NYC Top Comedy Choices for June 2019: Last Updated Thursday 6/27

June 27, 2019

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Please note that these listings are updated frequently. The best way to be instantly notified about new show postings is to subscribe to this BestNewYorkComedy.com blog and allow for email notifications. Other ways to keep up are to follow me on Twitter (@hybender) or Instagram (@hybenderny), and/or to visit the desktop version of this site at HyReviews.com.

In addition, you can use the links below to explore the schedules of all the major comedy venues in NYC; and you can find excellent live comedy recommendations weekly via The New York Times.

That said, my top NYC comedy recommendations for June (and July) 2019, with more to come soon, include:

Anthony Jeselnick interviewed by Colin Quinn at 92nd Street YThursday 6/27: Anthony Jeselnik is one of the greatest stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic starred in Comedy Central’s The Jeselnik Offensive, is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, his great comedy albums Shakespeare and Caligula, and his Netflix specials Thoughts and Prayers and Fire in the Maternity Ward. Tonight Anthony is being interviewed by another comedy icon, movie/TV/Broadway star Colin Quinn, for an event so cool I bought a ticket myself (have already set my recorder for the second night of Dem debates; highlights of the first night were Elizabeth Warren showing why she’s a star, and Lawrence O’Donnell yelling at Donny Deutsch on MSNBC…): Anthony Jeselnik in Conversation with Colin Quinn (7:30 pm, $35 at the door or $40 online, 92nd Street Y’s Buttenwieser Hall at 1395 Lexington Avenue, between 91st and 92nd Streets)

A League of Their OwnThursday 6/27: Eight performers from the Ten Bones Theatre Company attempt to recreate the 1992 classic baseball movie A League of Their Own, with each comic using only what he or she can remember from seeing the movie just once the previous week. To add to the fun are a few rules: “Performers must incorporate lines written by the audience; performers must incorporate any sound effect played by the tech booth; one lucky audience member will be given a bell that they can ring three times—once rung, the actors must create a scene that has no business being in A League of Their Own but makes perfect sense given where they are in the story:” A League of Their Own…Entirely From Memory (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn’s Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Emily Flake & Ophira Eisenberg:Sunday 6/30: Comics who are parents vent by telling mean stories about their children (and guest comics who aren’t revel in their freedom), with tonight’s cruel jokesters Beth Newell (co-founder and editor of Reductress; written for The New Yorker, The Onion, McSweeney’s; host of We Knows Parenting podcast), Kate Tellers (staff host and writer for The Moth; host of I’m Still Here podcast about making art after having children), Seth Herzog (long-time staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, @midnight, CBS, VH1; host of Sweet), Abby Sher (author of Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn’t Stop Praying (Among Other Things) and Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery; The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Elle), Hollie Harper (playwright & filmmaker; solo show American Candy), and Raquel D’Apice (Bust Magazine), hosted by the wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; host of weekly NPR/WNYC show Ask Me Another,” author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy,” comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime) and Emily Flake (star cartoonist for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Time, Forbes, etc.; author of books Mama Tried, Lulu Eightball, and These Things Ain’t Gonna Smoke Themselves): Shitshow (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Dan St. GermainMonday 7/1: This superb weekly stand-up show’s hosts Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (co-star of HBO’s Crashing, Netflix’s Master of None, and Comedy Central’s Corporate), and/or Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo’s Star Talk) welcome guests Dan St. Germain (above; Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien, John Oliver, Comedy Central Half Hour, Crashing, @midnight, This is Not Happening, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1; former staff writer for CBS’ Superior Donuts, Netflix’s The Break with Michelle Wolf, and TruTV’s Ten Things; album No Real Winners Here), Joel Kim Booster (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special, Billy on the Street; for Joel’s Conan set, please click here), Alingon Mitra (Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Last Comic Standing), Del Harrison, and more: Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Punderdome 3000Tuesday 7/2: A raucous monthly pun competition hosted by Fred Firestone (co-author with Jo Firestone of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), with 18 audience members (a dozen sign-ups and six returning champions) fiercely competing for wordplay dominance—and the chance to become an instant star based on verbal cleverness, and the ability to drum up the most applause from a packed and loudly cheering crowd. Come celebrate the 100th installment of this wildly successful monthly show: Punderdome 3000: One Hundredth Show! (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn’s Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street—take R subway to Union Street; show up early to nab a seat—doors open at 7:00—or plan on standing)

Alice SneddenWednesday 7/3: Australian stand-up Alice Snedden performs a rare NYC show. Get a sense of Alice’s work here, and then come experience something different at Alice Snedden Does a Show in New York (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Q.E.D&DWednesday 7/3: A guest comic, two audience members selected on the spot, and hosts Glen & Wade play a game of Dungeons & Dragons “as a multimedia epic, with music, visual guides, drinking games, and a stand-up comedy set that will be woven into the story:” Q.E.D&D (7:30 pm, $8, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show &f Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Independence DayWednesday 7/3: Roland Emmerich’s & Dean Devlin’s 1996 film Independence Day is actually quite entertaining—and also a milestone in the history of Hollywood blockbusters (it was the highest-grossing movie of its year). That said, there’s plenty about it to make fun of. Tonight it’ll be screened and mercilessly skewered by comics Christian Finnegan (creator & co-host of A&E’s Black and White; co-star of TBS’ Are We There Yet?; Conan O’Brien; three Comedy Central specials, Netflix special The Fun Part; TBS, VH1, MSNBC, Chappelle’s Show, The Today Show), Brian McGuinness (Inside Amy Schumer, co-host of Retro Bits, Playable Characters podcast), and more TBA: Their cruelty will be contrasted by exceptionally kind host Chris Gersbeck (co-host of Soft Core!, which is essentially a porn version of this show, and Bunk Bed Time Open Mic): Movies R Dumb: Independence Day (10:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Soft Core!Friday 7/5: Host Chris Gersbeck screens a “cheesy” porn movie and comics TBA (who will probably include Jenn Wehrung, this show’s producer) riff on it MST3K-style: Soft Core! (11:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Oh Scuh a Huge Show Oh!Saturday 7/6: Killer lineup of Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of Super Bowl 2019 commercial, Comedy Central’s Corporate, and HBO’s Crashing; also performed on HBO’s 2 Dope Queens, Netflix’s Master of None and The Standups, TBS’ Conan O’Brien, and Comedy Central’s @Midnight and Half Hour; former writer for Seth Meyers; comedy album Just Putting It Out There), Josh Gondelman (one of the sharpest comics in the country; writer/producer for Showtime’s Desus & Mero; previously Emmy & Peabody Award-winning writer/producer for HBO’s phenom Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Conan O’Brien, The New Yorker; stand-up albums Dancing On a Weeknight and Physical Whisper), Emmy Blotnick (brilliant rising star stand-up who’s performed on Stephen Colbert and stars in a Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Stephen Colbert; Head Writer for Comedy Central’s The President Show; former writer for Comedy Central’s @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV, VH1), Anna Drezen (writer for Saturday Night Live; superb stand-up who blends jokes with characters, movement, and sketch; author of How May We Hate You), Ziwe Fumudoh (writer for Showtime’s Desus & Mero; previously writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede; host of hilarious webseries Baited with Ziwe; host of Pop Show), The Lucas Brothers (Jimmy Fallon, 22 Jump Street, FOX’s Lucas Bros Moving Company, Arrested Development), Josh Sharp (superb sketch writer/performer; HBO’s 2 Dope Queens, CBS’ Two Broke Girls, Comedy Central’s The Opposition, IFC’s How Shit Works, MTV; co-host of Cool Shit/Weird Shit), and Conner O’Malley (former staff writer/performer for Seth Meyers; Louie, Broad City) hosted by Ethan Beach & Josh Nasser. It’s an embarrassment of comedy riches at this benefit for the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights: Oh, Such A Huge Show, Oh! (7:00 pm, $23, Brooklyn’s The Bell House (149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

Jess Salomon & Gastor Almonte: Saturday 7/6: Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of Super Bowl 2019 commercial, Comedy Central’s Corporate, and HBO’s Crashing; also performed on HBO’s 2 Dope Queens, Netflix’s Master of None and The Standups, TBS’ Conan O’Brien, and Comedy Central’s @Midnight and Half Hour; former writer for Seth Meyers; comedy album Just Putting It Out There), Anthony DeVito (Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central Half Hour, This American Life, House of Cards) and Melissa Stokoski (TruTV, Sirius XM, co-host of Bitches’ Brew) perform stand-up for hosts Gastor Almonte (Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening, host of Stoops2Stages, co-host of I’m Dead Comedy, comedy album Immigrant Made) & Jess Salomon (former UN war crimes lawyer turned comic; CBS, Sirius XM): Sandwich (10:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Arturo Castro and Vanessa WilliamsMonday 7/8: Star singer, actress, and fashion designer Vanessa Williams (multiple Emmy nominee; Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives) and Arturo Castro (unforgettable character Jaime on Broad City; Netflix’s Narcos, Amy Schumer’s Snatched) are the unusually high-profile guests tonight hosted by Michelle Buteau (VH1’s Morning Buzz and Best Week Ever, Comedy Central’s Key & Peele, FOX’s Enlisted, Craig Ferguson, Last Comic Standing, @midnight, comedy album Shut Up) & Jordan Carlos (HBO’s Girls, Comedy Central’s Broad City and The Nightly Show, Showtime, MTV’s Guy Code, Guy Court, VH1, Adult Swim): Adulting (8:00 pm; $15, Brooklyn’s The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

Janeane GarofaloMonday 7/8: This superb weekly stand-up show’s hosts Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (co-star of HBO’s Crashing, Netflix’s Master of None, and Comedy Central’s Corporate), and/or Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo’s Star Talk) welcome guests movie/TV star & comedy pioneer Janeane Garofalo (above), Nore Davis (HBO’s Last Week Tonight, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer and Russell Simmons Presents The Ruckus, Showtime’s Boardwalk Empire, MTV; album You Guys Are Dope), Neko White, Guy Montgomery, and more: Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Bowen YangThursday 7/11: Bowen Yang (writer for Saturday Night Live; Comedy Central’s Broad City, HBO’s High Maintenance; co-host of popular podcast & stage show Las Culturistas) is tonight’s guest of this NPR comedy trivia show taped live in Brooklyn and hosted by the wonderful Ophira Eisenberg (one of the finest comedic storytellers and stand-ups in the country; author of bestselling book Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, comedy album Bangs!; NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, VH1, Showtime): Ask Me Another (7:30 pm, $20, Brooklyn’s The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

Sweethearts of ComedyThursday 7/11: Bowen Yang (Comedy Central’s Broad City, HBO’s High Maintenance; co-host of popular podcast & stage show Las Culturistas), Anna Drezen (writer for Saturday Night Live; superb stand-up who blends jokes with characters, movement, and sketch; author of How May We Hate You), Gary Richardson (writer for Saturday Night Live), Julia Shiplett (HBO’s Crashing, Moth Radio Hour), and Max Wittert perform stand-up for happy couple Drew Anderson & Tim Platt: Sweethearts of Comedy (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

MortifiedThursday 7/11`: Enjoy a comic excavation of teen angst artifacts (journals, letters, poems, lyrics, home movies, stories, and more) shared by their original authors before total strangers at this popular monthly show: Mortified (7:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn’s Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Merritt K, Lane Moore, and Bonnie McFarlane: "Tinder Live"Saturday 7/13: A show celebrating the app that redefined online dating, with the lovely and quick-witted Lane Moore (above middle; author of superb bestselling book How to Be Alone; HBO’s Girls; Sex & Relationship Editor of Cosmo; writer for The Onion, McSweeney’s) going on a live Tinder safari for guys while a packed audience watches her every choice with fascination. Offering comments and suggestions are guest comics Bonnie McFarlane (above right; HBO, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central Presents special; co-host of My Wife Hates Me podcast; author of You’re Better Than Me), Dylan Marron (host of Conversations with People Who Hate Me podcast, Welcome to Night Vale podcast, Ridgefield Middle School Talent Nite, Seriously.tv), and Merrit K (above left; game designer of LIM, HUGPUNX, Consensual Torture Simulator; editor of print anthology Videogames for Humans; co-author of poetry collection Total Mood Killer and comics-poetry hybrid Internet Murder Revenge Fantasy). This show usually sells out, so I recommend nabbing tickets in advance online for Tinder Live (8:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn’s Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Ziwe Fumudoh: "Pop Show"Saturday 7/13: Ziwe Fumudoh (writer for The Rundown with Robin Thede; host of hilarious webseries Baited with Ziwe) invites comics to perform pop songs, preceded by comedic presentations, with tonight’s guests Karen Chee (staff writer for Seth Meyers; The New Yorker, McSweeney’s), Chris Murphy (Naked Boys Singing), Dan Perlman (writer for StarTalk, Sirius XM), Sophie Santos (writer for MTV; co-host of The Lesbian Agenda), and Farah Brook (The New York Times, Time, People, Vulture): Pop Show (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Aaron Jackson and Josh SharpSaturday 7/13: Aaron Jackson & Josh Sharp (former correspondents on The Opposition with Jordan Klepper) host “a gay show for all people, filled with songs and goofs,” featuring star Aparna Nancherla (one of the very finest stand-ups in the country; co-star of Super Bowl 2019 commercial, Comedy Central’s Corporate, and HBO’s Crashing; also performed on HBO’s 2 Dope Queens, Netflix’s Master of None and The Standups, TBS’ Conan O’Brien, and Comedy Central’s @Midnight and Half Hour; former writer for Seth Meyers; comedy album Just Putting It Out There), plus Cole Escola (At Home with Amy Sedaris, Difficult People), Solomon Georgio (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central), Max Wittert (HBO’s High Maintenance), Jes Tom (Reductress), and Natalie Walker (Vulture): A Gay Show for All People Summer Spectacular (8:00 pm; $15, Brooklyn’s The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

