NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 9/17/07
Public Enemy rap legend Chuck D...to be interviewed by 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 scheduled guest is Chuck D (a.k.a. Carlton Douglas Ridenhour), lead rapper of the seminal hip-hop group Public Enemy. This show may well sell out in advance; to buy online ($10 plus $2.50 service charge per ticket), please click here.
8:00 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.
Comedy giants Aziz Ansari and AD Miles
Normally hosted by the wonderful Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler
(but Kristen might currently be away in LA).
Tonight's stellar guests are Aziz Ansari (awesome stand-up comic, co-star of Human Giant, and host of UCBT's Crash Test, which is on later tonight—to learn more, please click here);
AD Miles (Human Giant, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dog Bites Man, Reno 911, TV Funhouse, legendary comedy troupe Stella); Matt Higgins (Comedy Central, PSNBC, former improv instructor at Yale School of Drama, founding member of improv troupes Burn Manhattan and Centralia; for a stand-up sample, please click here); Max Silvestri (host of NYC monthly live comedy show I Like Attention playing every second Sunday at Rififi); and Sauce (MTV's Boiling Point, HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy; for a stand-up sample, please click here).
8:00 pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; tickets are $8
Readings from television's top comedy writers. Past guests have included
writers from The Daily Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, SNL, and 30 Rock.
Hosted by Todd Levin (above, reading pile of books with his fingers).
8:30 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); tickets are $6
La Boca: Sean O'Connor and Maria Shehata
Stand-up comedy hosted by Dewey Banks & Brian McGuinness.
Tonight's guests (pictured above) are 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 Maria Shehata (Comedy Central's Friday Night with Greg Giraldo, Motherload's "The Watch List;" for a stand-up sample, please click here).
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Hosted by Aziz Ansari (one of the best stand-up comics on the planet, and
co-star with Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer of MTV hit comedy series Human Giant).
Aziz couldn't make it last week, and the audience initially showed annoyance that he wasn't there; but it soon warmed up when substitute hosts Baron Vaughn and Matthew McCarthy proved to be hilarious, offering up both great material and great chemistry with each other. Also especially outstanding were guest comics Margot Leitman and Victor Varnado, who each killed with fresh, smart storytelling.
Guests are typically superb comedians trying out new material;
and this is often among the flat-out funniest shows in New York.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 9/18/07
Conor Kilpatrick, John Flanagan, and Ron Richards
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's guests are Josh Flanagan, Conor Kilpatrick, and Ron Richards,
who are the writers & hosts of the comics news Web site iFanboy.com,
which features audio & video interviews with stars in the comic book industry.
Alex, Justin and Pete facing another trio of witty comics nerds
may turn this into the mirror universe episode of Comic Book Club...
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Carolyn Castiglia hosts a lineup of female comics.
Tonight's scheduled guests are Pat Candaras (Nick-at-Nite),
Claudia Cogan (Logo), Joselyn Hughes (Slumber Party),
Catie Lazarus (Fresh Meat at Comix), Erica Skeete (Carolines),
and Clea Wilson (Laugh Factory).
8:00 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); free
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, five improv troupes—Raynard, Tantrum, fwand, T.R.U.C.K.S,
and Beverly Hills—each give it a go for 30 minutes, with short breaks
in between, for a total of 3 hours.
The level of skill among groups often varies wildly, 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 some solid laughs.
8:00-11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Kurt Braunohler, Tom Shillue, Roger Hailes, and Peter Dinklage
Hosted by the sharp & witty Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Tonight's terrific lineup includes Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, storytelling podcasts; for stand-up samples, please click here and here), Kurt Braunohler (co-host with the brilliant Kristen Schaal of the enormously popular NYC live comedy extravaganza Hot Tub Variety Show, and co-star with Kristen in the Web video series Penelope: Princess of Pets), Roger Hailes (VH1, Chappelle's Show; for sample videos, please click here and here), and Peter Dinklage (best known for his acting in such movies as The Station Agent, Underdog, Death at a Funeral, and Elf, and such TV series as CBS' Threshold and FX's Nip/Tuck).
8:30 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
Baron Vaughn & Livia Scott in gag photo (they're just friends), and Margot Leitman & Giulia Rozzi (ditto)
Pillow Talk with Anthony Moscowitz
Comedy with a sexy slant—hosted by Livia Scott pretending to be
"Anthony Moscowitz," a guy struggling to become a master pick-up artist...
Tonight's superb lineup includes Baron Vaughn (VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and Best Week Ever, cast member on weekly NYC live comedy show Shoot the Messenger, Manhattan Theatre Club play Drowning Crow; for a radio interview, please click here),
Margot Leitman and Giulia Rozzi (world-class comedic storytellers, and hosts of the red-hot NYC monthly live comedy show Stripped Stories), Carolyn Castiglia (VH1; host of tonight's earlier NYC live comedy show Chicks & Giggles), Kevin Allison (VH1s Best Week Ever, sketch group Big Flux, cast member of former MTV sketch show The State), and Jay Bois (Big Night Out).
10:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 9/19/07
Zach Woods is a superb comic who performs improv every Friday night with
the brilliant troupe The Stepfathers, and is also a member of improv group Dillinger.
Tonight he'll be going solo to try out monologues, sketches, and other material
to entertain you.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Matt McCarthy
Free stand-up comedy hosted by very sharp & funny Matthew McCarthy.
Tonight's scheduled guests are the delightful Sara Schaefer (VH1's Best Week Ever, E! Network's Rise of the Geeks; host of AOL's The DL, UCBT's Video Gaga, and Brooklyn Union Hall's Name That Tune), Mindy Raf (VH1's Best Week Ever, relationship columnist for CollegeHumor.com), Ann Carr (Comedy Central Motherload's Honesty Wedding), Andrew Wright (Still Born in the USA), and Brett Anderson.
To get a feel for the show overall, please click here.
7:30 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); free
The multi-talented Eliza Skinner plays three women so horrible you have to laugh; and...
...Mark Sarian & Ari Voukydis do the same for a whole bunch of guys
Eliza Skinner: Shameless and Mark & Ari: Loft
In Shameless, Eliza Skinner (member of the genius improv musical groups I Eat Pandas
and Baby Wants Candy; drummer and singer in the band Stickerbook; MTV's Damage Control) plays a mother, a wife, and a party girl who are mean, vicious, and hilarious.
And in Loft, Mark Sarian & Ari Voukydis perform a sketch show with yet more quirky characters, including "unreliable supers, meth-crazed neighbor, and Ikea-induced madness."
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
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
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 9/20/07
The 7:00 Workout: Sue Galloway
Sue Galloway (Free to Be Friends, band member of Stickerbook)
will be showing off her new solo material.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Peter Gwinn on his way to tonight's show
The Steve Miller Band and Other Annoying Monsters, Or: Oceanquake!
A sketch show in which "children deal with mortality, loaves of bread break out in song,
and a monster drunkenly hits on bridesmaids. And, as the title hints, the
Steve Miller Band is indirectly responsible for several deaths."
Written and performed by The Second City comedy veterans
Deb Downing, Peter Gwinn, Peter Grosz, and Abby Sher.
Peter Grosz and Peter Gwinn are currently writers for The Colbert Report.
Directed by Jason Mantzoukas.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Author Jessica Cutler
Best of In the Flesh Reading Series
Audience favorites return to read new hot material...that's also often funny.
Guests tonight are Marie Lyn Bernard (This Girl Called Automatic Win),
Andrew Boyd (Daily Afflictions), Jessica Cutler (The Washingtonienne),
Polly Frost (Deep Inside:Extreme Erotic Fantasies),
Todd Levin (The Morning News), and Samara OShea (For the Love of Letters).
Hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Best Sex Writing 2008; He's on Top, She's on Top).
Free candy and cupcakes will be served.
8:00 pm at Happy Ending Lounge, 302 Broome Street (between Eldridge and Forsythe); free
Dave Hill has written for The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie Web site Black Metal Dialogues. Dave has also written and performed for VH1, Spike TV, The Learning Channel, and the fabulous Smoking Gun TV series. Dave says, "Sometimes I miss being able to walk into the free clinic and stuff without being harassed by people who watch television really late at night, but for the most part I gotta say this 'fame thing' suits me well. Really, really well."
Indeed it does; Dave Hill is an enormously witty, razor-sharp comic who never fails to entertain.
Tonight's guests haven't yet been announced; but it's a safe bet this will be a great show.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
vs.
Cage Match: Derrick vs. Hot Sauce
This delightful show pits two improv teams against each other while creating the
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...).
Last week showcased a fierce contest between two superb improv groups.
Challenger Krompf, consisting of Neil Casey, Ryan Karels, Amey Goerlich, and Joe Wengert, took its kickoff suggestion Christendom to heights of delicious absurdity, in which young children about to be initiated into Catholicism are made to wear suits of armor and engage in swordplay while a voracious winged monster (played memorably by Ryan Karels) perches ready to gobble up the head of any who show hints of wavering. And in another subplot, Neil Casey was hilarious as a perpetually grieving cab driver who tells every passenger about his bride dying on their wedding day. At the end, we learn that as he backed up the cab preparing to drive them both to the Church, he accidentally ran her over...
