Like every New Yorker occasionally does...

WE'VE MOVED! Please visit us at our new home, CHICKSANDGIGGLES.COM!

Holidaze!

Since our last show of 2006 is tonight, I thought I'd take a minute to relish in our accomplishments this year, including tonight's show being suggested by Gawker on its To Do List for today.

That last link is us:


Additionally, we've had an amazing year with press in:

• The New York Times
• BUST
• and a TV appearance on ABC News

We also did our first two college shows at Columbia University and Roanoke College, participated in the Mamapalooza Festival and performed as a part of PS 122's series at Spiegeltent.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way. Special thanks go to everyone who has graced our stage - we wouldn't be anywhere without you!

XO,
Carolyn and Nichelle

Vagina Etiquette

Check out Molly Reisner's brilliant tips for Britney and the rest of the "Oops! I Did It Again" crew:

Two Chicks And Two Birds

Chicks and Giggles producers Carolyn and Nichelle celebrated their birthday last week in grand fashion at the Ginger House in Chelsea near where all the improv theatres are clustered. Comedians, friends and family came out to party with us. See the full picture set here.

Mainstream Comedy: Here's How You *Summit* Up:

A friend (yes, a boy) sent me this brilliant link to Summit Comedy. Here are some actual screen shots from their site:

It's almost too good to be true, but it is. I only wish they'd broken down each category further:

• Bi-sexual, Newly Thin Asians: Margaret Cho.
• Black Girls with Good Hair: Aisha Tyler.
• Women with Suspiciously Fake Sounding Names: Diane Ford, Hope Flood, Chocolate.

Now, I mean no disrespect to Chocolate or any of the other babes on this roster. I just hope Summit doesn't send a lawyer or a female lawyer after me because I wouldn't want to have to appear in court before a judge or a female judge and end up in jail or women's prison.

I guess this post means I'll never be booked at "Jesters Comedy Stop" at Bullfrogs Live in Topeka or the Holiday Inn in Bluefield, West Virginia, but I'm sure they can get Tim Allen to do his one man show, "The Santa Clause 4: Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

Our Reel!

More Halloween...

Click to see full size.

I Don't Mean to BUST Your Bubble...

But we're in a magazine!

Click to view full size.

C&G fan Kristen Elde wrote this great piece about us in the January issue of BUST. And if you need another reason to pick up a copy, show alum Michelle Collins has the cover story on Parker Posey! Don't be a boob - buy it!

Killer Halloween Show

10/31/06

Stacy Mayer, Mindy Raf, Desiree Burch, Carolyn Castiglia, Jenny Rubin and Becky Yamamoto, Brian Van (photographer), Shawn Hollenbach (friend and fan).

More pictures to come!

Howl at the Moon

The Humor Issue

Or, "Why are we making humor an issue?"

In case you're unaware, our show was mentioned during the roundtable discussion in Time Out's Humor Issue.

The point of contention is whether or not our show is "marginalizing."

My question is: marginalizing to whom? The 80+ comics who do our show on a regular basis? Many of whom have huge credits and all of whom are wonderfully talented? Or the men who come to our show every week (and perform occasionally when we have special events) and have a truly great time? I'm not sure.

Nichelle and I both know our show is "controversial." Some people don't like the name. I can understand that. Some people love it. I understand that, too. What I don't understand is a leading question about a show that aims to do no more than create a community in which good times are the rule.

That sounds pretty awesome to me.

Yes, our show exhibits female comedians. No, we're not a "troupe." Chicks and Giggles is a weekly showcase of some of the best up-and-coming and professional comedians in New York. That's what it is. There's nothing that binds the women who perform on the show comedically - they come from all backgrounds (stand-up, music, improv, sketch) and they all have different styles: some dry, some intellectual, some wild, some absurd. Much like the women you might find studying at a women's college, the women who do this show are not running from men or trying to find a "safe space" to perform. They are celebrating who they are in a joyous way collectively. In today's climate, that seems pretty dangerous to me.

I can only speak for myself in saying that as much as I love my show, I love ALL the shows I perform on in New York because I love comedy and the people who create it. Especially the ones with balls.

In closing, come to our show. Have a few cheap beers and a lot of laughs. We love you.

Curly Comedy: Carla Rhodes

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Originally uploaded by brianvan.

Carla Rhodes

Chicks and Giggles Presents: Corkscrew Comedy

curlygurls
Originally uploaded by Undiscovered Superstar.

