A one-man show by Oliver Chinyere, a former worker on Hillary Clinton’s election campaign, who promises to provide “a behind-the-scenes look at everything that went wrong, including the things that were supposed to go right…Emails! Benghazi! Pussy grabbing! A riveting story which explains how a failed businessman with no political experience became the leader of the Free World:” Unprecedented and Unpresidential: How Hillary Clinton Lost the Election (9:30 pm, $7, The PIT Mainstage at 123 East 24th Street)
More recommendations for the best in New York City comedy tonight (in chronological order, with top picks noted and shows over $10 marked with $) include:
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5; sold out of seats, but you might get in if you show up early and are okay with standing): UCB weekend long form improv groups Higgins, Bucky, The Curfew, and Airwolf perform at the UCB Chelsea theatre hosted by The Stepfathers for this special pre-DCM edition of Harold Night, Part 1
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Broadway, TV, and film star Colin Quinn (Trainwreck, comedy national treasure) hones material for a one-man show at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street): Colin Quinn: Law Abiding Criminals
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm-11:00 pm ($7 for the whole evening): In this 4-hour extravaganza, eight singing & dancing improv groups at The Magnet make up musicals based on audience suggestions: Magnet Musical Megawatt
[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($10): A classic play by Pulitzer & Tony Award-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley is performed by Alexis Di Gregorio, Nicholas Thomas, and George Walsh with direction by Patrick McCartney at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): The Dreamer Examines His Pillow
7:00 pm ($7): Claire Yale (Gypsy Danger), Julie Rosing (Buzz Off, Lucille), and Jenny Bareilles (BBC2, Studio System) perform trio improv at The PIT Underground: Wrecked
[FREE] 7:00 pm: An NYC stand-up tries out material tonight through Wednesday at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ LIC (10-93 Jackson Avenue): Week at the Creek: David Lester
[TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($12 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Some of the finest stand-ups in the country spread among three shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane): Comedy Cellar Tuesday
[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($7): A show focused on dance, movement, and physical comedy for “those of us who fall outside social binaries and the beauty standards of mainstream…dedicated to the weird, the beautiful, the gross, and, ultimately, the human” featuring Sydnee Washington, Alyssa Limperis, Karolena Greenridge, Joe Castle Baker, and Tessa Skara performing at UCB East hosted by Arti Gollapudi: Yourself, Your Body
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($10 plus 2-item food/drink min.): A live taping of a terrific weekly Sirius XM Radio comedy show, with a great lineup of Dave Hill, Ryan Hamilton, Jim Norton, Carmen Lynch, Greg Fitzsimmons, and Paul Morrissey performing stand-up, plus music from Helio Alves and the Come to Papa Trio, all at the Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue) hosted by Tom Papa (host of Jerry Seinfeld-produced NBC comedy The Marriage Ref; numerous appearances on David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno; three Comedy Central specials): Come to Papa
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Phoebe Robinson (Seth Meyers, Last Comic Standing, Broad City, MTV’s Girl Code, Glamour Magazine, podcast Sooo Many White Guys, co-host of 2 Dope Queens), Gary Richardson (brilliant improvisor; Comedy Central), Jaboukie Young-White, and Rachel Pegram perform in “this comedic dissertation that explores the many faces of white allyship through sketch and stand-up” at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street): Rachel Joravsky is the Thirsty White Ally
[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10): Storytellers tell science-related tales at the Seven Year Anniversary of this monthly show at Brooklyn’s Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) hosted by Erin Barker: The Story Collider
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Emmy Blotnick (rising star; staff writer & warm-up comic for Comedy Central’s spectacular The President Show; writer for Comedy Central’s @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV’s Nikki and Sara Live, VH1’s Best Week Ever), Matteo Lane (Seth Meyers, Comedy Central, MTV’s Guy Code & Girl Code), Ramy Youssef (Stephen Colbert), Blair Socci (MTV’s Girl Code and Ladylike), and Nick Chambers perform stand-up at Brooklyn’s Bar Schimmi (54 North 11th Street) hosted by Ryan Reszelbach: Creative Rezistance Comedy
