Natasha Leggero | Best New York Comedy

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 3/16/13

March 16, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Louis C.K. has made a promo. Watch it here.

World-class comic Natasha Leggero promises you a good time when you come see her headline at Carolines…

…Mike Drucker, Dan St. Germain, Emily Heller, Janine Brito, and more perform their Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction…

…and there are still some tickets to see one of the very finest stand-ups alive, Amy Schumer, 11:45 pm at Gotham

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

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes including Eaglefox, Davenger, and Tooth & Nail at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs bits from a show he’s developing for an off-Broadway run that looks at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): The debut of this monthly variety show blending comedy forms, with tonight’s guests The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; new album Ladies Don’t Spit), stand-up Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStreamg), and sketch troupe Onassis (Maude Night, SF Sketchfest) performing at UCB East with hosts Zach Broussard (Fambly, SiriusXM), Nick Maritato (Meatsteak, This American Life), and Nate Fernald (Team Submarine), directed by Randy Foreman: Special Presentation

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): The return of gal sketch duo Cathleen Carr and Daiva Deupree, who are reuniting to celebrate their 10th Year Anniversary at The PIT upstairs theatre, and accurately point out “before Two Broke Girls and Two Girls One Cup, there was us:” Two Girls for Five Bucks

7:00 pm ($5): Layer by layer, improvisers build a town based on an audience member’s suggestion for the town’s name, while artist Asher Rogers paints a large map of the town based on the improvisers’ descriptions. This cool-sounding new show is at The PIT downstairs lounge: Our Town

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Gregg Rogell, and More

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

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) Natasha Leggero is a razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the final Last Comic Standing; who’s performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and a Comedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich. Moshe Kasher is that rare thing, a Jewish comedian, and has performed on Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, MTV, IFC, and written the book Kasher in the Rye.” Both of these not-to-be-missed LA comics are headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Ten sharp comics—including Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; freelance writer for SNL, The Onion, McSweeney’s), Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX’s Totally Biased), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), and Janine Brito (FX’s Totally Biased)—performing erotic fiction they’ve written to make you laugh at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by Bryan Cook: Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no 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), Joe Matarese (David Letterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Nikki Glaser, Joe Matarese, Kurt Metzger, and More

[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): The Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon), Erin Judge (Comedy Central; comedy album So Many Choices; for hilarious short bit on men vs. women, please click here), Josh Rabinowitz (FX’s Louie, MTV’s I Just want My Pants Back), Jim Tews, Josh Gondelman, and Paul Oddo performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

[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): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), 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 Britt (Comedy Central), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander, Ted Alexandro, and More

[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 ($8): Gal duo Tamsi & Samsi (Tamsi New & Samantha Reece Schecter) perform sketch comedy at The PIT upstairs theatre, offering helpful advice on How to Be Nice, Pretty and Invisible

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:15 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Nick Griffin, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Hilarious, organic show in which stand-ups perform anything except stand-up—e.g., sketch, storytelling, improv, songs, dance, puppetry, and things we can’t even imagine—with tonight’s comics Erik Bergstrom, Robbie Collier, Matt Ruby, Emily Fleming, Tim Dimond, Jake Young, and Nick Naney performing 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 ($8): A small army of comics (not announced this month) performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no min.):Joe Matarese (David Letterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2’s Guy Code) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Joe Matarese, Adrienne Iapalucci, Dan Soder, and More

[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): At UCB Chelsea, 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:” 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

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:00 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime’s Dave’s Old Porn and Comedy Central’s Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), and DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, ABC’s The Unusuals) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Dave Attell, Nick Griffin, Lenny Marcus, and More

11:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from a troupe born in a Boston college and tonight performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Astronaut Theatre

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 11:45 pm ($32.94 online & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer is one of the very finest stand-ups alive, with performances on Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, and more; and upcoming Comedy Central sketch show Inside Amy Schumer. Amy’s headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club. Tickets are sold out for 7:30 and 10:00, but there are still some left for 11:45 pm. Don’t miss this chance to experience one of the very best: Amy Schumer

[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

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups (not announced) joking about their culture—Jewish, African-American, Asian, geek, whatever—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City : The Black Bar Mitzvah

Midnight ($5): Six improvisors make up scenes about the end of the world at The Magnet theatre: A Show at the End of the World

Midnight ($5—or free if you show up in a costume): “A scandalous night of down-right-sexy improv 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 ($5): Paul Oddo (co-host of The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic) performs an hour of stand-up at the UCB East theatre: Paul Odo For the Hour

[TOP PICK] [$] 12:45 am ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime’s Dave’s Old Porn and Comedy Central’s Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Russ Meneve (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Andy Hendrickson performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera: Dave Attell, Greer Barnes, Russ Meneve, 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.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 3/15/13

March 15, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Louis C.K. has made a promo. Watch it here.

