Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre

Looking for a good improv comedy joint in the city? Check out the UCB, with the cast of comedy centrals SWC and the UCB, top improv comedy for $5 a show. you cant beat it. more

The Upright Citizens Brigade on West 26th Street is a small theater where one can study improv, or perform it! Last night, we saw a performance of "Surprise Party" with Greg & Lou. For $5 a seat, I didn't expect much, and thought if it stinks, I can easily leave the theater. It was located one flight below street level and was a much larger theater than I expected. Seats were movie-theater style , on a slant so all could see the stage, and though over-used, not too bad on the comfort level! My $5 was getting me a pretty good deal. Then the performance started - it was funny, no, it was hysterical, and great acting! These two guys each take on multiple personas and characters, all of them equally strong, and interesting, and very DIFFERENT. They were believable, funny as hell to watch, and very creative. I was so impressed I stayed for a second show that I didn't know my ticket allowed me. It wasn't quite as good, but it had its definite moments and was pretty darn funny, and hey, the guys stripped naked at the end, so I can't complain! :-) Surprise Party is on again August 10th and 17th - visit www.ubctheater.com for reservations. more

This has nothing to do with the shows here -- frankly, I have found them to be hit or miss. If you are willing to spend $5-$10 and sit through some comedy, you may find yourself laughing hysterically. Or you may find yourself wishing you sat on the aisle in the side seats so that you could sneak away without drawing too much attention to yourself. This is about the venue. When the UCB lost its garage-door-closeable home just south of here, it gained space. And a better (sort of) lobby. And more bathrooms. But it also gained a musty smell that sometimes sticks to your jacket even after you have left the show. If that happens to you, I hope you went to a show where you laughed a lot. Otherwise you got screwed. more

The Upright Citizens Brigade (aka UCB) is a multi-headed hydra: school, performance space, house troupe. Don't expect a fancy setting, but expect to see everyone who's anyone (or who will be anyone, or who already is someone, and is dropping in) perform in group and solo shows. The prices are gentle, and the shows are frequent--even if you don't have a recommendation, you might enjoy just showing up, since the quality is, if not uniformly high, always pretty high. more

Any night of the week, you will find top quality, side-splitting performances at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater. Professionals trained by the very best have honed their acts to bring you sure-hitting shows. The best night to go is on Sunday, when their hour-long Asssscat shows three times, starting at 7:30PM. There's a free show at 9PM, but for guaranteed seats without an hour+ line wait, reserve in advance. Also, if you have the guts, the classes offered through the theater are quite enjoyable. more