Storytelling | Best New York Comedy

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 5/17/12

May 17, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

The lovely Julia Wiedeman is both playful…

…and fearless in her memorable sketch show Naked People

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: Eliza Skinner (Conan O’Brien, Showtime, MTV, TBS, AMC, co-host of weekly stand-up show Magic Bag with DC Pierson in LA) 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!

6:00 pm ($5): Two shows about which I know nothing audition for a regular spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea schedule: Kathy and Emily Regret Everything and Small Men. These might be great or awful; but at $2.50 per show, you can’t go far wrong either way. That’s part of the fun of Spank

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT mix with novices on-stage at Pitch

[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

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Hot Diner and THEM

7:00 pm ($5): Improv duo Steve Soroka (BoF) & Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team) team with improv troupe The Imposters at The PIT upstairs theatre to kick off your Evening Bliss

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Hello Laser to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Joe List (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Matt Koff (Onion News Network, WitStream, 9 Am Meeting), and Michael Che performing at UCB East produced by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, and David Cope, and hosted tonight by David Cope: Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a witty and ultimately exhilarating exploration of baring it all by fabulous long-time nudist Julia Wiedeman. Julie is a charismatic actress whose star is just starting to rise, and is well worth catching even beyond the enjoyment of her playful beauty. Check out promo videos here and here, and then run to see Naked People…

…and in the other half of this double-bill, a one-man sketch show by George Kareman about which I know nothing, but it has a fun title: Incredibly Extreme and Extremely Incredible

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: The East Side Orphan Riot and Harvey

8:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from a group that met as college students in Boston now performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Astronaut Theatre

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas…who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson’s writing isn’t consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes The Boss, Hello Laser, Phooka, and Junior Varsity performing improv, followed at 10:00 pm by Christina Gausas directing The Subject (improvised scenes that focus on one character who never leaves the stage, while other characters from the past, present, and future come and go), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with troupes Upstate and Pumpkin battling for laughs & votes: The Magnet’s Night Out

[$] 8:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) A regular on ABC’s Happy Endings headlining through Saturday at Carolines: Daman Wayans Jr.

[FREE] 8:00 pm: “A stand-up comedy showcase and baking competition—come to eat or come to compete” at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Cody Hess & Jessica Gross: Cookies!

[$] 8:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A stand-up who’s performed on Jay Leno, Craig Ferguson, Showtime, and his own hour-long Comedy Central special headlining through Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Sebastian Maniscalco

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Sean Patton (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; killer sets on Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), plus Max Silvestri and Gabe Liedman (co-hosts of Big Terrific), performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster): Totally J/K

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced by 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) 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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Todd Bieber, the razor-sharp Director of Content & Production for UCBComedy.com, has had his video/film work viewed over 25 million times via such sites as YouTube.com, NewYorkTimes.com, and EntertainmentWeekly.com. But before his success, Todd spent a couple of years churning out, as he bluntly puts it, “shitty local commercials in rural Pennsylvania.” If you’re a filmmaker, a fan of ridiculously awful late-night TV ads, or someone who likes to laugh, come enjoy this fascinating and hilarious insider look at microbudget commercials and the creative process (for a trailer, please click here). Directed by UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, this is one of the very best solo shows in NYC: Commercial Interruption…

…plus in the other half of this double-bill, “Matt Hobby & Mary Grill have a love deeper than one thousand really deep oceans. Through storytelling and sketch comedy, Matt & Mary show you the characters who helped them on their journey from fiancés to newlyweds:” Tying the Knot

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge for The Scene

9:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy written by Ryan Darden & Melissa Somosky that purports “love is like eating an entire cake all by yourself—it’ll make you sick, but deep down you secretly like it” at The PIT upstairs theatre: Fetish: Dirty Talk is for Amateurs

[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): Airwolf is crushing all opposition, winning its eight victory in a row last week 116-49. Tonight Airwolf will be seeking to stamp out The Pox. Don’t miss this medicinal competition for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Andy Hendrickson (Comedy Central), Luis Gomez (MTV’s Guy Code), John Milhiser (The Prom), and musical group Thin Skin Jonny performing at UCB East with host Chris Wilkes (Thunder Gulch): After Dark

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Julia Wiedeman, Naked People, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 5/12/12

May 12, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For a review of Broadway’s Seminar, please click here.
For some of NYC’s greatest storytellers, please click here.

Have some quirky fun tonight at Katey Healy-Wurzburg’s oddball trivia game show The Fascinator…

…or at Cynthia Silver’s unforgettable encounter with reality TV: Bridezilla Strikes Back!

