NYC Comedy Picks for Week of December 12, 2011

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 12/12/11

The finest sketches from UCBT scripted comedy troupes Arbuckle, Stone Cold Fox...

...Neighbor Boy, and Fambly for December's end-of-year Best of Maude Night

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 stand-up show running about 90 minutes at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Chris Gaynor: Open Mic Mondays

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): A monthly storytelling show from the wonderful Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 15-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of Real Tales of College; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), along with guest storyteller Peter Aguero (Conan O'Brien, Moth GrandSlam Champion, The BTK Band) and improv illustrator Sharon Spell drawing scenes as they're described, all at Under St. Marks (94 St. Marks Place, off First Avenue): The Adam Wade from New Hampshire Show: Tales of Life, Love, and Little League

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): At this The Magnet double-bill, first Bridey Elliott performs a one-woman show that provides "a winding, dark, creepy look into totally fun psychosis" at A Piece of Ham; and then Jason Blanche performs a one-man show "using stand-up, sketch, and rap to discuss Christmas, drug addiction, Broadway, and Jason's beautiful hair" at Jason Blanche's Hair-Flip Version 2.0

7:00 pm ($5): Improvisors make up three terrifying tales based on audience suggestions at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Horror

[FREE] 7:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not yet announced) performing at a free weekly show in the Manchester Pub hosted by Phoebe Robinson: Case of the Mondays Comedy

7:00 pm & 9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): The perfect show for short attention spans—open mic stand-up with 4 minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2 hours—with an early show hosted by Sean Donnelly & Blaine Perry at 7:00 pm, and an entirely different group of stand-ups hosted by Dan Cartwright & Dave Greek at 9:00 pm—at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for John Morrison's Motel Luca

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Four improvisers form teams with comics they've never performed with before at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Kaleidoscope

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): In one of my favorite semi-annual events, tonight UCB Chelsea hosts its house sketch troupes presenting their very best work to date for both your pleasure and posterity (each show will be videotaped). Performing for the 8:00 pm double-bill are Arbuckle (which includes the lovely and hilarious Violet Krumbein [who'll soon be appearing on 30 Rock] and Sasheer Zamata [razor-sharp member of improv troupe Doppelganger]), and Stone Cold Fox (the very best of UCBT's sketch troupes, and one of the finest comedy groups in the country; check out its weekly Friday show This Is Not Art—or if you already have, see it again with a friend you want to impress with your taste in comedy): The Best of Maude Night: Arbuckle & Stone Cold Fox

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($9.47 online or $8 at the door): 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 book Mr. Funny Pants), John Gemberling (genius improvisor & comedic character actor; Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Death by Roo Roo, The Tony and Johnny Show), Annie Lederman (Comedy Central), and Greg Walloch performing at Brooklyn's Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) with sketches and more from a duo who between them won four 2011 ECNY Awards—including Best Variety Show and Best Hosts—Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler: Hot Tub Variety with Kurt & Kristen

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Six stories about the science of this month's topic—Reproduction—at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Erin Barker & Ben Lillie: The Story Collider

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Mike Lawrence (shrewdly funny curmudgeon; Comedy Central), Kurt Metzger (Comedy Central's Ugly Americans), Greg Stone (Opie & Anthony), Damien Lemon (Comedy Central), and Jessica Watkins performing at the One and One Bar (1st Street & First Avenue) for this weekly stand-up show hosted by Louis Katz, Tim Dimond, and J. F. Harris: Raw Guts

8:00 pm ($5): Greg Barris (host Heart of Darkness), Jenny Donoghue, and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Danny Jolles: The Most Fun Show Ever

8:30 pm ($5): Improv at The Magnet revolving around "the anticipation, the fall-out, that fragile moment when love blooms or dies" in Double Date; plus improv troupe Honey

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): A monthly mix of storytelling & music at Under St. Marks from rockin' hosts Peter Aguero & the BTK Band, with tonight's yarn-spinners Brad Lawrence, Andy Ross, Cammi Cimaco, and Ms. Greg Triggs Jeff Scherer, plus GoGo by the BeauTKs, and spontaneous illustrations by in-the-moment artist Sharon Spell: The BTK Band: BTKhristmas

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: PIT owner Ali Farahnakian and razor-sharp PIT instructors perform improv at The PIT downstairs lounge in The Faculty Part 2: Electric Boogaloo; plus improv troupe Technicolor

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): In one of my favorite semi-annual events, tonight UCB Chelsea hosts its house sketch troupes presenting their very best work to date for both your pleasure and posterity (each show will be videotaped). Performing for the 9:30 pm double-bill are Neighbor Boy (which tends to be weak on material, but includes such talents as Kate Hess, Beth Appel, and Tim Dunn), and Fambly (which includes wonderful rising star Mamrie Hart, Dan Chamberlain, Veronica Osorio, and a sharp crew of writers): The Best of Maude Night: Neighbor Boy & Fambly

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:30 pm ($20): Chicago-based TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi are considered to be among the finest long-form improvisors alive. Just by feeling their way through moment by moment, they create one-hour tales that, if all goes well, will thrill you as powerfully as any scripted work. Tonight is the last of their four-evening run at The Barrow Street Theatre: TJ & Dave

9:30 pm ($10): Arab-American sketch comics band together at The PIT upstairs theatre as Sketchy Arabs

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Long-form improv from troupe Casual Sex Offenders at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: CSO Improv Comedy

10:00 pm ($5): NYC comics Megan Gray, Roy Koshy, Jarret Berenstein, Justin Peters, Willy Appelman, Kelly Buttermore, Dave Warth, and Greg Wilker performing characters, sketch scenes, stand-up, and more at The Magnet with host Jon Bander: What's to Get?

