the comic's comic

Tuesday To-Do's: Sweet, Hicks, Fluff

If you're looking for something to do tonight in New York City, and think it might be a wee bit crowded at Rififi for night two of the Invite Them Up finale, then here are three shows to consider...

1) Sweet. Seth Herzog's weekly comedy showcase at The Slipper Room on the Lower East Side is one of the more unique experiences you can find, even among the myriad of offerings in New York City's comedy scene. Herzog exemplifies the term "host with the most." This guy gives audiences more material to chew on every Tuesday night than other hosts, and you never quite know what's going to come out of his mouth next. He might dress up as Wonder Woman. He might dance up a storm. He might ramble on. You just never know. You do know, however, that you'll get to hear him chat up his mother -- who has her own cadre of comedy fans. Think of David Letterman's TV routines with his mom back in the day, then add a heaping dose of Mama Herzog reality. Seth also grew up as childhood friends with Michael Showalter, so there's that to consider. And he has a mailing list and fan base that seems to include every performer in this city. On recent visits, I've spotted actresses Natalie Portman and Kristen Johnston in the audience. Herzog also has a sidekick/DJ by his side each week, which adds some ad-libbed banter and fun to the proceedings. Herzog's guests tonight include Michael Showalter, Laura Krafft and Kumail Nanjiani. He also has some surprise guests on the agenda. Oh, and if you know of any real-estate deals, please let Seth know. He needs to move out of his infamous spot.

2) Diamonds in the Fluff. Jamie Lee (day job, Comedy Central publicist; night job, stand-up comedian and show producer) launches a new monthly comedy benefit show at Hugs in Williamsburg, with all of the proceeds helping the Brooklyn Animal Rescue Coalition. Lee's guests tonight are Diana Saez, Eric Andre, Baron Vaughn, ventriloquist and musician Carla Rhodes.

3) And in the last, but certainly not least department, Gotham Comedy Club hosts a Bill Hicks tribute tonight. Hicks died 14 years ago today. Jesse Joyce will host, with live performances by Ted Alexandro and Greg Giraldo, recorded footage of Hicks -- including portions of a new documentary in the works by the BBC -- and a live Q-and-A with his only brother, Steve Hicks. It'll cost you $20 and two drinks, but the $20 goes to the Bill Hicks Foundation for Wildlife Rehabilitation. 

That Virgania Horsen video

Quite a few folks have come here looking for that Kristen Wiig video for "Virgania Horsen's Hot Air Balloon Rides" that got a sneak screening during the WGA strike and finally debuted on TV last weekend on Saturday Night Live. The kids at Defamer uploaded it last night under a different name (typo? or to avoid the wrath of NBC?).

UPDATED: SNL did upload a second Virgania Horsen video, offering her "Pony Express" mail delivery service, which you can see online as part of SNL #34.10 with John Malkovich and T.I.

Video: Kyle Grooms as Barack Obama

Let it begin. Comedians wanting to put their best Barack foot forward, get yourself on camera, upload the video and see what happens. Here is Kyle Grooms. He's from New Jersey. And this is his Obama impersonation.

The Apple Sisters sure like corn

Not since Better Off Dead have I heard a better endorsement for corn. It's got corn in it! The Apple Sisters just released this commercial for Corndy, now in Applevision. Enjoy.

DJ Hazard opening for Louis CK's special

DJ Hazard told me last night that he'll be opening for Louis CK this weekend in Boston as CK tapes his latest special. Are tickets still available? I don't know. I'm not Ticketmaster. But I do have a Ticketmaster button for Louis CK tickets conveniently located on this page.

Invite Them Up's three-night finale

After a six-year run, Invite Them Up closes its comedy show career this week with three consecutive nights of comedy and afterparties at Rififi, tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday. Rififi itself will remain open. But Bobby Tisdale and Eugene Mirman will be going their separate ways. As they announced on their site: "We'll do shows again, though not weekly and not for a little while." These final three nights don't exactly have announced lineups but also don't need them. Plenty of friends and great comedians will be coming out of the woodwork. See you there?

