The New York Comedy Festival

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Today's best bets

ANT Fest 2009

A guide to Ars Nova's eclectic month of off-beat theater

From Dane Cook to Bill Maher, this year's New York Comedy Festival drags some of the funniest talent around back to the city for five days of knee-slapping, belly-aching, pants-wetting (eh, maybe not) entertainment. To make it easy to navigage the laughs, we've created a list of the festivals best bets...a.k.a. the ones most likely to cause an aneurysm (in a good way).  

WED 11/4 (Jump to THU l FRI l SAT l SUN)

Celebrity Autobiography
Carolines on Broadway
7:30 p.m.
$38.25
Hey, how do the Jonas Brothers keep up that squeaky clean image? You'll find out straight from them...well, almost straight from them. This first rate comedic ensemble, featuring Scott Adsit, Kristen Johnston and Michael Urie, performs (duh) celebrity autobiographies on stage. That means hearing prose from the minds of Elizabeth Taylor, Suzanne Somers, Tommy Lee and, yep, Nick Jonas. Dreamy!

Stand Up for Heroes
Town Hall
8:00 p.m.
$100-$500
When big names like President Obama, Stephen Colbert and Bruce Springsteen join forces, you know it's for a good cause. In this case, it's for the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Host Brain Williams kicks off the weeklong celebration for veterans, with performances from Springsteen, Colbert and Louis C.K. Surprise guests are sure to make an appearance....

Your Favorite Band Sucks...at Comedy
UCB Theater
8:00 p.m.
$10
Anthony King and Scott Brown host the funniest musical acts in NYC. The event features performances by God's Pottery, Thin Skin Johnny and Snakes. These acts have one goal in mind; they want to "rock your socks off..." or something like that.

 
THU 11/5 (Jump to FRI l SAT l SUN )

Dane Cook and Friends
Madison Square Garden
7:00 p.m.
$39.50-$104.50
This one doesn't need much description...at least if you're around the ages of 18-25. At times, Cook can be witty; at others, crass. Either way, Cook has become a comedic icon.

Funny Business
Carolines on Broadway
7:30 p.m.
$8.25
Is it too soon for recession jokes and stimulus package puns? Let's hope not. John Tisch, co-chairman of Loews Corp. and other execs will be entertaining their crowd with corporate comedy. They'll take a light-hearted stance toward the economic crisis that directly affects their jobs. Hosted by David Moore, a.k.a. "World's Funniest CEO."

Ricky Gervais: Out of England II
Carnegie Hall
8:00 p.m.
$42.50-$87.50
Following last year's tour, "Out Of England," Gervais (The Office, The Invention of Lying) brings his one-man monologue back for one night only.

Mario Cantone: Special Engagement!
Carolines on Broadway
10:00 p.m.; with performances all weekend
$43.75
Mario Cantone, broadway veteran, one-man showstopper and probably the funniest person on the hit series Sex and the City, perfroms for the New York Comedy Festival in a "special engagement." Peter Marks of The New York Times said of Cantone, "In the realm of outrageously, joyful stand-up, there is the shrieking, wind-up toy sensibility of Mario Cantone, a comedian of  extravagant tantrums and extravagant gifts." If The New York Times said it, it must be true.

 
FRI 11/6 (Jump to SAT l SUN )

Artie Lange
Beacon Theater
7:30 p.m.
$39-$74
One of Howard Stern's favorite comedic associates, Artie Lange, has quickly become one of the most high-profile comedians in the country (if you can find, hunt down a video of him destroying Joe Buck on HBO this past spring - comedy gold!). Not for the faint of heart or politically correct.

Keeping It Fresh- Television Writing in the Internet Age
Paley Center
6:30 p.m.
$25 general public, $15 member
The writers from "The Daily Show," "Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock" and "Rescue Me" come together to discuss how the has affected their jobs. Moderated by The New York Times Magazine Internet Culture Columnist, these writers will comment on the shortened news cycle and the "need to feed the media machine." This is a great chance to get up close and personal to some of the sharpest minds in the game.

Tracy Morgan's Hard Knock Life
Carnegie Hall   
8:00 p.m.
$32.50 - $59.50
With a hit TV series and several films on the way, Tracy Morgan's face is just about everywhere this year. He's about to put his face in your face; noot known for sparing anyone's feelings, the "30 Rock" star may offend some.


SAT 11/7 (Jump to SUN )

Mike Epps is Rottin' in the Apple Comedy Show
Beacon Theater
8:00 p.m.
$39-$54
Epps, a Def Jam Comedy vet and supporting player in the "Friday" movies, brings his solo act to the Beacon.

The Truthiness Behind the Lines: An In-Depth Look Behind the Scenes with the Colbert Report Writers
Paley Center
5:00 p.m.
$25 general admission, $15 members
"The Colbert Report," a show known for its reactionary satire, has perfected the art of taking real news and turning it into comedic gold. The writers introduced the word "truthiness" to the American public and for that they should be awarded (and they were). Listen in as they discuss their process and the "truthiness" behind it. 

Writing for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: The Writers of NBC's "Late Night" Discuss Their Process and Look Uncomfortable
Paley Center
2:00 p.m.
$25 general admission, $15 members
Writers for Jimmy Fallon, the "SNL" vest and current NBC late night host, give the audience insight into where his monologues come from and how they are developed.

 
SUN 11/8

Andy Samberg and Friends Live from Town Hall
Town HHhall
8 p.m.
$50-$60
Andy Samberg is kicking comedy ass: He recently hosted the highest-rated MTV Movie Awards since 2004, and "Dick in a Box" may be the most quotable SNL sketch/song in the last decade (it also won an Emmy).

An Evening with Bill Maher
Avery Fisher Hall
7 p.m.
$45-$82
Known for his political satire and running commentary on this country's general state of affairs, Maher has had shows on Comedy Central, ABC and, currently, HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher." Don't expect him to tiptoe around controversial topics, from gay marriage to universal health care.