It’s time to get PHIT

I hope you’ve all resolved to get your comedy on… and during the next two weeks, the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER has what it takes for you to be the Biggest Winner:

Wed, 1/26
8:00PM – The Bully Pulpit ($10)
9:30PM – Rant-O-Wheel ($10)

Thu, 1/27
8:00PM – Hey Everybody! ($10)
9:30PM – Cagematch: Grimacchio v. Hans Gruber ($10)
11:00PM – The Gross Show ($10)

Fri, 1/28
8:00PM – Women w/ Class + Kristen & Amie Show ($10)
9:30PM – Rosen & Milkshake + Angry People Building Things ($10)
11:00PM – Hopper Bros Happy Magic Fun-Time Show ($10)

Sat, 1/29
8:00PM – King Friday + Asteroid ($10)
9:30PM – Fletcher + Mayor Karen ($10)
11:00PM – PHIT Improv Jam (FREE)

Sun, 1/30
8:00PM – Comedy University: Improv Kerouac + Guests ($10)

Wed, 2/2
8:00PM – Guilty Pleasures ($10)
9:30PM – TV Party! ($10)

Thu, 2/3
8:00PM – Hey Everybody! ($10)
9:30PM – Cagematch: 1/27 Winner v. TBA ($10)

Fri, 2/4
8:00PM – Suggestical! + Rare Bird Show ($10)
9:30PM – Medic + BWP ($10)
11:00PM – Sketch Open Mic: Sketch Up or Shut Up (FREE)

Sat, 2/5
8:00PM – King Friday + Asteroid ($10)
9:30PM – Fletcher + Mayor Karen ($10)
11:00PM – Never Have I(mprov) Ever ($10)
12:00AM – PHIT Improv Jam (FREE)

 

All shows are at the Shubin Theatre, 407 Bainbridge St.

Tickets and additional information available at www.phillyimprovtheater.com

News in Brief

Keeping you up to date on what’s going on in comedy

• The resignation of editor Brian Howard isn’t the only change over at CityPaper… RYAN CAREY of Critical Mass has started a new weekly look at Philadelphia’s comedy scene, LOL With It. And in his inaugural post, he chats with none other than CHIP CHANTRY.

• Some exciting news from CHRIS COTTON and the gang at CENTER CITY COMEDY. LLC papers have been filed and they’ve made it official. Congratulations!

• How appropriate it’s FF. Because if you haven’t discovered them yet, be sure to check out IT’S ALWAYS FUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. A new local comedy blog that’s already got some great content. Oh, and check ‘em out on Facebook too.

• Last weekend, PJI debuted A VERY SPECIAL LADIES & GENTLEMEN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. And special it was. I was there for all three shows, and they were fantastic. Phillyist agrees, calling the show “fresh, funny & unexpected.” Just three more chances to catch it this weekend before it closes.

• The schedule for NCCAF (North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival) has been posted. Seven Philadelphia improv groups have been slated to perform – Jessica Tandy, Rintersplit, Adrift, The Ones, N Crowd, Cubed & Rookie Card… as well as four sketch groups – Camp Woods, Bare Hug, Emily & Micah McGraw and Meg & Rob (with 2 shows!) and also stand up Aaron Hertzog. My apologies if I missed any locals while scanning the list.

• And across the country on the same weekend, more Philly comedians will be tearing it up at SFIT (Seattle Festival of Improv Theater). Making their SFIT debuts will be the Amie & Kristen Show as well as MattAnd.

Be sure to keep up to date on Philly comedy happenings by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.

Comedy variety show tonight at Painted Bride

If you’re looking for a little variety in your comedy, head on over to Old City tonight to the Painted Bride around 10PM.

The show features improv from MEDIC!! (JP Boudwin, Sarah Cowdery, Luke Field, Nick Gillette and Milkshake), standup from DOOGIE HORNER, and music from EMILY & MICAH MCGRAW.

COMEDY VARIETY SHOW
THURSDAY, DEC 16TH @ 10PM
PAINTED BRIDE ARTS CENTER | 230 VINE ST
JUST $10

December PHIT shows are upon us

Following their personal record-length run last month, the PHILLY IMPROV THEATER is set to kick off its December shows this week with some of your old favorites, a little reformatting of familiar formats and some great new comedy.

• Aaron Hertzog’s Hey Everybody! continues its newly minted weekly slot, surrounded by the fun usual suspects like Guilty Pleasures, The Bully Pulpit and Rant-O-Wheel… as well as new faces like TV Party! and Chip Chantry’s One Man Show, relocated from its former home at The Khyber.
• Fans can scout up and coming talent from area colleges in Comedy University, formerly known as Improv Comedy PhD, and now moved to Sundays.
• PHIT welcomes friends from afar, with Brick Penguin bringing a little DC our way and the Philly premier of Magnet’s newest house team Brick, featuring local improviser and PHIT director/instructor Amie Roe.
• Cagematch winners Six-Fisted Dynamo look to hold on to their newly claimed title against the comic stylings of Grimacchio.
• PHIT introduces Sketch Up or Shut Up’s improv step-sibling with its new instructor-hosted weekly improv jam.
• Those Hopper Brothers are back again this holiday season, this time with their Happy Magic Fun Time Show.
• And finally, house team Activity Book debuts “Metal Men” – a special run of shows featuring the alter-egos of superheroes from a failed comic book… exploring the comedy of not being so superly awesome.

The whole thing is topped off with shows from all of the house teams and sketch comedy from Camp Woods. It promises to be a jam-packed,  fun-filled couple of weeks.

Here’s the full run down…

Wednesday, December 1st
8:00PM Guilty Pleasures hosted by Brendan Kennedy – $10
9:30PM TV Party! hosted by Rob Baniewicz & Paul Triggiani – $10

Thursday, December 2nd
8:00PM Hey Everybody! hosted by Aaron Hertzog – $10
9:30PM CAGEMATCH – Six-Fisted Dynamo vs. Grimacchio – $10

Friday, December 3rd
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Asteroid! – $10
9:30PM King Friday + The Amie & Kristen Show – $10
11:00PM Sketch Up or Shut Up – FREE!

Saturday, December 4th
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Asteroid! – $10
9:30PM Camp Woods + Brick Penguin (DC) – $10
11:00PM Improv Jam hosted by Mike Marbach & Kristen Schier – FREE!

Sunday, December 5th
8:00PM COMEDY UNIVERSITY: Women With Class + Special College Guests – $10

Monday, December 6th
8:00PM Chip Chantry’s One-Man Show (With Special Guests) – $10

Wednesday, December 8th
8:00PM The Bully Pulpit hosted by Luke Giordano – $10
9:30PM Rant-O-Wheel hosted by Jaime Fountaine – $10

Thursday, December 9th
8:00PM Hey Everybody! hosted by Aaron Hertzog – $10
9:30PM CAGEMATCH – 12/2 Winner vs. Good Cop, Bad Doctor – $10

Friday, December 10th
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Mayor Karen – $10
9:30PM Fletcher + Brick (NYC) – $10
11:00PM The Hopper Brothers’ Happy Magic Fun-Time Show – $10

Saturday, December 11th
8:00PM Activity Book Presents “Metal Men” + Mayor Karen – $10
9:30PM Camp Woods + Brick Penguin (DC) – $10
11:00PM Improv Jam hosted by Amie Roe & Greg Maughan – FREE!

Sunday, December 12th
8:00PM COMEDY UNIVERSITY: Cookiepuss (NYC) + The Rubber Chickens (University of Delaware) – $10

Tickets and additional information can be found on PHIT’s website.

Comedy for the Weekend Warrior

Here’s a look at comedy happening in the city this weekend…

 

FRIDAY

8:00pm – Comedy Month: Very Special Ladies & Gentlemen Christmas Special | Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St

8:00pm – Whipsuit | O’Neals Pub, 611 S Third St

8:00pm – The N Crowd | Actors Center, 257 N Third St

8:00pm – Greg Fitzsimmons | Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St

8:30pm – Michael Shawn | Laff House, 221 South St

10:00pm – Comedy Month: ComedySportz presents Game, Set, MATCH GAME! | Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St

10:30pm – Greg Fitzsimmons | Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St

10:45pm – Michael Shawn | Laff House, 221 South St

 

SATURDAY

12:00pm – Comedy Month: Natl College Improv Tournament Eastern Preliminary 1 | Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St

2:00pm – Comedy Month: Natl College Improv Tournament Eastern Preliminary 2 | Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St

4:00pm – Comedy Month: Natl College Improv Tournament Eastern Preliminary 3 | Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St

6:00pm – Comedy Month: Natl College Improv Tournament Eastern Preliminary 4 | Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St

7:30pm – ComedySportz | Playground @ Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St

8:00pm – Rosen & Milkshake w/ Pro B | Vesuvio, 736 S Eighth St

8:00pm – Greg Fitzsimmons | Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St

8:00pm – Michael Shawn | Laff House, 221 South St

9:00pm – Comedy Month: Natl College Improv Tournament Eastern Regional Finals | Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St

10:00pm – ComedySportz | Playground @ Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St

10:00pm – Michael Shawn | Laff House, 221 South St

10:30pm – Greg Fitzsimmons | Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St

11:55pm – Michael Shawn | Laff House, 221 South St

 

SUNDAY

7:00pm – The Famous International Comedy Show | Q-Ba Lounge, 1176 N Third St

8:00pm – Comedy Hip-Nosis w/ Justin Tranz | Laff House, 221 South St

Last week of Comedy Month underway

Posts have been lacking the last few weeks, as I’ve been otherwise occupied deep in the hilarity of the Philadelphia Comedy Collective’s COMEDY MONTH. Both the PHILADELPHIA IMPROV FESTIVAL and the PHILLY SKETCHFEST enjoyed incredible acts playing to record audiences. Recaps of those weeks will be coming soon.