Watching the Oscars at Comix

The Academy Awards happened last night and much comedy ensued. Or not exactly. But Kambri Crews was nice enough to throw a viewing party at Comix for the night, with her hubby Christian Finnegan hosting. Finnegan noted that the Academy Awards writing staff reached out to several comedians, asking them to submit potential jokes for host Jon Stewart to use in his monologue or later during the ceremony. Here, he reads from a few of his suggestions:

Rejected Oscars jokes
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Leo Allen made an appearance just before the Oscars got rolling, but Allen didn't stay long after Jon Stewart's monologue, long enough to see none of his jokes got selected but not long enough to see the cameras cut to Allen's comedy partner, Eric Slovin, who had a choice seat behind Best Actress winner Marion Cotillard. How'd he get that seat? As the New York Times might report, anonymous aides thought Slovin's relationship with Best Supporting Actress nominee Amy Ryan might be appropriate. Todd Barry stuck around for the entire ceremony, thought Stewart did a good hosting job, and thoughtfully offered to let me finish his order of Chicken Tender is the Night. That's right. Kambri Crews and the Comix crew had a special menu with new movie names. Among the nods to 2008 nominees: I Eat Your Flank Steak, Banana Cake Blanchett, Juno & Tonic, There Will Be Bloody Marys, No Cosmo For Old Men.

Stewart did well enough, I suppose. A few lame jokes (Harrison Ford, a car dealership?). A few really solid ones -- really enjoyed the line about the Vanity Fair post-Oscar bash. "If you really wanted to show respect for the writers, you could try inviting a few of them to the Vanity Fair Oscar party," or something to that effect. I could look it up for the verbatim (and may well do that). Stewart's nicest touch of the night: Bringing the co-winner for Best Original Song from Once back onstage after a commercial break to let her give her acceptance speech, and then delivering a speech that was worth it.

By the way, here's a fun fact, at least for me and the Oscars: My tenure at the New York Daily News may have been brief, but it did allow me the opportunity to cover the "red carpet" (actually, indoors and hardwood floors) for the New York Film Festival screening of No Country For Old Men, since all of the gossips were out of town or off the clock that night. Which meant I got a few minutes with Javier Bardem, the Coen brothers, Josh Brolin and Kelly MacDonald. All very nice. The Coens really didn't want to talk (surprise!), even when I asked them about the film they were currently shooting in my neighborhood with George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

This week's comedic late-night TV guests

Time once again to check the late-night TV talk show listings to see which comedians and comedic actors will be making the rounds. Note: Some show listings still TBA.

David Letterman...Monday: Will Ferrell; Friday: Tommy Tiernan

Jay Leno...Monday: Catherine O'Hara; Tuesday: David Koechner; Thursday: Wanda Sykes

Conan O'Brien...Monday: Will Arnett; Tuesday: Will Ferrell; Thursday: Robert Schimmel

Jimmy Kimmel...Thursday: Martin Lawrence

Jimmy Kimmel's f--king Ben Affleck video

You knew this was coming. But Jimmy Kimmel delivered on the promise and then some with all of the celebrity backup singers in his "I'm F--king Ben Affleck" video, which debuted early this morning after the Oscars. How many celebrities can you spot? Enjoy.

SNL: All about the impersonations

The return of Saturday Night Live got people talking about who they'd pick to play Barack Obama. The show itself reminded viewers and comedians alike that to make the cut and join the cast, you better have more than one impersonation in your back pocket. Don't know when I'd seen so many celebrity characters in one episode, though much of this had to with the "Celebrity Apprentice" series expansion sketch. Here's a recap from this past Saturday...

Fred Armisen: Obama, Gene Simmons, Javier Bardem (from No Country For Old Men)

Will Forte: Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, Judge Lance Ito

Bill Hader: John Mark Karr, Daniel Day-Lewis (from There Will Be Blood)

Darrell Hammond: Donald Trump

Amy Poehler: Hillary Clinton, Six Flags dancing guy

Andy Samberg: Matthew Lesko (the ? infomercial guy)

Jason Sudeikis: CNN's John King, Bret Michaels, Ted Allen

Kenan Thompson: Charles Barkley

Kristen Wiig: CNN's Campbell Brown, Jennifer Tilly

Casey Wilson: Rachael Ray

Video: Jordan Carlos as Obama

File this under what could've been and under NSFW. It's Jordan Carlos as Barack Obama. If he got the gig, the fro would have to go.

SNL returns; Armisen as Obama?

Saturday Night Live answered the Obama question right away in the cold open, which tried to take on this week's CNN/Univision Democratic debate. Fred Armisen played Barack Obama. So??? Armisen has similar facial features, which helped his cause. Already has that faraway look in the eyes down. Skin tone? Too light. Voice? Eh. Which makes for an early verdict of, to use the TV political parlance, too close to call. Of course, Armisen isn't half-African, but that didn't stop him from impersonating Prince for years on the show. He won the gig over three outside comedic candidates, all of them African-American. That alone should prompt some renewed debate about SNL's casting diversity. Again. Hence the renewed. For Lorne Michaels, though, it could've just as easily been the easy and economic decision to pick an Obama from within the cast, at least for now. He's shown with President George W. Bush that he's OK with recasting the role when it suits the show, so why rush into hiring a new SNL'er, right? The larger problem, anyhow, is that SNL's political jokes continue to fall short of the funny finish line. They still go for the obvious joke. In this case, the media loves Obama. By the time Armisen attempted a "yes we can" joke, the bit had stretched too long. I clocked it. The entire cold open lasted almost nine minutes. 9! Why so long? Especially for a first show back from the strike? And there's a cameo by a lip-synching Obama Girl?

