Back in 2004 we talked to KEXP deejay John Richards, who was here broadcasting from the (then named) Museum of Television and Radio. KEXP is a Seattle listener-supported station, but while they're based in the Pacific Northwest, they are heard worldwide via their online stream.
THEATER: Without uttering a single line of dialogue, theater company Parallel Exit has crammed an hour of stage time with an abundance of zany physical comedy. Accompanied by live music provided by various percussion instruments, ukulele and piano, a hapless troupe of vaudevillians stumbles though “a backstage adventure filled with comic chaos and fast-paced action, incorporating music, magic, tap, and slapstick.” Everything that can go wrong does in their little variety show, and Martin Denton says “there's enough slapstick and silliness to please the small fry and enough sophistication and acumen to ensure that grown-ups are constantly diverted as well, making this a well-nigh perfect family entertainment.” – John Del Signore
PARTY: Haven't gotten your fill of holiday office party fun this season? Metro Metro reminds all of its faux-ployees that their office party is tonight! "This is a reminder going out to all fake employees about the Metro Metro Holiday Office Party. Please join us in celebrating the holidays by assuming a fake job title and hobnobbing with fake co-workers over genuine drinks. Need inspiration for potential job titles, such as Associate with the Bad Toupee, or the Wait-Until-You-Hear-How-Smart-my-Baby-Is Co-worker? Check our website for a list."
HEADS UP!: We love Daniel Kitson, it's been documented, so we wanted to give you a heads up that our favorite British comedian is coming back to the States! He has three shows in December at Union Hall (the 2nd, 3rd and 4th), and tickets are ON SALE NOW for two of those dates. It'll be the best $8+fees that you ever spent. ART: The Brothers Grimm fairytale Hansel and Gretel has taken over the...
Margaret Cho returns to the stage in a whole new way with her stage show The Sensuous Woman. The production is at the Zipper Theater starting tomorrow (more details here) and is bringing burlesque back. The variety show will feature some famed burlesque performers, along with stand-up and sketch comedy acts. And of course, Margaret -- who we had a few questions for recently.
EVENT: Join Chief Jim Riches, 9/11 families, rescue and recovery workers in an effort to Tell Rudy Giuliani to "Stop Politicizing 9/11". Rudy will be at a fundraiser at the Waldorf later today, and will be greeted by those who believe he's no hero. Why? They say: "He failed the FDNY & uniformed & civilian victims. He gave us incompetent commissioners ( FD,PD, OEM). No integrated command. He abandoned us on 9/11. He gave the FDNY defective radios. He lied about the toxic air -- 70% of responders and many civilians are sick." More info here.
MOVIE: Bryant Park ends their summer of big screen fun with the classic horror flick Psycho - the movie that made many afraid to shower (and probably scared to check-in to hotels). Bring your best scream...and a blanket.
After the hearing the crazy voicemail Alec Baldwin left for his daughter, it's nice to hear some refreshing news about him. In a taped segment for tomorrow's episode of 'The View', Baldwin says that he asked NBC to let him out of his contract for '30 Rock' so he could spend his time working on "parental alienation" and that if he "never acted again I couldn't care less." On the show, Baldwin plays a meddling network executive that oversees the live variety show.
Battlestar Galactica Marathon (Sunday, 6:00 p.m., WPXN 31) Five episodes of not the recent revival, but the camp Lorne Greene and Dirk Benedict show from 1978.
Jackie Clarke is super terrific and up to lots of stuff! She performs Improv at the UCB with Death by Roo Roo, hosts a variety show with Julie Klausner, and is doing plenty of writing and video projects. In this interview, we discuss candy, dessert islands, NASA, radio, and her many endeavors all while showcasing her quick wit!
EVENT: Want to get all of your holiday shows conveniently mashed up in to one night? Then join Mickey and Minnie Mouse tonight to help light the Holiday Tree at Lincoln Center. While there you will also see "performances from The Metropolitan Opera's new holiday production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, a selection from George Balanchine's The Nutcracker by the New York City Ballet and students from the School of American Ballet, a daring performance from the fire-juggling Gizmo Guys from the Big Apple Circus, and holiday favorites sung by the SRC All-City Gospel Chorale and special guest Alvin Slaughter." That's a lot of holiday cheer.
