Please note that these listings are updated frequently. The best way to be instantly notified about new show postings is to subscribe to my BestNewYorkComedy.com blog and allow for email notifications, and/or to follow me on Twitter (@hybender) or Instagram (@hybenderny).
In addition, you can use the links below to explore the schedules of all the major comedy venues in NYC; and you can find excellent live comedy recommendations weekly via The New York Times.
That said, my top NYC comedy recommendations for December 2017 include:
In this unique spin on musical improv, comedy duo Maggie Lalley & Jillian Vitko (a.k.a. Beautiful Dreamers) ask the audience to suggest a location, a victim, and a crime, and then make up a musical that tells the story of that felony: True Crime: The Musical (Friday 12/1, 7:00 pm; $7, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) Theatre at 123 East 24th Street)
Please note: This show has been CANCELED The lovely Natalie Wall (above) hosts the best sexy storytelling show in NYC, which tonight features Shalewa Sharpe, Jes Tom, and Patrick J. Reilly telling tales of erotic encounters gone awry: Awkward Sex...and the City (Friday 12/1,8:00 pm, $20—which includes free beer and wine, The Pleasure Chest at 1150 Second Avenue between 60th & 61st Streets)
Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; @midnight, Inside Amy Schumer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, This American Life; host for HBO and Cinemax; host of WFMU's The Goddamn Dave Hill Show; books Tasteful Nudes and Dave Hill Doesn't Live Here Anymore; comedy album Let Me Turn You On) and Phil Costello (Dave's bandmate in groups Valley Lodge and—with Moby—Diamondsnake) perform Dave's epic email exchange with a Norwegian black metal record label while pretending to be "Lance, a teenager living with his parents in Gary, Indiana who also just so happens to be the lead singer and sole member of the most extreme, brutal, and Satanic black metal band of all-time, WitchTaint, and hopes to get signed on the strength of one excruciatingly bad song called Necrodreamraper.” To get a feel, visit Dave's website devoted to these emails, The Black Metal Dialogues, and then come enjoy the stage version: Witch Taint Live (Friday 12/1, 9:30 pm; $10, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) Theatre at 123 East 24th Street)
Brilliant improvisor & character comic Connor Ratliff (The Stepfathers) transforms into "filmmaker George Lucas (Radioland Murders) as he embarks upon an exciting new career as a comedian and talk show host! He'll be joined by his hilarious talk show sidekick"—equally brilliant comic Griffin Newman (Arthur on Amazon's The Tick, HBO, MTV)—"as they revolutionize the talk show format the same way Lucas once revolutionized cinema," with fab guests Dana Ashbrook (Bobby Briggs on Twin Peaks), Lane Moore (HBO's Girls; host of Tinder Live; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeney's), and Daniel Kibblesmith (writer for Stephen Colbert; author of Santa's Husband): The George Lucas Talk Show (Friday 12/1, Midnight, $9, UCB East at 153 East 3rd Street)
TV Alert: Michelle Wolf is a rapidly rising star stand-up who's also a star correspondent—and very best feature of—Comedy Central's The Daily Show, and was previously a staff writer & performer for Seth Meyers. Tonight Michelle will hopefully skyrocket her career with this hour-long TV stand-up special that debuts Saturday 12/2 at 9:00 pm on HBO: Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady
Two comedy giants, Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle's Show, comedy album Women and Black Dudes) and Michelle Wolf (star stand-up who's also a star writer/correspondent for The Daily Show; previously staff writer & performer for Seth Meyers; stellar HBO hour-long special Nice Lady, which Neal directed) perform stand-up joined by Drew Michael (writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Half Hour; NBC's The Carmichael Show), Iris Bahr (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, NBC, ABC, CBS; award-winning solo show DAI (Enough)), and more for host Seth Herzog (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1): Sweet (Tuesday 12/5, 10:00 pm, $10, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)