The wonderful Natasha Leggero glams up NYC through Sunday headlining at Carolines…

…and comedy superstar Amy Schumer has already sold out her headlining run at Gotham this weekend EXCEPT for Saturday at 11:45 pm

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

[$] 6:00 pm ($15, no min.): “In 2011, four attorneys with backgrounds in government, politics, and private practice got together to form a business that relied on their collective expertise. But when Strippers-at-Law was a miserable failure they realized that they were also all stand-up comedians. Combining their diverse and intelligent brand of humor, the Comedians at Law have traveled the country entertaining law schools, comedy clubs, and anywhere else willing to cut a check that can be used to pay down their student loans.” The comics are Alex Barnett, J-L Cauvin, Kevin Israel, and Matt Ritter, all performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Comedians at Law

6:30 pm ($10): The NYC debut of “the first-ever sketch comedy troupe consisting of openly autistic people” at The Magnet theatre, plus sketch from Arthur Meyer (The Onion; sketch troupes Pangea 3000, Fambly, and Two Fun Men): Asperger’s Are Us

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Marina Franklin (developing into one of the finest stand-ups in the country, with an uncommonly gentle, graceful style that’s pure joy; Last Comic Standing, Chappelle’s Show, Craig Ferguson, VH1, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Neal Brennan, Marina Franklin, Gary Gulman, and More

7:00 pm ($10): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast clobbered some of the best groups in NYC last year at UCBT’s Cage Match. Tonight it takes the stage for nearly an hour at The PIT upstairs theatre: North Coast

[FREE] 7:00 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 Nate Dern and Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Mic

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): This monthly show that features gal storytellers tonight has a wonderful lineup: 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), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), JC Coccoli (Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, WB; looks great in a hat, and in fur looks like a Lannister), abd token male Jonathan Zipper sharing tales about cash at UCB East hosted by Ruby Karp: HelloGiggles: The Money Machilne

[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 superb: Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, John Murray, Leslie Meisel, Connor Ratliff, and Johnathan Fernandez. As for the new script, I know nothing about its quality, but among its writers are the delightful Silvija Ozols, and Brandon Gulya…who also directed: Stone Cold Fox: Hey, Look Over Here!

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.94 online & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer is one of the very finest stand-ups in the country, with performances on Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock, and more; and upcoming Comedy Central sketch show Inside Amy Schumer. Amy’s headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club. Tickets are sold out for tonight, but there are still some left for Saturday at 11:45; grab them while you can…: Amy Schumer

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no 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), 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), Joe Matarese (David Lettterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Chris Distefano (Comedy Central, MTV2’s Guy Code) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Joe DeRosa, Joe Matarese, and More

[FREE] 8:00 pm: All-gal lineup of Kate Hendricks (Bravo, VH1), Del Harrison (The Mo’Nique Show, BET), Lane Moore (The Onion), and Sachi Ezura (real cool chick) performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Postmark Cafe (326 6th Street) hosted by the delightful Abbi Crutchfield and Luke Thayer: The Living Room

8:00 pm ($10): “The Kondabolu Brothers (Comedy Central’s Hari Kondabolu and Das Racist’s Dap aka Ashok Kondabolu) return for their first show in NYC in a year! The brothers will present a night of mostly improvised banter and a carefully prepared powerpoint presentation, along with a super secret guest. Past topics have included: Peak Oil theory, cultural appropriation, the Illuminati, Blipsters, police brutality, and Ashok’s vitamin manifesto” at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Kondabolu Brothers

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups aiming to slay audiences at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Destroy All Humans

[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

8:30 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from Anne Fidler, Tyler Foltz, Paul Travisano, Mikael Walter, and Kevin Young at The Magnet theatre: Citizen Models

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:45 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Keith Alberstadt (David Letterman, VH1, contributor to SNL’s Weekend Update), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Neal Brennan, and More

[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): A gathering of comedic musicians, who tonight include Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; to watch his hit video Pachelbel Rant, which has been viewed by over 11 million people on YouTube, please click here), Squirm and Germ, and Anna Marquardt performing at UCB East hosted by superb musical group Summer & Eve (for samples, please click here): Earworm Funny Music Party Show

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

9:30 pm ($8): Political-based sketch, debate, and improv at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight’s guests including Mary Phillips-Sandy (Editorial Director of Comedy Central’s Indecision), Kim Moscaritolo (Policy Director for the Manhattan Young Democrats), Siobhan Beasley (United Nations), Robert A. George (New York Post), Lucas Hazlett (MTV’s Money from Strangers), David Kimball-Stanley (Super Nice), and Nate Starkey (Shackled)!: Electoral Dysfunction

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code WARD, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. BWC is running every Friday night through April 4th at the Soho Playhouse. Come see why this show won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy

[DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($13 online using discount code VODKA; no min.): 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), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Joe Matarese (David Lettterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Dante Nero (Comedy Central, HBO, ABC, FOX) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Joe DeRosa, Gary Gulman, Joe Matarese, and More

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

[$] 10:00 pm ($20, no min.): 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), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Joe Matarese (David Lettterman, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central Presents, Bravo, IFC), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Dante Nero (Comedy Central, HBO, ABC, FOX) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Joe DeRosa, Gary Gulman, Joe Matarese, and More

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Shannon O’Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Chris Gethard Show, The Stepfathers, ASSSSCAT 3000, Strangers Wanted, Ladies Night, The Lady Jam), John Haskell (Jimmy Fallon), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Vinny DePonto (World Magic Seminar) performing at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D’Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Emily Axford, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:30 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Mike Birbiglia (one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; feature film Sleepwalk with Me; three Comedy Central specials, multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan O’Brien, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), and Sam Morril (Comedy Central) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Mike Birbiglia, Neal Brennan, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($8): As a comics fan, I love this concept: an improv troupe will make up scenes while playing Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and other members of the Justice League of America at The PIT upstairs theatre: JLA Improv

