| The Apiary Network |  |
 |
 |
||
 | |||||
July 29, 2005
The Comedians of Comedy Are Here!
The folks at AST reveal some excellent information about tonight's Comedians of Comedy show @ Irving Plaza. Here are some quicknotes:
--In addition to performances by Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Brian Posehn, and Zach Galifianakis, it has been been announced that tonight's special guests are... Jon Glaser and Jon Benjamin!
--Lindsay Lindsayism posts:
We're going to be shooting some behind the scenes video at the New York show for comedycentral.com, and were wondering if any of you would be interested in being interviewed for a "fans of Comedians of Comedy" video piece. This would take place outside Irving Plaza between 6:30 and 7:30 pm.
--This is kinda inside, but if you see someone at the show with a crappy haircut and a BLACK HAT, tell him not to blow his interview.
--Patton says on his website:
The entire tour's being filmed for Comedy Central, for a six-episode show. So please show up, 'cuz if it's successful they'll give me another season, and I can bring even more people out on the road, plus I'll have the money to get Shields and Yarnell back together.
Posted by The Apiary in Stand Up at 1:03 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Found on Craigslist Overtakes New York Media, Hammerkatz Member Makes Waves on Conan
Found On Craigslist swept the NY Media this week with sick plugs in Gothamist, Gawker, and NEW YORK'S NUMBER ONE SOURCE FOR COMEDY, The New York Post.
Meanwhile, Hammerkatz' Donald Glover, has landed a recurring role in Buddy Cops, a new Late Night video starring Conan O'Brien and Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Glover plays a bandit who **SPOILER** dies. The Late Night site doesn't allow for direct links to their vids, so click here and then hit Video Moments to check it out.
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 12:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Inside With: Devon & D'Arcy, of Juvie Hall's, The Cocktail Hour
Juvie Hall regulars, Devon Coleman and D'Arcy Erokan enjoy performing their show, The Cocktail Hour, when its way past one's bedtime. The Apiary wanted to find out what motivates comics to stage a show into the wee hours.
Um... what are the possible advantages of doing a show at midnight?
D'ARCY: There are certain things you can only do after a certain hour.
DEVON: Like take off your clothes, which D'Arcy will be doing at our show.
D'ARCY: Not true!
DEVON: Do you want people to see the show?
D'ARCY: Right. What I meant was, it may not be at this show. You should come to all the shows. Who knows when I'll drop 'em.
Why did you CHOOSE to put on a show at midnight?
DEVON: We wanted to tap into a previously ignored market.
D'ARCY: Vampires.
Seriously--who or what is your competition at that hour?
D'ARCY: The Sandman.
DEVON: But not the guy who makes you sleep.
D'ARCY: Right. The Spider-Man villain. We heard he was doing a talk show over at The PIT.
DEVON: With Mysterio.
D'ARCY: Damn. I think I might go see that.
The Cocktail Hour is tonight @ Juvie Hall at 12:00AM. The $5 admission also gets you a FREE slice of pizza and a FREE soda.
Posted by The Apiary in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary at 11:39 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
July 28, 2005
The Onion vs. Gawker Media
Last night, The Onion and Gawker slinked away from their keyboards to compete against each other in a high stakes game of slow pitch softball. We pray that they all wore protective helmets at bat, so that their PRECIOUS BRAINS would be shielded from errant pitches.
No word yet on how this SIZZLING OFFLINE SPORTING EVENT panned out on the field, but a full report from Gawker is expected in the coming hours.
A challenge is issued
The rivalry unfolds slightly
Oddjack posted betting odds on the game
***UPDATE***
This just in from Joe Garden @ The Onion:
The long and short is that we played on Field Four along the East River right by Houston, and we tied. Actually, Gawker was ahead, but we insisted on playing when it was very dark, so we managed to score the three runs necessary to catch up.Hooray for tying! The gentleman's victory!
We knew The Onion would crush them!
Gawker posts its recap, complete with tons of nice pics
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 11:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Cabin Boy @ The Anthology Film Archives Tonight!
Remember Get A Life? That show from the way early 90s about a 30-year old paperboy who lives at home with his parents? The show's writer, Adam Resnick, went on to pen the Larry Sanders Show, Death to Smoochy, and Cabin Boy--one of the most quintessential Chris Elliott works ever committed to celluloid. The Onion is sponsoring a screening of the film tonight at the Anthology Film Archives AND guess who will be there for a lil' Q&A? Adam Resnick and Chris Elliott!
Thought this was amusing--from Amazon.com:
Customers who bought Cabin Boy also bought:Get A Life Vol. 2 DVD ~ Chris Elliott (Rate it)
Get a Life - Vol. 1 DVD ~ Chris Elliott (Rate it)
The Ben Stiller Show DVD ~ Ben Stiller (Rate it)
Captain Ron DVD ~ Kurt Russell (Rate it)
Only on Amazon!
Posted by The Apiary in TV/Film at 11:09 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
July 27, 2005
Honeycollecting: Christian Finnegan bares all for Penthouse, Comedy and Indie Rock Continue Steamy Love Affair, Elephant Larry finds "Chinese Cuts" reprehensible, and more!
Christian Finnegan lands 2-page spread in Penthouse, furthers career (Suitable for work)
Elephant Larry tells cutters in the Late Night stand-by line to GET OUT OF TOWN
Old but Still Effing Sweet: Eugene Mirman's days on the road with Motley Crue
Michelle Collins reminds us that tampons are no laughing matter.
Funnsylvania writer Rob Diener moves to New York City!
My Blog Is Poop gets off to the New York Post. (A quarter well spent.)
