NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 7/13/12

July 13, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Grab tickets to see SNL’s Kate McKinnon on stage by clicking here.

Ted Alexandro

Stand-up giant Ted Alexandro performs with Janeane Garofalo at 9:00 at Eastville, and then…

Reggie Watts

…with Reggie Watts at midnight at UCB Chelsea for a fascinating comedy experiment called “Set List”

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] 6:30 pm ($10 plus 1 drink min.): “Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theater, a shark swims right into your heart.” Beloved storyteller/stand-up/sketch comic John Flynn stars as a singing shark, along with Laura Daniel, Brett Douglas, Wayne Henry, Jason Salmon, and Suzanne Stein in this 40-minute musical written & composed by Wayne Henry at the Broadway Comedy Club (318 West 53rd Street, between 8th & 9th Avenues), running tonight and Sunday: Jaws: The Musical

7:00 pm ($7): “Evan Barden went on 100 dates in one year. Having completed the project, Evan is now going on his 101st date in front of a live audience. Get an inside look at what it’s like to date a pretty average guy in NYC” at The Magnet starring Cathryn Mudon, Connor Ratliff, and Chris Simpson:” 100 Dates

[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; and, at their best, the troupe’s writers sizzle too. That said, this new show actually sounds more like improv with a dash of sketch: “The only live comedy sketch show all about you! Each week, we select two lucky audience members and craft a sketch show all about their lives. You probably think we’re crazy. We are! You probably think too much. We don’t! You probably think this show is about you. It is!“—directed by ace improvisor Ryan Karels: Stone Cold Fox: You Probably Think This Show Is About You!

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Abra Tabak (Grandma’s Ashes), and more perform improv at UCB East springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[FREE] 7:45 pm sharp: John Roy (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central), Annie Lederman (Comedy Central, co-host of Pirate Party), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV), Lukas Kaiser, and J.F. Harris performing stand-up at One and One (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) produced by Ben Conrad: Cranky Pants Comedy Hour

[FREE] 8:00 pm: This third annual comedy tournament features 40 improv groups…only one of which will triumph. Tonight the last remaining improv troupes battle for superiority, pride, and glory at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by James Ferrarella: The Arena Finals

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): At UCB East, an improv troupe that earlier this year clobbered top rivals at Cage Match—thanks to such talents as Don Fanelli, Kate Riley, and Tim Martin—attempts to abandon rules for the sake of achieving new levels of hilarity in Fuck That Shit

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

[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.; performing 9:00 pm only), TV & movie Janeane Garofalo (performing 9:00 pm only), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), 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

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: Improv from ace troupe Doppelganger, duo The Brothers Hines, Couples Retreat, The Charlies, and Froduce at The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Sean Donnelly: Froduce Four Year Anniversary Show

[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 ($10): 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] 11:30 pm ($7): Ace improvisors Tami Sagher & Christina Gausas make up scenes at The Magnet as duo Sagher & Gausas

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Blowout lineup of Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; IFC’s Comedy Bang Bang, Comedy Central special; Jimmy Fallon; Electric Company; Conan O’Brien’s Legally Prohibited tour; for video samples, please click here), 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.), James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), and Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet) for this special show in which “top comics are given a never-before-seen ‘set list’ of strange, challenging, and outrageous topics, and perform seamlessly as if it’s the act they normally do while the audience follows their list on the projection screen” at UCB Chelsea. I can’t believe this show hasn’t sold out yet! Grab tickets to see this amazing event: Set List with Reggie, Ted, James, and Seth

[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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 1/2/12

January 2, 2012

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

Reggie Watts

Musical improv genius Reggie Watts performs at "Whiplash"...

Brandon Gulya

...and Brandon Gulya hopes to be "Famous Soon"

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 stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

7:00 pm ($5): An audience interactive one-woman show at The Magnet described as follows: “Tarot cards are an ancient system of divination, steeped in mystery and esoteric wisdom. Marcy Currier is a 33-year-old woman with a million ideas and an unreasonable point of view. Together, they will answer your questions about the great mysteries of life: love, sex, money, and getting the dishes done. This show is about you, so bring questions for…:” Tarot Live!