Washington Square ParkSunday 7/14: This free outdoor NYLaugh.org stand-up show takes place at the West Village’s Washington Square Park (above), featuring comics Michael Kosta (correspondent for The Daily Show) and more TBA: Laughter in the Park (2:00 pm-4:00 pm, Free!, the West Village’s Washington Square Park at Garibaldi Plaza, on the east side of the Fountain; take the A/B/C/D/F/E subway to West 4th Street/Washington Square or the 1 subway to Christopher Street)

Doug SmithSunday 7/14: Stand-up Doug Smith (Conan O’Brien, co-host of See You In Hell) records his first comedy album, hosted by the fabulous Christi Chiello (Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, MTV’s Girl Code, TruTV, PBSKids, stellar solo show It’s Christi, B*tch!, co-host of Battle of the Divas and White Chocolate): Doug Smith Album Recording, Hosted by Christi Chiello (7:00 pm & 9:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Julian VelardMonday 7/15: Singer/songwriter/musician Julian Velard (pianist for NPR’s Ask Me Another; albums include Fancy Words For Failure) plays a bunch of his wonderful songs in a show he describes as follows: “To mark 19 years of treading water in the music business, Julian will play his originals that have received minor radio airplay outside the United States, left-of-center covers of obscure tracks by 1970s singer/songwriters, and slow acoustic interpretations of modern pop hits.The songs will be punctuated by self-conscious quips and the occasional berating of an audience member. This is a rare intimate performance by Velard, something he only does once a month or so:” Julian Velard Plays Another Show (8:30 pm, $8, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

My First Time: A Stand-Up and Storytelling ShowWednesday 7/17: Stand-up and/or storytellers Gina Doherty, Kelli Dunham, Rhonda Hansome, Lucinda Kempe, Felicia Madison, and Michaela O’Brien tell tales about losing their virginity hosted by Angela Cobb (Sirius XM): My First Time: A Stand-Up and Storytelling Show (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Punderdome 3000: New York Post EditionThursday 7/18: A raucous monthly pun competition hosted by Fred Firestone (co-author with Jo Firestone of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), with 18 contestants (six audience members, six returning champs, and six newspaper headline writers) fiercely competing for wordplay dominance—and the chance to become an instant star based on verbal cleverness, and the ability to drum up the most applause from a packed and loudly cheering crowd. This is the Fifth Annual New York Post Special Edition, featuring NY Post headline writers who specialize in delivering memorable wordplay under deadline (“Headless Body in Topless Bar,” “Cloak And Shag Her—CIA Boss Petraeus Quits Over Affair,” “Ignorance is Chris, Christie denies Role in GWB Jam Scam,” “Weiner Exposed”): Punderdome 3000: Fifth Annual New York Post Show (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn’s Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street—take R subway to Union Street; show up early to nab a seat—doors open at 7:00—or plan on standing)

Jay Malsky & Taylor Ortega: "Who, Me?"Thursday 7/18: Jay Malsky (highly talented, super-charged improvisor & character comic; host of This Live Show, co-host of DED Talks; UCB sketch group Pretty Boys; PIT improv group Peaches Galore; FringeNYC solo show Elaine Stritch: Still Here; Solocom & UCB solo show Jay Malsky Slept With My Boyfriend) & Taylor Ortega (HBO’s Succession, Shego in Disney Channel’s live-action Kim Possible, TruTV) host Josh Gondelman (one of the sharpest comics in the country; writer/producer for Showtime’s Desus & Mero; previously Emmy & Peabody Award-winning writer/producer for HBO’s phenom Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Conan O’Brien, The New Yorker; stand-up albums Dancing On a Weeknight and Physical Whisper), Mila Myles, Ashton Womack, Adele Computer, and Jessica Henderson: Who, Me?: Jay Malsky & Taylor Ortega Hosts Josh Gondelman and More (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Lucie Pohl's "Immigrant Jam"Thursday 7/18: Comics TBA who are immigrants perform stand-up, storytelling, or characters, and comics who aren’t perform immigrant-related material, for this show celebrating talents who weren’t born in the US hosted by German-American Lucie Pohl (above; voice of Mercy in Overwatch and Harmony in Red Dwarf XI): Immigrant Jam (7:30 pm, $7, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Karen Chee & Ariel Dumas: "Big Debates, Lil Issues"Friday 7/19: Pairs of comics face off in “passionate, high-stakes debates about absolutely unimportant, low-stakes topics,” with Josh Gondelman (one of the sharpest comics in the country; writer/producer for Showtime’s Desus & Mero; previously Emmy & Peabody Award-winning writer/producer for HBO’s phenom Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Conan O’Brien, The New Yorker; stand-up albums Dancing On a Weeknight and Physical Whisper), Emmy Blotnick (brilliant rising star stand-up who’s performed on Stephen Colbert and stars in a Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Stephen Colbert; Head Writer for Comedy Central’s The President Show; former writer for Comedy Central’s @midnight, Roast of Rob Lowe, and Not Safe with Nikki Glaser; MTV, VH1), Alison Leiby (writer for The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, previously writer for The President Show; VICE, Triumph The Insult Comic Dog; host of It’s a Long Story), Larry Owens (staff writer for TruTV’s Paid Off; feature film To Dust), and Rachel Pegram hosted by Karen Chee (staff writer for Seth Meyers; The New Yorker, McSweeney’s) & Ariel Dumas (staff writer for Stephen Colbert): Big Debates, Lil Issues (7:30 pm, $12, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Mike Drucker's "Shit Arcade"Friday 7/19: Comics & game nerds Nicole Silverberg, Danielle Riendeau, Brandon Reese, Jim Tews, Mehran Khaghani, and Maria Heinegg play and make merciless fun of video games based on fat cat Garfield hosted by Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up, staff writer for TBS’ Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and writer for Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man; previously staff writer for Comedy Central’s The President Show and nearly 400 episodes of NBC’s Jimmy Fallon, and contributing writer for Saturday Night Live): Shit Arcade (10:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Shame!: The Not-So-Honorable Comedy ShowFriday 7/19: Storytellers TBA share cringe-worthy experiences from their pasts hosted by Brendan Busee & Ron Raganella: Shame!: The Not-So-Honorable Comedy Show (9:30 pm, $8, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Masters of the UniverseFriday 7/19: 1987’s Masters of the Universe starred Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella as Mattel action figures He-Man and Skeletor…and was a miserable failure both critically and financially, scoring 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, and grossing a pathetic $17 million worldwide from a budget of $22 million. However, it was bad enough to eventually achieve a certain status as a cult film. Tonight it’ll be screened and mercilessly skewered by comics TBA. Their cruelty will be contrasted by exceptionally kind host Chris Gersbeck (co-host of Soft Core!, which is essentially a porn version of this show, and Bunk Bed Time Open Mic): Movies R Dumb: Masters of the Universe (11:00 pm, $10, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

SuperegoSaturday 7/20: A popular podcast in which Paul F. Tompkins, Matt Gourley, Jeremy Carter, Mark McConville, and James Bladon make up self-absorbed oddballs and analyze them is performed for one night only live on a Brooklyn stage: Superego (7 :00 pm, $25, Brooklyn’s The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

Superego: Forgotten ClassicsSaturday 7/20: “A bold interpretation of the great works of literature. So bold, in fact, nobody even bothered to read them. Paul F. Tompkins, Matt Gourley, Jeremy Carter, Mark McConville, and James Bladon improvise famous works of fiction, works with which they’re not at all familiar. They’ll be given only the book’s title, its first and last lines, and the names of its characters. The rest is up to them:” Superego: Forgotten Classics (10:00 pm, $25, Brooklyn’s The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

Rockefeller ParkSunday 7/21: This free outdoor NYLaugh.org stand-up show takes place at Battery Park City’s Rockefeller Park (above), featuring comics Roy Wood Jr. (correspondent for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and host of This is Not Happening) and more TBA: Laughter in the Park (2:00 pm-4:00 pm, Free!, Battery Park City’s Rockefeller Park at River Terrace & Warren Street)

SPONTOURCOSunday 7/21: Superb, hilarious improvisors Paul F. Tompkins, Eugene Cordero, Tawny Newsome, and Janet Varney interview a special guest (TBD) and then make up comedy on the spot, accompanied by improv pianist Eban Schletter: Spontourco (7:00 pm & 10:00 pm, $30, Brooklyn’s The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

Dave Hill: "History Fluffer"Wednesday 7/24 (also 7/31): For this new podcast, Dave Hill (@midnight, Inside Amy Schumer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, This American Life; host for HBO and Cinemax; host of WFMU’s The Goddamn Dave Hill Show; bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake; books Tasteful Nudes and Dave Hill Doesn’t Live Here Anymore; comedy album Let Me Turn You On) gives his first person account of different periods throughout history, while calling bullshit on most of what Dave’s saying are Jim Biederman (previous Executive Producer for numerous comedy shows, including The Kids In The Hall, The Howard Stern Radio Show, The Tom Green Show, I’m With Busey, The Whitest Kids U Know, and The Onion News) and Jodi Lennon (renowned improvisor who’s performed at Chicago’s Second City, The Annoyance Theatre, and iO; writer for Billy On The Street, Hulu’s Difficult People, TruTV’s Impractical Jokers and At Home with Amy Sedaris): Dave Hill: History Fluffer (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Jaws.jpgWednesday 7/24: Eight performers from the Ten Bones Theatre Company attempt to recreate the Steven Spielberg 1975 masterpiece Jaws, with each comic using only what he or she can remember from seeing the movie just once the previous week. To add to the fun are a few rules: “Performers must incorporate lines written by the audience; performers must incorporate any sound effect played by the tech booth; one lucky audience member will be given a bell that they can ring three times—once rung, the actors must create a scene that has no business being in Jaws but makes perfect sense given where they are in the story:” Jaws…Entirely From Memory (8:00 pm, $12, Brooklyn’s Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Here to Make FriendsThursday 7/25: Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco and other special guests help dissect an episode of ABC’s The Bachelor along with hosts Emma Gray & Claire Fallon for this live taping of their podcast: Here To Make Friends Live (7:30 pm, $15, Brooklyn’s The Bell House at 149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

Katie BoyleSaturday 7/27: Seven comics TBA perform stand-up that might include material about where they came from and the journey that led them to NYC, all hosted by the charming Katie Boyle (above, from Ireland): Transplants (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Rebekah Sebastian's "Yellow Tape: A True Crime Trivia Show"Sunday 7/28: Rebekah Sebastian hosts this crime trivia show that challenges your knowledge of serial killers, unsolved mysteries, the legal system, OJ, and much more: Yellow Tape (8:30 pm, $8, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Phoebe RobinsonMonday 7/29: This superb weekly stand-up show’s hosts Jo Firestone (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon, co-author of #1 bestselling Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers), Aparna Nancherla (co-star of HBO’s Crashing, Netflix’s Master of None, and Comedy Central’s Corporate), and/or Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America, co-host of Nat Geo’s Star Talk) welcome guests Phoebe Robinson (co-star of HBO’s 2 Dope Queens; host of podcast Sooo Many White Guys; Seth Meyers, Conan O’Brien, Broad City, MTV’s Girl Code; feature films What Men Want and Ibiza; author of Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay and You Can’t Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain) and more TBA: Butterboy with Jo, Aparna, and Maeve (8:00 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Littlefield at 635 Sackett Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Jaime Harrison and Lindsey GrahamMonday 7/29: Josh Gondelman (one of the sharpest comics in the country; writer/producer for Showtime’s Desus & Mero; previously Emmy & Peabody Award-winning writer/producer for HBO’s phenom Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Conan O’Brien, The New Yorker; stand-up albums Dancing On a Weeknight and Physical Whisper), Seaton Smith (rising star stand-up; HBO’s Girls, FOX’s Mulaney, Chris Rock’s film Top Five, Conan O’Brien, Seth Meyers, Inside Amy Schumer, The Nightly Show), Joe Rumrill (The Chris Gethard Show; co-host of Cartoon Monsoon), and Samantha Ruddy (College Humor, Reductress, Someecards) perform stand-up hosted by Sharron Paul (co-host of Cheap Date) for this show raising funds for Jaime Harrison, who is campaigning to unseat Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina: #SendLindseyHome (7:30 pm, $16.09 in advance online or $18 at the door, Brooklyn’s The Bell House (149 7th Street; take R subway to 9th Street or F/G to Fourth Avenue)