Last night kicked of the final week of Comedy Month, with selections from the PHILADELPHIA JOKE INITIATIVE entitled These Guys Are Good Vol 1. We saw the comedic illusions and body manipulations of flexible comedian JONATHAN BURNS. THOMAS CHOINACKY gave audiences a taste of his obsession with an excerpt from his show Thomas is Titanic. Finally, UN Ambassador and Nobel Laureate BUDDY FELCH dropped jaws with tales of his experiences with Ghandi, the Dalai Lama and other high profile figures. The evening was hosted by the incredibly funny CHRIS COTTON.

The fun continues next with These Guys Are Good Vol 2. In the hopper for tonight are videos and sketches from I’D RATHER BE HERE PRODUCTIONS, the musical comedy stylings of TODD CHAPPELLE, and variety show comedy from 2 DUDES & A DUDE (featuring former 6th Borough sketchers COREY COHEN & JASON MESSINA).

Here’s a look at the rest of PJI Week:

TUESDAY
8PM: THESE GUYS ARE GOOD VOL 2

WEDNESDAY
8PM: NED TALKS

THURSDAY
8PM: THE N CROWD GOES LONG
10PM: COMEDY GONE BAD

FRIDAY
8PM: PREVIEW – A VERY LADIES & GENTLEMEN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
10PM: COMEDYSPORTZ PRESENTS GAME, SET, MATCH GAME!

SATURDAY
CIF’S NATIONAL COLLEGE IMPROV TOURNAMENT
12PM, 2PM, 4PM & 6PM: EASTERN REGIONAL PRELIMINARIES
9PM: EASTERN REGIONAL FINALS

All shows are held at the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St in Center City Philadelphia.

Mixing sketch, stand-up, film, music, education, parody and a healthy dose of competition, this eclectic last week is the perfect topper to what has been an incredible Comedy Month. Come join us as PJI explores the bizarre and surreal corners of today’s comedy.

Tickets and additional information

Tonight: Comedy Dreamz at the Barbary

Tonight ROSE LUARDO and ANDREW JEFFREY WRIGHT host COMEDY DREAMZ, an evening of stand-up, short plays, sketch, mixed media and more.

The comedy variety show will feature Steve Gerben, the Feeko Brothers, Body Dreamz, DJ Kurt Life, Camp Woods, Hillary Rea, Sharkee Katz, DJ James University, Jayson Musson, You Are Me, A Hot Cup of Jo Jo and more.

The doors open at 9PM, with the comedy starting at 10PM. Then stick around for the dance party at 11:30PM

COMEDY DREAMZ
TUESDAY, AUGUST 24TH @ 10PM
THE BARBARY | 951 FRANKFORD AVE
$3 COVER

Tonight: Monday Night Club at Natl Mechanics

It’s Monday night, and that means it’s time for that evening of eclectic craziness National Mechanics proudly proclaims as their “weekly clusterf*ck”

“… local bands, solo musicians, comedians, thespians, photographers, painters, monologists, linguists, performance artists, authors, DJs, jammers, scammers, filmmakers, and films experimenting in different-than-usual norms on an in-the-biz night with you as judge, jury, victim, viewer, but not executioner. Sorry, we reserve that right.”

We of course love us comedy open mics, but as you can clearly see, Monday nights in Old City are so much more than that. And best of all, there’s no cover for this cavalcade of madness.

MONDAY NIGHT CLUB AT NATIONAL MECHANICS
MONDAYS, 9PM – CLOSE
22 S THIRD ST, PHILADELPHIA

New video from Meg & Rob

I originally got to see this video when Meg & Rob debuted it during the Fringe Festival. It’s Duran Duran karaoke with a fun lyrical twist. Now it’s on vimeo and free for all to view and rock out to at your leisure. Oh man, I’m very happy to share this w/ you…

One Night Only: The Lampshades at Helium

This Wednesday, hometown girl KATE FLANNERY (NBC’s The Office) and SCOT ROBINSON (Anchorman) bring their acclaimed fake lounge act, THE LAMPSHADES, from the stage at iO West here to Helium.

Featuring the song stylings of Hori (Robinson) and Kassie (Flannery), The Lampshades forgo the more classic showtune duet trappings, instead bringing you alcohol-fueled mashups like Doves In Your Soul – a hybrid of Prince’s When Doves Cry and TMBG’s Birdhouse In Your Soul. Or Obits – where Kassie croons out Donna Summer’s Last Dance while Hori recites the obituaries of recently departed celebrities.

After nearly a decade in LA and on the road, they’re their own little cottage industry… a favorite to open for The Dan Band and oddly finding themselves being the very thing they started out mocking. In town for one night, it’s an evening not to be missed!

THE LAMPSHADES
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16TH @ 7PM
HELIUM COMEDY CLUB | 2031 SANSOM ST
TICKETS: $20-$25