Best New York Comedy

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Sara Benincasa

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] superb stand-ups & comedic storytellers—DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Carolyn Castiglia (Last Comic Standing, VH1; for recent interview, please click here), Rob Lathan (Conan O’Brien, The Colbert Report, MTV, VH1), and many more—telling funny, poignant, and at times unforgettable tales about their relatives at a monthly show hosted by gorgeous rising star Sara Benincasa (CNN, MTV, The Sarah Palin Vlogs): Family Hour (7:00 pm),

an exciting new NYC show developed at Chicago’s legendary iO theatre in which veteran improvisors create a play on the spot based on audience suggestions: New Play (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] star improvisation from writers & performers at 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show who joyously declare Let’s Have a Ball (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] a comedy star (NBC’s Ed, MTV’s The State) headlining tonight and Sunday at Carolines: Michael Ian Black (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

sharp NYC comics at a free stand-up comedy show hosted by star sketch/improv troupe Derrick in Queens’ Long Island City: This Is New York (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] one of my all-time favorite improv troupes—which in 2008 broke the UCBT improv competition record for winning streaks with 17 triumphs in a row, and just a few days ago delivered a magnificent performance to capture the 2009 Cage Match Championship—the brilliant and daring members of Death by Roo Roo (9:00 pm),

organic & energetic improv by the four guys of 4 Track! (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] inventive & hilarious sketch comedy from The Harvard Sailing Team (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] improvised furious action from world-class troupe Reuben Williams (10:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] Ted Greenberg (Emmy-winning David Letterman writer) performing a fun, quick-paced theatrical comedy show—complete with audience rides home!—at The Complete Performer (10:30 pm),

and a comedy game show about life and trivia: Are You Paying Attention? (midnight).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Leslie Goshko

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

five stand-up comics, including hosts Mike Drucker and John Knefel, each explaining why he’s an atheist while making you laugh at (D)evangelical Comedy (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] rising star Charlie Sanders performing one of the most vibrant and hilarious autobiographical shows you’ll ever see, plus sharp sketch comedy duo Greg & Lou debuting a show about an art heist, in the double-bill Minnesota Muslim and Grand Theft Auto…Oh (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a comedy star (NBC’s Ed, MTV’s The State) headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Michael Ian Black (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

acclaimed theatre writers gather to create 10-minute odes to a pop star—who tonight is Phil Collins—in the new show The Downtown Superstar Ten Minute Hour (8:00 pm),

stand-up comedy at a gay-themed show hosted by Jenny Rubin: The Back Room (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),

a groundbreaking and surreal improv troupe tackling our new hard times in Centralia: The Really Great Depression (9:30 pm),

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

[TOP PICK] a blow-out line-up—including Jessica Delfino (brilliant comedic singer/songwriter and YouTube star), Sara Benincasa (breakout star of the Sarah Palin vlogs; MTV, CNN, host of Family Hour), Adam Wade (world-class storyteller and Moth GrandSlam Champion), Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Dan Allen (Comedy Central), and David Cope (Sweet Haven)—for the debut of a show hosted by Leslie Goshko (Manhattan Monologue Champion) for which stellar comics and storytellers reveal odd aspects of themselves in a carnival atmosphere (complete with accordion player and alcoholic audience prizes): Sideshow Goshko (11:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] some of the sharpest and funniest comics in New York—Dave Hill, Curtis Gwinn, Chris Gethard, Anthony Atamanuik, Joe Mande, Noah Garfinkel, Donald Glover, and Matt Chipman—tell personal stories about a delicate subject: The Shits of Our Lives (11:00 pm),

odd and unsettling dark comedy from sketch troupe Murderfist (11:00 pm),

five women performing an improvised, and possibly tipsy, parody of The View at Focus (11:30 pm),

and a free opportunity for you to perform improv with UCBT veterans at Jammin’ with Ralph (11:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Death by Roo Roo

vs.

The Stepfathers

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] superb comedic actress Amanda Duarte performing a one-woman show about working in the entertainment biz: Lucky Pink Wonderland (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a comedy star (NBC’s Ed, MTV’s The State) headlining tonight through Sunday at Carolines: Michael Ian Black (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] Ann Carr doing a one-woman show about the crap New York actresses endure, and Rob Cuthill and Hallie Haglund performing sketch comedy as two Kansas actors trying to make it in the Big Apple, in the double-bill Use It and Catch a Rising Star(s) (8:00 pm),

acclaimed theatre writers gather to create 10-minute odes to a pop star—who tonight is Phil Collins—in the new show The Downtown Superstar Ten Minute Hour (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] superb stand-ups DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central), Colin Jost (Saturday Night Live), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, VH1), Todd Levin (Comedy Central, The Onion) and David Cope at a free weekly Brooklyn show hosted by Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific (8:00ish pm),

[TOP PICK] the debut of Scott Bateman’s animated version of an infamously dreadful 1960 sci-fi feature film: Atom Age Vampire (9:30 pm),

a very popular comedy site’s talents coming out from behind the Net tonight, accompanied by sharp NYC comics Kumail Nanjiani, Roger Hailes, Amy Schumer, and Justin Kredible, at CollegeHumor.com, Live on Stage (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and two of the finest improv troupes in the country, Death by Roo Roo and The Stepfathers, battling for the title of 2009 Champion in this season’s electrifying final competition for audience laughs & votes at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Zach Galifianakis