Fred Armisen opens for Les Savy Fav in August. & David Cross spins records THIS Saturday. --both via Brooklyn Vegan
Matt Lappin spotted on Craigslist
RARE Radio News Sampler promotional CD by The Onion listed on Ebay.
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 10:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 26, 2005
Inside With: Shayna Ferm, Member of the Sketch Comedy Group, Fearsome
Shayna Ferm and her sketch comedy troupe, Fearsome, are taking their act to Portland and they need our assistance. The Apiary last saw Fearsome at SketchFest NYC, where they toasted the audience with their sexually charged and speedy sketchwork. Fearsome is hosting a benefit show/sultry singles party on August 14th to help put themselves on a plane to Oregon.
We read on Fearsome's site that you guys will be holding a benefit to raise money to send the troupe to a sketch comedy festival in Portland. Let's talk about this.
Okay, so the benefit will be on August 14th at West Bank Cafe and it's called "The Sexiest, Sketchiest, Singles Soiree this Side of the Solar System" -- yes, you read it right, a singles party for the comedy and non-comedy community. More of a party than a show, but we will have perfomances throughout -- including "single" sketches from Meat and Elephant Larry, the two other New York groups going to Portland's Best of the Best Sketchfest. (More details of the fun stuff to come, like how if you are not single, you have to bring a single friend to get in, drink specials, giveaways, etc).
We were invited to go to Portland because they saw us at Sketchfest NYC and then invited us. Meat and Elephant Larry have been there before, this will be Fearsome's first year.
Also, what's 42nd Underground? Is that new? The lineups look wicked rad. Lewis Black was on the bill last week!
Dan (of Fearsome) is co-producing this show in hopes of returning the comedy back downstairs at West Bank Cafe. The space is classy and awesome and used to be a great room that Lewis Black started about fifteen years ago, but since then has fallen into the "high rental, private party" category. So we are trying to bring that place back to its roots with a weekly variety show that runs every Tuesday through August 23rd (I'll be hosting that night!)
The first two nights have been great, with 150 people making reservations, great line-ups, lots of booze etc. You should check it out.
Posted by The Apiary in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary at 12:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
What Do Liam McEneaney & Janet Reno Have in Common?
They both LOVE TO PARTY! It's Liam McEneaney's 28th birthday this weekend, and he wants everyone to join in the celebration.
When? Where?!
Saturday, July 30th, at 10-ish, pm
@ Walter's bar
8th Ave., between 29th and 30th Sts.
Liam also prepared a statement and a birthday party FAQ to satisfy most of your questions!
I'm celebrating my 28th birthday this year, and it's been a crazy 28 years. So come on down and celebrate with me and my buddy Rob Gordon from the Rob & Mark Show (he's turning 69 - LOL!)
You're gonna get drunk this Saturday!Please feel free to pass this on to anyone I may not have contacted because I don't have their e-mail, or I forgot, or any other reason. Or post it to your blog or your email listing service or whatever. Bring your wife, your husband,. your "special friend," your hot cousin, your boon companion, the more the merrier. SIDEWAYS SMILEY FACE!
FAQ:
Q: What kind of presents should I bring?
A: NO PRESENTS! The only presents I require - is your presence. Awwww.Q: "Walter's"? That sounds like some kind of really insanely fancy cocktail lounge. Is there a dress code?
A: I think you have to wear pants.Q: I have a question! Why does it hurt when I pee?
A: Um -
Q: I mean emotionally.
A: Oh. Sometimes it's hard to let it all out.Q: I have a question. Is this a BYOB party?
A: No. It's being held in a bar. Where they serve Bs.Q: I'd like to address an earlier question. Walter's does sound like a very fancy place. Do I need to make a reservation?
A: Only if you want to reserve a barstool. Walter's is a little divey bar on the West Side. No reservation necessary.Q: I'd go to your party, but I'm not talking to you.
A: Then what are you doing writing into my FAQ?
Q: Curse your infernal logical mind, McEneaney! You win this round, but I shall return and soon, never you fear!Q: I hate to bring up the BYOB thing again, but I'm just afraid that if I don't bring my own bottle, someone's going to slip me a roofie.
A: Don't worry, roofies went out with dot-com investors and The Thong Song. Trendy folks now use a cloth dipped in - um - that stuff they mount butterflies in. Formaldehyde? Or, if that's not available, performance poetry. Or a more humane alternatie to performance poetry - bashing your head in with a sledgehammer.Q: For a FAQ, don't the Qs have to be Frequently A'ed? I mean, this is your birthday e-mail, right? Do you have a birthday every week?
A: Hey pal. If you want to be funny, go to the NY Comedy Club.
Continue reading "What Do Liam McEneaney & Janet Reno Have in Common?"
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 1:06 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
July 25, 2005
Village Voice Blackout on Del Close Marathon
For the 7th year in a row, the Village Voice has ignored any and all coverage on the Del Close Marathon--not even a blurb in the Short List. Instead, the Voice chose to highlight the reunion of The Raspberries. What gives? We dunno what's going on. However, some investigative fact checking shows:
A: UCB DOES NOT Advertise in the Village Voice
B: UCB DOES Advertise in the Voice's competitors, The New York Press & The Onion
Is the Voice salty about this? Does the UCB not advertise in the Voice because of some incident in the past? It's just that when you have an event as big as DCM, something that brings a whole lot of people to NYC--including 4000 to the Central Park SummerStage--and the Voice is completely mum, it just starts to reek of political grudgery behind the scenes.
