Best New York Comedy

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

The fourth largest annual cultural event in NYC, attracting over 96,000 people, New York Comic Con is sold out for every day except TODAY, for which tickets are still available at $45. There will be tons of events about comics, TV, movies, and more, with panelists including such NYC comedy stars as Jessi Klein and Kevin Maher. To learn more, please click the image above.

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:

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups start at 5:30 pm) at The Creekupstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine and Annie Lederman: The Shinebox

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Some of The Magnet’s finest comics—including the brilliant and delightful Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at last year’s FringeNYC)—team up with Magnet co-owner Armando Diaz to deliver sketch comedy in Good Morning, Ladies!

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($18): Tom X. Chao has a wry, deadpan sense of humor that graces indie theatre only occasionally. This weekend is among those rare times when Tom is performing one of his oddball comedic shows—which has received a glowing review from The New York Times—at the HERE Arts Center, 145 Sixth Avenue—co-starring Tom and directed by the wonderful John Harlacher: Callous Cad

7:00 pm ($5): At this PIT double-bill, award-winning improv duo Lucas Kavner and Bradford Jordan make stuff up with “a celebrity guest improvisor’ at Swords, while all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Selena Coppock (author of upcoming book The New Rules for Blondes), John Moses (Sirius XM Radio), Josh Carter (College Humor), Joe Machi, and Monroe Martin performing stand-up at Beauty Bar (231 East 14th Street) at this biweekly show hosted by Peter Ostrovski & Ilya Gofshteyn: Beautiful Comedy

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): In one of the best scripted ensemble shows to grace UCB West for some time, troupe Stone Cold Fox performs hilarious parodies of off-off-Broadway theatre, as well as some of the very best sketches it’s crafted over the years, in a tight hour-long show directed by comedy genius Neil Casey (who, after also recently directing stellar one-person shows by Kate McKinnon and Mike Still, apparently can do no wrong), featuring delightful performances by Fran Gillespie, Molly Lloyd, D’Arcy Carden (watch for these three gals playing existential Truth or Dare), John Murray, Nate Smith, Brandon Scott Jones, and Jonathan Fernandez, and the writing of Leila Cohan-Miccio, Evan Greenspoon, Brandon Gulya, Matt Hunziker, Owen Parsons, and Michael Trapp: Stone Cold Fox: This Is Not Art

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Sharp improvisors at UCB East—tonight featuring guests Connor Ratliff (The Stepfathers) and/or Ben Rameaka (Airwolf)—making up a musical on the spot: Diamond Lion

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.)  A star stand-up who’s done half-hour comedy specials for HBO, Comedy Central, and Showtime; was a regular on Comedy Central’sTough Crowd with Colin Quinn and cast member on FOX’s The Jury; appeared repeatedly on Late Night with Conan O’Brien; and guest starred on such TV shows as NBC’s The Office and FOX’sArrested Development, headlining through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Patrice Oneal

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($20 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BOOK): Telly Savalas returns to life to entertain you and provide life guidance in this 50-minute show that was a hit at FringeNYC 2011 and is now enjoying an open-ended Friday night run at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club. The script is at times very smart, especially in its choices of hilarious video clips and music tracks from the real Savalas…who, in his more intense moments, apparently rivaled William Shatner at his silliest. But even when Hunter Nelson’s writing isn’t consistent, actor Tom DiMenna—who is a professional comic with great timing and skill at engaging an audience—will keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

8:00 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Leo Allen (former writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central Presents, Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Funny or Die, director/co-writer of Comedy Central’s Jon Benjamin Has a Van, host of top NYC comedy show Whiplash), Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View), Clayton Carrick-Leslie (visiting from New Zealand), Amaya Perea (visiting from LA), and Miguel Dalmau performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Postmark Cafe (326 6th Street) hosted by  Abbi Crutchfield & Luke: The Living Room

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Eight small improv teams compete as part of a 32-team tournament at The Creekupstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by James Ferrarella: The Arena Small Team Tournament, Round 2

