NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/21/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
hilarious stand-ups, including Pete Holmes (Best Week Ever), Roger Hailes (Chappelle's Show),
Colin Jost (writer for SNL), and Gabe Liedman & Jenny Slate (Gabe & Jenny) at Totally J/K (8:15ish pm),
political sketches & other presidential primary season comedy, plus a serious interview with
respected journalist and author Nick Flynn, at Lizz Winstead's Shoot the Messenger (8:30 pm),
and wonderful star comics Kristen Schaal (HBO's Flight of the Conchords), Rob Riggle (The Daily Show),
Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live), and more at one of the funniest shows in NYC—
which just happens to be free—starring and hosted by Human Giant (11:00 pm).
Stand-up comedy hosted by Billy Reno (SNL's Weekend Update,
Carolines; for video samples, please click here and here).
Tonight's guests are
Jay Bois, Luke Cunningham, Ophira Eisenberg,
Logan Jacobsen, and Dan St. Germaine.
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Amy Beckerman, Gloria Bigelow, Jackie Monahan, and Leah Dubie
Free gay-themed stand-up comedy show featuring the gals above
as regulars/hosts, plus tonight's guests:
Greg Walloch, Danny Leary, Mara Herron, and Adam Sank.
8:00 pm at RubyFruit Bar & Grill, 531 Hudson Street (between West 10th & Charles); free
Normally hosted by quick-witted best buds Joe Mande and Noah Garfinkel.
Joe is currently in Kokomo, IN, however, so filling in for him is the
sly and foul-mouthed Gabe Liedman (of At Night with Gabe & Jenny).
Tonight's terrific guests include
Jenny Slate (adorable, hot, and equally foul-mouthed co-host
of At Night with Gabe & Jenny; for hilarious video, please click here),
Pete Holmes (brilliant, lightning-fast stand-up; VH1's Best Week Ever,
Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Motherload; writer for CollegeHumor.com;
cartoonist for mags ranging from The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl;
host of UCBT's monthly open mic stand-up show Gutbucket),
Roger Hailes (exceptionally sharp, personable, funny stand-up; VH1, Chappelle's Show;
for sample videos, please click here and here), and
Colin Jost (writer for Saturday Night Live).
8:15ish pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Nick Flynn and his memoir Another Bullshit Night in Suck CIty; and host Lizz Winstead
Lizz Winstead is co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; and a performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night. (She's also a character; e.g., for a memorable anti-apology after canceling her appearance on the live NYC show Drink at Work, please click here.)
Tonight's guest is Nick Flynn, journalist and author of Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, a memoir about his life in Boston working in a homeless shelter...and periodically encountering his drunk, homeless father. Flynn's other credits include The New Yorker, Paris Review, National Public Radio's This American Life, The New York Times Book Review, and "field poet" for the 2006 Oscar-nominated documentary feature Darwin's Nightmare.
To get a feel for STM, view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees by clicking here.
To buy tickets online (each $10 plus $2.50 service charge), please click here.
8:30 pm at Ace of Clubs, 9 Great Jones Street (3rd St. between Lafayette and Broadway); $10
This theatre is downstairs from the Acme restaurant. Nearest subway stops are
Bleecker Street on the #6 and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.
Rob Riggle, Leo Allen, and Kristen Schaal...
...and Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer, and Aziz Ansari (a.k.a. Human Giant)
Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer, the wonderful stars
of MTV comedy hit Human Giant, will be showing off clips-in-progress
for their upcoming second season (slated to air in March).
There's no one better at working an audience than these guys;
and their first season was, in my opinion, one of the funniest shows in TV history.
(For details, please click here.)
Helping the guys throw a great party will be star comics, including
Kristen Schaal (lovely, brilliant, breathtakingly talented writer/actress/comic;
co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; writer for MTV's Human Giant;
co-star of Web video series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of NYC live Hot Tub Variety Show with Kurt Braunohler; winner of numerous comedy awards, including the prestigious 2nd Annual Andy Kaufman Award, and the 2007 ECNY Award for Best Female Stand-Up),
Rob Riggle (hilarious, organic, honest; correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart;
other credits include Saturday Night Live, The Office, Arrested Development), and
Leo Allen (writer for Saturday Night Live 2002-2005; Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents, Ed, Sex and the City).
This is likely to be one of the flat-out funniest shows in NYC.
And it's free.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 1/22/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
Jeff Kreisler, winner of the 2006 Bill Hicks Spirit Award and writer for Comedy Central's Indecision 2008,
performing a one-man show about the current political scene in Comedy Against Evil (7:00 pm),
Jess Wood (HBO), Clara Bijl (Comedy Central), Sara Benincasa (MTV), Abbi Crutchfield explaining
"How to Use a Mascara Wand as a Shiv," and other fine stand-ups at Carolyn Castiglia's Chicks & Giggles (8:00 pm),
writer/artist legend Jim Starlin, who more than anyone else put the cosmic into comic books,
visiting with cartoonist Scott Bateman and comedic rapper MC Chris at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),
wonderful star stand-ups, including Todd Barry (HBO, Dave, Conan), Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, NBC, CNN),
Bobby Tisdale (Invite Them Up), and TJ Miller (ABC's Carpoolers) at the fabulous Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),
and superb comics including Lizz Winstead (co-creator of the original The Daily Show)
and Becky Drysdale (star of Time Traveling Lesbian) at Her Majesty's Stand-Up (9:30 pm).
