NYC Comedy Picks for Week of January 13, 2014

NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 1/13/14

Taylor Williamson  Veronica Osorio

Taylor Williamson (almost-winner of America's Got Talent) and many other superb stand-ups at TV Late-Night Auditions;
Veronica Osorio kicks off five hours of great comedy at UCB Chelsea with the debut of her one-woman show Corn Teeth

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 ($5): Veronica Osorio debuts a one-woman show "about coming from a crazy oil country and body cavities" at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Corn Teeth

7:00 pm ($8): Feline-based improv from duo David Frasure & Jenn Welch at The PIT upstairs theatre: CATS! CATS! CATS! CATS! CATS!

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Tami Sagher (former writer for 30 Rock; writer and producer for Mad TV 2001-2006) and Chris Gethard (comedy genius; The Office, Comedy Central, IFC; star of The Chris Gethard Show; author of bestseller A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York) perform duo improv at the UCB Chelsea theatre: Sagher & Gethard

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Auditions for late-night TV appearances, featuring terrific stand-ups Taylor Williamson (almost-winner of 2013's America's Got Talent), Jared Logan (rising star), Michelle Wolf (rising star), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Jermaine Fowler (Comedy Central, MTV, Adult Swim), Sam Morril (Comedy Central), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), Monroe Martin, Chris Laker, and more performing at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): TV Late-Night Auditions: Taylor Williamson, Jared Logan, Michelle Wolf, Sheng Wang, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): A potentially fascinating inside look at what goes on in a comedy writers' room, allowing you to "watch a group of seasoned joke writers put together a late night talk show opening monologue," with Neil Berliner, Mark DeMayo, Sandy Ehlers, and Mark Byrnes collaborating at The PIT upstairs theatre: Fly on the Wall: Inside a Monologue Writers’ Room

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8 at the door or $9.47 online): Eugene Mirman (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, FOX's Bob's Burgers, Adult Swim's Delocated, VH1; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing; for hilarious cartoon about LA pet owners, please click here), Dan Wilbur (College Humor), John F. O'Donnell, and Will Miles hosted by Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim): Night Train

8:00 pm ($5): Claire Ayoub and friends put on "a super silly sketch show" with interviews and surprises at the UCB East theatre: The In Too Steep Tea Party

[FREE] 8:00 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

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Kevin McCaffrey (writer for David Letterman; TruTV), Maria Heinegg, Joe Larson, Jake Flores, and Brendon McClaughlin at Brooklyn's Freddy's Bar (627 Fifth Avenue; take R subway to Prospect Avenue) for this free biweekly show hosted by Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant writer, stand-up, and storyteller; writer and/or producer for MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy, and Nikki & Sara Show; trutV, TLC, co-host of Dive Comedy) and tonight's guest host Naomi Karavani: Dive Comedy

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Selena Coppock (author of book The New Rules for Blondes, host of Connotation), Andrew Short, Taylor Ketchum, Ndidi Oriji, Tyler Gildin, and Hoff Matthews performing stand-up, sketch, or storytelling, plus music from Liza Dye, at Brooklyn's Over the Eight (594 Union Ave) hosted by Charla Lauriston (MTV; co-host of School NIght) and Sue Smith (VH1): Free Cable

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Two UCB Chelsea house sketch groups try out new material: Legs for Days (whose stellar performers include Livia Scott, Ann Carr, and Dan Chamberlain) and Bellevue: Maude Night: Legs For Days and Bellevue

9:30 ($10): Zoe Farmingdale hosts a variety show with NYC comics (not announced) at The PIT downstairs lounge: The ZoeShow

9:30 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, Phillip Jackson, and/or Steve Theiss hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Paul Mecurio (Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Dan Soder (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Andrew Schulz (MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), and Modi (Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO's Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Paul Mecurio, Ali Wong, Wil Sylvince, Dan Soder, and More

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:00 pm: Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Jared Logan (rising star; Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, CNN, TBS), Dan Soder (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Neil Constantine, Alexis Guerreros, Jena Kingsley, Jonathan Randall, and more performing for this free weekly stand-up show at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Frantic Mondays

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): Twelve improv comics who are "friends of Dorothy" perform at The Magnet hosted by Andrew Fafoutakis: There's No Place Like Home: A GLBTQ Event

[FREE] 10:00 pm: A showcase of NYC comics (not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Creek Cave Live

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Some of the finest comics in the world—who aren't announced in advance, but it's virtually always a great lineup—at UCB Chelsea hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen: Whiplash

Monday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

6:00 pm & 8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, with each show running 1 hour and 45 minutes. Arrive 30 minutes before the show you want to be in to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Abigoliah Schamaun & Peggy O'Leary: Dicks Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:30 pm: Open-mic storytelling, with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room"), hosted by Julia Wiedeman: Happy Hour Open-Mic Storytelling with Julia Wiedeman

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Monday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Tim Duffy: Comics Phoning It In

[FREE] 7:00 pm: An open-mic stand-up show, with 10 comics each performing for 5 minutes, at Brooklyn's Colony (274 4th Avenue) hosted by Emily Winter: Sparky the Dog Open Mic

7:30 pm ($10; sign-up starts at 7:00 pm): Open mic for stand-ups, storytellers, singers, poets, actors, and more, with 5 minutes per performer and 25 slots available, at One and One Bar's Downstairs Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Nathan P., followed by a raucous afterparty with dancing & drink specials from 10:00 to midnight: Inspired Word's Open Mic Joint

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Unique open mic for any comedy except stand-up—e.g., characters, sketch, stories, poetry, music—providing 6 minutes for each performer signed up in advance (email sdesiena@gmail.com with the subject line No Jokes Allowed Sign-Up) and 4 minutes per walk-in performer at the East Village's Beauty Bar hosted by Steven DeSiena & Stephen Whalen: No Jokes Allowed Open Mic