Dave Hill: "History Fluffer"Wednesday 7/31: For this new podcast, Dave Hill (@midnight, Inside Amy Schumer, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, This American Life; host for HBO and Cinemax; host of WFMU’s The Goddamn Dave Hill Show; bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake; books Tasteful Nudes and Dave Hill Doesn’t Live Here Anymore; comedy album Let Me Turn You On) gives his first person account of different periods throughout history, while calling bullshit on most of what Dave’s saying are Jim Biederman (previous Executive Producer for numerous comedy shows, including The Kids In The Hall, The Howard Stern Radio Show, The Tom Green Show, I’m With Busey, The Whitest Kids U Know, and The Onion News) and Jodi Lennon (renowned improvisor who’s performed at Chicago’s Second City, The Annoyance Theatre, and iO; writer for Billy On The Street, Hulu’s Difficult People, TruTV’s Impractical Jokers and At Home with Amy Sedaris): Dave Hill: History Fluffer (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

Naomi Ekperigin & Andy Beckerman: "Couples Therapy"Thursday 8/1: This charming show puts comics who are duos behind the scenes on stage for an evening to adorably perform together, hosted by lovers Naomi Ekperigin (dynamite rising star stand-up; Comedy Central Half Hour; writer for Comedy Central’s Broad City and Hulu’s Difficult People; MTV, VH1, FX) & Andy Beckerman (The Pete Holmes Show, Beginnings Podcast): Couples Therapy (7:30 pm, $10, Brooklyn’s Union Hall at 702 Union Street; take R subway to Union Street)

Mike Drucker's "My Obituary Show"Thursday 8/1: In this monthly show from Mike Drucker (hilarious stand-up and staff writer for TBS’ Full Frontal with Samantha Bee; previously a staff writer for NBC’s Jimmy Fallon and Comedy Central’s The President Show, and contributing writer for Saturday Night Live), comics read obituaries they wrote for themselves, “honoring the lives they had and making fun of the lives they could have had.” Tonight’s dying-as-we-speak guests are TBD, but please stay tuned: My Obituary Show (7:30 pm, $10, Astoria Queens’ QED: A Place to Show & Tell at 27-16 23rd Avenue)

You can find the vast majority of notable NYC live comedy shows by using the links below to explore the schedules of the following top NYC comedy venues:

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Hell’s Kitchen
555 West 42nd Street; 152-seater; one of the most respected comedy showcases in the world; especially strong on improv, sketch, solo shows, and one-act comedic plays; shows free-$12

Upright Citizens Brigade at SubCulture
45 Bleecker Street; What used to be a top comedy venue called UCB East has sadly gone under, but some of its shows live on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at respected East Village indie theatre SubCulture at Bleecker & Lafayette Streets, direclty by the #6 subway’s Bleecker Street stop; shows $7-$14

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; the third of The PIT theatres, located separately on the West side, hosts a wide range of comedy, but is especially effective as a home for intimate solo and/or theatrical shows; free-$20

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 weeknight shows free; weekend shows free-$10

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/W 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.

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
487 Atlantic Avenue (near the Barclays Center); only comedy club in Brooklyn; strong weekend lineups; no cover using code HyReviews; some shows have 2-drink min., but many don’t

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 Stand
Lost its space, aiming to move to Union Square sometime in 2019: competitor to Comedy Cellar; no drink min.—support this policy!

NYC Stand-Up Open Mics & Improv Jams

If you want stage time, you can find one or more stand-up open mics virtually any night at Manhattan’s The PIT, Eastville Comedy Club, and Stand Up NY Comedy Club, and at Queens LIC’s The Creek and Astoria Queens’ QED.

In addition, at the East Village’s UCB East you can typically find a stand-up open mic Thursdays at 6:00 pm, an improv jam Wednesdays at 11:15 pm, and a rare bring-your-own-group improv/sketch open stage Sundays at 11:00 pm. And in Chelsea, The Magnet offers an improv jam on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm, and a rare musical improv jam on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm.

All of the venues above typically provide you the stage time either for free or for $5.

There are also numerous other open mics throughout the city. For a more comprehensive list, please visit FreeMicsNYC.

Special Thanks to Mindy and Anya

Special thanks to comedy photographers supreme Anya Garrett and Mindy Tucker for creating so many of the stellar photos that grace this site…and the sites of hundreds of NYC comics.

Contact Hy

From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: Thank God for Hy Bender’s religiously updated show bible Best New York Comedy (and HyReviews.com). He is literally the only person in NYC providing daily summaries of what’s happening comedy-wise. 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.

From comedy & rock goddess Lane Moore (host of smash hit Tinder Live; author of How to be Alone; lead singer of Brooklyn band It Was Romance): Hy Bender lives and breathes comedy. He knows what he’s talking about. Listen.

Please feel encouraged to reach out to tell me about comedy shows, provide feedback on my cross-genre short story anthology Ghosts on Drugs, hire me to develop your book or screenplay (please visit BookProposal.net or HyOnYourScript.com), or for any other eason by emailing me at hy@hyreviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 10/10/14

October 10, 2014

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

TV Alert: Chelsea Handler is on David Letterman;
Nick Kroll is on Jimmy Fallon;
Martin Short is Jimmy Kimmel (repeated from 9/30);
Andy Samberg & Roy Wood Jr. are on Seth Meyers (repeated from 9/25)

Anthony Jeselnik

Two of my all-time favorite stand-ups perform tonight: Anthony Jeselnik headlines at 7:30 pm and 10:00 pm at Carolines…

Morgan Murphy

…and Morgan Murphy performs at the 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm shows at The Stand

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-12:45 am ($8 per show or $60 for festival pass): This second night of a four-day sketch comedy festival is playing at both the upstairs theatre and downstairs lounge of The PIT, with individual shows costing $8 and an all-you-can-see festival pass costing $60: New York City Sketch Festival

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 8:45 pm, 10:30 pm, and 12:15 am ($20-$24 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight’s comics include Colin Quinn, Greer Barnes, and Lenny Marcus at the 7:00 show; Colin Quinn, Ryan Hamilton, Greer Barnes, and Lenny Marcus at the 8:00 show; Colin Quinn, Greer Barnes, Lenny Marcus, and Mike Yard (hosting) at the 8:45 show; Ryan Hamilton, Keith Alberstadt, Russ Meneve, Nick Griffin, Greer Barnes, and Mike Yard (hosting) at the 10:30 show; and Todd Barry, Paul Mecurio, Ryan Hamilton, Keith Alberstadt, and Big Jay Oakerson at the 12:15 show, with all shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) except for the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Friday

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 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): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, co-star of feature film The Wrestler, star of delightful documentary The Crowd Work Tour), Andrew Schulz (MTV’s Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy), Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

7:00 pm ($7): “Justin Peters & Kelly Buttermore present a night of sketch & improv comedy inspired by Joni Mitchell’s acclaimed 1971 album Blue, one of the least funny albums of all time” at The Magnet theatre: From Justin to Kelly Ruin Joni Mitchell’s Blue

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm ($41 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is the star of Comedy Central series The Jeselnik Offensive, former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his great comedy CDs Shakespeare and Caligula. Anthony is headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisor John Lutz (cast member of 30 Rock; staff writer for Seth Meyers, and previously six years as staff writer for Saturday Night Live; John and Scott) and Peter Grosz (staff writer for Seth Meyers, previously staff writer for The Colbert Report, star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials) perform duo improv as 2 Square

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Improv group Bucky makes up one long scene in the same location (a winning form that’s helped such teams as Death by Roo Roo win a whole lot of Cage Match victories)—and, when SNL is on break, sometimes includes star Sasheer Zamata—at the UCB East theatre: Bucky: Here and Now

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CDs Small, Dork, and Handsome. Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot), Barry Rothbart (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central, MTV’s Punk’d, IFC’s Do Whatever), Josh Gondelman (HBO’s Last Week Tonight), Mike Recine (Conan O’Brien), Luke Thayer (Tyra Banks; co-host of The Living Room), and Jonathan Randall performing stand-up at the One and One Bar’s Nexus Lounge (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Jeff Cerulli: Industry Night: Myq Kaplan, Barry Rothbart, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20; no min.): An all-star lineup of Morgan Murphy (fresh, brilliant, and fearlessly dark; The Comedians of Comedy; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon and CBS’ Two Broke Girls; stellar comedy album Irish Goodbye), Al Madrigal (correspondent for The Daily Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno), Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show; Adult Swim; albums Wyatt Cenac: Comedy Person and upcoming Wyatt Cenac: Brooklyn; host of Night Train), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Dan Soder (smart, edgy rising star; Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, MTV’s Guy Code and Guy Court, VH1), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), and Michelle Buteau (FOX’s Enlisted, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, VH1’s Best Week Ever, @midnight) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Morgan Murphy, Al Madrigal, Wyatt Cenac, Mike Lawrence, Dan Soder, Big Jay Oakerson, and Michelle Buteau

8:00 pm ($5): Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CDs Small, Dork, and Handsome. Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot), Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupes Murderfist and The Prom), Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central), Josh Gondelman (HBO’s Last Week Tonight), Leah Bonnema (VH1, WeTV’s Cinematherapy, Logo, Opie & Anthony’s Virus Channel), and Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Comedy Central, VH1) performing stand-up, plus music from DJ Jerry Emeka, at Rockbar NYC (185 Christopher Street) produced by Gary Levitt & Matt Schwartzer and hosted tonight by Chrissie Mayr: I Don’t Get It Stand-Up: Myq Kaplan, Amber Nelson, Erik Bergstrom, and More

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A short comedic play in which “disgraced journalist Clay Fishman finds out our world is not what it seems and reptile aliens control every aspect of our society. With the help of his teenage daughter Tallie and crackpot conspiracy theorist J.J. Jones, Clay goes on an adventure spanning time and space to save mankind” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Terrible Them

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($10): 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, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Cipha Sounds (Hot 97, Chappelle’s Show) thought it would be cool if a hip-hop star told tales and then improvisors made up scenes based on them. This monthly show is the result, with a “secret” music celebrity “mesmerizing the crowd with amazing stories and linguistic darts to spark the creativity of some of the best improvisers in NYC,” the latter being Anthony Atamanuik, Neil Casey, Natasha Rothwell, Brandon Gardner, Lydia Hensler, Christian Capozzoli, Abra Tabak, and/or Shaun Diston at the UCB East theatre: Take It Personal: The Hip-Hip Improv Show

[FREE—plus FREE DRINKS! Reserve seats by emailing BRITPACKRENTALS@GMAIL.COM with subject COP THRILLER] 9:00 pm for free drinks & snacks, 9:30 pm for show: Stand-up from Dave Hill (one of the most original and hilariously sharp alternative comics in the country; host of WFMU’s The Goddamn Dave Hill Show; HBO, Comedy Central, NPR, bands Valley Lodge and Diamondsnake, author of Tasteful Nudes), Roger Hailes (Jimmy Fallon, Chappelle’s Show, MTV; writer for VH1’s Best Week Ever and FUSE’s A Different Spins; Web series Mansome), Charles Gould, Lisa Sobin, and Brett Osinoff, and character comedy from Anthony Atamanuik (30 Rock, Conan O’Brien, Huffington Post, Death by Roo Roo, The Nights of Our Lives, The Tony and Johnny Show) at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Hoff Matthews & Lukas Kaiser: HP5000 Live Comedy: Dave Hill, Anthony Atamanuik, and More

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Adam Newman (David Letterman, Comedy Central Half Hour, MTV, host of Big Long Sets), Rob Cantrell (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, VHI, FX’s Totally Biased, documentary Metaphysical Graffiti, High Times), Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, Chelsea Lately, writer for MTV’s Girl Code, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive Comedy and Stripped Stories), Emmy Blotnick (blogger for Jimmy Fallon, MTV’s Nikki and Sara Live, VH1’s Best Week Ever), and Dustin Wesley performing stand-up at this free weekly show at Brooklyn’s The Cobra Club (6 Wyckoff Avenue) hosted by Erik Bergstrom, Ben Kronberg, and/or John F. O’Donnell: Live From Outer Space