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): Ashley Ward & Chris Grace host indie musical improv troupes, and also perform themselves as A/C, a musical monoscene duo, at The PIT upstairs theatre: Playlist

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Sad Kids, P.i.G., and LD50 at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An improv show that asks you to drop written suggestions into a box before it begins and then dips into the collection of suggestions throughout to propel new scenes: The Drop Box

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A comedy quiz show full of heavily researched quirky facts in which brilliant contestants from the NYC comedy community get points if their answers are correct but get more points if their answers are “quite interesting” at UCB East created & hosted by Katey Healy-Wurzburg: The Fascinator

7:00 pm ($8): At this PIT double-bill, Dan Hodapp & Natasha Rothwell “bring more than five years of improv collaboration to stage for an evening of bold, committed characters and probably a fart joke for good measure” as Hodapp & Rothwell, and then all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($15.25 [vs. $20.25] online using discount code WEDDING, plus $15 food/drink min.; I personally like both the burgers and lasagna): One of my all-time favorite FringeNYC shows is Cynthia Sliver’s true-life recounting of the “deal with the Devil” she made with reality TV (for my 2005 review, please click here). The production is enjoying a brief revival tonight and next Saturday at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, inside the West Bank Cafe (407 West 42nd Street, off Ninth Avenue), and is highly recommended: Bridezilla Strikes Back!

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

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 (SOLD OUT; there might be a waiting list, with tickets $5 at the door, but be warned chances of getting in are slim): Arden Myrin hosts a blowout lineup of David Cross, Janeane Garofalo, Adira Amram, Mike Lawrence, and David Cope (for more details, please clickhere): The Party Machine

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($30 & 2-drink min.) A cast member for four seasons of Saturday Night Live who’s also performed on Conan O’Brien, MTV, VH1, and feature films, headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jim Breuer

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) An energetic regular on Chelsea Lately who’s also appeared on Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, VH1, and his own Comedy Central special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jo Koy

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): From the producers of The Scene, improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot atThe PIT downstairs lounge: Act One

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Nore Davis (MTV, Russell Simmons Presents), J. F. Harris, and Robert Dean performing atUCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 ($5): “Inspired by the films of Mike Leigh and Christopher Guest and the early improvisational experiments of the Compass Players, Jeff Scherer creates only the outlines of plays, leaving the dialogue and details to be improvised” at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight’s performers Steve Soroka, Jon Bander, Jen Sanders, Brigid Boyle, Dan Hodapp, Kevin Cragg, and Ryan Dunkin: With Only a Compass

[$] [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): Big Jay Oakerson, Dean Edwards, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[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 ($8): NYC’s heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which doesn’t always ht the mark but provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and won the 2010 ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group: Murderfist: Late and Dirty

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf—which recently crushed into powder improv troupes The Law Firm and Sandino at Cage Match—makes stuff up at UCB East for an entire hour: Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

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

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

Midnight ($5): Caitlin Bitzegaio directs this UCB Chelsea sketch show that’s “a super-positive lifestyle program for teenage girls hosted by two guys with a huge passion for glossy pop music, Lisa Frank school supplies, and all that the world presents as ‘hip’ to young women during the melodramatic years of adolescence. With help from their outstanding panel of experts, Dan Chamberlain & Jason Flowers rap about entertainment, fashion, boys, and more in an effort to bring empowerment and enlightenment to the teen girl inside all of us:” Cool Show 4 Teen Girlz

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 more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Bridezilla Strikes Back!, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Cynthia Silver, Improv, Katey Healy-Wurzburg's The Fascinator, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 5/11/12

May 11, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For a review of Broadway’s Seminar, please click here.
For some of NYC’s greatest storytellers, please click here.

Jo Koy headlines at Carolines…

…SNL’s Jim Breuer headlines at Gotham…

…and D’Arcy Carden is among the top sketch comics in “Crisistown”

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 (Comedy Central) and Annie Lederman (Comedy Central): The Shinebox

7:00 pm ($5): All-gal Improvisors who’ve previously created viral sketch videos performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Candy Slice Comedy

7:00 pm ($7): Improv at The Magnet 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; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv revolving around “the anticipation, the fall-out, that fragile moment when love blooms or dies” in Double Date

[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. Both strengths are evident inCrisistown, an interactive sketch show in which the audience is periodically asked to choose which of two paths it wants to go down next. This highly playful approach puts you in charge; and it also tempts you to see the show repeatedly (just as you might return to a favorite improv group week after week), because each performance is a never-to-be-repeated event. A vibrant, brilliant cast and mostly terrific comedy writing—plus what was probably a near-superhuman directorial effort by comedy giant Shannon O’Neil—equals a wonderful way to kick off your Friday evening:Stone Cold Fox: Crisistown

