NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 6/7/10
Wonderful improvisor/actresses return to the Soho Playhouse for a 10-week Monday night run at Naked in a Fishbowl...
...and Mike Birbiglia practices a one-man show he'll be performing at the Just for Laughs Festival at New Stories
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[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm ($17.50 online with discount code NIFF): 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, and Lauren Seikaly, each of whom is immensely appealing and quick-witted. Further, they have an intimate, lovely chemistry with each other; and they've all committed to baring their personal lives, thinly disguised via their characters (hence the title's Naked). As a result, this is one of the most honest and nuanced improvised shows you'll ever see. Check out some videos of previous episodes here; and then grab tickets for tonight's debut at the Soho Playhouse, kicking off a 10-week Monday night run: Naked in a Fishbowl
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Sabrina Jalees (Comedy Now special, Just for Laughs Festival), Kara Klenk (SpikeTV, Comedy Central's Atom.com), Sam Morrill (Carolines, Comix), Mick DiFlo, and Billy Procida performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy
7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street)—at John Morrison's Motel Luca
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): 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), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central's The Awkward Comedy Show), Myq Kaplan (Comedy Central Presents, Jay Leno), Ali Waller (former staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), Allison Castillo, and Jesse Joyce—plus musical guests The Fools—performing in the Lolita Bar at Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends
8:00 pm ($5): Two of UCBT's finest house sketch comedy troupes, Gorilla Gorilla and Stone Cold Fox, trying out new bits at Maude Night
[FREE] 8:00 pm: Jane Borden (invaluable NYC treasure as Time Out New York comedy editor), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel), Nimesh Patel, Willy Appelman, and "a special headlining mystery guest" performing stand-up at a free weekly LES show at Pianos hosted by Daily Show producer Adam Lowitt: It Is It
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Mike Birbiglia (flat-out one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country; hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing; two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien; comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live; off-Broadway show Sleepwalk with Me) is preparing his one-man show for the Just for Laughs Festival—which means you can see a performance worth at least $40 for $5. Seats are sold out; but if you don't mind standing, come and enjoy Mike Birbiglia: 60 Minutes of New Stories
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest stand-up comics in the country—tonight featuring a blowout lineup with Anthony Jeselnik (comedy genius; writer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), John Mulaney (writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, VH1's Best Week Ever; for John's great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Eugene Mirman (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Adult Swim's Delocated, VH1, book The Will to Whatevs: A Guide to Modern Life, host of Tearing the Veil of Maya), Patrick Borelli (Conan O'Brien, SuperDeluxe, author of book Holy Headshot!), and Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; host of Sweet)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central) at Whiplash
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 6/8/10
New Comedy Central star Chris Gethard and eternal star Janeane Garofalo perform tonight at Sweet
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Hilarious comics Patrick Borelli (Conan O'Brien, SuperDeluxe, author of book Holy Headshot!), Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central's Awkward Comedy Show), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel), Jamie Lee (VH1, producer of Diamonds in the Fluff), and Scott Moran performing at Brooklyn's Bell House Front Lounge hosted by the breathtaking Sara Schaefer (Jimmy Fallon): Get Off Your Knees
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comics industry pros join 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: All all-novice night—described by the hosts as "an exciting chance for a bunch of newcomers to get their feet wet in the world of stand-up comedy; come watch them sink or swim"—performing at Cellar 58 (58 Second Avenue) alongside delightful host Abbi Crutchfield and comedic rapster Andrew Singer: Positively Awesome
8:00 pm to midnight ($5): Three full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes The Opera, Badman, Ragnaröck, Bastian, and Monstro—at Harold Night
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm ($3): Ophira Eisenberg (sharp stand-up and brilliant storyteller; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, host of in-the-works TV version of The Liar Show), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Totally J/K; author of new book Look at This F*cking Hipster), Katina Corrao, David Cope, and Dan Wilbur performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe for an almost-free weekly show hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO, Comedy Central, Carson Daly, Insomniac Tour) and Jared Logan (Comedy Central): Punch Up Your Life
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): A blowout lineup: movie & TV comedy superstar Janeane Garofalo, new Comedy Central Big Lake star Chris Gethard, superb musical guest Corn Mo, and a "one of the most fabulous co-hosts we've had" performing at The Slipper Room for the LES weekly show hosted by the wonderful Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet
[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
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 6/9/10
Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman, and Michael Showalter are among the wonderful comics celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of Big Terrific
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $12 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Comedy giant Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, star of The King of Miami, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Salon, The Dave Hill Explosion) spends an hour telling charming and hilarious tales of his musical tour overseas at Dave Hill: Big in Japan
6:30 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 John Morrison's Ochi's Motel
[FREE] 7:00 pm to midnight: Five free hours of improvisation in The PIT's Super Free Wednesday
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): UK comic Simon Amstell performs a one-man show that's received raves: Simon Amstell: Do Nothing
[FREE] 8:30: Stellar storytellers Kambri Crews and Peter Aguero, plus fine stand-ups Daniel St. Germain, Erin Judge, H. Alan Scott, and Dan Wilbur, performing at this free weekly show hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: A blowout lineup, with comedy giants Michael Showalter, Eugene Mirman, Patrick Borelli, and "a very super-special secret wonderful guest" performing stand-up at—and celebrating the 2-year Anniversary of—this free weekly comedy show at Brooklyn's Cameo (behind Lovin' Cup) hosted by Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman, and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: A free sneak preview of the latest Comedy Central series—which stars UCB favorites and comedy geniuses Horatio Sanz, Chris Gethard, and Chris Parnell—hosted by Chris Gethard: Big Lake
[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Sara Schaefer, Charlie Todd, Craig Rowin, Bill Grandberg, and more risk seeing a whole lot of dicks as they interact with the newest Web sensation at Chatroulette Live!