10:30 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with improvisors taken from the audience...and who may include you: Improv Nerds Jam

[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 & Langston Belton: Base Jam

11:00 pm ($3; sign up here): If you're an audience member who loves stand-up, Monday at 11 should be Whiplash! night. 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 via a 5-minute set at this stand-up open-mic at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Lorelei Ramirez: Sharing Time With Your Host Mom

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 1/14/14

Anthony Atamanuik  Nick Kroll

Anthony Atamanuik takes you on a unique tour of the universe at The Tony Show;
go out tonight, but set your recording device for 10:30 pm on Comedy Central for the return of Kroll 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] 7:00 pm-Midnight ($7 for the whole evening): In this 5-hour extravaganza, five of The Magnet's singing improv groups make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion, followed at 10:15 by a free show that lets audience members join in with a musical improv group to make up stories in song: Magnet Musical Megawatt

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Fontana's (105 Eldridge Street), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates (and if you can't make it, watch in online here): Comic Book Club

7:00 pm ($5): Christine Holt & Mary Guiteras tend bar for a living, then let off steam by performing improv at The PIT downstairs lounge where they unleash the secrets they've heard, and also host storytelling from tonight's guests Ashley Ward and TJ Mannix: Bartenders

7:30 pm-9:15 pm ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups Greg, Graceland, and Namaste at this first half of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Gregg Rogell (Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle's Show, For the Love of the Game), Lenny Marcus (David Letterman, MTV), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno, Comedy Central) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson (FX's Louie, The Chris Rock Show): Ali Wong, Gary Gulman, Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7.25 online using discount code NORTHERN; no min.): John Fugelsang (former host of America's Funniest Home Videos), Jared Logan (rising star; Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, CNN, TBS), Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie's Gone), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): John Fugelsang, Jared Logan, Jessica Kirson, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A sketch comedy group that includes Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger, host of The Soul Glo Jam, Andy Kaufman Award finalist) at The PIT upstairs theatre: Slap Fight

8:00 pm ($5): Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing; for hilarious cartoon about LA pet owners, please click here), Becky Yamamoto (rave reviews from The New York Times and The New Yorker; former beard-wearing member of band Stickerbook), Kevin Avery, Jay Welch, and Kerry Coddett-Francis performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall for this show hosted by Calvin Cole & Sharron Paul that calls attention to its inexpensive price: Cheap Date

8:00 pm ($5): "People from all across America have submitted ideas for the wackiest and most expensive game shows on earth. At this showcase we'll try out three lucky shows with the help and participation of our gracious live audience. After we've attempted to recreate all three, audience members get the chance to vote on which idea gets to go straight to TV" at UCB East hosted by Jo Firestone: The Incredible Game Show Showcase

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera, plus Charles Gould and Dan Licata: Dan + Joe + Charles' Show

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sketch group Awful DJ, and NYC stand-ups Lynn Bixenspan, Naomi Ekperigin, Sam Grittner, Lauren Maul, Charles McBee, and Tony Zaret performing for this free weekly show at People's Republic of Brooklyn (247 Smith Street) hosted by Tim Ellis & Mo Fathelbab: Manifesto

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Taylor Williamson (almost-winner of 2013's American's Got Talent, and genuinely wonderful guy; take advantage of his brief return to NYC), Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here), and more performing stand-up at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) produced every Tuesday by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Gary Vider, and Sachi Ezura: Hot Soup

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Storytellers John Asante, Victoria Scroggins, Jamie Leelo, and Michele Carlo tell true tales about this month's theme Out in the Cold at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by Andrew Linderman: Local Stories: Out in the Cold

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Typically wonderful stand-ups (not yet announced, probably because Seth was busy last night premiering his first TV hosting gig for new show Duck Quacks Don't Echo on Nat Geo) performing at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (Jimmy Fallon long-time staff comic, VH1, Nat Geo): Sweet

9:15 pm-Midnight ($5): Long form improv known as The Harold from UCB Chelsea house groups Grammer, GoodGirl, and Bucky at this second half (continued from 7:30 pm) of Harold Night

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Brilliantly innovative comic Anthony Atamanuik (Death by Roo Roo, 30 Rock, Conan O'Brien, The Nights of Our Lives) plays oddball characters in a mix of sketch and improv, tonight asking you to "take a journey to the stars by sitting in a chair and looking up at a projection of them on a dirty ceiling. Dr. Neil DeAss Tyson Chickensticks guides us through time and space, and teaches us why the human race is a worthless shit-blip in the grand scheme of the universe" (with help from producer Andy Rocco and Jesse VandenBergh); plus stand-up from Bridey Elliott (razor-sharp rising star; David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Witstream, Fambly), Lukas Kaiser (Spike TV), and Morgan Evans (VH1's Best Week Ever), all performing at the UCB East theatre: The Tony Show

9:30 pm ($5): Comedy groups Gentlemen Party, Nerds on Fire, and Captain's Hat compete in the realms of sketch and improv at The PIT downstairs lounge: Sketchy Sketchy Prov Prov

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Dave Attell (one of the most respected stand-ups in the biz; star of Showtime's Dave's Old Porn and Comedy Central's Insomniac; HBO, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents), Kevin Meaney (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Nick Griffin (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), James Smith (Australian comic; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Comedy Central; for stand-up video on what it's like to be Australian in New York, please click here), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), Steve White (Last Comic Standing), and Dan Naturman (David Letterman, Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson (FX's Louie, The Chris Rock Show): Dave Attell, Kevin Meaney, Nick Griffin, and More

10:00 pm ($15; no min.): Broadway actors try their hand at stand-up and/or other comedy at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) hosted by Bill Dawes: Broadway Bombers

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Luis J. Gomez, Dave Smith, and other NYC stand-ups performing live on stage for this podcast show at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Legion of Skanks