Jeff Kreisler's Comedy Against Evil
Jeff Kreisler is a winner of the 2006 Bill Hicks Spirit Award for Thought Provoking Comedy.
He writes for Comedy Central's Indecision 2008, is a nationally syndicated business
humor columnist & video maker for Funny Money, and is currently creating the humor book
Get Rich Cheating for Harper Collins. Tonight's show is a kick-off for a national tour.
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Jess Wood, Clara Bijl, and Carolyn Castiglia
Carolyn Castiglia hosts a lineup of talented female stand-up comics.
Tonight's scheduled guests are:
Jess Wood (smart, brassy, very funny stand-up; HBO's Def Jam Comedy;
for documentary about her, please click here),
Clara Bijl (semifinalist in Comedy Central's 2003 Laugh Riots; writer for French hit sitcom Le Petit Silvant Illustré; for stand-up video on replacing an ex with a dildo, please click here),
Sara Benincasa (MTV's Choose or Lose Campaign; host of Tub Talk with Sara B.
on Nerve.com; host of NYC weekly live comedy show Family Hour with Auntie Sara;
for video sample, please click here),
Abbi Crutchfield (as Dr. Eric Newberry, feminist motivational speaker who teaches class on self-defense via everyday items, e.g., "How to Use a Mascara Wand as a Shiv"),
Rachael Parenta (for audio clip of three hilariously shocking jokes, please click here),
Diana Saez (DC Comedy Festival; XM Radio; created/produced Washington DC's
first all-female comedy showcase; for stand-up videos, please click here and here), and
Diana Saez & Heather with a sock puppet extravaganza!
8:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Jim Starlin's "cosmic" series such as Warlock blew the minds of readers and opened new possibilities for comics
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's industry guest is Jim Starlin, one of the most important writers/artists
in comics history; his dozens of titles includes Warlock, Captain Marvel, Silver Surfer,
The Infinity War, The Thanos Quest, Dreadstar, and Death of the New Gods). Also visiting are
Scott Bateman (cartoonist who produced an animated short a day for a year; Plum TV's Scott Bateman Presents Scott Bateman Presents; Salon.com weekly animated series),
and hilarious musician/rapper MC Chris.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, five improv troupes—
DeCoster, 1985, fwand, Bastian, and T.R.U.C.K.S.—
each give it a go for 30 minutes, with
short breaks in between, for a total of 3 hours.
Some of the groups are great; some are less so. And this show
is designed more for students of improv than the general public.
But if you're interested, and patient, a mere $5 will buy you
a full evening's education...and periodic solid laughs.
8:00-11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Todd Barry and Jessi Klein...
...and Bobby Tisdale, Seth Herzog, and TJ Miller
Hosted by the razor-sharp, dynamic, and hilarious Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Tonight's wonderful all-star comics are
Todd Barry (wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz;
Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents; HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Lucky Louie;
Comedy Central's Freak Show, Dr. Katz, and Shorties Watching Shorties;
Adult Swim's Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Tom Goes To The Mayor),
Jessi Klein (deliciously honest, brilliant, hilarious stand-up star; Rolling Stones' comedy "Hot List;"
Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn;
VH1's Best Week Ever; NBC's The Today Show; CNN; The Showbiz Show with David Spade;
voice of Lucy on Adult Swim's Lucy the Daughter of the Devil;
for a video stand-up sample about which celebrity would save
the most Jews, and on email etiquette, please click here and here),
Bobby Tisdale (comedy great who for five years has hosted the wonderful
NYC weekly live comedy show Invite Them Up; Comedy Central album;
film Junebug; HBO's Hysterical Blindness; new show on SuperDeluxe.com),
TJ Miller (co-star of ABC sitcom Carpoolers; actor in smash hit film Cloverfield;
ESPN Hollywood, PBS' The Standard Deviants; writer for Blerds.com and verybadporn.com;
performing stand-up this Thursday on Late Show with David Letterman),
and Sam Bisbee (star NYC singer/songwriter).
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
Becky Drysdale, Lizz Winstead, and Sean O'Connor
Hosted by Jon Bander, Dan Gregor, and Lucas Held.
Tonight's superb comics include
Lizz Winstead (co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night; host of NYC weekly live comedy show Shoot the Messenger),
Becky Drysdale (charismatic, brave, razor-sharp improvisor/musician/actor; acclaimed one-woman show One Woman in Several Pieces; Web video series Time Traveling Lesbian;
co-stars in UCBT's great improv shows Happy Hour and Let's Have a Ball),
Sean O'Connor (VH1; New York Posts Top 20 Entertainers to Watch For in 2006; upcoming album Shmeat is Shmurder; for hilarious stand-up samples, please click here and here), and
Pangea 3000 (NYC-based sketch troupe consisting of Andrew Cleary, Sam Kemmis,
Dan Klein, Arthur Meyer, and Seth Reiss; The Onion, SF SketchFest).
9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Stellar members of various UCBT improv teams are
mixed together to form new teams for just an evening.
Tonight's one-time-only troupes are:
Team 1: Jesse Falcon, Jon Gutierrez, Kevin Hines, Violet Krumbein,
John Murray, Adam Pally, Lennon Parham, and Achilles Stamatelaky.