Krompf's performances were at times breathtaking; but the charismatic young members of Derrick weren't intimidated. Dominic Dierkes, Donald Glover, and DC Pierson proved themselves up-and-coming stars by tackling their suggestion honesty with enormous energy and inventiveness. They also radiated smooth chemistry—for example, at one point DC launched a speech promising he was going to tell us the most truthful thing we'd ever heard. Dominic soon interrupted with, "Man, you're building this up too much." DC kept going, and then Donald interjected, "This better be damn good." The patter turned into a gag running throughout their show...and while DC never explicitly told us anything super-truthful, the three of them effectively did—by demonstrating the journey is often more important, and enjoyable, than the destination.
To my eye, Krompf had the edge in story content. But Derrick's quick-jab style and sheer electricity made it the audience favorite, yielding an impressive win of 127-68.
Tonight's contest should once again be very interesting, as the challenger is also a charismatic troupe with star quality: Hot Sauce, whose members are Gil Ozeri (host of E!'s Starveillance), Adam Pally (UCBT's The Nights of Our Lives), and Ben Schwartz (freelance writer for SNL and Late Show with David Letterman)—for video samples of their work, please click here and here.
Adam Pally is one of the thoroughly wonderful hosts of Cage Match, by the way; but because he'll be competing as a member of Hot Sauce he won't be helming tonight. Taking charge instead will be a few of his superb colleagues, who include Eric Scott, Ben Rogers, Charlie Todd, and Anthony King. These guys are the heart and soul of this great show...along with the wrestlers, the refs, the banned-for-life Pat Baer, and jean shorts.
There's no telling what will happen...which is one of the great pleasures of this extravaganza.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 9/21/07
Cover of bestselling book Found II: More of the Best Lost, Tossed, and Forgotten Items from Around the World
and example of item featured in Found Magazine
Found Magazine's There Goes The Neighborhood Tour 2007
First there was found art. Now there's Davy & Peter Rothbart, who deliver "a rowdy reading-and-music performance, full of heartbreak and humor." Davy shares his favorite discovered notes from his Found Magazine and bestselling Found books, and Peter plays songs based on finds.
If, like me, you thoroughly enjoy the note above, you'll probably love this show.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
The hard-to-resist members of this popular group are musical host Shonali Bhowmik, and comics Andrea Rosen, Chelsea Peretti, and Heather Lawless. Tonight the foursome are celebrating the release of a DVD containing their funny short films (for samples, please click here and here).
And joining the party are some of the finest comics in the biz,
including Zach Galifianakis, Eugene Merman, and Fred Armisen.
8:00 pm at The Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard Street (between Broadway & Church); tickets are $10
"They're all street, all the time." Five women—pictured left to right, Jessica Allen, Bayne Gibby, Stephanie Kasen, Caitlin Miller, and Tara Copeland—who've won the 2004 ECNY award for Best Improv Group, and have repeatedly been a Time Out New York Critic's Pick.
8:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Some of the best improv comics in NYC—Michael Delaney, Christina Gausas, Chris Gethard, Bobby Moynihan, Silvija Ozols, and Zach Woods—make stuff up, and make you laugh.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Stellar storyteller/comic Margot Leitman
Chicks & Giggles—Hell's Angels
Chicks & Giggles has a Tuesday slot at Mo Pitkin's, but has
now expanded to this second weekly show on Fridays.
Tonight's scheduled comediennes are host Margot Leitman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
co-host of red-hot monthly NYC live comedy show Stripped Stories; for Margot's very fun reel, please click here), Sara Benincasa (Nerve.com; Family Hour with Auntie Sara at The PIT; for a video sample, please click here), Helen Hong (for a video stand-up sample, please click here),
and Del Chong (Comedy for the F*ck of It).
10:00 pm at Time Out NY Lounge at New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street (off 8th Avenue); $5
Veteran improvisors Scott Glover and John O'Donnell,
accompanied by a rotating cast that might include
such talents as Tara Copeland or Eliza Skinner
—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 $5
|
Stacy Mayer |
Laura Dillman |
Manhattan Comedy Collective: Character Dogville, Game Show, and Sketch Night
If you'd like to experience a gentler, more relaxed, but still quite smart type of improv, visit the Manhattan Comedy Collective run by the wonderful Stacy Mayer (who's quick as lightning, but much funnier). Every Friday features Character Dogville, in which performers are presented with costumes shortly before showtime and must improvise characters to fit their respective "looks"—and interact with each other. In addition, tonight's show is slated to include sketches, and something new intriguingly titled the Character Dogville Game Show.
10:00 pm at the Sage Theatre, 711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd floor (between 47th and 48th Streets); tickets are $8 online (with no service charge) and $10 at the door
Death by Roo Roo: Your F*cked Up Family
Comedic powerhouses Jackie Clarke, Curtis Gwinn, Brett Gelman, Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, and John Gemberling interview an audience member about family and then act out his or her life story via improv scenes. Scary and funny.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
The ultimate in audience participation: any group can submit a sketch and perform it!
