NYC Comedy Picks for Week of July 4, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 7/4/11

Most of the usual suspects are closed tonight, but here are a couple of 4th of July comedy shows to consider post-fireworks:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

[FREE] 9:30 pm: NYC stand-ups Kyle Bostic, Justy Dodge, Scott Schelsinger, Mike Cannon, Siobhan Beasley, Ray Field, Charles Hawkins, Rick James, and James Search performing at Pat O'Shea's and Troy Bynum's free weekly Brooklyn showcase at Freddy's Backroom (627 5th Avenue): Ed Sullivan on Acid

Look for the usual cornucopia of show choices when comics return to NYC stages on Tuesday. Meanwhile, hope you enjoy BBQ, and/or HBO's John Adams marathon (running 8:00 am - 5:00 pm).

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 7/5/11

Comedic chameleon Livia Scott debuts her new show Raging Triumph...

...Ted Alexandro, John Mulaney, and Todd Barry perform at the Carolines Comedy Club...

...and musical duo Reformed Whores show a video and talk about it at Anecdotal Evidence

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm: "What if the two worst actors on the planet taught a workshop? And what if they were totally fucking crazy? Join Livia Scott as Collette Priester, 'The Empress Of Dinner Theater,' and Sean Crespo as Rodney DeGiles, 'A younger, sexier Gary Oldman with more range,' as they take you through a free audit of The Gold Star Acting Workshop. Prepare to be traumatized and like it." Plus for tonight only, Murderfist: Raging Triumph

7:00 pm ($5): Two tough guys from the 1930s will explain the ins and outs of Hollywood at sketch show Listen Kid! ; and duo improv by Dustin Drury and Andrew Yurman-Glaser in Upstate New York

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek hosted by Robert Dean: The Dean's List

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($6 & 2-drink min.) Some of the very finest stand-ups in the world—who tonight include Ted Alexandro, Todd Barry, and John Mulaney (in alphabetical order because they're all insanely great...)—performing for this wonderful showcase hosted by Joe Mande at the Carolines Comedy Club: Alexandro, Barry, and Mulaney

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Comic book creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage for a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT's downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC's My Name is Earl, Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s The Awkward Comedy Show; films Pluto Nash, End of Days, A Guy Thing), Rob Paravonian (Comedy Central, VH1; to see his hit video Pachelbel Rant, which has been viewed by over 9 million people on YouTube, please click here), Amanda Melson (Comedy Central), Ritch Duncan, and Joelle Boucai performing at the Lolita Bar for Liam McEneaney's Tell Your Friends

[FREE] 8:00 pm: At this unique show, stand-ups play videos they've made about themselves and then perform sets, with tonight's guests RG Daniels, Andy Haynes, Tom Sibley, and The Reformed Whores: Anecdotal Evidence

8:00 pm to Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Dance Break, Airwolf, Standard Oil, Grandma's Ashes, and Very Good Kiss, and at 11:00 pm advanced UCBT students making up theatrical plays on the spot—all at Harold Night

8:30 pm ($5): In this double-bill, each of two of The Magnet's singing improv troupes will make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: Tambourine & BEEES!

9:30 pm ($5): "Have you ever wondered what would happen in a porno movie if there was no sex? Would the repairman fix the washing machine and be on his way? Would the teacher help Johnny raise his SAT scores? Would the delivery boy tell the nice, scantily clad lady she can pay him later? This show is the best parts of adult films: the character work, the blocking and the acting---oh, the acting! Improv troupe Borealis screens the opening scenes of random porn movies and then makes up what happens next" in Who Ordered Pepperoni?: Porn-Inspired Improv

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up, sketch, videos, and more at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre with Jeffrey Joseph and hosts Ron Krasnow & Joel Walkowski: The Short Bus

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free show, audience members can join in with veteran musical improv talents to make up stories in song on the spot: Musical Magnet Mixer

[FREE] 11:00 pm: A breathtaking 40 comics are given 2 minutes each in this rapid-fire open mic stand-up show hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 7/6/11

Sara Schaefer & Nikki Glaser celebrate their 25th stellar comedy podcast at You Had to Be There;
SNL's Christine Nangle performs in a Brooklyn bowling alley at Get Loose...