Tuesday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): In this delightful weekly open-mic show, each comic has 3 minutes to try out a character-based bit (e.g., for a solo show, sketch, or audition) at The PIT downstairs lounge, hosted by Jen Kwok (Comedy Central) and Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): Imposter Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Open-mic sketch that allows you to either perform a sketch with your own performers or bring in pages for the audience to perform at The PIT Green Room, followed by feedback on your bit from PIT "sketch-perts:" Pens & Pencils

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:15 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types providing 2 minutes for each performer (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC's The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Jay Dean and Tynan DeLong: Two Nice Guys Open MIc

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Weekly stand-up open mic (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at People's Republic of Brooklyn (247 Smith Street) hosted by Dustin Drury: This Is Happening Open MIc

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Tuesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly two-hour open mic storytelling show allows each performer 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC's The Creek downstairs lounge, with host Jake Hart and tonight's guest Danis Perafan: The Dump

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 10:15: Sign up at 9:30 pm for the opportunity to make up a musical on the spot with The Magnet improv group Mint Condition: Magnet Musical Improv Mixer

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up at UCB East hosted by Boris Khaykin, John Trowbridge, and/or Katie East: Tuesday Night Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): 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

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): An improv jam for students at all levels to work on their skills at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Elke Reid and David Frasure: Study Hall

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 1/15/14

Aaron Jackson  Henry Zebrowski

Innovative improv/sketch comic Aaron Jackson will entertain you in Erik Dies, You're Stupid and We Hate You;
hilarious sketch comic Henry Zebrowski performs at a jam-packed new alt show in Brooklyn: Dean Street 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] 6:00 pm to midnight: Six free hours of improvisation at The PIT upstairs theatre: Super Free Wednesday

7:00 pm to 12:30 am ($7 for the entire evening): Five and a half hours of improv from eight groups at The Magnet theatre: Magnet Megawatt

7:00 pm ($5): Scott Bateman's live show about "fact-like facts" spinning off his book Disalmanac and website Disalmanac.com, with guests TBD at The PIT downstairs lounge: Disalmanac

7:30 pm ($5): Expanding the UCB longform improv showcased on Harold Night is this weekly show at UCB East which tonight features house groups Musk and Detroit: Lloyd Night

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): At UCB Chelsea, a silly, surreal sketch play that works largely thanks to the exceptional charisma of rising comedy star Aaron Jackson, charming lunacy of Brian Glidewell, and quiet oddness of Erik Dies. While the surreal script (written by Erik Dies, Aaron Jackson, and Josh Sharp) is best described as "weird," it's delivered with rapid-fire timing and infectious energy that shows off the talent and range of these impressive performers, making for a quite fun experience: Erik Dies, You're Stupid and We Hate You...

...and in the other half of this double-bill, Dan Black (FUSE, Death by Roo Roo, Ripley) performs a energetic one-man show playing a variety of extreme males in The Pageantry of Man

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: "What happens when you take 4 comedians, give them a set of premises and joke formats, and see what delicious jokes they create?" Tonight's comics partaking in the game are Reid Faylor (co-host of hilarious Creek show Underbelly), Anna Drezen (talented character comic blending words and movement; one-woman show Spooky Jerks), Michael Shawki (host of The Great Debate), and Clark Jones performing at Brooklyn's Pacific Standard (82 Fourth Avenue) hosted by Sean Wilkinson, Raj Sivaraman, and Jason Marcus: Recipe: The Comedy Game Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Kevin Meaney (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Kurt Metzger (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Justin Silver (star of CBS' Dogs in the City), Earthquake, and Derek Gaines performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Kevin Meaney, Kurt Metzger, Rachel Feinstein, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($10-$14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Ali Wong, Gary Gulman, Ryan Hamilton, and Dan Soder at the 8:00 show, Nick Griffin, Gregg Rogell, Rachel Feinstein, and James Smith at the 9:45 show, and Greer Barnes and Marina Franklin at the 11:30 show, with Mike Yard hosting all three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Wednesday

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performs a one-man show that was such a hit at the 2012 FringeNYC it's been extended indefinitely. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman's New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse's downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck

[FREE] 8:00 pm: 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 downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

8:30 pm ($5): Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Matt Koff (writer for The Daily Show), and Anna Suzuki perform stand-up, plus musical guest Mike Doughty, at Brooklyn's Union Hall hosted by Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, VHI): The Electric Study Break

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Fine lineup of Joe List (HBO, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Henry Zebrowski (Wolf of Wall Street, HBO's Girls, Comedy Central's Michael and Michael Have Issues, award-winning sketch group Murderfist), Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupes Murderfist and The Prom, co-host of The Dream Show), Micah Sherman (Baby Wants Candy, Myq & Micah, Second City, co-producer of The Scene and Act One), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX's In Living Color, Comedy Central), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Ben Kissel (Last Podcast on the Left), Chris Donohue, and Alissa Bissonnette performing stand-up or sketch at Brooklyn's Dean Street (755 Dean Street): Dean Street Comedy

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): The instructors of UCB's classes include some of the finest improvisors in the country. In this weekly show a bunch of them get on stage at UCB East, along with hosts Betsy Stover and Ari Voukydis: Hot for Teacher: The UCB Faculty Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show, Comedy Central hour-long special, Adult Swim, host of Night Train), Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing; for hilarious cartoon about LA pet owners, please click here), Selena Coppock (author of book The New Rules for Blondes, host of Connotation), Dava Krause (FOX's House), Ari Teman (VH1), Gabe Canan-Zucker, and Sean Gabbert performing stand-up at this free weekly show at Lucky Jack's Pub (129 Orchard Street) produced by Kyle Fincham, Lance Weiss, and Brendon Fitzgibbons: Gandhi, Is That You?