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[FREE] 10:30 pm: Improv students are welcomed onto the stage at The PIT downstairs lounge for this weekly open access show hosted by Gary DeNoia & Keith Huang: Base Jam

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who haven't been announced as of this writing, but you can check for an update by clicking here—at UCB Chelsea: Whiplash

[FREE] 11:00 pm: If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night (see listing above). If you're a comic who couldn't get booked on UCBT's all-star show, though, you can opt to instead practice your skills at this stand-up open mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Wolf and the hilarious Erin Lennox (for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here): Fresh

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 12/13/11

Comedy treasures Chris Gethard and Ted Alexandro perform at Union Hall's Cheap Date Comedy Show...

...and Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage celebrate the Fifth Year Anniversary of Comic Book Club

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($18, plus $15 food/drink min.; if you don't drink, either the burger or lasagna is a fine choice): One of the highlights of FringeNYC 2011 was Andrea Alton playing Molly “Equality” Dykeman, a security guard at PS 339 who writes poetry while popping Cheetos and anti-depressants and chasing after every woman she sees. While in lesser hands Molly might be offensive, Alton walks the comedy tightrope Molly requires with skill and grace. Alton's spent years learning her craft as a razor-sharp New York sketch comic and stand-up, and as a superb comedic actress. So if you have an open mind, and love comedy and/or gay parody, you'll probably grow to love her hilariously over-the-top lesbian character. To get a feel for Molly, click here and here; and then go see her live at the Laurie Beechman Theatre (in the West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42 Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues). Helping Molly out tonight will be Shelly Mars (acclaimed performance artist), Colton Ford (Peace Bisquit/Woop Woop singer & actor), Vicky Sin (burlesque star), and The Mollettes (dancers Victoria Smalc & Meliza Fernandez). Just be aware that if you're a woman sitting near the front, you'll probably be propositioned. (Repeatedly...): A Molly Jolly Christmas

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm ($14.45 online using discount code LAUGHTRACK): One of my favorite theatre duos, Rachel Buethe & James Presson, have come out with a new play that updates Hedda Gabler to the world of network TV. It's a fresh, ambitious work that pushes at the borders between art and reality, entertainment and meaning. And while it's not a comedy—in some ways, it's actually an anti-comedy—at its core is a sitcom. For my full review, please click here. If you're open to something different, don't miss the too-brief run (ending December 18th) of this vibrant show at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street, near the Canal Street stops of the A/E/C/N/R/1/2/3/6 subways): Friends Don't Let Friends

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The very special Fifth Year Anniversary edition of comics industry pros joining super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at The PIT downstairs lounge: Comic Book Club: Fifth Year Anniversary Super-Spectacular

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5 at the door, $7.63 in advance online): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Chris Gethard (brilliant improvisor and comedic storyteller; star of Comedy Central sitcom Big Lake and Manhattan Cable Access' The Chris Gethard Show; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, author of books A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York), Jordan Carlos (The Colbert Report, MTV, VH1), Amber Nelson (sketch troupe Thunder Gulch, co-host of Gutbucket), and Joe Pera (very funny deadpan comic; for reasons to hire Joe, please click here) performing for this fun monthly show at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Tyler Fischer & Sharron Paul that promises to be a Cheap Date Comedy Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), Tiny Apartment (Web series by Mike O'Gorman, Jessie Cantrell, and Pat Driscol), Alice Wetterlund (improv troupe Garamond), and Josiah Madigan performing at UCB East for a comedy variety show guest-hosted tonight by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here): Hot Dang

8:00 pm-Midnight ($5): Four full hours of improv at UCB Chelsea for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Still Mike, Deckard, Sandino, Grandma's Ashes, and Very Good Kiss—and at 11:00 pm advanced improv students perform improv scenes that never end, but instead continually flow out of old locations and into new ones—all at Harold Night

[FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly show features "a swarthy selection of fine stand-up comics and mildly entertaining recurring segments" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, hosted by Jim Tews & Brendan Eyre: Chest Hair

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: Mint Condition and BEEES!