[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, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Shannon O’Neill (comedy genius), Morgan Grace Jarrett (wonderful comedic actress), Lydia Hensler (member of red-hot improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes), and/or Brandon Scott Jones (top sketch troupe Stone Cold Fox, red-hot improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes, top comedic play Death Wears Stilettos) play host to audience members getting on stage and performing their talents, with “the weirder the better,” at the UCB East theatre: Ladies Night: Men Welcome—Audience Talent Night

[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

[TOP PICK] [$] 12:15 am ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime’s Dave’s Old Porn and Comedy Central’s Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, 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), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), and Andy Hendrickson (TBS’ The Comedy Festival) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show): Dave Attell, Neal Brennan, Nikki Glaser, Gary Gulman, and More

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Amy Schumer, Carolines Comedy Club, Comedy, Gotham Comedy Club, Improv, Natasha Leggero, New York Comedy, Sketch, Stand-Up | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 12/17/11

December 17, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Star stand-ups Natasha Leggero (headlining at Carolines) and Amy Schumer (co-headlining with Ted Alexandro & Judah Friedlander at Eastville)...

...Oscar Montoya & Chris Grace present one of the worst films of all time: Midnight Movie at Montoya’s: Super Mario Bros....

...and exceedingly odd holiday comedic wrestling commences at midnight at Hanukkaos

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm ($14.45 online using discount codeLAUGHTRACK): One of my favorite theatre duos, Rachel Buethe & James Presson, have come out with a new play that updates Hedda Gabler to the world of network TV. It’s a fresh, ambitious work that pushes at the borders between art and reality, entertainment and meaning. And while it’s not a comedy—in some ways, it’s actually an anti-comedy—at its core is a sitcom. For my full review, please click here. If you’re open to something different, don’t miss the too-brief run (endingtomorrow) of this vibrant show at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street, near the Canal Street stops of the A/E/C/N/R/1/2/3/6 subways): Friends Don’t Let Friends

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open-mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4

[FREE] 5:30 pm: New improv teams experimenting with new forms at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Andy Rocco and Jon Monje: Anybody Vs. Everybody: An Improv Show for You

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Genetic Freaks, LD50, and Double Date at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8; includes free cookies): Stellar comedic filmmaker Oren Brimer (Front Page Films), rap star Jean Grae, and stand-ups Jackie Monahan, Sean Donnelly, and Annie Lederman telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales about their relatives at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Sara Benincasa (NBC’s Today Show, The Joy Behar Show, CNN, MTV, The Sarah Palin Vlogs, Sex and Other Human Activities podcast, upcoming book Agorafabulous):Family Hour

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Todd Bieber hosts this monthly open-mic storytelling show at UCB Eastthat at the end selects a favorite from the audience tales to be turned into an animated short film premiering the following month: Animated Stories

7:00 pm ($5): Asian-American improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and elsewhere all gather for one night to perform at The PIT upstairs theatre—”These guys are taking everything they know about math, dry cleaning, nursing, academically demanding parents, Tony Jaa, online role-playing games, fish, outsourced call centers, Gojira, and cab driving, and tossing it all in the wok for you to eat up with a hot cup of tea:” InvAsian

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

7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft at The Magnetmaking up a play on the spot: Theory of Everything

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the most recent Last Comic Standing; who’s performed on Jay Leno,Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and is slated to star in aComedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing not-to-be-missed headlining sets one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club:Natasha Leggero

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A comedy icon who’s performed on David Letterman over 40 times and The Tonight Show over 10 times, and did the acclaimed HBO comedy special This’ll Take About An Hour and Showtime special I Love You, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jake Johannsen

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

8:00 pm ($5): A PIT performer about to leave NYC for Austin Texas is given a comedic tribute by his peers at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Ben Masten Farewell Roast

8:30 pm ($10): Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno, IFC), David Angelo (Jimmy Fallon), Kevin Barnett, Anthony Devito, Will Hines, and Luke Cunningham performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk and 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): 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.), Amy Schumer (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Fallon), Judah Friedlander (30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriac drug user, please click here), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Veteran improv duo Megan Gray & Louis Kornfeld are joined at The Magnet for one night only by improv star Christina Gausas (Conan O’Brien, The Colbert Report, Let’s Have a Ball):Gausas & MegaLou

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount codeSBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come to the Soho Playhouse tonight to see why BWC won aFringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Comics performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight’s packed show featuring Nicole Byer (Doppelganger), Greg Barris (Heart of Darkness), Bob Kulhan (Baby Wants Candy), Sarah Nowak (The Baldwins), Alice Wetterlund (College Humor), Jason Saenz (Onasis, Too Cool for School), Joe Schiappa (MTV), Mary Grill (New Exc!tement), Jason Kalter (Rue Brutalia), Alan Starzinski (Sandino), and Jeremy Bent, hosted by Rob Stern:Overload the Machine

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then create an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv at The Magnet from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duoTrike

10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: This free show at The PIT upstairs theatre does a great job of describing itself: “Bad movies. We can’t stop watching them. Is it because the plot is so enjoyably paper-thin? Or maybe the acting is so deliciously cheesy? Whatever the reason may be, Oscar Montoya (Local 154, Aquarius) is inviting you to his house to watch all of his favorite so-bad-they’re-awesome movies.” Joining him is Chris Grace (Cold Soda, The Faculty). Tonight’s feature isan infamous videogame-based insult to good taste—”Named one of the worst video game movie adaptation of all time, Super Mario Bros. was, hands down, a flop. The crazy parallel dimension depicted in the movie has nothing to do with the video game, and the co-stars weren’t even Italian!:” Midnight Movie at Montoya’s Presents: Super Mario Bros.