[TOP PICK] [$] 10:00 pm ($20; no min.): The wonderful Morgan Murphy (fresh, brilliant, and fearlessly dark; The Comedians of Comedy; staff writer for Jimmy Fallon and CBS’ Two Broke Girls; stellar comedy album Irish Goodbye), Al Madrigal (correspondent for The Daily Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno), Wyatt Cenac (former star correspondent for The Daily Show; Adult Swim; albums Wyatt Cenac: Comedy Person and upcoming Wyatt Cenac: Brooklyn; host of Night Train), Dan Soder (smart, edgy rising star; Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Half Hour, Inside Amy Schumer, MTV’s Guy Code and Guy Court, VH1), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV, IFC), Michelle Buteau (FOX’s Enlisted, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, VH1’s Best Week Ever, @midnight), and Sherrod Small (writer/performer on TBS’ Are We There Yet?, Comedy Central, VH1) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Morgan Murphy, Al Madrigal, Wyatt Cenac, Dan Soder, Big Jay Oakerson, Michelle Buteau, and Sherrod Small

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

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Comedy trio Eli Sairs, Joel Walkowski, and Jeff Wesselschmidt performs at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Wildcats

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Matt Koff (writer for The Daily Show), Casey Jost (Head Writer of truTV’s Impractical Jokers, former writer for Jimmy Fallon), Dan Koren (PBS), and Ian Fidance performing stand-up, sketch, storytelling, or improv at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D’Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Kelly Hudson, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Dan Klein, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and/or Conner O’Malley—who this year defeated The Stepfathers and thoroughly crushed another troupe at Cage Match before losing by a single vote—make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[TOP PICK] Midnight ($5): This monthly stand-up, storytelling, and carny show brings the blog And I Am Not Lying to life on stage, with storytelling from host Jeff Simmermon (NPR’s This American Life) and Mara Wilson, stand-up from Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupes Murderfist and The Prom) and Pat Dixon (Comedy Central Presents, FOX, VH1, E!), bullwhip/lasso tricks by Chris McDaniel, burlesque from Ruby Joule & Kendra Warmolt, and grindcore music from Vomit Fist (yes, seriously), all at the UCB East theatre: And I Am Not Lying

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: Pot stand-up from “highly talented comics who have been highly recommended from people who are thought highly of in the business. Oh, and they’ll be high” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre typically hosted by Clayton English & Noah Gardenswartz: High Five

Friday 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

5:45 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. for both comics and audience members): Open mic stand-up providing 5-7 minutes per comic, running 1 hour. 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: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with host Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there’ll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by Sarah Tollemache and/or Paul Oddo: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Open Mic

[FREE] 8:00 pm: An open-mic show that’s first come, first serve, with each comic getting 5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City: Mic and Cheese

[FREE] 11:30 pm: In preparation for the Sixth Annual New York Musical Improv Festival, a full band helps audience members belt out tunes at The Magnet theatre: The 6th Annual NYMIF Live Band Karaoke

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it’s an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage hosted by members of Maude group Moriarty: Liquid Courage

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$15)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens’ Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 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.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

 From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: Thank God for Hy Bender’s religiously updated show bible BestNewYorkComedy.com. He is literally the only person in NYC providing daily summaries of what’s happening comedy-wise. 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, hire me for book or screenplay work, or for any other reason by emailing me at hy@hyreviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 10/9/14

October 9, 2014

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

TV Alert: Chris Gethard is on Seth Meyers:
Steve Carell is on Jimmy Fallon;
Todd Glass is on Conan O’Brien (repeated from 8/7);
Grace Helbig & Henry Zebrowski are on @midnight

Anthony Jeselnik

Star stand-up Anthony Jeselnik headlines through Sunday at Carolines…

Jo Firestone

…ace comics Jo Firestone (above), Aparna Nancherla, and Amber Nelson participate in Bushwick’s absurdly meaningless Trophy Awards…

Chris Gethard

…and comedy giant Chris Gethard performs at Myrtle Comedy, and also appears tonight on NBC’s Seth Meyers

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] 6:30 pm ($5): A small army of UCB performers—Brandon Scott Jones, Keisha Zollar, Veronica Osorio, John Early, Amanda Seales, and lots more—perform comedic characters before Comedy Central casting folk at the UCB East theatre: Comedy Central Character Showcase

6:30 pm-12:30 am ($8 per show or $60 for festival pass): Tonight kicks off a four-day sketch comedy festival playing at both the upstairs theatre and downstairs lounge of The PIT, with individual shows costing $8 and an all-you-can-see festival pass costing $60: New York City Sketch Festival

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: Laurie Kilmartin (writer for Conan O’Brien; finalist on Last Comic Standing; Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, VH1) hones her blend of stand-up and storytelling titled 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad one last night at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Week at the Creek: Laurie Kilmartin

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 7:30 pm ($41 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is the star of Comedy Central series The Jeselnik Offensive, former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his great comedy CDs Shakespeare and Caligula. Anthony is headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:45, 8:00, 9:30 pm, and 11:30 pm ($14 per show, plus 2-item food/drink min.): Tonight’s comics include Colin Quinn and Greer Barnes at the 7:45 show; Ryan Hamilton, Dan Soder, Greer Barnes, and Jessica Kirson at the 8:00 show; Todd Barry, Ryan Hamilton, Nick Griffin, Greer Barnes, Jessica Kirson, and Dan Soder (hosting) at the 9:30 show; and Kurt Metzger, Paul Mecurio, and Big Jay Oakerson at the 11:30 show, with three of the shows at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) and the 8:00 pm show at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue): Comedy Cellar Thursday

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Chris Gethard (comedy genius; Broad City, Conan O’Brien, The Office, IFC; star of The Chris Gethard Show; author of A Bad Idea I’m About to Do and Weird New York, plus My Comedy Album), Kate Berlant (MTV, IFC, CNN, host of Crime & Punishment, notable hair), John Early (30 Rock, Ars Nova’s Showgasm), Tom McCaffrey (Comedy Central, VH1, The Onion), and Maeve Higgins (visiting from the UK) performing at this show for stand-up plus sketch at Brooklyn’s Splitty (415 Myrtle Avenue) hosted by Larry Murphy (brilliant voiceover actor for FOX’s Bob’s Burgers, Comedy Central’s Ugly Americans, Adult Swim’s Assy McGee and Home Movies, and numerous other shows) and/or Greg Johnson (Sirius XM): Myrtle Comedy

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): An absurd evening of awards for nothing, featuring superb comics Aparna Nancherla (delightfully wry, lightning-quick, and razor-sharp rising star; Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, @midnight, former writer/performer for FX’s Totally Biased), Jo Firestone (dynamic rising star; host of Punderdome 3000 and The Incredible Game Show Showcase), Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupes Murderfist and The Prom), sketch duo Good Cop Great Cop, and more, plus musical guest Guntit, at Brooklyn’s Radio Bushwick (22 Wyckoff Avenue): The First Annual Bushwick Trophy Awards

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): On this opening day of New York Comic Con, hosts Justin Tyler (Comic Book Club) and Michael Hartney (Legs For Days) pay tribute to superheroes with the help of about a dozen sketch/improv performers—including Pat Baer, Abby Holland, Siobhan Thompson, Alan Starzinski, and Brian Faas—plus possibly guests fresh from the con floor, all at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The UCB 52 Now: A Comic Con Comedy Show

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($15; no min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds and very finest stand-ups in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Laurie Kilmartin (writer for Conan O’Brien; finalist on Last Comic Standing; Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, VH1), Jessica Kirson (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, Bravo, VH1, Logo one-woman show My Cookie’s Gone), Aaron Berg (TV series 24 Hour Rental, documentary A Universal Language), Graham Kay, and Crystian Ramirez performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Laurie Kilmartin, Jessica Kirson, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-Midnight ($10 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv groups Junior Varsity and The Boss performing improv for an hour, followed at 9:00 pm by The Senses (improv focused on the stimulation and deprivation of taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound), at 10:00 pm by veteran improvisors making up scenes based on improvised monologues from storyteller Chris Duffy at The Armando Diaz Experience, and finally at 11:00 by improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component): The Magnet’s Night Out

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CDs Small, Dork, and Handsome. Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot), Brandon Scott Wolf (contributor to SNL’s Weekend Update), Sara Roan, Tonedeff, Leanne Linsky, Gastor Almonte, and Naomi Karavani performing stand-up, plus music from The Supreme Super Surprise Mystery Crew, all at Brooklyn’s Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by Deepak Ananthapadmanabha & Hiram Becker: AbeMixture

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Amanda Seales (VH1’s Best Week Ever; co-host of Smart, Funny, and Black), Shakir Standley, Ahri FIndling, and KC Arora performing stand-up at Poco Restaurant & Bar (33 Avenue B at 3rd Street) produced by Jawann Carmona, Sooyah Jun, Cassidy Kirch, and Zardon Richardson: FTH Comedy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) joking about their culture—Jewish, African-American, Asian, geek, whatever—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City : The Black Bar Mitzvah

8:30 pm ($5): Barry Rothbart (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central, MTV’s Punk’d, IFC’s Do Whatever), Selena Coppock (author of book The New Rules for Blondes, host of Connotation), Julio Julio (“tofu-based comedian”), Nick Flanagan, and more performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Ashley Brooke Roberts and/or Jim Tews: Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Myq Kaplan (one of the quickest minds in comedy, and rapidly rising star; finalist on Last Comic Standing; David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents, comedy CDs Small, Dork, and Handsome. Vegan Mind Meld, and Meat Robot), Brandon Scott Jones (possibly the finest male comedic character actor at UCBT; top improv group Grandma’s Ashes, top sketch group Stone Cold Fox, and many other shows), Jamie Kilstein (Conan O’Brien, CNN, MSNBC, and Showtime, writes for The Huffington Post, and co-hosts Citizen Radio), and Darin Patterson perform stand-up and then discuss bad movies at Videology (308 Bedford Avenue) hosted by John Murray & Matt Fisher—tonight also featuring a “Low Key T-Shirt Costume Content:” Low Standards with John & Matt

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 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): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds and very finest stand-ups in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Andrew Schulz (MTV’s Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan (amazing human boombox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of Battlicious), plus stand-up from Kevin Iso, Liza Treyger, and Travon Free at the UCB Chelsea theatre hosted by a popular comedy site: College Humor Live

[TOP PICK] 10:00 pm ($15; no min.): Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds and very finest stand-ups in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Mike Lawrence (nerd persona but razor-sharp mind has made this stand-up a rapidly rising star; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half Hour, John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up, comedy album Sadamantium), Laurie Kilmartin (writer for Conan O’Brien; finalist on Last Comic Standing; Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central, VH1), Crystian Ramirez, and more performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Judah Friedlander, Mike Lawrence, Laurie Kilmartin, and More

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups (not announced) performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Justin Williams & Akash Bhasin: Death Comedy Jam

10:30 pm ($5): Ben Kissel (MTV, Spike TV; Murderfist, The Last Podcast on the Left, Roundtable of Gentlemen), Shakir Standley (MTV’s Wild N’ Out), and Jason Burke performing stand-up at this weekly show hosted by the brilliantly surreal and hilarious Joe Pera (for a very special one-minute set at Carolines, please click here), Charles Gould, and Dan Licata at the UCB East theatre: Dan + Joe + Charles’ Show

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): After five victories Harold Night improv group The Enemy surrendered its crown last week to team Rizzo, which won with an audience vote of 93-66. Tonight Rizzo faces UCB East Monday night group Improv Nerds, competing for your laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea in the raucous Cage Match

Thursday 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

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there’ll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by Sarah Tollemache and/or Paul Oddo: Thursday Night Open Mic Stand-Up

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics’ names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving 2 minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. 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] 7:00 pm: Weekly open mic that provides 5 minutes for each audience member whose name is pulled out of a bucket to perform a true story, sketch, or characters at Brooklyn’s Over the Eight (594 Union Ave) hosted by JiJi Lee: Split Personality Open Mic Storytelling & Sketch

7:00 pm ($2, which includes a free beer or water): Open mic stand-up providing a whopping 10 minutes per comic. Email PhoningItInMic@gmail.com with subject line Phoning Thursday to sign up; or take a chance at lottery sign-up live between 6:45 and 7:45 at Brit Pack Studios (153 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor) hosted by Ian Fidance: Comics Phoning It In

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv group Junior Varsity to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

9:30 pm (free for audience members, $5 or 1 drink min. for stand-ups wanting to perform): Open mic stand-up providing 7 minutes per comic (and a free recording of your set!), with order determined raffle-style. Sign up by emailing info@oldmanhustle.com or calling (212) 253-7747, or just walk in and supply your name, to perform at the Old Man Hustle Bar (39 Essex Street) hosted by Solomon Chehebar: Peep Show Comedy Open Mic

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open-mic show that’s first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3-5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Josh Alba: Mic and Cheese

Best Inexpensive Stand-Up, Improv, Sketch, and Storytelling

Upright Citizens Brigade Chelsea
(307 West 26th Street; 150-seater; shows free-$10; one of the most respected comedy theatres in the world)

Upright Citizens Brigade East
(153 East 3rd Street; 99-seat main theatre, bar area for open mics; shows free-$10)

The PIT
(123 East 24th Street; 99-seat upstairs theatre, 40-seat downstairs theatre; shows free-$20)

The Magnet
(254 West 29th Street; 60-seat theatre; shows $5-$10)

The Creek and the Cave
(Queens’ Long Island City; 40-seat theatre upstairs, 25 downstairs; virtually all shows free)

This Theater
(154 West 29th Street; new venue that, at its best, features shows comparable to UCB & PIT; free-$12)

Best NYC Stand-Up Comedy Clubs

Comedy Cellar
(117 MacDougal Street; among the finest daily stand-up lineups in the world; 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.)