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special), James Adomian (hilarious, super-charged character comic/impressionist; finalist on most recent Last Comic Standing; Harold and Kumar 2), Kirk Douglas (guitarist/vocalist for Jimmy Fallon's house band The Roots), and more performing at Ella (9 Avenue A) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon, VH1): Sweet

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing), David Cope (co-host of Hot Soup), and Ashley Brooke Roberts performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Joe DeRosa (HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central Presents) and Jared Logan (hilarious angry rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): Righteous Kill

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-up and sketch at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre, typically hosted by sketch troupes Savage Animal and/or Jerk Practice: Savage Animal

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VHI, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Beowulf Jones (beloved comedy tech guy & star of one-man storytelling show Disconnected), and Alice Wetterlund (improv troupe Garamond), performing at UCB East for a show hosted by two of the most brilliant, fearless, and innovative comics in the biz, John Gemberling (Death by Roo Roo, Adult Swim, Comedy Central) and Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, Huffington Post, The Nights of Our Lives) who are teaming up to create their own special version of a comedy variety show: The Tony and Johnny Show

[FREE] 10:15 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members can join in with musical improv troupe Mint Condition 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 at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted with wit and energy by Jay Welch: Bring It

[FREE] 11:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 12/14/11

Music legends Lou Reed and Suzanne Vega are scheduled to be guests at WFMU's 7 Second Delay;
Joe DeRosa headlines at the Carolines Comedy Club

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] 6:00 pm ($5): If the UCB Chelsea description is accurate, then tonight's lineup is killer: legendary singer/songwriters Lou Reed and Suzanne Vega are among the scheduled guests at Ken Freedman's & Andy Breckman's live-on-stage taping of their radio show WFMU's 7 Second Delay

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up providing four minutes per comic, with "15 people chosen randomly through e-mail, and five walk-ins; and a guaranteed spot to anyone who performs in character as a famous explorer" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: Comedic Exploration Club of Long Island City, West

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Tales of the Cosmos and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing), Rob Stern (co-host of Gutbucket), and Shelley Hamilton performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) with host Selena Coppock: Connotation

7:00 pm-12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Magnet house troupes Grappler, The Surge, Leviathan, Horses, Brick, Featherweight, The Wrath, and Chet Watkins performing improv, followed by a free audience interactive show with Grappler at 11:30 pm: The Magnet's Megawatt

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, genius improvisors Gavin Speiller of Death By Roo Roo, Ben Rodgers of The Curfew, and Jonathan Gabrus of The Law Firm) perform as Outlook of the Poet; and then Nicole Byer, Sasheer Zamata, and Keisha Zollar are the fiercely energetic & entertaining all-gal improv troupe Doppelganger

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp stand-up who's performed on HBO’s Bored to Death and Down and Dirty, as well as FX's Louie and radio show Opie & Anthony, starred in his own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, created the comedy CDs The Depression Auction and Return of the Depression Auction, and co-hosts the weekly NYC stand-up show Righteous Kill headlining at the Carolines Comedy Club: Joe DeRosa

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Catie Lazarus hosts a show at UCB Chelsea about what it's like to have a dreamy job, with tonight's guests The Yes Men (pranksters using comedy for social activism), Eric Jacobson (Sesame Street muppeteer for Miss Piggy, Bert, Fozzie Bear, Grover, Animal, and more), Kerry Butler (Broadway star; Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Xanadu), and musical guest Chris Sullivan (a.k.a., Shockwave; amazing human boombox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown): Employee of the Month

[FREE—plus FREE PIZZA for first 30 people, from Artichoke Pizza!] 8:00 pm: Way fun sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting, Adam Lowitt (The Daily Show), Sue Funke (I Love TV More Than You), Katrin Heir (Comedy Central, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and Emily Heller performing at the East Village's Beauty Bar for Negin Farsad's & Amy Albert's free weekly show Comedy School Dropout

8:00 pm ($5—which includes a free beer!): NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing stand-up at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City for this weekly show hosted by Nick Turner & Jason Sáenz: Too Cool for School

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): For this double-bill at UCB East, Neil Casey & Anthony Atamanuik, both genius members of Death by Roo Roo, perform the jaw-dropping feat of making up an entire feature film as The Two-Man Movie; and then UCBT Harold Night troupes Creature and Sandino make up scenes without relying on the usual long-form "Harold" rules at Cheating on Harold

[FREE] 9:00ish pm: Brent Sullivan (Comedy Central), Troy Bynum (VH1, IFC), Luke Thayer (Tyra Banks; co-host of The Living Room), Carrie Gravenson, and music from Summer & Eve (Joe's Pub, national TV commercials) performing at this free weekly show at the Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) hosted by Sharon Spell: Shrink

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, first up is "a musical spectacular featuring such classic hits as Clever Girl and Their Vision Is Based on Movement—complete with live dinosaurs on stage:" Jurassic Park: The Musical ...