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): “It’s going to be a Festival of Fights as UCBW MegaStars do battle in Eight Crazy Matches at this annual holiday season spectacular!” As crazy as professional wrestling is, this show at UCB Chelsea takes things to a whole other level. For example, one of tonight’s scheduled bouts is described as follows: “Holy Ghost’s Holiday Rumble: Winner gets fucked by the Holy Ghost and impregnated with the next Messiah!” Physical sketch comedy to the extreme, it’s UCBW: Hanukkaos

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

[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 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: Amy Schumer, Cage Match Hanukkaos, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Midnight Movie at Montoya’s: Super Mario Bros., Natasha Leggero, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 12/16/11

December 16, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Wonderful stand-ups Jake Johannsen (headlining at Gotham) and Natasha Leggero (headlining at Carolines)...

...and wonderful stand-ups Amy Schumer & Ted Alexandro (headlining at Eastville)

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 start at 5:30 pm) at The Creekupstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): A delightful comedic singing duo (according to Molly, “really smart, funny, talented, awesome people with great bods; Molly is bitter, heavily medicated and she reads poetry”) performing at 92Y Tribeca for an intimate hour of music and more: Mel & El: Our Time of the Month

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): “For 25 years, Chicago alderman Ed Tomczak has welcomed constituents to his famous Christmas open house, where carols are sung, favors are dispensed, and bribes are received. Last month, he lost the election; but he’s swallowing his anger and throwing the party anyway…” This political satire is written & co-stars Justin Peters, and also includes such wonderful Magnet performers as Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at last year’s FringeNYC, improv group Dunk), Matt B. Weir (We’re Matt Weir), and Kelly Buttermore: A 54th Ward Christmas

7:00 pm ($5): PIT improviser and instructor Scott Eckert (Big Black Car, The Faculty) debuts a one-man show at The PIT downstairs lounge featuring a mix of storytelling, stand-up, and blaming his spouse if it all goes horribly wrong: Scott Eckert’s Wife is Making Him do a One-Man Show

7:00 pm ($5): Nate Starkey and Chris Grace performing improv at The PIT upstairs theatre as duo Starkey & Grace

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): In one of the finest scripted shows to ever grace UCB Chelsea, troupe Stone Cold Fox performs hilarious parodies of off-off-Broadway theatre, as well as some of the very best sketches it’s crafted over the years, in a tight hour-long production directed by comedy genius Neil Casey (who, after also recently directing stellar one-person shows by Kate McKinnon and Mike Still, apparently can do no wrong), featuring delightful performances by Fran Gillespie, Molly Lloyd, D’Arcy Carden (watch for these three gals playing existential Truth or Dare), John Murray, Nate Smith, Brandon Scott Jones, and Jonathan Fernandez, and the writing of Leila Cohan-Miccio, Evan Greenspoon, Brandon Gulya, Matt Hunziker, Owen Parsons, and Michael Trapp. Don’t miss one of the sharpest and funniest comedy shows of the year from the first sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCBT weekend schedule: Stone Cold Fox: This Is Not Art

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Gavin McInnes (author of The Death of Cool), ace storyteller Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Bradford Scobie joining star storyteller & host Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) performing for this monthly showat UCB East: Tom Shillue’s FunnyStory.biz

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($14.45 online using discount code LAUGHTRACK): One of my favorite theatre duos, Rachel Buethe & James Presson, have come out with a new play that updates Hedda Gabler to the world of network TV. It’s a fresh, ambitious work that pushes at the borders between art and reality, entertainment and meaning. And while it’s not a comedy—in some ways, it’s actually an anti-comedy—at its core is a sitcom. For my full review, please click here. If you’re open to something different, don’t miss the too-brief run (ending December 18th) of this vibrant show at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street, near the Canal Street stops of the A/E/C/N/R/1/2/3/6 subways): Friends Don’t Let Friends

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the most recent Last Comic Standing; who’s performed on Jay Leno,Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and is slated to star in aComedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing not-to-be-missed headlining sets tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): J Hobart and Grace Helbig welcome NYC talents for a pretend TV Christmas special—that is actually happening at The PIT upstairs theatre—with Jason Trachtenburg’s acclaimed jazz/pop musical group The Pendulum Swings, Shonali Bhowmik (host of Variety SHAC; leader of musical group Tigers & Monkeys), Carla Rhodes (“rock’n’roll ventriloquist;” for shout-out from David Letterman, please click here; for act with “Keith Richards,” please click here), raunchy sketch comedy troupe FUCT, and more: The 38th J Hobart Christmas Spectacular

[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 Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Dave Waite (Comedy Central), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing), Anton Shuford, and Jermaine Fowler performing at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Charlie Kasov & Gabe Pacheco: Anecdotal Evidence

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Ilana Glazer (Broad City), Hilary Schwartz (Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad), Emily Heller, Bryan Bruner, Troy Bynum, and Josh Gondelman performing at Karma Lounge(51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with host Evan Morgenstern: SNC Hot Blooded

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 9:00 pm ($20 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount codeBOOK): 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 theSoho 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?