We had a show where all the female performers had curly hair.  It was a niche within a niche.
Brandy Barber
Michelle Buteau
Molly Reisner
Carla Rhodes
Erin and Her Cello
Adira Amram

Hosted Carolyn Castiglia

Funny Female Facts

I was walking by the Laugh Factory yesterday and I saw that the poster in their window featured pictures of 36 big name comics that had performed at the club. The first thing I noticed was a shirtless-Dane-Cook-with-guitar dead center, and the second thing I noticed was that out of 36 comics, only two were women. Two. That's 5%. And they were Roseanne Barr and Wanda Sykes, probably two of the top three or four most recognizable female comedians working now including Ellen DeGeneres and Joan Rivers (the old dame still does it every week here in NYC!).

Which led me to remember a conversation I'd had with someone not that long ago about how many truly big name female stand-up comedians there are. I'm talking household names. I'm talking names my mother would recognize. Let's see:

Two of them are on the same talk show right now: Joy Behar (still does stand-up, but achieved notoriety through The View) and Rosie O'Donnell (hasn't done stand-up in forever but obviously she counts). Then rounding-out the old school list is Paula Poundstone (just put out a book and does a lot of radio work) and Brett Butler (she's back with the Southern Belles of Comedy). Then there's Kathy Griffin, Margaret Cho and Sarah Silverman - and Sarah might even be a stretch (despite her popularity) in the household name division. (Obviously that depends on the household.) You could say the same for gals like Judy Gold and Rita Rudner.

Sure there are lots of other women who have had big success in the business (especially if you include sketch performers and comedic actresses) and even plenty of ladies we know that make a psuedo-living performing and doing various film/TV/writing projects, but I think that's really it as far as top bill stand-ups go. Anybody have any names to add? Besides, of course, Mo'Nique...

This is obviously not to say that these are the only women deserving of household status - that's of course my point. Amy Poehler (as our girls at Hello, Hilarious also pointed out) has a great interview in BUST this issue about women in comedy. Here's my favorite exchange:

Amy Poehler: I was watching the MTV Movie Awards, and when they announced the nominees for Best Comedic Performance, I don't think there was one chick in there.

Jill Soloway: Right. It was probably Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Jack Black-

AP: Right. And they are deserving of their success, but it felt a little thin, if you will. It felt a little-

JS: Like a tiny pubic mustache?

AP: [laughs] Right! I want female comedies to be like full, giant '70s bushes right now, not tiny little pubic mustaches.

Check. So I say, bush it up, Laugh Factory! Bush it up!

Underground But Not Underdogs

Tomorrow, Tuesday September 12, Chicks and Giggles will be performing a kick ass show for the New York Underground Comedy Festival.

Two Words To Describe Each Performer

Um, can you say packed? I can't, cuz there's not enough room in here for me to say it that's how packed the show was tonight. Here are two words to describe each fabulous performer:

Becky Yamamoto - Historical Fantasy.

Catie Lazarus - Father Fucker.

Lianne Stokes - "I Did."

Jacqueline Novak - Register First.

Anne Altman - Fun Variety.

If you weren't there you can't appreciate the genius of these women and their two word tags, so next time, grow up and show up before I throw up, okay?!*

*That article of immaturity brought to you by our Sept. 5th back-to-school show, "Class Clowns and Teacher's Pets."

Men Won't Watch This

'Men Won't Watch This'...the trailer!

Check out this hilarious video starring Michelle Buteau, Ann Carr, Becky Donohue, Kimmy Gatewood, and other Chicks and Giggles alums.

Chicks And Giggles on ABC

"Chicks Love Rejection" was a smashing success, and was to our great fortune featured on the ABC Nightly News with Charles Gibson! Take a look:



Many thanks to Jon Friedman for his stellar-ness.

Spiegeltent Recap

Despite a noisy AC, the show at the Spiegeltent was a great success. The venue is so beautiful, the technicians very talented and the beer readily available. You should definitely try to check out another show before the circus leaves town in September...

Adira Amram

Free to be Friends

Mindy Raf as Leibya Rogers

The show also featured fantastic stand-up from Michelle Buteau, Rachel Feinstein and Jess Wood. Once again, I enjoyed the shit out of rapping up the show freestyle with Miss Adira droppin' the beats. Thank you to everyone who showed Spiegelove!

Chock Full O' Nuts

We had two fantastic shows this week, the first on Tuesday with these lovely ladies:

Plus Michelle Collins, who we were unable to photograph as a result of her recent enrollment in the witness protection program due to a scuffle with some neighborhood kids who were dissing Celine Dion. You dis Celine, you get a beating like you've never seen!