[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

[DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($7.50 [vs. $15] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas…who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson’s writing isn’t consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

[FREE] 8:00 pm: The third annual comedy tournament featuring 40 improv groups…only one of which will triumph. Tonight four improv troupes battle for superiority, pride, and glory at The Creekupstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by James Ferrarella: The Arena, Round 8

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($15): A musical comedy at The Magnet “inspired by the real life plans of the US military to build a bomb that would make their enemies gay. The show is a cautionary tale set in a not-to-distant America that is a xenophobic, homophobic wet dream. This timely political piece is not only topical but extremely on point, leaving no stereotype unscathed.” Directed by Michael Martin, with music by Frank Spitznagel, and book and lyrics by Chris Friden & Steve Whyte: Gay Bomb

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($30 & 2-drink min.) A cast member for four seasons of Saturday Night Live who’s also performed on Conan O’Brien, MTV, VH1, and feature films, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jim Breuer

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot—tonight featuring Tracey Wigfield (30 Rock): Diamond Lion

[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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), Big Jay Oakerson, Dean Edwards, and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: An all-musical comedy night with David Carl, The Vigilante, Killy Dwyer, Eli Saers, and David Cope & Harp performing at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ben Lerman and Tim Dimond: Now That’s What I Call Musical Comedy

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

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

10:30 pm ($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

11:00 pm ($8): At The PIT upstairs theatre, an actual NYC model is interviewed about all aspects of his or her career, and then improvisers create scenes based on the model’s life: Look Book

11:00 pm ($8): At The PIT downstairs theatre, former members of The Washington Improv Theatre—Zhubin Parang (The Daily Show, Charlemagne), Dan Hodapp (Someday The Cake, The Scene), Zack Phillips (Beige, Surfing, Gadget), Natasha Rothwell (Hodapp & Rothwell, Seer/Sucker), and Jason Saenz (Onassis)—reunite to make stuff up on an NYC stage: The Landlords

[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, 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

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

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it’s an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigiousUCB Chelsea stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, D'Arcy Carden, Improv, Jim Breuer, Jo Koy, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 5/10/12

May 10, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Gal duos dominate tonight: Mel & El at “Our Time of the Month”…

…and Giulia Rozzi & Margot Leitman at “Stripped Stories”

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: Carlos Kotkin (“the Adam Wade of The Moth LA”) 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 (memorably featured here): Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm:Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT mix with novices on-stage at Pitch

[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

[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

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill atThe PIT downstairs lounge: Hot Diner and THEM

7:00 pm ($5): Improv duo Steve Soroka (BoF) & Jen Curran team with improv troupe The Imposters at The PIT upstairs theatre to kick off your Evening Bliss

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe The Boss to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) gathers comics to tell funny stories atUCB East, with tonight’s guests Noah Garfinkel (co-host of Totally J/K) and Mike Errico (acclaimed songwriter/singer): Tom Shillue’s Funny Story

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The host of stand-up show Heart of Darkness performs for 45 minutes, with guests, at UCB Chelsea for the recording of comedy album: Greg Barris: Better and Better

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill atThe PIT downstairs lounge: Frogmen and Harvey

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes Hello Laser, Junior Varsity, The Boss, and Phooka performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Christina Gausas directing The Subject (improvised scenes that focus on one character who never leaves the stage, while other characters from the past, present, and future come and go), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with last week’s winner battling Trike for laughs & votes: The Magnet’s Night Out

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and/or comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[$] 9:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) An energetic regular on Chelsea Lately who’s also appeared onJay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, VH1, and his own Comedy Central special headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Jo Koy

9:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Noah Garfinkel (while Joe Mande is on tour): Totally J/K

[$] 9:00 pm ($15): The Daily Show producers Rory Albanese and Adam Lowitt, and writers Elliott Kalan and Jenna Kim Jones, plus headliner Rob Delaney, performing stand-up at 92Y Tribeca: The Daily Show Does Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Mike Amato (The Moth, Montreal Comedy Festival) and Selena Coppock (author of The New Rules For Blondes, host of Connotation) joining sensual hosts Margot Leitman (Conan O’Brien, VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com, co-host of Dive Comedy) in telling true tales on tonight’s theme “Tales From the Web”—plus music from improv beatbox genius Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan—at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Stripped Stories

9:30 pm ($10): Top comedic musician Corn Mo and more performing at The PIT upstairs theatre with host Nathan Phillips: Dealing With My Feelings

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PITdownstairs lounge for The Scene

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Justin Williams: Death Comedy Jam

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Airwolf won its seventh victory in a row last week—but instead of dealing a humiliating blow, it squeaked by 88-57. If the champion is starting to get cocky, this could be the chance for this week’s challenger Pig. Don’t miss the oinking as they compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Shannon O’Neil (comedy genius), Morgan Grace Jarrett (wonderful comedic actress), and Lydia Hensler (member of red-hot improv troupe Grandma’s Ashes) host a showcase of female comics performing at UCB East: Ladies Night: Men Welcome

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Giulia Rozzi, Improv, Margot Leitman, Mel & El, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Stripped Stories | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 5/8/12

May 8, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For the Joke of the Week, please click here.

TV & movie stars Tom Cavanagh and Kristen Schaal are at Sweet…

…and Dave Attell headlines at ComedyJuice

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

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

7:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Five full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes GoodGirl, Surfing, The Pox, Creature, The Regulars, and Sandino—and at 11:00 pm advanced improv students perform as duos in Couples Skate—all at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Scott Adsit (30 Rock, genius co-creator of Moral Orel, half of improv superstar duo John and Scott) and Frank Tieri (Space: Punisher) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture atPianos (158 Ludlow Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 at the door or $7.63 online): Travis Irvine (Jay Leno, Huffington Post), Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central, It Gets Betterish; for video about crying while reading The Giving Tree, please click here), Sherri Shepherd (The View), and Jermaine Fowler (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall with hosts Sharron Paul (College Humor) and Calvin Cole (TBS) for this show that calls attention to its inexpensive price: Cheap Date

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Saturday Night Live’s Rachel Dratch, Jon Glaser (star of Adult Swim’sDelocated; Conan O’Brien), Leo Allen (former writer for SNS; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Funny or Die, director/co-writer of Comedy Central’s Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), and James McNew (Yo La Tengo, Dump) are interviewed about “their earliest creative experiences and the nuances of having a creative career” for a weekly podcast that once a month goes live on the UCB East stage with hosts Andy Beckerman & Mark Bisi: Beginnings

8:00 pm ($5): Cathleen Carr (Two Girls for Five Bucks, Birds, The Scene) and Bob Kulhan (Second City, The Scene) host a show featuring two-person improv teams challenged with separation anxiety—the audience is asked to scramble them and create one-night-only pairings.The established duos participating tonight are Julie Sharbutt & Zhubin Parang, Amey Goerlich & TJ Del Reno, and Cathleen Carr & Bob Kulhan at The PIT downstairs Lounge: Carr Kulhan: Dos Experimento

[FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly show features “a swarthy selection of fine stand-up comics and mildly entertaining recurring segments” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by Jim Tews & Brendan Eyre: Chest Hair

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: BEEES! and Mint Condition

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Tom Cavanagh (wonderful star of NBC’s much-missed show Ed; Royal Pains, Love Monkey), TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and NBC’s 30 Rock; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; co-author of bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), Will Hines (ace improv troupe The Stepfathers, treasured UCBT comedy instructor & director), Ryan Knighton (blind author from Canada; The New York Times, Esquire, Salon), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, one drink min.): 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), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing, MTV’s Ridiculousness, VH1), George Gordon, Josh Rabinowitz, and more performing stand-up for this weekly show at Sidewalk NYC (94 Avenue A) with tonight’s host Emily Heller: The Afterlife: The Day the Music Died

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Christian Finnegan (Conan O’Brien, co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1’s Best Week Ever, Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Gary Gulman (Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), and Larry Bailey performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up and sketch at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre, typically hosted by sketch troupes Savage Animal and/or Jerk Practice: Savage Animal

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Stand-up superstar Dave Attell (newest show is Showtime’s Dave’s Old P@rn), Joe Matarese (Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, podcastFixing Joe), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Showtime), Dean Edwards (SNL, Carson Daly, VH1), and more performing at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Freid: ComedyJuice

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): A weekly wild experiment in dark comedy, blending sketch and improv, from two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) at UCB East with tonight’s guests Todd Bieber (razor-sharp Director of Content and Production for UCB Comedy; Commercial Interruption,Animated Stories), Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), and Ratnesh Dubey: The Tony and Johnny Show

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

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

[FREE] 11:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Dave Attell, Improv, Kristen Schaal, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Tom Cavanagh | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 5/5/12

May 5, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.
For a review of Broadway’s Seminar, please click here.
For some of NYC’s greatest storytellers, please click here.

