11/19/08

THANKS

Hey hola all, its Jen.
Wanted to thank RUSS AND JAMIE at END TIMES PRODUCTIONS for having us all fall for four great shows. Also thanks Jason Miller for the true tech skills.
We're getting ready for a bunch of shows starting JAN 20TH at the Broadway Comedy Club. The wheels grinding and that smell is indeed our brains working overtime on wild new material.

9/3/08

WE'RE BACK...SEPT 20TH....!

MARK IT BABY! be there!
we are BACK with a BRAND NEW SHOW!

SATURDAY SEPT 20TH @ 10pm
Gene Frankel Underground
$10 and NEVER a DRINK MINIMUM
INTELLIGENT,
OUTRAGEOUS
SKETCH COMEDY

NO IMPROV
NO GAMES
NO PROBLEM!

5/12/08

JUNE SHOWS announced!


SATURDAY JUNE 14 AND 21ST
10:00pm
GENE FRANKEL UNDERGROUND
24 Bond St. -
$10 - NO MINIMUM

an END TIMES PRODUCTION

...and as special guests for
AMERICAN MIDOL
Monday June 23rd -7pm
Sage Theatre - 711 7th Avenue

FEATURING...a ONE ACT from THOMAS MEEHAN (Tony-Winner for The Producers, Annie, Hairspray)

with JEN RYAN - RIK SANSONE - MELISA BREINER-SANDERS - RAY CHAO - JILL BUTTERFIELD - NOEL HUNTER - ADAM P. MURPHY - RACHAEL MARIE SHAFFER - JOHN MCCARTHY

5/5/08

Finally spring

here it is...sun and all!
take it in, take a breath!


we have stuff in the works and are lovin' it. Updates as they become available!

4/29/08

New Myspace Page and more

We are moving our MYSPACE page to

www.myspace.com/punch59sketchcomedy
Please come be our friend...the old page will be discontinued in a few weeks....

and YET another track from the MURPH - the guy's busy

4/22/08

NEW SKETCHES up on YOUTUBE

FROM 3/31 show...
BAD DOMINATRIX
SHI*T SOCK

and from the 4/17 show
THE BIGGEST LOSER

www.youtube.com/punch59

4/18/08

amazing show!

thanks everyone who came out to the GENE FRANKEL UNDERGROUND last night for our show....Esp. thank you RIK SANSONE, RAY CHAO and ADAM MURPHY for rocking the house with MOVIE, MOVIE! Mr. Meehan would be proud!

good times, silliness, unpredictability...ah, the high wire that is live theatre.

check our YOUTUBE page soon for NEW STUFF ....

and THIS PAGE for updates on OUR NEXT SHOW....

4/8/08

APRIL 17 SHOW Featuring THOMAS MEEHAN one-act! World Premiere!

PUNCH 59 Sketch Comedy is proud to announce a performance on Thursday April 17th, 8pm, at the Gene Frankel Underground, which will feature the world premiere of "Movie, Movie", written by Thomas Meehan, Tony-winner and writer of the stage versions of The Producers, Annie, Young Frankenstein, and Cry-Baby.

Originally published in the New Yorker, "Movie, Movie" features the characters Bonnie and Clyde, who meet "in Coney Island; in shadows and fog…", and their ensuing dialogue consists only of movie titles.

"Movie, Movie" was adapted for the stage by PUNCH 59's artistic director, Jen Ryan ("The Imaginary, All-True Leni Riefenstahl Show") Another of Mr. Meehan's New Yorker essays, "Yma Dream", was performed by Anne Bancroft in her Emmy award winning 1970 TV special "Annie - The Women In The Life of a Man".

"Movie, Movie" features Ms. Ryan as Bonnie and Adam P. Murphy as Clyde, and is directed by Rik Sansone.

With sketches like "Bad Dominatrix", "BBC2's Baby Time", and "Interfaith Understandings from Rev. Bill and Betty", PUNCH 59 is sketch comedy the way it should be: funny. PUNCH 59 features a rotating cast of eleven of New York's most talented actors, including Jen Ryan (FringeNYC Outstanding Performance Award), Jill Butterfield, Rachael Marie Shaffer, Ray Chao, Noel Hunter, Adam P. Murphy, Johnny McCarthy, Melisa Breiner-Sanders, and Rik Sansone (Summer '69).

Thomas Meehan received his first Tony Award in 1977 for writing the book for Annie, his Broadway debut, and subsequently won for The Producers (2001) and Hairspray (2002). He is the writer of the Broadway versions of Cry-Baby. Young Frankenstein, I Remember Mama, Aint' Broadway Grand, and Bombay Dreams. Mr. Meehan is a long-time contributor of humor to The New Yorker , an Emmy Award-winning writer of television comedy, and a collaborator on a number of screenplays including Mel Brooks' Spaceballs and To Be or Not to Be.
PUNCH 59 takes pride in staging irreverent, intelligent sketch comedy and original music.

Tickets for all performances are available at the box-office day of show. Industry comps are always available. Please email us at punch59comedy@yahoo.com.
at the door.

Theater: Gene Frankel Theatre,24 Bond Street, NYC
Location: North side of street between Lafayette and Bowery
Subway: 6 to Bleecker, walk north to Bond, west to the theatre

3/20/08

The Marx Brothers

Did you know there is NO comemoration of the Marx Brothers in NYC??

There is a grass-roots movement underway to rename 93rd Street between 3rd and Lex "MARX BROTHERS WAY."

PLEASE take a moment to sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/coname/petition.html

Marx Brothers Place is a community effort to celebrate the creative genius of New York City’s favorites sons; Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Gummo & Zeppo. We hope you enjoy reading about this exciting plan to preserve the cultural heritage of these American icons, and the progress that we’ve already made.