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Superb improvisors pair up for one night only at UCB Chelsea hosted by Vincent Moore: Couples Skate

9:30 pm ($5): Katie Kester interviews comics Henry Zebrowski (Wolf of Wall Street, HBO's Girls, Comedy Central's Michael and Michael Have Issues, award-winning sketch group Murderfist), Mike Kelton, Becky Chicoine, and Samantha Schecter at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Later Show

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($5): UCBT Maude Night group Bucky most notably includes red-hot rising star Sasheer Zamata. Since Sasheer just got hired by Saturday Night Live, I wouldn't count on her participating; but ya never know... The group performs one long scene in the same location (a winning form that's helped such teams as Death by Roo Roo win a whole lot of Cage Match victories) at the UCB East theatre: Bucky: Here and Now

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:00 pm: Charla Lauriston (MTV; host of Free Cable) hosts 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. (For tonight's scheduled guests, 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

Wednesday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[FREE] 5:30 pm: A character-based open-mic happening weekly at UCB East hosted by Sean Hart: Don't Be Yourself: Character Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Open mic for both stand-up and sketch, with sign-up starting at 5:30 and ending at 5:55, at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Brian Frange & Rob Stern: Frange & Stern’s Stand-Up and Sketch Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up show that provides each performer whose name is pulled from a bucket 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Kaity Neagle & Irene Hartmann: Ragtag Team Open Mic Stand-Up

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic stand-up for 15 comics performing for 5 minutes each at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.)—with drinks at half price: Happy Hour Open Mic

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

6:30 pm (no cover, 1-drink min. for comics): Walk-in open mic providing 7 minutes per stand-up at the Phoenix Bar (447 East 13th Street) hosted by Lisa Harmon: Lisa's Clubhouse

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Wednesday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Lizzie Martinez: Comics Phoning It In

[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

11:00 pm ($3): The debut of an "anything goes" biweekly comedy open mic for stand-up, sketch, improv, music, "and the occasional random nutjob" at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Evan Jones: Mosh PIT

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your opportunity to perform on the stage of UCB East with improv veterans, hosted by UCBT Harold Night house group Bucky and DJ Cipha Sounds: The Improv Jam

[FREE] 11:00 pm: Your chance to perform on stage with experienced improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Bernard Maynore & Patrick Cucuta: Improdome

[FREE] 11:30: Sign up at 11:00 pm for the opportunity to make up scenes at The Magnet with veteran improvisors: Magnet Improv Mixer

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 1/16/14

Sara Schaefer  Chris Gethard

The luminous Sara Schaefer performs at Lasers in the Jungle; Chris Gethard is interviewed as an Internet star at Still Buffering

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] 6:30 pm ($5): UCB performers audition a full-blown musical on the UCB Chelsea stage: Missionary in Manhattan: A Mormon Musical

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Using real horror films purchased in local gas stations and bodegas, the hosts select specific clips to play for 30 seconds, pause, and then ask the improvisers to finish the scene. Will anyone survive at The PIT downstairs lounge? Attend at your own peril with hosts J. W. Crump and Jordan Hirsch: Gas Station Horror

7:00 pm ($10): All-gal improv group Gilda, plus a guest team TBD, make up scenes at The PIT upstairs theatre: Gilda's Date Night

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Jared Logan (rising star; Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing, VH1's Best Week Ever, CNN, TBS), Dave Rosinksy, and John F. O'Donnell performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and/or Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($27.25 & 2-drink min.)  A one-of-a-kind comedy star headlining for one night only at the Carolines Comedy Club: Gilbert Gottfried

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm show ($10.35 in advance online, $15 at the door; price includes free slices of homemade ice cream cakes!): Storytellers Andy Christie (host of The Liar Show), Melanie Dunea (Top Chef, My Last Supper), Bonnie Levison (The Moth Podcast), and Adam Linn (author of American Sexy) tell true tales at the Le Poisson Rouge's The Gallery (158 Bleecker Street) hosted by Robin Gelfenbien (storyteller and singer/songwriter; VH1, AMC, Sirius Radio, acclaimed one-woman show at FringeNYC) and that includes free ice cream cakes made by Robin herself: Yum's the Word

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:45 pm, 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Kevin Meaney, Lenny Marcus, James Smith, and Dan Soder at the 7:45 show, Ali Wong, Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, and Ryan Hamilton at the 9:45 show, and Dave Attell and Big Jay Oakerson at the 11:30 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Thursday

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Stand-ups perform set lists on the spot provided by Paul Provenza, with tonight's comics Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing; for hilarious cartoon about LA pet owners, please click here), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code and Wildn Out, Comedy Central, Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show), Dan Soder (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Brooks Whelan (cast member of Saturday Night Live), and Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1) and more thinking quickly on their feet at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue hosted by hosted by Big Jay Oakerson: Paul Provenza's Set List

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): The Emmy-winning writers of The Colbert Report gather on the UCB Chelsea stage to perform an all-improvised show at Seize the Mustard

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): "In 2006, Ali Farahnakian (SNL, Adult Swim, owner of The PIT) and Dion Flynn (Jimmy Fallon) took a hiatus from their 18-month comedy partnership so they could go and produce a total of three children with their respective wives. Guess what? They're back. Come see the duo first united over the fact that they were roughly the same size" performing improv at The PIT upstairs theatre: Farahnakian & Flynn

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-10:00 pm ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv groups Junior Varsity and The Boss performing improv for an hour, followed at 9:00 pm by One-Hit Wonder (veteran musical improvisors make up the story of a band: how they met, how they became successful with their big hit song, their downfall, and where they are today), at 10:00 pm by veteran improvisors making up scenes based on improvised monologues from star storyteller Ophira Eisenberg (host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, bestselling book being made into movie Screw Everyone) at The Armando Diaz Experience, and finally at 11:00 by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT's Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component): The Magnet's Night Out