Laughing Devil
(4738 Vernon Blvd., by #7 train; Queens LIC club, with MST3K-style movie night on Thursdays; 2-drink min.)

From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: Thank God for Hy Bender’s religiously updated show bible BestNewYorkComedy.com. He is literally the only person in NYC providing daily summaries of what’s happening comedy-wise. 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, hire me for book or screenplay work, or for any other reason by emailing me at hy@hyreviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 5/17/13

May 17, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Sketch group Olde English goes transcendent in
Ben Popik’s superb indie film The Exquisite Corpse Project.

Dan St. Germain’s Comedy Central Half Hour debuts at midnight.

Anthony Jeselnik

Anthony Jeselnik continues his headlining run at Carolines…

Kevin Meaney

…Kevin Meaney performs at The Stand…

Whitney Cummings

…and Whitney Cummings performs at Comedy Cellar & Village Underground

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] [FREE] 5:30 pm: Comics (not announced) performing funny characters audition at The PIT to appear in the most prestigious comedy festival in Canada: Just for Laughs Character Auditions

[FREE—and FREE BEER TASTINGS!] 6:00 pm: The debut of a unique comedy show that features free tastings of local microbrewed beer, plus tonight’s stand-up guests Sam Morril (Comedy Central), Emmy Blotnick (MTV’s Nikki and Sara Live), and Jared Freid, and music by band Final Gravity, all performing at the Comedy Bar (134 West 29th Street) hosted by Ben Asher: The Homebrewed Mic

[FREE] 6:00 pm: An open-mic show on a lottery system (sign-ups happen at 5:45-6:00 pm) at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Erin Lennox and Eli Sairs: The Orphanage

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 7:00 pm & 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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (possibly 9:00 pm only), Judah Friedlander (one of the quickest minds in comedy; 30 Rock, Meet the Parents, Along Came Polly, author of How to Beat Up Anybody), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central, HBO, The Apprentice, opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), DC Benny (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, ABC’s The Unusuals), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [$] 7:00 pm ($20 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of Whitney Cummings (star of NBC’s Whitney; HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV), John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Julian McCullough (fiercely funny rising star; Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Fallon, NPR’s This American Life, MTV, VH1), Gregg Rogell (Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Louie, Comedy Central), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson (FX’s Louie, The Chris Rock Show): Whitney Cummings, John Mulaney, Julian McCullough, and More

7:00 pm ($7): Jarret Berenstein (Boosh Kla-Klau) presents a PowerPoint adventure about getting a new job, accompanied by sketches from comedy duo We’re Matt Weir, at The Magnet theatre: The New Job Show

[FREE] 7:00 pm: An hour of stand-up from Kat Burdick (NPR, The Moth) at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Kat Burdick: The Pocket Guide to Predators and Prey

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there’ll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by Nate Dern, Sarah Tollemache, and Paul Oddo. The hosts’ favorite comics from this open-mic will be selected to perform at their midnight Beastmasters show: The Friday Night Hot Chicks Open Mic

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Dion Flynn, Katie Mordhorst, and Bob Powers tell “stories of all sizes that define our place in the universe” at UCB East hosted by Adam Wade (two-time Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion (2006 & 2009) and record-breaking 18-time StorySlam Champion; The New York Times Magazine; host of hilarious monthly storytelling extravaganzas The Adam Wade Show and Whatever Happened to the Nerds?; for a sampling of Adam’s award-winning tales, please click here): Tales of the Cosmos

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its cast is superb: Brandon Scott Jones, Molly Lloyd, John Murray, Leslie Meisel, Connor Ratliff, and Johnathan Fernandez; and among this latest show’s writers are the delightful Silvija Ozols, and Brandon Gulya…who also directed: Stone Cold Fox: Hey, Look Over Here!

[FREE] 7:30ish pm: Chris Gethard (comedy genius; Comedy Central, IFC; star of The Chris Gethard Show; The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives; author of bestseller A Bad Idea I’m About to Do and Weird New York), Jeffrey Joseph (Jay Leno, HBO, FOX’s In Living Color, Comedy Central), Kevin Barnett (MTV’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, Sleepwalk With Me, College Humor), John Moses (Sirius XM), and Noah Savage performing stand-up at the One and One Bar (76 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) hosted by Ben Conrad & Lucas Connolly: Cranky Pants Comedy Hour

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($38.25 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is the star of hit Comedy Central series The Jeselnik Offensive, former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his great comedy CDs Shakespeare and Caligula. Anthony is headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club, but is now sold out except for Saturday at 10:30, so grab tickets ASAP: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Whitney Cummings (star of NBC’s Whitney; HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV), John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Tony Woods (David Letterman), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno, Comedy Central), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing at Village Underground (130 West 3rd Street, off Sixth Avenue) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO’S Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): Whitney Cummings, John Mulaney, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($35 using code CQUSTX online or at the box office): TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs a show he’s been developing for months for this off-Broadway run (through June 3rd) that looks at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway’s Christopher Street stop): Colin Quinn: Unconstitutional

[$] 8:00 pm ($30): Trevor Noah, a South African comic who’s appeared on Jay Leno and Chelsea Lately, performs a one-man show about “a search for identity in a world obsessed with labels” on Wednesdays-Saturdays through June 8th at The Culture Project (45 Bleecker Street). I can’t rate this until I see it on Saturday, but Noah has a great reputation: Born a Crime

[FREE] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm: Stand-up comics audition for the prestigious Just for Laughs festival at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City for two entirely different 2-hour shows at 8 and 10: Just for Laughs Stand-Up Showcase

8:00 pm ($8): Sketch comedy at The PIT downstairs lounge from National Scandal

[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] 8:30 pm ($10): 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, improv troupe Salmon Diane, sketch/improv duo Klepper & Grey): The Friday Night Sh*w

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:45 pm ($24 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Killer lineup of Whitney Cummings (star of NBC’s Whitney; HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV), John Mulaney (one of the finest stand-ups in the country; writer/performer for Saturday Night Live; Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, one hour special & CD/DVD New in Town, VH1’s Best Week Ever; for John’s great bit on Weekend Update, please click here), Julian McCullough (fiercely funny rising star; Comedy Central Presents, Jimmy Fallon, NPR’s This American Life, MTV, VH1), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Robert Kelly (Louie, Comedy Central, Opie & Anthony), and Tony Woods (David Letterman) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Erik Rivera (Jay Leno, MTV): Whitney Cummings, John Mulaney, Julian McCullough, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): Some of the finest improv in NYC from comedy geniuses Chris Gethard and Shannon O’Neill, plus stellar comics Silvija Ozols, Zach Woods, Michael Delaney, Will Hines, and Connor Ratliff, performing at UCB Chelsea—the all-star members of The Stepfathers

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A gathering of comedic musicians, who tonight are Myq & Micah, Elizabeth Elkins, and Marc T. Engberg performing at UCB East with hosted by superb musical group Summer & Eve (for samples, please click here): Earworm Funny Music Party Show

9:30 pm ($10): A PIT upstairs theatre improv group making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

9:30 pm ($8): Siobhan Beasley (United Nations), Robert A. George (New York Post), Lucas Zachary Hazlett (MTV), and more gather to make fun of politics at The PIT upstairs theatre: Electoral Dysfunction

[TOP PICK] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($7.50 online with code ARI; no min.): 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.), Kevin Meaney (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, HBO, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), Ari Shaffir (Conan O’Brien, HBO’s Down and Dirty, Comedy Central, National Lampoon), Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show), Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing, VH1), and Yannis Pappas (Comedy Central, VH1) performing stand-up at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Ted Alexandro, Kevin Meaney, Ari Shaffir, and More

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

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 10:00 pm ($15): 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 enjoying a Friday night run this summer 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—is likely to keep you entertained: Who Loves You, Baby?

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Superb improvisors Craig Rowin, Matt Fisher, Sue Galloway, Dan Klein, Brian Faas, Matt Moses, and/or Conner O’Malley—who this year defeated The Stepfathers and thoroughly crushed another troupe at Cage Match before losing by a single vote—make up scenes about an audience member’s legal dispute at the UCB Chelsea theatre: The Law Firm: Law & Disorder

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Joe Pera (hilarious deadpan Andy Kaufman-like stand-up; one time I saw Joe sing beautifully and then smash three dozen plates to pieces; more recently he ended his set by slicing milk; for Joe’s latest Kaufman awards submissions, please click here and here), Seth Herzog (staff comic for Jimmy Fallon; 30 Rock, Comedy Central, CBS, VH1, film actor; host of Sweet), Megan Neuringer (HBO’s Flight Of The Conchords, Comedy Central’s Strangers With Candy, FOX’s Fringe, VH1’s Best Week Ever, MTV; freelance writer for Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, Bravo, VH1, MTV, Spike), and Matt Star (sketch group The Prom) performing on this show mixing stand-up, sketch, and improv at UCB East hosted by Brandon Scott Jones, D’Arcy Carden, Justin Tyler, Kelly Hudson, and/or Alden Ford: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:30 pm ($7): Over a dozen of the talented gal improvisors and sketch comics at The Magnet—with the rotating cast including Artistic Director Megan Gray, Lauren Olson, Elena Fishbein, Kimberly Ferguson, and Beth Newell—aim to “give you a dark and twisted late night explosion:” The Clubhouse

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail

Midnight ($5): This UCB East stand-up show features a pro as headliner, plus comics that did well at the 7:00 pm Hot Chicks Room open mic, plus two comics whose names will be drawn from a hat, hosted by Nate Dern, Sarah Tollemache, and Paul Oddo: Beastmasters: Up From the Mic

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it’s an amazing opportunity if you want to perform sketch for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage. Plus it’s hosted by members of Maude troupe Fambly, typically including such wonderful talents as Nicole Byer and Veronica Osorio: Liquid Courage

From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: If you want to know what is happening in NYC comedy on a particular day, you gotta get hip to this dude Hy Bender and his site Best New York Comedy. The site is updated daily and features a super exhaustive look at what is happening in the NYC comedy world that particular day. The site is updated religiously…It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 5/16/13

May 16, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Top comics on TV: Watch Andrea Rosen’s new docuseries here
and check out Pete Holmes’ new Comedy Central special/DVD here

Anthony Jeselnik

Anthony Jeselnik headlines through Sunday at Carolines…

Leslie Goshko

…Leslie Goshko hosts the storytelling open mic “Oh Hey, Guys”…

Andy Blitz

…and Andy Blitz performs at “Lasers in the Jungle”

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] 5:30 pm: All-gal open-mic at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by the spectacular Anna Drezen & Sue Smith: Open Michelle: Ladies Open Mic

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 6:00 pm: Leslie Goshko (delightful & razor-sharp storyteller/comic; WNYC, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, host of Sideshow Goshko) takes over this week while John Flynn is sharing his immense talents with out-of-town audiences. This is a terrific weekly open-mic storytelling show at UCB East, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress: Oh, Hey Guys!