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A comedy icon who’s performed on David Letterman over 40 times and The Tonight Show over 10 times, and did the acclaimed HBO comedy special This’ll Take About An Hour and Showtime special I Love You, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jake Johannsen

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($18): The winning team that created Pope!: An Epic Musical (a big hit at last year’s FringeNYC) and The Spidey Project (a media sensation) is now developing a pirate musical at The Magnet about “the dashing young hero Declan as he seeks out the vicious Martin La Foe, the second most famous pirate ever,” with book and lyrics by Justin Moran & Jon Roufaeal, and music by Adam & Matt Podd: Nightfall on Mirango Island

[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.), Amy Schumer (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Fallon), Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriac drug user, please click here), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): 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…

…plus in the other half of this double-bill, Ray Munoz tells true stories about growing up in NYC and having a run-in with the law at Off the Cuff

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB Chelsea’s all-star members of The Stepfathers

9:30 pm ($5): “Where there is a stage and a piano, she will be there. Where there are strangers with embarrassing stories, she will be there. Where there is a group of people willing to sit and watch someone make up songs, she will be there. A one-woman musical improv journey through the lives of the audience. You tell the story, Rebecca Vigil sings the soundtrack” at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Vigilante

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: A sketch & interview show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Zach Sims: Too Late With Zachary Sims

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

11:00 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

11:00 pm ($5): Six stand-ups you might not have heard of and and three judges who may or may not be well-known in a competition at The PIT—which is a theatre that isn’t really associated with stand-up. So this is a show I don’t quite understand, but maybe you’ll have fun anyway: The PIT Stand-Up Competition

11:30 pm ($10): improvisers Bianca Casusöl as Madam Ant, Nina Klemow as Fanny Price, and Alex Marino as Larry Lazlo use burlesque dancing at The Magnet to tell a story “and titillate the audience with some seductively fun choreographed burlesque numbers:” Whisky Tango Foxtrot: Burlesque Improv Revue

[FREE] Midnight: 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

[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 prestigiousUCB Chelsea stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

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: Amy Schumer, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Jake Johannsen, Natasha Leggero, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Ted Alexandro | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 12/15/11

December 15, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Star stand-up Natasha Leggero, who should not be missed, headlines tonight through Sunday at Carolines

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

6:00 pm ($5): Three shows about which I know nothing audition for a regular spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea schedule: Kiwi and Jojo Are Unemployed; George Kareman: The Ultimate Jam; and Convicts, Skinheads & Rabbis. These might be great or awful; but at $1.67 per show, you can’t go far wrong either way. That’s part of the fun of Spank

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) is tonight’s guest at this weekly open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn: 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 The Boss to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

7:00 pm ($5): Kelli Porterfield performs a one-woman show about five residents of Joplin, MO atThe PIT upstairs theatre: Mirror Mirror On The Wall

[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] [$] 7:30 pm ($25): “The stirring musical story of the courageous and honorable Judah Maccabee, relentlessly hunted by the Hellenized high priest Jason. Join us on the barricades of92YTribeca for Seth Rudetsky as Judah and Matt Leisy as Jason, with Peter J. Cook, Michael Schulman, Billy Zavelson, Jesse Oxfeld, and Rachel Shukert (who also wrote this):” Eight Days More: A Broadway Tribute to Hanukkah

7:30 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet co-owner helming The Armando Diaz Experience, plus house troupes The Boss, Junior Varsity, Hello Laser, and Phooka performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with former 2011 championns competing at 11:00 pm: The Magnet’s Night Out

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the most recent Last Comic Standing; who’s performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately,The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and is slated to star in a Comedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing not-to-be-missed headlining sets tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero

[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 upstairs theatre to see Spurn

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Comedy duo Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney perform new sketches at UCB Chelsea, as well as host stand-up and improv guests: BriTANicK: The Monthly Mankerthon

8:00 pm ($5): Liz Miele (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing), Alice Wetterlund (improv troupe Garamond), and Harry Terjanian (Sirius XM Radio) performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by comedic rapper Andrew Singer and the delightful Abbi Crutchfield: Positively Awesome

[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 (MTV, Spike TV): Happy Sounds Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Comedy Central’s John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up), Jason Kanter, and Sagar Bhatt performing at this free monthly show (every third Thursday) at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by Charlie Kasov & Glenn Danzig: Danzig Needs A Hug

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:15 pm: Some of the finest stand-ups in NYC, including Chris Gethard, Marina Franklin, Brooke Van Poppelen, Mark Normand, Matt McCarthy, and Nate Bargatze, each performing 5-7 minutes sets while being filmed for this free show at Brooklyn’s Cameo Gallery (93 North 6th Street): Top Stand-Ups “I Need a Tape” Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.) A comedy icon who’s performed on David Lettermanover 40 times and The Tonight Show over 10 times, and did the acclaimed HBO comedy specialThis’ll Take About An Hour and Showtime special I Love You, headlining tonight through Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jake Johannsen

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Phoebe Robinson (host of Case of the Mondays Comedy), sketch duo Team Submarine, Jesse Falcon (renowned improvisor, former Contributing Editor to Cracked Magazine), and “a surprise special guest” performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Julie Klausner (razor-sharp comic & storyteller, and author of I Don’t Care About Your Band), Ron Babcock (HBO, Last Comic Standing), Anton Shuford, Neruda Williams, 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 and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight are 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-hotThe Talent Show), Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Brad Lawrence (Moth GrandSlam Champion, FringeNYC, co-host of The Standard Issues), and Tracy Rowland (The Moth)—performing at The PIT upstairs theatre to share tales on tonight’s theme The Holidays at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!