Posted by The Apiary in Hard Hitting Journalism at 1:32 PM | Comments (4)
Ha-Haute Cuisine: Rob Riggle's Chuckle-icious Cheeseburgers
Rob Riggle's Chuckle-icious Cheeseburgers
2 lbs - Lean Ground Beef
1 pouch - Lipton Onion Soup Mix
4 oz. - K.C. Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce
1 lb - Individually Wrapped Slices of Pasteurized Cheese Food Product
1 loaf - Hamburger Buns
In a mixing bowl, sprinkle contents of dry soup pouch over ground chuck. Add barbecue sauce. Knead ingredients using clean hands. Press meat into burger shaped patties and place on pre-heated George Foreman grill for 8 minutes, or until all grease has flowed into drip-tray. Adorn with cheese product and serve with buns. For "Cajun style" burgers, add more sauce to beef mixture and leave on grill longer.
This recipe--from Rob Riggle's personal collection--was used during an improvised cooking show hosted by Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts at the Del Close Marathon on Sunday. See! Even SNL celebrities cook their own food--they're just like us!
More on the 7th Annual Del Close Marathon from around the web:
New podcast of Ian Roberts and UCB Artistic Director, Anthony King, chatting about the Del Close Marathon. See here for more by host, Jesse Thorn.
An improviser/tourist recalls her weekend in the Big Apple.
One random blogger recaps and reviews the marathon shows from Saturday afternoon.
Another random blogger encounters Friday's DCM street ritual.
DCM Highlights thread @ the Improv Resource Center
Posted by The Apiary in They're Just Like Us at 7:11 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
July 22, 2005
Kinda Like the Trail of Tears, Only Hilarious
Before you head over to the opening of the Del Close Marathon tonight, did you know there is an improv rally beginning at Thompkins Square Park today @ 4:30? Improvisers will march and improvise all the way to the UCB Theatre. The neat thing about the rally is that when the IMPROV CABOODLE gets to the theatre, they bring with them the suggestion for the opening group of the marathon--like the Olympic torch! Here is the memorandum from the DCM site:
We'll be doing the Street Ritual to open the Del Close Marathon again this year. We'll take over NYC from Tompkin's Square Park in the East Village to The UCB Theatre on 26th & 8th by performing the biggest Harold Opening in History (by which I mean, bigger than last year's).How it will work:
The first group will be at Tompkins Square Park and will spread out along the park.
At 4:30pm, one of the members of the group will get a suggestion from a person on the street. The group will use that suggestion as the beginning of a word-association game they will continue as they walk towards the next group. As they reach the next group, they will hand-over the game to that group.
The process will be repeated and each group will join a new group and walk to the theatre en masse all the while promoting the marathon (handing out flyers, holding signs, whatever ideas you have). Feel free to include people on the street in the game as well!
The mob will arrive at the UCB Theatre at 6pm and tell the suggestion (whatever it has become during the journey) to the opening group, who will use it as their suggestion for the first show of the marathon.
Posted by The Apiary in Improv at 12:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
ASSSSCAT @ Central Park SummerStage Photos - 7.21.05
ASSSSCAT stormed the Central Park Summer Stage yesterday and lured in a massive coterie of giggly gawkers and throngs of ambling park enthusiasts. The assembly of superstar improvisers last night consisted of: Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Rob Riggle, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel, Horatio Sanz, Rob Corddry, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh.
All of these people thought they were here to see OzzFest!
More ASSSSCAT @ Central Park photos from Flickr users:
SNLFreak5104
Dan Dickinson
Posted by The Apiary in Show Recap at 9:27 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
July 21, 2005
Jest Magazine Releases Statement Regarding Future of Print Publication
Tim Duffy, one of the higher-ups at Jest Magazine writes in:
"While we have told our contributors that the magazine is in a state of flux we have not officially declared it over. We are still hoping to pull some support from a handful of new advertisers and are expecting a new burst of interest when our daily website launches in a few weeks. We'll certainly keep you posted as these developments occur."
Is it time for a benefit show?
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 1:43 PM | Comments (1)
Jimmy Fallon Spotted at Rock Concert; Fallon's Performance Space Gets Ready for Grand Opening
Last night, the Scissor Sisters played a secret show under the name "Megapussi" at the Mercury Lounge--a tiny venue that fits about 250 people. Guess who was there?? If you guessed Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) from My So Called Life, you're right... but Jimmy Fallon was there too!
Jen Daily Refill gets an astounding shot framing both the Scissor Sisters and the back of Jimmy Fallon's head. See her photo album here.
In related news, Jimmy Fallon is allegedly one of the investors in a new restaurant/performance space in the East Village called Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction.
From the site:
Featuring an international array of performance artists, acoustic and electric music, stand-up, improv, avant-garde mixed media jams, storytelling and Judeo-Latino kvetching, this cozy 65 seat cabaret will have two performances nightly, with a late show on weekends. See next year's stars, as well as this year's stars as Jimmy Fallon, Luis Guzman and Jonathan Ames workshop new material.
The site also says that the restaurant and space will have its official grand opening in late July.
Posted by The Apiary in Venues at 1:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
July 20, 2005
Jest Magazine Leaves Magazine Industry
About a month ago, we reported on the national launch of Jest Magazine. Well... it appears something has since gone TERRIBLY TERRIBLY WRONG. We ran across this headline on a blog a few minutes ago:
and then found this other one:
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 3:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Matt Besser Speaks to the Internet
Over on the message board, A Special Thing, Matt Besser signed up for an account and wrote for his first post:
I'm Matt Besser, the current artistic director of the UCB Theatre in LA. If anyone has any questions about our theater or the UCB then I’ll try to help.
America's Radio Sweetheart, Jessie Thorn, pounced on the opportunity and asked some in-depth & CULTURALLY RELEVANT questions to Matt!
Who owns the UCB (the intellectual property), and what is its relationship to the theaters? Is it a for-profit or not-for-profit operation?
Amy, Walsh, Roberts, and Besser own the UCB in every aspect. For profit.
How do the theaters pay the rent? What's the relationship between the income from the shows and the classes and so on?
Our goal has always been to have the theater pay for itself and to not depend on money made from the classes. It took us a few years for our NYC theater to reach this goal. Our theory has always been that the popular shows support the less popular shows.
Where did the Asssscat form come from?
All good long forms are derivatives of the Harold. Harolds often use monologues as an opening to inspire scenes. Any form called the Montage or the Armando or Asssscat is really just a Harold without all the challenges. Asssscat is the simplest form and we do it the most because it doesn’t require rehearsal. However, don’t confuse form with style. Two different groups could improvise the same form but use entirely different styles of scene work.
Tell us a little about what the story is with the Bravo show. You shot it at the theater in NY? How did you get them interested in making a show of it?
There are a lot of cool executives working for NBC Universal empire. For the last five years two of them in particular, Lisa Leingang and Marc Hirschfeld, have been talking to us about finding a way to put Asssscat on tv. Lisa is one of the coolest most supportive development executives in comedy.
Our first idea was to have it run late night on NBC but that eventually reached a dead end. Last year the UCB made a development deal with NBC and we decided the best fit for Asssscat would be on Bravo.
We have made an hour special with Bravo which will air in the fall. If it goes well then it might be a series. That’s our hope anyway.
We shot the special in Feb. at Chelsea Studios which happens to be a block away from our theater in NYC. For the special we shot two shows. Each show had six segments of fifteen minutes. Each segment started with the monologist taking a new suggestion. So the only difference between the tv show and the stage show is that we did six 15 minute segments a shows instead of two 35 minutes acts. These fifteen minute segments usually had about 5-6 scenes and we chose the best 4. The scenes themselves were not edited down.
The shows went really well. We shot it on a minimalist set with at least nine cameras. They needed a lot of cameras since there was no blocking. We did want to shoot in our theater but our NYC ceiling is too low for tv lights.
Read the whole thread here!
Listen to Jesse's exceptional radio program ON THE INTERNET It's also available as a podcast.
The Apiary interview with Matt Besser
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 11:05 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
July 19, 2005
Doorstopper - Demetri Martin @ Crash Test - 7.18.05
By: Keith Huang
At Monday night's Crash Test, Metropolis comic Demetri Martin made a homecoming run that killed the UCB house. Martin's been on the west coast and Austin recently, taping sets for a live CD, he says. Martin flight-tested a barrage of new jokes he'll most likely showcase at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival next month. Comedy fans across the drink are absolutely gagging for our boy's return to the stage; indeed, the fanbase swells.
Was this material the stuff you're going to do for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival?
Yeah, I'm just going to do jokes this year. I'm not doing a proper one-man show.
Are you looking forward to seeing your old pals like Daniel Kitson?
I saw Kitson's show in Australia. Actually I didn't see his show -- I saw his standup show, not this other show he's doing so I'm glad I'll get to see the story show.
What else have you been working on. Weren't you in LA recently?
Yeah, working on screenplays. I just recorded a CD on the road.
That should come out in October, I'm hoping. I've been trying to get a book published of some of my drawings, but I have to get a book agent. So, yeah, I did this book of drawings. And I gotta rewrite two screenplays, so I hope a year from now I'll have something going on. Otherwise, I've just been writing a bunch of one-liners, hopefully do a bunch of colleges.
Keith is a fan of the comedy and a regular contributor at Gelf Magazine. He really wants to interview you.
Posted by The Apiary in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary at 12:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Inside Joke with Mike Myers - 7.18.05
Last night, Mike Myers was the guest on the purposefully unpublicized, Inside Joke--an Actor's Studio-esque monthly talk show at UCB in which a comedian talks comedy in front of an audience of comedians and adoring fans.
Seeing Myers in a setting as intimate as the UCBT space (with leaky pipes dripping on him), talking candidly about his life and career for nearly an hour and a half, was quite a spectacle.
Mark Twain warmed up the crowd with a rousing game of Password.
Highlights from the interview:
--What work is Mike most proud of? So I Married an Axe Murderer!
--Mike recounted a quote game he used to play with Rob Lowe at SNL called "Did Lorne Michaels Say It OR Could Lorne Michaels have said it?" Quote: "Nobody likes a movie with snow in it." Answer: Lorne Michaels said it.
--Myers discussed what it was like studying improv with Del Close, riding in a car with Dana Carvey, and Phil Hartman's ability to nail even the worst material. Myers also said that his favorite thing to do is to perform live but that it is hard to do so without sparking a media blitz. Myers says, "I've done everything I've ever wanted to do as a kid. Now, I want to do the things I've wanted to do as an adult."
--The timing of this show, so close to the Del Close Improv Marathon, causes one to speculate that Myers is itching to reconnect with his improv roots and the comedy scene. Could Myers be a surprise guest at the marathon?!
SPOTTED!: Amanda Melson, Kevin Janus, Ricky Van Veen, Bob Powers, DC Pierson, PSNBC's Lisa Leingang, and 150 other people! This sold out show was as full as one would imagine for a star of Myers' magnitude.
Mike Myers signing an autograph for a fan.
Dr. Evil Soundboard
Mike Myers' profile on IMDB
Metablog/Marablog
Posted by The Apiary in Show Recap at 8:27 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1)
July 18, 2005
Christian Finnegan makes Foghorn Noises in Bed and Other Details about The Sex Lives of Comedians
The Apiary occasionally goes INSIDE with comedians but we leave it to Rachel Kramer Bussel--comedy goer/writer extraordinaire--to go DEEP INSIDE ORIFICES.