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Comics creators join super-hosts Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler, and Pete LePage in a lively & hilarious discussion about four-color pop culture at the intimate PIT Attic (up the stairs behind the Mainstage), with giveaways of comics and gift certificates: Comic Book Club
8:00 pm ($10): Sketch and improv comics “create a brand new show in only one week, and then perform improvised sketches based off of your suggestions, just like The Second City used to do”—with tonight’s cast including Abbi Crutchfield—at The PIT Mainstage produced & teched by Jane Kehoe and directed by Mark Stetson: Old School Sketch Show
[FREE] 8:00ish pm: Kerry Coddett (The Nightly Show, MTV’s Joking Off, TruTV), Kara Buller (Last Comic Standing), Mookie Thompson, Oscar Aydin, and Gabe Morales perform stand-up at Brooklyn’s Hungry Ghost Cafe/Bar (781 Fulton Street, between Fulton and South Oxford Streets) hosted by Keenan Steiner & Thiago Macklin: Comedy at the Corner
[FREE, plus FREE BEER] 8:00 pm: Enjoy a comfy seat and a free beer while you watch comedy at The Creek’s downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City: Couch Cave Live
[TOP PICK] [$] 8:30 pm ($5 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Jessica Kirson (The Tonight Show, The View, Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Apprentice, HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie’s Gone), Monroe Martin (David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, finalist on Last Comic Standing, MTV), Nimesh Patel (Comedy Central, TruTV; written for Chris Rock hosting the 2016 Oscars; co-host of Broken Comedy), and Jared Freid (TruTV) perform stand-up at The Fat Black Pussycat Lounge (130 West 3rd Street) hosted by Mike Finoia (Producer for TruTV’s Impractical Jokers; host of Jamcast): Hot Seat Comedy Show
[FREE] 8:30 pm (reserve your free spots by clicking here): Typically terrific stand-ups (for the line-up, usually posted by 1:00 pm, please click here) performing at The Irish Exit (978 Second Avenue, off 52nd Street, in the back room) produced every Tuesday by Mark Normand, Matt Ruby, Gary Vider, and Sachi Ezura: Hot Soup
8:30 pm ($7): Southern-born Malorie Cunningham & Kristen Ballard perform duo improv at The PIT Underground: The Dolly Partners
[TOP PICK] 9:00ish pm ($10): Michael Sommerville (David Letterman, Last Comic Standing; hosted TV shows on Starz, Encore, Nickelodeon, FLN), Joe Zimmerman (Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Comedy Central Half Hour, Last Comic Standing), Ali Kolbert (Jimmy Fallon), Avital Ash (indie films Kaleidoscope, Claire, Dark Space, Temps), and more performing stand-up at The Slipper Room (167 Orchard Street) hosted by Seth Herzog (long-time Jimmy Fallon staff comic; NBC’s 30 Rock, Comedy Central’s @midnight, VH1’s Best Week Ever, CBS): Sweet
[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($7): Stellar comics Jo Firestone, Julio Torres, Michael Cruz Kayne, Doug Widdick, and Dave Mzzoni perform characters in this show that asks “Have you ever wondered what it would be like if sister rock band HAIM hosted a comedy show?” at the UCB East theatre hosted by Becky Chicoine, Sudi Green, and Sam Reece: Theme Party
9:00 pm ($7): An improvised game of Dungeons & Dragons at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): The Campaign
[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5; sold out of seats, but you might get in if you show up early and are okay with standing): UCB weekend long form improv groups What I Did For Love, Grandma’s Ashes, Women & Men, and Goat perform at the UCB Chelsea theatre hosted by The Stepfathers for this special pre-DCM edition of Harold Night, Part 2
9:30 pm ($7): Kou Moshtael & Jeremy Pick perform duo sketch comedy at The PIT Underground: Moshpick Live
[FREE] 10:00 pm: A monthly stand-up show that books comics from the same original area (i.e., outside of NYC) to perform long sets at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Trey Galyon: I’m Not From Here
[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): Annie Lederman (Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, @midnight, This is Not Happening; MTV’s Girl Code; Chelsea Lately) and Jared Freid (TruTV) perform club-length sets at the UCB East theatre hosted by Emmy Blotnick (rising star; staff writer & warm-up comic for Comedy Central’s spectacular The President Show; writer for Comedy Central’s @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV’s Nikki and Sara Live, VH1’s Best Week Ever): Big Long Sets
10:30 pm ($7): Improv comedy focused on personal relationships and hosted by a father-daughter duo at The PIT Underground: Daddies Issues
Tuesday Open Mics & Jams
5:00 pm ($5): Two-hour open-mic for 20 stand-ups performing for 5 minutes each, with sign-up online here, at the Stand Up NY Comedy Club (236 West 78th Street): Stand Up NY Open Mic