9:30 pm ($5): If you’re a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it plus like-minded comics on the UCB Chelsea stage—tonight including Streeter Seidell, Andy Haynes, Dan Gurewitch, Patrick Cassels, Adrienne lapalucci, and Barry Rothbart—at CollegeHumor Live

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: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): It’s a battle of titans as two of the finest improv troupes in the country, Outlook of the Poet and The Stepfaters, compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the 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, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Natasha Leggero, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Wednesday 6/22/11

June 22, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Kate McKinnon, Mamrie Hart, and Amy Heidt

Brilliant comedic actresses Kate McKinnon, Mamrie Hart, Amy Heidt...

Shannon O'Neill, Leslie Meisel, and Pamela Murphy

...Shannon O'Neill, Leslie Meisel, Pam Murphy, and more perform four hours of sketch comedy for a mere $5 at the Maude Night Marathon...

...or if you prefer an entirely free show, catch comedy geniuses Reggie Watts and Natasha Leggero at Central Park SummerStage

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 to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($5): Four full hours of sketch comedy, as all eight UCBT house teams—Dweeb, Fambly, Gramp’s, Stone Cold Fox, Neighbor Boy, Onassis, Arbuckle, and Thunder Gulch—gather to perform their best, funniest material from the past year on the same evening. With such performers involved as Kate McKinnon, Shannon O’Neill, Mamrie Hart, Amy Heidt, Leslie Meisel, Pam Murphy, Fran Gillespie, Sue Galloway, and Violet Krumbein, this will be an evening jam-packed with talent (and a golden gift if you’re a casting director or comedy producer…). Don’t be fooled by the absurdly low price of 63 cents per show; this is a sketch festival worth experiencing from beginning to end: Maude Night Marathon

7:00 pm, 8:30 pm, and 10:00 pm ($5): Magnet house troupes performing improv, followed by a free show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet’s Megawatt

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: A wonderful—and free!—outdoor concert at Central Park, with star stand-ups and musical comedy performers. The stellar headliners are Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; Comedy Central special; Jimmy Fallon; Electric Company; Conan O’Brien’s Legally Prohibited tour; for video samples, please click here) and Natasha Leggero (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; star of Last Comic Standing, Jay Leno, Craig Ferguson,Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, Reno 911!, The Sarah Silverman Program, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Ugly Americans, Chelsea Lately) at Central Park SummerStage

Even though SummerStage is spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of visitors, it’s not uncommon for every square inch of ground to be occupied with folks eager to laugh. It’s therefore recommended you arrive early for this lovely comedy party to ensure you get in, and can nab either a seat or a comfortable spot on the grass. (And consider bringing a large blanket…)

Directions to SummerStage

SummerStage is located at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.

From the East side: Take the #6 subway to 68th Street and Lexington,

or the M1/M2/M3/M4 bus to 72nd Street and 5th Avenue;

enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue;

and then walk a bit following the map above.

Traveling crosstown: Take the M-66 or M72 bus to Fifth Avenue;

enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue;

and then walk a bit following the map above.

From the West side: Take the 1/2/3/B/C subway to 72nd Street,

or the M7/M10/M11 bus to 72nd Street and Central Park West;

enter the park at 72nd Street and Central Park West;

and then walk a whole lot following the map above.

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Molly Knefel (member of superb improv troupe Naked in a Fishbowl) and her brother John Knefel (veteran stand-up) host this monthly comedy show, with tonight’s guests star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys), Dan Soder (Comedy Central), Jordan Carlos (Comedy Central), Kevin Barnett (Roundtable of Gentlemen), and Susan Prekel performing stand-up at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, off Thompson Street): John and Molly Get Along

8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): Typically sharp NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City with host Nick Turner: Monsters

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Dan St. Germain (quick-witted rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV; for reenactment of Dan’s breakup, please click here), Erin Judge (Comedy Central), Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central, VH1), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony tour), Ashley Brooke Roberts, and Billy Wayne Davis performing stand-up at the 11th Street Bar (510 East 11th Street, off Avenue A) for this monthly extravaganza hosted by the razor-sharp & delightful Erin Lennox (co-host of Fresh; for a sample of Erin’s dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here) who notes “AND FREE DRINKS! If you are very pretty and make someone think you’re going to sleep with them. Otherwise there are reasonably priced drinks that you can buy yourself:” Erin Lennox’s I Like You Too Show

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV’sNewNowNext, Sirius Radio’s Frank DeCaro Show), Will Hines (UCBT improv/sketch superstar who’s getting better at stand-up), Rob Gorden (storyteller; Onion News Network, The Big C), Walter Replogle (member of award-winning sketch troupe Murderfist), Sean Crespo (The Electric Company, Onion News Network, host of Lasers in the Jungle), Kristeen von Hagen (Showtime’s Comics without Borders), and Carrie Gravenson performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[FREE] 10:00 pm: An evening of video comedy shorts from our NYC comedy community screened at The Creek in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Nick Turner & Jason Saenz: Free Comedy Videos

[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 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 new book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Amy Heidt, Barrow Street Theatre, Central Park SummerStage, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Meisel, Mamrie Hart, Maude Night Marathon, Natasha Leggero, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Pam Murphy, Pamela Murphy, Reggie Watts, Shannon O'Neill, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 9/25/10

September 25, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Wry, quick-witted, hilarious Natasha Leggero concludes her not-to-be-missed run tonight headlining at Comix...