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that’s first come, first serve (sign-ups start at 7:30 pm), with each comic getting five minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:30 pm: Sara Schaefer (inventive, luminous comic; Emmy-nominated staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of hit podcast You Had to Be There), Pat Stango, Kate Hendricks, Robert Dean, Greg Stone, and “a very special guest” performing stand-up at One and One (76 East 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) in celebration of Sean’s wife’s birthday at Sean Donnelly’s Lil’ Seany Boy: Mariel Birthday Edition

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($7): Ace Magnet improvisors who are married, including improv genius Ed Herbstman, and Matt Fisher, Matt Evans, Christine Walters, Maggie Kemper, Robert Cuthill, Ryan Rodgers, Christian Paluck, and Michele Laikowski: The Mamas and the Papas

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from UCB West’s all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): “WitStream is your 24-hour live comedy ticker. An endless flow of up-to-the-minute comedy and commentary delivered to you in real time: what’s funny about what’s happening, now.” Tonight’s scheduled contributors are Dave Hill, Matt McCarthy, Sam Grittner, Julia Segal, and Bridey Elliot performing at UCB East, plus lines typed remotely from other stellar comics: WitStream Live

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 pm & 11:00 pm (FREE TICKETS if you reserve in advance by calling (212) 260-2445 and mention HyReviews.com, but there’s still a 2-drink min. per person): Ted Alexandro (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; frequently opens for Louis C.K.) and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:30 pm ($10): Sketch comedy from Jen Curran (Harvard Sailing Team) Clayton Early (Harvard Sailing Team), and Chris Roberti (New Excitement) at The PIT upstairs theatre, plus stand-up, music, and more: The Monster Show

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($15): Nerds team up with artistic strippers in “this sexy symposium that will settle a feud that has raged since the Golden Age of Comics: Which is superior, DC or Marvel? Arguing on behalf of Team Marvel will be nerd rapper Schaffer the Darklord and his team of marvelous maidens Lefty Lucy, BB Heart, Mary Cyn and Fem Appeal. Leading the arguments for Team DC will be vaudevillian Nelson Lugo with evidence provided by DC darlings Iris Explosion, Magdalena Fox, Victoria Privates, and Cherry Pitz (stellar storyteller Cyndi Freeman). The winner will be determined by your vote. In addition, we’ll have a raffle drawing, and stage a contest for the best-costumed audience member. Think Geek!” The extravaganza will happen at tonight and Saturday at The Tank Theater at TADA (15 West 28th Street, between Broadway & Fifth Avenue): Epic Win Burlesque Presents DC vs Marvel

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: “Improv comedy that’s all like, ‘Have you been drinking tonight, sir?’ but then is all like, ‘Lemme get a sip'” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Teenage Cop

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Jon Gabrus, Nate Lang, Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Fran Gillespie Sue Galloway, and other superb improvisors at UCB West making up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Stellar talents who are comics fans perform monologues and other bits at a show that will appear at this Saturday’s New York Comic Con at 11:00 am, but that for night owls is first happening at The PIT upstairs theatre: The Nedalogues

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Jessi Klein (fresh, unique, deliciously organic comic who’s one of the best stand-ups in the country; staff writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, CNN, Adult Swim), Dan Chamberlain, and troupe Moonfight performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D’Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($5): Before this Magnet show, audience members may anonymously submit written confessions, secrets, rants, advice and opinions which will be used onstage by the improvisors—who include such talents as Laura Grey (stellar old-time radio style theatrical podcast Horrorgasm, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups do sets “and then have a discussion about what’s going on in the world and the mysteries of life” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Chris Laker: The Show

Midnight ($5): Sketch comedy troupes Hammerkatz NYU competing with a typically obscure sketch troupe (I don’t know why, that’s just how this show is done) for audience laughs and votes at UCB West, with troupe Sidecar hosting: Backyard Brawl

[$] 12:30 am ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) 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 through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: Paul Mooney

 For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

If you know anyone who might have a thyroid problem, please tell them about my latest book: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease.