Monday, February 19, 2007

Jordan Carlos's TV show and Op-Ed piece

I did Sexytime with Jordan Carlos, Margot Leitman, and Dave Hill, on Friday night. I have to say, I'm so not a comedian and never will be, but I liked sitting on the side with all the cool kids while Heather and Brandy goofed around onstage. The crowd was kinda not that into us, though a few Happy Corp.ers came up and said hello afterward.

Anyway, wanted to direct the three readers of this forsaken blog to Jordan's recent Op-Ed piece in the Washington Post:

Casting directors can be anxious creatures. In their zeal to find the right actor for a part they often use shorthand to explain what they want. "More Chris Rock! Less Cosby!" or "Can you play it with lots of energy and attitude?" (That's code for "black it up.") Sometimes I wish they'd come right out and ask if any actors in the waiting room can break dance while spinning a chicken wing on their finger like a basketball.

Read on

Also, Jordan's new show for kids premiered tonight on Nickelodeon

And yes, I miss comedy, and I hope it misses me, but for now, too busy to go to every show in the city, but will try to get to a few shows here and there so I don't lose my mind.

hottie Jessica Delfino


Jessica Delfino
Originally uploaded by dougjaeger.
Happy Corp.-er Doug Jaeger is doing a series of photos of female comedians and his latest includes this one of Jessica Delfino, who is a big In The Flesh fan (and performed at my birthday show last November).

Jessica's one of the most consistent hilarious and uniquely shocking comedians I know. I heart her.

Friday, January 19, 2007

I'm so excited for Valentine's Day!

What a freaking awesome lineup...and Jon is so nice to book my non-comedian self on there too. I shall endeavor to be funny. And will be bringing the cleavage as a consolation prize if I'm not. If you didn't already know, I heart this show and am even more psyched about it than about SXSW. Or maybe it's a tie. Still, this is gonna be fabulous.

Hearts and exclamation points,
RKB

The Rejection Show’s Valentines Day Heartbreak Haven
Featuring performances from The Rejection Show & Mortified
A Valentine’s Day Event and Party
“Find someone to french!”


The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater
Wednesday February 14th @ 8PM – 1AM
Produced by Jon Friedman, Brandy Barber & Giulia Rozzi
$10

The cult-favorite live comedy series The Rejection Show and Mortified join forces for an evening of their best breakup, heartbreak and love related performances from shows past --blending into and evening of love song karaoke, live music, DJ, drinks and partying. If you’re single, feeling alone, rejected, don’t have a date or don’t like traditional Valentine’s Day routines then The Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater is the place to be on Valentine’s Day ‘07! Don't feel left out happy couples. All are welcome to party and see some hilariously heartbreaking performances. Find someone to french!

Featuring HEARTBREAKING performances from:
Jon Friedman
Gabe & Jenny
Adam Wade
Sara Schaefer
Katina Corrao
Matt Goldich
Todd Levin
Adrianne Frost
Rachel Kramer Bussel
Mike Albo
Mandy Stadtmiller
Giulia Rozzi
Brandy Barber
Sara Jo Allocco
Victoria Scroggins
A Cartoon from Odd Todd
And more surprise guests!!!

Live MUSIC from:
The Defibulators, Stuckey & Murray and more!

And LOVE SONG KARAOKE, DJ, KEGS OF BEER & BOOZE!

The Rejection Show’s Valentines Day Heartbreak Haven
Featuring performances from The Rejection Show & Mortified
Upright Citizens Brigade Theater
Wednesday February 14th @ 8PM - 1AM
307 W. 26th Street
C, E, F, 1, 9 to 23rd Street
(212) 366-9176
$10

Que paso aqui?


DSC_0918
Originally uploaded by brianvan.
I have NO idea what's happening in this photo of Lianne Stokes and Claudia Cogan at Lianne's solo show but I wish I did. Stokes - do it again and I promise to be there! Also, Lianne is reading at In The Flesh True Confessions Night on April 18th!

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

A belated happy birthday...

to Sara Jo Allocco, super star and Miss Adorable. Meeting her and Brandy this year (was it only this year???) was so one of the highlights of my 2006 and being in their Take This Job and Shove It and dancing and all the silliness and Sara rocking In The Flesh...all wowed me. So much love all around. Also, so much HOTNESS!!