5:30 pm ($5): Walk-in stand-up open mic at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Giggles & Bits Open Mic
6:00 pm ($5 for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 2 1/2 hours. Arrive 30 minutes before the show to get on the signup sheet. This is a fine opportunity to perform at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club Open Mic
[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open mic for comedy of all types providing 2 minutes for each performer (with sign-up starting at 6:00) at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Tim Unkenholz: Butt Factory
[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: This weekly two-hour open mic storytelling show allows each performer 8 minutes to tell a compelling and funny tale at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Jake Hart and a guest co-host: The Dump
[FREE] 9:00 pm: Weekly open mic for any kind of act (with sign-up starting at 8:30) at Brooklyn’s Little Skips (941 Willoughby Avenue) hosted by Joe Crow Ryan: Tuesday Night Open Mic
10:30 pm ($3): A chance for you to get on stage and improvise with PIT faculty at The PIT Loft (154 West 29th Street): Tuesday After Class: Slow Jam
11:00 pm ($5): Ten stand-ups whose names are drawn from a “golden bowl of destiny” will be given stage time, along with a few invited stand-ups, at The PIT Mainstage hosted by Will Purpura: Bring It
[FREE] 11:00 pm: Weekly walk-in open mic stand-up providing 3 minutes for each comic whose name is pulled from a bucket at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre hosted by Michelle Slonim: Rapid Fire
For many more shows, please click the following links to top NYC comedy venues:
Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling
Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world; especially strong on improv, sketch, solo shows, and one-act comedic plays; shows free-$10)
Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seater; a top comedy venue that focuses more than sister theatre UCB Chelsea on stand-up and screenings, and on experimental shows taking big risks; shows free-$10)
The PIT Striker (Upstairs) Theatre
(123 East 24th Street; 88-seater; a top venue that’s a powerful rival of UCB, and often surpasses UCB when blending comedy with music and/or theatricality; shows free-$20)
The PIT Underground (Downstairs) Theatre
(123 East 24th Street; 40-seater; often more quirky & experimental than upstairs Striker; shows free-$10)
The PIT Loft
(154 West 29th Street; 50-seater; not at the level of its two sister PIT theatres, but evolving; shows free-$10)
The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; strong on improv, musical improv, sketch, and energy; shows $5-$10)
The Creek and the Cave
(Queens’ Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)
Union Hall
(702 Union Street in Brooklyn; R to Union Street; 50-seat theatre; shows $5-$20)
Littlefield
(635 Sackett Street in Brooklyn; R to Union Street; 100-seat theatre; shows $5-$20)
Bell House
(149 7th Street in Brooklyn; R to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Ave.; 200-seat theatre; shows $10-$25)
QED: A Place to Show & Tell
(27-16 23rd Avenue in Astoria Queens; N/Q to Ditmars Boulevard; 40-seat theatre; shows free-$10)
Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs
Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 2-item min.)
Village Underground
(130 West 3rd Street; Comedy Cellar’s larger sister venue, just around the corner with the same top comics; 2-item min.)
The Stand
(239 Third Avenue; recent competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!)
Carolines Comedy Club
(1626 Broadway; focuses on the world’s top headliners, who perform hour-long sets; 2-drink min.)
Gotham Comedy Club
(208 West 23rd Street; headliners on weekends, specialty & lineup shows weekdays; 2-drink min.)
Eastville Comedy Club
(85 East 4th Street; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)
Greenwich Village Comedy Club
(99 MacDougal Street; convenient if Comedy Cellar’s sold out; no cover using code HyReviews; 2-drink min.)
Comic Strip Live
(1568 Second Avenue, off 81st; Upper East Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)
Stand Up NY
(236 West 78th Street, off Broadway; Upper West Side club with typically solid lineups; 2-drink min.)
The Standing Room
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club; no drink min.—support this policy!)
From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: Thank God for Hy Bender’s religiously updated show bible BestNewYorkComedy.com…It must be exhausting keeping that monster of a website alive. It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.
Please feel encouraged to reach out to tell me about comedy shows, submit material to my short story anthology Ghosts on Drugs, or for any other reason by emailing me at hy@hyreviews.com.
Best New York Comedy 