NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 12/16/10

December 16, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Ted Alexandro and Brooke Van Poppelen

Wonderful stand-ups Ted Alexandro and Brooke Van Poppelen tell tales of hitting sexual rock bottom tonight 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:

6:30 pm ($5): Ding Dong Meow and The Super Mario Bros. Show are two comedy shows I know nothing about, but they both sound cool. If you’re getting off work early, come check them out as they audition for a regular UCBT run at Spank

7:00 pm ($5): “Ever wonder how you become a writer for an Emmy winning TV show? So does J. D. Durkin. Since no one has told him, here is his one-man show performing all original material to become a writer for The Colbert Report. Durkin channels Colbert live on stage to present political punditry as only The PIT could do it…and only The PIT, since he was escorted off the Comedy Central premises:” Stephen Colbert: Hire Me

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Master sketch comic Kurt Braunohler “relates how he destroyed a 13-year relationship in the dumbest, most complicated way possible, with bar fights, naked men, walruses, and an audition for Sasha Baron Cohen” in the one-man show The Amish Guide to Fucking

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Razor-sharp female musical comics Mindy Raf, Becky Yamamoto, and Glennis McMurray celebrating the one-year anniversary of their monthly comedy show, with tonight’s guests delightful storytellers Leslie Goshko and Ilana Glazer, and more, performing at Brooklyn’s The Royal Oak: Supercream Supreme

8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors play with “elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde” in Sleepover

8:00 pm ($5): Lennon Parham demonstrates her comedy genius by utterly stealing this show with just a few minutes of performance time—via Skype video from LA!—while other talented performers on stage struggle with a sadly underdeveloped script…though Marcy Jarreau somehow manages to rise above the material, and is the other standout to look for (in the scene with the mirror…); plus likeable and talented comedy duo Geoff Garlock & Emily Strachan should probably work with a tough editor who insists on a bit more structure and discipline for a tale which currently has as its highlight a dog who licks himself (on the nose, but still…), in the double-bill Oh My God, I Heard You’re Dying! and Gettin’ Quaid

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set onJimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1): Comedy as a Second Language

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Stand-ups Adrienne Iapalucci, Jordan Carlos, David Smithyman, and more performing at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a show hosted & produced by just-engaged couple Sean Crespo & Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A blowout lineup of Ted Alexandro (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials) and Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC, Maxim and Cosmo Radio; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here) joining sensual hosts Margot Leitman (VH1, Spike TV) and Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1.com) in telling true tales on tonight’s theme “Low Points”—plus comedic songs from Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central)—at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Stripped Stories

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): An annual gathering of NYC comedy talent to prepare us for the holidays, with tonight’s guests including Dave Hill and Stuckey & Murray, at The 37th Annual J Hobart B All-Star Christmas Spectacular

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupes The Brothers Hines and Dog Court competing for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 12/6/10

December 6, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Ted Alexandro and Jeff Hiller

World-class stand-up Ted Alexandro performs tonight at Whiplash, brilliant improvisor Jeff Hiller makes up a musical on the spot at Diamond Lion...

Naked in a Fishbowl

...and Brenna Palughi (left) and Daliya Karnofsky (right) tonight may once again subtly express skepticism at the plans of the breathtaking Lauren Seikaly at the wonderful theatrical improv show Naked in a Fishbowl

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 episode, Brenna Palughi provided an unforgettable description of her experience drinking a liter of salt water to achieve a “master cleanse.” With that warning, watch the video and be forever altered…

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: Fine NYC stand-ups Roger Hailes (Comedy Central), Mark Normand (Last Comic Standing; co-host of We’re All Friends Here), Myka Fox (Comical Radio), Mara Herron (Sirius Radio), and Kevin Barnett (College Humor) performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

7:00 pm ($5): An all-gal improv troupe consisting of Jennifer Bild, Christine DeNoon, Julianne Dunn, and Brandy Mitchell, with tonight’s guest guy improvisor Paul Wielunski (Bad Luck Rising), performing as Goldie and the Hawns

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): Myq Kaplan (finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Adam Lowitt (Producer at The Daily Show, co-host of stand-up show It Is It), and musical guest Amy Miles (Michael Showalter’s The Baxter, David Wain’s The Ten, Children’s Hospital) performing at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from NYC comedy royalty Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety

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

8:00 pm ($5): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever), Jared Logan (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, co-host ofRighteous Kill), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel), and Ben Kissel (Roundtable of Gentlemen) performing at the White Rabbit (145 East Houston Street) for John Szeluga’s Not Friday

8:00 pm ($5): “Best friends Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell created an Internet phenomenon by challenging pairs of women to double date them and documenting the hilarious results for YouTubers everywhere. Two hundred dates later, their experiences were translated into reenactments, educational songs, and valuable lessons in everything from dancing to kissing. Tonight, these dating experts employ audience-recounted horror stories as inspiration for improvised scenes, in an attempt to enlighten you on the art of romance:” Dating Coaches

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Some of the finest improvisors in the country—Tara Copeland, Becky Drysdale, Jeff Hiller, Mike Still, Ashley Ward, and tonight’s guest Jon Gabrus (The Law Firm)—making up a musical on the spot along with virtuoso improv pianist Frank Spitznagel: Diamond Lion

10:00 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers: Rap Crimes Division

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials, recent perfect set at Carnegie Hall opening for Louis C.K.), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; Louie, Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson), and more—guest-hosted by the wonderful Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1) at 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 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 10/18/10

October 18, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Ted Alexandro and Todd Barry

Two of the finest stand-ups in the country, Ted Alexandro (headlining at Morrison Motel) and Todd Barry (headlining at 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

[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, Molly Knefel’s breakthrough moment—passionately kissing Brenna Palughi in the spirit of open-minded experimentation—somehow got twisted into “a mistake,” and a source of rising tension for all the characters. Among the memorable aftershocks was Brenna calling Molly “young and stupid;” and Lauren Seikaly observing, “I thought two women would get along better as a couple; but it really doesn’t work that well when emotions are flying from both directions. It’s actually easier when the woman is emotional and the man just ‘takes it.'” Also memorable was Lauren telling Molly that she’d better get along with Brenna, or otherwise “you can’t hang around with us anymore.” Considering Lauren produces the show, that could’ve been interpreted as a threat to fire Molly—but only if there was any real-life tension behind the staged tension… So will Molly keep her job, or can we look forward to a sexual harassment lawsuit? Come find out tonight…

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

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

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): Brilliant and irresistible comedic singer/songwriter Shayna Ferm (catch Shay Thursdays at The PIT starring in Grease 3: Threase), Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), and UK comedy star Glenn Wool 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): Lee Camp (The Onion, The Huffington Post), Streeter Seidell (CollegeHumor.com), Julia Segal, Mike Birth, and “a surprise guest” performing stand-up in theLolita Bar for Liam McEneaney’s Tell Your Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake; Magic Box of Stories, The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives,author of book Weird New York), John Mooney (Comedy Central, 30 Rock), Mark Normand (Last Comic Standing), Nick Turner (College Humor, host of Too Cool for School), and Sam Morril performing at Aces & Eights (34 Avenue A, off 3rd Street) for John Szeluga’s Not Friday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Brothers Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel) and Ashok Kondabolu (Dap in Das Racist) host a talk show, with tonight’s guest the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central, host of Whiplash): The Untitled Kondabolu Brothers Project

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

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 8:30 pm ($5 cover if you mention HyReviews.com [otherwise $10], plus $7 drink minimum; call 212.989.9319 to reserve seats): Ted Alexandro (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials), Matt McCarthy (Comedy Central, AMC, Verizon FIOS guy, Front Page Films, The Other Guys, comedy CD Come Clean), Liz Miele (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central’sLive at Gotham, WE Network, blog Cats, Comedy, and Candy—for sample cat video, please clickhere), Maureen Langan (HBO, Comedy Central, WE Network), Baratunde (Web Editor of The Onion), and more performing at the Cornelia Street Cafe for John Morrison’s Morrison Motel

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): A rare chance to catch a popular UK comedy star briefly visiting NYC:Tom Allen Toughens Up

9:30 pm ($5): “Actors enter with cell phones, not knowing what the night will hold. Their job: To speak aloud whatever they hear through their earpieces. The phones start to ring and the real-time adventure begins. Spontaneous conversations, narrated journeys, and unique experiences overlap as the night’s theme sporadically emerges: Line One

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who tonight include Todd Barry (HBO, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), UK comedy star Glenn Wool, Chris Laker (“I know it’s hard to believe I’m 37, but I appear much younger if you look at my accomplishments”), and visiting LA stand-ups Karen Gilgariff, DJ Douggpound, and Josh Fadem—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) atWhiplash

[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 Saturday 8/21/10

August 21, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For Hy’s coverage of the spectacular FringeNYC 2010 Festival, please click here.