In it, Giulia Rozzi, Chelsea Peretti, Todd Levin, Christian Finnegan, and many others, BARE IT ALL. If you prefer reading newspapers, you can see the piece in this Wednesday's edition.
RKB is no stranger to titillating columns. In last Friday's edition of Metro, she revealed how to get a handy from a massage parlour. Coincidentally, that column was right above the sausage feeding frenzy we discussed.
Kambri Crews posts her entire sex lives interview with RKB
Posted by The Apiary in They're Just Like Us at 12:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The UCBT is having the Best Week Ever
This week is as much a celebration of improv and Del Close as it is a celebration of the establishment of The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and all its progeny. It is difficult to imagine what New York's comedic landscape was like before the UCBT's arrival, because it has since installed itself as a vital nerve center for the community. The quality of shows at the theatre this week is testament to the legacy it continues to build.
Take a look at this weekend's Del Close Marathon schedule. If you click around on some of the odder sounding groups, you might be surprised to see the caliber of talent involved. And what's more exciting is, the bigger the names on the bill the chances are more likely that equally enormous surprise guests will show up. Where else in this town can you surround yourself with CELEBRITY GENIUSES all for less than the price of the three burritos you normally consume whenever you go to Chipotle?
You feel that in the air? It's not humidity--it's electricity.
Posted by The Apiary in Improv at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)
July 15, 2005
The Weekend News Sting
The Weekend News Sting is a collection of news bits or memoranda overheard, sent in, or seen somewhere during the course of the week.
--Bobby Tisdale hosted last week's Whitest Kids U Know show at Pianos. The 'Kids liked him so much, they're bringing Bobby back this Sunday. --via Thom Edison
--The Conologue reports that Slovin & Allen have resigned from their writing duties at SNL. Someone on the Conologue's comments board alleges this was the week SNL made all its hiring and firing decisions. So far, the news has been tight on cast changes. Related: We asked SNL superfan, Lauren, if she knows anything and she writes, "I haven't heard much, except for one source saying that they've been hearing that Parnell and Tina--who most people assume will definitely not be coming back--will be coming back."
--This guy says he's running to replace Conan at Late Night. --via Jesse
--Erin Keating, a longtime producer of the fantastic shows at PSNBC, has decided to pursue a different career. Erin was one of the first people to be really nice to The Apiary, and is probably a pleasure to work with. Did you hear that POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS? Good luck in the future, Erin!
--Metro, The Official Newspaper of The Apiary, had an article in today's NY edition in which arts reporter, Dorothy Robinson, dines out with the Hunky Newcomer, Eli Newell. What'd she have to eat? Sausage, naturally. --photo & caption via Metro
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 2:30 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Inside With: Giulia Rozzi
Storyteller and standup, Giulia Rozzi, can be seen around town in Mortified, a bi-coastal showcase involving people reading their most private and secret diary entries and hallway notes they scribbled as a teen. The beautiful and talented Giulia dropped by The Apiary to somehow explain her reasoning for doing such a mortifying thing.
Could you tell us a little bit about the origins of Mortified and share what it is that motivates you to dredge up your awkward teenage years in public?
The show was created by Dave Nadelberg in LA and I was in the debut cast. I think most of our teenage selves wrote diaries, poems, notes, etc. in the hopes that secretly someone would find it, read it, and understand our woes, so I was thrilled to have a venue to share my teenage drama.
What is so amazing about the show is that anyone can be in it, not just comics or actors, but anyone who has mortifying material from their youth. Everyone can relate to the show. Most people have a favorite reader whom they personally feel connected to through their piece.
Seeing the show inspires people to go home and dig up their own teenage diary, notes, etc which is an experience in itself; it gets people to revisit their past, seeing how far they've come in life and possibly how similar they have remained. Pretty therapeutic I think.
Where are you from? What other gigs do you have going on, Giulia?
I came to NYC last February after doing stand up at the Comedy Store in LA for 3 1/2 years and improv at Improv Olympic (I'm from Boston and I missed the East Coast). I still dabble in stand up (Comedy Social, Chicks n' Giggles, $1 Room) and have enjoyed how much alternative comedy NYC has to offer. I do readings, produce Brutal Honesty, improv when I can find people to play with, a solo show "Stupid Foriengers"--which is on a rewrite hiatus right now--and other stuff.
Mortified NYC is this Sunday, July 17th, 8PM @ The Magnet Theatre - $10
Brutal Honesty, a similarly structured storytelling style show, is 9PM Wednesday, July 20th at Otto's Shrunken Head, 14th Street (btw Aves A & B) - FREE!
Posted by The Apiary in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary at 9:24 AM | Comments (0)
Last Weekend to See The Hollow Men
Caught the British sketch comedy troupe, The Hollow Men, yesterday in a theatre production by the SEMINAL WestBeth Entertainment group which, notably, is the production company behind Amy Sedaris et. al's Wigfield and the original staging of Hedwig & The Angry Inch. If you wanted to see The Hollow Men, this weekend is your last chance.
Notes from the performance:
--The crowd was an interesting mix of traditional theatre goers (read: the elderly), families, and beer guzzling British women. Not exactly the same plethora one would find at The PIT or UCB. Can this culture gap be bridged in our lifetimes??
--The Hollow Men's Dave Armand, who is undoubtedly a student of the dramatic arts, went from TOTALLY PALLID to TOTALLY SWEATY during his interpretive miming of Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn." See the famous internet video of this here!
--SPOTTED: Dan and Doug from The Wicked Wicked Hammerkatz, casing out the competition. Speaking of Hammerkatz, one should point out that their AWARD WINNING ensemble show, ...And Other Reasons to Cry guarantees twice the excitement of The Hollow Men but for a scant portion of the price.