...and in the second half of this double-bill, a meta-comedy in which a real estate agent tries to convince a couple that the actual theatre you're in would be a great home for them. He does this by putting on a series of sketches that are presented as a random sampling of what UCBT has to offer but that, directly or indirectly, promote the stage as a wonderful residence. It's a way fun idea—and frankly, I wish it'd been further developed, so that the internal sketches were used as stepping stones to achieve a larger and genuinely compelling story. Even as is, though, it's great fun at the start, after which you'll enjoy sporadic laughs depending on the quality of individual sketches. The other pleasures of the show are its performers, who include the delightful Brandon Gulya, Brandon Scott Jones, and Tim Dunn: This is Not a Sketch Show—A Sketch Show

[FREE] 10:00 pm: "Want to see your favorite stand-up comics get slapped by Satan himself? He only hosts bringer shows, but join Matt Wayne and Doug Smith as they step into the Big Man's shoes and put NYC's finest through comedy purgatory. Hula-hoops, celebrity impressions, unwanted audience participation, all incorporated into each performance! Will they triumph or will the nether world eat their souls? Come see for yourself in this monthly showcase" at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre: See You in Hell

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: 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. Tonight's scheduled lineup includes Jena Friedman (staff writer for David Letterman), Brandon Gulya (Stone Cold Fox, Sandino, This is Not a Sketch Show), and David Cope (co-host of Hot Soup); for the complete list, please click here. Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises, that this uniquely organic rollercoaster of a weekly show at UCB Chelsea makes possible—and don't forget to toss $1 in the bucket on your way out: School Night

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house troupe Grandma's Ashes: The Improv Jam

[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 downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City with host Rob Stern: Bucket 'O Buckets

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 12/15/11

Genius storyteller Elna Baker is among the stellar guests telling tales about The Holidays at Risk;
and star stand-up Natasha Leggero, who should not be missed, headlines tonight through Sunday 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:

6:00 pm ($5): Three shows about which I know nothing audition for a regular spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea schedule: Kiwi and Jojo Are Unemployed; George Kareman: The Ultimate Jam; and Convicts, Skinheads & Rabbis. These might be great or awful; but at $1.67 per show, you can't go far wrong either way. That's part of the fun of Spank

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) is tonight's guest at this weekly open mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn: Oh, Hey Guys!

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

[FREE] 6:30 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe The Boss to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

7:00 pm ($5): Kelli Porterfield performs a one-woman show about five residents of Joplin, MO at The PIT upstairs theatre: Mirror Mirror On The Wall

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): "If you were alive in the 70's, you may have attended some 'Key Parties' where you were randomly paired with someone to go home with and engage in free spirited coitus. (Today we either stay at home alone or congregate at an improv theater.) Key Party combines the 70's arrangement with modern anxiety, exploring the rich moments leading up to that act of coupling and the fallout that follows" at UCB East with stellar comics Jordan Klepper, Laura Grey (delightful old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm), and guest improvisors: Key Party; plus in the second half of this double-bill, improv based on the iPods, CDs, and mp3 players provided by audience members, executed by superb performers Fran Gillespie, Ryan Karels, Megan Neuringer, Jesse Falcon, Silvija Ozols, Doug Moe, Lou Perez, Sue Galloway, and Emily Axford: Soundtrack USA

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($25): "The stirring musical story of the courageous and honorable Judah Maccabee, relentlessly hunted by the Hellenized high priest Jason. Join us on the barricades of 92YTribeca for Seth Rudetsky as Judah and Matt Leisy as Jason, with Peter J. Cook, Michael Schulman, Billy Zavelson, Jesse Oxfeld, and Rachel Shukert (who also wrote this):" Eight Days More: A Broadway Tribute to Hanukkah

7:30 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet co-owner helming The Armando Diaz Experience, plus house troupes The Boss, Junior Varsity, Hello Laser, and Phooka performing improv, followed by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with former 2011 champions competing at 11:00 pm: The Magnet's Night Out

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the most recent Last Comic Standing; who's performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and is slated to star in a Comedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing not-to-be-missed headlining sets tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15): This acclaimed 10-year-and-counting sketch troupe has "amassed a cultish following and a cast who blindly throw themselves into the most questionable of onstage situations, bless their black little hearts....join them for a hilariously unsettling look at growing older, having children, killing your dreams, and settling." For examples of the troupe's work, please click here and here, and then come to The PIT upstairs theatre to see Spurn

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Comedy duo Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney perform new sketches at UCB Chelsea, as well as host stand-up and improv guests: BriTANicK: The Monthly Mankerthon

8:00 pm ($5): Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing), Alice Wetterlund (improv troupe Garamond), and Harry Terjanian (Sirius XM Radio) performing stand-up at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by comedic rapper Andrew Singer and the delightful Abbi Crutchfield: Positively Awesome

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (for tonight's lineup, please click here) performing at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City accompanied by banjo music from Doug Goldstein and hosted by Andy Kleinman (MTV, Spike TV): Happy Sounds Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Comedy Central's John Oliver's NY Stand-Up), Jason Kanter, and Sagar Bhatt performing at this free monthly show (every third Thursday) at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by Charlie Kasov & Glenn Danzig: Danzig Needs A Hug