Stand-up stars Amy Schumer (above) and Todd Barry perform one more night at the Eastville Comedy Club…

…and comedy superstar Jim Gaffigan is at The PIT’s “Fresh Fisch”

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319): Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true…but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who does gets a free t-shirt! This evening’s yarn-spinners are Ted Travelstead (very funny writer for McSweaney’s), Diana Spechler (author of Skinny), Jenny Rubin (veteran NYC stand-up), and Zero Boy (MTV, The Moth) . Come to the West Village’s Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street) and let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam champion) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Grandma Hates Technology, Mannequin Room, and Swartzlander atThe Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): “Stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe,” hosted at UCB East by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas 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), and featuring tonight’s guest storytellers Ed Gavagan, Max Silvestri, and Carolita Johnson: Tales of the Cosmos

7:00 pm ($7): Sketches, improv scenes, and videos from a small army of female comics at The PITupstairs theatre that answer such questions as “Why can’t you touch a black girl’s hair? Why do some of us burn our cheating man’s clothes in his car and can’t wait to exhale? How did Foxy Brown know how to get down? Why can two play that game? Why do mad black women write so many diaries?” and more: Mrs Jones

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic solo performances—storytelling, sketch, and whatever else isn’t stand-up or improv—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Bill Stiteler & Adam Schwartz: Wank

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): Stand-up from comedy superstar Jim Gaffigan (new show Mr. Universeavailable for only $5 online), Nick Vatterott (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City), Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, writer for Playboy.com), and Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), plus music from The Jesse Scheinn Band, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Tyler Fischer: Fresh Fisch

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A finalist on two seasons of Last Comic Standing, and who performed on Tourgasm and starred in an hour-long Comedy Central special, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Gary Gulman

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) Two members of Broken Lizard headlining tonight through Saturday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Steve Lemme & Kevin Heffernan

[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’sThe Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell

8:30 pm ($10): Summer & Eve (fun comedic musical group), Mike Racine (Comedy Central), Jacqueline Novak (Comedy Central, College Humor; for “response to heckler” video, please clickhere), H. Alan Scott (Sirius XM Radio, famed cookie baker), and Anthony Lopez performing at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk: If You Build It

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): Amy Schumer (9:00 pm only; red-hot rising star; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock), Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie,HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Drawing from his ongoing series of podcasts, Sam Dingman performs a one-man storytelling show at The PIT downstairs lounge offering “true tales from his days as a taxi driver in New York City, complete with toothless convicts, frozen embryos, murderous city buses, mobbed-up body shops, and much more. Along the way, he finds that no matter how many insane things he sees on the pothole-ridden streets of New York, the craziest one of all may be himself: “The Taxi Tapes

10:00 pm ($8): “Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. Some say the two should do improv together…” iO Chicago alums Dannielle Owens-Reid & Blythe Haaga were performing duo improv in Chicago to raves. Then Owens-Reid moved to Brooklyn; so tonight the gals make their magic at The PIT upstairs theatre: Fire & Ice

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

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

11:00 pm ($8): An improv troupe that’s performed with Cirque de Soleil and appeared in the filmMystery Team performing at The PIT upstairs theatre, typically opening with a blind date with a member of our audience and then making up scenes based on what they’ve learned: Gentleman Party

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): A freestyle rap contest at UCB East with typically terrific NYC comics (not announced)—plus a volunteer from the audience!, hosted by genius human beatbox Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme) and Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central) at one of my favorite monthly shows: The BEATdown

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Sketch/improv from Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives, The Tony and Johnny Show), and stand-up from Jermaine Fowler (FOX’s new In Living Color) and Jarret Berenstein (Young Guns of Comedy), plus James Coker & Marshall Stratton (Casual Sex Offenders) and “a surprise musical guest,” all performing at UCB Chelsea for host Andy Rocco’s Underground Americana

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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Amy Schumer, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Eastville Comedy Club, Improv, Jim Gaffigan, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, Tyler Fischer's Fresh Fisch | Permalink
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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 5/3/12

May 3, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Jon Glaser (Delocated) is on the hot seat at Brooklyn’s “The Interview Show”…

…and Brandon Gulya preps with his legions of fans for “Brandon Gulya Will 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:

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Kevin Allison (legendary MTV sketch series The State, HBO, Comedy Central, VH1, host of award-winning storytelling show Risk!) 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] 6:00 pm:Veteran musical improvisors at The PIT mix with novices on-stage at Pitch

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows I know nothing about, The Unbreakable Gun and Profiles In Cowardice, audition for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: Spank

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): One of my favorite writer/actress/improvisors, the brilliant and luminous Lauren Olson, teams with Jon Bander and Karsten Cross at The PIT upstairs theatre to perform at improv trio Mr. Gorsky

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill atThe PIT downstairs lounge: Hot Diner and THEM

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Junior Varsity to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