Ted Alexandro

Ted Alexandro headlines tonight at Karma Lounge

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

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

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($19.33 online if you use code VIPAUG, plus 2-item minimum): Past contestants of NBC’s Last Comic Standing—including Judah Friedlander, Christian Finnegan, Leo Allen, Myq Kaplan, and Julian McCullough—performing at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Still Standing Up: A Last Comic Standing Showcase

[TOP PICK] ($5; email AnHourWithTedAlexandro@yahoo.com to reserve seats) 8:00 pm: A national comedy star who’s performed on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, and The View;performed two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; and has been described by Uproar as having “an appeal similar to Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld” and by Time Out New York as “one of the top comedians working today,” headlining for tonight only at Karma Lounge: Ted Alexandro

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm Tuesday-Saturday ($39.50 online or at the box office using discount code PPBBOX): This is a show for which I have enormous affection; although my joy came from watching not only what occurred on stage, but the faces of the women in the audience turning stonier and stonier as they visibly projected the thought, “Dick tricks? This entire show really consists of dick tricks? All my suspicions about men have just been confirmed…” If you cherish bravery in performers, go forth to the 45 Bleecker Theatre (right next to the #6 subway’s Bleecker Street stop) and experience Puppetry of the Penis

8:00 pm ($10): “A 17-person middle school talent show created and performed by two people—Jo Firestone and Dylan Marron—who like themselves more now that they’re older. A comedic tribute to the best three years of our lives, and a comedic play for anyone who ever thought it couldn’t get any better than prank calls and slow-dancing:” Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.): A TV star who’s made a career out of confessional comedy headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Christopher Titus

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

9:00 pm ($5): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

9:30 pm ($10): “A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics,” following sold out shows at Joe’s Pub: Political Subversities

9:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups Mike Drucker (writer for SNL and The Onion), Shorty (Last Comic Standing), Aparna Nancherla, Alex Grubard, Calvin Cole, and Jermaine Fowler performing at Ochi’s Lounge with adorably sly host Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing, Russell Simmons Presents): Laugh in Limbo

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams

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

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): “The most fabulous show on Earth,” hosted by Tim Gunn (John Flynn) and Tim Gunn (Michael Hartney), featuring superb comedic performers (both straight and gay)—including Leslie Meisel, Megan Neuringer, Ilana Glazer, Sue Galloway, Stephen Guarino, Brian Faas, and Brian Glidewell—plus two audience members who’ll be selected to compete in a design challenge, at The Same Sex-Tacular

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For Hy’s coverage of the spectacular FringeNYC 2010 Festival, please click here.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 6/26/10

June 26, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Ted Alexandro and Michael Ian Black

Star stand-ups Ted Alexandro (headlining at Gotham Comedy Club) and Michael Ian Black (headlining at Comix)

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 including one drink; reservations via calling Cornelia Street Cafe at 212.989.9319 highly recommended): Four world-class writer/performers tell personal stories. Three of them are true…but one is a pack of lies. Then the audience asks questions to try to figure out who’s fibbing. Tonight’s yarn-spinners are Leslie Goshko (razor-sharp, adorable, irresistible comedic storyteller; Manhattan Monologue Champion, host of Sideshow Goshko; one-woman show Vodka Shoes), Steve Zimmer (Moth GrandSlam Champion), Tracy Rowland (Emmy Award winning editor/producer), and J. Keith Van Straaten (What’s My Line? Live) performing with host Andy Christie (The New York Times) at The Liar Show