[ALMOST FREE] 6:00 pm ($1): PIT musical improv troupe Adorable mixes with musical improv novices on-stage at the downstairs lounge for Pitch

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics’ names drawn from a bucket and each chosen receiving two minutes—and if that goes well, maybe a hug (but not actual puppies)—at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Ross Parsons & Trey Galyon: Free Puppies

6:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min. 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

[TOP PICK] 6:30 pm ($5): Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy and Stripped Stories) auditions a one-woman show about her marriage and divorce in Bad Bride; plus a show I nothing about, The Hasseltones Live, also auditions for a spot on the schedule of the prestigious UCB Chelsea stage: Spank

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($8): The wonderful Julie Sharbutt (improv shows Gravid Water, Mystic Improv, The Scene, Birds) and Zhubin Parang (writer for The Daily Show; improv shows What I Did For Love, HUNK, The Scene) perform duo improv “exploring a world of deeply felt character relationships while sitting in chairs” at The PIT upstairs theatre. Last month Julie performed this show with Scott Adsit—fully holding her own with one of the finest improvisors alive—and the story that unfurled was so memorable I’m still carrying it around. Come see what magic Julie & Zhubin create tonight at Chairs

[FREE] 7:00 pm: A one-man show from Harmon Leon, who enjoyed an acclaimed run performing this at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and can now be enjoyed at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Ironic/Not Ironic

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Punchbowl and THEM

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Hello Laser to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Great lineup of Andy Blitz (comedy genius best known for being an Emmy-nominated and long-time writer/performer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien; has also written for Comedy Central’s Important Things, MTV’s Human Giant, etc.; a thoroughly unique stand-up whose sets—ranging from talking peanut butter to jet-flying cats—tend to be unforgettable), Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Amber Nelson (fearless, innovative rising star; Comedy Central; sketch troupe The Prom, co-host of The Dream Show), and Erik Bergstrom (cartoonist/author of Grimmer Tales, The New Yorker, blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012) performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Sean Crespo, Dan Wilbur, and Katina Corrao: Lasers in the Jungle

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm ($35 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is the star of hit Comedy Central series The Jeselnik Offensive, former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his great comedy CDs Shakespeare and Caligula. Anthony is headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($10; includes a free beer): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller) gathers comics to tell funny stories at the Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th Street), with tonight’s guests Amy Sohn, Ed Gavigan, and Maude Sernas: Tom Shillue’s Funny Story

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): “Love Doctors Eli Newell (Delocated) and Julie Klausner (I Don’t Care About Your Band, VH1) are international dating experts who specialize in online dating. They have PhDs in getting you laid and they want to use their insane skills to help you find a date. One lucky lady or dude from OkCupid will get a chance to go on three real dates with real people live onstage. Once again, these are real people, who have never met each other, going on real dates on stage. Come learn a little about love from the people who know the most about lacking it: comedians. Dating connections absolutely guaranteed—even if you don’t get on stage!” at UCB Chelsea featuring Leslie Meisel, Sue Galloway, and Will Hines: The OkCupid Show

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($35 using code CQUSTX online or at the box office): TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs a show he’s been developing for months for this off-Broadway run (through June 3rd) that looks at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street, just one block from the #1 subway’s Christopher Street stop): Colin Quinn: Unconstitutional

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house improv groups Junior Varsity and Hello Laser performing improv for an hour, followed at 9:00 pm by The Butterfly Effect (long form improv monoscene in which a small incident has an increasingly significant ripple effect), and at 10:00 pm by veteran improvisors making up scenes based on improvised monologues from tonight’s storyteller Robert Weinstein at The Armando Diaz Experience, and finally at 11:00 improv competition Inspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) featuring last week’s winner vs. Canons: The Magnet’s Night Out

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), 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), Gary Gulman (David Letterman, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, Tourgasm, Comedy Central hour-long special), Jermaine Fowler (MTV’s Guy Code and Wildn Out, Comedy Central, Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show), Dan Soder (Comedy Central Half Hour, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here), and Keith Robinson (HBO, Comedy Central, Wanda Sykes Show) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by William Stephenson (FX’s Louie, The Chris Rock Show): Todd Barry, Tom Papa, Gary Gulman, and More

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($20): A former roommate & drinking buddy of such comedy giants as David Cross and Marc Maron performs a one-man show that was such a hit at August’s FringeNYC it’s been extended indefinitely. Please read my review by clicking here, and Jason Zinoman’s New York Times review by clicking here; and then come share an intimate hour with Matt Graham at the Soho Playhouse’s downstairs Huron Club so he can explain life and meaning and why This Too Shall Suck

[$] 8:00 pm ($30): Trevor Noah, a South African comic who’s appeared on Jay Leno and Chelsea Lately, performs a one-man show about “a search for identity in a world obsessed with labels” on Wednesdays-Saturdays through June 8th at The Culture Project (45 Bleecker Street). I haven’t seen this yet, but Noah has a great reputation: Born a Crime

8:00 pm ($10; no min.): Stand-up comics audition for the prestigious Just for Laughs festival at The Stand Comedy Club (239 Third Avenue & 20th Street): Just for Laughs Stand-Up Showcase

8:00 pm (no cover, 1 drink min.): Storytellers Allison Castillo, Garry Hannon, Jonah Loeb, and Rena Zager, plus musical guest Erin Regan, performing at this biweekly storytelling show at 2A (25 Avenue A & 2nd Street) hosted by Jenny Rubin: Here’s the Story

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes, Hemlock (which includes stellar singer Megan Maes) and Dagger (which includes notable talents Ryan Dunkin and Jon Bander), make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT downstairs lounge: Hemlock and Dagger

8:00 pm ($8): Ora Fruchter & Christopher Scheer put a hand-puppet through improvised therapy at The PIT upstairs theatre: Puppet Therapy

[FREE] 8:00 pm: A monthly showcase of both stand-ups and improvisors at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by stand-up Zach Broussard and improv troupe Priest & the Beekeeper: Pig Pile

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced around 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this free weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Michael Che (hilarious rising star stand-up; David Letterman, Comedy Central), Phil Hanley (Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central), Reid Faylor (co-host of hilarious Creek show Underbelly), Claudia Cogan (Last Comic Standing, MTV, Logo, here! TV), Brian Frange, and Brendan Fitzgibbons performing stand-up at UCB East hosted by Adam Conover (VH1’s Best Week Ever, Olde English) and/or Emily Heller (Comedy Central, FX’s Totally Biased): Fresh Out

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors make up three one-act plays on the spot at The PIT downstairs lounge, produced by Dan Hodapp & Micah Sherman—a show that tonight celebrates its Two Year Anniversary, and is followed by a free party at 11:00 pm: The Scene

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): If you’re a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it on the UCB Chelsea stage—along with stand-ups Dan St. Germain (enormously likeable and rapidly rising star who has several shows in the works; Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Half-Hour Special, The Electric Company, MTV, VH1), Streeter Seidell (Editor-in-Chief of College Humor; Jimmy Kimmel, MTV’s Pranked), Emily Axford, and Brian Murphy—at CollegeHumor Live

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Stand-ups attempt to perform tight sets—”no fat, no filler, just funny”—with tonight’s lineup Jim Tews, Mark Chalifoux, Andrew Short, Mike Cody, Adam Sokol, and Niles Turner at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Mike Speirs: Trim the Fat

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv group Scrambled Legs first knocked out powerhouse Airwolf, and then last week crushed Powder Keg into a very fine powder via a 120-19 win. Tonight the champion faces Lloyd team Graceland at UCB Chelsea as these improvisors compete for your laughs and votes at the raucous Cage Match

11:00 ($5):NYC stand-ups Dan Wilbur, Nicole Korkolis, Brendan Eyre, and more performing at UCB East as part of the Reddit.com online community, hosted by Adam Lash (HBO, Showtime, The Daily Show) and/or Nathan Anderson: /r/standup

[FREE] 11:00 pm: An open-mic show that’s first come, first serve, with each comic getting 3-5 minutes on stage at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Josh Alba: Mic and Cheese

[$] Midnight ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Uncensored stand-up from Jena Friedman (wry dark comedy stand-up and rising star; producer for The Daily Show, former staff writer for David Letterman), Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, HBO, Showtime, MTV), Andrew Schulz (MTV’s Guy Code, Girl Code, Failosophy), Mike Yard (Comedy Central, Def Comedy Jam), and Sam Morril (Comedy Central) performing at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Ardie Fuqua (HBO’S Bad Boys of Comedy, Comedy Central): The Nasty Show: Jena Friedman, Big Jay Oakerson, and More

 From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: If you want to know what is happening in NYC comedy on a particular day, you gotta get hip to this dude Hy Bender and his site Best New York Comedy. The site is updated daily and features a super exhaustive look at what is happening in the NYC comedy world that particular day. The site is updated religiously…It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 1/13/13

January 13, 2013

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Anthony Jeselnik

I never do this, but in this case can’t resist: Go out tonight if you must, but at minimum set your TV recording device to catch rising superstar Anthony Jeselnik’s new Comedy Central special Caligula, which debuts at 10:00 pm.
To learn more, please visit http://HyReviews.com/#aj.

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:

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 3:00 pm ($28 at the door or online with code BBOX): The return of one of the funniest comedies—and finest comedic ensembles—to grace New York, and what ended up as the very best show of this year’s FringeNYC Festival, playing at the Soho Playhouse’s upstairs theatre. Please read my review by clicking here, and then take advantage of this opportunity to see the Chicago-based 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 3:30 pm-12:30 am ($45): The conclusion of a mammoth two-day festival devoted to comedy podcasts running simultaneously at The PIT upstairs and downstairs theatres from 3:30 pm till midnight, with individual shows $8 and a festival pass $45 (to nab one online, please click here): The PIT’s NYC Podcast Festival

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase

[FREE] 5:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with 3 minutes per comic (unless not many folks show up, in which case there’ll be more time), with names drawn out of a bucket at UCB East in the bar area (“Hot Chicks Room”) hosted by Emmy Blotnick, Matt Nedostup, and/or Sachi Ezurafor: Sledgehammer

[FREE] 6:00 pm: “Short-form improv teams battle it out for the most points and a prize. C’mon, admit it! You miss the quick-witted fun and audience involvement of short-form improv. A different short-form team joins Mishmash! each month and struts their stuff for a panel of judges (including one judge chosen from the audience) until a winner emerges. There will be a series of completely improvised scenes, stories and musicals all based on your suggestions. Come ready to shout out suggestions, and even shout at the judges,” at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Scrimmage

6:00 pm ($5): Open-mic stand-up that includes professional feedback on each comic’s 5-minute set at Queens LIC’s Laughing Devil Comedy Club (4738 Vernon Blvd.): Mic-Shop: Open Mic Workshop

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 7:00 pm: TV & Broadway stand-up star Colin Quinn performs a show looking at US history “from the Founding Fathers to the Kardashians” at Queens LIC’s The Creek upstairs theatre: Unconstitutional with Colin Quinn

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCB Chelsea’s signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world such as Chris Gethard, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Eugene Mirman (Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, FOX’s Bob’s Burgers, Adult Swim’s Delocated, VH1; pioneer of NYC downtown comedy), Jared Logan (rising star; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, CNN, TBS, host of ComedyJuice), Kara Klenk (Comedy Central, Spike, Nickelodeon; host of If You Bring It), Damien Lemon (MTV2’s Guy Code, Comedy Central, The Amazing Spider-Man), and Ken Reid performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by Caroline Creaghead (who’s taken over the time slot for Eugene Mirman’s previous show Pretty Good Friends): Creaghead & Company

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Neal Brennan (razor-sharp, edgy comedy veteran; HBO, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show), Donnell Rawlings (Chappelle’s Show, HBO’s The Wire, Comedy Central), Bobby Collins (HBO, Jay Leno, Comedy Central), Modi (HBO’s The Sopranos, Comedy Central), and Jeff Lamp (Jay Leno) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1): Neal Brennan, Donnell Rawlings, and More

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Veteran improvisors—including the wonderful the brilliant and delightful Lauren Olson (powerhouse one-woman show Our Condolences at FringeNYC; brilliant writer, actress, and improvisor)—make up a one-act play on the spot at The Magnet theatre: Tonight’s Performance

[$] 8:00 pm ($42 & 2-drink min.) A writer/comic who plays Leon Black on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, and has performed on Saturday Night Live, FOX, Comedy Central, MTV, The Chris Rock Show, and in such feature films as Pootie Tang and Mr. Deeds, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: JB Smoove

[FREE] 8:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Kevin Barnett, Nore Davis, Nick Turner, Charlie Kasov, and more performing at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street) hosted by RG Daniels: Sunday Night Stand-Up

[FREE] 8:00 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[TOP PICK] [$] [DISCOUNTED] 9:00 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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo, Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), and more performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00 pm: Godfrey (Comedy Central Presents, Louie, 30 Rock, VH1; films Zoolander, Original Gangsters, Soul Plane; 7 Up Yours ads), Abigoliah Schamaun, Gordon Baker-Bone, and more performing stand-up, plus music from DJ Roofeeo, at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (former staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, The Eric Andre Show, Animal Furnace): Comedy Night

