GO SEE FREE TO BE FRIENDS!

Free to Be Friends!
Originally uploaded by rkb1.

You're getting caps AND an exclamation point because Free to Be Friends is (are?) so freaking hilarious. I saw them at The Beauty Queens of Comedy and was totally blown away. "Pancakes, Pancakes Vietnam" is pretty awesome. I'm totally going to this, just not sure which time yet.

BETTY AND JOAN ARE BACK!
Tickets on sale NOW @ http://fringenyc.org

Fresh from a 7-month hit run at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, Free To Be Friends heads downtown, as an official selection of the NY International Fringe Festival.

In the tradition of Free To Be...You and Me &The Magic Garden, Friendly Feminists (Lesbians) Betty and Joan are here to teach you some lessons and sing you some songs. Their 1972 children's show, Free To Be Friends, is back, and now's your opportunity to (finally!) watch two life partners in comfortable shoes and wide-leg pants guide children through an array of confusing topics, transparently attempting to cloak their radical left-wing politics with a veneer of feel-good 70’s cheer…all of which just adds up to confusion, and then, terrible violence.

This show also stars an owl puppet.

Featuring new original songs, including:
Boys & Girls Are Different In The Pants
Pancakes, Pancakes Vietnam
It's Okay To Rage
It's Great To Be A Lesbian in 1972

and more....

Written by and Starring
Julie Klausner & Sue Galloway
Directed by Dyna Moe
Featuring Neil W. Casey & John Gemberling

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
$15 bucks
212.279.4488 or http://fringenyc.org

FREE TO BE FRIENDS is at the
13th Street Rep Theater
50 West 13th Street (b/n 5th & 6th)

SAT 8/12 @ 7:00 PM

SUN 8/13 @ 5:15 PM

WED 8/16 @ 8:30 PM

THUR 8/17 @ 3:30 PM

FRI 8/18 @ 4:45 PM

MON 8/21 @ 7:00 PM

http://freetobefriends.com

http://myspace.com/freetobefriends

Tuesday is for Rejections and Beauty Queens

I will be babysitting and playing Boggle tomorrow, otherwise I'd love to go to The Rejection Show, especially to see Michelle Collins AND HER MOM!

From Jon Friedman:

THE REJECTION SHOW 'SUMMERFEST OF REJECTION' CONTINUES....

JULY 25, 2006
FEATURING REJECTIONS FROM:

JACKIE ‘THE JOKEMAN’ MARTLING
(Howard Stern, Private Parts, Jokeland.com)

MICHELLE COLLINS & HER MOTHER
(Michelle will do a live interview with her mother confronting her about rejections from her childhood, youcantmakeitup.org)

ADAM WADE
(Wade will screen and discuss some of his early rejected short film work, adamwade.com, ESPN Classic)

HOSTED BY JON FRIEDMAN
(I’ll be telling my CHICKEN SUIT story at this show)

And as always more fun rejection surprises!!

The Rejection Show
Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction
July 25th @ 7:30PM
34 Avenue A (2nd and 3rd St.)
Call or visit the Mo Pitkin's box office at (212) 777-5660
F or V to Second Ave.

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE BY CLICKING HERE!

$8 (NO drink minimum)



From the lovely Claudia Cogan:

TUESDAY -- Self Improvement

The finale of The Beauty Queens of Comedy. Susannah Perlman and I will
demonstrate one last time how gorgeous comedy can be, while
investigating the beauty practices of six of New York's most do-able
comedians. Their secrets will be yours!

Featuring:
Pat O'Shea
Rena Zager
Vince Averill
Giulia Rozzi
Craig Baldo
and Joanna Parson (our music act)

Tuesday, July 25, 10 PM
@ Rififi, 332 East 11th St bet 1st & 2nd Aves.
One drink minimum

Free Beer on Thursday at The Sit-Down Show

(photo by Brian Van

From Desiree Burch:

This Thursday, July 27th's performance of "The Sit-Down Show" will feature FREE COLD BEER Provided by Samuel Adams.

In addition, someone will go home with a $200 Gift Card at Top-Rated South American Restaurant CAMINO SUR. Totally feel free to use it to take me out to dinner. Everyone else will receive 10% off their bill the next time they go to Camino Sur.

So in addition to an amazing show. There will be free beer and a chance for an amazing evening of dining and drinks right in the heart of Midtown.

Movin' on up folks.

