa at Sunday Night Stand-Up...

Michelle Buteau

...Michelle Buteau at the Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour...

John Gemberling

...or John Gemberling at Pretty Good Friends

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

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

6:00 pm ($5): Emmy Blotnick, Boris Khaykin, and”surprise guests” participating in “a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people’s problems with their own stories” at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help

[FREE] 6:00 pm: “Short-form improv teams battle it out for the most points and a prize. C’mon, admit it! You miss the quick-witted fun and audience involvement of short-form improv. A different short-form team joins Mishmash! each month and struts their stuff for a panel of judges (including one judge chosen from the audience) until a winner emerges. There will be a series of completely improvised scenes, stories and musicals all based on your suggestions. Come ready to shout out suggestions, and even shout at the judges,” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Scrimmage

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

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

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): John Gemberling (genius improvisor & comedic character actor; Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Death by Roo Roo, The Tony and Johnny Show), 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 extravaganzasTales of the Cosmos and The Adam Wade show; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here), Nimesh Patel, and “a special guest” performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall with comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, host of ComedyJuice), Carmen Lynch (Last Comic Standing finalist, Comedy Central), Charile Kasov (FOX), Kevin Barnett, and Sam Morril 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): Improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre pretend to be office workers delivering presentations—only they’ve never seen the PowerPoint slides before and have to make up the stories behind them on the spot: PowerPoint Improv

[$] 8:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) A comic who’s performed on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and Bad Boys of Comedy, Showtime at Harlem, BET’s ComicView, and the feature film Next Friday headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Michael Blackson

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

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) typically hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Erin Lennox (co-host of Fresh and The I Like You Too Show; for a sample of Erin’s dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here), Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream, 9 Am Meeting), Brendan Eyre, and Jaqi Furback performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Brad Austin, Nate Fridson, and/or Adam Sokol: Comedy at Beauty Bar

[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: NYC gal stand-ups Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here), Raquel D’Apice (The Ultimate Experts), and Hadiyah Robinson (BET, The Monique Show) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy (348 West 52nd Street) hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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

 For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wed. 12/14/11

December 14, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Lou Reed

Music legends Lou Reed (above) and Suzanne Vega are the scheduled guests at UCB Chelsea for WFMU's 7 Second Delay...

Joe DeRosa

...and razor-sharp stand-up Joe DeRosa headlines 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:

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): If the UCB Chelsea description is accurate, then tonight’s lineup is killer: legendary singer/songwriters Lou Reed and Suzanne Vega are among the scheduled guests at Ken Freedman’s & Andy Breckman’s live-on-stage taping of their radio show WFMU’s 7 Second Delay

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing four minutes per comic, with “15 people chosen randomly through e-mail, and five walk-ins; and a guaranteed spot to anyone who performs in character as a famous explorer” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedic Exploration Club of Long Island City, West

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): 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), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing), Rob Stern (co-host of Gutbucket), and Shelley Hamilton performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with host Selena Coppock: Connotation

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Grappler, The Surge, Leviathan, Horses, Brick, Featherweight, The Wrath, and Chet Watkins performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Grappler at 11:30 pm: The Magnet’s Megawatt

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, genius improvisors Gavin Speiller ofDeath By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) perform asOutlook of the Poet; and then Nicole Byer, Sasheer Zamata, and Keisha Zollar are the fiercely energetic & entertaining all-gal improv troupe Doppelganger

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp stand-up who’s performed on HBO’sBored to Death and Down and Dirty, as well as FX’s Louie and radio show Opie & Anthony, starred in his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, created the comedy CDs The Depression Auction and Return of the Depression Auction, and co-hosts the weekly NYC stand-up showRighteous Kill headlining at the Carolines Comedy Club: Joe DeRosa

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Catie Lazarus hosts a show at UCB Chelsea about what it’s like to have a dreamy job, with tonight’s guests The Yes Men (pranksters using comedy for social activism), Eric Jacobson (Sesame Street muppeteer for Miss Piggy, Bert, Fozzie Bear, Grover, Animal, and more), Kerry Butler (Broadway star; Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Xanadu), and musical guest Chris Sullivan (a.k.a., Shockwave; amazing human boombox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown): Employee of the Month

[FREE—plus FREE PIZZA for first 30 people, from Artichoke Pizza!] 8:00 pm: Way fun sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, Adam Lowitt (The Daily Show), Sue Funke (I Love TV More Than You), Katrin Heir (Comedy Central, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and Emily Heller performing at the East Village’s Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad’s & Amy Albert’s free weekly show Comedy School Dropout

8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing stand-up atThe Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City for this weekly show hosted by Nick Turner & Jason Sáenz: Too Cool for School

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie; and then UCBT Harold Night troupes Creature and Sandino make up scenes without relying on the usual long-form “Harold” rules at Cheating on Harold

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central), Troy Bynum (VH1, IFC), Luke Thayer (Tyra Banks; co-host of The Living Room), Carrie Gravenson, and music from Summer & Eve (Joe’s Pub, national TV commercials) performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, first up is “a musical spectacular featuring such classic hits as Clever Girl and Their Vision Is Based on Movement—complete with live dinosaurs on stage:” Jurassic Park: The Musical …

…and in the second half of this double-bill, a meta-comedy in which a real estate agent tries to convince a couple that the actual theatre you’re in would be a great home for them. He does this by putting on a series of sketches that are presented as a random sampling of what UCBT has to offer but that, directly or indirectly, promote the stage as a wonderful residence. It’s a way fun idea—and frankly, I wish it’d been further developed, so that the internal sketches were used as stepping stones to achieve a larger and genuinely compelling story. Even as is, though, it’s great fun at the start, after which you’ll enjoy sporadic laughs depending on the quality of individual sketches. The other pleasures of the show are its performers, who include the delightful Brandon Gulya, Brandon Scott Jones, and Tim Dunn: This is Not a Sketch Show—A Sketch Show

[FREE] 10:00 pm: “Want to see your favorite stand-up comics get slapped by Satan himself? He only hosts bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne and Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man’s shoes and put NYC’s finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls? Come see for yourself in this monthly showcase” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: 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 lineup includes Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman), Brandon Gulya (Stone Cold Fox, Sandino, This is Not a Sketch Show), and David Cope (co-host of Hot Soup); 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: 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

[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

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.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 12/31/10

December 31, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

The recommendations for the best in New York City comedy on New Year’s Eve are:

Leslie Goshko

[TOP PICK] [$] 5:00 pm ($20, which includes 1 glass of champaign; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true…but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening’s yarn-spinners are Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller and host of The Liar Show TV pilot; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Leslie Goshko (Manhattan Monologue Slam Champion, host of Sideshow Goshko), Peter Aguero (Conan O’Brien), and Colin Dempsey (ComedyLand). Come to the West Village’sCornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion) attempt to mislead you at this special year-end edition of The Liar Show

And, if money is no object:

Amy Schumer

New Year’s Eve with Amy Schumer & Joe DeRosa

Amy Schumer (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Fallon, huge recent national TV ads) and Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction) help you ring in the New Year via an early show at 7:30 pm ($85, including open bar) or the real deal at 9:30 pm ($110, including open bar). To purchase tickets, please click here.

7:30 pm ($85, includes open bar) & 9:30 pm ($110, includes open bar) at Comix,

353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)

 

New Year’s Eve with Sandra Bernhard

A comic who’s been a movie star and singer, and has experienced a roller coaster career but remains a performer unlike any other, doing a new show with her band at Joe’s Pub at 9:00 pm ($100) and 11:00 pm ($150). For details and/or to order tickets, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 9/13/10

September 13, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

T.J. Miller

TV & movie star T. J. Miller performs stand-up tonight at Whiplash...

Puppy

...and puppies are on parade in Brooklyn tonight at Kristen Schaal's & Kurt Braunohler's Hot Tub Variety

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

7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street)—at John Morrison’s Motel Luca

8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT’s fine house sketch comedy troupes, Stone Cold Fox and Gorilla Gorilla, trying out new bits at Maude Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 online or $8 at the door): Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted, hilarious stand-up; for reenactment of Dan’s breakup, please click here), Aparna Nancherla (Last Comic Standing), and Murderfist (NYC’s fearless heavy metal version of a sketch troupe; winner of the 2010 ECNY Award) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street); plus “tonight is the 1st Annual 9/11 Memorial Puppy Hugging Parade. We’re going to have a real parade, with a full ‘marching’ band, and lots of puppies, and banners and awesomeness. You should come. And bring your dogs if you have them. We’ll have puppies for adoption and proceeds will be donated to Dog Habitat, a nonprofit dog rescue in Brooklyn,” hosted by NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, new comedy CD The Depression Auction), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Totally J/K; author of new book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Mike Lawrence, and Gary Vider performing at a free weekly LES show at Pianos produced by Adam Lowitt and Matt Goldich:It Is It