Team 2: Kirk Damato, Sue Galloway, Chris Gethard, Hallie Haglund,
Sean Hart, Eric Scott, Nate Smith, and Will Storie.
Come take advantage of this chance to see wonderful improvisers
who normally don't work together try to instantly form a group mind.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 1/23/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a free view of a sketch troupe constructing material via entertaining anecdotes
and improv, featuring superb talents such as Elna Baker and Pat Shay, at Red (6:00 pm),
brilliant & awesomely talented comics who enjoy complaining, including Demetri Martin, Larry Murphy,
Jon Glaser, Jon Benjamin, Patrick Borelli, and Matt Hall, at CBS/NYC Presents: The Grouch Club (8:00 pm),
typically stellar stand-up comics at Eugene Mirman's & Bobby Tisdale's Invite Them Up (9:00 pm),
sketch comedy about glam-rock messiahs and future dystopias from The Uncles and BLITZKRIEG! (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
Pat Shay and Elna Baker
Comedy troupe Red tells stories off the top of their heads, then improvises scenes
based on the tales; and also perform sketches from material they improvised the previous week.
It's a clever way of crafting a sketch show organically, week by week—and you can watch the whole process, at no charge. The group consists of Kevin Allison, Elna Baker, Chris Caniglia,
Scott Eckert, Sarah Lowe, Sarah Nowak, Pat Shay, Nate Starkey, Shelly Stover, and Kevin Townley.
6:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Larry Murphy, Demetri Martin, Jon Benjamin, and Jon Glaser
CBS/NYC Presents: The Grouch Club
Some of the funniest & most brilliantly talented guys in New York
get on stage tonight to gripe about stuff. This all-star blow-out includes:
Demetri Martin (immensely popular stand-up star with his own segment, Trendspotting,
on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart [13 appearances]; Late Night with Conan O'Brien
[4 appearances]; Comedy Central Presents 30-minute
special; Comedy Central 2007 one-hour special Demetri
Martin. Person. [both specials now available
on DVD
Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor who performs all the
key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other TV series include
Home Movies, O'Grady, Cheapseats, Computer Lab, Puppets N Such;
co-host of great NYC weekly comedy extravaganza The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show;
for an animated VO reel, please click here).
Jon Glaser (long-time writer & sketch performer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
writer/performer for ESPN's Cheap Seats; frequent performer on Human Giant;
voiceover actor for such animated series as David Cross' Freak Show, and
Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Stroker & Hoop (as Stroker),
and, with Eugene Mirman, Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil (playing Jesus);
writer/star of Comedy Central's online show Tiny Hands; writer/filmmaker
partner with stellar VO actor/comic Jon Benjamin in Midnight Pajama Jam;
and—with Todd Barry, Jon Benjamin, James McNew, and Tom Shillue—
member of NYC comedic band A Matter of Trust);
Jon Benjamin (superb voiceover actor for FOX's Family Guy, Adult Swim's
Lucy the Daughter of the Devil, Home Movies, Assy McGee—which he
co-writes with Jon Glaser, and Comedy Central's Freak Show, Dr. Katz;
played talking can of vegetables hooked on autofellatio in film Wet Hot American Summer;
was thoroughly hilarious as Bruce Willis impersonator in classic Human Giant sketch),
Patrick Borelli (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,
ESPN's Cheap Seats, Video Power Hour), and
Matt Hall (frequent comedy partner of Patrick Borelli;
co-creater with Patrick of Video Power Hour).
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
John F. O'Donnell
Free open mic stand-up comedy show in Queens' Long Island City
(just one stop from Manhattan on the #7 train).
Hosted by John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central's Fresh Faces), a wild man
who will make you love him...and who genuinely loves comedy and fellow comics.
If you're looking for stage time, John makes this a very friendly place to perform.
Sign-up for the open mic is at 7:30.
8:15ish pm at The Creek and The Cave, 10-93 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens; free
From Manhattan, take the #7 subway to the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue stop (one stop after Grand Central);
exit on Jackson Avenue and walk one block north to 49th Avenue.
Hosted by comedy greats Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale (above).
The lineup—which is usually stellar—tends to be posted late afternoon
on the day of the show. To check whether the Web page
has been updated yet, please click here.
9:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
The Uncles and BLITZKRIEG!: A Sketch Show From the Future
Two sketch comedy shows for five bucks.
Sketch troupe The Uncles consists of Matt DiLoreto, Dave DiLoreto, and Joshua Sidis.
Tonight they promise to "contort, stretch, warp, and twist for your comic delight into rabidly violent monks, glam-rock messiahs, Socratic superstars from the way-back-when, and Bensonhurt-bred professors intent on teaching you the meaning of haste." They'll be aided by guest writer Colin P. Delaney and guest performer Lauren Shannon.
The other half of this double-bill is BLITZKRIEG!: A Sketch Show From the Future:
"The comedy equivalent of a fistfight between Stephen A Brief History of Pain Hawking
and Brian The Asswhoopin' of the Cosmos Greene. Step out of a wormhole and into a world of anatomical deformities, Mumblecore movies and three-tiered appetizers. When you are called from the future to defend the human race against destruction, will you be ready? Blitzkrieg! ensures you are."
Written & performed by Matt Cady, John Frusciante and Aaron Glaser; featuring Molly Lloyd.
