comedy roundup: Garry Shandling doc, Mike Birbiglia, Roy Wood Jr, more
So much comedy happens in NYC it’s hard to keep up. Here’s this week’s roundup of comedy stuff going on in the city. Be sure to check out last week’s roundup for more, and you can check out our comedy tag for still more.
As we reported last week, today marks the final Whiplash at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater after nine years with UCB. Starting April 9, Whiplash will be held at Union Hall, with an earlier start time (10 PM) and $10 tickets. Catch the last free show at UCB tonight at 11 PM — lineups are not released in advance, but previous drop-ins for the weekly showcase have included Chris Rock, John Mulaney, and Pete Holmes (reserve free tickets here).
In other news, Simon Amstell returns to NYC’s Theatre 80 in June with his new show “What is This?”, and John Early will bring his musical revue, “Now More Than Ever” across four shows in two nights at The Bell House in April.
If you’re looking to couch it up on this beautiful first full week of spring, consider Judd Apatow‘s 4.5 hour documentary on the life of Garry Shandling who we lost in 2016. The documentary is an in-depth look at the comedian’s diaries, his scandals, his successes, and more. For comedy nerds who discovered The Larry Sanders Show and never looked back, this astonishingly thorough documentary is a must-see. The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling airs throughout the week on HBO. The first part premieres tonight at 8 PM, while the entire thing will broadcast in full on Tuesday (2-6 PM) and Friday (noon-4 PM). It will also be on HBO On-Demand and HBOGO beginning 3/27. Watch the trailer below.
As for this week’s NYC shows, even if you didn’t grab a ticket to David Cross‘s run at Littlefield, there are still plenty of absurdly hilarious shows to numb your pain with laughter. Comedians tell dick jokes for gun control, James Adomian visits Butterboy, and the Saturday Night Live writers host a sold-out show in Astoria (we’re giving away tickets below!). Read on to see the rest of our weekly comedy picks.
MONDAY MARCH 26
Two Beers In – A Political Roundtable @ UCBeast
Cody Lindquist (Broad City) and Charlie Todd (Improv Everywhere) host this politically-minded monthly showcase. This month’s guests are SNL writer Kristen Bartlett and Reductress co-founder Sarah Pappalardo (tickets).
Shit Arcade @ Union Hall
At Shit Arcade, comedians play unbelievably bad video games with the audience. This month’s installment features Mike Drucker (Adam Ruins Everything), Josh Gondelman (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), Ziwe Fumudoh (The Rundown with Robin Thede), Mitra Jouhari (The Big Sick), Anthony Atamanuik (The President Show), Alison Leiby, Mike Brown, and Dan Ryckert (tickets).
Butterboy @ Littlefield
While Anthony Atamanuik plays shitty video games, catch the Bernie Sanders to his Donald Trump, James Adomian, at the March 26 edition of Butterboy. Hosted by Aparna Nancherla (Corporate), Maeve Higgins, and Jo Firestone, this week’s show also includes Giulia Rozzi, Mehran Khaghani, Adira Amram and the Experience, Tyler Fischer, and Lawrence DeLoach (tickets).
ROFL11: Our Parakeet Died @ Our Wicked Lady
Edy Modica and Eliza Hurwitz host this fantastic showcase once a month, which always has a unique theme (this month is, of course, a parakeet funeral) and a stellar lineup. This month is no exception, featuring Joe Pera (Adult Swim), Emmy Blotnick (The President Show), Martin Urbano (Jimmy Kimmel), Fareeha Khan, and Caroline Yost (RSVP here).
Frantic! @ The Stand NYC
Catch Comedy Cellar regulars like Nikki Glaser, Dan St. Germain, Mark Normand, and Joe List without the Comedy Cellar two-drink minimum at this free showcase hosted by Aaron Berg (tickets).
TUESDAY MARCH 27
An Evening with The Comedy Resistance @ The Bell House
The Comedy Resistance was started by former Obama White House staffers to connect comedians to activism. This Tuesday’s show features stand up from Mike Birbiglia, Hari Kondabolu (The Problem with Apu), Judah Friedlander, Janeane Garofolo, and Cipha Sounds. In addition, representatives from activist organizations like the NRDC Action Fund, Swing Left, and Run For Something will present their organizations, and there is even an opportunity to update your voter registration, if you’re into that sort of thing (tickets).
SAAS Presents: A Night of Comedy to Remember @ Film Noir Cinema
If you missed sweet Aparna at Butterboy on Monday, this showcase hosted by Jessy Morner-Ritt and Caroline Yost may be your lucky break – Aparna Nancherla, Rebecca V. O’Neal, Francesca D’Uva, and Albert Kirchner bring improv, multimedia stand-up, and sketch videos to this Greenpoint cinema (details).
WEDNESDAY MARCH 28
Cocks Against Glocks @ Littlefield
Hosted by Matt Koff, this fundraiser will feature 50 comedians telling, as the name suggests, dick jokes in the name of gun control. Not only do the proceeds go to a vital cause (specifically, Everytown Gun Safety), but the event also features dozens of amazing stand-ups, including Roy Wood Jr. (Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening), Josh Gondelman, Jo Firestone, Mike Drucker, Clare O’Kane, Emmy Blotnick, and many more. View the full lineup and purchase tickets here.
Ruby’s World: Church of World Peace @ MX Gallery (167 Canal St.)
Ruby McCollister has slowly been building a reputation as an “aspiring actress” in New York’s comedy scene, and for the past two years, her showcase Ruby’s World has featured some of the best rising comics in the city. This month’s installment is a two-day event, with McCollister doing tarot readings and sermons on March 29 starting at 10 AM.
$5 Funnies @ The Stand NYC
If you haven’t caught on, The Stand is the best place to catch club comics for a fraction of the price, and this Wednesday is no exception – Ari Shaffir, Mark Normand, Nikki Glaser, Lev Fer, and Stavros Halkias are just some of the Comedy Cellar regulars on this $5 show (tickets).
Night Late @ UCB Hell’s Kitchen
Each month, UCB’s Night Late team of late night writers (including SNL‘s Kristen Bartlett) chooses a guest host to design a late night talk show in their image. This month, the guest host is Ziwe Fumadoh, whose knack for viral tweets and smart, provocative sketch comedy ensures a memorable one-night late night talk show (tickets).
THURSDAY MARCH 29
Never Again: A Night to Benefit Stoneman Douglas High School
After being rescheduled due to weather, this fundraiser for the MSD Victims Fund, Everytown for Gun Safety, and March For Our Lives is the perfect way to laugh for a good cause following the March For Our Lives this past weekend. The show features Mike Birbiglia, Dave Hill, Lena Hall, Seth Herzog, Jo Firestone, Michelle Buteau, Christian Finnegan, and more (tickets).
Fat Baby Comedy Show @ The Stand NYC
Catch Roy Wood Jr., Ari Shaffir, and Nikki Glaser, along with regulars Josh Wesson, Ben Demarco, Ricky Velez, and Giulio Gallarotti in Fat Baby, an interactive game show-meets-stand up showcase (tickets).
SNL Writer’s Showcase @ Q.E.D.
This sold out show is hosted by SNL co-head writer Bryan Tucker. While the lineup is yet to be announced, past guests have included Kate McKinnon, Jay Pharoah Pete Davidson, Sasheer Zamata and Leslie Jones. If you didn’t get a ticket before they sold out, you’re (possibly) in luck! We’re doing a ticket giveaway. View last week’s comedy roundup for more details.
TV Dinner @ The Brick
The Brooklyn Comedy Collective has become a beacon for alternative comics looking for a venue to showcase their work after the Annoyance Theatre closed early last year. This Thursday, the collective premieres their newest sketch show, TV Dinner, which features a veritable who’s-who in Brooklyn comedy, including John Reynolds (Search Party), Conner O’Malley, Carmen Christopher, Annie Donley, and Mitra Jouhari. For $5, it’s worth the Brick’s dank basement smell (it might even add to the atmosphere) (tickets).
FRIDAY MARCH 30
ABDCS @ Carolines On Broadway
ABDCS, or American Born Desi Comics, features Indian comedians telling their first generation experience. In addition to ABDCS regulars Akaash Singh (Girl Code), Alingon Mitra (Last Comic Standing), KC Arora, and Tushar Singh, this show will also feature Aparna Nancherla and the very funny Monrok, who is in from Los Angeles (tickets).
Here & Queer: Laugh Till You’re An Ally @ UCBeast
This all-queer improv show features special guests each month. This week, Sarah Pappalardo of Reductress joins the cast, which also includes longtime UCB performers Kelsey Bailey, Patrick Keene, Steven Polletta, and Kelley Quinn (tickets).
SATURDAY MARCH 31
Sorry Kevin @ The Brick
Don’t worry, no Kevins (Nealon, Smith, etc) will be found on this showcase celebrating queer and POC comedians. Host David Perez leads a fantastic lineup, including Aparna Nancherla, Alex English (Night Train with Wyatt Cenac), Jes Tom (opener for Darkmatter and Awkwafina), Wanjiko Eke, and Joe Castle Baker (tickets).
The Feel Good Show @ The Bell House
Yet another opportunity to see some laughs and give back, The Feel Good Show chooses a local, NYC-based charity to receive 100% of its proceeds. Hosted by Sam Grittner and Mike Brown, the lineup includes Abbi Crutchfield, Mamoudou N’Diaye, Aparna Nancherla, and Josh Gondelman, with more to be announced. This month, the show will raise money for The Ali Forney Center, which provides shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth (tickets).
It’s A Guy Thing @ Union Hall
Catherine Cohen and Mitra Jouhari host this regular showcase, where they invite guests to explain “guy stuff” to them. This month’s installment features Emily Panic, Marie Faustin, PIT sketch group Please Don’t Destroy, Lily Marotta, and Martin Urbano. It’s the last installment of this showcase for a few months, so if you’re interested in hearing about the world of men, consider checking it out.
Matrix Day: Comedy Show @ Cloud City
Dan Chamberlain (The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon) hosts this celebration of The Matrix, which was released 19 years ago on March 31, 1999, with stand-up and videos from Michael Antonucci, Eliza Cossio (Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas), Ziwe Fumadoh, Mary Houlihan, Nick Naney, Brandon Reese, Patti Harrison, and more (details here).
And as always, the Comedy Cellar has some fantastic nightly lineups, if you’re willing to fork over $15 plus a two-drink minimum (it’s usually more than worth it). Highlights this week include Mike Birbiglia, Michelle Wolf, Emmy Blotnick, Keith Robinson, and Matteo Lane. Catch Wolf, Birbiglia, and Lane on one great lineup that also features Greer Barnes at the Cellar at 9:30 on Thursday. Make a reservation for any of those shows here.
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