This wildly popular monthly pun competition (to watch last month's show on YouTube, please click here) is hosted by father-daughter duo Fred Firestone and Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, co-host of Monday stand-up show Butterboy; co-author with Fred of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers). Enjoy the spectacle as 18 audience members—maybe including you—compete in Punderdome 3000 (Tuesday 12/5, 8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Matt Bellassai (longtime Buzzfeed writer, webseries Whine About It and To Be Honest) celebrates the release of his bestselling book Everything Is Awful And Other Observations in this solo stand-up show that's part of a national tour: Everything is Awful Tour with Matt Bellassai (Wednesday 12/6, 8:00 pm; $40—which includes a signed copy of Matt's $22 hardcover book; Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
A hour of sketches from 3-guy group Matt Barats (The Onion), Carmen Christopher (MTV), and Anthony Oberbeck (IFC), plus superb guest comic Liza Treyger (fresh, fierce, fearless stand-up; Seth Meyers, Comedy Central Half Hour, Horace and Pete, Chelsea Lately): Postmen + Liza Treyger (Wednesday 12/6, 8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
A spectacular collection of hilarious holiday-themed film & TV clips and guest pop culture experts—including Wendy Mays (host of Pet Cinematary podcast), Bill Scurry (host of I Don't Get It podcast), Paul Murphy (co-host of Screen Psychics podcast), Chico Leo (co-host of Scream Squad podcast), Ryan Arey (creator of Rick Pulsar podcast), and Kristen Sollee (author of new book Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive)—hosted by super-fan Kevin Maher (for a video teaser, please click here): Kevin Geeks Out Saves Christmas (Thursday 12/7, 7:00 pm; $15 [buying in advance is highly recommended, as this show crammed with rich imagery and fascinating ideas typically sells out; Brooklyn's Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at 445 Albee Square West—take the 2/3 subway to Hoyt Street)
Comics each perform an argument for why he or she should receive a Pulitzer Prize—with tonight's candidates Ashley Nicole Black (writer & correspondent for Full Frontal With Samantha Bee), Tony Zaret (writer/producer for USA), and Lucy Cottrel (CBS' Unforgettable)—plus actual Pulitzer winner Du Yun (2017 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her opera Angel's Bone, pictured above)—hosted by Caroline Schaper (writer for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, former writer for David Letterman) & Eliza Cossio (Senior Latina Correspondent for The Daily Show): Pulitzer Surprises (Friday 12/8, 10:0 0 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Two of America's very finest comics, Aparna Nancherla (co-star of HBO's Crashing and Netflix's Master of None) and Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon), host this weekly Brooklyn stand-up show with Irish comic Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo's Star Talk). Tonight's guests include Julio Torres (marvelously nuanced, outside-the-box stand-up; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Billy on the Street, HBO's High Maintenance, Louis C.K.’s Horace and Pete), Brooke Van Poppelen (co-host of TruTV's Hack My Life; The View, @midnight, HBO, CBS, VH1), Nore Davis (HBO's Last Week Tonight, Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer and Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus, Showtime's Boardwalk Empire, MTV), Katina Corrao (HBO, Comedy Central's Broad City, VH1, co-host of Lasers in the Jungle), Mary Mack (Last Comic Standing), and Guy Montgomery: Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (Monday 12/11, 8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Wednesday 12/13: Alyssa Mastromonaco (former Deputy Chief of Staff of President Barack Obama and author of Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?) is the honored guest of this podcast taping hosted by Rachel Wenitsky (Associate Editor/writer for Reductress) & Nicole Silverberg (Editor-at-Large for Reductress): Mouth Time (8:00 pm, $15, Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Wednesday 12/13: Brilliant improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock; voice of robot Baymax in Disney's Big Hero 6; co-writer/director/producer & cast member of Adult Swim's awesome & Emmy-winning Moral Orel) & Becky Drysdale (Orange is the New Black, Key & Peele, Baskets, Baby Wants Candy) form a super-smart and hilarious duo crafting in the moment a show that will probably be amazing: Adsit & Drysdale (8:00 pm, $9, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Wednesday 12/13: Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds and very finest stand-ups in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly; Netflix stand-up special America is the Greatest Country in the United States; bestselling cartoon book If the Raindrops United) answers your questions for about an hour as he works on new material—and presumably celebrates last night's win for decency in Alabama: Judah Friedlander (7:00 pm, $15 plus 2-item food/drink min., The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge at 130 West 3rd Street)