Even the NBC-approved video link cuts the opening sketch to 2:50.

Kristen Wiig, as CNN's Campbell Brown, gets to say "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" and then the intros, now with "featured player" Casey Wilson. First new cast member in three years.

Tina Fey's monologue, going so-so until Steve Martin jumps onstage to help show Fey how to move from a writer to a performer. Actually, Fey did get in a good joke about what the WGA won from the strike. But Martin's bit with Fey showed how and why Fey has won the latest acting awards. By the way, the monologue, another four minutes. That, plus the cold open and the credits, and already the thought creeps in, are they trying to stretch everything in the first week back?

A fake ad follows, traditionally, and this is for Annuale, a pill that allows women to have only one period a year. The joke's in the small print. And the annual rage. LOL?

A Rock of Love spoof, with Jason Sudeikis getting the Bret Michaels part, choosing from Wiig, Fey, Wilson and Amy Poehler. Wilson gets to, or has to, French kiss Sudeikis. Welcome to SNL! It's all fairly funny, but isn't this VH1 show in its second season?

The first SNL Digital Short post-strike, about making movies acceptable for old people, not winning an Emmy.

Kenan Thompson? He shows up in a game-show, "What's That Bitch Talking About?" with contestants Bill Hader and Tina Fey.

Former Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee makes a planned appearance during Weekend Update, and it's to explain why he's still in the race, and it's all well and good. "I'm not a math guy. I'm more of a miracle guy." Then an obvious won't overstay his welcome joke. Fey also reappears on the Update desk for "Womens News," which makes one wonder (and by one, I mean some viewers not named me) whether her appeal for Hillary Clinton was real or just part of the act.

Hey, it's Celebrity Apprentice, and did you know Darrell Hammond is still on SNL? Now you do. Hammond gets to do Trump, while they trot out several celebrity impressions of folks who aren't on the show but would be funny if they were, along with Armisen as Gene Simmons on the newly released sex tape. Poehler as the former Six Flags dancing spokesman was a particular hoot.

Sudeikis got to take over a wedding reception sketch as that guy who gives that speech.

Wiig stars in a video for Virgania Horsen's Hot Air Balloon Rides that audiences at Comix saw previously during an SNL Strike Benefit show.

A Food Network spoof has Hader channelling Daniel Day-Lewis looking for the perfect milkshake. Get it? "I drink your milkshake!" Somehow it also gets in a No Country reference. Chalk this up to catching up for lost time, plus the Oscars are on Sunday?

A "Lady Business" scene that's supposed to be from the makers of Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia? OK.

Somehow, I get the sense that they know they're writing four weeks of new shows and don't want to put it all out on the first week. Or they just needed to shake off some rust. I hope that's what happened here.

NOTE: No Maya Rudolph. She's no longer under contract. More videos from last night's SNL after the jump.

SNL dress rehearsal to reveal Obama

Soon enough we'll have our answer to the SNL Obama question, as the cast and audience get ready for the Saturday Night Live dress rehearsal.

The Huffington Post's Rachel Sklar reported that Lorne Michaels formally auditioned three outside candidates: MAD-TV's Jordan Peele, 30 Rock writer and Derrick sketch/improv trouper Donald Glover, and stand-up (and Stephen Colbert's "black friend") Jordan Carlos.

There's also a potential insider surprise in Fred Armisen. His roster of impersonations already includes Prince. If it's Armisen, be sure to 1) hear a lot of debates and arguments about it, and 2) read what Armisen has to say about it on his SNL blog.

Videos: Olde English does the Oscars

Just in time for Sunday's Academy Awards, Olde English weighs in with two new looks at two of the Best Picture nominees.

This one features Jackie Clarke as Diablo Cody.

More on SNL's newcomer(s)?

The return of Saturday Night Live tomorrow night will mark the first cast changes in three years. Casey Wilson joins the troupe as a featured player, and Defamer got her on the phone yesterday for a very very brief Q&A, in which we learn that she sent in a 10-character video, heard in December that Lorne Michaels showed interest, then auditioned in January. As for who'll play Barack Obama? Who knows? Obama played himself the first time. Where is Obama on Saturday night?