If all you want is to be entertained, this show probably isn't a good choice.
But if you'd like to act on the UCBT stage, and/or have your sketch writing judged by an exceptionally savvy audience, this is a golden opportunity.
Sign-up begins at 10:30 pm and runs till 11:45 pm; sketches will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's wise to arrive early. For a complete list of the rules, please click here.
Midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 9/22/07
Mary Theresa Archbold finds a unique way to silence
husband Pat Shay in their funny and touching show
Jazz Hand: Tales of a One Armed Woman
This sketch-based play is based on the real life experiences of Mary Theresa Archbold,
who was born missing an arm...and was one of the most sharp, engaging,
and endearing performers to grace last month's FringeNYC Festival.
(In fact, she won a Best Actor Award, beating out literally
hundreds of other terrific talents from around the country.)
Instead of providing anything heavy-handed, Archbold and husband
Pat Shay offer a very entertaining series of autobiographical vignettes that are
"slightly exaggerated...but often closer to the truth than you'd suspect."
For a full review of the show, please click here. (The short version: Don't miss this.)
7:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Some of the sharpest writers and performers in NYC get together for long-form improv fun.
Tonight's scheduled participants are Scott Adsit (cast member of 30 Rock, and co-director & cast member of Adult Swims brilliant & Emmy-winning Moral Orel), Kay Cannon (writer for 30 Rock), Becky Drysdale (One Woman in Several Pieces, HBO.com's upcoming 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, Arrested Development, 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
Ann Carr: There is Only One You
In this one-woman show, Ann Carr (Comedy Central Motherload's Honesty Wedding, Just Talk, Giant Tuesday Night) "embodies an aspiring spokesmodel with a telepathic connection to Victoria Principal, a professional muse who enjoys the occasional mushroom with a third-world dictator, and an international modern dancer who's been on the brink of her career for the past 11 years while temping at Pfizer." For video samples, please click here and here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $8
Tom Shillue, Reggie Watts, and Jim Gaffigan
Acclaimed comedy show hosted by the great Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, storytelling podcasts; for stand-up samples, please click here and here).
Tonight's lineup includes Jim Gaffigan (Late Show With David Letterman [11 appearances], Late Night with Conan O'Brien [16 appearances], Comedy Central Presents Jim Gaffigan [just one appearance, but with a lot of air time...]); Reggie Watts (scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, musician, and expert improvisor who will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com); Sean Crespo (stand-up comic and prolific filmmaker; for samples, please click here and here and here), Mark Douglas (for a stand-up audio sample, please click here), and musical group Brazz Tree.
9:00 pm at Phil Coltoff Center, 219 Sullivan Street (between Bleecker & West 3rd); $20
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: On the Jitney
The Harvard Sailing Team (which was superb in SketchFest NYC 07)
performs their special brand of fresh, witty, imaginative sketch comedy.
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 formidable improv performer. Joining him are stellar talents Lennon Parham (see my review of her Showgirls parody), Chris Kula, Charlie Sanders, Eric Scott, Kate Spencer, Charlie Todd, and Joe Wengert.
10:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $8
Olde English hosts an old-fashioned variety show
Very Fresh with Olde English
Comedy group and prodigious generator of funny videos Olde English (Caleb Bark, Ben Popik, David Segal, Adam Conover, and Raphael Bob-Waksberg) host a variety show with sketches, stand-up, short films, and more. Tonight's guests are Greg Johnson (host of NYC weekly The Greg Johnson Show at Rififi), sketch group Pangea 3000 (Andrew Cleary, Sam Kemmis, Dan Klein, Arthur Meyer, and Seth Reiss), Gabe & Jenny (comedy duo Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate), and NYC-based rap group Team Facelift.
12:00 midnight at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 9/23/07
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 celebs 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)
If you're looking for a good time, this might not be it.
But if you're interested in getting on the Mo Pitkin's stage and
performing stand-up—or any other kind of act—a mere $4 will buy you
a chance at being selected via the show's lottery system. The rules are:
Sign-up is at 9:00 pm sharp.
You get eight minutes maximum for your act.
You can do anything you'd like on stage, with two exceptions:
1. Don't damage the stage or equipment (respect the space).
2. Don't pick out people in the audience, even just to say something nice (respect the audience).
No online reservations available; simply pay at the door.
Again, this show isn't for everyone.
But if you're a performer, you've probably risked
a lot more that $4 to nab an NYC stage credit...
9:00 pm at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Avenue A (between East 2nd & 3rd Streets); tickets are $4
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.
Return to Previous NYC Comedy Picks
Copyright © 2007 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