COMICS DOING COVERS on Wednesday was hilarious - and though we don't have photos, we did shoot the show with two - count 'em - two cameras! Hopefully we can post a clip on You Tube or something soon.

Thanks to Ann Carr, Katina Corrao, Jessica Delfino, Lang Fisher, Josh Grosvent, Shawn Hollenbach, Matt McCarthy, Sara Schaefer, Baron Vaughn and Becky Yamamoto for gracing the stage!

Bust Magazine Recommends Chicks And Giggles' Spiegeltent Show

BUST Magazine just recommended our show at Spiegeltent in their most recent issue of The BustLine!

MONDAY, AUGUST 14 @ 10 PM ~ SOUTH STREET SEAPORT ~ $15

Chicks and Giggles: Riffs and Gigs

And speakin' of Poppi...

She's no longer at max capacity, because she just finished her role as the rep from NJ on this season of NBC's THE BIGGEST LOSER. Check out the premiere on SEPTEMBER 20 at 9pm.

Poppi, you're the coolest loser we know!

Come see how great she looks and give her a slap on her newly thin ass on August 15th @ 8 pm ~ Mo Pitkin's ~ 34 Ave. A.

SAVE THE DATE!

No, we're not getting married. We want you to come see this!

PERFORMANCE SPACE 122

SUMMER AT SPIEGELTENT

PRESENTS Chicks & Giggles

Sizzling comedy by the choicest female stand-ups in the city.

Coming off of the fabulous success of their 2005-2006 season Performance Space 122 continues their thought-provoking and adventurous programming with a Summer Season at Spiegeltent featuring the comedy collective Chicks and Giggles on Monday, August 14th at 10PM . Produced by Nichelle Stephens and Carolyn Castiglia, Chicks and Giggles is downtown’s edgiest and most off-the-wall all-girl comedy variety show. August 14th line-up features Michelle Buteau, Rachel Feinstein & Jess Wood with music from Adira Amram, Mindy Raf & Free to be Friends. Hosted by Carolyn Castiglia.

Chicks & Giggles performs Monday, August 14th @ 10pm at Spiegeltent (Fulton Fish Market, Pier 17, South Street Seaport). Tickets are $15 or $10 for P.S. 122 members and may be purchased by calling Spiegeltent at 212-279-4200 (open 12-8 Daily) or online at http://www.spiegelworld.com/.

Max Capacity

Our good friend Poppi Kramer has taught us a lot about what it means to be at max capacity, which is good, because now I know that little Sadie's Lounge has reached it! Our audience is so full week after week that we are gonna have to start turning people away at the door. (Or charging... *a-hem*.)

Another fantastic show from Robin Cloud, Michele Colyn, Katina Corrao, Joselyn Hughes, Maggie Lauren, Giulia Rozzi and Jacquetta Szathmari. Thanks to everyone who came out! You guys were such an amazing crowd. See you next Tuesday!

Heather Fink @ Last Week's Chicks and Giggles Show

Heather Fink, gay p@rn publicist and comedian, did Chicks last Tuesday. She also hosts Hoboken Comedy Night at The Goldhawk (10th and Park Ave in Hoboken, New Jersey).

Video: Sara Schaefer and Lang Fisher

To get in the mood of our upcoming show, Comics Doing Covers, here's a clip of Sara Schaefer and Lang Fisher. These funny ladies have both performed on our show in the past and they are hilarious!

What you missed...

Or didn't, since as usual the room was packed! Here's the photo recap:

Me and my volunteers reinacting a conversation I had at Starbucks with a perky young Southern tourist and a Hipster-ish dude about the location of the nearest Hooters.

Mandy "Yeah right he's just not that into me" Stadtmiller

Becky "He's just not that into you if he moves to LA and says *Don't Call*" Ciletti

Heather "No longer phased by her boss' penis" Fink

Val "The Venison Lover" Kappa

Jess "Flipper Flicker" Wood

Kristin "I'm a real musician" Plater

Buy her CD! She's amazing.

A big shout to the 14-year-old who was in the front row, and our resident pedophile, Matt, who was (and still is) just a few seats away...

See you next week, y'all!

Anything But Stand-up Show

From *Anything But Stand-Up*

People ask us all the time how we put on such an amazing show. It's simple. There are two rules that must be followed each and every Tuesday.

Get kick-ass performers:

Put the party people in the house:

That's it, suckas!

