Best New York Comedy

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Sara Benincasa debuts a show featuring her favorite short and/or curly-haired comics

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] a world-class sketch troupe specializing in physical comedy and music: Drop Six (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] superb stand-ups Joe DeRosa (Comedy Central Presents, HBO), Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents), Roger Hailes (Comedy Central, Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV), Jacqueline Novak (President Johnson, Comedy Central Live Tour), Mark Normand (We’re All Friends Here), and more at Sean Donnelly’s Lil’ Seany Boy (7:00 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),

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),

[$] [DISCOUNTED] lovely & witty Cathleen Carr & Daiva Deupree turning life’s darkness into comedy as Two Girls for Five Bucks (8:00 pm),

[$] a sharp, likeable comedy star who hosted a political comedy show on CNN, starred in an ABC/UPN sitcom, and was one of the Original Kings of Comedy, headlining at Carolines through Sunday: D.L. Hughley (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

[$] comedy club lineups that tonight include one of the most brilliant & hilarious rising stars in New York: Anthony Jeselnik and More at Comedy Cellar (8:00 pm & 9:45 pm & 11:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] Sara Benincasa hosting a show of gals who are diminutive and/or have memorable hair—including brilliant singer/songwriter Adira Amram, 2009 ECNY Award winner Diana Saez, Liz Miele, Rachael Parenta, Maria Shehata, and Eliza Faria-Santos—at Short & Curlies (8:00 pm),

[FREE] 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 recently 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] [DISCOUNTED] a musical made up on the spot from magical Chicago improv group Baby Wants Candy (10:30 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),

physical sketch comedy in the form of comedic wrestling at the raucous WrestleSlamMania IV (midnight),

[$] and a provocative comedy star who’s written for Richard Pryor, Red Foxx, and Saturday Night Live, and performed on Chappelle’s Show and David Letterman, headlining at Carolines through Sunday: Paul Mooney (12:30 am).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Margie Kment

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] an hour-long play made up on the spot by razor-sharp, passionate improvisors Scott Adsit (30 Rock, Moral Oral) and Christina Gausas (Conan O’Brien, The Colbert Report) at Adsit & Gausas (7:00 pm),

five free hours of improvisation in The PIT’s Super Free Wednesday (7:00 pm-midnight),

[TOP PICK] Dan Naturman (Comedy Central, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien), Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1, CNN, Stripped Stories), Rob Gorden (The Onion, Spike TV, Food Network), Pat O’Shea (The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Joke Writing), Diana Saez (CNN, winner of 2009 ECNY Award for Best Short Film), live accordion music by Michelle Leona, and a quiz for free booze, at a show hosted by the vivacious and razor-sharp Leslie Goshko (Manhattan Monologue Champion) in which top comics and storytellers reveal odd aspects of themselves: Sideshow Goshko (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] eight stellar storytellers trying to fool the audience, ably abetted by host Andy Christie (The New York Times) at The Liar Show (8:00 pm),

[FREE] sharp stand-ups Joe Mande, Michelle Collins, Jena Friedman, and Julian McCullough at at a free weekly Brooklyn extravaganza hosted by Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate, and Max Silvestri: Big Terrific (8:00ish pm),

[FREE] fine stand-ups Carmen Lynch, Ali Wong, Dan Fontaine, Andy Hendrickson, Fariaz, and Judy Ortiz. at the free Shrink (8:00 pm),

stellar comic Patrick Borelli (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central) showcasing mostly terrible performers from his humor book on aspiring actors and their primary marketing tool: Holy Headshot! (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] a wonderful networking event mixing folks from the NYC theatre and comedy scenes—plus intense free homemade chocolate chip cookies that have come to be known as “Stoner Cookies”—followed by a full-blown comedy show with terrific stand-ups Jared Logan (Comedy Central), Jena Friedman (Entertaining the Bartender), Jamie Lee (Diamonds In The Fluff), and Brent Sullivan, plus sketch troupe The Impending Moustache—hosted by lovely & hilarious stand-up and cookie baker Margie Kment at Hold for the Laughs (9:30 pm party/networking/cookies, 10:00 pm show),

[TOP PICK] typically stellar stand-up comics who perform their sets but are periodically interrupted by the host—one of the funniest men on the planet, Doug Benson—at a very special show called The Benson Interruption (9:30 pm).

[TOP PICK] and a free, laid-back, and occasionally magical variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).