...and a whole bunch of wonderful comedy talent performs at Sacapuntas!

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT's Super Free Wednesday

7:00 pm, 8:30 pm, and 10:00 pm ($5): Magnet house troupes performing improv, followed by a free show at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Top comics Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX's Louie, HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead) and Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner) are interviewed live on stage for the 25th edition of a superb podcast by wonderful stand-ups Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever) and Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, La\st Comic Standing): You Had to Be There

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door, $6.84 online with discount code Supermango): Michael Showalter (MTV's The State, comedy troupe Stella, writer/star of feature films The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer and Comedy Central's Michael & MIchael Have Issues; author of bestselling new book Mr. Funny Pants), Harvard Sailing Team (one of the finest sketch troupes in the world), Mike Recine (sharp stand-up), and Dan Kennedy (McSweeney's, The Moth) performing at the Bowery Poetry Club with host Dan Allen: Sacapuntas!

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): Kurt Braunohler (Comedy Central; creator & host of IFC game show Pointless; co-creator & co-star of UK TV series Penelope: Princess of Pets; co-host of Hot Tub Variety; triple 2011 ECNY Award winner), James Adomian (Last Comic Standing), Keith Robinson (Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn), and Sheng Wang (Comedy Central) performing at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Nick Turner: Monsters

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Christine Nangle (staff writer for Saturday Night LIve), Rob Lathan (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central), Emily Fleming, and The Reformed Whores performing in a Brooklyn bowling alley (no, seriously) called The Gutter (200 North 14th Street) hosted by Aaron Glaser & Lee Rubenstein: Get Loose

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Mindy Raf (brilliant comedic singer/songwriter; VH1), Katina Corrao (Comedy Central, HBO), Pat O'Shea (host of Ed Sullivan on Acid), Rob Gorden (sharp storyteller; Onion News Network), Sue Funke, Michael Fisher, Pandamonium, and Steve Steinberg from the People for The Ethical Treatment of Stuffed Animals (PETSA) performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

9:30 pm ($5): A new UCBT sketch show by Ryan Karels, and another by Leah Gotcsik & Marty Johnson, in the double-bill Radio Rogue and Somebody's in the Doghouse

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Host Justin Purnell (The Colbert Report) providing as many as a dozen guests packed into 75 minutes performing stand-up, improv, sketch, and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly, but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun; and this is often one of the most amazing comedy shows in town. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a show makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up running until 1:00 am, with time divided evenly between performers (up to five minutes), at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with host Rob Stern: Bucket 'O Buckets

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 7/7/11

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Two of the finest comedic actors in NYC, Amy Heidt and Jeff Hiller, debut a one-act comedy about love and murder that you don't want to miss (and schedule permitting, I'll be there too): The Last Resort ...

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics drawing names from a bucket, with each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City: Corby Haas

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($15): A delightful comedic singing duo (according to Molly, "really smart, funny, talented, awesome people with great bods; Molly is bitter, heavily medicated and she reads poetry") performing at 92Y Tribeca an intimate hour of music and more: Mel & El: Our Time of the Month

7:00 pm ($5): Lizzie Redner performs several odd characters in this one-woman show: Room Full of Bulldogs

...and the second half of this double-bill features one of the very best shows at UCBT. Andrea Rosen is already famed as a comic—in fact, she won the prestigious 2011 ECNY Award for Best Stand-Up—but what's not as well-known is that Andrea's among the finest comedic storytellers in the country. This one-woman show should fix that. It offers smart, fearless, hilarious material ranging from fast food you should avoid to the medicinal power of a boyfriend's penis. It also provides one of the sharpest comedic performances that will grace NYC this year (for which kudos are also deserved by the show's superb director, John Flynn). Plus if you sit in the first few rows, expect free home-baked cookies. Don't miss Andrea's unique blend of dark comedy and silliness: Ding Dong Meow

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Wonderful comic Kurt Braunohler "relates how he destroyed a 13-year relationship in the dumbest, most complicated way possible, with bar fights, naked men, walruses, and an audition for Sasha Baron Cohen" in the one-man show The Amish Guide to Fucking