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 online using discount code QUAKE; no min.): Michelle Wolf (staff writer for Seth Meyers; MTV's Girl Code, IFC), Earthquake (HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central, VH1's Best Week Ever, The Jenny McCarthy Show); for stand-up video about Utah, sharing, and tits, please click here), Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern), and Damien Lemon (MTV2's Guy Code, Comedy Central) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Michelle Wolf, Earthquake, MIchelle Buteau, and More

8:00 pm ($6): The Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon, FOX's Lucas Bros Moving Company), Hari Kondabolu (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central Presents, writer for FX's Totally Biased), Aaron Glaser (Jimmy Fallon, host of Midnight Stand-Up), Ben Kissel, and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn's Union Hall produced by Cipha Sounds and Lukas Kaiser: Radness

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Joe Pera (hilarious deadpan Andy Kaufman-like stand-up; one time I saw Joe sing beautifully and then smash three dozen plates to pieces; another time he ended his set by slicing milk; and when headlining at Carolines he had a first date on stage with a random member of the audience; for Joe's latest Kaufman awards submissions, please click here and here), Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Zach Erwin, and Cory Jarvis performing stand-up at Poco Restaurant & Bar (33 Avenue B at 3rd Street) hosted by Sooyah Jun, Jawann Carmona, Conor Boylan, and/or Cassidy Kirch: FTH Comedy

8:00 pm ($5): Two young musical improv groups make up song-and-dance based stories on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Washingtons and Moose

[FREE] 8:00 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] [FREE] 9:00 pm: A free screening at UCB East (which used to be an indie movie theatre) of the initial episodes of Abbi Jacobson's & Ilana Glazer's new TV series that debuts January 22nd on Comedy Central: Comedy Central Presents Broad City

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:30 pm: Potentially an animation fan's dream come true, in this new show comics make merciless fun of bad Japanese anime at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Benel Germosen & Jarrid Reed: Otakulypse

9:30 pm ($5): If you're a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it on the UCB Chelsea stage, who tonight include Mindy Raf, Becky Yamamoto, Nick Turner, and Hardly Working: CollegeHumor Live

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10 online using discount code QUAKE; no min.): Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Earthquake (HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Matt Koff (writer for The Daily Show), Adrienne Iapalucci (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, VH1), and Luis J Gomez performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Mike Lawrence, Earthquake, Matt Koff, and More

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): This year's Cage Match improv playoffs continue, pitting the best against the best. Last week Scrambled Legs stomped all over The Stepfathers, winning 110-61. Tonight improv legend Death by Roo Roo goes up against formidable indie troupe Namaste in what's likely to be a vicious fight for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Comedy genius Chris Gethard (Conan O'Brien, The Office, Comedy Central, IFC; star of The Chris Gethard Show; author of bestseller A Bad Idea I'm About to Do and Weird New York) is tonight's guest at this variety show that provides Interviews, sketches, stand-up, and/or music about Internet stars at the UCB East theatre: Still Buffering

Thursday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

[FREE] 5:30 pm: All-gal open-mic at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Anna Drezen & Sue Smith: Open Michelle: Ladies Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): PIT musical improv veterans mix with musical improv novices on-stage at the downstairs lounge for Pitch

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics' names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving 2 minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek's upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Thursday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv group The Boss to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

9:30 pm (free for audience members, $5 or 1 drink min. for stand-ups wanting to perform): Open mic stand-up providing 7 minutes per comic (and a free recording of your set!), with order determined raffle-style. Sign up by emailing info@oldmanhustle.com or calling (212) 253-7747, or just walk in and supply your name, to perform at the Old Man Hustle Bar (39 Essex Street) hosted by Solomon Chehebar: Peep Show Comedy Open Mic

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3-5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Josh Alba: Mic and Cheese

[ALMOST FREE] 11:00 pm ($1): An open stage for indie improv groups—and if you're not in a group, that's also fine, you'll simply be added to one—at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Darcy Burke & Donna Lobello: New Team Lunacy

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Friday 1/17/14

Talent Show  Broad City

Over 20 of NYC's comedic storytellers gather to show off their non-storytelling talents at Uncle Frank's Ed Sullivan Show;
Ilana Glazer & Abbi Jacobson are interviewed about their Comedy Central TV series Broad City at Jamie LeeLo's Brunch 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:

7:00 pm ($7): Two sketch groups performing at The Magnet theatre: CA$H and The Misses

7:00 pm ($8): Writer/performers Melanie Owens & Teresa Lee, plus some friends, draw back the curtains on what really happens in a sorority in this sketch comedy show at The PIT downstairs lounge: #WaitWhat: A Sorority Chapter Meeting

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Ben Bailey and Greer Barnes at the 7:00, 8:45, and 10:30 shows; Ali Wong, James Smith, Lenny Marcus, and Dan Soder also at the 10:30 show; and Dave Attell, Ali Wong, Nick Griffin, and Lenny Marcus at the 12:15 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) except for the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Friday

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30 pm: A massive gathering of top NYC storytellers who'll perform anything except storytelling. The talent show includes Ophira Eisenberg, Adam Wade, Leslie Goshko, Andy Christie, Cammi Climaco, David Crabb, Cyndi Freeman (as Cherry Pitz), Peter Aguero, Micaela Blei, Elizabeth Blue, Dana Rossi, and about a dozen more, all performing at the Housingworks Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby Street) hosted by Frank Gauthier: Uncle Frank's Ed Sullivan Show

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch group (vs. improv group) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its writers (who include stellar comics Brandon Gulya and Silvija Ozols) are terrific, and its cast is superb: Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, John Murray, Leslie Meisel, Connor Ratliff, and Johnathan Fernandez. (If you're in the industry, hire them.) Enjoy this new collection of sketches from these sexy performers (which I hope to see soon): Stone Cold Fox: Sexy Idiots