Marx Brothers Place is all about making sure that the block the “boys” called home is properly designated to honor the Marx Brothers contribution to our collective cultural history and New York City’s gift to the world. The childhood home of these atomic-comic icons still stands, at 179 East 93rd Street off Lexington Avenue, as an architectural symbol of the comic genius these irrepressible brothers continue to share with the world. And, in turn, out of gratitude, curiosity and deep devotion, the world continues to visit the “boys” making weekly pilgrimages to this classic New York House.

The fact that after years of silence, Harpo Marx so passionately, and with such great detail, described his cherished childhood home, 179 East 93rd Street, in his highly acclaimed Memoir speaks volumes (see, Harpo Speaks). This block, and its wonderful mix of artists and artisans, had a profound influence on the attitudes and perspectives that shaped the world as seen by the Marx Brothers. Late in life, Groucho himself came home for a visit. Sitting in silence, while soaking up years of memories in his childhood home, he was saying goodbye to the ghosts of his mother and father - both of whom some believe still move about the building. Groucho died shortly after this emotional farewell to his beloved childhood home.

179 is a very special house. And East 93rd Street is a very special block.

. Please help us in this effort to co-name the block “Marx Brothers Place”.
Write or call any of the following people TODAY:
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, spkmccle@council.nyc.gov
Staff specialist, Danielle DeCerbo, danielle.decerbo@council.nyc.ny.us
New York City Council Member Jessica Lappin, lappin@council.nyc.ny.us
New York City Council Member Dan Garodnick, garodnick@council.nyc.ny.us
Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer, cbarrie@manhattanbp.org
Congresswoman Caroline Maloney, minna.elias@mail.house.gov
NY State Senator Liz Krueger, liz@lizkrueger.com
NY State Assemblyman Micah Kellner, kellnerm@assembly.state.ny.us
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, ljackson@cityhall.nyc.gov
...
and anyone else you know who can help us get this done.
Tell these people how much the Marx Brothers mean to the world. Tell them how much the Marx Brothers mean to you. And tell them how much you love the idea of co-naming the block - Marx Brothers Place!

The Marx Brothers clearly belong to the collective conscience of the global community. But their childhood, those formidable years that shaped their genius, belongs to East 93rd Street.

March 26 and 31 Shows!

hey all - just a quick reminder we have two shows in the next 10 days...get yer ya yas there!

WED MARCH 26 @ 8PM, Gene Frankel Theatre (Bond St. & Lafayette) $10
MON MARCH 31 @ 7pm, Sage Theatre (48th & 7th ave) $15

And it also looks like we'll be back at the Frankel for a full 90 minute show in April..we are still trying to set a date! Keep checking back.

Damn I'm happy with how rehearsals are going. Rachael and I both agree that Adam Murphy is a total rock star and doesn't realize it...which is good because once the secret is out he'll surely be world famous. Jill is a holler and its great to have Melisa back after a long trip (Cambodia) and then a tough trip (her grandfather passed away)....so I have decided to dedicate our March 31st show to Edwin Breiner.

3/7/08

NY THEATRE.COM Features Punch 59

check this out...

Episode #203 - Leonard Jacobs Show/NYITA & Punch 59
Leonard Jacobs, National Theatre Editor of Back Stage, returns with a two segment episode. Leonard’s guests are Shay Gines and Nick Micozzi of the New York Innovative Theatre Awards and Jen Ryan of Punch 59, a sketch comedy group...

In the second part of this episode, Leonard introduces us to Jen Ryan, artistic director of Punch 59 and a quick and naturally funny person. Punch 59 is a sketch comedy group. Jen explains that their work is fully scripted, and leaves nothing to chance. Punch 59 began in Florida in the ’90s and has been up and running in NYC since 2007. Jen lapses occasionally into one of her favorite characters, Rev. Betty Holland.

Martin and Leonard, copious thanks for the opportunity to shamelessly plug our shows.. and thanks to NYTHEATRE.COM for the FRONTPAGE MENTION!



3/5/08

MARCH SHOWS!

Woo-hoo!
(and remind me to post about my whacked out, sex-filled Keith Olbermann dream last night during the tornado that blew thru Queens at 4am last night. Yowza.--jr)


PUNCH 59 Sketch Comedy Announces Three March Performances

Tuesday, March 11th & Wednesday, March 26th
8:00pm

Gene Frankel Theatre, Downstairs - 24 Bond Street
As part of the “Sketch & Improv Thunderdome”
Tickets $10.00

Monday, March 31st @ 7:30pm
The Sage Theatre - 777 Seventh Avenue

In the heart of Times Square, at 48th Street
Tickets $15.00

PUNCH 59 Sketch Comedy is proud to announce three March performances!

The March 11th and 26th shows at the Gene Frankel are part of the SKETCH AND IMPROV THUNDERDOME sponsored by End Times Productions, featuring NYC’S grittiest and gutsiest comedy troupes going head-to-head in a winner-take-all throwdown!

With sketches like “Bad Dominatrix”, “BBC2’s Baby Time”, and “Interfaith Understandings from Rev. Bill and Betty Holland”, PUNCH 59 is sketch comedy the way it should be: FUNNY. PUNCH 59 takes pride in staging irreverent, intelligent sketch comedy and original music – with NO improv.

PUNCH 59 features a rotating cast of fourteen of New York’s most talented actors, including Jen Ryan (FringeNYC Outstanding Performance Award), Amir Darvish (Mercury: Life and Times of a Rock God), Jill Butterfield, Rachael Marie Shaffer, Carlos Espada, Adam P. Murphy, Melisa Breiner-Sanders, Noel Hunter, and Rik Sansone (Summer ’69).

Tickets for all performances are available at the box-office day of show. Industry comps are always available.

Visit www.punch59comedy.com for more information.
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