After last year's mess of an awards show and this year's joke of nominations (where is love for Lauren Graham, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences?), we were going to swear off this year's Emmys. But then we realized Conan O'Brien was hosting, so we must watch and liveblog. And there's the hope of a good Steve Carrell bit, not to mention awkward reaction shots of Candy and Tori Spelling during the Aaron Spelling tribute.
KARAOKE: Tonight is the MCFGHT, a LVHRD event. Michelle Collins is the master of ceremonies, presiding over a roomful of people cheering on those who take part in the nights karaoke showdown. If you've never seen Brian Battjer do karaoke, and we're guessing most of you haven't, you do not want to miss this. He'll be one of the contestants tonight. Check out the flyer here, and buy tickets here. They're $20 ($11 if you're special), but include complimentary drinks from Sapporo Beer, Pravda Vodka, and Hi Ball Energy Drink. So if you're tonedeaf and like the juice, this may just be the event for you.
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!)
Often Gothamist runs opinion pieces relevant to life in New York and reviews of recent books and performances. The judgments expressed below are entirely those of the author.
So far we've found nothing funny about the month of January, hopefully things will change starting this week. Check out our comedy picks:
It’s a new year, which means resolutions. Gothamist aimed low with our resolutions this year, seeing as we always break them by oh, today. (Nails bitten? Check. Too much beer imbibed? Yes. Zero regard for finances? You betcha.) We do have one more resolution which is to see more live shows and we think that’s something everyone should do. Even though we love DVR. We think going out is important. Resolve to see shows you haven’t seen before and realize that some of the people performing in New York right now might be famous soon! A few suggestions for this week….
Today Gothamist has quite the conundrum on its hands…with so many good shows happening this week all over our fair city, how do we narrow it all down? There’s a bit of a hodge-podge of things happening tonight, so rather than file them all under comedy, it’s probably safer to refer to them as a canon of miscellany.
This year more than any we remember from recent past, theater companies are gearing up to bring you Halloween-related shows. It’s appropriate, when you think about it – actors are all about dressing up as people/things other than themselves, so they should lead the way when the rest of the world decides to masquerade. In any case, options abound citywide. Psycho Clan, for instance, has an interactive haunted house program called Nightmare going, which looks pretty freaky just from the website. The 13 rooms are supposed to be “more David Lynch than John Carpenter” and it’s already selling out.
Andres du Bouchet’s regular gig is that of Boliviguayan Entertainer of the Year Francisco Guglioni, MC of Giant Tuesday Night of Amazing Inventions and Also There is a Game!!! at Rififi. But beneath that vague mask of South American there is a real person. A man. With stories to tell. In the form of a one-man show.
Everyone in New York, it seems, wants to make it big. But with so many people competing, work falls by the wayside, dreams get dashed and people get rejected. Which is the foundation for Jon Friedman’s Rejection Show, this Wednesday at P.S. 122. The show embraces the rejected material of professional and amateur writers, comedians, cartoonists, artists, and human beings, who display their creative “failures” live on stage. Of course many of the performers are contributors for The Daily Show, The New Yorker and even star on Arrested Development, so quit feeling sorry for yourself, even these guys have their critics. This week the show welcomes comedian Liam McEneany, cartoonist Matt Diffee, mayoral candidate Andy Horwitz and many more.
Gothamist went to poetry slams in high school to feel artistic and deep. But then we realized we didn’t have what it takes to be a poet, all we wanted was to laugh at how serious some people took themselves. Granted that’s our own shortcoming and perhaps we need to work on getting in touch with our emotions, but tonight it is ok to laugh at the poets at Galapagos. At the Poetry Vs. Comedy Variety Show poets rage against comedians in a battle of wits. Featuring poets Scotty The Blue Bunny, Nathan Penlington and Thaddeus Rutkowski and comedians Carolyn Castiglia, Jon Friedman and Becky Yamamoto.
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:
Andres du Bouchet, comedian, host and creator
We first became aware of Mario Cantone's stage gifts after seeing him in the Roundabout’s revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins and in Manhattan Theatre Club’s The Violet Hours. Gothamist had also loved him as Charlotte’s acid-tongued wedding planner Anthony Marentino on Sex & The City. His new one-man Broadway show is aptly called Laugh Whore, and Cantone delivers a riotous evening of of comedy and music.
The New York arts and theatre scene could never be accused of political ambivalence especially with an election on the way, and a Republican Convention soon to hit town. So if political theatre is your bag, or if youre just looking for something to constructively raise your blood pressure, Gothamist suggests that you check out some of the following:
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
tweet this
add to facebook