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Annie Lederman (Comedy Central, Chelsea Lately, co-host of Pirate Party), Mike Kaiser, Jess Salomon, Saurin Choksi, and Taylor Ketchum performing stand-up in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

9:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

9:30 pm ($5): Sketch comedy at The Magnet, tonight from troupes Jacktown and Dispacho: Magnet Sketch Teams

[TOP PICK] [$] 9:45 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Al Madrigal (correspondent for The Daily Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno), Nikki Glaser (co-star of MTV’s The Nikki and Sara Show; Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing; podcast You Had to Be There), Greer Barnes (David Letterman, Chappelle Show, For the Love of the Game), Ryan Hamilton (Conan O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Showtime), and Mike Vecchione (Last Comic Standing, Howard Stern) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1): Al Madrigal, Nikki Glaser, and More

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with improvisors taken from the audience…and who may include you: Improv Nerds Jam

[$] 11:30 pm ($14 plus 2-item food/drink min.): Louis Katz (Jimmy Fallon, HBO, Comedy Central Presents), Mark Normand (hilarious stand-up; Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central; co-host of Hot Soup and We’re All Friends Here), Kurt Metzger (Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans), Andrew Schulz (MTV2’s Guy Code), and Wil Sylvince (Comedy Central, BET’s Comic View) performing stand-up at Comedy Cellar (117 MacDougal Street, between 3rd Street & Minetta Lane) hosted by Jon Fisch (David Letterman, Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing, VH1): Louis Katz, Mark Normand, Kurt Metzger, and More

From legendary NYC comedy site Brooklyn Vegan: If you want to know what is happening in NYC comedy on a particular day, you gotta get hip to this dude Hy Bender and his site Best New York Comedy. The site is updated daily and features a super exhaustive look at what is happening in the NYC comedy world that particular day. The site is updated religiously…It is your daily comedy itinerary and it scares me how on top of his shit this guy is.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Sunday 4/29/12

April 29, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Secrets of the Muppets

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at Jim Henson's creations at Secrets of the Muppets...

Anthony Jeselnik

...and don't miss the last chance to see Anthony Jeselnik having fun headlining 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] 2:00 pm ($8): Select “behind the scenes” clips of the Muppets screened at Brooklyn’s Union Hall, plus Muppet-themed drink specials, cool giveaways, sing-along fun, and more:” The Muppet Vault: Secrets of the Muppets

[FREE] 2:00 pm-10:00 pm: An annual improv event running for its final 8 hours today at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City:  The Fourth Annual Creek Improv Festival

[FREE] 4:00 pm: An unusually early walk-in open-mic stand-up show at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City: Face-Plant Comedy Showcase

6:00 pm ($5): A monthly selection of NYC indie improv troupes at UCB East, tonight hosted by group Jump on Three: Indie improv Showcase

[FREE] 6:30 pm: Magnet sketch comics performing new material: Ripe Sketch Comedy

7:00 pm ($8): Young improvisors at The PIT upstairs theatre make up a musical on the spot based on an audience suggestion: The Shady Bunch

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10) and 9:30 pm [FREE]: UCBwest’s signature improv comedy extravaganza, which typically includes stars in the improv world, and sometimes even TV & movie stars such as Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz: ASSSCAT 3000

7:30 pm ($5): Improv troupes not affiliated with any comedy school compete at UCB East for audience laughs and votes—and the privilege to go on to perform at the primary Cage Match show at UCB Chelsea—in this show hosted by the delightful Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels (Krompf): Indie Cage Match

[FREE] 7:30 pm: Sketch, improv, and more at The Creek downstairs lounge in Queens’ Long Island City from comedy troupe Froduce

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, aComedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his hit comedy CD Shakespeare. Don’t miss Anthony headlining this closing night at the Carolines Comedy Club: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($7): Jeff Simmerman (The Moth GrandSlam Champion), Emily Heller (Comedy Central; staff writer for Rooftop Comedy; for ruminations on pregnancy, please click here), and more performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Union Hall hosted by comedy giant Eugene Mirman: Pretty Good Friends

[$] 8:00 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): A TV & movie star who’s performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, NBC, ABC, FX, and has starred in three Comedy Central specials, headlining one last night at the Gotham Comedy Club: Adam Ferrara

8:00 pm ($5): “When Charlie Tickertape is cozily nestled in his converted cabinet-drawer bed, and Irv Newberg has fallen asleep on a giant pile of money, they dream about Tim Allen, butlers who are brothers, Alfred Hitchcock, Ronald Reagan, and Paris Hilton. It’s Listen, Kid!’s first-ever sketch show:” Listen, Kid! Presents Hollyweird Dreams

[FREE] 8:00 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), Damien Lemon (MTV2’s Guy Code), Sean Donnelly, and Tyler Fisch (host of Fresh Fisch) performing at RG Daniels’ free weekly show at the Three of Cups lounge (83 First Avenue at 5th Street): Sunday Night Stand-Up

8:00 pm ($5): Short-form improv at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Sunday ShortForm Show

[FREE] 9:00 pm: NYC stand-ups Clayton English, Kate Hendricks, Joel Walkowski, Kelly Fastuca, and Ricarlo Flanagan performing in the East Village’s Beauty Bar for this free weekly show hosted by Adam Sokol, Brad Austin, and/or Nate Fridson: Comedy at the Beauty Bar

[FREE] 9:00 pm: Louis Katz (HBO, Comedy Central), Baratunde Thurston (Digital Editor of The Onion), Jessimae Peluso (Last Comic Standing, TruTV, Tyra Banks), Retta, Chris Cotton, and Leonard Robinson performing stand-up at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory (361 Metropolitan Avenue) hosted by the wonderful Hannibal Buress (staff writer for 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live; David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Louie, upcoming one-hour Comedy Central special): Comedy Night

9:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with guest improvisors: Improv Nerds

9:30 pm ($5): Abbi Crutchfield (delightful co-host of Positively Awesome and The Living Room) and Ryan Connor (SNL’s Weekend Update, The Onion), improv troupe Barnstormer, and more performing at The PIT upstairs theatre: Daws of Jeath

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($5): One of the my favorite writer/actress/improvisors, the brilliant and luminous Lauren Olson, teams with Jon Bander and Karsten Cross at The Magnet to perform at improv trio Mr. Gorsky

[FREE] 9:30 pm: Open-mic stand-up, with four minutes per comic, at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Molly Austin & Mike Brown: Vicious Cycle

[FREE] 10:00 pm: Adrienne Iapalucci (Last Comic Standing), Selena Coppock (author of The New Rules for Blondes), and Adam Lehman (Here TV, Logo) performing at this free weekly gay-themed show at Therapy hosted by Brad Loekle: Electro Shock Therapy Comedy Hour

10:00 pm ($5): Improv veterans Brandon Gardner, Chelsea Clarke, and Phillip Jackson hosting & performing in a show at UCB East with improvisors taken from the audience…and who may includeyou: Improv Nerds Jam

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Friday 4/27/12

April 27, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

Anthony Jeselnik

Stand-up comedy giant Anthony Jeselnik...

...continues his headlining run at the Carolines Comedy Club

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 Creekdownstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Mike Recine (Comedy Central) and Annie Lederman (Comedy Central): The Shinebox

[FREE] 6:30 pm: An annual improv event running eight hours tonight and most of this weekend atThe Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: The Fourth Annual Creek Improv Festival

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($7): Ace Magnet improvisors who are married with kids—and who sometimes include improv genius Ed Herbstman, plus Melanie Hoopes, Matt Evans, Christine Walters, Maggie Kemper, Robert Cuthill, Ari Voukydis, Ryan Rodgers, Michele Laikowski, and/or Kelly Moylan: The Mamas and the Papas

7:00 pm ($8): At this PIT double-bill, Dan Hodapp & Natasha Rothwell “bring more than five years of improv collaboration to stage for an evening of bold, committed characters and probably a fart joke for good measure” as Hodapp & Rothwell, and then all-gal improvisors Alexis Saarela, Brigid Boyle, Elizabeth Findlay, and Ashley Ward perform as troupe Taco Supreme

7:00 pm ($5): All-gal Improvisors who’ve previously created viral sketch videos performing at The PIT downstairs lounge: Candy Slice Comedy

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Stone Cold Fox is the only sketch troupe (vs. improv troupe) to ever be honored with an ongoing spot on the prestigious UCB Chelsea weekend schedule. It’s earned this slot because its cast is one of the finest in comedy, with each performer strong enough for potential stardom; and, at their best, the troupe’s writers sizzle too. Both strengths are evident inCrisistown, an interactive sketch show in which the audience is periodically asked to choose which of two paths it wants to go down next. This highly playful approach puts you in charge; and it also tempts you to see the show repeatedly (just as you might return to a favorite improv group week after week), because each performance is a never-to-be-repeated event. A vibrant, brilliant cast and mostly terrific comedy writing—plus what was probably a near-superhuman directorial effort by comedy giant Shannon O’Neil—equals a wonderful way to kick off your Friday evening:Stone Cold Fox: Crisistown

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($5): Sharp improvisors at UCB East making up a musical on the spot, with tonight’s special guests Eliza Skinner (musical improv genius; Baby Wants Candy) and Connor Ratliff (The Stepfathers): Diamond Lion

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his hit comedy CD Shakespeare. Don’t miss Anthony headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] 8:00 pm ($5): Freestyle rapping long-form improv troupe North Coast recently clobbered some of the best improv groups in NYC at UCBT’s Cage Match. Tonight come see it perform without the pressure of competition at The PIT upstairs theatre, and also catch an improv group that includes Keisha Zollar (Doppelganger): North Coast and Nobody’s Token

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): 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?

[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 in Queens’ Long Island City downstairs lounge: Mic and Cheese

[TOP PICK] 8:30 pm ($5): A charming monthly comedy variety show, tonight featuring Emily Blotnik (stand-up), Paul Oddo (storyteller), Squirt (improv troupe), and more performing at ABC No Rio (156 Rivington Street, between Suffolk and Clinton) hosted by the wonderful Bridgid Ryan and her improv/sketch troupe Chester (Bridgid Ryan, Sunita Mani, Bryan Rucker, Zack Willis, Caitlin Steitzer, and Adam Jacobson): Don’t You Find Us Charming?

[$] 8:30 pm & 10:30 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.):A TV & movie star who’s performed on David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon, NBC, ABC, FX, and has starred in three Comedy Central specials, headlining tonight through Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: Adam Ferrara

8:30 pm ($7): An hour of all-new sketch comedy from two friends who, by a wild coincidence, have the same name: We’re Matt Weir: Reheated Destiny

[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): TV & movie star Janeane Garofalo (9:00 pm only), TV & movie star Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1; for set about being a hypochondriatic drug user, please click here),Thomas Dale (Sirius Radio), and more performing stand-up at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

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

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): A brand new weekend improv troupe at UCB East spearheaded by Nate Dern in which an audience member is interviewed about his or her love life as the springboard for inventive comedic scenes: What I Did For Love

9:30 pm ($10): A PIT improv troupe making up a musical on the spot after a friendly greeting: Hello

9:30 pm ($5): “Where there is a stage and a piano, she will be there. Where there are strangers with embarrassing stories, she will be there. Where there is a group of people willing to sit and watch someone make up songs, she will be there. A one-woman musical improv journey through the lives of the audience. You tell the story, Rebecca Vigil sings the soundtrack” at The PIT downstairs lounge: The Vigilante

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

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

10:30 pm ($5): NYC comics (not announced) performing at UCB East hosted by Emily Axford, D’Arcy Carden, Alden Ford, Brandon Scott Jones, and/or Justin Tyler: Gentrify

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Stand-up & improvisors Emily Heller, The Vigilante, We’re Matt Weir, Liam McEneaney, Ben Kissel, and Jenn Dodd joining terrific sketch duo Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting (Leah Rudick and Katie Hartman) at The PIT basement lounge: Daddy’s Basement: A Comedy Variety Freakshow

[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

[TOP PICK] [FREE] Midnight: NYC stand-ups—sometimes stellar ones—pushing boundaries for a show designed for looseness and experimentation at The Creek downstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Jacqueline Novak and Chris Laker: Permission to Fail

[FREE] Midnight: This show might not be much fun for audience members, but it’s an amazing opportunity if you want to try out sketches for free and with almost zero hurdles on the prestigiousUCB Chelsea stage. Hosted by Maude troupe Onassis: Liquid Courage

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Thursday 4/26/12

April 26, 2012

For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

For  favorite Anthony Jeselnik relationship jokes, please click here.

