the comic's comic

New Yorker Festival video, recaps and a new comedy blog

Not to be undone by New York mag's fete, and actually even before that and bigger, the New Yorker did it up earlier this month with a series of big-time panel discussions, and we can now start seeing some full video from this year's New Yorker Festival. Here is a link to the 84-minute talk on political comedy (what, no embed?) with Andy Borowitz, Samantha Bee, James Downey, Todd Hanson and Allison Silverman, introduced by Sara Benincasa as Gov. Sarah Palin with sidekick Diana Saez.

You can also get their recap of the talk with Stephen Colbert. Or you can read all about it from a new comedy blog, from the Back of the Room, launched by Toronto-based journalist Sharilyn Johnson. File her blog title under: Great Minds Think Alike. Welcome to the club!

92Y's Fall 2008 comedy programming

The 92nd Street Y once again brings comedy to the Upper East Side as only the 92Y does it, announcing a slate of upcoming programming for the fall, including:

Sept. 9: Warren Adler and Stewie Stone on the influence of the Borscht Belt comedians on mainstream American humor
Sept. 15: Alan Zweibel talks with Susie Essman
Sept. 24: Alec Baldwin talks with Janet Maslin
Sept. 28: Lisa Lampanelli talks with Eddy Friedfeld
Oct. 5: A tribute to George Carlin, featuring Whoopi Goldberg, special guests
Oct. 22: Countdown to Election 2008, with Andy Borowitz, Joy Behar, Jeffrey Toobin
Nov. 5: We Have a Winner, with Lizz Winstead and others (New York Comedy Festival)
Nov. 12: Zach Galifianakis (92Y Tribeca)
Dec. 7: Make Em Laugh, the funny business of America, with Michael Kantor, Laurence Maslon

This spring at the 92Y: Norman Lear, Richard Lewis, more

The 92Y has announced its spring slate of funny and topical discussions about humor on the Upper West Side. So let's see what they've got lined up...

April 9: Garrison Keillor

April 27: Richard Lewis, interviewed by Keith Olbermann

April 28: Norman Lear

May 13: Andy Borowitz on politics and campaign 2008 with Jonathan Alter and Susie Essman

June 10: Ian Frazier

June 26: Laughs from the Left: Political humor with Scott Blakeman, Jeff Kreisler and Jane Condon

For times, prices and further info: Click here.

Shoot the Messenger at 45 Bleecker

If you haven't seen Lizz Winstead's latest creation, then you're missing out. Winstead, who co-created The Daily Show and later went on to Air America Radio, now has her sights set on skewering morning TV. Her Monday night show, Shoot the Messenger, recently moved into larger digs at The Green Room at 45 Bleecker. In the new venue, the set design and everything else feels much more like an actual morning TV program (even if it's not actually six hours, as advertised in the tagline for "Wake Up World with Hope and Davis," TV's only six-hour morning 'infonewsment' show). There are the requisite sofa, chair and coffee table. A separate news desk.

Benari Poulten plays the frat-tastic energetic audience warm-up guy. Baron Vaughn as Davis Miles plays affable co-host to Winstead's ridiculous Hope Jean Paul. Each week typically features a taped interview segment with self-help author, "Life Expert" Dana Levan (Carol Hartsell). A big screen behind the stage plays these pre-taped bits, new toons, and last week offered a well-executed debate between other 24/7 network anchors (played by Lucas Held and Sean Crespo) with Vaughn moderating it live.

Here is a segment from last Monday:

And here is a toon they produced about the Democratic horse race:

It's unlike The Daily Show, which makes direct jokes about actual news and newsgatherers, nor is it like The Onion News Network, which is all about fake news. No. Shoot The Messenger aims somewhere in between, poking fun at the actual ridiculousness of morning TV news. After each week's 45-minute production, there's an intermission, after which Winstead returns to the stage as herself to talk about what they're up to, then interviews a special guest. Last week, she talked with Andy Borowitz about the 2008 campaign. Borowitz complimented Winstead on creating "a fully realized character" as well as the technology behind the production.

Tonight's Shoot The Messenger won't be the usual production, however. Instead, Vaughn and Darbi Worley will host a show centered on the several comedians who contribute to the program, with video highlights of their contributions followed by their stand-up. On the bill: Jeff Kreisler, Sean Crespo, Lucas Held, Baron Vaughn, Carol Hartsell and Jamie Kilstein.