Gelf Magazine talks to The Hollow Men
"The Hollow Men," by T.S. Eliot
Posted by The Apiary in Sketch at 2:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 14, 2005
CollegeHumor.com and Paramount to Develop Film
College Humor and Paramount Pictures' Alphaville studio have struck a DEVELOPMENT deal to bring their brand from the computer screen to the silver screen.
Click here to read the article in Variety
No word on what the movie will be about yet... it's still in development!
The New Yorker goes inside with College Humor
Alphaville consorts with another leading internet superforce.
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 2:07 PM | Comments (2)
Darryl Strawberry Absent Once Again at DARRYL
Darryl Strawberry was, once again, a No call/No show at last night's performance of DARRYL at the UCB Theater. As reported last week, Chris Gethard was accosted by a belligerent lawyer who demanded the show be STRIKED immediately without possibility for revival. In the interim since, Chris had claimed that the legal fuss had piqued the interest of the REAL Darryl Strawberry and that there was a possibility that he intended to come and watch the show. Alas, he did not. Perhaps, drawing from his pasttimes suggested in the performance, Darryl was at home smoking crack out of an apple or kicking Mookie Wilson's pregnant wife in the stomach.
Darryl (center) with teammates.
Chris points out that there was in fact a dude in the front row taking notes. It did not appear to The Apiary that he was writing on a LEGAL PAD. Therefore, Chris may be able to eke out a few more shows before Strawberry's sharks file a complaint in state court.
Posted by The Apiary in Sketch at 9:04 AM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2005
The Post-Gothamist Follow Up with Dave Rubin
Yesterday, Gothamist published an interview with stand up comedian and co-founder of The Comedy Company, Dave Rubin. In it, Dave slugs Jay Leno in the gut and rails against the current state of traditional stand up. The Apiary follows up with Dave to find out if he really meant all those things about The Tonight Show.
Read the Gothamist interview here!
Is there anything you said to Gothamist that you would like to have phrased differently?
I wouldn't say anything differently. Part of the problem with comedy is everyone is afraid to say their opinions. Call me old-school but I'm pretty sure comedians are supposed to share their thoughts...
In your interview you said you interned at The Daily Show, can you share a bit more on that experience?
I did the internship in the fall of 1999, just 6 months or so after Jon had taken over for Craig Kilborne. I busted my ass as an intern, because I really wanted to work there after, but nothing opened up. However, as I said in the interview, watching Jon do warmup, just casually talk to the crowd before the show, really influenced how I do stand up. Also, I made sure to talk to Jon at every chance I could and I think he liked having a young kid around there who was into stand up. He actually promised to watch a tape of mine but the internship ended before we had time to sit down. His two words, "Don't stop", really are the best advice you can get or give.
The internship itself was pretty much just fetching stuff and kissing butt. I don't even remember how I got the initial connection for the internship but I do know that I was already out of college and faked a letter from Binghamton University so that they would let me do it.
Is there anything else you want to tell the internet?
Lemme say that I totally respect David Letterman because you can see there is still a real person there, and even more importantly he's still funny. He shows that you don't have to sell out just to make it.
And yea, I'll do the Tonight Show if they call me tommorrow. I've got integrity but I ain't stupid.
Posted by The Apiary in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary at 12:09 PM | Comments (2)
David Cross' Anti-Fur Campaign Revisited
This is probably ancient news to some, but the Google Ads bar we added to the left reminds us of some neat links, like this one to PETA's anti-fur campaign featuring David Cross.
From the video:
PETA:
What would you say to Lenny Kravitz if you saw him wearing fur?
David Cross:
"Regardless of whether Lenny Kravitz was wearing fur or not, I would say 'You Suck! Let's go outside.' And then I'll have like a hundred people there waiting to beat his ass. Then I'll skin him alive and wear him to a rabbit fur farm..."
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)
Shots from last night's Midnight Pajama Jam - 7/12/05
Pajama Jam host Jon Glaser (Pistons outfit, left) holding Scott Fellers, an octopus hand puppet. Jon Benjamin (right).
The Gayhunter (Eugene Mirman) chats about how he orginally went to school for Computer Science, but then a council of mystics instilled in him his true calling. Now he chases gays the way Buffy slays vampires.
Patrick Stubbins, a fake pupil from a class Andy Blitz fake teaches at the American Comedy Institute, reads from his dissertation on Andy and the definition of humor.
Raisin (Late Night senior writer, Brian McCann) sings a delightful crowdpleaser called Ritty Titty Pum Pum.
Midnight Pajama Jam interviews Yo La Tengo
Scott Fellers true identity is NOT a Beanie Baby named "Goochy"
Midnight Panini Jam
Mormon Pajama Jam
Posted by The Apiary in Show Recap at 6:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 12, 2005
Matt Lappin's Show Returns to Lower East Side
Matt Lappin, of Strangers With Candy and Stankervision fame is doing a free variety show on Thursday at Lolita in the LES. The poster is pretty cool looking.
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 5:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Anthony DeVito, Bon Jovi, Together at Last
The Apiary intercepted a report (via Kambri Crews) that Anthony DeVito, a stand up regular around town and contributor to US Weekly's Fashion Police, recently starred in a music video for ROCKER Bon Jovi (pictured above). Anthony was cast for the role of Mailman. Here, Anthony DeVito gives an inside peek into life on the set of this upcoming video.
My part of the shoot was fun. The song is "Have A Nice Day" and the plot revolves around this happy-face doodle that Jon makes that gets passed around through email, etc and ends up on stickers that this band of attractive young'uns slaps on things around the city.