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Storyteller/comics Dave Hill, Jena Friedman, Eliza Hurwitz, and more share true tales for this confessional storytelling show at UCB East hosted by the extraordinary Ruby Karp: HelloGiggles

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:30ish pm: Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver's NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Frank Conniff (TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000; Cinematic Titanic), Kevin Froleiks, and Bob Palos performing stand-up at the One and One Bar (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Ben Conrad & Lucas Connolly: Cranky Pants Comedy Hour

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($15): Tony Award-winning playwright/lyricist Greg Kotis (Urinetown) has written "a collection of seven short plays that explore love, sex, truth, sex, money, sex and justice. In that order" featuring wonderful comedic actors Julie Sharbutt, Micah Sherman, Dan Hodapp, Keisha Zollar, and Chris Robert at The PIT upstairs theatre: Give the People What They Want

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: The debut of a comedic game show that pits stand-up comics against each other—tonight featuring Amber Nelson, Andrew Short, Doug Smith, and Peggy O'Leary—plus additional comedy from Michelle Wolf, Reid Faylor, Brendan Eyre, and Joel Walkowski, all performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Natalie Shure & Chip Dwyer: Stand-Up Showdown

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): DJ Cipha Sounds, Bklyn Mike, Omar the Comedian, and more headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Cipha Sounds Don't Get Gassed

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): Before this Magnet 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, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($26 & 2-drink min.) A former cast member of Saturday Night Live, and who's appeared on VH1, Showtime, and CNN, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Dean Edwards

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from Shannon O'Neill, Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; co-star of MTV's The Nikki and Sara Show; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1's Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Trieste Kelly Dunn (actress in Cinemax's Banshee, lead in Loves Her Gun). Katja Blichfeld & Ben Sinclair (Web series High Maintenance), and Max Silvestri (host of Big Terrific) performing stand-up and/or being interviewed at Brooklyn's Pine Box Rock Shop (12 Grattan Street) hosted by Chris Rose with DJ Allison Pacelli: Late Night Basement

9:30 pm ($10): Two PIT upstairs theatre improv groups making up a musical on the spot, one with sharpness and the other with a friendly greeting: Dagger and Hello

9:30 pm ($10): Jeanne Stafford (communications coach & fundraiser for the campaigns of President Reagan and President Bush), Robert A. George (New York Post), Tim Wainwright (Christianity Today), Lucas Zachary Hazlett (MTV), and many more gather to make fun of politics at The PIT downstairs lounge: Electoral Dysfunction

[MEGA-TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): Singing improvisors at The Magnet—tonight with extra-special guest Tara Copeland, briefly back from LA—using an interview with an audience member to craft The Made-Up Musical

[FREE] 10:00 pm: A showcase of NYC comics (not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Creek Cave Live

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Dan Klein, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and/or Conner O'Malley—who this year defeated The Stepfathers and thoroughly crushed another troupe at Cage Match before losing by a single vote—make up scenes about an audience member's legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Jackie Kashian (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing; for hilarious cartoon about LA pet owners, please click here), Hodapp & Rothwell (ace improvisors & sketch comics), and Nat Towsen (co-host of The Moon Show, host of Downtown Variety Hour) performing stand-up or sketch at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D'Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Kelly Hudson, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($10): Abbi Jacobson & Ilana Glazer are interviewed about their new TV series Broad City that debuts January 22nd on Comedy Central, plus an interview with celebrity fitness trainer Joel Harper, at a late night talk show hosted by Jamie LeeLo at The PIT upstairs theatre: Brunch Night

[TOP PICK] 11:00 ($8): "It's simple. There is a mark. And we are the 11 thieves ready to make the biggest heist of our lives. The catch? You, the audience, suggest the heist. Whether it is stealing the Eiffel tower or a pack of cigarettes from a bodega, we will hatch an elaborate scheme to make sure you get what you want!" for the debut of this improv show at The PIT downstairs lounge: Brocean's 11

[FREE] 11:00 pm: The debut of a free weekly stand-up show, with tonight's comics Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents), Liz Miele (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, Damaged), Troy Allen, Henry Cruz, Julie Kottakis, and Christopher Wagner performing at the Old Man Hustle Bar (39 Essex Street) hosted by Keith Fuerstenberg: Dark Night Comedy

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy from a group that explains what awaits you in the afterlife, and from friends Matt B. Weir and Matt J. Weir who, by total coincidence, have the same last names, at The Magnet theatre: The Junk Brothers: Immortal Family and We're Matt Weir: The Murder Trilogy

Midnight ($5): A sketch show for those who "have a deep nostalgia for sitcoms such as Full House, Step-by-Step, and Family Matters but wonder what they might have been like without the interference of network censors" at UCB East from group Out of the Woods: TGIF

Friday Open Mics & Jams

5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic

5:45 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 1 hour. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City with host Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): Attend to perform improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge, with a weekly rotating selection of formats and hosts: Happy Hour

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Sarah Tollemache and/or Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Open Mic

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that's first come, first serve, with each comic getting 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): Improv is dominated by guys...and for no good reason. A way to help remedy this situation are shows like this one, which is an open improv jam for any gal wanting to participate, at any experience level. This monthly UCB Chelsea event is helmed by Shannon O'Neill (breathtakingly innovative, lighting-quick, and fearless improvisor/sketch comic and rising star; The Chris Gethard Show, The Stepfathers, ASSSSCAT 3000, Strangers Wanted, Ladies Night): The Lady Jam

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Saturday 1/18/14

Murderfist Murderfist

An award-winning comedy group performs its best sketches of the past year: Murderfist

Recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight
(in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

[$] 7:00 pm, 7:15 pm, 8:45 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:15 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Ali Wong at 8:45, 9:15, 10:30, and 12:15 shows; plus Gregg Rogell, Greer Barnes, Lenny Marcus, James Smith, and Lynne Koplitz at the 10:30 show, and Dave Attell, Kurt Metzger, Marina Franklin, and James Smith at the 12:15 show, with four of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane), and the 7:15 and 9:15 shows at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Saturday