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Jane Borden (treasured Comedy Editor of Time Out New York, author of I Totally Meant to Do That), Eric Ledgin (Jimmy Fallon), and Adam Jacobson (Chester) performing at The PIT's basement lounge on the topic Independence with young hosts Michelle Markowitz & Bryan Rucker who say they're Failing Our Twenties

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Some of the Magnet Theatre's finest improvisors make up theatrical plays on the spot: Playhouse

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A mix of three booked stand-ups and six open mic stand-ups (the latter drawing their names from a bucket) at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by comedy duo Team Submarine: A Time to Kill

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Typically terrific NYC stand-ups performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Wyatt Cenac (star correspondent of The Daily Show), Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O'Brien, HBO's Funny or Die, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever), and Livia Scott (stellar comedic chameleon; Law & Order, Snatched, sketch troupe Meat) joining delightful hosts Shonali Bhowmik and Andrea Rosen for Variety SHAC

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not yet announced) make up one-act plays on the spot in The Scene

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Sharp improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and more try their hand at stand-up at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City: Improvisers Standing Up

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Doppleganger has a history of toppling champions. It did so again last week by stopping Boy Butter's winning streak in its tracks, racking up 81 votes to BB's 46. Tonight the gal trio will go up against Dance Break—which ironically includes Ellena Chmielewski, who's also a member of Boy Butter, giving this brilliant improvisor another chance at victory—as the two groups compete for audience laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT for this comedy club-style (i.e., long set) weekly show hosted by Harrison Greenbaum: The Big One

11:00 pm ($5): Magnet improv troupes Listen, Kid! and Trike compete for audience laughs and votes—yes, like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component—at Inspirado

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 7/8/11

Sketch comedy genius Kate McKinnon will make you laugh till it hurts in Kate McKinnon on Ice;
and then Mike Still make just go directly for the "hurting you" part in Dictator for Life ...

....and the wonderful Jeff Garlin graces NYC tonight and Saturday headliing at Carolines

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups start at 5:30 pm) at The Creek in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox

7:00 pm ($8): Award-winning improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan make stuff up with "a celebrity guest improvisor' at Swords, while all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

7:00 pm ($7): "Strange, mysterious, beautiful, and disgusting, this show will dazzle you with sketch comedy... and magic!" from The Weird Sisters

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.): A comedy superstar from Curb Your Enthusiasm headlining tonight and Saturday at Carolines: Jeff Garlin

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy genius Kate McKinnon performing her latest one-woman show, which features "Singing! Dancing! Ice Skating! Hoarders! Conjoined Twins! Temple Grandin!" This inventive, dynamic production is among the very best to grace the UCBT stage this year. Kate is the most precious of diamonds in our NYC comedy community; come see why in Kate McKinnon on Ice...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, Mike Still (Death by Roo Roo, Diamond Lion) performs a one-man show that—like Kate's show—was directed by fellow Roo Roo star Neil Casey: Dictator For Life

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($20 online using discount code BBOX1): One of the very best shows at FringeNYC 2010 was an award-winning comedy from NYC's own Faye Lane, a luminous storyteller and singer who will charm your socks off—and possibly give you a moon pie to boot—at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. This marvelous event recently received a 2011 Bistro Award for Musical Comedy and 2011 MAC Award for Special Production. Please read my review by clicking here, watch Faye make a pecan pie by clicking here, and then take advantage of this revival running Friday nights to experience the hilarious and unforgettable Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories

[FREE] 8:00 pm: James Adomian (superb impressionist with killer bit on Lewis Black as 14-year-old girl; finalist in last summer's Last Comic Standing), Adam Newman, Nore Davis, Damien Lemon, and Andy Sandford performing stand-up at O'Hanlon's (14th Street off 1st Avenue) hosted by Mark Normand: Hot Soup

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Sara Benincasa, Mike Lawrence, Andy Haynes, and more performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City to raise money for Resolve Network, an international nonprofit that helps women reclaim their lives and rebuild their communities: Comedy for the Congo

8:00 pm ($10): An improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

8:00 pm ($7): Comics Jon Bander and Dave Thunder vow to lose weight (in real life) while performing sketch scenes in this show over the next few weeks: M4: Comedy's Biggest Losers

[FREE—plus FREE WINGS!] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Sharon Spell, Tim Warner, Paul Hooper, Wilson McDermet, and more performing at Brooklyn's The Royal Oak (594 Union Avenue) with hosts Calvin S. Cato, Justin Murray, and Chad Plaines: The Pregame Comedy Show

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open mic show that's first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who was a finalist on last summer's Last Comic Standing, and has also performed on David Letterman, HBO, and Comedy Central headlining tonight and Saturday—with terrific openers Ophira Eisenberg and Rich Francese—at the Gotham Comedy Club: Roy Wood Jr.

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Dan St. Germain, Jared Logan, Kenny Zimlinghaus, Jeff Wesselschmidt, and more performing at Brooklyn's Red Star Bar (37 Greenpoint Avenue) for hosts Nick Turner's & Jason Saenz's Too Cool for School

9:00 pm ($7): "In March of 2009 a gaggle of performers were born. Some died, some wandered off into the woods, others went to work in the private sector. Those that remained grew strong by feeding on the nectar of specific choices and the gruel of strong character work. The 2-year-old terror that exists today is akin to watching a Tsunami of hair and teeth attack a baby Blue Whale and destroy it with the will of a thousand hungry Burnese Mountain Dogs. What does it all mean? We don't know." In other words, improv from Chet Watkins

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($15): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about how boys will be girls, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches: The Harvard Sailing Team

10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors who use an interview with a n audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Comedy genius Thomas Middleditch (when he's not in LA), Nate Lang, Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Fran Gillespie Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

11:00 pm ($5): "Boneless comedy" from all-gal sketch troupe Goldie & the Hawns

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before the show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

Midnight ($5): Your opportunity to perform on the UCBT stage with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT house troupe Airwolf: Jammin' with Ralph

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 7/9/11

The irresistible Sara Schaefer tapes a 30-minute stand-up set at Queens' LIC The Creek;
award-winning dark comedy troupe Murderfist kicks off a new monthly show at The PIT

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Anthony King, Joe Bill, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, Kay Cannon, Christina Gausas, and other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions—all joyously declaring Let's Have a Ball

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.): A comedy superstar from Curb Your Enthusiasm headlining tonight and Saturday at Carolines: Jeff Garlin

7:30 pm ($5): Improv that claims to be Louder, Faster, Better

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There) and Scott Moran (Rubber Bullets) each performing a 30-minute stand-up set to be taped for posterity & industry at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Sara & Scott Need a Tape

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: James Adomian (superb impressionist with killer bit on Lewis Black as 14-year-old girl; finalist in last summer's Last Comic Standing), Joe Mande (Comedy Central, VH1; host of Joe Mande Presents at Carolines, co-host of Totally J/K; author of book Look at This F*cking Hipster), John Flynn (stellar storyteller; The Nights of Our LIves), Hari Kondabolu (Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Kimmel), Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), DC Benny (Comedy Central Presents), JC Coccoli (MTV, VH1), and Tom Dunlap performing at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with hosts Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who was a finalist on last summer's Last Comic Standing, and has also performed on David Letterman, HBO, and Comedy Central headlining tonight and Sunday—with terrific openers Ophira Eisenberg and Rich Francese—at the Gotham Comedy Club: Roy Wood Jr.

[FREE—plus FREE BEER!] 8:00 pm: A variety show of stand-up, storytelling, and sketch that's not only free, but promises to give each of the first 25 audience members who arrive a free beer! Unfortunately, the lineup hasn't been announced; but if you'd care to take a chance, join hosts Ray Combs Jr., Evan Jacobs, and Aalap Patel as they provide you a drink On the House

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Chelsea White, Arthur Carlson, Danny Leary, Evan Morgenstern, Jessie Geller, George Gordon, and Ash Louis performing at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City to raise money for Resolve Network, an international nonprofit that helps women reclaim their lives and rebuild their communities: Hot Blooded

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

9:00 pm ($7): Organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track!