7:30 pm-10:30 pm ($12): Five sketch troupes—including the world-class Harvard Sailing Team—try hard to make you laugh for a prize of $10,000 (!) in this first annual contest sponsored by the Friars Club…and while last night’s improv competition featured the worst stand-up I’ve ever witnessed host an event at UCBT, tonight’s host is the wonderful Jon Friedman: The Friars Club Sketch Comedy Competition

7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups Jared Logan, Streeter Seidell, Andy Haynes, and Matt Maragno performing in Ochi’s Lounge at Lil’ Seany Boy

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 plus 2-drink minimum): An exceptionally organic and personable stand-up who’s performed on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, The View, and two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials headlining tonight at the Gotham Comedy Club: Ted Alexandro

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($33.48 online if you use code VIPJUNE, plus 2-item minimum): Unforgettably hilarious co-star of NBC’s Ed, member of legendary sketch troupe & seminal MTV series The State, co-star of Comedy Central’s Michael & Michael Have Issues, and much more headlining tonight at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Michael Ian Black

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 11:00 pm ($37.50 online or at the box office using discount code ALIEN): Sharp comics and 80 Henson puppets collaborating on a show that’s partly scripted and partly improvised: Stuffed and Unstrung

9:30 pm ($10): “A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics,” following sold out shows at Joe’s Pub: Political Subversities

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount codePISANO, otherwise $20): A Chicago-based troupe that’s wowed audiences around the world with their skill at creating a completely improvised hour-long musical. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment; even the song lyrics and the “choreography” are made up on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award last August for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event at the magical Baby Wants Candy

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams

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

Midnight ($5): A comedic recreation of one of the seminal events of the last 1970s, performed by such UCBT stars as John Gemberling and Gil Ozeri: The Last Night at Studio 54

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 5/13/10

May 13, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Hip-hop comedy rules tonight, both at Comix with Ted Alexandro (above) and at The PIT with Freestyle Love Supreme

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:

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($33.48 online if you use code VIPMAY, plus 2-item minimum): A stand-up who’s performed frequently on Conan O’Brien and David Letterman, and who’s performed aComedy Central Presents half-hour special and numerous Comedy Central Roasts, headlining tonight through Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Greg Geraldo

7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors directed by James Eason “take an audience suggestion and break it into a million funny pieces,” and veteran improvisors play with “elements of monoscene, deconstruction, and La Ronde,” in the double-bill The Deconstruction and Sleepover

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The wonderful Jon Friedman performing a smart & silly one-man show, and Deborah Gross recreating absurd and amusing conversations she’s experienced through her sharp storyteller’s perspective, in the double-bill Bear with Me and Conversations with Deb

8:00 pm ($8): Elizabeth Blue performing a new one-woman show: Am I Blue

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:30 pm ($12.89 online if you use code VIPMAY, plus 2-item minimum): Wonderful comics Ted Alexandro, Carolyn Castiglia, Snakes, Mara Herron, and Rob Cantrell join host Tom McCaffrey for “a comedy/hip-hop show featuring some of New York’s top comedians like you’ve never seen them before” at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Joke Life

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliant singer/songwriter Shayna Ferm tops off tonight’s show in which Pat Dixon and Brad Lawrence tell sexual tales revolving around tonight’s theme “Calling It Quits” at the best sexy storytelling comedy show in NYC: Margot Leitman’s & Giulia Rozzi’s Stripped Stories

[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Vibrant improv troupes Reuben Williams and Bastian compete for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: An amazing comedic freestyle hip-hop group, using audience suggestions as a springboard for creating improvised music inspired by jazz, rap, and comedy:Freestyle Love Supreme

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Tuesday 4/6/10

April 6, 2010

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Stars Amy Schumer (above) and Ted Alexandro will entertain you tonight at A Very Good Comedy Show

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

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Witty writers offering delightfully silly lectures about “Homespun and Handmade” (e.g., Consider the Knish, Winners Never Quilt and Quilters Never Win, The Craft Heap of History) at Charles Star’s Brooklyn comedic show Adult Education

