Results tagged “michaelshowalter”

Finally someone has parodied the New York Times Weekender ad. You know the one ("It's like you get the Friday paper, and boom you're right into the weekend!"). Behold the all-star ensemble cast starring in Michael Showalter's version, created for the 92YTribeca. Spoiler: Mike Birbiglia's illiterate!

Michael Ian Black, David Wain and Michael Showalter met each other twenty years ago at NYU and have been performing comedy together ever since. Their college sketch group would go on to become the short-lived but widely-loved MTV show, The State. In 1997, the three of them began performing as Stella at Fez in Greenwich Village, a comedy show that would help define alternative comedy in New York throughout the decade to follow. That was also the name of the show the three made for Comedy Central in 2005, an absurdist mix of sitcom and sketch inspired by the shorts the three had been doing for years. But their legacy may end up being Wet Hot American Summer, the send-up of 80s summer camp movies that has taken on a life of its own as a cult classic since it was released in 2001. Tomorrow night Stella will host New York Magazine's 40th Anniversary Event that features performances by The National and Grizzly Bear.

MOVIE: In To Sir, With Love, an engineer who is unable to find a job as such lands a position teaching at an East End London high school. It's faculty vs students until the new teach (Sidney Poitier) breaks through all the teen angst. Lessons are learned, etc etc.

PARTY: The L Magazine celebrates their fourth year and 100th issue tonight at their Fourth-Annual Centennial Party. There will be complimentary tequila and goodies from Brooklyn Industries and Crumpler. Come, drink, celebrate and don't think about the hangover you'll have tomorrow.

THEATER: You’ve got just three more weekends to experience one of the wildest and most entertaining late-night theater extravaganzas to hit New York this century. The Curse of the Mystic Renaldo The defies description – what begins as a fake silent movie (ostensibly unearthed during the construction of 3 Legged Dog’s sleek new theater center) quickly dashes off in countless delirious directions at once: There’s live rock, hilarious vaudevillian slapstick, both high and low art, free popcorn, free regular and light beer, side-splitting ribaldry and, above all, the virtuoso performance of Aldo Perez, the show’s charismatic creator. (Not to take anything away from his equally brilliant co-stars Jenny Lee Mitchell and Richard Ginocchio.) See it now so you’ll have time to catch it again before it closes. - John Del Signore

Photograph of the Save Coney Island rally at City Hall by Matthew McDermott

We mentioned the Billyburg Short Film Festival last week as something worth checking out. However, it ended up being cancelled due to the insane amounts of rain that poured down. So we wanted to draw extra special attention to it now, since it's back on...tonight!

READING: The wonderful Paragraph, a downtown writers' haven, is hosting a roof deck reading, which is a pretty sweet way to get a good view and some good stories at the same time. The reading, which features Mohammed Naseeu Ali (), will actually be held on the roof deck at Clay, the spa next door to Paragraph on 14th street. Wine and cheese at Paragraph will follow the reading. - Krissa Corbett Cavouras

One of the most well respected and truly underground bands in New York, Japanther rarely play traditional venues. You find them in warehouses, lofts, restaurants, basements, bedrooms, bathrooms...anywhere you can squeeze two guys, a bit of equipment, and a mass of sweaty fans. The Bass and Drum Art/Noise/Punk duo are one of the most revered live acts in New York, and this weekend we have two chances to see them. On Saturday, they are playing the Billyburg Short Film Festival at McCarren Pool with MC Michael Showalter. Then Sunday they're playing The Solar-Powered CitySol Festival at Stuyvesant Cove Park. Make it your beeswax to get to one of these shows.

YUM: If you're unable to jet off to a remote beach and sip on drinks in coconut cups, then do the next best thing. Okay, maybe the next next best thing, head over to The Carribean Fair. It's an all day festival giving you a taste of indigenous foods (prepared by celebrity chefs!). You can also check out some dancers, models, singers and bands - all celebrating the sites, sounds, and tastes of the islands. We feel relaxed already.

Eugene Mirman has a new cd and dvd coming out on Tuesday, and to celebrate he's...protesting himself!