July 11: Cupcakes and Comedy

Chicks and Giggles will be back after the holiday week with sweetness as we will have cupcakes at this Tuesday's show. There will be yummy mini-cupcakes for the audience while supplies last.

Plus there will be fantastic comedy on our special show, "Anything But Stand-Up."

CHICKS AND GIGGLES PRESENTS
"ANYTHING BUT STAND-UP"
JULY 11, 2006 @ 8 PM
MO PITKIN'S
34 AVE. A (2ND/3RD)
FREE!

Hosted by Carolyn Castiglia (She's A White Hot Rapper)

Brandy Barber (The Kissing Booth)

Julie Klausner and Sue Galloway (Free to be Friends)

Carla Rhodes (Master of the Ventriloquilistic Arts)

Goddess Perlman (Goddess, duh.)

Mindy Raf (Leibya Rogers)

Robin Gelfenbien (Funny, funny songstress)

Thanks to Max Delivery and Sugar Sweet Sunshine for the cupcakes!

Cover Up

Get ready!

June 27th Chicks and Giggles Show

Was awesome as always! I didn't get a shot of our good friend Rachael Parenta who opened the show, but I did get a shot of Claire Wyckoff's tummy/penis greeting. Talk about caring enough to send the very best...

Click to enlarge. (That's what Claire said! HEY-OH!)

A major shout Top Left to our super-cute, mad cool hipster fans! Love you guys for always coming out. Center you see the brilliant Kimmy Gatewood, Top Right we have the hilarious "monologuist" Sara Schaefer, Center Left the always on point Lisa Harmon... penistomach... Center Right the hysterical Margaret Dodge.

Be there July 11th so you can be in our next picture square!

NO SHOW JULY 4TH, Y'ALL. As Rachael Parenta says, "If it wasn't for the French helping us win the Revolutionary War, we'd all be speaking English right now."

She's not your mother's mother.

She's yo mama! Come see Pat Candaras' HILARIOUS solo show before it hits the Edinburgh Fringe this August!

College Collage

Here's a melee of audience shots from our gig at Roanoke:

Did I mention it was on St. Patrick's Day?

It's so gratifying to look at these pictures because as you can see, our show resonates with many different types of people and unites them through laughter. That's just the best feeling in the world. It's cheesy to be sentimental, I know, but I love it!

Once again, thanks to Brendan Bush and Picasa for making the collage happen!

R-R-R-Recap

It's been a while since we've posted, mostly because things have been going so well and we've been so busy! But let me try to give you a little recap of the past few weeks:

RAP ATTACK was amazing. The crowd was great and the performances were stellar. Big ups to The Lesbian Overtones, The Pearl Brunswick, Adira Amram, Badlands Booker and Negin Farsad, who filmed the show for her documentary, "Nerdcore Rising." You can view the trailer here.

DADDY'S GIRL was a fantastic affair filled with ladies who love their fathers. Our reading nights are always a smash, so we'll be sure to hold another one soon!

Last Tuesday's show was HUGE - Sadie's Lounge was so packed that it smelled like a 16 year old boy's bedroom by the end of the night. Major laughs were given and received. Kudos to Adira Amram, Abbi Crutchfield, Becky Donohue, Jen Dziura, Molly Reisner and Brooke Van Poppelen.

Lastly, I finally uploaded the pictures from our trip to Roanoke College. The full set is here, but these are some of my favorites:

Carolyn Castiglia, Hostess Cupcake.

Katina Corrao

Jenny Rubin

Lianne Stokes

Michelle Buteau

Special thanks to Stephanie Garst for having us and Brendan Bush for the awesome photos!

See you next Tuesday, y'all...

Kid in the Hall

Our good buddy and Riffs and Gigs star Erin Hall (aka Erin and her Cello) has a lovely feature in this week's issue of BACKSTAGE. Check it out here, and go see her show Friday, June 16 at 8 p.m. at Ars Nova!

BADLANDS!

Chicks dig Badlands! Eric "Badlands" Booker will be our special guest at this Wednesday's Riffs and Gigs: RAP ATTACK. He and I will close the show with a heavy battle of words and wit. Thank God it's not a battle of wings and blue cheese, because no matter how much I love my upstate grub, at 420 pounds, I think that's one battle EBB would win!

Nichelle featured in Dutch newspaper!

Chicks co-producer Nichelle Stephens is featured along with everyone who performed at the recent WYSIWYG Talent Show, "Prom Trauma," on the NRC Handelsblad website. Here's the entire review of the show, in Dutch.