Best New York Comedy

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Tracy Morgan continues his headlining NYC run tonight and Sunday at Carolines

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 including one drink; reservations via calling Cornelia Street Cafe at 212.989.9319 highly recommended): Four world-class writer/performers tell personal stories. Three of them are true…but one is a pack of lies. Then the audience asks questions to try to figure out who’s fibbing. Tonight’s yarn-spinners are Faye Lane (thoroughly delightful storyteller who’s about to perform her acclaimed show Beauty Shop Stories at this year’s FringeNYC), Cormac Barrett (Last Comic Standing), Robert Hurst (Moth Champion), and Ryan Britt (Nerve.com), plus wonderful host Andy Christie (The New York Times, Moth GrandSlam Champion) at The Liar Show

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm & Midnight ($60 & 2-drink min.): A co-star of 30 Rock who’s one of the most hilarious guys in the biz headlining tonight and Sunday at Carolines: Tracy Morgan

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm (no cover, 1-item min.): Blow-out Second Anniversary show, with some of the finest stand-ups in the country—Hannibal Buress (Variety’s 2010 Top 10 Comics to Watch; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson, George Lopez; 2010 ECNY Award for Best Male Stand-Up), Christian Finnegan (three Comedy Central specials, commentator on MNBC’s Countdown with Keith Oberman and VH1’s Best Week Ever; Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Funny or Die, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Pat Stango (co-host of Don’t Touch Me There), Nate Bargatze (Conan O’Brien), and Mike Recine; plus brilliant comedic singer/songwriter Shayna Ferm—all performing in Ochi’s Lounge at Lil’ Seany Boy

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisor Christina Gausas and friends she originally made in Chicago—which include writers & performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, and The Daily Show—plus a rotating cast of stellar visitors, all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): True tales of being a losing contestant on a TV game show, from sharp comics Margot Leitman (The Price is Right), Eliot Glazer (Wheel of Fortune), Andy Ross (Who Wants to be a Millionaire), Glennis McMurray (Chain Reaction), and Rob Lathan (America’s Got Talent), all performing at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for a show devoted to stories of being turned down—Jon Friedman’s wonderful The Rejection Show

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($36.66 online if you use code VIPJULY, plus 2-item minimum): A star from In Living Color who Comedy Central named one of the 100 greatest stand-ups headlining tonight and Saturday at the elegant Comix Comedy Club: David Alan Grier

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm Tuesday-Saturday ($29.50 online or at the box office using discount code PPBBOX through July 24th): This is a show for which I have enormous affection; although my joy came from not just watching what occurred on stage, but the faces of the women in the audience turning stonier and stonier as they visibly projected the thought, “Dick tricks? This entire show really consists of dick tricks? All my suspicions about men have just been confirmed…” If you cherish bravery in performers, go forth to the 45 Bleecker Theatre (right next to the #6 subway’s Bleecker Street stop) and experience Puppetry of The Penis

[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 ($5): 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] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15 online using discount code IMPROV): Chicago-based TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi are widely considered among the finest long-form improvisors alive. Just by feeling their way through moment by moment, they create one-hour tales that most authors couldn’t match with months of labored writing. Tonight is the second of their four-evening run—through this Monday—at The Barrow Street Theatre: TJ & Dave

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

[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

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.