7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4 minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2 hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison’s & Carol Hartsell’s Motel Luca

[FREE] 7:30 pm: RG Daniels (host of Sunday Night Stand-Up), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales), Adam Cozens, Lance Weiss, and Toby Muresianu performing at a free weekly stand-up show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

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

8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, Joanna Bradley performs a one-woman show in which she proves that she’s neither dumb nor boring, but might need a bit more discipline in creating a consistently entertaining journey for the audience. Digressions include singing a song she warns us won’t be funny, and then it really isn’t—and so shouldn’t have been included; and taking most of her clothes off and telling us there’s no reason for her doing so, and this is once again true (aside from it being a signature move for her director, the wonderful Becky Drysdale; but Becky always uses this to make the performer vulnerable and open up, while Joanna defeats that by continuing to hide behind sarcasm…). Bradley is appealing as a performer, though, and that might be reason enough to experience Everybody’s Dumb and Boring…

…and in the second half of this double-bill, a new one-woman show by Sue Smith about anger, directed by the always inventive and delightful Laura Grey: Minimum Rage

8:00 pm ($5): Charmingly silly & very funny performer Brandon Gulya tries his hand at also being a charming & very funny writer with this one-man show he’s hoping will make his career: Brandon Gulya Will Be Famous Soon; plus in the other half of this UCB East double-bill, improvisor Patrick Noth and beatbox sound master Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan freestyle rap a fully improvised Harold at MC Harold

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, hit comedy CD Vegan Mind Meld), Mike Racine (Comedy Central), Jaqi Furback, and Dan Wilbur performing at the One and One Bar (1st Street & First Avenue) for this weekly stand-up show hosted by Louis Katz, Tim Dimond, and J. F. Harris: Raw Guts

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: PIT owner Ali Farahnakian and razor-sharp PIT instructors perform improv at The PIT downstairs lounge in The Faculty Part 2: Electric Boogaloo; plus improv troupe Technicolor

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): This revival of one of my all-time favorite UCB Chelsea shows involves a group of stellar comics taking an audience suggestion and, while sipping beers, telling personal tales related to it—with an emphasis on the ribald and ridiculous, just like what you’d want to hear from your friends while hanging out at a bar. The yarn spinning is great fun; but on top of that, when the performers hear a story that especially tickles them, they’ll jump up and instantly create scenes revolving around it. And because these talents are razor-sharp improvisors, the results are hilarious. Just as a sidenote, this show used to include world-class storyteller Chris Gethard—and whenever Chris opened his mouth, everyone else went dead silent as if God was about to speak. (Yes, Chris is that respected by his peers.) Chris is now tied up with other things, but tonight will be a fine show regardless thanks to such brilliant improvisors as UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, UCBT Artistic Associate John Frusciante, and Fran Gillespie: Happy Hour

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Typically stellar comics in a show “where improv and stand-up bleeds in and out of each other. One comedian starts with stand-up. Soon he or she is joined by a second comedian—and the two improvise scenes inspired by the first comic’s stand-up. Eventually the first comic leaves and the second comedian performs stand-up. When that set is over, her or she’s joined by the first comedian and a third comedian. The three improvise scenes inspired by the second comedian’s set. Then comedians one and two exit, and the third comedian performs his/her set until being joined by comedians one, two and a new fourth comedian…and so on. The process continues till we run out of comedians stashed backstage.” It’s all the brainchild of Nick Vatterott, who hosts this bold & messy new format at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Klusterphuk

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Jordon Ferber, Seth Joseph, Jen Mutascio, Evon Cambell, Mike Cannon, Jim Tews, and Jessica Watkins performing at Pat O’Shea’s free biweekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy’s Backroom (627 5th Avenue): Ed Sullivan on Acid

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner & Chelsea Clarke hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

10:00 pm ($5): Improv that flows from moment to moment, with no sweeps or tag outs—”each exit starts a new scene, while performers use devices ranging from monologues to in-scene questions to break into characters and relationships quicker and deeper:” Scoresby

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include 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), Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; former staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Katie Crown (Comedy Central’s Hotbox, MTV, Comedians Of Comedy Tour)—at UCB Chelsea hosted by the wonderful Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; brand new book A Bad Idea I’m About to Do): Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open-mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin’s dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

New Year, Healthier You: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 12/19/11

December 19, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

John Oliver

Comedy genius John Oliver performs tonight at both the Morrison Motel and Whiplash...

Julie Klausner and Michael Showalter

...Julie Klausner and Michael Showalter (above), Andrea Rosen, and more perform at The Moon Show...