7:30 pm ($5): A sketch comedy radio show/podcast live on the UCB East stage, with tonight’s guests John Flynn (The Nights of Our Lives, host of storytelling show Oh, Hey Guys!), John Milhiser (sketch troupes Serious Lunch and Dweeb), and Eric Gersen, plus regulars Adam Bozarth, Dan Chamberlain, Matt Little, Taylor Moore, and Anna Rubanova: Left Handed Radio

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $10.70 online): Jon Glaser (creator & star of Adult Swim’sDelocated; author of My Dead Dad Was In ZZ Top), Chuck Klosterman (author of bestselling booksSex, Drugs, and Cocaine Puffs; The Visible Man; and Eating the Dinosaur), and Em & Lo (sex & relationship columnists; authors of Sex: How to Do Everything) interviewed at Brooklyn’s Union Hall by host Mark Bazer, plus music by Nova Social: The Interview Show

8:00 pm ($5): A parody of The Bachelor written by UCB Chelsea faves Caitlin Bitzegaio (MTV, PBS, ESPN, writer or director of numerous UCBT sketch shows) and Leila Cohan-Miccio (Stone Cold Fox, Pig: A Restaurant), and worth catching if only to experience the delicious comedic performances of standouts Morgan Grace Jarrett (Big Fish, Love Liza, Buffy fan) and Nicole Byer (Doppelganger)—who are especially fun when they turn into an unlikely a comedy duo…: The Bachelor: Romance, Roses, and Romance…

…plus in the other half of this double-bill, a one-man show by George Kareman: Incredibly Extreme and Extremely Incredible

8:00 pm ($8): “An evening of disquieting scenes and considerations” in this sketch comedy show Sarah Nowak & Kevin Townley at The PIT upstairs theatre: Dark Teen Poetry

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill atThe PIT downstairs lounge: Frogmen and Harvey

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv troupes Hello Laser, Junior Varsity, The Boss, and Phooka performing improv for two hours, followed at 10:00 pm by Christina Gausas directing The Subject (improvised scenes that focus on one character who never leaves the stage, while other characters from the past, present, and future come and go), and then at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with troupe Theory of Everything battling troupe Upstate for laughs & votes: The Magnet’s Night Out

[$] 8:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) Two members of Broken Lizard headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Steve Lemme & Kevin Heffernan

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Dan Martin (comedy writer/performer, and husband of Arden Myrin), Retta (NBC’s Parks and Recreation), and more performing stand-up at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free 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): At The PIT upstairs theatre, the worlds of “magic, mind-reading, and mutilation” are explored by Matthew Holtzclaw & Prakash Puru in Strange Things

9:30 pm ($5): Unique and relentlessly silly performer Brandon Gulya does a one-man sketch show at UCB Chelsea that’s at times hilarious (the restaurant bit, which is an instant classic) , and at other times less so, in the hope that Brandon Gulya Will Be Famous Soon…

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Airwolf last week exorcised group Spooky Ghost entirely out of the Chelsea theatre (and back to UCB East’s Lloyd Night) via a win of 89-48, claiming its sixth consecutive victory. Tonight’s fresh meat for this winged predator is Harold Night team The Regulars. Come see if Airwolf can create another highly irregular victory as it competes for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Corinne Fisher, Anna Roisman, and Cammi Climaco telling comedic tales at UCB East hosted by Caitlin Brodnick and Erin Barker: Shut Up: An All-Female Storytelling Show

11:30 pm ($5): Improvisors at The PIT downstairs lounge make up stories about the characters in the Star Wars cantina in anticipation of tomorrow’s ST holiday: May the 4th Be With You

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Brandon Gulya, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Jon Glaser, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The Interview Show | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 5/1/12

May 1, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For a review of Broadway’s Seminar, please click here.

For some of NYC’s greatest storytellers, please click here.

Andy Blitz, Adira Amram, Sara Schaefer, Jon Glaser, Jared Logan, Eric Slovin, Tom Shillue, and over 90 other comedians perform at a fundraiser for Occupy Wall Street: 99 Comics For The 99%...