Directed by Dominic Dierkes (Derrick).
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Kurt Braunohler and Pat Shay
The Faculty and The Baldwins and Sid Viscous
Some of the PIT's instructors—who include such talents as Ali Farahnakian,
Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Matt Donnelly, Kevin Scott,
and Rebekka Johnson—perform improv for around 30 minutes.
And opening for them will be house improv troupes The Baldwins and Sid Viscous.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Host Justin Purnell provides a mix of guests who perform stand-up, improv, music,
and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly—
but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun.
Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,
that this free show makes possible.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 1/24/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
comedy from ace sketch/improv troupe Hot Sauce (7:00 pm),
razor-sharp comics Roger Hailes, Matt Goldich, and Ben Schwartz, and stellar storyteller Elna Baker,
at Jon Friedman's and Stuckey & Murray's wonderful comedy extravaganza Slightly Buzzed (8:30 pm),
two improv troupes, Fat Penguin and Tantrum, battling for audience votes at Cage Match (11:00 pm),
and two sketch/improv troupes, Sidecar and 3-D Beard, who've decided to team up
for twice the laughs in Speakeasy: Double-Action Hilarity (11:00 pm).
Sharp-witted & lightning-quick sketch/improv group Hot Sauce
is Gil Ozeri, Adam Pally and Ben Schwartz;
for some video samples of their work, please click here and here.
These 2006 Cage Match champions kick off tonight by trying out comedy sketches
and, most likely, tossing in some very funny improvisation.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Christina Casa & Sara Chase in Jen & Angie, and Lance Rubin & Ray Munoz in The Lance & Ray Show
Jen & Angie and The Lance & Ray Show
Jen & Angie imagines what would happen if Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie
were stranded together on a desert island. It's a cute idea that's gotten the show some press.
But frankly, considering how fascinating and complex the real-life celebrities are,
this parody is disappointing—the script is way too shallow, all too often
making easy and obvious choices.
That said, there's pleasure to be had in the dopiness of Christina Casa's portrayal
of Jolie as a husky-voiced android who speaks in short declarative sentences,
never uses contractions, and always calls her rival by her full name
(e.g., "Have some condor, Jennifer Aniston. It is good for you, Jennifer Aniston.").
If Casa and her writing partner Laura Buchholz keep this character, but otherwise
rethink the show from scratch to make it deeper and wiser,
they might end up with something that goes beyond being an actress showcase.
Nonetheless, Casa's absurd version of Jolie provides memorably silly fun.
The show co-stars Sara Chase as Aniston, and is directed by Susanah Becket.
The other half of this double-bill is The Lance & Ray Show,
which is sketch in a stream-of-consciousness style
from promising comedy duo Lance Rubin & Ray Munoz.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Roger Hailes, Elna Baker, and Matt Goldich...
...and hosts Jon Friedman and Stuckey & Murray
An evening of razor-sharp comedy hosted by
Jon Friedman (host of the superb NYC monthly live comedy extravaganza The Rejection Show
and author of the upcoming book Rejected: Tales of the Failed, Dumped, and Canceled) and
Stuckey & Murray (The Discovery Channel, E!, VH1, Fuse, The College Sports Network; two comedy music series for NBC Digital Media and Heavy.com; wildly popular comedy videos on YouTube, Funnyordie.com, and their own Web site).
Tonight's wonderful guests include
Roger Hailes (exceptionally sharp, personable, funny stand-up; VH1, Chappelle's Show;
for sample videos, please click here and here),
Elna Baker (brilliant writer, storyteller, and comics creator whose If You See Something
was the best one-woman show at FringeNYC 2006; improvisor/storyteller for Red Room),
Matt Goldich (lightning-fast stand-up; Comedy Central's Premium Blend, NY1's The Call, contributor to book Bar Mitzvah Disco; for a stand-up sample, please click here), and
Ben Schwartz (lightning-fast improv/sketch comic; freelance writer for Saturday Night Live
and Late Show with David Letterman; for video samples of his work with troupe Hot Sauce,
8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Sketch group Murderfist creates sketches that are very odd and unsettling.
For example, to watch a somewhat grueling tale of an unlikely gay couple done in
the style of a silent film, please click here. And here's the description of tonight's show:
"Use your mind's eye, and picture your beloved and elderly grandfather. Now, bit by bit, imagine him naked and hard as the dickens. That's what we do everyday, for a long time, in order to provide for you the entertainment to quench your souls. You're welcome."
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
vs.
Cage Match: Fat Penguin vs. Tantrum
This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating the
atmosphere of a professional wrestling arena (and providing such side-shows
as a bout to the death between guys costumed as an alcoholic wolf and TV's Alf...).
Tonight, two small armies of improv troupes go head to head.
Fat Penguin describes itself as "a comedy group that is cute and adorable and a surprisingly good swimmer." Its members are Dave Bluvband, Bridget Fitzgerald, Kelly Hudson, Johnny McNulty, Amber Nelson, Benjamin Ragheb, Alan Starzinski, and Rob Stern.
Tantrum says "We are sunshine. We are rainbows. We are puppies. Unless we don't get our way..." The troupe—whose motto is "Waaaaaaaaaa!!!"—consists of Sean Clements, Devlyn Corrigan, Brian Faas, Fran Gillespie, Violet Krumbein, Tricia McAlpin, Ben Schwartz, and David Siegel.