Reggie Watts

...and Reggie Watts makes unique music at Comedy Central Corporate Retreat

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): World-class storyteller Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of The Adam Wade Show; for Adam’s award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O’Brien, please click here) hosts a show at The Magnet that’s “like watching the characters of The Wonder Years and Freaks & Geeks all grown up and telling coming-of-age tales of love, lost, regret, and redemption,” with tonight’s guests Dale Davidson (invaluable FringeNYC staffer & Magnet improvisor), Matt Sheerfek, and John Brennan: Adam Wade’sWhatever Happened to the Nerds?

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Calvin S. Cato, Patrick J. Mitchell, Kate Hendricks, Joe Larson, and Asie Mohtarez performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4 minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2 hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison’s Motel Luca

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($12): Michael Showalter (MTV’s The State, comedy troupe Stella, writer/star of feature films The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer and Comedy Central’s Michael & MIchael Have Issues; author of bestselling book Mr. Funny Pants), Julie Klausner (razor-sharp comic & storyteller, and author of I Don’t Care About Your Band), Andrea Rosen (brilliant stand-up & storyteller; HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, Comedy Central’s Stella, Variety SHAC, The Nights of Our Lives, Ding Dong Meow, winner of the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up), and more performing at 92Y Tribeca, along with sketches from Moon regulars such as co-producer Jordan Clifford,  the delightful Camille Harris, and hosts Nat Towsen & Bob Walles at this special edition of The Moon Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($14.83 online or $12 at the door): Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special), Jon Glaser (creator/star of Adult Swim’s Delocated, long-time writer & sketch performer forConan O’Brien, voiceover actor for Comedy Central and Adult Swim), “Adam the Real Man,” and musical guest River City Extension performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety with Kurt & Kristen

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A top comedy musical night featuring Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; Comedy Central special; Jimmy Fallon; Electric Company; Conan O’Brien’sLegally Prohibited tour; for video samples, please click here), Tom Shillue’s barbershop quartet Scollay Square, Buckwheat Groats, and more performing at UCB East hosted by Max Silvestri (co-host of Big Terrific): Comedy Central Corporate Retreat

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents, co-host of Righteous Kill, comedy CD The Depression Auction), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing), Alice Wetterlund (College Humor), John F. O’Donnell (Comedy Central, co-host of 50 First Jokes), Robbie Collier, and “a special guest” performing at the One and One Bar (1st Street & First Avenue) for this new weekly stand-up show hosted by Louis Katz, Tim Dimond, and J. F. Harris: Raw Guts

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A silly holiday sketch/character comedy tradition at UCB Chelsea that makes fun of all things preppy, tonight featuring such talents as Violet Krumbein, Will Hines, Rob Lathan, Craig Rowin, Katie Schorr, and many more, hosted by Alex Scordelis and Chris Schell: The Brooks Brothers Christmas Clambake

8:30 pm ($5): Improv at The Magnet revolving around “the anticipation, the fall-out, that fragile moment when love blooms or dies” in Double Date, plus improv from troupe Honey

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm doors, 9:00 pm show ($20, which includes 1 drink; please note this show hassold out, but there’s a small chance of getting in via a stand-by line if folks who made reservations don’t show up): A killer lineup of John Oliver, Myq Kaplan, Hannibal Buress, Carmen Lynch, Lee Camp, Liz Miele, and Steve Rosso performing stand-up at the Cornelia Street Cafe for John Morrison’s Morrison Motel

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: PIT owner Ali Farahnakian and the school’s razor-sharp instructors perform improv at The PIT downstairs lounge in The Faculty Part 2: Electric Boogaloo; plus improv troupe Technicolor

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the most respected and influential improv troupes of all time that was legendary for its lightning-fast reactions is reunited for one night only at UCB Chelsea with members Andy Secunda, Sean Conroy, and Michael Delaney: The Swarm

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Pat O’Shea (host of Ed Sullivan on Acid) and Brooke Van Popplen & Giulia Rozzi (hosts of Dive Comedy), who normally alternate their biweekly shows at the same time and location, join forces tonight by welcoming NYC stand-ups Carla Rhodes, Kara Klenk, Jessimae Peluso, Stone and Stone, John F. O’Donnell, and more at Brooklyn’s Freddy’s Backroom (627 5th Avenue): Ed Sullivan on Acid & Dive Comedy Join Forces Spectacular

[FREE] 9:30 pm: “In moments of exhaustion, in the space of a hesitation, when a faltering spirit looms large, the sixth man comes off the bench and sparks a revolt against complacency and routine. The sixth man powers the team and washes over that faltering spirit with a cleansing energy. A show in which awesome teams are made even greater with the addition of a special guest improviser. Tag-ins, walk-ons, lay-ons, swinging doors, all manner of support work is allowed and encouraged” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Andy Beckerman and Cory Palmer: Sixth Man

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

10:00 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] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—with tonight’s guests John Oliver (star correspondent of The Daily Show, co-star of NBC’s Community, star of Comedy Central’s New York Stand-Up Show, screenwriter, and genius stand-up comic), star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), Sean Conroy (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, legendary improv troupe The Swarm), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon; co-host of Too Cool For School and If You Bu=ild It), Sean O’Connor, and Zach Sherwin—performing at UCB Chelsea with wonderful Sean Patton (killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language): Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should beWhiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on UCBT’s all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open-mic at The PITupstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin’s dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

 For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 10/23/11

October 23, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Reggie Watts

A musical improv comedy genius performs at NYU's Skirball Center for one night only: "Reggie Watts--On Life and Quantum Entanglement"

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

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

[FREE] 6:00 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: The Candy Taco Improv Hour

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), 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), Adam Newman (College Humor), and “a surprise guest” participate in “a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people’s problems with their own stories” at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB West’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): Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Streeter Seidell (College Humor), and Jordan Carlos (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Danny Jolles: The Most Fun Show Ever

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($27 at door or $30.50 online): A musical improv comedy genius who’s starred in his own Comedy Central special, and performed on Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, Conan O’Brien’s Legally Prohibited tour, and in amazing videos (for samples, please click here) doing a show for one night only at NYU’s 700-seat Skirball Center: Reggie Watts: On Life and Quantum Entanglement

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Glenn Wool (Comedy Central; terrific UK comedy star), Heather Lawless (fresh, hilarious, unique stand-up; Comedy Central, Wonder Showzen, member of Variety SHAC), Jon Benjamin (star of Comedy Central’s Jon Benjamin Has a Van) & Nathan Fielder, and Levi Macdougall performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for comedy giant Eugene Mirman’s Pretty Good Friends

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($46.50 & 2-drink min.) A comedy superstar (for a sample set, please clickhere) headlining one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: D. L. Hughley

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Kevin Barnett (College Humor; for thoughts on how the owner of Facebook should spend his money, please click here), Emily Heller (for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), Amber Nelson (sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Gutbucket), Harriet Halloway (Howard Stern, Logo TV, Sirius XM Radio), and Chris DiStefano performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material: Ripe Sketch Comedy

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

[$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who’s starred in his own Comedy Central Presentshalf-hour special, and performed on HBO’s Tourgasm, FX’s Louie, MTV, and VH1 headlining one more night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Robert Kelly

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Music from the unforgettable dark comedy group The Cowmen and more at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Murderfist’s Holden McNeely & Ed Larson: Stage Fright

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Neal Brennan (HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno, Comedy Central, IFC), Dan Soder (Comedy Central), and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Andy Haynes, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup

9:30 pm ($5): A monthly screening of new short filmed sketch and comedy produced by members of the Magnet community: Flick Video Showcase

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Vicious Cycle

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Karith Foster (Comedy Central, VH1), Rose Surnow, and Susan Alexander performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle:Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

11:00 pm ($5): A variety show at UCB East “hosted by the three Jimmy Fallon bloggers who all have to go to work together in the morning:” Sunday at 11

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 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...

Reggie Watts and Natasha Leggero

...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.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 10/25/10

October 25, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Todd Barry and Reggie Watts

"A very special interview" of Todd Barry and Reggie Watts tonight at Citizen Radio Live

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

[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] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($15 at the door on $18.50 online with discount codeFISHFAN): My #1 pick for the 2007 FringeNYC Festival, this wonderful group of actresses/improvisors portray characters as if they were in a play, but improvise everything they say and do. The luminous performers include Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg, Lauren Seikaly, and Molly Knefel, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they’ve all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title’s Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest & nuanced improvised shows you’ll ever see.

In last week’s show, Katharine Heller was gorgeous in an outfit that displayed some of her more obvious assets and Lynne Rosenberg proved herself a trooper in a—well, let’s say less flattering ensemble, in a show revolving around breasts and nonprofits.