Jewcy (a politics and culture webzine featuring "fierce and funny writing and artwork" with commentary in the Jewish world and beyond) will be relaunching this summer. Tonight, however, is the launch of their variety show-style reading series (you see, Jewcy produces offline too!)

EVENT: It's the first Friday in April, which means one thing (to us at least): the Guggenheim! The Flavorpill curated event has Rjd2 and MC Beans bringing their style to the turntables tonight. Drink and dance the night away, but don't touch the art please.

Didn't get tickets to the sold out Flaming Lips show at Webster Hall tonight? We have good news. Wayne and the boys will be playing a free show at Prospect Park tomorrow afternoon...in celebration of this great weather we're having.

Michael Showalter has joined the faculty of the Peoples Improv Theater. The PIT is home of the most prestigious professional comedy writing program in the country and has added him as one of the four new teachers to their faculty.

So far we've found nothing funny about the month of January, hopefully things will change starting this week. Check out our comedy picks:

New York comedians have shown benevolence all year, participating in relief efforts for just about everything. Add one more show with a purpose to the list as the Gotham Comedy Club [208 W. 23rd St.] hosts the Stand Up for Peace 2nd Annual Comedy Benefit this week in support of Seeds of Peace. Since it’s founding in 1993, Seeds of Peace has devoted itself to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills that will foster and facilitate peace in the future. The lineup of all-star comedians performing for the cause includes Susie Essman, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Colin Quinn, Demetri Martin and Catie Lazarus. Hosted by David Wain.

Michael Ian Black,
Actor, Writer, Comedian

Tonight, Comedy Central presents a special pre-premiere screening of a full episode of Stella, featuring a live Q&A with Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain (you’ve probably seen them plastered all over town), followed by the hilariously absurd summer-camp classic Wet Hot American Summer. Not only is this event free and provide complimentary Grolsch Premium swing-tops, but you'll also be able to finally scream "I want you inside me" at Showalter.

IFP’s Drive-In Movies Series at Rockefeller Center returns to showcase some of the best new films before their theatrical release. Each night this week at 9:00 PM, you can catch the free movies on the 40-foot screen above the ice rink (between 49th and 50th Streets, off 5th Avenue). Remember when your friends went to see Garden State at Rockefeller last year? They kept yapping about Zach Braff and the trailer’s Frou Frou song was stuck in your head, yet you had to suffer in curiosity for another month till the movie came out? Yeah, you can avoid that this year.

Michael Showalter, comedian & filmmaker

Comedy shows in New York this weekend are going to be just like Debra Messing’s hair– all over the place but still really good. Here’s the rundown of what not to miss:

Last night Gothamist waited an hour in the rain at Tribeca Film Festival, as only a few volunteers handled the long lines for ticket pick up. Although we were drenched and missed our movie, we did get to see Kermit the Frog dressed in a suit (hugging Robert Deniro) as well as Stella's Michael Showalter (we held back from screaming Wet Hot American Summer lines) before presenting his romantic comedy The Baxter, which you can preview here.

Gen Art is well underway with its decadent parties and premieres. The good news is there are still five more nights of revelry. What makes Gen Art unique is that it only screens seven features and seven shorts, while other fests screen tens of hundreds of films. And each night’s film is followed by an afterparty at some hot spot with 2-hour open bar. Also unlike other festivals, this one is more audience-driven and accessible.

Brooklyn's Southpaw hosted a great evening of comedy on behalf of Concerts For Change Weds. night. Gothamist is crazy about Stella, the comedy trio comprised of Michael Ian Black (yeah, from Ed and I Love The Eighties),and the creators of Wet Hot American Summer, Michael Showalter and David Wain. It used to be that you could see these guys play tiny rooms like The Fez on an ongoing basis. Now their busy schedules don't have them getting around near as much, so we were really happy to get to see them perform.

Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale serve up the laughs tonight at their weekly series, Invite Them Up. We always love Eugene (check out his website for more from this baby), and tonight he has a stellar cast of characters joining him.

Okay, just one more post today: There are midnight showings of Wet Hot American Summer at the AMC Empire on West 42nd Street. Filmmakers David Wain and Michael Showalter will be appearing, along with cast members, and there will be prizes for costumes and musical guests... woo hoo!