The lightning-quick mind of Ben Schwartz (Hot Sauce) might tip the balance towards Tantrum.
But there's really no telling what will happen...which is one of the great pleasures of this show.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
+
Matt Fisher, Alden Ford, and Justin Tyler of Sidecar + Joe Randazzo, Henry Kaiser, and Chris Ryan of 3-D Beard
Speakeasy: Double-Action Hilarity from 3-D Beard & Sidecar
Offering an alternative to the combative Cage Match, in this show
two terrific improv troupes team up with each other. They are
Sidecar: Alden Ford, Matt Fisher, and Justin Tyler
(for a sketch about their interrogation technique, please click here)
and
3-D Beard: Joe Randazzo, Chris Ryan, and Henry Kaiser.
11:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 1/25/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
two of the funniest improv/sketch guys in New York, Adam Pally & Charlie Sanders (7:00),
Ann Carr, Abbi Crutchfield, Kambri Crews, and more joking about relatives at Sara Benincasa's Family Hour (7:00),
John Flynn telling hilarious, hair-raising tales about his adventures with Terrible Sex (8:00 pm),
wonderful stand-up comics Aziz Ansari (MTV's Human Giant), TJ Miller (ABC's Carpoolers),
Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central), Sara Schaefer (VH1, E!), Baron Vaughn (MTV, VH1),
and more at one of the funniest shows in NYC, The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show (8:30 pm),
clever, inventive sketch comedy from Chocolate Cake City (9:30),
some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),
singing improvisors who use an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical (10:00 pm),
one of my all-time favorite improv troupes, the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (11:00 pm),
and a free opportunity for you to perform improv with UCBT veterans at Jammin' with Ralph (Midnight).
Adam Pally (wonderful sketch/improv member of star troupe Hot Sauce;
storyteller on ace comedy show The Nights of Our Lives; Cage Match champion) and
Charlie Sanders (brilliantly dynamic comic who's one of the most committed improvisors you'll ever see; sketch performer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; member of world-class improv troupes Reuben Williams, Buffoons, and this year's just-crowned Cage Match improv champion
C, C + C Improv Factory) team up to bring you sketch, or improv, or possibly both.
Whatever comedy form they choose, this show is likely to be hilarious.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
John Flynn
John Flynn Has Terrible Sex (with Jason Mantzoukas)
Starting from his initial gay sexual experience up through the near-present, John Flynn (Showgirls: The Best Movie Ever Made. Ever!, The Nights of Our Lives) relates a multitude of amusing, shocking, but most of all very human encounters. These range from the first time anyone threw a line at him ("Want to pretend we're f*cking?"), which worked like a charm; to a friend helping John out of a financial jam by pimping him; to a college dorm neighbor who, John learned the hard way, got aroused in an unusual manner; to an Internet hookup with someone who turned out to be three feet tall. The tales are fascinating and laugh-filled throughout; and to make things even livelier, a friend helps by periodically asking questions in the role of "ignorant straight guy" (played by Jason Mantzoukas (Mother: The Soundtrack, We Used to Go Out, The Mantzoukas Brothers).
John Flynn is a great storyteller, and he's created a rich, hilarious show
that anyone, gay or straight, is likely to enjoy.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Nathan Phillips has written and performed with such giants in comedy
as Penn & Teller and Blue Man Group. Later this year, his work will be displayed
as part of the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition at MOMA.
Tonight, Phillips performs a one-man show mixing personal anecdotes with
song, dance, and improvised stories via interaction with the audience.
To get a feel for the impressive array of comedic characters
Phillips has performed in the past, please click here.
7:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Happy children with "Aunt" Sara Benincasa...
...and guests Abbi Crutchfield, Kambri Crews, and Ann Carr
A stand-up comedy show in which everyone tells jokes and/or stories related to
their family. Hosted by comic/actress Sara Benincasa (MTV's Choose or Lose Campaign;
host of Tub Talk with Sara B. on Nerve.com; for video sample, please click here).
Tonight's scheduled guests are
Ann Carr (Comedy Central Motherload's Honesty Wedding, UCBT's High School Talent Show,
The Pit's Keith & Donna's Grateful Dead Listening Hour),
Abbi Crutchfield (possibly as Dr. Eric Newberry, feminist motivational speaker who teaches class on self-defense via everyday items, e.g., "How to Use a Mascara Wand as a Shiv"),
Kambri Crews (fabulous comedy publicist & producer, actress, and storyteller;
for video of Kambri reading her jailed deaf dad's wedding toast, please click here),
Hilary Schwartz (songwriter, guitarist and co-lead singer for Manson Family Singers;
XM Radio; DC improv champion),
Josh Filipowski (host of NYC live comedy show Like to Laugh),
Lisa Kaplan (Carolines, The LOL Tour),
Mara Herron (for her views on drugs, please click here), and
Eliza Faria-Santos ("Come on in, my parents are dead.").
7:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Aziz Ansari, Sara Schaefer, and TJ Miller...
...Baron Vaughn and Tom McCaffrey...
...and hosts Larry Murphy & Greg Johnson
The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show
This is one of the funniest shows in NYC, hosted by
Greg Johnson (razor-sharp, quick-witted stand-up comic)
and Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor who performs all the
key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other TV series include
Home Movies, O'Grady, Cheapseats, Computer Lab, Puppets N Such;
for an animated VO reel, please click here).
