STAND UP NY

Joe Machi

dennis — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:38:19 +0000

A native of State College, PA, Joe Machi did not always plan to enter comedy. After graduating from Penn State University, located in his hometown, Joe became a customer service manager for a supermarket. It wasn’t until after stint as a human resources assistant that he decided to try his hand at stand up comedy. Joe moved to New York City in 2006, where his comedy career began. He quickly passed for ‘Late Night’ shows at the prestigious Comic Strip Live. Joe then passed at four other New York City comedy clubs, including the famed Caroline’s on Broadway and Stand Up NY. His success continues to grow, and in 2010, he won first place in the ‘Emerging Comics’ contest at the New York Underground Comedy Festival, and was also named a finalist at the New York Comedy Festival’s NY’s Funniest Person Competition. Joe has also been featured in the New York Daily News for advancing to the Elite Eight of Caroline’s March Madness Final Four Competition. After being named a runner-up for the Boston Comedy Festival’s New York Comedy Contest, he landed a performance at the Boston Comedy Fest. Recently, Joe has made his network television debut on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Jay Oakerson

dennis — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:28:03 +0000

Big Jay is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in comedy. A Philadelphia native, Oakerson moved to New York City to pursue stand-up, and has since become a fixture of the New York scene. Big Jay regularly performs at the city’s top clubs, including the Comedy Cellar, Stand Up NY, Comic Strip Live, and Broadway Comedy Club. A favorite on the festival circuit, Big Jay has performed at Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, as well as Aspen’s HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. Comedy Central Records released his first stand up album, An American Storyteller, which received rave reviews from comedy fans and critics. An American Storyteller, available exclusively in digital form, was recorded at Stand Up NY. In addition to being featured on the wildly popular WTF with Marc Maron podcast, Big Jay has also made several appearances on Sirius XM’s The Ron & Fez Show, mixing it up on one of the most popular shows in radio. In addition to these radio appearances, Big Jay has done stand-up sets on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and had his own half-hour Comedy Central Presents special. A comedian for all audiences, Big Jay has made multiple killer appearances on HBO’s P. Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy, and BET’s Comic View. However, stand-up is not Big Jay’s only speciality – he is an accomplished actor has well. He has a role on the IFC series Z Rock, playing Neil, the sexually ambiguous club owner. Recently, he has also made two guest appearances on FX’s Louie, most recently playing a strip club DJ in a scene with Louis C.K. and Robin Williams. You can listen to Big Jay on the popular Legion of Skanks podcast, available for free on iTunes.

Godfrey

dennis — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:10:00 +0000

Godfrey is widely regarded as one of the most versatile comedians in the business. He weaves sharp commentary with hilarious anecdotes, tapping into his unique Chicago upbringing with Nigerian parents to create an original comedy experience. Godfrey started his career as a warm-up comedian for The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby’s iconic 80′s sitcom. His other television performances include appearing as himself on Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed, Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, and VH1′s I Love: Series, IFC’s Z Rock, NBC’s 30 Rock, the first and second seasons of FX’s Louie, and his own Comedy Central Presents special in 2005. Godfrey also earned praise for his performance in Zoolander, the wildly successful Ben Stiller comedy film. He made a splash as the famous 7-Up Guy, who repeated the catchphrase “Make 7 Up Yours” in a national advertising campaign. Godfrey has also landed acting roles in Soul Plane with Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart, Phat Girlz with Monique, The Cook Out with Queen Latifah, and Johnson Family Vacation. In addition, he has appeared in several comedy documentaries, including I Am Comic and Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedian documentary. Recently, Godfrey taped his first one-hour special, entitled Godfrey: Black By Accident, which was filmed in 2011 at New York’s Gramercy Theatre. In 2012, Godfrey made an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Based in New York, Godfrey regularly performs at Stand Up NY and the Comedy Cellar.

Jim Norton

dennis — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 00:38:30 +0000

Jim Norton is one of the biggest names in comedy. A New Jersey native, Jim became a comedian after dropping out of school. He started his career by landing a spot as the opening act for Andrew Dice Clay, touring with the comic across the country. Through Dice, Jim appeared as a guest on The Opie & Anthony Show, eventually becoming the third co-host on the show, which airs on Sirius XM. Jim gained mainstream exposure as a regular on Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. Since then, Jim has written two New York Times best-seller books, Happy Endings and I Hate Your Guts. Jim’s comedy specials include HBO’s Monster Rain, and EPIX’s Please Be Offended. He has made over 50 appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, making him one of the most-frequently appearing guests in the show’s historic run. Jim served as a correspondent for the short-lived The Jay Leno Show, which aired on NBC’s primetime schedule. He is a regular at the famous Comedy Cellar.

Jamie Lee

dennis — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 00:24:37 +0000

Following her 2005 graduation from the University of Texas at Austin, Jamie Lee moved to New York to work at Comedy Central’s entry-level stand up publicist position. However, in seven short years, she has become one of the top comedians in New York City. Lee has performed at Caroline’s on Broadway, Comix New York, and the Laugh Lounge, and she has opened for comedy stars such as Jeff Ross and Zach Galifianakis. A favorite on the festival circuit, Lee has earned spots at the New Orleans Comedy Festival, Austin’s Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, and the New York Underground Comedy Festival. She was also named the first runner-up at the Underground Festival’s ‘Emerging Comics’ contest, in addition to appearing on VH1′s Best Night Ever video podcast. She is a regular guest on the popular Keith and the Girl podcast, and appears frequently in College Humor sketches, as well. Lee had a killer performance at UCB LA’s See You Next Tuesday show, with performers Jonah Hill and Judd Apatow. Following this performance, Lee was passed for Scott Aukerman’s famed Comedy Death Ray stand up showcase. Recently, Lee became a writer for The Midnight Show with Pete Holmes, which is scheduled to follow Conan nightly on TBS. Lee also produces a monthly show in Brooklyn to benefit BARC Animal Shelter.