Anthony Jeselnik

One of my all-time favorite stand-ups, Anthony Jeselnik, headlines tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club

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: Open-mic storytelling show, with each performer given a whopping eight minutes to captivate & impress, at UCB East hosted by John Flynn and tonight’s guest host Eddie Dunn (Airwolf): Oh, Hey Guys!

[FREE] 6:00 pm: Open-mic stand-up with comics’ names drawn from a bucket and each chosen one receiving three minutes at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City: Corby Haas

6:30 pm ($5): Two shows about which I know nothing audition for a regular spot on the prestigiousUCB Chelsea schedule: The Honeymen Present: A Salute to Honey! and The Murder Of Miko Freeling. These might be great or awful; but at $2.50 per show, you can’t go far wrong either way. That’s part of the fun of Spank

[TOP PICK] 7:00 pm ($5): Wow. Stephen J. Dubner, the co-author of Freakonomics (one of the seminal works of our time…); plus Kambri Crews (author of Burn Down the Ground) and Baratunde Thurston (Digital Editor for The Onion, author of How to Be Black) describing what it’s like to have a dreamy job at UCB Chelsea to host Catie Lazarus (whose birthday is today!) with musical accompaniment by Chris Sullivan (a.k.a., Shockwave; amazing human boombox; The Daily Show, The Electric Company, Freestyle Love Supreme, co-host of The BEATdown) & Arthur Lewis; plus character comic Rob Lathan & Jason Shebiro: Employee of the Month

7:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill at The PIT upstairs theatre: Hot Diner and THEM

[FREE] 7:00 pm: In this free Magnet show, audience members (signing in at 6:00) can join in with improv troupe Phooka to make up scenes on the spot: Magnet Mixer

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm ($31.25 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, aComedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his hit comedy CD Shakespeare. Don’t miss Anthony headlining tonight through Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

8:00 pm ($5): Two singing improv troupes make up entire musicals on the spot in this double-bill atThe PIT upstairs theatre: Frogmen and Harvey

8:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) audition at UCB Chelsea for a spot at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival: Just For Laughs Auditions

8:00 pm-MIdnight ($7 for the entire evening): The Magnet house troupes The Boss, Junior Varsity, Hello Laser, and Phooka performing improv, followed at 10:00 pm by Mark Grenier directing The Bat (improvised scenes that happen entirely in the dark), and then at 11:00 improv competitionInspirado (like UCBT’s Cage Match, but with a game-like challenge component) with troupe Theory of Everything battling last week’s winner for laughs & votes: The Magnet’s Night Out

8:00 pm ($5): Hip hop musical improv at The PIT downstairs theatre from Nick Brown, Don Romaniello, and Michael Short pretending to be NYC police officers: Rap Crimes Division

[FREE] 8:00 pm: “A stand-up comedy showcase and baking competition—come to eat or come to compete” at The Creek’s upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by Cody Hess & Jessica Gross: Cookies!

[$] [DISCOUNTED] 8:00 pm ($15 [vs. $25] online or at the box office using discount code BBOX): 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?

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($5): Star storyteller Tom Shillue (staff writer for Jimmy Fallon; Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Comedy Central Presents, 2011 ECNY Award for Best Storyteller), Nick Turner (Jimmy Fallon; co-host of Too Cool For School and If You Build It), and Eliza Skinner (Conan O’Brien, Showtime, MTV, TBS, AMC, co-host of weekly stand-up show Magic Bag with DC Pierson in LA) performing at UCB East with best bud hosts Noah Garfinkel & Joe Mande (writer for Adult Swim’s Delocated; Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central, VH1; author of Look at This F*cking Hipster): Totally J/K

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 9:00ish pm: Terrific NYC stand-ups (the lineup is typically announced by 3:00 pm; for an update, please click here) performing on this weekly show at the Kabin Bar and Lounge hosted by Chesley Calloway and comedy genius Sean Patton: Comedy as a Second Language

[TOP PICK] 9:30 pm ($10): Morgan Ruzzo (Girl Junk), Selena Coppock (author of The New Rules For Blondes, Moth StorySlam winner), and Ariana Seigel (The People’s Sketch Association, Boombox Kids) performing at The PIT upstairs theatre to share tales on tonight’s theme My Way at one of the finest storytelling shows in the country: Risk!

9:30 pm ($5): If you’re a fan of CollegeHumor.com, you can see the folks behind it on the UCB Weststage—including stand-ups Streeter Seidell, Alex Schmidt, and Jake O’Donnell—at CollegeHumor Live

9:30 pm ($5): Improvisors (not announced) make up one-act plays on the spot at The PITdownstairs lounge for The Scene

[FREE] 10:00 pm: NYC stand-ups performing at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City, hosted by Justin Williams: Death Comedy Jam

[TOP PICK] 11:00 pm ($5): Improv troupe Airwolf continues its brutal domination, winning its fifth consecutive victory last week against Warren by 121 to 61. Tonight’s bloodbath victim is Spooky Ghost. Come see Airwolf murder a creature already dead as these comics compete for audience laughs and votes at UCB Chelsea for the raucous Cage Match

11:00 pm ($5): Improvisors make up a Quentin Tarantino movie at The PIT downstairs lounge for this new themed show: The Tarantino

11:00 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups Nick Turner, Jamie Lee, Dan Soder, Leah Bonnema, Tony Zaret, and Jim Tews performing at UCB East hosted by Amber Nelson and Rob Stern: Late Night Stand

 For more, please visit HyReviews.com.

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NYC Top Comedy Choices for Saturday 10/1/11

October 1, 2011

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

Anthony Jeselnik and Todd Barry

Stand-up giants: Anthony Jeselnik headlines at Carolines, and Todd Barry headlines at Eastville...

Brooklyn Vs. Queens

...while warrior comics do battle at Gleason's boxing ring to determine the superior outer borough: "Brooklyn Vs. Queens: A Comedy Throwdown"

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] 4:00 pm: An unusually early weekly open-mic stand-up show at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City hosted by RG Daniels & Jared Fried: It Starts at 4

6:00 pm ($5): Improv troupes Honey and Double Date at The Magnet kicking off your Saturday evening at The Rundown

7:00 pm ($5): A Chicago-trained improv troupe now at the The PIT known for “nitty-gritty, character driven improv” and its “unique form ‘The Camera,’ which uses the style of famous documentary films such as Grey Gardens and The Salesman to explore the private and public worlds of four unique characters:” Sand

7:00 pm ($5): Madmen meets improv in this show at The PIT downstairs lounge in which scenes are made up by Jonathan Desley & Yang Miller based around an advertising agency: Desley-Miller

[FREE] 7:00 pm: Comedic solo performances—storytelling, sketch, and whatever else isn’t stand-up or improv—at The Creek upstairs theatre in Queens’ Long Island City with hosts Bill Stiteler & Adam Schwartz: Wank

[TOP PICK] 7:30 pm ($10): Genius improvisors Joe Bill, Ed Herbstman, Becky Drysdale, Kay Cannon, Christina Gausas, and/or other stellar performers from 30 Rock, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and legendary Chicago improv institutions, at UCB West all joyously declaring Let’s Have a Ball

7:30 pm ($7): Improv veterans Mark Grenier, Louis Kornfeld, and Charlie Whitcroft at The Magnet making up a play on the spot: Theory of Everything

7:30 pm ($10): UCBT Harold Night improv troupe Airwolf makes stuff up at UCB East: Airwolf: Let’s Go Back to Your Place

[MEGA-TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:30 pm ($26.75 & 2-drink min.) Anthony Jeselnik is one of my favorite stand-ups of all time, with a special gift for crafting dark and shocking short jokes, and a lightning-quick mind that allows him to play with any audience in the moment. This genius Emmy-nominated comic is a former writer/performer for Jimmy Fallon, and has also performed on Conan O’Brien, HBO, a Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, and his hit comedy CD Shakespeare. Anthony is headlining tonight and Sunday at the Carolines Comedy Club along with guitar comic Nick Thune: The Greatest: Anthony Jeselnik

[TOP PICK] [FREE] 8:00 pm: Sean Patton (red-hot rising star; killer set on Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, VH1; co-host of Comedy as a Second Language, frequent guest-host of Whiplash), Nikki Glaser (Jay Leno, Last Comic Standing, podcast You Had to Be There), Ray Marshall, Vinny Fallon, and “a super secret special guest!” performing stand-up at One and One (76 East 1st Street, corner of First Avenue) at Sean Donnelly’s Lil’ Seany Boy

[TOP PICK] [$] 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm & 11:45 pm ($25 & 2-drink min.): Winner of the second season of Last Comic Standing, a frequent performer on Jay Leno and VH1, and star of two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials and an hour-long Comedy Central special, headlining tonight and Sunday at the Gotham Comedy Club: John Heffron

8:00 pm ($7): White rapping from Carolyn Castiglia (Last Comic Standing, VH1), sharp storytelling from Giulia Rozzi (Jimmy Kimmel, MTV, VH1, Playgirl Magazine, co-host of Dive comedy andStripped Stories), and stand-up from Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV) and Hari Kondabolu (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central), and “a surprise guest” performing at The PIT downstairs lounge hosted by Laura Prangley: Too Soon

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): One of the gutsiest and most hilarious troupes in comedy history—with honors including being Cage Match Champion for three years in a row, and winning the 2011 ECNY Award for Best Improv Group—UCB West’s genius improvisors Death by Roo Roo

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10—includes one free drink): NYC comics from Brooklyn and Queens do comedic battle to determine the superior outer borough in a boxing ring at Brooklyn’s Gleason’s Gym (77 Front Street, 2nd Floor; take the F subway to York Street or the 2/3 to Clark Street). The warriors include Ophira Eisenberg (Brooklyn), Adam Lehman (Queens), Selena Coppock (Brooklyn), Keith Alberstadt (Queens), Kendra Cunningham (Brooklyn), Leah Bonnema (Queens), and more (including “special secret guests”), hosted/refereed by the adorable Sue Funke: Brooklyn vs. Queens: A Comedy Throwdown

[TOP PICK] 9:00 pm ($10): 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), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Louis Katz (HBO, Comedy Central), Roger Hailes (Chappelle’s Show, VH1, MTV), and Nick Vatterott (Jimmy Fallon, MTV, Second City) performing stand-up at UCB East, hosted by Kara Klenk and Nick Turner: If You Build It

[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): Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central Presents, FX’s Louie, HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and Bored to Death, Adult Swim, feature films The Wrestler and Pete Smalls is Dead), Rachel Feinstein (finalist on this summer’s Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central; opens for Sarah Silverman on tour), Dan Soder (Comedy Central, VH1), and Aaron Berg performing at the only comedy club in the East Village: Eastville Comedy Club

9:00 pm ($10): NYC sketch comedy duo Jamaal Sedayao and Brian Lisi at The Magnet providing “unfamiliar, often absurd stories full of unexpected laughs:” Turboner Bigoté

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 and now at The PIT: Political Subversities

9:30 pm ($5): NYC stand-ups (not announced) bringing their A-game—because their sets are captured at this new monthly show as audition tapes—performing at The PIT basement lounge: The Grass Route: Built from the Underground Up

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

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($10): Ben Rodgers, Charlie Todd, Jim Santangeli, and other stellar improvisors at UCB West interview an audience member about where he or she grew up and then create an entire show based on the mini-bio: The Curfew: Not From Around Here

[TOP PICK] 10:30 pm ($7): A sharp musical improv troupe at The Magnet making up stories with song and dance based on an audience suggestion: Choral Rage

11:00 pm ($5): Sharp sketch troupe The Whitest Kids U’ Know capped their fifth and final season on IFC with a series of pothead shows set during the Civil War. They’ve constructed a low-budget movie from this episode that’s screening tonight at UCB East. Frankly, it lacks many of the key structural elements that make a genuine movie work—and when this debuted at SketchFest NYC 2011, a lot of audience members left or started wandering around the theatre within 30 minutes. But if you’re patient—and/or stoned—and accept this is really a series of sketches loosely tied together rather than the feature film it’s pretending to be, there are fun scenes scattered throughout. Plus the troupe, which is genuinely personable and entertaining, is performing live right before the screening. By far the best bit: The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, which hopefully the guys will do for you on stage—and which otherwise you can watch by clicking here: The Civil War on Drugs

Midnight ($5): Improv troupes Deckard and Creature at UCB West making stuff up past their bedtime: Saturday Night Slumber Party

[FREE] Midnight: A weekly chance for you to shine at The Magnet, as students and veteran improvisors share the stage to form “rare and wonderful one-night-only teams,” with sign-up starting at 11:30 pm: Magnet Mixer

For full details, please visit HyReviews.com.

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

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