Although every episode is a wonderful theatrical event, readers of this site no longer have to pay theatrical prices; you can see this show for a mere $15 by mentioning code FISHFAN at the door. Check out some videos of previous episodes here; and then get in the habit of attending the Soho Playhouse to experience the always fresh and surprising Naked in a Fishbowl

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups JL Cauvin, Jay Nog, Amanda Baramki, Chris Laker, and Gary Vider 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 online or $8 at the door): Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star of The King of Miami, band Diamondsnake, champion rapper; The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Dave Hill Explosion ), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central), Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting (memorable sketch comedy duo), and Australian stand-up Dan Ilic performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): World-class storyteller Tom Shillue (The Daily Show, Comedy Central), UK comedy star Glenn Wool (Comedy Central), Andy Pitz (David Letterman), Jared Logan (Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing), and Nick Cobb (Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing) performing at the Three of Cups East Village lounge (i.e., not the usual Aces and Eights venue tonight) for John Szeluga’s Not Friday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Improv crashes into classic theatre scenes at this amazing show featuring some of the very best improvisors and theatrical actors in NYC: Gravid Water

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A blowout lineup of live radio interview subjects, including Reggie Watts, Melissa Harris-Lacewell (MSNBC, The Nation), and “a very special interview with Todd Barry” at Jamie Kilstein’s and Allison Kilkenny’s Citizen Radio Live

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Four sharp comedic talents each performing a monologue, with tonight’s players Matt Higgins (Centralia), Katie Northlich (four-time National Monologue Champion), Shawn Williams (National Monologue Champion), and Walter Murphy: The PIT-ologues

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Jon Dore, Gabe & Jenny, Joe Mande, Jon Friedman, and Billy Wayne Davis—guest-hosted by comedy genius Sean Patton (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1) at Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on Leo’s show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills on this new stand-up open-mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and Erin Lennox: Fresh

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 10/4/10

October 4, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Reggie Watts

Brilliant improv beatboxer Reggie Watts performs tonight at Tell Your 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] 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] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($21 at the door or $25.50 online with discount codeFISHFAN): My #1 pick for the 2007 FringeNYC Festival, this wonderful group of actresses/improvisors portray characters as if they were in a play, but improvise everything they say and do. The luminous performers include Katharine Heller, Brenna Palughi, Lynne Rosenberg, Lauren Seikaly, and Molly Knefel, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they’ve all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title’s Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest and nuanced improvised shows you’ll ever see. Two memorable moments from last week were Brenna suddenly kissing Molly, which no one expected, and which clearly shook new troupe member Molly. This was contrasted later in the show when Brenna illustrated a point about breasts by exposing hers to long-time member Lynne, who calmly responded with interested clinical appreciation. Check out some videos of previous episodes here; and then nab tickets for tonight’s installment at the Soho Playhouse of Naked in a Fishbowl

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stands-up Danny Lobell, Annie Lederman, Alec Sobel, and John Moses 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): Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NPR, star of The King of Miami; The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Dave Hill Explosion), 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), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), and UK comic Aidan Bishop, and “a possible surprise guest” performing stand-up in the Lolita Bar for Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 online or $8 at the door): The Found Footage Festival (hilarious amateur video clips), Stuckey & Murray (superb comedic music duo), Lisa Delarios (Comedy Central), and Claudia O’Doherty (oddball UK comic who kinda grows on you…but Kristen, for god sakes don’t let her do the smoke routine) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Rory Scovel (Comedy Central), Steven Benaquist (Spike TV), Phil Hanley, George Gorden, and Alex Grubard performing at Aces & Eights (34 Avenue A, off 3rd Street) for John Szeluga’s Not Friday

8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT’s fine house sketch comedy troupes, Gorilla Gorilla and Stone Cold Fox, 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 tonight’s guest  Erik Tanouye (Bastian)—making up a musical on the spot at Diamond Lion

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the country—who tonight include Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, movie star; host of Sweet), Louis Katz (HBO’s Down & Dirty, Comedy Central), and Sheng Wang (Comedy Central)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you’re an audience member, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you’re a comic who couldn’t get booked on Leo’s show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills on this new stand-up open-mic hosted by Michelle Wolf and Erin Lennox: Fresh

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 9/20/10

September 20, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Reggie Watts and Daniel Kitson

Comedy geniuses Reggie Watts and Daniel Kitson perform tonight at a blowout edition of Whiplash

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

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

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Brilliant comedic singer/songwriter Shayna Ferm, and NYC stand-ups Joe List (Comedy Central), Jayson Cross (Nip/Tuck, The View), and Liz Faublas 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

