Best New York Comedy

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

Kevin Pollak

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:

sharp stand-ups Desiree Burch (VH1’s Best Night Ever, one-woman show 52 Man Pickup), Jiwon Li (Comedy Central, NBC, AMC, ESPN, Air America), Dan Hirshon (Boston Comedy Festival), and more at Calvin S. Cato’s show for our current economy: Nouveau Poor (7:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] a movie star demonstrating he’s also a top stand-up comic and killer funny impersonator in a deliciously long set tonight and Saturday: Kevin Pollak Headlining at Carolines (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

[TOP PICK] one of the most razor-sharp and uproariously funny storytellers in the country performing a one-man show that should not be missed: Chris Gethard’s Magic Box of Stories (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] clever wordplay, conceptual comedy, and relentless silliness—in an all-new show based around the already-goofy film Con Air—from sketch troupe Elephant Larry (8:00 pm),

[TOP PICK] [$] brilliant stand-ups—who also happen to be staff writers for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon—Anthony Jeselnik (one of the finest comics in the biz; HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Morgan Murphy (former staff writer for Jimmy Kimmel and Crank Yankers), and more at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: Writers of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (8:00 pm & 10:30 pm),

brilliant comedic storyteller Ophira Eisenberg (Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime), Margartet Dodge (drummer for Manson Family Singers), Danny Leary (MTV, here! TV), 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),

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

odd and unsettling dark comedy from—for better or worse—one of the most fearless sketch troupes in New York: Murderfist (11:00 pm),

Derrick hosting two sketch comedy troupes, Bleak! Comedy and Geek Dreams, competing for audience laugh & votes at Backyard Brawl (11:00 pm),

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

[FREE] a free opportunity for you to perform improv with UCBT veterans at Jammin’ with Ralph (12:20ish am).

[$] 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: Paul Mooney (12:30 am).

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.