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A sneak preview of this coming weekend’s Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art Festival, plus super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Carla Rhodes (alt comedy ventriloquist; Dr. Demento), Rachael Parenta, Raquel D’apice, Chris Doucette, and Wil Sylvince performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Robber Baron, DeCoster, Badman, Bastian, and Ragnaröck; and at 11:00 pm a show with superb troupes The Two-Man Movie (Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik make up an entire feature film) The Law Firm: The People’s Court—all at Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm (reservations required by emailing ditchcomedybond@gmail.com): Star stand-ups Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials), Amy Schumer (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Fallon), Andrea Rosen (Comedy Central’s Michael and Michael Have Issues, Stella, Variety SHAC), and Nore Davis performing at Brooklyn’s Building on Bond for a free stand-up show hosted by Yannis Pappas: A Very Good Comedy Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm ($5): Baron Vaughn (co-star of USA’s Facing Kate and Comedy Central’s Awkward Kings of Comedy; MTV, VH1), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; co-host ofTotally J/K; author of new book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Keith Alberstadt (David Letterman,contributor to SNL’s Weekend Update), Dave Siegel (Atom TV, Sirius Radio) and sketch duo Team Submarine performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for a free weekly show hosted by brilliant stand-up Pete Holmes (Comedy Central Presents, The Daily Show, John Oliver and Friends, VH1’s Best Week Ever, The New Yorker) and razor-sharp Joe DeRosa (Comedy Central, Carson Daly, Insomniac Tour; for stand-up video about why Joe hates weddings, please click here): Punch Up Your Life

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Comedy stars Baron Vaughn (co-star of USA’s Facing Kate and Comedy Central’s Awkward Kings of Comedy, MTV, VH1), Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson on Parks & Recreation), Josh Fadem (LA comedy star; 30 Rock, Reno 911, Weeds), and “a very special DJ/co-host” performing at The Slipper Room for the LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Stellar storyteller Margot Leitman (Conan O’Brien, Stripped Stories) and stand-ups Troy Bynum, Jeff Lutz, and Harvey Weissman telling tales about their first time doing something (subject is up to them) performing in Ochi’s Lounge at Evan Morgenstern’s SNC: The Virgin Chronicles

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:” The Vigilante

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Free open-mic stand-up show that’s seldom much fun for audience members but is a nice opportunity if you want 4-5 minutes to test out your comedy material on stage: Bring It

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 2/12/10

February 12, 2010

For the best of John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Stand-up star Ted Alexandro headlines tonight with friends at the elegant Comix Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): In this fun show, 16 musical performers turn an audience member’s suggestion into two musical fairy tales that tell what happened from the viewpoint of first the hero and then the villain, with “all the music and magic of a Disney flick…plus the darkness of the Brothers Grimm:” Once Upon a Time

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 online if you use code VIPFEB [otherwise $20], plus 2-item minimum): Superb stand-ups Joe Derosa, Morgan Murphy, and Pete Dominick join one of the finest stand-ups in the country to perform at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Ted Alexandro & Friends

8:00 pm ($10): A “best of” show from one of UCBT’s house sketch troupes: Thunder Gulch’s Pop Culture Apocalypse

8:00 pm ($5): John O’Donnell tells lots of comedic stories in his long-running one-man show The O’Donnellogues

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($18): One of the highlights of FringeNYC 2008 was Hot Cripple, a superb and heartfelt one-woman show by Hogan Gorman about her experiences with the US health care system, legal system, and government programs for the down-but-not-out. (The performance I attended was especially memorable because a small fire broke out on the second floor of the venue. Hogan had to stop two-thirds into her monologue so the building could be evacuated; and she did so with a wry smile, telling a comforting audience member “Oh, I’ve been though a whole lot worse than this.” Three fire trucks and 30 minutes later, the fire was out…and Hogan made a quick joke about the Hot in her show’s title and then resumed performing as if nothing had happened…) Running through February, come see it uninterrupted: Hot Cripple

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): NYC stand-ups performing in Ochi’s Lounge at a gay-themed show hosted by the lovely Jenny Rubin: The Back Room

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

9:30 pm ($10): Improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan following up winning the recent SketchProv Tournament with this PIT run, and veteran improv duo formerly known as Project:Projekt, in the double-bill Swords and The Nathan & Joe Show

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

11:00 pm ($5): A fun improv show that makes up scenes based on the contents of an audience member’s wallet: Gimme the Loot!