Thursday 12/14: Enjoy a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) shared by their original authors before total strangers at this popular monthly show: Mortified (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 12/15: Bobby Tisdale (former staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; voice of Zeke on Bob's Burgers; numerous other TV credits, and NYC downtown comedy pioneer) hosts this out-of-the-box holiday comedy show featuring John Roberts (Linda Belcher in FOX's Bob's Burgers; NBC's Jimmy Fallon and 30 Rock, Comedy Central's Broad City, Netflix's The Characters and Wet Hot American Summer), Brett Davis (HBO's Animals; TruTv's Jon Glaser Loves Gear; creator/host of weekly Manhattan cable TV show The Special Without Brett Davis; co-host of The Macaulay Culkin Show; winner of the 2015 Andy Kaufman Award), Ana Fabrega (Portlandia, The Jim Gaffigan Show, The Chris Gethard Show, host of Sundays with Ana), Doug Smith (Conan O'Brien, co-host of See You In Hell), and Chris Maxwell: The Wards of Merkin (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Friday 12/15: This charming show puts comics who are duos behind the scenes on stage for an evening to adorably perform together. Tonight's twosomes are Aaron Jackson & Josh Sharp (above; pals, pro comedy duo for their show Fucking Identical Twins, and performers on Comedy Central's The Opposition), Michelle Buteau & Jordan Carlos (pals, co-hosts of Adulting podcast), Ian Fidance & Chloé Hilliard (pals), and more hosted by lovers Naomi Ekperigin (dynamite rising star stand-up; Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Comedy Central's Broad City and Hulu's Difficult People; MTV, VH1, FX) & Andy Beckerman (The Pete Holmes Show, Beginnings Podcast): Couples Therapy (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 12/16: A show celebrating the app that redefined online dating, with the lovely and quick-witted Lane Moore (above right; HBO's Girls; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeney's) going on a live Tinder safari for guys while a packed audience watches her every choice with fascination. Offering comments and suggestions during the adventure are tonight's guests Michelle Buteau (above left; VH1's Morning Buzz and Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Key & Peele, FOX's Enlisted, Craig Ferguson, Last Comic Standing, @midnight, comedy album Shut Up), Abbi Crutchfield (above middle; host of TruTV's You Can Do Better; Comedy Central's Broad City, MTV, VH1), and Jordan Carlos (HBO's Girls, Comedy Central's Broad City and The Nightly Show, Showtime, MTV's Guy Code, Guy Court, VH1, Adult Swim). This show usually sells out, so I recommend nabbing tickets ASAP for Tinder Live (8:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Saturday 12/16: World-class singing improvisors Evan Kaufman & Rebecca Vigil interview an audience couple about their love life and then turn it into a musical—with breathtaking skill (see my review of their award-winning FringeNYC 2015 shows here). I highly recommend the phenomenal Your Love, Our Musical (7:00 pm; $15, which is a good deal—this show has regularly sold out at $18 at other venues; LES' Caveat at 21-A Clinton Street; take F/J/M/Z subway to Delancey Street/Essex Street)
Saturday 12/16: Jamie Aderski performs exceptionally honest and funny tales of what it was like for her to become a mom (for a trailer, please click here) in this popular one-woman show that's been extended to run every Saturday night in December: Cry Baby: My (Reluctant) Journey Into Motherhood (7:00 pm; $12, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Sunday 12/17: There's nothing more unpredictable on a stage than an animal. In this endearing monthly show, improvisors perform along with their real-life pet dogs—today including Sarah Taylor and her "very special Yorkie named Sir Lancelot who's got the zoomies real bad in anticipation, you don't want to let him down!"