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:15 pm: Some of the finest stand-ups in NYC, including Chris Gethard, Marina Franklin, Brooke Van Poppelen, Mark Normand, Matt McCarthy, and Nate Bargatze, each performing 5-7 minutes sets while being filmed for this free show at Brooklyn's Cameo Gallery (93 North 6th Street): Top Stand-Ups "I Need a Tape" Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($20 & 2-drink min.) A comedy icon who's performed on David Letterman over 40 times and The Tonight Show over 10 times, and did the acclaimed HBO comedy special This'll Take About An Hour and Showtime special I Love You, headlining tonight through Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jake Johannsen

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Phoebe Robinson (host of Case of the Mondays Comedy), sketch duo Team Submarine, Jesse Falcon (renowned improvisor, former Contributing Editor to Cracked Magazine), and "a surprise special guest" performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (author of Look At This F*cking Hipster) at Totally J/K

9:00 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Julie Klausner (razor-sharp comic & storyteller, and author of I Don't Care About Your Band), Ron Babcock (HBO, Last Comic Standing), Anton Shuford, Neruda Williams, and more performing at Luca Lounge (222 Avenue B off 14th Street) for a weekly comedy show with hosts Dan Wllber & Sean Crespo and producer Carol Hartsell: Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] [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 ($10): Top comics and comedic storytellers—who tonight are Elna Baker (genius storyteller, and bestselling author of the comedic book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance; writer for Glamour, Elle; NPR's This American Life; co-host of red-hot The Talent Show), Aasif Mandvi (correspondent for The Daily Show), Brad Lawrence (Moth GrandSlam Champion, FringeNYC, co-host of The Standard Issues), and Tracy Rowland (The Moth)—performing at The PIT upstairs theatre to share tales on tonight's theme The Holidays at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!

9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it plus like-minded comics on the UCB Chelsea stage—tonight including Streeter Seidell, Andy Haynes, Dan Gurewitch, Patrick Cassels, Adrienne lapalucci, and Barry Rothbart—at CollegeHumor Live

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman: The Scene

[FREE] 9:30 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): It's a battle of titans as two of the finest improv troupes in the country, Outlook of the Poet and The Stepfathers, compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly open mic stand-up show, with each comic given five minutes, at UCB East hosted by Rob Stern & Amber Nelson: Gutbucket

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 12/16/11

Wonderful stand-ups Jake Johannsen (headlining at Gotham) and Natasha Leggero (headlining at Carolines)...

...and wonderful stand-ups Amy Schumer & Ted Alexandro (headlining at Eastville)

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 upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox

[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 for an intimate hour of music and more: Mel & El: Our Time of the Month

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): "For 25 years, Chicago alderman Ed Tomczak has welcomed constituents to his famous Christmas open house, where carols are sung, favors are dispensed, and bribes are received. Last month, he lost the election; but he's swallowing his anger and throwing the party anyway..." This political satire is written & co-stars Justin Peters, and also includes such wonderful Magnet performers as Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at last year's FringeNYC, improv group Dunk), Matt B. Weir (We're Matt Weir), and Kelly Buttermore: A 54th Ward Christmas

7:00 pm ($5): PIT improviser and instructor Scott Eckert (Big Black Car, The Faculty) debuts a one-man show at The PIT downstairs lounge featuring a mix of storytelling, stand-up, and blaming his spouse if it all goes horribly wrong: Scott Eckert’s Wife is Making Him do a One-Man Show

7:00 pm ($5): Nate Starkey and Chris Grace performing improv at The PIT upstairs theatre as duo Starkey & Grace

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): In one of the finest scripted shows to ever grace UCB Chelsea, troupe Stone Cold Fox performs hilarious parodies of off-off-Broadway theatre, as well as some of the very best sketches it's crafted over the years, in a tight hour-long production directed by comedy genius Neil Casey (who, after also recently directing stellar one-person shows by Kate McKinnon and Mike Still, apparently can do no wrong), featuring delightful performances by Fran Gillespie, Molly Lloyd, D'Arcy Carden (watch for these three gals playing existential Truth or Dare), John Murray, Nate Smith, Brandon Scott Jones, and Jonathan Fernandez, and the writing of Leila Cohan-Miccio, Evan Greenspoon, Brandon Gulya, Matt Hunziker, Owen Parsons, and Michael Trapp. Don't miss one of the sharpest and funniest comedy shows of the year from the first sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCBT weekend schedule: Stone Cold Fox: This Is Not Art

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Gavin McInnes (author of The Death of Cool), ace storyteller Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories), and Bradford Scobie joining star storyteller & host Tom Shillue (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) performing for this monthly show at UCB East: Tom Shillue's FunnyStory.biz

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the most recent Last Comic Standing; who's performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and is slated to star in a Comedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing not-to-be-missed headlining sets tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero

The wonderful Natasha Leggero will heat up NYC in December headlining at Carolines