Related video: Here's a CNN report on the SNL Obama search, which features Wyatt Cenac.

Behind the CCP: Lavell Crawford

All of this talk of Barack Obama impersonators and no one has mentioned Lavell Crawford? Oh. Right. I can imagine Crawford has a "No, We Can't" joke somewhere in his arsenal, though. This Friday, Comedy Central only debuts one new Comedy Central Presents half-hour, and it's Crawford's, taped last August while the comedian was in the running to become NBC's Last Comic Standing. In fact, he had on the same suit and shirt he'd worn on TV earlier that week. Though I ask the tough questions, I didn't ask him if he at least changed his underwear. Seeing him perform then, I wondered about LCS and its supposed prize of a TV special, and if this meant Crawford wasn't so worried about winning or not. Later, I also saw that Jon Reep (who would win last year's LCS), already had his own CCP. Then I quit thinking and started listening.

Crawford joked about diabetes -- "the sugar!" -- about Aspen (where I'd first seen him a year ago), and about jet-skiing. The producers asked him to retape his introduction, and when he returned onstage, he actually went ahead and did more than a few minutes of additional material. Was there a timing issue? Was this a redo, or in essence an encore? Tune in tonight and find out. Or tune into this clip for a teaser:

Human Giant's season debut now on iTunes

Here's some newsy news! The second season of Human Giant may not debut on MTV until March 11, but through the power of iTunes, you can download it already. It's not an Illusionators trick, either! But it is Season 2: Duffel Bag of Death. Click here!

 

And here is a NSFW teaser video:

Greg Behrendt at Gotham this weekend

I spotted Greg Behrendt last night at a taping for John Oliver (more on that soon enough). But it reminded me that Behrendt is in New York City this weekend at Gotham. And that reminded me of a great lengthy chat I had with him two years ago. Here's a choice tidbit in which he explains the need to perform stand-up comedy:

"At lunch, they set up a mike. In front of the kids. They said, 'Don't go blue.' I opened for an air-band contest once in Fresno, and got, 'Get off!' You've got to want it if you keep having those experiences and come back for more. I think we're destined to do things. Who would pick stand-up? This might not go well in front of 200 people and they might rebel. I really think it's a calling. I think there are people who are supposed to do it. What the f--k would (Dave) Attell do? What would (Mitch) Hedberg have done? Brian Regan, same thing. They have to go in front of a room full of people and grab a mike. It's just what I have to do, until I feel like I don't, and then I'll quit."

TBS, Just For Laughs, Chicago and Vegas

When I launched this site, oh so many days ago, people in the comedy festival business wondered if there'd be much of an American comedy festival business in 2008. Or at least, not the same comedy confabs that we'd become accustomed to. When last we left Las Vegas in November, though, more than a few people suspected that TBS might take over where HBO left off. And this press release from TBS confirms that, and more.

TBS not only will continue The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas this November, but also join forces with Montreal's Just For Laughs for a summer event in Chicago.

Ellen DeGeneres will present variety shows at both fests. Why? I was at her "Really Big Show" in Vegas last November, and found it to be, well, more than a bit lacking.

At any rate. What else is in store for this summer's Very Funny Festival? From the release: In addition to DeGeneres, there'll be "a series of stand-up concerts by top-name comedians; the very best in improv and sketch, including a collaboration with the famed Second City comedy troupe; Latino and urban comedy extravaganzas; various other events at local comedy clubs; and a film component." There you have it. For now.

Frank TV gets 8-episode renewal

If you thought you'd seen enough of those TV commercials in which impersonator Frank Caliendo promotes his sketch comedy show through his various celebrity characters, well, get ready for a new round of apologies from Frank. TBS announced today it has ordered eight more episodes. The network that's trying to make its bones as a center for comedy, ahem, reported that 3.2 million viewers tuned into the Frank TV launch in November, with the series averaging 2.1 million viewers during its first run.

Here's the obligatory press release statement: "Frank is one of the country's most popular performers for a reason: He's simply the best at what he does," said Michael Wright, senior vice president in charge of the Content Creation Group for TBS and sister networks TNT and TCM. "FRANK TV has resonated with audiences because his style of comedy is so accessible. Frank has a very appealing everyman sensibility. He laughs at the same things we all laugh at in the popular culture around us. And the show's sketches catch that comedic point of view perfectly. We were thrilled by the audience response to the show, and can't wait to come back with more, even funnier, episodes."