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 noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison’s Broadway Motel (6:00 pm),

comedians getting rid of their stuff by telling tales about the items and then selling to the highest bidder—with tonight’s comics including Jamie Lee, Blaine Perry, Jon Lang, and Lisa Levy—at the way fun Auction! (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] Kumail Nanjiani (2009 ECNY Awards for Best Male Stand-Up and Best One-Person Show; Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, Game Bros. Live!) and F.J. DeSanto (co-producer of the controversial feature film The Spirit) 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 improvisors getting increasingly drunk for St. Patrick’s Day—at O’Harold Night (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] comedy genius & TV/movie star Zach Galifianakis (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Comedians of Comedy), and other stellar comics performing at this spectacular free show hosted by brilliant stand-ups Jessi Klein (Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim) and Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1’s Best Week Ever, The New Yorker): Punch Up Your Life (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] David Wain (MTV’s The State, legendary comedy group Stella), Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show), Matt Higgins (Comedy Central, improv troupes Burn Manhattan and Centralia), Jiwon Li (Comedy Central, NBC, AMC, ESPN, Air America, ImaginAsian TV), and more at the wonderful Seth Herzog’s Sweet (9:00 pm),

[$] [DISCOUNTED] and hilarious star stand-up Judah Friedlander (cast member on smash hit sitcom 30 Rock; Jay Leno, HBO, VH1, MTV), plus Nate Bargatze (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central) and other sharp comics performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Judah Friedlander and More at Eastville (9:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Ali Wong

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:

the perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set and 25 comics crammed into 2½ hours, at John Morrison’s Ochi’s Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Victor Varnado (Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, NBC, Adult Swim), Kumail Nanjiani (2009 ECNY Awards for Best Male Stand-Up and Best One-Person Show; Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report), Jessica Delfino (brilliantly funny and stunning writer/singer), Laurie Kilmartin (Comedy Central, VH1, Jimmy Kimmel), and more at Liam McEneaney’s free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Timmy Williams (member of star comedy group Whitest Kids U’ Know), Ben Lerman (hilarious, razor-sharp singer/songwriter), Andres du Bouchet (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, FOX’s Talkshow with Spike Feresten), Ali Wong (The Onion), and more performing at a free weekly variety show in Brooklyn hosted by the razor-sharp Jena Friedman: Entertaining the Bartender (8:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] an entirely improvised musical from genius improv duo Eliza Skinner and Glennis McMurray, and an improvised soap opera, in the double-bill I Eat Pandas and Hot Lather: As the Diamond Burns (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] [FREE] and a free weekly show featuring some of the finest comics in the country—who tonight include as guest-hosts magical comedy duo Kristen Schaal (The Daily Show, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords) & Kurt Braunohler (Penelope, Princess of Pets; 2008 ECNY Award for Best Director), plus guests Kumail Nanjiani (2009 ECNY Awards for Best Male Stand-Up and Best One-Person Show; Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report) and Noah Garfinkel (Totally J/K)—at Whiplash (11:00 pm).]

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Derrick, which just won the ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Group

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] 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),

[$] a frequent comedic commentator on Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1’s Best Week Ever headlining at Comix: Christian Finnegan (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

[$] two comedy giants as part of tonight’s lineup at Stand Up NY: Marc Maron and Todd Barry (8:00 pm),

stand-ups including Allison Castillo (Comedy Central) and Danny Leary (here! TV’s Hot Gay Comics) 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),

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

[TOP PICK] a sketch show (with some improv thrown in) that just won its superb stars the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Sketch Comedy Group: Derrick (11:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] and UCBT’s free monthly open-mic stand-up show, where deliciously odd things tend to happen around 1:30 am, hosted by lightning-quick & hilarious Pete Holmes (Comedy Central, VH1; one of the finest comics in the country) at Gutbucket (12:20ish am).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Story Pirates After Dark

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] [$] a highly acclaimed theatrical comedy troupe that stages tales written by NYC schoolchildren after enhancing the details with adult content: Story Pirates After Dark (7:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] fearless and hilarious sketch comedy performer Alicia Levy performing her new one-woman show Red Carpet Ride (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] superb comics Seth Herzog and Baron Vaughn joining the fresh, sexy, and razor-sharp gals of Variety Shac (9:30 pm),

[$] The Chosen Chicks declaring “Faster, Pussycat! Kvetch! Kvetch!” at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad (9:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] and two superb improv troupes, The Stepfathers and Secret Promise Circle, competing for audience laughs & votes at the raucous Cage Match (11:00 pm).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.