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Top UCBT talents—tonight featuring Nate Lang, Kate McKinnon, Ben Rodgers, Nick Ross, Mike Still, and Andrée Vermeulen as the performers, and Adam Conover, John Frusciante, Kevin Hines, Anthony King, Craig Rowin, Jim Santangeli, Nate Smith, Gavin Speiller, Erik Tanouye, Caitlin Tegart, and Greg Tuculescu as the writers—creating a one-night-only sketch comedy show directed by comedy genius Gavin Speiller, with musical guest Cavalier Rose: Beneath Gristedes

[FREE] 12:20ish am: A free opportunity for you to perform sketch on the UCBT stage at Liquid Courage

For the best of John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show, please click here.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Monday 12/14/09

December 14, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Ted Alexandro and other world-class stand-ups perform tonight at 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:

6:30 pm & 9:00 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 John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Thoroughly wonderful stand-ups Pete Holmes, Sara Schaefer, and Kumail Nanjiani performing at Brooklyn’s Union Pool for a new weekly comedy show hosted by Kurt Braunohler: The Inevitable

8:00 pm ($5): The talented young writer/performers of UCBT scripted comedy house troupes Gramp’s and Thunder Gulch trying out their newest sketch material at Maude Night

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5; plus 2-item min. if you sit): A musical improv comedy genius (2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act and the 2007 Andy Kaufman Award; cast member of the new Electric Company; Jimmy Fallon) performing tonight and Tuesday at Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, off Thompson Street): Reggie Watts

9:30 pm ($5): Michael O’Brien (Saturday Night Live) and Peter Grosz (The Colbert Report) performing the latest version of their acclaimed 2-man sketch show: Misled

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: A blowout gathering of some of the finest comics in the country—tonight including Elna Baker (genius storyteller and bestselling author), Ted Alexandro (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials), Wyatt Cenac (correspondent on The Daily Show), Baron Vaughn (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Awkward Kings of Comedy), and Costaki Economopoulos (The Bob and Tom Show)—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 Saturday 6/27/09

June 27, 2009

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Ted Alexandro
Ted Alexandro

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] four world-class storytellers—Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion and record-breaking 10-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of Real Tales of College), Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Leslie Goshko (Manhattan Monologue Slam Champ, host of Sideshow Goshko), and Jim O’Grady (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion)—joining host Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion) in trying to mislead the audience at The Liar Show (6:00 pm),

hilarious sketch performer Chris O’Connor (member of world-class sketch troupe Fearsome), and stand-ups Rob O’Reilly, Matthew Rittberg, Gabe Pacheco, Gilad Foss, Dan Goodman, and Louis Katz, joining hosts Pat Stango, Blaine Perry, and Sean Donnelly at Lil’ Seany Boy (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] Lauren Olson performing a one-woman show about the death of her mom that’s reportedly funny and superb in Our Condolences (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] one of the finest stand-up comics in the country performing a deliciously long set three times tonight: Ted Alexandro Headlining at Gotham (8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm),

[$] Lizz Winstead (co-creator of original The Daily Show) and Kumail Nanjiani (staff writer of upcoming Michael Black & Michael Showalter Comedy Central series; Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel) Headlining at Comix (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell relating their YouTube-documented romantic adventures live on stage—possibly accompanied by visits from some of the gals—on Double Date Us (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which in 2008 broke the UCBT improv competition record for winning streaks with 17 triumphs in a row, and this year delivered a magnificent performance to capture the Cage Match Championship—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer (9:00 pm),

[DISCOUNTED] Joe DeRosa (razor-sharp comic; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special), Amy Schumer (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), James Smith (HBO’s Flight of the Conchords), and other fine stand-ups performing at the only comedy club in the East Village, the intimate no-cover Eastville (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] inventive & hilarious sketch comedy from The Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] improvised furious action from world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),

vibrant improv from acclaimed trio Statues of LIberty (10:30 pm),

raucous physical sketch comedy in the form of comedic wrestling at the no-holds-barred action of UCBW: Revengeance IV (midnight),

[$] and a provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining at Carolines: Paul Mooney (12:30 am).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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