Tonight's all-star stand-ups include
Aziz Ansari (one of the best stand-up comics on the planet, and co-star
with Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer of the MTV hit comedy series Human Giant),
Sara Schaefer (VH1's Best Week Ever, E! Network's Rise of the Geeks;
Union Hall's Name That Tune with Sara Schaefer),
Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Shorties Watchin' Shorties),
Baron Vaughn (MTV's new The Gamekillers, VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and
Best Week Ever, co-star of weekly NYC live comedy show Shoot the Messenger;
for a radio interview, please click here),
TJ Miller (co-star of ABC sitcom Carpoolers; actor in smash hit film Cloverfield;
Late Night with David Letterman, ESPN Hollywood, PBS' The Standard Deviants;
writer for Blerds.com and verybadporn.com),
and possibly one or two more.
8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
"They're all street, all the time." Ms. Jackson is five funny women—pictured left to right,
Jessica Allen, Bayne Gibby, Stephanie Kasen, Caitlin Miller, and Tara Copeland
—who won the 2004 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group.
The other half of this double-bill is Surf n' Turf, consisting of
Improv performers Bob Acevedo, Dave Furfero, and Ernie Privetera:
"Three men with no fear of intimacy or injury...who create
spontaneous theater that is physical, intense, moving, and occasionally funny."
As the official description indicates, Surf 'n Turf's style's not laugh-a-minute,
so isn't for every taste; to get a feel for it, please click here.
8:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Dave Rubin, Allen Warnock, and Shawn Hollenbach
Gay-themed comedy hosted by Shawn Hollenbach, Dave Rubin, and Allen Warnock.
Tonight's scheduled guests include
Lisa Kaplan (Lesbians of Laughter),
Brad Loekle (Out Q Radio), and
Anne Necyzapor (2007 MAC Award nominee).
8:30 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Bobby Moynihan, Zach Woods, Christina Gausas, Michael Delaney, and Chris Gethard
Some of the smartest & finest improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney, Christina Gausas,
Chris Gethard, Will Hines, Bobby Moynihan, Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols,
and Zach Woods—make up a series of scenes from a one-word audience suggestion.
With art and grace, these star talents will make you laugh—a lot.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Chocolate Cake City began as a sketch troupe from Boston's Emerson College in 2003. It's since expanded to a second troupe in New York specializing in thematic, story-based comedy.
To get a feel for CCC's wit and talent, please check out a hilarious video showing George Lucas' digitally remastered "Special Edition" version of Singin' in the Rain by clicking here.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Veteran improvisor John O'Donnell is accompanied
by a rotating cast that might include such superb talents as
Tara Copeland, Scott Glover, Alex Marino, Louis Kornfeld,
Jessica Allen, Robin Rothman, and Megan Gray
—and with Frank Spitznagel on piano—
turn an interview with an audience member
into a musical they make up on the spot.
10:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $7
Death by Roo Roo: Your F*cked Up Family
Arguably the gutsiest improv troupe in NYC, the brilliant comics of Death by Roo Roo—Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Jackie Clarke, Brett Gelman, John Gemberling, and Curtis Gwinn—interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story
via improvised scenes. Sometimes scary, and usually hilarious.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Springboarding from a word suggested by the audience,
George Basil, Frank Campanella, Christian Capozzoli, and Matt Evans
perform organic & energetic long-form improv for about 40 minutes.
Basil is a stand-out, but they're all sharp, committed improvisors.
There's also a warm chemistry between the men, which is especially evident
if you arrive early to watch them getting ready on stage: They toss a ball
back and forth, and then toss each other back and forth...sending
a body message of "If you throw something at me, you can trust me
to not let it drop..." One of the Magnet's most popular shows.
Note: This might be 4 Track's last Friday performance;
the troupe is slated to move to Saturday nights.
11:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
A solo show that invites select comics, storytellers, and other talents
to come on stage and perform compelling monologues.
In addition, some time is reserved to open the mic to audience members.
(If you want to take advantage of the latter—which is a nice opportunity
to try out material in front of a sharp crowd—arrive early to sign up.)
11:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
To perform improvisation at UCBT, you must spend years taking classes and carefully perfecting your craft...or you can come to this monthly free show, which allows audience members to jump on stage and participate! Hosted by popular long-form improv troupe fwand, consisting of Chelsea Clarke, Dominic Dierkes, Jonathan Gabrus, Sean Hart,
Kevin Hines, Ellie Kemper, Gil Ozeri, and Greg Tuculescu.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/26/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
the perfect comedy show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set
and around 30 performers crammed into 2¼ hours—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:00 pm),
star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report,
and The Daily show who joyously declare Let's Have a Ball (7:30 pm),
Second City veterans, Magnet instructors, UCBT stars, and occasional celebs
at the Magnet's signature improv show, The Tiny Spectacular (7:30 pm),
sharp stand-ups Matthew McCarthy, Becky Donohue, and Katina Corrao at Drink at Work (8:30 pm),
improv comedy mixed with audience-supplied music at the rockin' Mother: The Soundtrack (9:00 pm),
inventive & hilarious sketch comedy from The Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),
improvised TV shows about audience members via world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),
and some undoubtedly shocking moments from the always inventive Cracked Out (Midnight).