9:30 pm ($10): "A cabaret of darkly funny songs and topical sketch comedy about culture and politics," following sold out shows at Joe's Pub: Political Subversities

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($15): Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, fast-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience interaction and audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing anything but stand-up—e.g., sketch, improv, storytelling, singing, puppetry—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Kelly Fastuca, Reid Faylor, and Andrew Short : Underbelly

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King interviews an audience member about where he or she grew up and then creates an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($8): NYC's heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy—and won last year's ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group—debuts a monthly show at The PIT's downstairs lounge: Murderfist

10:30 pm ($7): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): "Thin Skin Jonny. They had it all. They were icons, legends, anti-folk superstars. However, tragedy struck and they broke up, citing an alleged statutory charge, gay porn addiction, and Four Loko abuse. Now, two months later, they're back to do one last show—a benefit! Can they find a way to get along long enough to raise the money needed to re-animate the corpse of Bea Arthur? Maybe, with your help!" Performers include Ari Scott, with direction from Pam Murphy: Thin Skin Jonny: Farewell Reunion Tour

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups in a late-night talk show format at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Michael Che: Michael Che's Community Service

[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form "rare and wonderful one-night-only teams," with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 7/10/11

Jesse Popp co-hosts one last time before moving to LA to write for Conan O'Brien: Beauty Bar Comedy

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight

(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[FREE] 2:00 pm: Leighann Lord (HBO, Showtime, ABC's The View, Comedy Central), Jim Mendrinos (HBO, Comedy Central; author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing), and more performing for a free outdoor show at Mineral Springs in Central Park: Laughter in the Park

6:30 pm ($5): Duo Andy Emeritz & George Lakis performing "a musical comedy about America's once greatest boy band. In the 80's, Five Alive was on top of the world...until they were fleeced by their manager. Years later, their now-deceased manager's fortune is up for grabs to the first of his washed-up bands to score a number one single. With their chart-topping "Kiss You With Tongue" a distant memory, Five Alive reunites as a duo of desperate has-beens, exploring a montage of hilarious original songs and classic 80's tunes for a final shot at fame and redemption:" Five Alive! The Musical

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): A one-man show about—wait for it—condiments. "Mitch 'Packets' Franco has demonstrated condiments at groceries, farmers' markets, superstores, and gas stations in all 50 states; over the course of 25 minutes, he'll give you the inside squeeze on how all your favorite condiments are marketed, shipped, distributed, and sold; how to seduce a checkout girl; how to tell a supermarket by its odor; and other lessons learned during his wild life in America's grocery aisles:" Confessions of a Condiment Hustler

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBT's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Eric Andre (hilarious wild man; HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, TBS' Lopez Report, Comedy Central), Jessimae Peluso (Tyra Banks Show), John F. O'Donnell, Sammy Obeid, and more performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups East Village lounge: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[$] 8:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A stand-up who was a finalist on last summer's Last Comic Standing, and has also performed on David Letterman, HBO, and Comedy Central headlining tonight and Saturday—with terrific openers Ophira Eisenberg and Rich Francese—at the Gotham Comedy Club: Roy Wood Jr.

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced this week) performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan) typically hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress: Comedy Night

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Jesse Popp, this show's co-host for over seven years, is moving to LA to write for Conan O'Brien. Tonight will be his last appearance for a long while. Expect stand-up mayhem at the East Village's Beauty Bar for Vince Averill's & Jesse Popp's free weekly show Beauty Bar Comedy

9:30 pm ($5): "Ever watch an improv set and think, Geeze, I want to know everything about how that show came together: What were the performers thinking about? How did they approach each scene? What notes will their coach give them? Yep, us too. Presenting a post-show panel discussion, Q&A session, and debriefing that dissects, explores, and explains some of the ins and outs of improv:" The Operation Theater

9:30 pm ($5): Andrew Fafoutakis performs an autobiographical one-man show that's "part comedy, part rock concert"—which frankly sounds like a formula for disaster, but ya never know: Prince and a Pauper

[$] 10:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) A provocative comedy star who's written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle's Show and David Letterman, headlining through Sunday at Carolines: Paul Mooney

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Jessimae Peluso (Tyra Banks Show), Chris Doucette (Logo's Hot Gay Comics), and Naomi Ekperigin (Logo’s Gayest Week Ever) performing at a free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 4 minutes per comic, at The PIT's downstairs lounge hosted by Rob Stern: Vicious Cycle

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