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, who tonight include Alice Wetterlund, Jeff Ragsdale, Mike Recine, Dave Celestian, Cory Jarvis, Matteson Perry, Aalap Patel, and John Morrison.—at John Morrison’s Broadway Motel (6:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] comics journalist Heidi MacDonald (Publishers Weekly: The Beat) and comics writer Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man, Mighty Avengers) joining in on a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),

three full hours of improv for only five bucks—tonight featuring UCBT house troupes Bangs, The Scam, The Law Firm, Bastian, and Ragnaröck—at Harold Night (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] and genius comic & TV/movie star Zach Galifianakis (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Comedians of Comedy), genius dark comedy stand-up Anthony Jeselnik (Conan O’Brien, HBO, NBC, Comedy Central), rising star Kumail Nanjiani (SNL, The Colbert Report), and Michael Terry (Party Central USA, Comedy Central) at the wonderful Seth Herzog’s Sweet (9:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Sandy Rustin

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, tonight including Jackie Monahan, Margie Kment, Claudia Cogan, Emily Epstein, Becky Ciletti, Lisa Kaplan, Alice Wetterlund, Mark Normand, RG Daniels, Luke Cunningham, Mike Lawrence, Sean Donnelly, Blaine Perry, Aalap Patel, Matteson Perry, and John Morrison—at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] luminous Broadway actors including Tony nominee Jonathan Kaplan, Jenn Gambatese, and Sandy Rustin mixing it up with brilliant improvisors such as Michael Delaney and Anthony King as they crash improv into classic theatre scenes at Gravid Water (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] star stand-up comic Marc Maron (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, HBO, Comedy Central), genius comedy writer Brian Kiley (staffer on Late Night with Conan O’Brien since 1994), and more at Liam McEneaney’s free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

stand-ups Luke Cunningham (The Colbert Report) and Dan Mahoney (Rooftop Comedy), sketch comedy duo The Money Kids (Lauren Lapkus & Candy Lawrence), musical group The Young Dads, and singer/songwriter Andrew Thompson performing at a free weekly variety show in Brooklyn hosted by the razor-sharp Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender (8:30 pm),

two ace Chicago-trained improvisors, Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report) and John Lutz (writer/actor for Saturday Night Live since 2004; 30 Rock), making up scenes as 2 Square (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest comics in the country—tonight maybe including comedy genius and TV/movie star Zach Galifianakis (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Comedians of Comedy), plus AD Miles (Conan O’Brien, Saturday Night Live, Human Giant, Reno 911, Stella), Tony Camin (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), Josh Fadem (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion)—hosted by the wonderful Leo Allen (Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central) at Whiplash (11:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

The Improvised Shakespeare Co.

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] UCBT’s playground for celebrities and ace improvisors, ASSSSCAT 3000 (paid show at 7:30 pm, free show at 9:30 pm),

Michael Somerville (Comedy Central, VH1, Starz), Dan Allen (Comedy Central) , and more at the Comix Comedy Club’s new inexpensive weekly stand-up show Five for $5 (7:30 pm),

typically stellar stand-ups at what’s often among the funniest free productions in NYC from hosts Greg Johnson and Jacqueline Novak: President Johnson (8:00 pm),

DJ Hazard (American Misfits, When Stand-Up Stood Out), Ross Hyzer (23/6.com), Mara Herron (The Lighthouse), David Cope (Sweet Haven), and Sharon “Mama” Spell (Shrink) at RG Daniels’ free Sunday Night Stand-Up (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] razor-sharp improvisors making up plays on the spot using the language and themes of the Bard: Improvised Shakespeare (9:00 pm),

and a “United Nations” night of stand-ups, including Robert Keller (Canadian, Here! TV), Diana Saez (Mexican, Sirius Radio), and Becky Donohue (Irish/Cuban, Comedy Central), at a free gay-themed show hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour (1o:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

The Whitest Kids U' Know

Tonight’s recommendations for the best in New York City comedy (in chronological order, with top picks marked by brackets) include:

[TOP PICK] genius guest comics Anthony Jeselnik (Conan O’Brien, HBO, NBC, Comedy Central) and Dave Hill (HBO, VH1, Spike TV, The New York Times), plus regulars including Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1), joining in on occasionally uncomfortable comedy hosted by Blaine Perry & Pat Stango: Don’t Touch Me There (7:30 pm),

fine NYC stand-ups joining delightful hosts Jackie Monahan, Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, and Gloria Bigelow at Dykes on Mics (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] rising star Charlie Sanders performing one of the most vibrant and hilarious autobiographical shows you’ll ever see, plus sharp sketch comedy duo Greg & Lou debuting a show about an art heist, in the double-bill Minnesota Muslim and Grand Theft Auto…Oh (8:00 pm),

stand-ups Jessica Halem, Scott Ryan, Chantal, Jason Saft, and more at a gay-themed comedy show hosted by Jenny Rubin: The Back Room (9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] some of the finest improv in NYC from the comedy genius members of The Stepfathers (9:30 pm),

a groundbreaking and surreal improv troupe tackling our new hard times in Centralia: The Really Great Depression (9:30 pm),

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

a star sketch comedy troupe—with a popular TV series on IFC—performing tonight and Saturday live on stage at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: The Whitest Kids U’ Know (10:30 pm),

and a free opportunity for you to perform sketch on the UCBT stage at Liquid Courage (12:20ish am).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.