8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT’s fine house sketch comedy troupes, Slow Burn and High Treason, trying out new bits at Maude Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 online or $8 at the door): Visiting UK comedy genius Daniel Kitson (if you don’t know, come and find out), Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), and Noah Garfinkel (VH1’s Best Week Ever, Huffington Post, co-host of Totally J/K) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Wyatt Cenac (correspondent for The Daily Show), Andrea Rosen (Comedy Central’s Stella, Variety SHAC), musical comedy duo Stuckey & Murray, Susan Burke (Comedy Central’s Important Things), and Matt Peters (Weeds) performing at a free weekly LES show at Pianos produced by Adam Lowitt and Matt Goldich: It Is It

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films, The Other Guys, comedy CD Come Clean), Jordan Carlos (Comedy Central), Kevin Barnett, Matt Donaher, and Barbara Holm performing at Aces & Eights (34 Avenue A, off 3rd Street) for John Szeluga’s Not Friday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Treasured Time Out NY Comedy Editor Jane Borden, Victor Varnado, Jullian McCullough, Chris DeLuca, Vanessa Hollingshead, and Emmett Montgomery performing stand-up in the Lolita Bar for producer Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Jeff Hiller, Thomas Middleditch, Eliza Skinner, Mike Still, and tonight’s guest Will Hines—making up a musical on the spot along with virtuoso improv pianist Frank Spitznagel: Diamond Lion

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the country—with tonight’s blowout edition featuring UK storytelling genius Daniel Kitson, improv beatbox genius Reggie Watts, and stand-ups Ron Lynch and Jeffrey Joseph—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 Tuesday 3/3/09

March 3, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

janeane-garafalo-3-cropped

Janeane Garofalo

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

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

comedians getting rid of their stuff by telling tales about the items and then selling to the highest bidder—with tonight’s comics including Myka Fox, Shane Webb, George Gordon, and Michael Lawrence—at the way fun Auction! (7:30 pm),

comics editor Jeff Newelt, and comics artists Simon Fraser and Joan Reilly, joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),

three full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes DeCoster, The Law Firm, Ragnaröck, Bastian, and The F*cking Kennedys—at Harold Night (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a stellar—and free!—new Tuesday night comedy show, hosted by brilliant stand-ups Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim) and Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1’s Best Week Ever, The New Yorker), with tonight’s guests including Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central, VH1, MSNBC), Chelsea Peretti (Comedy Central, Variety Shac), and Hannibal Buress (Comedy Central, Craig Ferguson) at Punch Up Your Life (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and a blow-out celebration of the 200th show of one of the very best comedy extravaganzas in NYC—with TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (currently an FBI agent on FOX’s 24), genius improv beatboxer Reggie Watts (winner of 2007 Andy Kaufman award), Adult Swim star Jon Glaser (long-time writer/performer for Conan O’Brien), acclaimed comedic movie actor & director Frank Whaley (Pulp Fiction, Swimming with Sharks), and more—at the wonderful Seth Herzog’s Sweet (9:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 2/16/09

February 16, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Janeane Garofalo

Janeane Garofalo

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

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

[TOP PICK] TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo demonstrating why she’s one of the most respected and beloved comedic performers in entertainment history as she chats with superb interviewer Carl Arnheiter at Inside Joke (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] brilliant, passionate comedy star Marc Maron (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, HBO and Comedy Central specials), Reggie Watts (genius comedic improv beatboxer, winner of 2007 Andy Kaufman award), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), and more at Liam McEneaney’s free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

[TOP PICK] Livia Scott (brilliant comedic chameleon; Conan O’Brien), Matt Mccarthy (Comedy Central, Verizon FIOS guy), Jared Logan (Comedy Central), Giulia Rozzi (VH1, Stripped Stories), Jiwon Lee (Root of All Evil), and musical group The Rich Kids performing at a free weekly variety show in Brooklyn hosted by the razor-sharp Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender (8:30 pm),

two ace Chicago-trained improvisors, Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report) and John Lutz (writer/actor for Saturday Night Live since 2004; 30 Rock), making up scenes as 2 Square (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest comics in the country—who tonight include TV & movie star Paul F. Tompkins (host of VH1’s Best Week Ever; Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, Root of All Evil, HBO), John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the biz; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien), and Andrea Rosen (fresh, razor-sharp stand-up; VH1, Comedy Central, Variety SHAC) —hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central) at Whiplash (11:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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