*desiree

The Sit-Down Show
a hungry and poetic three-dimensional essay
Created & Performed by Desiree Burch
Directed by Kate Pines
Thursday, July 27 @ 6 p.m. &
Friday, August 4 @ 6 p.m.
$18, $15/seniors & students
www.smarttix.com
DISCOUNT CODE : wohs
Where Eagles Dare Theatre
347 West 36th Street (Btw. 9th & 10th Aves.)

Hoboken Comedy Night, August 13th

(Please note that I'm listing comedy shows at my whim/discretion, so feel free to send them but I can't promise I will post them here.)

I learned from The Anonymous Blogger that Heather Fink runs Hoboken Comedy Night - again, I should've known that, but I didn't. The next one's August 13th:

Hoboken Comedy Night is free, fun, and freakin great!
www.HobokenComedyNight.com
Hosted by Heather Fink
@ The Goldhawk on 10th and Park in Hoboken
starts at 8pm
No Cover or Drink Minimum!


August 13:
Frowned Upon http://www.frownedupon.com/
D.O.A.
Jonathan Rich
Pat Breslin http://www.myspace.com/patbreslin
Brad Trechak
Eric Andre http://e-rok.com/

How do I give someone the light?

I have a question for all you comedy hosts out there: What's the best way to give someone the light? As you may know, I run the reading series In The Flesh, where readers have 10 minutes to read. I've had comedian Dan Allen on and on November 15th am hosting Comic Sex Night with Sara Jo Allocco, Claudia Cogan, Jessica Delfino, Todd Levin, Mindy Raf, Baron Vaughn and music by Adira Amram, but those aren't the people I'm worried about. No. Despite sending emails saying YOU HAVE A MAXIMUM OF TEN MINUTES TO READ and threatening to cut them off, people still tend to go way over their time limit, which sucks cause then I have to hurry along the later people. It's different than comedy in that you don't want to break the flow of a hot story, whereas if someone's telling short 1-2 minute jokes, there's more of a natural pause. But still, I have no experience with this and my natural inclination is to defer to the reader and be polite BUT that ultimately winds up screwing with my timetable.

So, I ask you for your expertise - what's the best, least disruptive way to give someone the light? Thank you!

Can You Imagine?

I'd pretty much abandoned this blog cause I hadn't been to a comedy show in ages, but somehow, learning that non-comedians were reading it has inspired me to resurrect it. That and countless emails in my inbox touting shows I've never even heard of cause I'm so freaking out of the loop. They're all pretty much at Rififi and Mo Pitkin's too. Here's one:

From Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Patrick Borelli

Also from Premium Blend (and from Boston) Val Kappa

From the Shark Show and VH1, Nick Stevens

and from every other Monday at Rififi, Gabe and Jenny

Here are the details:

Monday, 7/24/06
Can You Imagine?
Hosted by Matt Goldich and Chris Jurek
Rififi
332 E. 11th Street
(between 1st and 2nd Aves)
8:00 pm, no cover, 1-drink minimum

In The Flesh in Hong Kong magazine Escape part 1

In The Flesh in Hong Kong magazine Escape page 1
Originally uploaded by rkb1.

In The Flesh and my writing were profiled in Hong Kong magazine Escape by Nan Hie In. This is part 1, part 2 to follow - working on making these into visible images, but if you're dying to read it, email me at rachelkb at gmail.com and I'll forward it.

Also - if you want a seat (and/or a cupcake), please get to Happy Ending early tomorrow! Between The New Yorker listing, past turnout, and an ad I've taken out on Publishers Marketplace, I expect it to be packed!

Thanks also to the very funny Eliza Skinner at the appropriately named Hello Hilarious for her post "Dirty Words, Tasty Cakes." That's what it's all about at In The Flesh!

In The Flesh in Hong Kong magazine Escape page 2

In The Flesh in Hong Kong magazine Escape page 2
Originally uploaded by rkb1.

See previous post for details.

The Kissing Booth!

TKB 079
Originally uploaded by saraisloco.

I really have no idea what went on at The Kissing Booth on Saturday - I stayed home after a day of errands/shopping to work and watch Julie Johnson but OMG!! I must get the story. Also, go click above on their MySpace page and click through to photos for the absolutely most A-DORable photos of Sara Jo Allocco and Brandy Barber!

Comic Sex Night, November 15th

If you already have plans on Wednesday, November 15th, you're even crazier than I am!

If you don't, mark your calendar for Comic Sex Night at In The Flesh Erotic Reading Series, where funny people like Sara Jo Allocco, Claudia Cogan, Todd Levin, and Baron Vaughn will be telling side-splitting true sex stories! 8 pm, Happy Ending Lounge, 302 Broome Street, Free (with free cupcakes)

HAM-stravaganza July 11th!

HAM-stravaganza!!