8:00 pm ($5): Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, In Living Color), Jesse Popp (Comedy Central, co-host ofBeauty Bar Comedy), Nick Cobb (Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central), Nick Flanagan, and Chris Locke performing at Aces & Eights (34 Avenue A, off 3rd Street) for John Szeluga’s Not Friday

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest stand-up comics in the country—tonight including TV & movie star T.J. Miller (Cloverfield, Get Him to the Greek), Jesse Popp (Comedy Central, co-host of Beauty Bar Comedy), and Mike Drucker (freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney’s), and more—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 10/18/09

October 18, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Joe DeRosa

Joe DeRosa

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

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: Joe DeRosa (Comedy Central Presents), Matt Goldich (VH1), Gabe Liedman (MTV), CJ Tolenado (visiting from Chicago), and “a very special surprise guest” performing stand-up at a free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Greg Johnson: The Comedians

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Tom Shillue (star storyteller; Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Kumail Nanjiani (writer/performer for Comedy Central’s Michael & Michael Have Issues; Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel; winner of the 2009 ECNY Awards for Best Male Stand-Up), Andrea Rosen (Comedy Central, VH1, comedy troupe Variety SHAC), and more performing at this weekly event at Brooklyn’s Union Hall, hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman (who just released a new comedy album, God Is a Twelve Year Old Boy With Asperger’s): Tearing the Veil of Maya

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Pat Stango (Don’t Touch Me There), Mike Drucker (freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney’s), Reese Waters (Comedy Central’s Michael & Michael Have Issues), Team Submarine, and Mike Sheehan performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Ali Waller (writer for Jimmy Fallon), Nick Turner, Danny Solomon, and Brent Sullivan performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar at Vince Averill’s & Jesse Popp’s free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

[FREE] 10:00 pm: An all-gal lineup of Gloria Bigalow (Dykes on Mics, Here! TV’s Hot Gay Comics), Jodi Wasserman (Comedy Central), Edison Apple (Logo’s Laughing Matters: Next Generation), and Justy Dodge 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.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wednesday 4/29/09

April 29, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Dave Attell

Dave Attell

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] six free hours of improvisation in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday (6:00 pm-midnight),

[TOP PICK] new improv duo Peter Gwinn (The Colbert Report) and Thomas Middleditch (genius improv troupes Baby Wants Candy and Improvised Shakespeare), and new stand-up/storytelling/sketch comedy duo Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, VH1’s Best Week Ever) and Dan Ahdoot, (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) in the double-bill Gwindleditch and Triple S (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] Daily Show star correspondent John Oliver (Comedy Central’s Terrifying Times), world-class hilarious stand-up Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1, The New Yorker), Daily Show producer Adam Lowitt (host of This is It!), and more at this extravaganza created by The  Daily Show’s Co-Executive Producer Rory Albanese: The Daily Show and Friends (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] brilliant comedic singer/songwriter/actor Micah Bucey performing a tour de force series of parodies in the form of mini-musicals for his intimate and joyful monthly show The Gay Agenda (8:00 pm),

[FREE] Mike Drucker (freelance writer for Saturday Night Live and The Onion), Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1; recently released his first comedy CD, Lou Diamond Phillips?), Ross Hyzer (23/6.com), Ben Kissel, and Molly Knefel at a free weekly comedy show hosted by Matt Maragno & the luminous Margie Kment: Now We’re Talking (8:00 pm),

[FREE] typically terrific NYC stand-up comics at a free weekly Brooklyn extravaganza hosted by Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific (8:00ish pm),

[FREE] superb NYC stand-ups Mike Drucker, Becky Yamamoto, Sean Crespo, Mark Normand, Sue Funke, and Dan Curry at a free show hosted by Sharon “Mama” Spell: Shrink (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] some of most razor-sharp and uproariously funny storytellers in the country—tonight including Anthony Atamanuik, Curtis Gwinn, Joe Mande, and Jenny Slate—telling memorable tales of “Illness” at one of the finest shows in NYC, Dave Martin’s The Nights of Our Lives (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] a killer lineup of comedy stars—Dave Attel, Judah Friedlander, Rich Vos, Joe DeRosa, Jay Larson, and James Smith—at the NYC debut of a stand-up series that’s been immensely popular in LA and is now making a home at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: ComedyJuice (10:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] and a free, laid-back, and occasionally magical variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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