Helen Hong

dennis — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 00:12:31 +0000

Helen Hong is a talented comedian and television personality, and her quirky perspective and endearing persona has launched her to big-name status in the comedy world. The Huffington Post has named Helen on their ‘Favorite Female Comedians’ list, and she has also been profiled by The New York Times, which gave her exposure to millions of readers around the world. She has parlayed her stand up career into television appearances on the E! Network, TLC, and a regular hosting gig on the PBS talk show Asian America. Currently, she is the host of the Logo Channel’s Setup Squad, a reality dating series. As a stand up comic, Helen has been named a semi-finalist in New York’s Funniest Stand Up Competition in 2007 and 2008, and she was named as part of the ‘Emerging Comedians Showcase’ at the 2007 NYC Underground Comedy Festival. This showcase followed a semi-finalist slot at the Los Angeles Funniest Female Contest in 2006. Helen has performed all across America, including a spot for Puerto Rico’s Armed Services Entertainment and Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino. Recently, Helen created and hosted the wildly popular comedy and matchmaking event Laugh Match, which has received widespread media coverage. Based in New York, Helen performs regularly at Stand Up NY, located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Hannibal Buress

dennis — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 23:54:37 +0000

Hannibal Buress is a rising superstar in the stand up comedy world. Since Timeout Magazine named him the ‘Funniest Person in Chicago’ in 2007, Hannibal has undergone a meteoric rise in fame. He has made stand up appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham series. These successful performances led to appearances on Lopez Tonight, Jon Oliver’s New York Stand Up Show, Conan, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and a killer appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. This resulted in New York Magazine naming Hannibal as one of the ‘Top Ten Comics To Watch.’ Hannibal is one of the stars of Victor Varnado’s documentary on original black comedians, entitled The Awkward Kings of Comedy. In 2010, Hannibal released his debut stand up album, My Name is Hannibal, through Stand Up! Records, recorded at the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago. He has made primetime appearances on NBC’s 30 Rock and FX’s Louie, and recently served as co-star of Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show, playing an exaggerated version of himself. Hannibal has previously worked as a staff writer on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. Currently, he hosts a weekly Sunday night show at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, where he lives. Hannibal landed his first one-hour Comedy Central special, entitled Animal Furnace, which premiered in May 2012.

Jay Pharoah

dennis — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 23:29:14 +0000

A native of Chesapeake, Virginia, comedian Jay Pharoah quickly made a name for himself as an impressionist at an early age. When he was 15 years old, Jay began performing in Virginia comedy clubs, and soon began touring with comics Corey Holcomb and Charlie Murphy. Jay’s big break came in 2010, when his impression of Barack Obama went viral on YouTube. Jay’s Internet presence garnered the attention of Lorne Michaels, creator of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Michaels soon hired then 22 year old Jay to join the SNL cast in 2010. On SNL, Jay has debuted his skilled celebrity impressions, which include Denzel Washington, Jay-Z, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, and Michael Strahan, among others. In the fall of 2012, Jay replaced Fred Armisen as lead impersonator of President Obama, prior to the 2012 U.S. presidential elections. Also an accomplished actor, Jay appeared in FOX Searchlight’s Lola Versus, a 2012 independent film, as well as on The Late Show with David Letterman. Jay frequently tours as a stand up comedian across the country, performing at comedy clubs and colleges.

Hadiyah Robinson

dennis — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 23:05:46 +0000

Hadiyah Robinson is a comedian, writer, and actress. After entering the comedy scene, Hadiyah launched to recognition after she was named a semi-finalist in the Ladies of Laughter competition. She also placed as a finalist in NBC’s Stand Up For Diversity showcase. In 2005, Hadiyah had her television debut on BET’s Comic View. She has also appeared on BET’s One Mic Stand series and earned a featured spot on The Mo’Nique Show. Hadiyah has also provided commentary on BET’s Do’s and Don’ts of the Hip Hop Awards, MTV’s Yo Momma, and The Maury Povich Show. She has performed at the top clubs in New York City, including Gotham Comedy Club, Stand Up NY, Comix, and Caroline’s on Broadway. Hadiyah has appeared on Sirius XM Radio on Jamie Foxx’s Fox Hole Radio. Her other radio credits include Everyday Radio, DTF Radio, and 98.7 KISS FM Crank Squad. She recently appeared as a writer and director of The Grind web series.

Greg Warren

dennis — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 18:10:16 +0000

Greg Warren is a stand up comedian rising to the top of the entertainment world. A St. Louis native, Greg did his first televised stand up performance, on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend series. Greg is a regular guest on the nationally syndicated radio program, Bob & Tom. He also appears once per week as a guest on Pittsburgh’s DVE Morning Show with Jim and Randy. He has appeared on CMT Comedy Stage, which aired on the CMT Network. In 2004, Greg produced his first stand up comedy album, Hit ‘Em With Your Flute. A versatile television personality, Greg provided color commentary for a college wrestling match on the Fox Sports Network. Greg appeared on CBS’s The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and NBC’s Last Comic Standing. He landed a half-hour Comedy Central Presents special, as well as a digital album deal released by Comedy Central Records. Greg performs regularly at The Improv and The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. In New York, Greg is a regular at Stand Up NY on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.