In my scene, I'm near a mailbox when one of the "kids" runs by and slaps one on my shoulder. I react and look all confused and then share a "these crazy kids today" moment with an old guy on the street.
Anthony's next show is Wednesday July 20, at the Starlight Lounge. It's FREE.
Posted by The Apiary in True Accounts at 10:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
July 11, 2005
Del Close Marathon - 10 Days Away!
NYC's most ELECTRIC AND CELEBRATED comedy festival begins in a week and a half and will obliterate all other weekend events in both scope and potency. 20 bucks lands you an all-access pass to 72 CONTINUOUS hours of improv that at times can simultaneously occur across 3 theatres. Bring plenty of Jolt Cola and dexis, because if you think 3AM is an unattractive hour to watch improv, try wrapping your melon around 9AM.
The pre-marathon festivities commence Thursday, July 21st at a very special Central Park Summerstage ASSSSCAT show headlined by all 4 founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe--Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh. Get well rested Thursday night because EVERY LIVING IMPROVISER FROM THIS GREAT NATION will bludgeon your remaining senses over the next three joyous days.
The Del Close Marathon begins Friday at 4PM and ends Sunday night.
The Full Listing of Shows
Official Site
Del Close Bio on Wikipedia
DCM Week Press Release
Posted by The Apiary in Improv at 3:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)
Production Complete on New Comedy Central Pilot
Production wrapped up over the weekend on a BIG STUDIO pilot co-written by a stable of young up-and-coming writers and comics. Although he couldn't divulge specifics at this time, we asked contributing writer to The Onion, Sam Means--who has been in LA working on the show for several months--to tell us what it's about and who all is involved.
It's a sports show pilot for Comedy Central hosted by Daily Show writer Paul Mecurio, and written by me, Dave Saraiva of The Brushback, Peter Grosz from Second City, Nick Kroll, and Krister Johnson from God's Pottery. Casey Wilson from Rode Hard And Put Away Wet was our field reporter, too. And I gotta say, it turned out really, really well.
The Apiary caught up with Nick Kroll--award winning co-host of the weekly NYC variety show, Welcome to Our Week--and sought out a brief description of his involvement on the program:
I was contributing material for the show from New York and then I went out to LA for a wedding and some meetings. I gave 'em a call before going out there and, against their better judgement, they had me come in to help out. It was lots of fun. Said goodbye to the crew last night, felt like the last night of camp.
According to Sam, once editing is complete, they'll present it to the Comedy Central execs and then pray that it gets picked-up. Read his official wrap-up announcement.
Posted by The Apiary in TV/Film at 10:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 8, 2005
Intern at Late Night with Conan O'Brien!
Are you one of the countless interns left displaced and utterly penniless when Carson Daly announced he was moving Last Call from NYC to Los Angeles? Replace your unpaid unemployment woes with unpaid employment hellos!
http://www.entertainmentcareers.net/id/?id=39462
The Apiary knows from experience that interning at Late Night is a cool gig. Not only do you get work side by side with THE BRIGHTEST MINDS in the comedy biz, but some Late Night interns go on to become NBC Pages, others become Conan's Personal Assistant, and at least one has become a writer.
You'll also get to meet Joel the Announcer! Is there anything better?
Posted by The Apiary in TV/Film at 2:10 PM | Comments (0)
Darryl Strawberry Hates Local Comedy, America
Chris Gethard, Darryl Strawberry's frequently called upon understudy in the one man show at UCB titled Darryl, was served a verbal warning Wednesday by Darryl Strawberry's legal team to CEASE AND DESIST.
Can the law stop Chris Gethard? No.
He plans to mount one FINAL performance next week--which, according to Chris, may actually lure out Mets personalities and the man himself, Darryl Strawberry.
Free Darryl Merch
Click here for show info.
See Darryl Strawberry's performer profile at the UCB page
Posted by The Apiary in Sketch at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
July 7, 2005
Honey Collecting: Lorne Michaels on quest to find new cast, Tisdale releases 2nd video, Hipsters have nowhere to run, and more!
Lorne Michaels traverses country for new Saturday Night Live cast members and writers
The inimitable Andres du Bouchet prepares his SNL Packet
Bobby Tisdale takes us into his video vault and unleashes Sweet Angel
Tale of Two Cities leads terror campaign on local hipster
Submissions are still being accepted for Jon Friedman's new production, The Movies I Made as a Kid
Liam McEneaney recounts the jokes he made as a kid
Do you want to see seasons 2 & 3 of Upright Citizens Brigade? Sign this online petition!
Whitest Kids reveal lyrics to their hit single Hitler Rap
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
July 6, 2005
July Bombshells at The Upright Citizens Brigade
Upright Citizens Brigade just dispatched THE SICKEST PRESS RELEASE OF ALL TIME. You can view the whole thing after the hump. For the sake of brevity, let's examine this INSANE item that leapt out:
INSIDE JOKE w/SPECIAL GUEST - $8
A cross between Charlie Rose and This Old House, Inside Joke answers the question "What makes people laugh without ever asking it." This month, IJ welcomes a special guest - he's an SNL-alum,superstar comedian from Canada who may have married an axe murderer. THIS SHOW WILL SELL OUT!
Monday, July 18
8:00pm
Update: Tickets are SOLD OUT.
Continue reading "July Bombshells at The Upright Citizens Brigade"
Posted by The Apiary in General Interest at 1:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Inside With: Margot Leitman
In concordance with the continued success of the 3 month long run of her solo show at UCB, Just Here For the Day, writer/comedian/Best Week Ever alum, Margot Leitman, gabbed with The Apiary about future projects and her upcoming mini-tour to Los Angeles.
We heard you're taking Just Here For the Day on tour to Los Angeles. Where are you going to be at?