Photo by the amazingly talented Anya Garrett, comedic photographer extraordinaire

New Year's

Seth Herzog's Annual New Year's Bash sounds like something I might like. Otherwise I am probably staying home for New Year's (yes, me, just kinda not in the mood). And I've never seen Sweet (for real), so maybe I will check it out. Lately I cannot make plans in advance so have no idea but I heard the LVHRDers so anything they endorse has gotta be fun.

What other comedyness is going on? (That's really a sign of an awful comedy blogger, instead of telling you what's going on, I'm asking, but, well, I figure the four of you reading this might know of something cool.) I could use some laughing right about now.

Your post-holiday gift to yourself

And yes, I know I've been a terrible comedy fan and have barely gone to any shows of late. Have not so much been in the mood to laugh but new year, new attempt to be a good comedy blogger and laugh until I pee in my pants. I mean, almost pee in my pants.

Now that you've survived (or thrived or gorged yourselves) the holidays, you deserve a treat, and what better one than comedian Bob Powers's new book Happy Cruelty Day! Daily Celebrations of Quiet Desperation? I suggest carrying it around with you and looking up whoever you encounter's birthday and seeing what terrible fate befalls them. Will it be "Your High School Girlfriend Is Now An Ass Model Day?" or "Just Because You Can't Remember Anything About Last Night, It Doesn't Necessarily Mean That You're An Alcoholic Day" or "Date a Wizard Day" Or "Hot Date With a Conspiracy Theorist Day" or simply "Your Commemorative 9/11 Bong Is In Poor Taste And You Should Be Ashamed Of Yourself Day?" Find your own at happycrueltyday.com but really do yourself a favor and check out the book. I had to finally put it away cause it was hurting me from laughing too much. See also: Susie Felber's interview with Bob at CC Insider.

I also plan to interview Bob because I simply must get the scoop on his Publishers Weekly review. Also: Book party Thursday, January 25th at 7:30 pm at Mo Pitkins, 34 Avenue A.

Friday, December 15, 2006

Christmas Breastacular tonight!


rockettes email bigger
Originally uploaded by rkb1.
Or, part 1 of "Breasts! Breasts! Breasts!"

There will be free holiday punch and Ho Hos!
There might even be elves. Maybe.

Starring
Adira Amram
Katherine Bryant
Shayna Ferm
Kimmy Gatewood
Becky Yamamoto

The Pit is located at
154 W 29th St (btwn 6th and 7th)
2nd Floor

Friday, November 10, 2006

Catie Lazarus's Fresh Meat

ABOUT FRESH MEAT with Catie Lazarus at COMIX:
Comedy Central Insider, Time Out NY, The Houson Chronicle, the Forward, Jester Journal, New York Post's Page 6 as well as Gloria Steinem, Lewis Black, Dom Irerra and Susie Essman have praised Catie Lazarus and her sublime show Fresh Meat. In the first half you'll catch stories, book readings, short films, sketches, songs, and stand up from brilliant comedians, writers and actors. In the second half of the show, they share their worst experiences in the biz and first jokes. Plus, there is a "press conference" a Q and A with you, the audience!

FRESH MEAT every Tuesday
Comix, 353 West 14th Street, NYC (east of 9th Ave), A,C, E, L to 14th Street and 8th- one block down. No drink min but food and drink available.

RESERVE NOW: 212.524.2500 OR www.comixny.com $5 OFF if you use the code: MEATSPACE through November 28th- GET YOUR TIX IN ADVANCE!

November 14th at 8:00 PM- Catie Lazarus hosts:
Marisa Acocella Marchetto (New Yorker cartoonist and author Cancer Vixen)
Matt Diffee (New Yorker cartoonist and author of )
Sam Gross (New Yorker cartoonist and contributor to )
Mike Albo (writer for the NY Times to MTV & author of The Underminer)
Jane Borden (Comedy Editor of Time Out NY)

November 21st at 8:00 PM- Catie Lazarus hosts:
Red Bastard by Eric Davis (NY Times darling of the clowns)
Hamill on Trial (Musician who is on tour with Ani DiFranco)
Victor Varnado (Stand up on Conan and writer for HBO)
Julie Goldman (Appeared on The Sopranos, Writer for Logo's show w/Rosie O'Donnell)

November 28th at 8:00 PM- Catie Lazarus hosts:
Jessica Kirson (Stand up on Last Comic Standing, Late Night with Conan O'Brien)
Todd Levin (Host of How to Kick People, writer for Salon)
Tony Camin (Appeared in Marijuanalogues and Comedy Central)
Jon Daly & Brett Gelman (UCB Sketch group- Cracked Out)

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Rejection Show at 9:30 tonight

I was totally going to show up at UCB at 8 - good thing I got this email from Jon Friedman. I have to say, shows that change their timing do not work so well for me - WAY too much to keep track of, but since this is the last show of the year, I shall make do.