Natasha on Biology

Natasha on Female Comics

Helping Orphans

On Hip Hop

On American Idol and Death

On Acting Auditions

"It's Just Business"

Natasha's Acting Reel

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): J Hobart and Grace Helbig welcome NYC talents for a pretend TV Christmas special—that is actually happening at The PIT upstairs theatre—with Jason Trachtenburg's acclaimed jazz/pop musical group The Pendulum Swings, Shonali Bhowmik (host of Variety SHAC; leader of musical group Tigers & Monkeys), Carla Rhodes ("rock'n'roll ventriloquist;" for shout-out from David Letterman, please click here; for act with "Keith Richards," please click here), raunchy sketch comedy troupe FUCT, and more: The 38th J Hobart Christmas Spectacular

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: At this unique show, comics play videos they've made about themselves and then perform sets, with tonight's guests Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Dave Waite (Comedy Central), Jamie Lee (Last Comic Standing), Anton Shuford, and Jermaine Fowler performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Charlie Kasov & Gabe Pacheco: Anecdotal Evidence

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Ilana Glazer (Broad City), Hilary Schwartz (Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad), Emily Heller, Bryan Bruner, Troy Bynum, and Josh Gondelman performing at Karma Lounge (51 First Avenue, off 3rd Street) with host Evan Morgenstern: SNC Hot Blooded

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 9:00 pm ($20 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BOOK): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas...who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson's writing isn't consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

[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

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A comedy icon who's performed on David Letterman over 40 times and The Tonight Show over 10 times, and did the acclaimed HBO comedy special This'll Take About An Hour and Showtime special I Love You, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jake Johannsen

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($18): The winning team that created Pope!: An Epic Musical (a big hit at last year's FringeNYC) and The Spidey Project (a media sensation) is now developing a pirate musical at The Magnet about "the dashing young hero Declan as he seeks out the vicious Martin La Foe, the second most famous pirate ever," with book and lyrics by Justin Moran & Jon Roufaeal, and music by Adam & Matt Podd: Nightfall on Mirango Island

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Amy Schumer (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Fallon), Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriac drug user, please click here), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A one-hour monthly show at UCB East featuring "a compilation of my favorite stories and home videos that I've been working on for the past two years" from storytelling giant Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 17-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas Real Tales of College and The Adam Wade show; for Adam's award-winning tale of being an NBC page on Conan O'Brien, please click here): Adam Wade's Big Heart...

...plus in the other half of this double-bill, Ray Munoz tells true stories about growing up in NYC and having a run-in with the law at Off the Cuff

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB Chelsea's all-star members of The Stepfathers

9:30 pm ($5): "Where there is a stage and a piano, she will be there. Where there are strangers with embarrassing stories, she will be there. Where there is a group of people willing to sit and watch someone make up songs, she will be there. A one-woman musical improv journey through the lives of the audience. You tell the story, Rebecca Vigil sings the soundtrack" at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Vigilante

10:00 pm ($7): Singing improvisors at The Magnet using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[FREE] 10:00 pm: A sketch & interview show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Zach Sims: Too Late With Zachary Sims

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Jon Gabrus, Nate Lang, Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Fran Gillespie Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors at UCB Chelsea making up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

11:00 pm ($5): NYC comics (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D'Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

11:00 pm ($5): Six stand-ups you might not have heard of and and three judges who may or may not be well-known in a competition at The PIT—which is a theatre that isn't really associated with stand-up. So this is a show I don't quite understand, but maybe you'll have fun anyway: The PIT Stand-Up Competition

11:30 pm ($10): improvisers Bianca Casusöl as Madam Ant, Nina Klemow as Fanny Price, and Alex Marino as Larry Lazlo use burlesque dancing at The Magnet to tell a story "and titillate the audience with some seductively fun choreographed burlesque numbers:" Whisky Tango Foxtrot: Burlesque Improv Revue

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups do sets "and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life" at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it's an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 12/17/11

Star stand-ups Natasha Leggero (headlining at Carolines) and Amy Schumer (co-headlining at Eastville)...

...Oscar Montoya & Chris Grace present one of the worst films of all time: Midnight Movie at Montoya’s: Super Mario Bros....

...and exceedingly odd holiday comedic wrestling commences at midnight at Hanukkaos

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] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm ($14.45 online using discount code LAUGHTRACK): One of my favorite theatre duos, Rachel Buethe & James Presson, have come out with a new play that updates Hedda Gabler to the world of network TV. It's a fresh, ambitious work that pushes at the borders between art and reality, entertainment and meaning. And while it's not a comedy—in some ways, it's actually an anti-comedy—at its core is a sitcom. For my full review, please click here. If you're open to something different, don't miss the too-brief run (ending tomorrow) of this vibrant show at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street, near the Canal Street stops of the A/E/C/N/R/1/2/3/6 subways): Friends Don't Let Friends

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4

[FREE] 5:30 pm: New improv teams experimenting with new forms at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Andy Rocco and Jon Monje: Anybody Vs. Everybody: An Improv Show for You