...while the champion of feminism Leibya Rogers performs for her comedy CD recording Leibya Fair Live...

...and the absolute funniest show (out of 197) at last month's FringeNYC—a comedic play about fantasy role-play gaming—has its final encore performances tonight and Sunday: Saving Throw Versus Love

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): Brilliant comedic singer/songwriter Mindy Raf lets loose as her best-known character, ultra-feminist Leibya Rogers, singing songs for freedom in “a loving parody of Ani Difranco and the singer-songwriters of the 90’s,” to record Leibya’s first comedy CD—with the help of comedy genius Kate McKinnon—at Arlene’s Grocery (95 Stanton Street): Leibya Fair Live

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($26.95 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on this summer’sLast Comic Standing; who’s performed on Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FX, Chelsea Lately, and more (for samples, please click here); and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing a not-to-be-missed headlining set at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisor Christina Gausas and friends she originally made in Chicago—which include writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s appeared on HBO’s Down and Dirty, performed his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, co-hosts the weekly Tuesday NYC comedy show Punch Up Your Life, and recently released his comedy CDThe Depression Auction, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joe DeRosa

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15 at the door, $13.99 online): NYC improv and sketch troupes—many of whom perform at The PIT—competing against each other via this unusual annual contest in which each group, regardless of specialty, will perform both improv and sketch…as well as a comedy form known as sketchprov using the Second City routine The Pad. This final night of the week-long competition features the best of the groups, and will probably sell out, so buying in advance onlineis recommended: SketchProv

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—and the Cage Match Champion for two years in a row!—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Visiting Irish comedy star Maeve Higgins, master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets), Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV; for sample video, please click here), and more performing at Brooklyn’s Sycamore with hosts Caroline Creaghead and Anne Johnson: Rope Swing

9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($18): The absolute funniest comedy at FringeNYC 2010 was a play about the world of D&D role-play gaming. It’s a smart, hilarious production that’s exceptionally well-written and directed with razor-sharp timing. For my review, please click here; and then don’t miss this second chance provided by the FringeNYC Encore Series to experience the extraordinarySaving Throw Versus Love

10:30 pm ($10): While Reuben Williams plays a gig in Las Vegas, improv troupe Bastian fills in with an intriguing-sounding show springboarding off audience fantasies: Why Don’t You Do What You Dream?

10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): “The most fabulous show on Earth,” hosted by Tim Gunn (John Flynn) and Tim Gunn (Michael Hartney), tonight featuring Project Runway Season 5 contestants Jennifer Diederich and Wesley Nault, plus superb comedic performers (both straight and gay)—including Megan Neuringer, Andy Rocco, Brian Faas, Sue Galloway, Eliot Glazer, Chris Kelly, Matt Pavlovich, and Thorgi—and two audience members who’ll be selected to compete in a design challenge, at The Same Sex-Tacular

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Arlene's Grocery, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Kerry Flanagan, Leibya Rogers, LeibyaFair Live, Mindy Raf, Natasha Leggero, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Saving Throw Versus Love, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 9/24/10

September 24, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

The wonderful Natasha Leggero heats up NYC tonight and Saturday headlining at Comix...

...and beloved comedy stars Paul Scheer (above) and Nick Kroll team up for a live version of their FX TV series The League

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen’s Class: The Harvard Sailing Team

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Brilliant improvisor and storyteller Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives) performing a one-man autobiographical show about doing drugs and booze while writing for children’s television; and Nicole Shabtai performing a one-woman show about “illustrious a 13-year-old socialite and notorious Upper East Side private schooler we all love to hate,” in the double-bill Pissing My Pants on Vine and Citizen Rothstein

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($24.78 online with discount code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): Genius improvisors and comedic character actors Paul Scheer and Nick Kroll (both dearly loved NYC comics who moved to LA for TV & movie careers), along with some of their fellow cast members from the FX TV series The League, performing live on stage for one night only at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, and More at FX’s The League Live

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): The phenomenal Tara Copeland and veteran comic Jessica Allen performing as an improv duo at Tara & Jess

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Christian Finnegan (co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; commentator on MNBC’s Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1’s Best Week Ever; Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Julian McCullough (Comedy Central Presents), Phil Hanley, Matt Donaher, and Jessie Geller performing stand-up with host David Cope: Hot Soup

8:00 pm & 9:30 pm ($12 at the door, $10.98 per show online): NYC improv and sketch troupes—many of whom perform at The PIT—compete against each other via this unusual annual contest in which each group, regardless of specialty, will perform both improv and sketch…as well as a comedy form known as sketchprov using the Second City routine The Pad. The competition, running through Saturday, is SketchProv

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s appeared on HBO’sDown and Dirty, performed his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, co-hosts the weekly Tuesday NYC comedy show Punch Up Your Life, and recently released his comedy CD The Depression Auction, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Joe DeRosa

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($26.95 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; who’s performed on Jay Leno, Comedy Central, FX, Chelsea Lately, and more (for samples, please click here); and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing not-to-be-missed headlining sets tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero

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

[$] 10:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) A comic perhaps best known for his appearances on celebrity roasts, but who’s also performed on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, and more, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Jeffrey Ross

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

11:30 ($5): Improvisors Brigid Boyle, Emily Bryan, Nicole Cascio, Caroline Ficksman, and Alexis Saarela parodying The View in a show self-described as “Hey, Darlings! Come sit down with a cup of coffee (or perhaps a martini) and join the panel of five of New York’s most talkative and opinionated women as they discuss the week’s events, and interview alluring guests from the worlds of literature, politics, comedy, and more. Let’s talk about issues, over drinks!” This show will keep you in Focus

Midnight ($5): Sketch comedy troupes Boat and Dependable Felons compete for audience laughs and votes, with troupe Sidecar hosting, in Backyard Brawl

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, FX The League, FX's The League, Improv, Improvisation, Natasha Leggero, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Paul Scheer, Paul Scheer as Captain Kirk, Paul Scheer in Star Trek, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 7/12/10

July 12, 2010

For videos of Last Comic Standing star Natasha Leggero, click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac performs tonight at both Tell Your Friends and Whiplash...