I will be performing at the new UCBT-LA. I'll be there Friday Aug. 19. The night before, I'll be performing in Mortified at The M Bar. In Mortified, I will be reading a series of journal entries I wrote as a kid to "pretend Kirk Cameron."
That's pretty rad! How did you score gigs over there?
Actually, I was on the phone with a friend who lives in LA, and I was upset that he would never get to see my show here. He mentioned that the UCB was opening a space out there and maybe I could bring the show to him. So I contacted the artistic director out there and hoped for the best. Apparently, the word on the street was good, because he got right back to me and offered me a date. Not romantically, a date to do my show. Then I decided that I would make the best of it and try to book at least one other gig if I was going out there. I had performed in Mortified here, and knew it was a bi-coastal show. So they booked me too. And that's that.
Just Here For the Day is based on your experiences substitute teaching at an elementary school. Do you still teach? And do the kids know that they are your comedic material?
Well, that's an interesting question. For those of you who haven't seen the show, it's about a wild-child struggling actress (me) who takes a day of substitute teaching at an elementary school to make ends meet. Having never seen anything like her before, the school is strangely drawn to her and offers her a job running the afterschool program. The show chronicles the mishaps and crazy encounters of a fish out of water --- an aging rock n roll chick in charge of a group of little kids... who love her and listen to whatever she says.
I don't want to give away the ending, but I guess I will. You read Romeo and Juliet even through you know they both die...right? Ok, so I quit. I couldn't handle being a role model for all those kids. I couldn't take the responsibility. It changed me a lot. I sometimes sub for a day here and there at a few schools, but nothing consistant. I got really attached and I can't handle that for some reason.
And no, the kids do not know that they are my material. I have gone to great lengths to protect their identities and the school's identity that it is based on. It's actually a running joke in the show. I replaced all the kids' names with names of characters from 80's movies. The kids' names are: Long Duck Dong, Alex P. Keaton, Teen Wolf etc.
Last thing, we saw you at last month's Rejection Show, have you had luck getting into MAD Magazine since?
You're talking about last month when I read rejected material I submitted to MAD magazine, where my brother is the editor. You know you need to improve your writing when your own brother is forced to reject you. I will submit again, probably a Halloween article. It's hard, their demographic is 13 year old boys, and I'm a little out of touch with that age group. I'm working more on script writing right now, I'm working with another writer on a pilot based on my live show.
You can see Margot's show LIVE this Monday, July 11 at the UCB.
Posted by The Apiary in EXCLUSIVELY at The Apiary at 11:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Conan Enjoys Relaxing Weekend in Los Angeles
Hmmm.... Conan O'Brien just said on tonight's show that he was in LA over the weekend. What was he doing there? The Apiary used to think it would be silly for Conan to leave NYC when he makes the switch to The Tonight Show in a few years. Conan is fed most of his great acting talent through the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Additionally, the Late Night studio is 2 floors below SNL, which makes for convenient cross promotion and funny guests in a pinch in case someone cancels. However, LA has been slowly draining some of NYC's brightest comedic minds over the last 3 years. The opening of UCBT-LA, is testament to the actualization of the west coast's pulsating comedy contingent.
So with much trepidation, we ask, was Conan CONFERENCING WITH NETWORK EXECUTIVES IN LA?
Posted by The Apiary in TV/Film at 12:55 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
July 5, 2005
Aziz Ansari Embraces VH1, Middle America Embraces Television Set
One of the benchmark feats of any comic living in NYC is landing a pundit gig on Best Week Ever, the crown jewel of VH1's talking head programming. Nearly one month after The Apiary signaled that the time was ripe for Aziz Ansari to be called up to the NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT, it has happened.
The first appearance of AA on BWE occurred over the weekend. Click here for the official account.
Posted by The Apiary in TV/Film at 10:46 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (2)
July 1, 2005
WeirDass - Best. Improv. Ever.
Today's post is brought to you by guest writer Kate Spencer of katelikesyou.com.
It's every improviser/comedy nerd's dream: find the greatest improv partner in the world... and marry them. Comedy's cutest couple (okay, tied with Amy Poehler and Will Arnett), Stephanie Weir (MAD TV) and her dreamy, blue eyed husband Bob Dassie, (Baby Wants Candy, Dasariski) have done just that; and tonight at UCB, they'll take a suggestion and get all matrimonial on your ass in their two-person improvised show, WeirDass.
In anticipation of tonight's epic improv event, I challenged some of your favorite improvisers, comedians, and variety show hosts with this burning question:
Why is WEIRDASS the best improv show you've ever seen?
Rachael Mason ((J)only (B)only): Totally fluid, nothing is ever dropped, every single thing is brought back and put into a new context, plus brilliant acting and character work.
Justin "SweetChatty" Purnell (School Night): I think it's just that they have these incredibly truthful moments... I hate to say it's the acting, but they really do draw you in. They're just so damn honest.
Erin Rose Foley (Nice Squad!): Because they truly try to make each other look good. That kind of support is often talked about and rarely achieved. The trust is tangible.
Charlie Todd (Reuben Williams, Improv Everywhere): They play wonderfully real characters and subtle, amazing moments.
Pat Baer (Tuscadero; 2005 ECNY Best Technician): Trust. Either of them can go ANYWHERE and the other is right there.
If that doesn't motivate you to haul ass to Chelsea to be blown away, maybe this will:
Have you seen WEIRDASS yet?
Aziz Ansari (Punched a Wall): No I haven't. I think I'm seeing it on Friday, though I hear nothing but the best.
WeirDass is appearing tonight only at the UCB Theatre at 8:PM.
Posted by The Apiary in Improv at 1:53 AM | Comments (0)