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Genetic Freaks, LD50, and Double Date at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening: The Rundown

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8; includes free cookies): Stellar comedic filmmaker Oren Brimer (Front Page Films), rap star Jean Grae, and stand-ups Jackie Monahan, Sean Donnelly, and Annie Lederman telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales about their relatives at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Sara Benincasa (NBC's Today Show, The Joy Behar Show, CNN, MTV, The Sarah Palin Vlogs, Sex and Other Human Activities podcast, upcoming book Agorafabulous): Family Hour

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Todd Bieber hosts this monthly open mic storytelling show at UCB East that at the end selects a favorite from the audience tales to be turned into an animated short film premiering the following month: Animated Stories

7:00 pm ($5): Asian-American improvisors from UCBT, The Magnet, The PIT, and elsewhere all gather for one night to perform at The PIT upstairs theatre—"These guys are taking everything they know about math, dry cleaning, nursing, academically demanding parents, Tony Jaa, online role-playing games, fish, outsourced call centers, Gojira, and cab driving, and tossing it all in the wok for you to eat up with a hot cup of tea:" InvAsian

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

7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft at The Magnet making up a play on the spot: Theory of Everything

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($29 & 2-drink min.) A razor-sharp and irresistible star who was the stand-out judge on the most recent Last Comic Standing; who's performed on Jay Leno, Chelsea Lately, The Sarah Silverman Program, Adult Swim, and FX, and is slated to star in a Comedy Central Presents special; and who loves music, dark comedy, and mercilessly parodying the rich, performing not-to-be-missed headlining sets one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Natasha Leggero

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.) A comedy icon who's performed on David Letterman over 40 times and The Tonight Show over 10 times, and did the acclaimed HBO comedy special This'll Take About An Hour and Showtime special I Love You, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Jake Johannsen

8:00 pm ($10): Two of the most respected PIT improv troupes performing on this weekly double-bill—and occasionally with comedy giants Kristen Schaal and/or Kurt Braunohler participating: Big Black Car and The Baldwins

8:00 pm ($5): A PIT performer about to leave NYC for Austin Texas is given a comedic tribute by his peers at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Ben Masten Farewell Roast

8:30 pm ($10): Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno, IFC), David Angelo (Jimmy Fallon), Kevin Barnett, Anthony Devito, Will Hines, and Luke Cunningham performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It

[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—UCB Chelsea's genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there's still a 2-drink min. per person): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.), Amy Schumer (red-hot rising star; Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing, Jimmy Fallon), Judah Friedlander (30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Nate Bargatze (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriac drug user, please click here), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Veteran improv duo Megan Gray & Louis Kornfeld are joined at The Magnet for one night only by improv star Christina Gausas (Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, Let's Have a Ball): Gausas & MegaLou

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 and now enjoying a long run at The PIT upstairs theatre: Political Subversities

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 both online and at the door using discount code SBWC, otherwise $20): This top musical improv troupe has wowed audiences around the world with its skill at making up an hour-long musical moment by moment. The plot and characters, the musical accompaniment, even the song lyrics and the "choreography" are invented on the spot, with no pre-planned structure. Come to the Soho Playhouse tonight to see why BWC won a FringeNYC Award for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Event: Baby Wants Candy

[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

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Comics performing as characters at The PIT downstairs lounge, with tonight's packed show featuring Nicole Byer (Doppelganger), Greg Barris (Heart of Darkness), Bob Kulhan (Baby Wants Candy), Sarah Nowak (The Baldwins), Alice Wetterlund (College Humor), Jason Saenz (Onasis, Too Cool for School), Joe Schiappa (MTV), Mary Grill (New Exc!tement), Jason Kalter (Rue Brutalia), Alan Starzinski (Sandino), and Jeremy Bent, hosted by Rob Stern: Overload the Machine

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and/or other stellar improvisors at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then create an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

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

10:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let's Go Back to Your Place

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: This free show at The PIT upstairs theatre does a great job of describing itself: "Bad movies. We can’t stop watching them. Is it because the plot is so enjoyably paper-thin? Or maybe the acting is so deliciously cheesy? Whatever the reason may be, Oscar Montoya (Local 154, Aquarius) is inviting you to his house to watch all of his favorite so-bad-they’re-awesome movies." Joining him is Chris Grace (Cold Soda, The Faculty). Tonight's feature is an infamous videogame-based insult to good taste—"Named one of the worst video game movie adaptation of all time, Super Mario Bros. was, hands down, a flop. The crazy parallel dimension depicted in the movie has nothing to do with the video game, and the co-stars weren't even Italian!:" Midnight Movie at Montoya’s Presents: Super Mario Bros.