...and the lovely Amy Schumer performs at ComedyJuice

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

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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Witty writers offering delightfully wry lectures about this month’s topic “Characters,” which range from Feeding Descriptions of Literary characters into Police Composite Sketch Software to How Actors’ Faces, Bodies, and Hair Color Define Their Careers at theHousingworks Bookstore Cafe for Charles Star’s comedic show Adult Education

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast clobbered some of the best improv troupes in NYC earlier this year at UCBT’s Cage Match. Tonight come see this troupe perform on its own for a full hour at The Magnet: North Coast

7:00 pm ($5): Improv scenes at The PIT downstairs lounge springboarding off Mother’s Day cards supplied by the audience: Mother May I

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Comedy genius Chris Gethard and Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist) joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussionabout four-color pop culture The debut of this wonderful show about comic books at its brand new location Pianos (158 Ludlow Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5.90 in advance online): A breathtaking 99 comics—including Andy Blitz, Adira Amram, Sara Schaefer, Jared Logan, Eric Slovin, Jon Glaser, Tom Shillue, Sasheer Zamata, John Flynn, Jon Friedman, John Frusciante, Jon Gabrus, Rob Cantrell, Mike Lawrence, Stuckey & Murray, Summer & Eve, Seth Herzog, Streeter Seidell, sketch troupe Murderfist, sketch troupe Fambly, Amber Nelson, Craig Rowin, Jamie Kilstein, Giulia Rozzi, Abbi Crutchfield, Erin Lennox, Adam Newman, Adam Lowitt, Phoebe Robinson, Negin Farsad, Will Hines, RG Daniels, Selena Coppock, and Sean Hart—performing for around three hours straight at UCB East hosted by Anthony Atamanuik & John Gemberling (The Tony & Johnny Show): 99 Comics For The 99%

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (one of the funniest women alive; shining star correspondent on The Daily Show; co-star of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and NBC’s 30 Rock; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; co-author of bestselling book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex), Harrison Greenbaum (writer for Mad Magazine; head writer of Tu Nite con Lorenzo Parro on NBCU/Telemundo; winner of the 2010 Andy Kaufman Award), and Dan Crossley (semi-finalist of the 2011 Kaufman Awards) performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Andy Kaufman Fun House

8:00 pm ($5): Retta (Donna on NBC’s Parks and Recreation), Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Aidan Bishop (visiting from Dublin), and more performing at Lolita Bar hosted by Liam McEneaney: Tell Your Friends

8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes The Regulars, Bucky, The Pox, Surfing, Johnny Romance, and Sandino—and at 11:00 pm advanced improv students clash theatre into improv via the wonderful form Gravid Water—all at Harold Night

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Joe List (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Brendan Fitzgibbons, Jen Remauro, and Adam Chisnall performing at the One and One Bar (1st Street & First Avenue) for this free weekly stand-up show hosted by Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, TruTV, Tyra Banks) & Sergio Chicon: Comedy Punch

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10 at the door, $12.75 online): A monthly storytelling show from Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s This American Life), Cyndi Freeman (The Moth, burlesque star) and Brad Lawrence (Moth GrandSlam champion) at Brooklyn’s Union Hall, with tonight’s guests stand-up Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), and burlesque star & storyteller duo Mat Fraser & Julie Atlas Muz: And I Am Not Lying

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet’s singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Rosencrantz and Aquarius

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Ben Lerman (nuanced raunchy comedic singer/songwriter; Logo TV’s NewNowNext, Sirius Radio’s Frank DeCaro Show), Retta (Donna on NBC’s Parks and Recreation), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, VH1): Sweet

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

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up, sketch, videos, and more at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre with Jeffrey Joseph and hosts Ron Krasnow & Joel Walkowski: The Short Bus

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15 & 2-drink min.): Amy Schumer (red-hot rising star; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, 30 Rock), Christian Finnegan (Conan O’Brien, co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; three Comedy Central specials; MSNBC, VH1’sBest Week Ever, Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Gene Pompa (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, In Living Color), and more performing stand-up at the Gotham Comedy Club hosted by Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): ComedyJuice

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

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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: 99 Comics For The 99%, Amy Schumer, Anthony Atamanuik, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, John Gemberling, Occupy Wall Street, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 4/29/12

April 29, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at Jim Henson's creations at Secrets of the Muppets...

...and don't miss the last chance to see Anthony Jeselnik having fun headlining 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:

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

[FREE] 2:00 pm-10:00 pm: An annual improv event running for its final 8 hours today at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Fourth Annual Creek Improv Festival

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

6:00 pm ($5): A monthly selection of NYC indie improv troupes at UCB East, tonight hosted by group Jump on Three: Indie improv Showcase

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material: Ripe Sketch Comedy

7:00 pm ($8): Young improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Shady Bunch

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

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

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

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, aComedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his hit comedy CD Shakespeare. Don’t miss Anthony headlining this closing night at the Carolines Comedy Club: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Jeff Simmerman (The Moth GrandSlam Champion), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[$] 8:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A TV & movie star who’s performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, NBC, ABC, FX, and has starred in three Comedy Central specials, headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Adam Ferrara