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 6/10/10
Livia Scott is one of a small army of top sketch comics performing
in this year's magical SketchFest
NYC;
and two of the
very, very best stand-ups alive are performing in NYC this week, Bill
Burr (above) and
Maria
Bamford
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
a
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($26.95 online if you use code VIPJUNE, plus 2-item minimum): A fresh, unique comedy genius who (like Bill Burr) is one of the very finest stand-ups ever in a not-to-be-missed run headlining tonight through Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Maria Bamford
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): A comedy force of nature—tough, smart, honest, hilarious—who (like Maria Bamford) is one of the very finest stand-ups ever in a not-to-be-missed run headlining tonight through Saturday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Burr
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-midnight ($10 per show, $40 for the whole night, $90 for entire 3-night festival): One of the finest sketch comedy festivals in the country, which will be running through Saturday—and tonight features such thoroughly wonderful comics as Livia Scott, The Harvard Sailing Team, B.O.F., Katherine Bryant & Chris O'Connor (half of Fearsome), and Tom David (of SNL's Franken & Davis)—at the first evening of the not-to-be-missed SketchFest NYC 2010
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 6/11/10
Two of the most original, honest, and brilliantly funny stand-ups ever, Bill Burr and Maria Bamford...
...and world-class troupe Fearsome is among the stellar talents performing at tonight's gala SketchFest NYC 2010
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-midnight ($10 per show, $40 for the whole night): One of the finest sketch comedy festivals in the country, which is running through Saturday—and tonight features such thoroughly wonderful comics as Katherine Bryant, Alex Goldberg, Chris O'Connor, and Shayna Ferm of Fearsome; Biz Ellis and Livia Scott as Dirty Jeans & Thunderchief; and Kimmy Gatewood in a rare return to NYC—at the second evening of the not-to-be-missed SketchFest NYC 2010
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[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($41 & 2-drink min.): A comedy force of nature—tough, smart, honest, hilarious—who (like Maria Bamford) is one of the very finest stand-ups ever in a not-to-be-missed run headlining tonight through Saturday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Burr
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($26.95 online if you use code VIPJUNE, plus 2-item minimum): A fresh, unique comedy genius who (like Bill Burr) is one of the very finest stand-ups ever in a not-to-be-missed run headlining tonight through Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Maria Bamford
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 6/12/10
Tonight concludes the headlining runs of two of the most breathtakingly funny stand-ups alive, Bill Burr and Maria Bamford...
...and also of one of the finest sketch comedy festivals in the country: SketchFest NYC 2010
Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[MEGA-TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-2:00 am ($10 per show, $40 for the whole night): One of the finest sketch comedy festivals in the country, which concludes tonight—and features such thoroughly wonderful comics as Pangea 3000, Murderfist, festival organizer Alex Zalben's troupe Elephant Larry...and pretty much everyone at the always memorable closing night midnight show/party: SketchFest NYC 2010
a
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm & midnight ($41 & 2-drink min.): A comedy force of nature—tough, smart, honest, hilarious—who (like Maria Bamford) is one of the very finest stand-ups ever in a not-to-be-missed headlining run ending tonight at the Carolines Comedy Club: Bill Burr
[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($26.95 online if you use code VIPJUNE, plus 2-item minimum): A fresh, unique comedy genius who (like Bill Burr) is one of the very finest stand-ups ever in a not-to-be-missed run headlining run ending tonight at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Maria Bamford
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 6/13/10
This site is on vacation until June 17th so
I can meet the deadlines
for my 15th book, The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Thyroid Disease
(due to be published February
2011—but only if I'm
done by Wednesday...).
If you need help with a book or
screenplay, by the way,
please visit my sites HyOnYourBook.com and HyOnYourScript.com.
And please tune in here again daily starting Thursday, June 17th.
Copyright © 2010 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