7:00 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from group Cool Kid Comedy performing at the PIT downstairs lounge: Cool Kid Comedy Live

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (possibly 9:00 pm only) and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

7:30 pm ($10): Improv powerhouses Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, Natasha Rothwell, and more at UCB Chelsea interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then "turn that town's tourist attractions, landmarks, hangouts, local celebrities, urban legends, and more into a hilarious show made up on the spot:" The Curfew: Not From Around Here

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): Improvisors make up a religion based on an audience suggestion—e.g., The Church of the Carrot, The Church of Crime—and then make up hymns, readings, sermons, sacraments, and more on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Fake Church

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Tony Deyo (Conan O'Brien), Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion), Bill Santiago (Comedy Central), Ken Schultz (National Lampoon), Dave Rosinsky (Whitest Kids 'U Know), Brett Hiker, and Simmons McDavid performing stand-up at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Ray DeVito, Ben Kronberg, Nick Cobb, and/or Tim Dimond: Shoot the Shite

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($20; no min.): Kevin Meaney (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Kurt Metzger (staff writer for Inside Amy Schumer; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Dan Soder (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and Derek Gains performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Kevin Meaney, Kurt Metzger, Dan Soder, and More

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): DJ Cipha Sounds, Bklyn Mike, Omar the Comedian, and more headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Cipha Sounds Don't Get Gassed

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($26 & 2-drink min.) A former cast member of Saturday Night Live, and who's appeared on VH1, Showtime, and CNN, headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Dean Edwards

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): UCBT improv group Namaste asks an audience member for a transcendent experience and then makes up scenes based on it on the UCB East stage: Namaste: The Light Within

[FREE] 8:30 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) hosted by Gary Vider (hilarious writer & deadpan stand-up; for sample jokes, please click here): Comedy at Irish Exit

[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

9:00 pm ($10): Magnet improvisors team up with poets at Kiss*Punch*Poem

9:30 pm ($10): Rebecca Vigil (powerhouse improv singer The Vigilante), sharp improvisor Nate Starkey (Shackled, Starkey & Grace), and more as talk show guests at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Paul Gutkowski: The Last Show

[$] 9:30 pm ($11.34 online or $15 at the door): Sketch groups PulpRiot and More Than Friends performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Little Tiny Show

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($10): UCBT Artistic Director Nate Dern, Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show), Tracey Wigfield (writer for 30 Rock), Michael Kayne (Baby Wants Candy, Diamond Lion), Aaron Jackson (Newsadoozies), and more form an improv troupe at UCB East that won this year's prestigious Cage Match championship by springboarding scenes off interviewing an audience member about his or her love life: What I Did For Love

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($20; no min.): Kevin Meaney (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Dan Soder (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS' Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), Adrienne Iapalucci (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing, VH1), and Derek Gains performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Kevin Meaney, Dan Soder, Adrienne Iapalucci, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($20): 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 West Village's Soho Playhouse: The Complete Performer

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups take a comedic look at the world's problems at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Tom Dillon: Love, Poverty, and War

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Gay and lesbian comedy at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Michelle Delgado: Queer in the Cave

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): At UCB Chelsea, improv group Grandma's Ashes—which includes stellar talents Ryan Karels, Morgan Grace Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones, and more—takes your written secrets and turns them into very funny improv scenes: Grandma's Ashes: We Won't Tell

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Nick Kanellis and guest improvisor Rick Andrews make up scenes at The Magnet as comedy duo Trike

[TOP PICK] 11:00 ($10): NYC's heavy metal version of a sketch troupe, which provides odd, unsettling, and fearless dark comedy; in 2011 won the ECNY Award for Best Sketch Group; was recently written up by Jason Zinoman in The New York Times; and now features the wonderful Amber Nelson as its newest member, performing at The PIT downstairs lounge. This month features the group's best sketches of the past year: Murderfist: Best Of 2013 Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 11:00 pm ($20): From the wonderful Gyda Arber and friends, this theatrical event: "Join FutureMate for the latest in post-Cataclysm technology and find your perfect match! Your hosts Matt & Pam will take you through the FutureMate system and help you locate that special someone—who knows, you may even leave with a new mate! Come see all the benefits that await you for doing your part to rebuild our great nation" at Brooklyn's The Brick Theatre (575 Metropolitan Avenue; take the L subway to Lorimer or G to Metropolitan): FutureMate Meet & Mate Session

11:00 pm ($10): Three comedy groups perform using three different improv forms at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by Patrick Cucuta & Gary DeNoia: Triple Threat

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 11:30 pm: Sketch comedy that aims to have you "laughing until blood pours out of your throat and eyes and you die and you go to hell and you're like 'god damn that was worth it!' to Satan and he'll be like 'Yeah, I know, I was there, it was dope'" at UCB East. As a sidenote, Sasheer Zamata is listed as one of the performers, but that's obsolete: Sasheer will be on TV tonight as the newest cast member of Saturday Night Live: O.S.F.U.G. A Fast Fuckin' Sketch Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: Women and gay men perform comedy as straight men for this unique show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Scott Talentt: Dudes Being Dudes Being Dudes

Saturday Open Mics and Jams

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open mic stand-up show ("starts late enough to sleep off that hangover but ends just in time to begin a new one") at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Jhoel Walkowski & Evan Davis: The Amateur Hour

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Walk-in open mic comedy show—stand-up, character, or funny story—providing 5 minutes per comic at The Fifth Estate Bar (506 5th Avenue, off 12th Street) hosted by Meghan O'Keefe: Open Mic-hael Douglas

5:30 pm ($5): Walk-in open mic, with sign-up at 5:15 pm and each stand-up performing for 5 minutes, at the Comedy Village Comedy Club (107 MacDougal Street): Comedy Village

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

 

 

NYC Comedy Picks for Sunday 1/19/14

Macaulay Culkin

Dave Hill, Larry Murphy, Brooke Van Poppelen, and Murderfist at free Brooklyn extravaganza The Macaulay Culkin 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:

[FREE] 5:00 pm: A smorgasbord of of stand-up, comedic music, comedic dance, sketch, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City hosted by Chris O'Neil: Mishmash Variety Hour (and a Half)

6:00 pm ($5): NYC sketch group Cook Kid Comedy performs for 30 minutes, and then Boston sketch group Dictator's Time Machine performs for another half hour at The Magnet theatre: Cool Kid Comedy and Here Comes the Pain

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5; show up early because this will probably be packed): Fine lineup of Dave Hill (WFMU's Goddamn Dave Hill Show), Murderfist (award-winning ace sketch group), Larry Murphy (great voiceover actor for FOX's Bob's Burgers, Adult Swim), Brooke Van Poppelen (writer and/or producer for MTV's Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy; co-host of Dive Comedy), Noel Wells (Saturday Night Live), and sketch group Good Cop Bad Cop performing (mostly) stand-up at Brooklyn's Shea Stadium (20 Meadow Street) hosted by Brett Davis & Brian McElroy: The Macaulay Culkin Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Sheng Wang (Comedy Central Presents) tries out stand-up material every night through Friday at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Week at the Creek: Sheng Wang

[$] 7:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight's lineups include Ali Wong, Gary Gulman, and Nick Griffin at the 8:45 and 10:30 shows, and Kurt Metzger, Colin Jost, and Rachel Feinstein at the 12:15 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Sunday

7:00 pm ($10 online using code CRACKED; no min.): Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Monroe Martin, Adam Brown, Gladstone, Alex Schmidt, and Derek Gaines performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street) sponsored by a comedy site: Cracked.com Presents Unpopular Opinion

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea's signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes superstars in the improv world such as Chris Gethard, and occasionally network TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($5): "Jamaal is inviting a few friends to sing songs for you. Armed with an iPhone camera, Jamaal will also show some low production-value videos that you might like" at The Magnet theatre: Born to Karaoke

[$] 7:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): DJ Cipha Sounds, Bklyn Mike, Omar the Comedian, and more performing one last night at the Carolines Comedy Club: Cipha Sounds Don't Get Gassed

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Ali Wong (fearless, razor-sharp, hilarious comedy dynamo; Jay Leno, FOX, NBC's Are You There Chelsea?, film Savages), Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Alex Koll (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central), Seaton Smith (Opie & Anthony Virus Tour), Kevin McCaffrey (writer for David Letterman; TruTV), and Jonathan Morvay performing stand-up at UCB East with host Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon): If You Build It

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($8): All-gal storytelling show of "true tales with feelings; so many feelings...," tonight featuring Ophira Eisenberg (brilliant storyteller with notable bangs; Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime, The Today Show, host of NPR's trivia/puzzle show Ask Me Another, bestselling book being made into movie Screw Everyone), Alex Kern, and Laura Willcox performing at The PIT upstairs theatre hosted by devoted to hosts Caitlin Brodnick & Lisa Kleinman: Shut Up Storytelling Show

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Live stage readings of popular Saved By The Bell episodes, with each cast member allowed an optional 3-minute Zack Morris style "time out" for episode-specific stand-up or a fan fiction bonus scene at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: Bayside Myself

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): From the producers of The Scene, improvisors—who tonight are Micah Sherman, Steve Siddell, and Kevin Cragg, and groups Team Lopez and Triple D—make up one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge: Act One

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Jackie Kashian (Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing; for hilarious cartoon about LA pet owners, please click here), Michelle Wolf (staff writer for Seth Meyers; MTV's Girl Code, IFC), Greg Johnson (Sirius XM Radio), Aaron Glaser (Jimmy Fallon, host of Midnight Stand-Up), and Bill Stiteler performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Sammy Obeid, Janelle James, Subhah Agarwal, and Aikido Sticatto performing stand-up, plus music from Jean Grae and DJ Tony Trimm, at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, host of Comedy Night, one-hour Comedy Central special Animal Furnace): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Jackie Kashian (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing; for hilarious cartoon about LA pet owners, please click here), Matt Koff (writer for The Daily Show), Mark Chalifoux, Sachi Ezura, and Scott Nossen performing stand-up in the East Village's Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at Beauty Bar

9:30 pm ($8): A veteran sketch troupe performs at The PIT upstairs theatre: City Hall

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Improv from group The Internet Disagrees at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens' Long Island City: The Internet Disagrees Improv

Sunday Open Mics & Open Stages

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show (put your name in the bucket at 3:45), providing 3 minutes or more per comic at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens' Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Open Mic

[ALMOST FREE] 5:00 pm ($1): Sign up at 4:30 pm to do improv with experienced PIT performers at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Sasha Capelli, Eitan Levine, and Shaina Stigler: 10K Jam Jam

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there'll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area ("Hot Chicks Room") hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and/or Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer

6:00 pm ($5): Open-mic stand-up that includes professional feedback on each comic's 5-minute set at Queens LIC's Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Mic-Shop: Open Mic Workshop

[FREE] 10:00 pm: The only open-stage show for entire groups of improvisors and sketch comics, running weekly at UCB East hosted by Austin Rodrigues: Bring Your Own Team: Improv/Sketch Team Jam

[FREE] 10:15 pm: Open-mic show for sketch and character bits running 3-5 minutes at The Magnet hosted by Sebastian Conelli. Everyone who signs up—at 9:45 pm at the box office—is likely to get onstage: Sketch in Progress

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens' Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)

The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)

Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world's top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)

Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)

Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar's sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)

Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

 

 

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