—plus other improvisors TBA, and wonderfully humane host Adrian Sexton (superb Unauthorized: The Musical series, co-host of Tamara's & Adrian's Tarot Variety Show, improv groups The Community Players, Ouiser & Clairee, George/Martha, and The Darklings), all making up scenes for Pet Prov (6:00 pm, $7, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Sunday 12/17: In this unique show, animators spontaneously bring the jokes of guest stand-ups to visual life with lightning speed & wit. Part of the fun is that the comics don’t know what the animators will draw and the animators don’t know how the comics will react. Tonight's stand-up lineup consists of Chris Redd (cast member of Saturday Night Live), Doug Smith (Conan O'Brien, co-host of See You In Hell), Rosebud Baker, MIke Albanese, Greta TItleman, and Kevin O'Brien, produced by Sam Varela & Brandie Posey and hosted by Ian Fidance: Picture This! (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Monday 12/18: Stellar talents of Comedy Central's The President Show, including star Anthony Atamanuik, co-star Peter Grosz, head writer Emmy Blotnick, executive producer (and former head writer) Christine Nangle, and writer/actor John Reynolds get together to perform an improv show live on stage: The President Show Live (9:30 pm, $9, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Monday 12/18: Naomi Ekperigin (above left; dynamite rising star stand-up; Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Comedy Central's Broad City and Hulu's Difficult People; MTV, VH1, FX), Ashley Brooke Roberts (above right; energetic, enormously likeable stand-up; stellar co-host of Fresh Out and Camp; former writer for Nat Geo Explorer and MTV's Guy Code; UCB Maude sketch groups The Prom and Absolutely), Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV), Joel Kim Booster (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special, Billy on the Street; for Joel's Conan set, please click here), Nicole Boyce, and Tim Harmston perform for this weekly Brooklyn show hosted by Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (co-star of HBO's Crashing and Netflix's Master of None), and Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo's Star Talk): Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Monday 12/18: Jessica Kirson (The Tonight Show, The View, Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Apprentice, HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie's Gone), Matt Ruby (MTV; sharp co-host of Hot Soup and We're All Friends Here, award-winning blog Sandpaper Suit, comedy album Hot Flashes), and more perform stand-up hosted by the exceptionally kind and charming John Morrison: Morrison Motel (8:30 pm; $20 at the door—which includes one drink—if you mention code HyReviews.com or BestNewYorkComedy.com [otherwise $25]; you can make a reservation by calling 212.989.9319, or otherwise simply show up; West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe at 29 Cornelia Street)
Tuesday 12/19: The Christmas edition of Seth Herzog's seminal weekly comedy show features Alex Brightman (Tony nominee; Broadway's School of Rock, upcoming Broadway musical Beetlejuice, Showtime's SMILF), Michelle Wolf (star stand-up who's also a star writer/correspondent for The Daily Show; previously staff writer & performer for Seth Meyers; stellar HBO hour-long special Nice Lady), Sal Vulcano (co-star of TruTV's Impractical Jokers), Sean Conroy (writer/performer for Adult Swim's Mr. PIckles and Seeso's Gentlemen Lobsters; former writer for Key and Peele; podcast The Long Shot, legendary improv group The Swarm), Ben Kronberg (Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, ABC), Julian Velard (acclaimed singer/songwriter/pianist; NPR's Ask Me Another), and much more: Sweet Christmas (9:00 pm, $10, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)
Tuesday 12/19: Ashley Brooke Roberts (energetic and enormously likeable stand-up, sketch comic, and actress; stellar co-host of Fresh Out and Camp; former writer for Nat Geo Explorer and MTV's Guy Code; UCB Maude sketch groups The Prom and Absolutely), Matt Koff (staff writer for The Daily Show),The Reformed Whores (raunchy comedic singing duo Marie Cecile Anderson & Katy Frame; CBS, IFC; have opened for Weird Al Yankovic, Alice Cooper, and Lynyrd Skynyrd; albums Ladies Don't Spit and Don't Beat Around the Bush), Natasha Vaynblat (Funny or Die, McSweeney's, Reductress;, improv group What I Did For Love, sketch group Absolutely, one-woman show United F ederation of Teachers), and host Julia Johns (MTV's Girl Code, someecards; webseries Girls are Roommates) perform for this holiday show that features an audience sing-along: Nog! Nog! Who's There? (8:00 pm, $5, Brooklyn's Halyards Bar at 406 Third Avenue)