Tonight is the final Rejection Show of 2006. That means I'll be doing a horrible giveaway! A few unlucky winners will win something boring and stupid, from me. But you have to be there to win!

Tonight is also the debut of "The Rejection Show House Band" (not boring and stupid). Think of The Max Weinberg 7 but different.

THE REJECTION SHOW
HOSTED BY JON FRIEDMAN

Featuring the REJECTED material of:

COLLEGE HUMOR
(They're back to present more rejections from the popular website, COLLEGEHUMOR.COM)

ANDY BOROWITZ
(Andy is the creator of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the author of The Republican Playbook)

MOLLY REISNER
(Standup comedian sharing jokes that bombed and more)

ADAM WADE
(Adam was just crowned the 2006 MOTH GrandSLAM Champion!)

And more fun rejection surprises!! 'Rejectee The Rejected Rejection Show Mascot' will be there too!

The Rejection Show
The Best Comedy in the Universe Festival
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater
307 West 26th Street
Between 8th and 9th Avenue
9:30PM
Only $5

Ticket reservations here

Friday, October 27, 2006

my interview with Amy Sedaris at Villagevoice.com

I interviewed Amy Sedaris about her new book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence for Villagevoice.com

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jokes events

From Larry Getlen

1. “THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO JOKES” PRESENTS:

“IS THE JOKE DEAD?”

Thursday, November 2 @ 7:00 p.m.
Makor/92nd Street Y
Steinhardt Building, 35 West 67th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Ave.
2, 3 to 72nd. 1, 9 to 66th
$12 in advance - $15 at the door


“Is The Joke Dead?”

Featuring Larry Getlen, Mark Katz, Brian Kiley, and Ted Alexandro.

Enjoy a not-so-serious discussion on whether the joke is dead; whether “snark” is the new “joke;” whether anyone cares why the chicken crossed the road; and what are we laughing at when not laughing at our ridiculous families, friends and co-workers. The evening includes a “joke-off,” where audience members can compete for prizes and face the critiques and scrutiny of our judges.

Larry Getlen (moderator) is the editor of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Jokes. Mark Katz, the former White House joke writer for President Bill Clinton, runs the Soundbite Institute, a creative think tank for humor-writing projects. Brian Kiley has been a longtime staff writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Ted Alexandro has appeared on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, The View and two half-hour specials on Comedy Central, and his latest DVD is called "As Much As You Want."


2. THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO JOKES AND THE NEW YORK COMEDY FESTIVAL PRESENT:

“HOW TO TELL A JOKE – AND, HOW NOT TO”
AN OFFICIAL EVENT OF THE NEW YORK COMEDY FESTIVAL

Saturday, November 11, 2:00 p.m.
Borders Books in the Time Warner Center @ Columbus Circle
10 Columbus Circle (The Shops at Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Center)
A, B, C, D, 1 to 59th St./Columbus Circle
FREE

An interactive, tongue-in-cheek seminar/book and CD signing where some of today’s best comedy minds will show you the secrets to telling a joke – and, let YOU test your joke-telling skills against the pros, in front of a live audience, American Idol-style. Think you can tell a good joke? Bring it on, and test your mettle against the pros!

Panelists:

Larry Getlen (moderator – editor, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Jokes)

Tony Hendra (veteran writer, editor, performer - National Lampoon, Spy Magazine, Ian Faith in “This is Spinal Tap” and NY Times best-selling author of "Father Joe" and "The Messiah of Morris Avenue")

Nick Di Paolo (Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Howard Stern, The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman – two time Emmy-nominated writer for The Chris Rock Show)

Christian Finnegan (Best Week Ever, The Today Show, new CD “Two for Flinching” available through Comedy Central Records)

Brian Kiley (longtime staff writer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien)