Best New York Comedy

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Ralphie May tonight concludes his headlining run at the Gotham Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] [$] 6:00 pm ($15, which includes 1 drink): 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 does gets a free t-shirt! This evening’s yarn-spinners are Ben Lillie (physicist; host of The Story Collider), Daisy Rosario (Moth GrandSlam Champion), Carter Edwards (UCBT), and Matthew Mercier (writer for Glimmer Train). Come let host Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion) attempt to mislead you at The Liar Show

7:00 pm ($8): Ben Masten and Sam Dingman perform all-new sketches and songs via an act The Onion says “manages to sell even flimsy premises with smarts and winning chemistry:” Audience of Two: We Hardly Know What’s Up

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Christina Gausas, Scott Adsit, Becky Drysdale, Anthony King, and more—including writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, andThe Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10 at the door or online): A blowup lineup of Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler, Dave Hill, and Reggie Watts performing music in connection with the CMJ Festival at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for Greg Barris’ Heart of Darkness

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: The glorious return of a popular Saturday night show (previously at the now-deceased Ochi’s Lounge), with wonderful guests Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1), Brooke Van Poppelen (brilliant stand-up, writer, and storyteller; blogger for trutV; TLC’s American Chopper, Maxim and Cosmo Radio, So-Low Show; popular blogs NYisretarded.blogspot.com and RockBottom; for stand-up videos about overindulging at 30 and impersonating Morrisey, please click here and here), Pat Stango (co-host off Don’t Touch Me There), Jared Logan (Comedy Central), Yannis Pappas (VH1), and Sam Morrill performing at The Triple Crown Alehouse & Restaurant (330 7th Aveue, between 28th and 29th Streets) at Sean Donnelly’s Lil’ Seany Boy

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($24.78 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): A co-star of FX’s The League headlining at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Stephen Rannazzisi

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($30 & 2-drink min.) A Last Comic Standing finalist who’s made a lasting impression—with three highly popular Comedy Central hour-long specials, and appearances on Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel—headlining at the Gotham Comedy Club: Ralphie May

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): The Emmy Award-winning host of Cash Cab, and a stand-up who’s performed a Comedy Central Presents special, headlining at the Carolines Comedy Club: Ben Bailey

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—and the Cage Match Champion for two years in a row!—genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

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

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

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

10:00 pm ($10 at the door or online): Jena Friedman revives her dark musical comedic parody of the American Girl Dolls, which includes such brilliant talents from the NYC comedy community as Jessica Delfino, Ben Lerman, and Jena herself at Theatre 80 (80 St. Marks Place off 1st Avenue):The Refugee Girls Revue

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): An all-star improv troupe led by brilliant UCBT artistic director Anthony King: Reuben Williams

10:30 pm ($5): Vibrant improv from Nick Kanellis & Peter McNerney (Statues of Liberty) and Leslie Korein as comedy trio Trike

11:00 pm ($5): Sketch comedy duo Julia Morales and Oscar Montoya explore the quest for love inDate Me to Hell

[TOP PICK] 12:00 am ($5): One of UCBT’s most popular shows is Cage Match; and that’s in part because of its wonderful hosts Ben Rodgers and Eric Scott, and the wrestling subplots that go on in between the improv competitions. Tonight the improv is left behind, and a midnight extravaganza devoted to just these sideshow elements explodes onto the stage, featuring at least a half-dozen matches combining sketch comedy and genuine wrestling choreography. For videos of past battles, please click here. As the show description states, “Only 14,000 seats are available, so get your tickets now before the UCBW Arena sells out!” Experience the pre-Halloween bloodbath men call UCBW AutumnSlamn

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Ralphie May headlines tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club

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

7:00 pm ($8): Award-winning improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan make stuff up with “a celebrity guest improvisor’ at Swords

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Comedy dynamo Shannon O’Neill performing her extravaganza about an annual talent show in “Charlie Sheen Prison, the only talent show starring the criminally retarded and insane,” directed by the wonderful Will Hines; plus a loud and mildly amusing sketch show about cops, in the double-bill Prison Freaks: A Talent Show and The Sit Down and Shut Up NYPD Variety Hour

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($24.78 online if you use code PLAYBILL, plus 2-item minimum): A co-star of FX’s The League headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Stephen Rannazzisi

[$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($32.75 & 2-drink min.): The Emmy Award-winning host of Cash Cab, and a stand-up who’s performed a Comedy Central Presents special, headlining tonight through Saturday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Ben Bailey

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): A groundbreaking and surreal improv/sketch troupe performing with new guests each Friday and making a valid complaint: Centralia: We Were Supposed To Have Flying Cars By Now

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($30 & 2-drink min.) A Last Comic Standing finalist who’s made a lasting impression—with three highly popular Comedy Central hour-long specials, and appearances on Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel—headlining tonight and Saturday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Ralphie May

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

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Always fresh and imaginative world-class sketch troupe that uses song, movement, and clever scenarios to turn familiar rituals on their head (for a video about awkward goodbyes at the end of a party, please click here) delivering a brand new collection of sketches titled Ms. Larsen’s Class: The Harvard Sailing Team

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

10:30 pm ($10): Jonathan Gabrus, Sue Galloway, and other fine improvisors make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

11:30 ($5): Improvisors Brigid Boyle, Emily Bryan, Nicole Cascio, Caroline Ficksman, and Alexis Saarela parodying The View in a show self-described as “Hey, Darlings! Come sit down with a cup of coffee (or perhaps a martini) and join the panel of five of New York’s most talkative and opinionated women as they discuss the week’s events, and interview alluring guests from the worlds of literature, politics, comedy, and more. Let’s talk about issues, over drinks!” This show will keep you in Focus

Midnight ($5): Obscure sketch comedy troupes Boat and Pink Axe compete for audience laughs and votes, with troupe Sidecar hosting, in Backyard Brawl

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.