Wednesday 12/20: Jean Grae & John Hodgman have written topics on a carnival wheel. In this show they spin the wheel and then chat about whatever subject they land on, along with a surprise guest. What else do you need to know?: Jean and John (8:00 pm, $15, The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Thursday 12/21: Comedy titans Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of HBO's Crashing and Netflix's Master of None; former writer for Seth Meyers; Conan O'Brien, @Midnight, Comedy Central Half Hour, comedy album Just Putting It Out There) and Jo Firestone (one of the most relentlessly inventive comics in the biz; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; star of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special; radio host of WFMU's Dr. Gameshow, live-on-stage host of The Unexpectashow and The Incredible Game Show Showcase, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), plus Will Butler (indie rock band Arcade Fire), Mamarazzi, and more perform for this fundraiser (for three groups sharing the proceeds equally) aiming to help Democrats win back Congress and New York State seats: Ring in the Resistance (8:00 pm, $50+, The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)
Friday 12/22 & Saturday 12/23: A one-of-a-kind treasure of a comedy star, whose scores of credits include numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Seth Meyers, @midnight, and Comedy Central Roasts—and who's acted in the Robert DeNiro film The Comedian, such animated features as Aladdin and Lego Batman 3, Showtime's Episodes, Comedy Central's The Jim Gaffigan Show, classic documentary The Aristocrats, and new documentary Gilbert—headlines at Carolines: Gilbert Gottfried (7:30 pm, $38.25 plus 2-drink min., Carolines Comedy Club at 1626 Broadway)
Friday 12/22: Mime group BXBX performs its best wordless sketches & stories, plus some new ones, set to a dynamic soundtrack for one night only at The PIT: BXBX: Quiet Riot (8:00 pm; $15, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Friday 12/22 & Saturday 12/23: Meg Gillan & Lauren Sagnella have written & perform a play about "two girls in their mid-20s: Gwen, a realist bed hopper, and Elle, a love-lost dreamer. As they get ready for a wedding. they share stories of fuckboys, lovers, and boyfriends past...with each tale leading up to a realization of why that the person isn't right for her:" Not for You (7:00 pm, $7, The PIT Loft at 154 West 29th Street)
Saturday 12/23: Jamie Aderski performs exceptionally honest and funny tales of what it was like for her to become a mom (for a trailer, please click here) in this popular one-woman show that's been extended to run every Saturday night in December: Cry Baby: My (Reluctant) Journey Into Motherhood (Saturday 12/2, 7:00 pm; $12, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Sunday 12/24: Most comedy venues are closed on Christmas Eve, but there are lots of laughs to be found at two of NYC's finest stand-up clubs, Comedy Cellar and The Stand.
Comedy Cellar features such greats as Joe Machi, Josh Gondelman, Jeff Ross, Todd Barry, Carmen Lynch, Jessica Kirson, Liza Treyger, Greer Barnes, Nick Griffin, Seaton Smith, Gregg Rogell, and more spread among four shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Christmas Eve (1:30 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:00 pm, and 11:30 pm; $24 plus two-item food/drink min.)
In addition, Comedy Cellar's Fat Black Pussycat Lounge features Ari Shaffir (Conan O'Brien, host of Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, HBO's Down and Dirty, National Lampoon, Comedy Central special Passive Aggressive, Netflix specials Double Negative) trying out new material for his next special: Ari Shaffir: His New Hour in Progress (8:30 pm, $8 plus 2-item food/drink min., The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge at 130 West 3rd Street)
And The Stand is offering an extra special deal: just $8.03 per ticket (using code XMAS) and no minimum. Its 7:00 pm & 9:00 pm shows include such greats as Dan St. Germain and Ari Shaffir: The Stand Christmas Eve ($8.03 cover and no min. using code XMAS online for 7: 00 pm or 9:00 pm; The Stand at 239 Third Avenue)
Merry Christmas Eve!