...and award-winning storyteller Adam Wade performs at his monthly extravaganza The Adam Wade from New Hampshire 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] 6:00 pm: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) hosts this free open-mic show for storytellers, in which you can put your name in a hat for the chance to tell a five-minute true story…and if it’s a good one, possibly be included in Kevin’s popular podcasts on the Web: Risk! Storyslam

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A monthly storytelling show from the wonderful Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 15-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of Real Tales of College; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here), with guest storyteller Jake Goldman and improv illustrator Sharon Spell at Under St. Marks: The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($17.50 online with discount code NIFF): My #1 pick for the2007 FringeNYC Festival, this wonderful group of actresses/improvisors portray characters as if they were in a play, but improvise everything they say and do. The luminous performers include Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg, and Lauren Seikaly, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they’ve all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title’s Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest and nuanced improvised shows you’ll ever see. Check out some videos of previous episodes here; and then nab tickets for tonight’s sixth installment at the Soho Playhouse of a 10-week Monday night run: Naked in a Fishbowl

[FREE] 7:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Dan St. Germain (quick-witted rising star), Ryan Hamilton (Last Comic Standing), Ilana Glazer (Jimmy Fallon, web series Broad City), Michael Terry (The Onion, Huffington Post), and Jesse Jones performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A powerhouse lineup of stand-ups including Dave Hill, Wyatt Cenac, Hannibal Buress, and Kurt Braunohler, plus musical guest Mike Doughty, performing in the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends

8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT’s fine house sketch comedy troupes, Thunder Gulch and Gramps’, trying out new bits at Maude Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—Thomas Middleditch, Eliza Skinner, Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Jeff Hiller, Mike Still, and Jim Santangeli—making up a musical on the spot (with the help of invaluable improv pianist Frank Spitznagel) at Diamond Lion

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest stand-ups in the country—tonight including Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show), Myq Kaplan (semi-finalist on Last Comic Standing), and Kate Crown (Comedy Central)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

For videos of Last Comic Standing star Natasha Leggero, click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Adam Wade, Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Improv, Improvisation, Natasha Leggero, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, Tell Your Friends, The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Under St. Marks, Upright Citizens Brigade, Wyatt Cenac | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 7/11/10

July 11, 2010

For videos of Last Comic Standing star Natasha Leggero, click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Star stand-up Jake Johannsen concludes his NYC headlining run tonight 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:

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 2:00 pm: Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Carolyn Castiglia (Last Comic Standing, VH1’s white rapper MIss CKC), Craig Baldo (Conan O’Brien), Esther Ku, Rob O’Reilly, and Marianne Schaberg performing for a free outdoor show at Tompkins Square Park: Laughter in the Park

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($26.75 & 2-drink min.): A 10-year veteran cast member of Mad TV, and performer on numerous other top TV shows, headlining at Carolines: Michael McDonald

[FREE] 8:00 pm: James Adomian (Last Comic Standing finalist), Ali Wong (comedy dynamo; MTV, VH1), Craig Baldo (Conan O’Brien), Jason Good, Damien Lemon, and Julia Segal performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.) A comedy icon who’s performed on David Lettermanover 40 times and The Tonight Show over 10 times, and did the acclaimed HBO comedy specialThis’ll Take About An Hour and current Showtime special I Love You, headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jake Johannsen

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Stand-up star Ted Alexandro, plus Mike Lawrence, Jessimae Peluso, TuRae, and Jeffrey Joseph performing at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress: Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jared Logan, Greg Johnson, and Dan Soder, and sketch troupe The Jerk Practice, performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar at Vince Averill’s & Jesse Popp’s free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Ali Wong (comedy dynamo; MTV, VH1), Brian Barry (Broadway revival of Pal Joey), Shawn Hollenbach (Here TV’s Hot Gay Comics), and Lexi Cullen Baker performing at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy guest-hosted tonight by Adam Sank: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

For videos of Last Comic Standing star Natasha Leggero, click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Carolines, Carolines Comedy Club, Carolines on Broadway, Cheap Comedy, Comedian, Comedians, Comedic Storytelling, Comedy, Comedy Clubs, Comic, Comics, Comix, Comix Comedy Club, Free Comedy, Fun NYC, Funny, Gotham Comedy Club, Improv, Improvisation, Jake Johannsen, Natasha Leggero, New York City Comedy, New York Comedy, New York Comedy Clubs, NY Comedy, NYC Comedy, NYC Fun, Ochi’s Lounge, Sketch Comedy, Stand-Up Comedy, Standup Comedy, Storytelling, The Magnet Theater, The Peoples Improv Theatre, The PIT, UCB, UCBT, Upright Citizens Brigade | Permalink
Posted by hybender

Best New York Comedy

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