Lottery-style open mic for stand-up comics trying out material,
with 4½ minutes per performer...in return for a $5 contribution to the weekly prize kitty.
(In addition, Ochi's 1-item food or drink minimum applies to everyone.)
A breathtaking 30+ comics perform in this 2¼ hour show; host
John Morrison (above) has described it as "comedy on crack."
If you're seeking consistent laughs, this might not be the best way to kick off
your evening. But if you're patient and adventurous, it's a potentially wild ride.
And if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.
To be entered into the weekly random drawing for the show's performers,
please email host John Morrison (above) at ochismotel[at]gmail.com.
6:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Nathan Phillips has written and performed with such giants in comedy
as Penn & Teller and Blue Man Group. Later this year, his work will be displayed
as part of the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition at MOMA.
Tonight, Phillips performs a one-man show mixing personal anecdotes with
song, dance, and improvised stories via interaction with the audience.
To get a feel for the impressive array of comedic characters
Phillips has performed in the past, please click here.
7:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Becky Drysdale, Anthony King, Christina Gausas, Peter Gwinn, and Tami Sagher
Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.
The players typically include Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swim's brilliant & Emmy-winning Moral Orel), Kay Cannon (writer for 30 Rock), Becky Drysdale (acclaimed one-woman show One Woman in Several Pieces, Web video series Time Traveling Lesbian), Christina Gausas (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Stepfathers, Dorff & Gausas), Peter Gwinn (writer for The Colbert Report), Anthony King (UCBT-NY Artistic Director, Reuben Williams, Gutenberg! The Musical), Laura Krafft (writer for The Colbert Report), Tami Sagher (writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006), and Rob Riggle (correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; Saturday Night Live, The Office).
7:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Magnet instructors & Second City veterans such as Rachel Hamilton, Ed Herbstman, Abby Sher, and Miriam Tolan, plus stars of Mother: The Soundtrack (see below) Jason Mantzoukas, Tara Copeland, James Eason, Christine Walters, plus occasional special guests (such as superstar Mike Meyers), turn a tiny suggestion into larger-than-life improvised scenes.
7:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
SKP's Stu Luth, Mel DeLancey, and Dan Maccarone
Slightly Known People Is Seeing Other People
Slightly Known People—Erik Bowie, Mel DeLancey, Stu Luth,
Dan Maccarone, and Josh Mertz—performs funny songs and sketch comedy.
In this weekly show SKP invites other talented comics
to come play along with it for an evening.
Tonight's guest is improv/sketch troupe Wilder,
consisting of Jill Donnelly, Amy Flanagan, Kabir Hamid, and Nick Ross.
For a hilarious SKP video deconstructing Billy Joel, please click here.
For a review of the show, please click here.
8:30 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Katina Corrao, Matt McCarthy, and Becky Donohue...
...and Carol Hartsell and Sean Crespo
Comedic variety show produced by Carol Hartsell and hosted by Sean Crespo
(stand-up comic and prolific filmmaker; for samples, please click here & here & here).
Tonight's scheduled guests include
Matthew McCarthy (hilarious co-host of NYC weekly live comedy show Max!),
Becky Donohue (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and
Shorties Watchin' Shorties; TLC's Trading Spaces; Fashion Police writer for US Weekly),
Katina Corrao (HBO's Daddy, Comedy Central; for video samples, please click here and here),
Rob Gorden (former co-host of Spike TV's Geek-Ray Vision and NYC's The Rob and Mark Show;
for an ad for a flat-rate phone sex service, please click here), and
Lucas Held (co-host of NYC live stand-up comedy show Her Majesty's Stand-Up).
8:30 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Jason Mantzoukas leads a vibrant team of improv comics—Scot Armstrong, Tara Copeland, Jon Daly, James Eason, Jesse Falcon, Doug Moe, and Christine Walters—who make up scenes based on CD tracks contributed by the audience. One of UCBT's most beloved shows.
9:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
The Harvard Sailing Team: A Hundred Years of Song and Dance
The Harvard Sailing Team (which was superb in SketchFest NYC 07)
performs their special brand of fresh, imaginative sketch comedy
that turns familiar rituals on their head. (For a video about awkward goodbyes
at the end of a party, please click here.) The very talented troupe consists of
Rebecca Brey, Jen Curran, Clayton Early, Faryn Einhorn, Katie Larson,
Adam Lustick, Chris Smith, Billy Scafuri, and Sara Taylor.
Tonight kicks off a whole new collection of sketches titled
A Hundred Years of Song and Dance, covering such topics
as Melissa Etheridge, Duck Tales, and American Gladiators.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Reuben Williams: As Seen on TV
Anthony King demonstrates that in addition to running UCBT-NY brilliantly, he's a superb improvisor and actor. Joining him are stellar talents Eugene Cordero, Lennon Parham, Charlie Sanders, Eric Scott, Kate Spencer, Charlie Todd, and Joe Wengert. Together, they interview an audience member, and then use the answers as the basis for a new TV show...which this fiercely talented comedy troupe creates & performs for you on the spot.
10:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Cracked Out (above) is the hilarious Jon Daly & Brett Gelman parodying a hip-hop group.
These guys love to shock; for a write-up of their UCBT show in October,
which featured trash gods and giant dildos, please click here.
For samples of the duo's mind-blowing videos, please click here and here;
and check out their album Fleetwood Cracked.