Monday 12/25: Most comedy venues are closed on Christmas, but there are still laughs to be found at two of NYC's finest stand-up clubs, Comedy Cellar and The Stand.
Comedy Cellar features such superb comics as Todd Barry, Liza Treyger, Nick Griffin, Rich Vos, Adrienne Iapalucci, and more spread among three shows: Comedy Cellar Christmas (7:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm; $24 plus two-item food/drink min.; Comedy Cellar at 117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane)
And The Stand is offering a special deal: just $8.03 per ticket (using code XMAS) and no minimum for an 8:00 pm show featuring Christian Finnegan, Justin SIlver, Petey DeAbreu, Dante Nero, and more: The Stand Christmas (8:00 pm; $8.03 cover and no min. using code XMAS online; The Stand at 239 Third Avenue, between 19th & 20th Streets)
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday 12/26: Seth Herzog (above left; long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1) celebrates the holidays with TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV), Kate Willett (Comedy Central's This Is Not Happening, VICE's Flophouse, comedy album Glass Gutter), Greg Barris (MTV's All That Rocks, host of Heart of Darkness), and more, all performing for Seth's seminal weekly comedy show Sweet (9:00 pm, $10, The Slipper Room at 167 Orchard Street)
Wednesday 12/27: Brothers Hari Kondabolu (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents; fascinating TruTV documentary The Problem with Apu) and Ashok Kondabolu (Dap in Das Racist) spontaneously interact with each other, sharing family stories, discussing current events, and more: The Untitled Kondabolu Brothers Project (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn's Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)
Wednesday 12/27-Saturday 12/30: Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of series Insomniac and Comedy Underground on Comedy Central and Dave's Old Porn on Showtime; two Comedy Central specials, and Netflix special Road Work; former writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show) headlines for four nights at Carolines: Dave Attell (7:30 pm Wedneday & Thursday, 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm Friday & Saturday, $35-$38.25 plus 2-drink min., Carolines Comedy Club at 1626 Broadway)
Wednesday 12/27: Seaton Smith (above; rising star stand-up; HBO's Girls, FOX's Mulaney, Seth Meyers, Inside Amy Schumer, The Nightly Show), Chris Distefano (David Letterman, Comedy Central, MTV2's Guy Code), Shalewa Sharpe (Keith and the Girl; comedy album Stay Eating Cookies), Erica Spera (host of 20 Minutes of Fire podcast), Andy Haynes, and Grant Gordon perform stand-up for this new free weekly LES show produced by Luisa Díez, and hosted by Samantha Ruddy, Luke Touma, JP McDade, Jordan Temple, and/or Dina Hashem: Too Many Cooks (9:00 pm, Free!, Lucky Jack's Pub at 129 Orchard Street between Rivington & Delancey Streets)
Thursday 12/28: Oddball tales from Jamie Brickhouse (above left; author of Dangerous When Wet), Thomas Pryor (author of I Hate the Dallas Cowboys; The New York Times), Tracy Rowland (Emmy-award winning writer & TV producer; Cartoon Network, Rhino Records), and Calvin Cato (Oxygen's My Crazy Love, host of Ed Sullivan on Acid) at this free monthly storytelling show in the East Village featuring such treats as a trivia contest with alcoholic prizes, hosted by the wonderful Leslie Goshko (above right; delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic/pianist; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, Internet Action Force, star of The Real Housewives of Columbo): Sideshow Goshko (7:00 pm, Free!, KGB Bar at 85 East 4th Street off Second Avenue)
Thursday 12/28: In celebration of the holidays, improvised Jews battle improvised Christians for supremacy—via audience laughs and votes. Overall, history favors the Christians. But this is New York, where Jewish comics may well have the edge. There's no telling what will happen...which is one of the great pleasures of the extravaganza that from the dawn of time has been called Cage Match: Jews Vs. Christians (11:00 pm, $7, UCB Hell's Kitchen at 555 West 42nd Street)