8:00 pm ($5): “When Charlie Tickertape is cozily nestled in his converted cabinet-drawer bed, and Irv Newberg has fallen asleep on a giant pile of money, they dream about Tim Allen, butlers who are brothers, Alfred Hitchcock, Ronald Reagan, and Paris Hilton. It’s Listen, Kid!’s first-ever sketch show:” Listen, Kid! Presents Hollyweird Dreams

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Damien Lemon (MTV2’s Guy Code), Sean Donnelly, and Tyler Fisch (host of Fresh Fisch) performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): Short-form improv at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Sunday ShortForm Show

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Clayton English, Kate Hendricks, Joel Walkowski, Kelly Fastuca, and Ricarlo Flanagan performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Louis Katz (HBO, Comedy Central), Baratunde Thurston (Digital Editor of The Onion), Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Retta, Chris Cotton, and Leonard Robinson performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special): Comedy Night

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

9:30 pm ($5): Abbi Crutchfield (delightful co-host of Positively Awesome and The Living Room) and Ryan Connor (SNL’s Weekend Update, The Onion), improv troupe Barnstormer, and more performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Daws of Jeath

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the my favorite writer/actress/improvisors, the brilliant and luminous Lauren Olson, teams with Jon Bander and Karsten Cross at The Magnet to perform at improv trio Mr. Gorsky

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Selena Coppock (author of The New Rules for Blondes), and Adam Lehman (Here TV, Logo) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

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

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Jeselnik, Carolines Comedy Club, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling, The Muppets | Permalink
Posted by hybender

NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 4/27/12

April 27, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Stand-up comedy giant Anthony Jeselnik...

...continues his headlining run at the Carolines Comedy Club

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

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups start at 5:30 pm) at The Creekdownstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine (Comedy Central) and Annie Lederman (Comedy Central): The Shinebox

[FREE] 6:30 pm: An annual improv event running eight hours tonight and most of this weekend atThe Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Fourth Annual Creek Improv Festival

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Ace Magnet improvisors who are married with kids—and who sometimes include improv genius Ed Herbstman, plus Melanie Hoopes, Matt Evans, Christine Walters, Maggie Kemper, Robert Cuthill, Ari Voukydis, Ryan Rodgers, Michele Laikowski, and/or Kelly Moylan: The Mamas and the Papas

7:00 pm ($5): All-gal Improvisors who’ve previously created viral sketch videos performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Candy Slice Comedy

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot, with tonight’s special guests Eliza Skinner (musical improv genius; Baby Wants Candy) and Connor Ratliff (The Stepfathers): Diamond Lion

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his hit comedy CD Shakespeare. Don’t miss Anthony headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast recently clobbered some of the best improv groups in NYC at UCBT’s Cage Match. Tonight come see it perform without the pressure of competition at The PIT upstairs theatre, and also catch an improv group that includes Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): North Coast and Nobody’s Token

[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 in Queens’ Long Island City downstairs lounge: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): A charming monthly comedy variety show, tonight featuring Emily Blotnik (stand-up), Paul Oddo (storyteller), Squirt (improv troupe), and more performing at ABC No Rio (156 Rivington Street, between Suffolk and Clinton) hosted by the wonderful Bridgid Ryan and her improv/sketch troupe Chester (Bridgid Ryan, Sunita Mani, Bryan Rucker, Zack Willis, Caitlin Steitzer, and Adam Jacobson): Don’t You Find Us Charming?

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.):A TV & movie star who’s performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, NBC, ABC, FX, and has starred in three Comedy Central specials, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Adam Ferrara

8:30 pm ($7): An hour of all-new sketch comedy from two friends who, by a wild coincidence, have the same name: We’re Matt Weir: Reheated Destiny

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), TV & movie star Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here),Thomas Dale (Sirius Radio), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[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] 9:00 pm ($10): A brand new weekend improv troupe at UCB East spearheaded by Nate Dern in which an audience member is interviewed about his or her love life as the springboard for inventive comedic scenes: What I Did For Love

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

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

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

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Stand-up & improvisors Emily Heller, The Vigilante, We’re Matt Weir, Liam McEneaney, Ben Kissel, and Jenn Dodd joining terrific sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting (Leah Rudick and Katie Hartman) at The PIT basement lounge: Daddy’s Basement: A Comedy Variety Freakshow

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

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it’s an amazing opportunity if you want to try out sketches for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigiousUCB Chelsea stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leave a Comment » | Best New York Live Comedy Shows | Tagged: Anthony Jeselnik, Carolines Comedy Club, Comedy, Comedy NYC Tonight, Improv, Sketch, Stand-Up, Storytelling | Permalink
Posted by hybender

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