There's no telling what they have planned tonight,
but it's probably worth experiencing.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/27/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
UCBT's playground for celebrities and ace improvisors, ASSSSCAT 3000 (7:30 & 9:30 pm),
and utterly wonderful stand-up stars including Aziz Ansari, Dave Hill, and Mike Birbiglia
in Brooklyn at the great Eugene Mirman's & Michael Showalter's Tearing the Veil of Maya (8:00 pm).
For details, please click here.
Note #1: If you like stand-up, tune into Comedy Central today from 11:30 am through 9:00 pm. The network is running a 9½ hour block of its wonderful Comedy Central Presents series, with each 30-minute episode showcasing a superb stand-up comic at the top of his or her game. Here's the lineup:
Loni Love (11:30 am), Doug Benson (noon), Chelsea Handler (12:30), Steve Byrne (1:00), Maria Bamford (1:30), Rich Vos (2:00), Dane Cook (2:30), Steven Lynch (3:00), Mike Birbiglia (3:30), Demetri Martin (4:00), Mitch Hedberg (4:30), Jim Gaffigan (5:00), Pablo Francisco (5:30), Kyle Cease (6:00), Mitch Fatel (6:30), Lewis Black (7:00), Frank Caliendo (7:30), Lisa Landry (8:00), and Josh Sneed (8:30).
Note #2: Monday night includes one of NYC's comedy events of the year,
the ECNY Awards show—which should not be missed.
For details, please click here.
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre's signature show, which features a monologist telling stories based on audience suggestions and a group of top improvisers (sometimes including stars such as SNL's Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz) creating scenes based on the stories. There are two shows every Sunday which share the same format, but are otherwise entirely different because everything is improvised. The 7:30 pm show is $8; advance tickets might be sold out by the time you read this, but a limited number of seats are available at the door for those who arrive early enough to nab 'em. The 9:30 show is free, with tickets distributed outside the theatre at 8:15 pm; but again, you may need to come early and wait on line to ensure getting into this first come, first served performance.
7:30 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue)
Aziz Ansari, Dave Hill, and Mike Birbiglia...
...and hosts Eugene Mirman and Michael Showalter
If you live in Brooklyn, or simply don't mind going a few subway stops
beyond Manhattan, some of the best comedy minds in New York can be found
at this weekly show hosted by Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's
Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1,
The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman and En Garde, Society! comedy albums) and
Michael Showalter (MTV's The State, Stella comedy troupe,
co-writer & co-star of comedy feature film Wet Hot American Summer).
Tonight's wonderful all-star guests include
Aziz Ansari (one of the best stand-up comics on the planet, and co-star
with Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer of the MTV hit comedy series Human Giant),
Dave Hill (written for The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie
Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written and performed for VH1, Spike TV,
The Learning Channel, and the fabulous Smoking Gun TV series; hosts monthly
UCBT extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—to learn more, please click here), and
Mike Birbiglia (razor-sharp stand-up comic—his routine about CNN is worth the trip by itself;
Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, two Comedy Central Presents
specials, comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live;
for sample stand-up videos, please click here and here).
8:00 pm at Union Hall, 702 Union Street at 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn; tickets are $7
Take the R train to Union Street and walk 1 block east; or take
the F train to 4th Avenue, walk north on 4th Avenue and turn right on Union Street, and go 1 block up;
or take the 2/3/4/5/Q train to Atlantic Avenue, walk south on 5th Avenue, and make a left on Union Street.
A showcase for talented improvisation twosomes.
Tonight's scheduled duos are
Garrett Palm & Julia Frey,
Angela DeManti & Jennifer Sanders, and
Alan Fessenden & Maddy Mako.
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour
Adam Sank (former TV news producer for FOX and WABC-TV; written
for The New York Times, Esquire Magazine, and The San Francisco Sentinel)
hosts this free gay-themed stand-up comedy show.
Tonight's extra-fine lineup includes
Lisa Landry, John F. O'Donnell, Stone & Stone, and Laura Nikifortchuk.
To get a feel for the show, please click here.
10:00 pm at Therapy, 348 West 52nd Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues); free
Alternatively, consider seeing a funny and/or musical
Broadway, off-Broadway, or off-off-Broadway show.
To learn how theatre tickets can be purchased for around 50% off—
or, in some cases, for as little as $3 each—
please read Hy on Theatre Discounts.
January 28, 8:00 pm: The
ECNY Awards, hosted by Jon Friedman. (Note
from Hy: There's no discount offer in this case; but also NO FOOD/DRINK
MINIMUM. At $10 a ticket, this fundamental show celebrating some of the
freshest, sharpest, and funniest comics in the country is a must. To learn
more about ECNY, please click here
and here.) To order tickets, please click here.
Official Description: After an almost two-year hiatus, the ECNY Awards,
New York's original comedy awards, has been completely revamped with a
new production team. The ECNY Awards continue to celebrate the comedic
performing arts in
New York City by honoring the best and funniest performers, shows, and producers working in the field. "The ECNY Awards will now, more than ever, serve as a reflection of what's going on in New York comedy," said ECNY producer Alex Goldberg. "We're seeing an explosion of talent in the city right now, and how better to honor that than with an overblown, self-important awards show?"
Return to Previous NYC Comedy Picks
Copyright © 2008 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