Friday 12/29: A spectacular PIT double-bill from shape-shifting performers Kyle Schaefer & Nick Abeel, music & sound wizard Kelsey Didion, and stellar director Kristin McCarthy Parker. First puppetry is used to recreate classic kids' movie Home Alone (aided by performers Natalie Rich & Sonia Mena, and 4-person choir Sarah Godwin, Evan Maltby, Richard Sears, and Michelle Vo): Kevin!!!!!; and then the same core team conjures a breathtaking live shot for shot stage version of Jurassic Park: Hold On To Your Butts (8:00 pm & 9:15 pm; $20 per show—or see both shows for just $30 total by clicking here; The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Friday 12/29: Delightful stellar improvisors Dana Shulman & Adrian Sexton play Clairee Belcher & Ouiser Boudreaux, the sassy supporting characters from 1989 film Steel Magnolias about charming but tough Southern women. In this show, they're "fresh graduates from the improv workshop at The Chinquapin Parish Senior Center and are ready to show you everything they've learned. You'll be enchanted by their improvisation skills, their witty banter, and their ability to make grown men cry. Why would you be anywhere else when you could come and sit by Ouiser and Clairee?" Why, indeed: Come and Sit By Me with Ouiser and Clairee (9:00 pm, $7, The PIT Underground at 123 East 24th Street)
Friday 12/29: In the wise words of media critic Cyndi Freeman: "The Star Wars Holiday Special was broadcast in its entirety only once, in the United States and Canada, on November 17, 1978, preempting Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk. It has never been rebroadcast or officially released on home video. David Hofstede called it 'the worst two hours of television ever.' George Lucas has reportedly said 'If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it.'" See it screened, dissected, and mercilessly savaged tonight by Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic), Brian McGuinness (Inside Amy Schumer), Wendi Sterling (Glamourpuss), and Freddy G (NPR) hosted by Chris Gersbeck (co-host of Everythign Is Dumbn, and Bunk Bed and Murray Povich open mics): Movies R Dumb: The Star Wars Holiday Special (11:00 pm, $10, Astoria Queens' QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)
Saturday 12/30: In one of the finest solo shows ever created about motherhood—and one of the best comedy shows in NYC—rising star Jamie Aderski shares extraordinarily honest and hair-curling tales of what it was like for her to go through pregnancy and the early months of raising her baby (for a trailer, please click here). Whether this is a cautionary tale to would-be moms or an ode to the power of love is up to you to decide. Either way, you should not miss the unforgettable Cry Baby: My (Reluctant) Journey Into Motherhood (7:00 pm; $12, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Saturday 12/30: After you thoroughly enjoy Jamie Aderski's show (see directly above), stick around for a puppet version of Home Alone delivered by stellar director Kristin McCarthy Parker, music & sound wizard Kelsey Didion, performers Kyle Schaefer, Nick Abeel, Natalie Rich, and Sonia Mena, and 4-person choir Sarah Godwin, Evan Maltby, Richard Sears, and Michelle Vo: Kevin!!!!! (8:00 pm, $20, The PIT Mainstage (Striker) at 123 East 24th Street)
Happy New Year's Eve!
Sunday 12/31: Four funny people tell amazing stories. Three of the tales are absolutely true...but one of them is a pack of lies. The audience then asks questions to try and identify the fibber—and everyone who chooses correctly gets a free t-shirt! This evening's yarn-spinners are Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic/pianist; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, Internet Action Force, star of Sideshow Goshko and The Real Housewives of Columbo), Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 20-time StorySlam Champion; album "The Human Comedy;" for a sampling of Adam's award-winning tales, please click here), Ed Gavagan (TED Talks, Moth Grandslam champion, WNYC's Moth Radio Hour), and Martin Dockery (touring playwright/actor who's performed eight solo shows and five two-person shows across the US and Canada; five-time Moth Storyslam winner). Come let these storytellers and host Andy Christie (The New York Times, NPR, Moth GrandSlam champion, exceptionally nice guy) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show (6:00 pm; $25, which includes a glass of champagne; reservations highly recommended by calling 212.989.9319; West Village's Cornelia Street Cafe at 29 Cornelia Street)
Copyright © 2017 Hy Bender
Email: hy@hyreviews.com
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