the comic's comic

92Y appeases NYC comedy fans with new series, hosted by Judy Gold, kicking off with Whoopi Goldberg

The 92Y caught a lot of flack over its recent panel with Steve Martin because the conversation with the comedian spent more time on his love of art than it did on things that the Upper East Side venue's audience wanted to hear: Namely, things that are funny.

They're making things much clearer in 2011.

Comedian Judy Gold is launching a new series of interviews with comedians at the 92Y, and it kicks off Feb. 17 with Whoopi Goldberg. Future comedian-on-comedian chats with Gold will be scheduled in May, June and in the fall. The 92Y hosted/curated a similar series years ago with Joy Behar.

Stand-Up 360 in cinemas this spring

Screenvision has produced a series of seven live stand-up comedy films from Broadway Comedy Club in NYC that will appear on movie screens nationwide beginning May 4. Here's the trailer:

OK. So host Caroline Rhea tells you to enjoy stand-up comedy "without the two-drink minimum" by watching stand-ups filmed in a club with a drink minimum. Paradox. But whatevs. We also see in this trailer that the first film installment features Erik Rivera, Wali Collins, Vanessa Hollingshead, Mike Vecchione, Modi, Roz G., Steve Rossi and Joe Larson, plus we saw glimpses of Ross Bennett, Esther Ku, Costaki Economopoulos, Godfrey and more. You can check out info on the Stand-Up 360 site. They have deals to screen in cinemas in 39 states. 

The full lineup and dates, after the jump!

Comic Strip Marathon: Post #4 Hour 3 of 50

Judy Gold gets dismayed by all of the foreigners in the crowd, but only because it's making her work harder for her crowd work. She plows through nevertheless. Gold tells a joke about seeing an Asian baby...with Asian parents...as comedian Esther Ku (as seen on this year's Last Comic Standing) approaches my corner. Kismet! Two brothers sit down and please Gold by telling her they're from Short Hills, NJ. They please me when they say they heard about this show from Time Out magazine. Bing bong!

Stephenson vows to host the entire 50 hours. Will we both make it for the duration?

Jeffrey Ross is taping an hourlong Comedy Central special this Saturday at The Borgata in Atlantic City (and my friends at Comedy Central Insider inform us that you can save $15 online by using the promo code ROASTMASTER), so he'll be ready to shoulder the load for a while as we approach the three-hour mark in this adventure. He opens with a solid zinger. "How about a hand for all of the comedians who won't be showing up...Chris Rock (audience laughs)...Jerry Seinfeld (more laughs)." But he hits a roadblock trying to engage the Guinness record watcher/verifier in the audience. Instead, the Guinness guy says, "On with the show!" To which Ross replies, "OK, well I guess I'll just f$%& myself, then." He does, however, get on with the show.