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): "It's going to be a Festival of Fights as UCBW MegaStars do battle in Eight Crazy Matches at this annual holiday season spectacular!" As crazy as professional wrestling is, this show at UCB Chelsea takes things to a whole other level. For example, one of tonight's scheduled bouts is described as follows: "Holy Ghost's Holiday Rumble: Winner gets fucked by the Holy Ghost and impregnated with the next Messiah!" Physical sketch comedy to the extreme, it's UCBW: Hanukkaos

Midnight ($10): Typically disturbing and semi-obscene sketches at The PIT downstairs lounge from troupe FUCT

[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine at The Magnet, 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 12/18/11

Treasured holiday-themed movie & TV clips starring The Muppets at Brooklyn's The Muppet Vault: Christmas;
the co-creator of BBC's The Office and Extras performing his new touring stand-up show: Stephen Merchant...

...and Erin Lennox & guests Arden Myrin, The Bandana Splits, and more perform at the delightfully quirky I Like You Too Show

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] 2:00 pm ($8): Christmas-themed Muppets clips—including the acclaimed 1987 TV special A Muppet Family Christmas—screened at Brooklyn's Union Hall, plus Muppet-themed drink specials, cool giveaways, sing-along fun, and more:" The Muppet Vault: Christmas

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 2:00 pm ($14.45 online using discount code LAUGHTRACK): One of my favorite theatre duos, Rachel Buethe & James Presson, have come out with a new play that updates Hedda Gabler to the world of network TV. It's a fresh, ambitious work that pushes at the borders between art and reality, entertainment and meaning. And while it's not a comedy—in some ways, it's actually an anti-comedy—at its core is a sitcom. For my full review, please click here. If you're open to something different, don't miss the too-brief run (ending today) of this vibrant show at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street, near the Canal Street stops of the A/E/C/N/R/1/2/3/6 subways): Friends Don't Let Friends

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase

[FREE] 5:00 pm: Sketch troupe StreetPass NYC puts on an audience interactive holiday show at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Secret Santa Holiday Celebration

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Improv duo The Bedtime Brothers begin by making up scenes based on an audience member's horrible dating or break-up experience, and end with scenes springboarding off an audience-supplied movie quote; and in between invited stand-ups and sketch comics perform. It all happens at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Love Sucks! Movies Rock!

[TOP PICK] 6:00 pm ($5): Sean Conroy (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, legendary improv troupe The Swarm), Dan McCoy (writer for The Daily Show), Elliot Kalan (writer for The Daily Show), and Stuart Wellington participate in "a weekly podcast that assembles a new panel of comedians and weird characters to give funny advice, or at the very least relate to the people's problems with their own stories" at UCB East hosted by Andy Rocco: Here to Help

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBwest'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

7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Arden Myrin (Conan O'Brien, Mad TV, Chelsea Lately, host of The Party Machine; for Mad TV samples, please click here and here and here), Dan St. Germain (quick-witted & enormously likeable rising star; Jimmy Fallon, MTV, VH1; for reenactment of Dan's breakup, please click here), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales), Kara Klenk (co-host of If You Build It), Michael Che (host of Michael Che's Community Service), and Drew Toresco performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Belleville (330 5th Street) for this monthly extravaganza hosted by the razor-sharp & delightful Erin Lennox (co-host of Fresh; for a sample of Erin's dynamite Seriously Sports show, please click here), plus sketch from Mike Recine (Comedy Central) and Chris Waite, and customized songs about each performer from adorable gal trio The Bandana Splits: Erin Lennox's I Like You Too Show

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Team Submarine (sketch duo Nate Fernald & Steve O'Brien; SketchFest NYC), Josh Gondelman, and Andy Sandford performing at RG Daniels' free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The PIT downstairs lounge for a free weekly show typically hosted by Chris Grace: Cold Soda Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material: Ripe Sketch Comedy

9:00 pm ($5): Sean Conroy (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, legendary improv troupe The Swarm), Matt McCarthy (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death, host of AMC's Action Pack, Comedy Central, hilarious shorts with Pete Holmes for Front Page Films, national TV ads as Verizon FIOS guy, feature film The Other Guys, host of Marking Out), David Angelo (Jimmy Fallon), Andy Haynes (Jimmy Fallon, Last Comic Standing; last show before moving to LA), and more performing at UCB East hosted by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, and/or David Cope: Hot Soup

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Calise Hawkins (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, writer for Playboy.com), Barry Rothbart (Jay Leno, Comedy Central, IFC), Jermaine Fowler, Sabrina Jalees, and Charlotte Macdonald performing at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Jordan Carlos, Dan Hirshon, Andy Sanford, Gregory Quinn, and Mark Chalifoux performing in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Brad Austin, Nate Fridson, and/or Adam Sokol: Beauty Bar Comedy

9:30 pm ($5): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Allison Castillo (Comedy Central, VH1), Jackie Monahan (Dykes on Mics, Hot Gay Comics, LOL Tour), and Veronica Elisabeth performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy guest-hosted tonight by the show's founder Adam Sank: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): A warm-up show at UCB East for Stephen Merchant—the Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe award-winning co-creator with Ricky Gervais of BBC's The Office and Extras—before he performs his new stand-up show at Town Hall this Tuesday & Wednesday: Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies

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